Although the Beggar King was dressed simply, he was still quite eye-catching among a group of homeless people and real beggars, especially since he was wearing a signature gold seal ring. All the beggars and homeless people who passed by would bow to him.
He didn't notice it when he was with other respectable people, but now that the environment around him has changed, he stands out from the crowd and is extremely conspicuous.
Oaks waited patiently for the Beggar King to return to his "palace" and quietly disappeared into the shadows.
Seeing that all the thugs around the Beggar King had left the room, Oaks knew that his time had come.
The dagger is unsheathed and the poisonous snake spits out its venom.
But the wonderful world always makes things develop in unexpected ways.
"Since you're here, why not talk?"
The Beggar King's voice suddenly sounded, causing Oaks to pause.
The snake hunter looked doubtful. Could it be that the other party saw through his infiltration? Just based on this skinny guy who probably couldn't even swing a sword?
Oaks kept his dagger unsheathed and stood stiffly in his hiding place, not daring to move rashly.
However, after shouting that sentence, the Beggar King did not take any other action. He did not call for thugs to come in to protect himself, nor did he run away or hide. Instead, he continued to do his own thing.
Reading books, counting belongings, and organizing documents, he really looks like a little aristocrat.
I don't know what documents he was looking at. Do beggars and homeless people also have things to give to the “king” for review?
In the silence filled only by the sound of shuffling papers, Oaks drew his dagger again.
"Since you're here, why not talk?"
The dagger was put back.
After shouting, the Beggar King did not take any follow-up actions as before. Oaks frowned and had a guess in his mind.
He held his breath and counted the time silently -
"Since you're here, why not talk?"
The third time, the voice sounded.
As an excellent assassin, Oaks was very sensitive to time intervals. The time between the Beggar King's third call and the second call was exactly the same as the time between the second and first calls.
In other words, the person in front of me would shout this every once in a while!
So that's what it is. Oaks showed a look of understanding. This guy didn't see through the disguise, but was deceiving him.
My infiltration was still seamless.
But there is still a serious question here: Did the Beggar King know that the Snake Sect had surrendered to Lan? Did he know that Lan had made a plan to assassinate the gang leader? Did he know that they had waited for five days and wanted to come to assassinate him tonight?
If it is true, then several of his companions may be in danger.
Oaks's snake pupils lit up slightly. Before killing his target, he needed to know the truth.
Inside the room, the Beggar King opened his mouth for the fourth time and was about to shout when he suddenly heard a strange noise coming from the roof.
His attention was immediately drawn there, and when he looked up, he saw a hand glowing white.
[Axil Seal]
The ether element, which represents the "spiritual" attribute, invaded the Beggar King's brain without hindrance.
Oaks does not have the power to hypnotize people like Lann. His seal can only make people enter a trance and resistance-free state.
Not long, but enough for a top assassin.
When the beggar king regained consciousness, he was already tied up. He looked around and found himself on the roof of his own house.
This is a place that no fighter can reach. For Oaks, it is enough to kill the target in an instant and leave the "Rotten Forest" like a snake within ten breaths.
"I ask, you answer; if you scream, you die. Do you understand?"
The beggar king, who had made his fortune from scratch, was flexible and nodded very generously.
"Do you know which side I'm on now?"
"I don't know, but I can guess it based on the information." The Beggar King said, "The information from the North converges on Novigrad, and the information from Novigrad converges on me."
"Nilfgaard is indeed far away, and many news have not yet reached there, so the warlock and the emperor of Nilfgaard do not know some key information, but I know it clearly: the Lannisters had a conflict with the lord of White Orchard and killed a goat-horned demon there, and all this started to save a witcher. A witcher wearing a venomous snake badge."
The Beggar King showed a disdainful expression, which was directed at Reigns: "From the moment you appeared, I knew that you would never become the enemy of Lannister. The warlock's plan could not go smoothly as planned."
Oaks was silent. It turned out that the identities of him and others had always been exposed in front of the Beggar King?
"You know I'm going to kill you today, right now?"
The second question is what AUX attaches the most importance to.
"I don't know." This time the Beggar King gave a different answer, "The tramps and beggars are my spies, but they only saw you leave the Lannister residence late at night, and then soon lost track of you.
