novelsite Chapter 108 The Sensation Caused by a Lighter
Chapter 108 The Sensation Caused by a Lighter
Chapter 108 The Sensation Caused by a Lighter
In the afternoon light of the woodland, the air was filled with the smell of decaying leaves and damp mud.
The procession moved very quickly.
Under Jiang Ming's intimidation, the members of the indigenous caravan dared not slack off. Even though their shoulders were red and swollen from being weighed down by the heavy goods, they could only grit their teeth and keep up.
The surrounding light was dim.
Despite the blazing sun overhead, the dense canopy of trees blocked out almost all direct sunlight.
Only one type of pale blue, luminous moss grows on the tree trunks, providing a soft, dim light—hence the name "Glimmerwood."
The air was filled with a cloyingly sweet smell, a mixture of rotting plants and some unknown floral fragrance.
"Stay close to them."
Jiang Ming's voice came through the mask, sounding somewhat muffled but clear enough: "Those who fall behind, no one will go back to rescue them."
Wang Yang and Li Bin behind him gripped their weapons tightly, their expressions tense as they scanned the dark bushes around them.
The Baron caravan, strung together with ropes, turned ashen-faced with fright.
"Sir—watch your step!"
Baron pointed tremblingly to a seemingly ordinary purple vine in front of him, "That's a ghost hand vine. If you step on it, it will instantly sever your ankle and then plunge its poisonous thorns in—"
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Ming had already swung his black iron horse-slaying sword.
"Whoosh!"
A black afterimage flashed by.
The perfectly disguised purple vine was instantly severed, and a foul-smelling green sap gushed from the cut. The remaining vine twitched and twisted violently on the ground like a wounded snake.
[Defeat Demon Hand Vine (Lv.2) to gain 20 experience points.]
Jiang Ming didn't even glance at the severed limbs on the ground, and strode over them.
"I know."
He replied coldly.
His perception attribute, reaching 13 points, makes him like a radar with a full-map cheat code in this treacherous jungle.
Within a radius of fifty meters, no malicious biological activity can escape his detection.
Baron opened his mouth wide, swallowing back the flattery that was about to come out.
This person is even more perceptive than the most experienced old hunter!
The procession continued onward.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, the surrounding noises began to increase.
From time to time, rustling and rubbing sounds came from the treetops, the sound of some kind of primate moving quickly; from behind the bushes in the distance, pairs of green eyes would occasionally light up, greedily watching the caravan laden with goods.
But they did not launch an attack.
The intense aura of bloodlust emanating from Jiang Ming, along with the terrifying power displayed by his sword strike, caused the predators in the jungle to choose to observe from a distance.
Wild animals are often better at assessing situations than humans.
Trouble came knocking when they passed through a low-lying swamp.
"hiss"
A very faint whooshing sound rang out.
It didn't come from the ground, but from above!
Jiang Ming suddenly stopped and swung his sword upwards with a backhand motion.
"when!"
Sparks flew everywhere.
A spider covered in black hair and the size of a millstone was knocked away by the giant sword and crashed heavily into a tree trunk next to it.
Its eight barbed limbs carved deep grooves into the bark, and foul-smelling venom dripped from its mouthparts.
Black Velvet Bird-Trapping Spider (Lv.5)
[Danger Level: Medium]
[Characteristics: Venomous Injection, Web Binding, Ambush.]
"Ah! It's the Black Death!"
The caravan crew behind Baron screamed in fright, their legs buckling and collapsing to the ground.
In the dimly lit woodlands, this highly venomous spider is a nightmare for caravans; once bitten, the body will turn into a pool of blood within ten minutes.
"Shut up."
Jiang Ming gave a low shout.
The tarantula seemed to be enraged. With a sudden burst of power from its eight legs, it transformed into a black shadow and pounced again at an astonishing speed.
"court death."
Jiang Ming did not dodge.
His current strength attribute is as high as 25 points, and his agility has long surpassed the limits of ordinary people.
Just as the tarantula was about to pounce on his face, Jiang Ming suddenly reached out with his left hand, his palm, covered with a silver arm guard, precisely locking the junction of the spider's head and thorax.
"squeak--!"
The tarantula emitted a piercing shriek, its sharp fangs frantically gnawing at Jiang Ming's arm guards, producing a teeth-grinding metallic scraping sound.
But those venomous fangs, strong enough to pierce leather armor, couldn't even leave a mark on the Silver Knight's full armor.
