Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 166 Forced Team Formation by the Robe Brother

On the last half-day of their journey to Dwarf Mountain, Cheng Lang and his group of five hiked along the now bustling mountain path under the cover of night.

Along this mountain road, which appeared out of nowhere, are numerous man-made caves carved into the rock walls.

These caves vary in size, and some even have doors and windows. Some even sell "exploration tools" such as ropes, grappling hooks, oil lamps, torches, and even weapons.

"Isn't Funeral Valley supposed to be the last town before entering the Beast Corpse Territory?" Cheng Lang asked curiously in a low voice while looking at the "small shops" along the roadside.

"This is our first time here," Yun Ji, disguised as a deer-clan beastman once again, whispered a reminder.

Fortunately, the ruthless man in robes who had been walking not far ahead of them stopped a voluptuous female cat-woman and asked the same question, "Excuse me, why is it so lively here? It wasn't like this when I came last time."

"Then you must have been here at least two years ago."

The cat-like female orc said, "About two years ago, news spread that someone had successfully crossed the Dwarf Mountain, and the people traveling with him even saw a strange-looking burrowing beetle. And then this place slowly turned into what it is now."

"A strangely shaped burrowing beetle?" The man in the robe raised an eyebrow. "How strange?"

"how could I know"

As the cat-like female orc spoke, she leaned closer in a suggestive manner, "However, the laws of the Frost Kingdom and the Elf Kingdom don't apply here, mysterious pointy ears, would you like to do something illegal with me?"

"how do you know"

"shush"

The cat-like female orc licked her finger, which was making a shushing gesture, in a suggestive manner. "I can smell the scent of your pointy ears just by smelling it."

"Shut your mouth, or I'll have to take your tongue with me."

As he spoke, the man in the robe stuffed a money bag into the other man's hand. The latter took the money bag, then turned around and took a step back.

"Are you planning to follow me indefinitely?"

The man in the robe turned to look at Cheng Lang and the others, who had kept a distance of no more than 10 meters from him the whole way, especially the largest tiger-clan beastman.

During his short journey of less than half a day, the loot of the robbers he encountered and fought back against were all picked up by them and put into a huge canvas bag that they carried—that canvas bag was stolen.

"Everyone's going to Dwarf Mountain," Cheng Lang said innocently. "Or you can come after us."

"Stay away from me"

The robed man, who appeared to be an elf, said with a hint of helplessness that he had a feeling he was no match for these people.

"In that case, let's go." Cheng Lang said, waving behind him, "Let's go."

Upon hearing this, Shenba tightened the large backpack on his back and was the first to take a step. Seeing this, the man in the pointed-eared robe also stepped aside.

Watching Cheng Lang and the others walk away, the man in the robe who had been on edge the whole way finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Without that guy in the robe clearing the way for us, will we get robbed later?" Shenba asked expectantly.

"Now is not the time to talk about this"

As Cheng Lang spoke, he slowed his pace slightly, hiding behind Shenba, and whispered to Yun Ji and Yun Lan, "Did you hear that just now? Two years ago, someone successfully crossed the Dwarf Mountain. Do you think it could be that pointy-eared one from just now?"

“I guess it must be that person from just now,” Yun Ji said immediately.

"That's right"

Yun Lan agreed, “Who would have the chance to come here twice? And exactly once before someone successfully crossed the Dwarf Mountain, and once afterward.”

"Let's find a secluded spot up ahead and set up camp."

Cheng Lang thought for a moment and said, "Also, Shenba, you can set up a stall later and sell the spoils you found."

"okay!"

Shenba happily agreed. He had picked up quite a few things along the way; those unlucky guys killed by the Robe Brother had been stripped down to their underwear.

The group quickened their pace and walked for a while. Cheng Lang spotted an unused cave that looked fairly spacious and had a small open space outside. He led the group inside.

The cave has a small entrance and a large interior. Apart from being covered with many sentimental love poems and verses, it is relatively clean inside.

While Cheng Lang was busy setting up the hunting tent, Yun Lan, Yun Ji, and Ya Fu Suo had already helped Shen Ba clean up the open space at the cave entrance. They then hung the oil lamps they had collected at the cave entrance and placed the rest of the equipment they had collected on the open space.