I don't know your purpose. There are many possibilities for late night operations. But coming to assassinate me, the gang leader, is one of these possibilities. I can't take the risk. I just want to trick you every once in a while, and when you return and send back the information, I will be safe. "
As expected of a beggar king who had made his fortune from scratch, beneath this calm and composed demeanor, could it be that he was hiding such a doubtful and cautious heart?
Oaks felt relieved, at least his actions were not exposed, and the other two people in the school would not be in danger.
Next is the third question, which is also a question derived from the answer to the Beggar King's second question.
"You seem very confident that I won't kill you?" Oaks said.
Oaks had seen too many life-saving methods used by big shots. The more advanced ones could exchange clothes and become a substitute, the less advanced ones could have their subordinates surround them for protection, or even find a place to hide.
The Beggar King did not choose any of the above methods. Instead, he used the very rash and dangerous method of "cheating every once in a while", which even meant using himself as bait to lure Oaks out.
"I didn't achieve what I have today by hiding from place to place," the Beggar King replied. "Novigrad is about to be embroidered in war, so I will naturally choose the side that wins."
"I know you might want to kill me and put an end to it all, and think that Novigrad without the gangs would be better. But that's not how it works. You can convey my sincerity to Lannister, and he will understand: Novigrad with only the Eternal Flame is definitely not the best Novigrad for him, even if the current Eternal Flame is his friend."
"I can also give you a piece of information for free: I am your friend, and Machete, the other two representatives of the underground, is not your enemy."
Oaks had his face covered so his expression couldn't be seen, but his expression beneath the mask was already distorted beyond belief.
The Beggar King gave a lot of information. Generally speaking, it is Leiso's job to think about these issues.
The Beggar King couldn't see Oaks's expression, but perhaps he was too familiar with that kind of doubtful atmosphere, so he took the initiative to explain: "Machete received a dwarf merchant named Zoltan some time ago. This Zoltan is a friend of Lannister. It is said that he met Lannister in White Orchard.
Logically speaking, Lannister is a friend of Zoltan and the dwarves, so Cleaver will not attack Lannister; in reality, Cleaver does not have any great ambitions or desires. The promises of the warlock and Caleb Manji do not attract him, so he is even less likely to attack a friend of a friend for an unattractive promise. "
The Beggar King sighed, "I just don't know if he has the same luck as I did today and escaped from your fangs."
Oaks' snake eyes flickered and he began to think.
Who was it that went to assassinate the dwarf, if I remember correctly - it was Kolgrim?
…
Lan poured a glass of water for the returning snake demon hunter and watched him gesture happily in front of him.
"So, the dwarf nicknamed 'Cleaving Blade', the leader of the non-human race in Novigrad, is not actually our enemy?"
Kolgrim nodded, confirming Lann's question: "Do you remember Zoltan?"
"I just climbed in through the window and saw Zoltan being beaten with a machete!"
"I drank with him several times in White Orchard, and I almost threw the dagger to him to help him. But then I keenly realized that something was wrong - the dwarves in Zoltan's team were also there, and they were cheering happily on the side!"
Kolgrim told Lan about his wonderful "assassination" experience tonight.
Among the three Snake Sect assassins who went out, Kolgrim was the first to come back. However, he did not kill the target of the mission, but brought back some other information, which also added a new possibility to Lann's plan.
"I looked carefully and found that they were wrestling, and after deciding the winner, they were drinking and laughing together. So I hesitated: if Machete was Zoltan's friend, even if I had to kill him, I had to find out the truth first. After all, our ultimate goal is to prevent citizens from being disturbed by riots, not just to kill anyone, right?"
If it were the three attendants, they would have definitely given priority to completing the task assigned by Lann without any explanation. However, the snake demon hunters had a strong subjective initiative, and fortunately it was them who took action this time, which resulted in an unexpected gain.
"As a result, I found that the Machete thugs didn't look like they were going to riot. They had no equipment or personnel, and everything was the same as usual. Then I waited for a while, and after they dispersed, I went to see Zoltan alone. Then Zoltan introduced the Machete to me with a look of relief on his face."
Lann became interested: "Have you talked to him face to face?"