"Snap!"
Jiang Ming exerted force with all five fingers.
With a crisp crack, the Lv.5 monster that struck fear into the hearts of the natives had its head crushed by him with a single hand.
The green liquid exploded, splashing all over Jiang Ming.
He disgustedly shook the filth off his hands and casually tossed the spider corpse to Baron's feet.
"Is this thing valuable?"
Jiang Ming asked calmly, as if he had just casually swatted a mosquito.
The scene was deathly silent.
Although Wang Yang and Li Bin were used to Jiang Ming's ferocity, they still felt their scalps tingle every time they saw this kind of violent aesthetics.
Baron and the others were completely dumbfounded.
He crushed the Black Death with his bare hands?
What kind of monstrous power is this? Even a noble lord wearing heavy armor wouldn't dare to do this!
"Worth it—it's valuable!"
Baron stammered, his voice trembling, "Its venom sacs are excellent material for making poisons, and the apothecaries at Blacklight Outpost will buy them—they can probably sell for two silver coins."
"Dig it up and take it with you."
Jiang Ming gave the order and then continued walking forward.
After this incident, the several auras that were secretly watching vanished without a trace.
The law of the jungle is simple.
When the overlord bares its fangs, the scum have no choice but to run away.
It took about three hours to walk.
The trees ahead began to thin out, and the sweet, rotten smell in the air was gradually replaced by a more pungent odor.
It smelled like a mixture of cheap tobacco, roasted meat, feces, and rust.
It has the flavor of "civilization".
"M--Sir, it's just ahead."
Baron pointed ahead, his tone tinged with awe, "Blacklight Outpost."
Jiang Ming stopped and looked through the sparse trees.
Between two steep, black rocky mountains lies a fortress that looks like it's about to collapse.
The city wall was built from huge logs and rubble, covered with dark red stains and marks from chisels and axes.
At the top of the city wall, every few meters a sharp wooden stake was driven in, with many long-dried heads hanging from them.
There were humans, orcs, half-elves, and some humanoid monsters whose races were indistinguishable.
Several vultures circled above the fortress, emitting hoarse cries.
It was less a fortress and more a huge den of bandits.
Chaotic, savage, yet brimming with vitality.
Jiang Ming narrowed his eyes.
This is the market he's looking for.
In this place where there are no laws, as long as you have enough power, there's no business you can't do.
"Organize the equipment."
Jiang Ming turned to look at his team members behind him, his gaze sweeping over the indigenous porters carrying glasses and stainless steel spoons.
"Stand up straight, all of you."
"Remember, we are not here to flee."
Jiang Ming's lips curled into a cold smile as his fingers gently stroked the hilt of his sword.
"We're here to 'help the poor'."
At the gates of Blacklight Outpost, all sorts of creatures were thronging.
Human mercenaries wearing tattered leather armor, orc laborers carrying huge bundles, and even a few half-elves wrapped in cloaks.
Everyone was queuing up for a check-up.
The so-called inspection is actually just paying taxes.
Two rows of guards, dressed in black chainmail and carrying halberds, stood at the city gate, their eyes greedily scanning every person entering the city.
"Is this the kingdom's regular army?"
Wang Yang lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
These guards stood sloppily, their armor was covered in grease, and some were even openly drinking and gambling. They looked like a bunch of thugs.
"Here, they are the law."
Baron explained in a low voice, instinctively shrinking back behind Jiang Ming, "Sir, the city entrance tax is five copper coins per person, goods are charged separately. If you don't want trouble, you'd better—"
"I know what I'm doing."
Jiang Ming interrupted him calmly.
The procession moved forward slowly.
When Jiang Ming and his group reached the city gate, the previously noisy crowd instantly quieted down.
It's too conspicuous.
Jiang Ming's exquisite Silver Knight full armor reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight, forming a stark contrast with the dusty and disheveled adventurers around him.
In addition, there was the enormous, ridiculously large black iron sword he carried on his back, and the laborers in the group carrying strange goods.
It's hard not to attract attention.
A guard captain with a burly face and a scar over his left eye walked over.
He first glanced warily at Jiang Ming's armor, then his gaze greedily fell on the boxes wrapped in cloth behind him.
"A completely unfamiliar face."
Scarface spat out the grass root in his mouth and blocked their way. "Where did this come from?"
"To the east," Jiang Ming said succinctly.
"East? Deep within the shimmering woods?"