Just by looking at the items on display, it's clear that this equipment was stolen. However, it's not surprising that people come here to take risks—the shops all sell pretty much the same things; surely they weren't specially transported here?

"Fleet, boss, how should we price it?"

Shenba asked Cheng Lang, who had just set up the tent, "Although I picked up these things, I don't intend to keep them all to myself, even though these junk items aren't worth much money."

"Change the food, change the fish oil," Yun Lan reminded her.

“That’s right!” Yavso immediately agreed.

"Premium adventure gear! Pick and choose as you like! Exchange for dry rations! Exchange for fish oil!" Shenba immediately began to shout enthusiastically.

"He seems to have a real talent for this?" Yun Lan said in a strange low voice.

"He started selling all sorts of junk he pulled from the sea or stolen from drunkards at a stall in Pirate City when he was 12 years old."

As Yun Ji spoke, she began rummaging through the spoils, picking out interesting or valuable items and placing them closer to the cave entrance.

“You’re quite skilled at this kind of thing,” Yun Lan muttered.

"Guess who stole all that trash from the drunkard?"

As Yun Ji smiled and asked in return, she had already drawn her dagger and skillfully sliced ​​open the sole of one boot, picking out a few gold coins from inside.

This unique treasure hunt immediately caught Yun Lan's attention. As for Ya Fu Suo, after helping out, he immediately went into the tent to prepare dinner for everyone, especially for a certain glutton who seemed to never be full.

Perhaps because of its good location, or perhaps because of Shenba's enthusiastic hawking and low prices, it wasn't long before a lot of adventurers gathered around the stall.

"Aren't these the weapons of the Twin Swords Brothers?" one of the adventurers asked in surprise in a low voice as he picked up two identical scimitars.

"Not just weapons, look over there, their clothes have been stripped off," another adventurer whispered a reminder.

"This stall owner is probably not someone to mess with; we'll have to avoid them from now on."

"makes sense"

The conversation between the two adventurers naturally revealed the thoughts of the other adventurers. Of course, this did not stop them from sharing some of their rations and exchanging them for a few pieces of weapons and equipment they liked from the loud-voiced tiger-clan adventurer—or simply to become acquainted with him.

And unsurprisingly, this whole scene was witnessed by the pointed-eared man hidden in his robe.

However, he merely snorted dismissively, then walked past the stall, quickened his pace, and once again reached ahead of Cheng Lang and the others, continuing his journey towards the Dwarf Mountain in the darkness. "That guy in the robes has gotten ahead of us again?" Cheng Lang asked casually from inside the spacious hunting tent.

“That’s right,” Yun Ji replied, “I saw him go there with my own eyes.”

"Please dispose of the garbage outside as soon as possible."

While stuffing himself with food, Cheng Lang said, "We'll catch up with them in the middle of the night. We'll also put on robes, and remember everyone to change into a pointed-ear face. Also, have Shenba change his weapon."

"Team up with that pointy-eared guy?" Yun Lan asked with interest, holding a glass of fruit wine.

"If he's been here before, he might know a lot of shortcuts."

Cheng Lang swallowed the food in his mouth, picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp, muttering in his native language, "When it comes to running dungeons, it's always best to have an experienced player to guide you."

Although they couldn't understand what Cheng Lang was saying, Yun Ji and Yun Lan didn't ask any more questions. They had long since accepted that their captain would occasionally say some "crazy things" that no one could understand.

Before Cheng Lang could even fill his stomach, Shenba had already disposed of all the junk he had collected, successfully exchanging it for plenty of food, drink, and fish oil.

"Captain, I've just received some news."

Shenba carried the small bucket of fish oil he had obtained into the hunting tent and said, "Two years ago, the expedition team that crossed the Dwarf Mountain destroyed the only spring at the foot of the Dwarf Mountain, and water seems to be in very short supply ahead."

This town exists for two reasons: first, many adventurers want to find the burrowing beetles in Dwarf Mountain; and second, a spring here is currently the closest water source to Dwarf Mountain.

"Why destroy the spring?" Yafso asked, puzzled.

"Then only they themselves know," Shenba said, taking the food offered by the other party.