Kolgrim nodded. "I trust Zoltan, and I've also observed the environment there. Escape won't be a problem. I communicated with him while ensuring my own safety."
Letho was standing nearby with his arms folded, and he did not comment on Kolgrim's response.
"What did you talk about?"
"His original words were as follows." Kolgrim recalled and said -
…
"You actually let the assassin in and let him stay for so long. Does my survival depend on the mercy of the enemy?"
"Are your brains filled with pig iron? If they're not enough, just use a hammer to hit them a few more times!"
It is said that there are only wrong names but no wrong nicknames. Kandao is famous for his hot temper.
There is a joke circulating in the alleys and dark taverns of Novigrad that Carlo "The Machete", one of the three local gang leaders, is the best spokesperson for racial harmony. However, his principle is selective in practice.
It is said that he was a butcher in his youth, skilled at killing pigs, but soon after he realized that it didn't matter what he was cutting.
The non-human races in Novigrad rarely act in a high-profile manner, and Machete is the most high-profile one among them. He bares his chest and likes to show his tattoos and jewelry in public, making his oiled Mohawk hairstyle shine under the oil lamp, making him extremely conspicuous.
At this moment, in front of his Mohawk hair that was more proud than a fighting cock, there was a group of trembling younger brothers. Kolgrim could find almost all non-human races among them except elves.
After reprimanding his thugs for not keeping watch properly, Machete turned around and looked at Kolgrim:
"My men are all good fighters. You deserve the title of 'Master' for being able to sneak in so quietly. So, Master Demon Hunter, do you have any lessons for me?"
Kolgrim stood at the edge of the room with cold eyes, moving his fingers from time to time, ready to draw his weapon or escape at any time.
Zoltan stood between the two men with his arms folded, looking at the machete and then at Kolgrim.
"I was ordered to kill you because Chapelle doesn't want the riots to harm civilians."
"Ha! The plan was discovered. Fortunately, I didn't decide to follow that warlock, otherwise we would have turned into torches in the square in a few days!"
"Go back and tell Shapet that I am a gangster, but not a damned villain. We have been rivals for so many years, doesn't he know me? I hope to fight for the rights of my compatriots so that they can buy bread and wine at the same price as humans, but I have never threatened others with sticks to give us food!"
"We are a minority living in Novigrad, so we always stick together. Although sometimes we have to use sticks and knives to make tall people talk to us on an equal footing, we are honest people who live a stable life."
Machete shook his head, and the tattoos on his body were pulsating. "The more chaotic the city is, the worse our lives will be. A peaceful life means I have fewer and fewer fighters, but I know that if there is danger, everyone around me is a warrior. The proposal of Caleb Manji and the warlock is bullshit to me, and I have no interest in dealing with a friend of a friend because of it."
"Not only me, I don't think Francis wants to follow Caleb Manji either. Although the nickname of 'Beggar King' is self-proclaimed, it is also recognized by his subordinates. You may not believe it, but he is a good person. He often gives shelter to the homeless and occasionally helps others out of kindness. Although this situation may only happen once every few years, it is understandable. This damn world..."
At this point, one of the three major underground bosses in Novigrad raised his chest proudly: "So we are both good people!"
…
"Later, Zoltan used his mother's name to guarantee Machete, and I believed him." Kolgrim said, "After all, the purpose of our assassination this time is to prevent the citizens from being disturbed by riots, right? Then I don't think there is any need to kill him."
Lan nodded, approving of Kolgrim's approach.
Zoltan temporarily separated from Lann when he arrived in Novigrad, saying that he was going to organize a caravan to go to Cintra. Now it seems that he is going to cooperate with Chopper to operate the caravan.
In this case, the machete can barely be considered a "friend".
As for whether it would be beneficial for the citizens of Novigrad if a gang like Machete stayed, that was not something Lann should consider. Did it have anything to do with him?
To put it another way, even if the mafia as a political force really disappears, it is hard to say whether the result will be good or bad for Novigrad and Rann. After all, Novigrad is not the "holy city" of the Eternal Flame, but the commercial center of the North and the free city.
I've been really busy lately and haven't paid much attention to Zoltan. Maybe I should find a chance to have a good chat with him...