The scarred captain narrowed his eyes, sizing Jiang Ming up and down. "Things haven't been peaceful there lately. I heard quite a few people have died. You guys are lucky to be alive."
He stretched out a large, calloused hand and rubbed it in front of Jiang Ming.
"You understand the rules, right? The city entry tax is ten copper coins per person. As for goods—we'll take thirty percent."
"Ten?!"
Baron, who was hiding in the back, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Isn't it usually five coins? And the goods tax is always only 10%—"
"Snapped!"
Scarface lashed out with his whip, striking Baron across the face and leaving a bloody welt.
"I say the price, that's the price! Don't you even know whose territory this is!"
Scarface glared fiercely at Baron, then turned to look at Jiang Ming with a playful smile on his face.
"You're dressed like a respectable person, so don't make things difficult for your brothers over a few bucks."
As he spoke, a dozen or so guards surrounded him, their halberds pointing intentionally or unintentionally at Jiang Ming.
This is outright robbery.
They specifically target fat sheep from other regions for slaughter.
Wang Yang and Li Bin had their hands on their weapons, ready to act at Jiang Ming's command.
Jiang Ming made no move.
He simply stared at the scarred captain, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at a dead man.
"You can't handle 30% of the goods."
Jiang Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the city gate.
"Hey! What a big mouth!"
Scarface was amused and reached out to grab Jiang Ming's shoulder. "I want to see what kind of dragon liver and phoenix marrow are in this box of yours!"
Just as his hand was about to touch Jiang Ming's armor...
Jiang Ming made a move.
He did not draw his sword.
With a simple flip of his left hand, a small, transparent, rectangular object appeared in his palm.
"Clatter".
Jiang Ming pressed down lightly with his thumb.
A cluster of blue flames burned steadily inside the windproof cover.
The flame was pure and steady, without a trace of smoke, and stood out brightly in the dim city gate.
Scarface Captain's hand froze in mid-air.
Everyone's attention was drawn to that tiny flame.
In this world, starting a fire requires a flint and steel or a mage's fireball spell.
Such a "refining device" that can conjure such a pure flame out of thin air with the press of one hand is simply unheard of!
"This is----"
Scarface's Adam's apple bobbed, greed instantly overpowering his anger.
Jiang Ming released his thumb, and the flame went out.
He casually tossed the one-yuan plastic lighter, which was only half-lit, over there.
The scarred captain hurriedly caught it, as if holding some fragile sacred object, and carefully pressed it, just as he had seen it before.
The flames shot up again.
"A magical item! This is a portable magical fire seed!"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise.
This ingenious prop structure, this transparent, crystal-like outer shell (plastic), is absolutely a master-level alchemy product!
"This can be used to offset taxes."
Jiang Ming said coldly, "Is that enough?"
Scarface gripped the lighter tightly, his face flushed with excitement.
够？
That's fucking enough!
If you took this to an auction house, you could exchange it for at least a dozen gold coins with some noblemen!
That was several years' worth of his military pay!
"Enough! Enough! That's more than enough!"
The scarred captain immediately changed his demeanor, his previously fierce expression instantly becoming extremely obsequious.
He even turned around himself and kicked aside the guard blocking his way.
"Are you all blind? Make way for this gentleman!"
He bowed and respectfully made a "please" gesture.
"Sir, please come in! From now on, you'll be a distinguished guest at Blacklight Outpost. Anyone who dares to cause you trouble is going against me, Scarface!"
Jiang Ming didn't even glance at him, and led his team into the city gate.
Wang Yang and Li Bin behind him exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
A broken lighter that can be found everywhere on Earth, so common that people wouldn't even bother to pick it up if it fell on the ground.
How could an arrogant guard captain be turned into a lapdog in an instant?
This stark contrast gave them their first profound understanding of the term "dimensional reduction attack".
Baron, who was following behind, was heartbroken.
That "magical artifact" was just given away like that?
What a waste of money!
That's such a waste!
But he dared not speak, and could only carry the box even harder to keep up.
Upon entering the city gate, a wave of clamor hit us.
The streets were narrow and crowded, lined with all sorts of stalls.
There were vendors selling animal hides, dried meat from unknown magical beasts, and even slaves.
The air was filled with the smells of spices, sweat, and blood.
"Sir, where are we going?"
Baron asked cautiously, "The Black Axe Tavern up ahead is the most well-informed place, or we could go to the East Market, which specializes in trading large quantities of goods."
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