No One Told Me That This Isn’t a Game (Patreon)

Chapter 8: Ruled By Desire

The caravan set off, and the journey was uneventful.

The route from Fengming City to Qushui Town was well-traveled by Giant Shield Escort, so they were familiar with it.

The journey was smooth and calm, without any hitches.

Captain Li of the caravan wasn't particularly strong, being only at the third realm despite his age of nearly forty.

However, he had a rich experience, and they arrived at the designated spot smoothly by dusk, where he was now busy setting up a camp.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should reach Qushui Town by tomorrow afternoon.

After a hasty dinner, Zuo Chang squatted by the campfire, roasting something.

For some reason...

He felt a bit uneasy, as if something was about to happen.

Before they departed, Xue Qiangwei had clearly mentioned that she had arranged for a third realm spellcaster to escort him.

Yet, up until now, Zuo Chang hadn't seen this spellcaster.

Given Xue Qiangwei's capabilities, she wouldn't let such a small matter slip.

It must be that the spellcaster she arranged had encountered some issue and couldn't make it.

"Sigh."

Zuo Chang sighed softly, feeling a bit helpless.

A third realm spellcaster wasn't incredibly powerful, but in a place like 96511, their strength still carried weight. Having one around could provide a sense of security.

"Sir, are you Zuo Chang?"

Captain Li's voice sounded in front of him.

Zuo Chang looked up and saw two people.

One of them was Captain Li, and the other person's face couldn't be clearly seen.

That person was draped in a black cloak, likely a woman, and her figure and appearance were hidden.

From her exposed red lips, it was evident that she was quite attractive.

Her lips were neither thin nor thick, naturally sealed, yet faintly carried a sense of a smile. The color on her lips was as vibrant as a wet strawberry. Even though her appearance wasn't fully visible, just those lips were enough to evoke desire in others.

Unfortunately, her height wasn't tall.

She stood at a height that barely reached Zuo Chang's chest, indicating that she might still be in her growth phase.

Zuo Chang stood up and said, "Yes, I am."

This time, the cloaked figure spoke up.

Her voice was crisp, with a slight upward inflection, giving it a cheerful tone, "You're the 'very important person' that Chief often mentions, Zuo Chang?"

Ah!

Here she was.

In the past, Xue Qiangwei was the "Chief of the Security and Defense Bureau" for Zuo Chang. During that time, everyone would call her "Chief Qiangwei."

The girl before him probably referred to him discreetly as "very important person" to avoid startling Captain Li. After all, Xue Qiangwei was no ordinary person, and thus, she used the more obscure term "Chief."

Zuo Chang quickly replied, "That's me! Chief mentioned that I would meet a spellcaster in Fengming City. Is that you?"

"Yes, yes. I received a telegram. She asked me to help look after you."

She extended her friendly hand.

"Mr. Zuo Chang, you can call me Litchi. I'm a scholar currently traveling in 96511. I hope to find evidence that Heavenly King General is still alive. Miss Litchi!"

Litchi had blue nail polish on all four nails, but her middle finger was clean and pristine, untouched by dust. Zuo Chang held her delicate hand and said, "I'm Zuo Chang. Nice to meet you."

Captain Li stood by quietly, observing.

He spoke up, saying, "Mr. Zuo, what I'm about to say might be a bit sudden... But we're about to face a battle, and it could be very dangerous."

"???" What's... what's happening? Everything was peaceful; why would they have to fight?

Zuo Chang was puzzled, looking at the tranquil night and the calm campsite, and asked, "A battle?"

Captain Li nodded with a serious expression, "Yes. A battle. A group of thieves has taken advantage of our Giant Shield Escort's reputation to secretly hide three 'precious items' among the cargo. If nothing unexpected happens, we're about to experience something unexpected."

Zuo Chang remained composed and asked, "They are Iron Gallstones, aren't they?"

"!" "!"

