Chapter 265: Chapter 58 Desperate Merchant_3
Ah Dai pondered, saying, "Brother Yan Shi, we’ve discussed this before. Those Elves kidnapped by the Thieves’ Guild were likely sold to wealthy nobles who could afford them. I’m guessing that these high-ranking nobles wouldn’t be dwelling in remote locations. Although the Empire of Sunset City is vast, there shouldn’t be too many cities where these powerful nobles reside. If we target these major cities as our prime focus, we should certainly glean some results. Once we locate the Elves, they can provide us with further leads, making the search much more convenient. What do you think?"
Yan Shi stared at Ah Dai in astonishment. After a moment, he laughed, "Ah Dai, when did you become so clever? That indeed seems like a sound plan!"
Ah Dai scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, "I wouldn’t say I’m clever, it just suddenly occurred to me. Brother, do you think it could work?"
Yan Shi laughed heartily, "Of course it could! It’s probably our best option right now. Let’s see; which is the nearest major city to us?" He pulled out a map unfurling it flat on the ground, pointed to their current location, and began searching around, "Ah, yes. We’re in Dark Province. The provincial capital, Dark City, which is also the largest city in this region, is quite close. Let’s start from there. We search every provincial capital, ending our search in the capital of the Empire of Sunset City."
Ah Dai nodded, "Good. We should make haste on our journey tomorrow and head straight to Dark Province. Here’s hoping that our first stop bears fruit."
"Let me go! Let me go and die! What’s the point of my life anyway?" Continuous cries echoed through the air, shocking Ah Dai and Yan Shi. They turned to see Yan Li running out of the forest, carrying a man in his arms. The man struggled and appeared to be the source of the wailing.
With a mighty leap, Yan Li landed next to Ah Dai and Yan Shi. He loosened his grip and dropped the man onto the ground. A middle-aged man, his clothes torn in several places and his face pale, cried out in pain the moment he hit the ground. He scrambled to his feet, pointing his finger at Yan Li and cursed, "You short winter melon, who asked for your help? Don’t I even have the right to die? Who do you think you are to meddle?" His fluent Holy Church language was understandable to all three of them.
His cursing enraged Yan Li. With a flash of black light, he placed a battle axe against the man’s neck, growling, "Who are you calling a short winter melon?"
The middle-aged man snorted, "Of course, it was you. Kill me if you want to; I don’t want to live anyway."
Ah Dai and Yan Shi looked at the middle-aged man in shock. Yan Shi asked, "Ah Li, what’s going on? You went to collect firewood, but came back with a person."
Yan Li angrily said, "This guy is a complete jerk; I found him trying to hang himself in the woods. I saved him out of goodwill, but he began cursing at me. I should have just let him die."
Ah Dai stood up and approached the middle-aged man, pushing Yan Li’s battle axe aside. He gently said, "Uncle, what made you even think of ending your life? Once you die, there’s no coming back."
The middle-aged man glanced at Ah Dai, "Obvious, isn’t it? If I wanted to live, I wouldn’t be thinking of death. What’s the point of my living anyway? I’ve lost everything, everything!" As he spoke, his emotions flared up again. Ah Dai held down the man’s shoulder, infusing a robust stream of True Qi into his body. The robust Qi, brimming with life, nourished the middle-aged man’s body, improving the color of his face a bit and gradually calming his emotions. He sat on the ground, his eyes becoming vacant.
Ah Dai glanced at Yan Shi, squatted next to the middle-aged man, and asked, "Uncle, can you tell us what drove you to such desperation? We’ll help you as much as we can."
The middle-aged man looked at Ah Dai and noticed his magician’s attire, a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes. He murmured, "I used to be a rich merchant in Dark City. A year ago, I had a numerous wives, concubines, and vast wealth. But within this year, I’ve lost it all! What’s the point of living? I’m over forty; there’s no coming back for me." As he spoke, he began to reveal his story. He was Vatana, a once affluent medicine trader in Dark City. In just over a decade of hard work, he had accumulated a large fortune. When he reached middle age, his ambition dwindled, and he focused on protecting his wealth. He bought luxurious houses and shops in Dark City and continued running his medicine business. The city had a high demand for medicine due to its frequent brawls and poor law enforcement situation, so Vatana’s business flourished as visitors from other provinces came to purchase his products. After several years, Vatana gained minor celebrity in Dark City. However, wealth made him more decadent, and he started enjoying the company of beautiful women and gambling. He married more than ten concubines and began gambling under the influence of some bad company. Initially, he managed to limit his gambling to small funds. However, as his friends goaded him and his own addiction grew, he began to stake higher and higher amounts. In no time, he was betting fortunes, and his money began to vanish at an alarming rate. Within a year, he not only lost all his assets but also accumulated a huge gambling debt. Even his concubines abandoned him. Two days ago, the gamblers came to settle their debts. To save himself, he had to flee from Dark City. The constant fear over the last two days drove Vatana to the edge of despair. Feeling he’d lost everything and fearing being hunted down, he decided to end his life by hanging himself. It was at this point that Yan Li found him while picking up firewood.