Just as Lan En was thinking, there was a "bang" and the sound of something falling to the ground was suddenly heard on the balcony.
Three assassins were sent out tonight, and they should be back one after another. But the sound made by the person who landed was very dull, at least it had to be someone of Reso's tonnage.
Among the three people from the Snake Sect who were sent out, none of them could make a sound of this level.
Several demon hunters in the room immediately became alert.
But then, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.
This was a secret code agreed upon in advance, which made everyone relax their vigilance slightly and aroused doubts.
The balcony door opened, revealing Oaks' face.
On his shoulders, he was carrying a tall and thin man who seemed to have been knocked unconscious.
This was another development that Lan En had not expected: "You... couldn't find a place to dispose of the body, so you carried it back?"
Oaks seemed to realize that his behavior was not very assassin-like, and explained: "This is more complicated... In short, he knew that I was going to assassinate him, so he tricked me out and said a lot of nonsense to me. I didn't quite understand, but suddenly I felt that maybe this person was better alive than dead, so I just brought him back and let him talk to you himself, and you make the decision yourself."
Lann raised his eyebrows: "He knew you were going to assassinate him? Tell me in detail."
After listening to Oakes' retelling, Lane couldn't help but sigh.
"To be able to establish underground forces in Novigrad, a place where even the king cannot get his hands on, these gang leaders are really not simple... at least they are much stronger than those messy nobles. I wonder what the situation is like in Serrit..."
While Lan was waiting for the Beggar King to wake up, he was also waiting for the last one to return.
After a while, there was another knock on the balcony door as agreed.
As soon as Serrit opened the door, he saw that his fellow Snake Sect members who had set out together were already sitting inside the house. He asked in disbelief, "How come you all came back so quickly? I'm the last one?"
Then he saw the Beggar King in the corner and was even more surprised: "Why did you carry the body back?"
Everyone did not explain to Serrit, but looked at him expectantly: "Did you kill Hawthorne?"
"Of course." Serrit looked confused. "Although their gangster family is in a state of war preparation, the defense is quite strict, and there are many sentries in the middle of the night. But after all, he is just the leader of a gangster family. It's easy."
A look of ridicule and contempt immediately appeared on his face. He looked at Kolgrim and Oaks and asked, "Did you two come back so early because you failed? What about this corpse?"
The Beggar King suddenly let out a low groan and woke up.
…
“Father!”
This was in a casino. All the tables within sight were overturned, and a group of thugs were kneeling on the ground with bruised faces. They were tied up here by the owner because of their poor protection, and they had obviously suffered a lot.
A young man with dark brown hair was lying on Hawthorne's body, crying.
Seeing this, Hawthorne's deputy also sighed in his heart. This young man usually confronted Hawthorne, and even fought with him many times. He thought he was a ruthless person like Hawthorne, but he didn't expect that he was still a soft-hearted person.
The deputy was not able to see that the corners of the young man's mouth could not help but rise up as his face was buried in Hawthorne's clothes.
The deputy felt relieved as he sighed at the deep love between father and son. Maybe if this "emotionally rich" young man inherited the family business, the brothers' lives would be a little better.
Even more outrageous...
However, there is still an imminent matter at hand, and we need someone who can use his status to suppress other voices within the family for a short period of time to come forward.
"Cyprian, I know you are sad now, but don't be sad yet." The deputy said, "You need to be a man."
The young man lowered his head and replied: "I know, it's all for business..."
He was crying, but there was not a tear on his face.
The deputy nodded, very satisfied with the young man's answer: "Everything has been prepared, and all the manpower has been deployed. Now that your father is dead, we need to withdraw them quickly, otherwise our enemies may seize the opportunity..."
"Why do you want to retreat?" The young man suddenly looked up, with a light in his eyes that was familiar to his deputy.
That is the quality of a gang leader, that cruel look.
"Aren't you going to start a riot? Aren't you going to cooperate with the Eternal Flame? Why stop?"
"Give the order. Not only do we have to start a riot, we also have to organize a massacre and expand our territory as much as possible. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The restrained actions in the original plan are simply not what the Willy Family should do!"
"Pass my message to everyone and say - this is the order of Hawthorne II!"
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