Chapter 1427: Sunflower Number One
There were seven people in total, their times of death varying. Perhaps because this was a fairy tale world, these corpses looked more like dehydrated vegetables. They showed no signs of terrifying decay; instead, they maintained relatively intact appearances, though their faces were not pleasant to look at.
Wooden plaques hung around their necks, each inscribed with a crime. Of the seven, four were thieves, and the remaining three were guilty of robbery and murder.
Duan Cheng circled behind the corpses to take a look, then said to the others, "Players."
"You folks are outsiders, aren't you?" An old man with a face full of wrinkles walked over leaning on a cane, smiling kindly. "The registration area is over there. You'd better hurry, or you won't be able to find lodging after dark."
Xu Huo and his group were now standing not far from the city gate. Although the city retained a fairy tale architectural style, with childlike charm evident everywhere, the people's clothing and appearance weren't too different from the outside world. The overall style leaned toward the cute, but the most obvious distinction was in their looks.
Regardless of age, everyone here appeared extremely peaceful. Their differently colored eyes all radiated the word "kindness," and the looks they gave the group were also very warm—as if they hadn't even noticed the corpses hanging by the city gate.
"This city really is made entirely of gemstones." Yan Jiayu shielded her forehead from the light and looked ahead. Although the gems used to build the streets and houses were chosen in darker colors, under the sunlight, the entire city still sparkled everywhere. After a while, it was a bit hard on the eyes.
Ignoring this minor flaw, Gem City truly was like a world from a fairy tale. The buildings were mostly round, most only one story high, giving an overall low profile with a rounded, cute feel. Moreover, the walls of the streets and houses were decorated with flowers, plants, or small animals pieced together from different colored gemstones.
Some had storefronts, while those without set up small carts or boxes on the street to do business. Everyone walking on the streets, whether adults or children, had smiles on their faces. People greeted each other, chatting about the weather or discussing new recipes. Those simple, trivial details of life could all be savored here—as if they had no idea what worry was.
Four guards wearing identical armor were responsible for maintaining order among the newcomers. Every person entering the city had to register their identity. After registration, Gem City would issue an ID card. With this card, whether for business or sightseeing, there was no problem. As long as one didn't enter the King's Castle, they could come and go freely anywhere else.
While Xu Huo and the others were waiting in line, they saw someone voluntarily state their purpose for coming to Gem City during registration. The guards would then tell them which route was faster, where to find more places to buy or sell agricultural products, and where to buy tools. If someone couldn't find their way, the guards would even ask residents for help, and the residents of Gem City were always happy to oblige.
Li Kun spotted a wanted poster posted outside the registration office. His eyes flickered, and when he registered, he declared himself a bounty hunter.
The guard was delighted and told him that although the King had issued the wanted order, no criminal had been caught yet. He could join the civilian-organized pursuit squad, which gathered at the Pudding Bar two streets away.
"There are only two instance tasks," Duan Cheng said. "Either find the King's stolen gemstone, or make Moon City return the gemstone. Either way, the first one seems easier. This might be a clue." He also registered as a bounty hunter, and the guard revealed another piece of information: to catch the gem thief, Gem City had recently been allowing entry but no exit, so the criminal must still be inside the city.
"Are you a bounty hunter too?" When it was Xu Huo's turn, the guard asked him in a very friendly manner.
Xu Huo shook his head and said, "My name is Sunflower Number One. This is my sister, Sunflower Number Two. We were both members of the North Star Circus. After the circus disbanded, we lost our jobs and came to Gem City to make a living."
With that, he pulled out a piece of paper and performed an impromptu act of telekinesis.
The guard clapped enthusiastically, his eyes shining, and carefully told them that there was a performance venue in the southeast corner of Gem City, which specially hosted circuses that occasionally came from afar.
"Although there's no resident circus right now, since you can perform magic, you'll definitely be a big hit!"
"If you decide on a performance time, don't forget to invite us to come watch."
Like the guards, the residents of Gem City had a special passion for circus performances. As Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu walked out of the registration office, many people gathered around asking what acts they would perform, offering to take them to the performance venue, and assuring them not to worry about food or lodging. Everyone would chip in a little, and the siblings' daily necessities would be taken care of.
"Thank you, everyone," Xu Huo said gratefully, pulling a handful of candy from his pocket. "This is a specialty from our hometown. Please, don't hesitate to try some if you don't mind."
The adults looked at them with pity, their attitudes even friendlier. Without asking any questions, they distributed the candy to their children.
Quite a few Gem City residents had gathered around. Li Kun and Duan Cheng couldn't squeeze through the crowd. Just as they were wondering what to do, they saw Xu Huo gesture to them, signaling that they should temporarily split up.
This was an instance with unknown risks. Besides, the people registering weren't just the few of them as players. Splitting up rashly would be disadvantageous, so Li Kun didn't want to agree. But before he could speak, Duan Cheng beside him stopped him, shook his head, and mouthed a reply to Xu Huo:
"Meet at the performance venue."
Then Xu Huo and his companion left with the Gem City residents, while Li Kun, Duan Cheng, and the other players headed for the Pudding Bar.
Over on Xu Huo's side, as they headed to the performance venue, they received a warm reception from the residents. Whether it was fruit sellers or snack vendors, everyone insisted on giving them one or two items. Some elderly women even wanted to share the vegetables they had bought. It was only when Xu Huo declined, saying he had no place to "show off his cooking skills," that they stopped. After that, they received dinner invitations from no fewer than ten families. Finally, these people decided to make Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu their shared guests—they would hold a small welcome party at the performance venue.
For the next two hours, people came and went around Xu Huo and his companion. The kind-hearted residents not only cleaned out a room for them but also laid out clean sheets. Worried they hadn't had lunch, they also brought some bread and juice.
The adults had household chores to attend to, so after helping, they went home first, leaving behind some curious children. After getting candy from Xu Huo, they gathered around Yan Jiayu to listen to her tell stories.
Fairy tales were readily available. After satisfying the children's curiosity, the two sent them off.
"It seems that neither adults nor children have a problem with executing thieves," Yan Jiayu sighed softly, then said, "Should we go check out the Pudding Bar?"
"Li Kun and the others will bring the news over," Xu Huo said, smiling and nodding to a passing resident in the distance. "Besides, the first task might not necessarily be easier than the second. Among those hanged at the city gate, there are ordinary people as well as players."
Just one update today, everyone. Rest early. ^_^
(Chapter End)