Both Litchi and Captain Li were taken aback, not understanding how Zuo Chang had guessed it!

Litchi couldn't hide her surprise and asked, "How did you know? Are you involved? Wait... You were introduced by the Chief, so you should be trustworthy."

Zuo Chang shook his head, "My background is certainly clean, so you don't need to doubt that. The reason I guessed is simply because the guards at the city gate were overly strict, and there's a billion-ton-level mine near Fengming City. It's hard not to suspect whether Iron Gallstones might be lost."

Ah...

Litchi and Captain Li exchanged glances, finding his reasoning quite sound.

Zuo Chang then asked, "How did you find out?"

Litchi quickly answered, "When they discreetly put the Iron Gallstones in, I saw them."

"...What?"

"Saw them."

Litchi repeated herself.

She pointed at one of the cargo trucks and continued, "I was on the carriage at the time and saw someone carrying a box, which they sneaked under that cargo truck. When they came out again, the box they were holding was suddenly gone."

Captain Li added, "Miss Litchi told me about it. I was concerned that someone might be smuggling contraband, which could tarnish the reputation of Giant Shield Escort. So, I checked, and then—"

He took out an iron box engraved with runes.

The box opened, revealing three round silver-gray stones inside.

In the light of the campfire, the stones emitted a warm luster— This wasn't the reflection of the firelight, but a sparkling silver glow.

These three stones had their own radiance!

They were exactly like the illustrations from the game, truly Iron Gallstones!

But what was going on?

The most brilliant method of solving a case wasn't a meticulously crafted deduction, but witnessing the scene of the crime, right?

Captain Li appeared hesitant, asking, "Mr. Zuo, you seem to be familiar with Iron Gallstones? This item... Is it really Iron Gallstone? I can see that it's precious, but I can't be sure of its origin. If it's indeed the legendary Iron Gallstone, one piece could be worth several million!"

Zuo Chang remained composed, "This is indeed Iron Gallstone. Shaped like a chicken egg, silver-gray in color, with an extremely smooth surface that even the most advanced microscopic magic can't detect any irregularities. Iron Gallstone is the essence of iron, a top-tier magical material. When added to a weapon during forging, it can significantly increase the sharpness of the weapon. Selling for a few million is actually a hasty move; it's being sold cheaply."

A few million, and it's considered cheap?

This time...

Things are really getting serious!

Captain Li's expression was pious as he stood in silence.

After a moment, he picked up one Iron Gallstone and handed it to Litchi; Then he picked up another Iron Gallstone and handed it to Zuo Chang.

The last Iron Gallstone was placed into his chest pocket, "Mr. Zuo, Miss Litchi, I've served in Giant Shield Escort for ten years, dedicated and diligent. Even after becoming the captain of the escort team, I worked tirelessly, braving danger with extreme caution... Yet, even so, excluding bonuses, my salary is only about seventy to eighty thousand per month..."

Zuo Chang looked at him and held an Iron Gallstone in his hand, "Are you suggesting...?"

Captain Li looked up at the sky, his expression filled with sorrow, "I thought that with my professional ethics, I could resist any temptation. Even if a fortune was laid out before me, I wouldn't betray my integrity or resort to shameful acts like abandoning a mission! But just now... In such a simple way, my bottom line was breached."

"..."

"..."

Zuo Chang looked at Captain Li with a gaze as if he were examining trash.

Litchi's eyes were concealed beneath her hood, so her expression couldn't be seen. Presumably, her current demeanor was similar to Zuo Chang's.

Captain Li's dead-fish eyes were gone, replaced by a sharp, husky-like gaze.

He looked serious and continued, "Throughout history, wealth and riches have stirred the human heart. Ultimately, I'm just a pitiable creature driven by desire. Mr. Zuo, Miss Litchi, let's leave now! It doesn't matter where we go; being the captain of this wretched escort team is a lot of work for little money and high risk, constantly traversing the wilderness! I've long wanted to quit!"