"Let's eat first," Cheng Lang urged. "We'll set off immediately after we've eaten."

While the group was busy filling their stomachs, the man in the robe with pointed ears who had been wary of those behind him finally breathed a sigh of relief; the shameless adventure team hadn't followed them after all.

Unlike the bustling mountain road that had almost turned into a small town, the road he was on now was much darker and quieter. Only occasionally could he see flickering lights in the dense forest by the roadside—no one knew whether it was someone camping or a trap waiting for prey to take the bait.

The man in the robe with pointed ears was not attracted at all. He continued walking step by step along the dark mountain path as if he had no time to spare.

Just as dawn was breaking, the sound of hooves striking the ground came from behind.

Subconsciously turning his head, the man in the robes vaguely saw a moose cart speeding along, driven by an adventurer in robes. On the moose's lush antlers, there were even two oil lamps hanging.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the man in the robe still made way for the not-so-wide mountain path after a brief moment of interest. It wasn't far from Dwarf Mountain anymore; even if they walked, they would arrive by noon at the latest.

"Hey! Adventurer, need a ride?"

Although the adventurer driving the vehicle had his face hidden in his hood, his hoarse voice was exceptionally enthusiastic.

"Thank you, but no need," the man in the robe said, slightly wary, as he stepped aside.

"Hurry up and get on."

The driver had already stopped the moose cart, saying, "I'm the only one in my cart, so this is a good opportunity for someone to keep me company."

After a slight hesitation, the man in the robe finally nodded. "Thank you. Then I won't stand on ceremony. Do you need me to pay for the ride?"

"If you encounter any trouble, just remember to lend a hand," Cheng Lang, now dressed as an elf, said warmly.

He certainly wouldn't drive a horse-drawn carriage or a moose-drawn carriage, but it wasn't actually pulled by moose, and with Van Hart around, there was no need for him to drive.

As for that hoarse voice, it was all thanks to Yafso. Who knows what kind of spores she used to make the water for him? After drinking that cup of water, his voice was already hoarse, as if it had been sanded.

I will take action.

The man in the robe, who had already climbed into the carriage, said that the carriage was indeed just as the driver had described. Apart from some food, fish oil, oil lamps of different styles, and several oak barrels that seemed to be filled with water, there was nothing else or any other people in the carriage.

"Friend, may I fill my water bottle with some water?" asked the man in the pointed-eared robe.

"The ride is free, but I need to earn money with the water and oil lamps," Cheng Lang said apologetically. "One pot of water is worth one gold coin."

"So expensive?" the guy with the pointed ears asked in surprise.

"The spring at the foot of Dwarf Mountain was destroyed by that group of people two years ago."

Cheng Lang said, "This water is so expensive even at the foot of the mountain."

"The spring was also destroyed?"

The man in the pointed-eared robe frowned, but still took out a gold coin and handed it to Cheng Lang, who was driving the car.

Please get your own water.

As Cheng Lang spoke, he even slowed down the car, "Considering that I might need your help later, you can drink your fill after you fill the water bottle."

"Thank you"

After saying this, the man with the pointed ears immediately filled a pot with water and began to drink it like a guzzler.

"Is this your first time here?"

Cheng Lang asked casually, "Of course, this is just casual conversation. If it touches on your secrets, we can talk about something else."

“This is my 12th time here,” the pointy-eared man in the robe gave Cheng Lang an answer he hadn’t expected.

"So you're a devoted person too," Cheng Lang remarked.

"also?"

"Almost all the solo travelers here are deeply in love."

Cheng Lang said like an experienced "local," "But I've never heard of anyone being able to come here 12 times."

"yes."

Have you ever been to Dwarf Mountain?

"Of course not."

The man in the robe changed his tone after saying just one sentence, and then asked in return, "And you? Have you ever been to the Dwarf Mountain?"

"of course not"

Cheng Lang answered truthfully that he had never been there. "I'm just trying to make a living. I used to sell food when the spring was still there. Now, thanks to the spring being destroyed, selling water is much more profitable than selling food."

After he finished speaking, the man in the robe fell silent, which made Cheng Lang almost certain that the other party might really be the person who successfully crossed the Dwarf Mountain two years ago.

(End of this chapter)