Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 183 Screams in the Night
"They've already started using the Azure Cannons; it seems this war is indeed inevitable."

Before Yun Ji could finish speaking, the cannon fired again, unleashing another shell with astonishing range amidst the roar.

"Let's go into the city too," Cheng Lang said, and started walking after the shockwave subsided.

This so-called Dawn City is clearly a fortress-type city, and the best proof of this is the city gates through which one enters and exits.

It's simply a triangular gap carved out between two large trees that form the city wall.

Although the gap is wide enough for two or three carriages to pass side by side, the section through the "city wall" is a depression far below the ground level.

After passing through this special city gate, they immediately saw on the other side of the gate a huge triangular stone block fixed to a slope.

It is almost certain that if a war breaks out and the city gate needs to be blocked, as long as the stone slab is released from its restraint, it can slide down the slope by its own weight and block the gate opening—like a plug.

"Is this Dawn City?" It wasn't Cheng Lang who uttered this exclamation, but rather Yun Ji.

"You've never been here before?" Yun Lan asked instinctively, then realized that the question was a bit cruel.

"I've been here before"

Yun Ji shook her head. "I was born in this city, but I was too young when I left. My only memory of this place is that emerald cannon."

“I’ve never been here before,” Yavso said.

"Have I been here before?" Shenba asked Yunji.

"In that case, let me show you around here!"

Before Yun Ji could answer Shen Ba's question, and before Cheng Lang could speak, Yun Lan took the initiative to become the tour guide. "Although I haven't been here for a long time, it doesn't look like it has changed much. Come with me!"

Under her guidance, everyone's attention was drawn to the bustling city.

Although the emerald cannon overhead would occasionally fire a shell, it was clear that the elves of Dawn City were not panicked. On the contrary, they even began to celebrate with singing and dancing, and each time the cannon roared, it drew cheers.

Compared to the cheering, beautiful elves, Cheng Lang's attention was completely drawn to the city's architectural style.

In a sense, the city can be described as a city full of high-rise buildings, with huge trees scattered everywhere, and windows even cut out of the tree trunks.

Beneath the trees, at the base of each large house tree, a beautiful structure was built around it using stone slabs.

These buildings are mostly shops, with taverns and musical instrument shops being the most common.

It could even be said that there is at least one tavern at the foot of almost every house tree.

If we exclude the tree that supports the verdant cannon, then the word "almost" in the above sentence is even superfluous.

This is almost a completely different civilization.
Cheng Lang frowned inwardly. Everything here was completely different from the pirate city and the islands he had visited, different from the Frost Duchy, and also different from everything he had seen in the Dwarf Mountain.

What kind of world is this, really?
Amid Cheng Lang's exclamation, Yun Lan had already led them to a bustling restaurant by following the aroma.

"The aroma of the food here is exactly the same as when I passed by last time I came!" Yun Lan said, and was the first to enter the restaurant with great interest.

Although the restaurant is a stone building, it has some unique features, especially the bar counter, which is carved entirely from the roots of a house tree.

Although they couldn't understand how this kind of building could offset the pressure from the ever-growing tree, the group had been traveling for several days and were finally able to rest, so they didn't bother to explore such an unimportant topic and let Yun Ji find a table closest to the entrance and sit down.

"Wow!"

Yun Lan grabbed a handful of loose silver coins and placed them on the table. "Please bring out your most delicious dishes."

"Would you like a tune to accompany the meal?" the beautiful, short-haired female elf asked as she skillfully collected and counted the silver coins.

“Of course, Winter Forest Rhapsody, thank you,” Yun Lan said without hesitation.

"It's a very old but classic piece of music. What about drinks? What would you like to drink?" the female elf waitress continued to ask.

"Most intense."

"Fruit wine will do," Yun Ji decided before Shen Ba could.

"No problem, fruit wine."

After the beautiful female elf finished speaking, she winked at Shenba in a subtle way, and the latter immediately understood.

Before long, a handsome male elf came to the table with a harp and began to play the tune Yun Lan had requested.

At the same time, the waitress and her companion brought drinks and various foods to everyone.

"These dishes taste really good!" Yafso exclaimed after just one bite.

"Our shop has a very long history."

The waitress proudly stated, "This shop existed before the Valkyrie killed Poseidon, and the Valkyrie even had a drink here."

"That's what the waiter at this restaurant said when I came here last time," Yun Lan said with a smile.

That has a long history.
The group exchanged glances, suppressing their laughter, and then began their somewhat rough meal.

"Did the Valkyrie really have a drink at this restaurant?" Yafso asked in a low voice after the waitress had served all the dishes and left.

"The Valkyrie personally supervised the installation of all the Azure Cannons."

Yun Lan explained in a low voice, "In every city that has the Azure Cannon, every shop will say that the Valkyrie once had a drink at their shop. Even shoemakers who don't sell alcohol will make up a plausible reason."

"Is that an excuse like the Valkyrie's shoes being broken?" Shenba couldn't help but tease.

"Who knows?" Yun Lan shrugged, and the smiles on the faces of the people sitting together became more and more tacit.

"Are there any places worth visiting in this city?" Cheng Lang asked with great interest, starting a new topic.

"certainly"

Yun Lan said, "The most unique feature of Dawn City is its steam rooms. I'll take you there later."

“We really should take a good bath,” Yun Ji said, quickening her eating pace with anticipation.

The group of five quickly ate their fill, and Yun Lan led them into a leisurely carriage. They traveled along the flat cobblestone streets into the depths of Dawn City, finally stopping at the foot of a tree that was growing at an inexplicable angle.

"This is it, come with me." Yun Lan greeted them enthusiastically, leading everyone up the steps carved into the huge roots of the treehouse through a large door, and spending a full gold coin to reserve a bathroom.

Led by the elf host, the group climbed the steps inside the tree trunk and eventually entered a circular room.

The room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, and in the middle is a huge pool filled with pale green water that is filled with steam and the fragrance of unknown flowers and plants.

In the middle of the pool, there is a wooden wall that separates the left and right sides.

"You can spend the whole day here."

The waitress who brought them up pointed to the shower stalls on the left and right and said, "The bathrobes are in the shower stalls. If you need food and drinks, just pull the rope on the door."

After saying that, the waitress placed the complimentary snacks and juice on the counter by the sink and turned to leave the room.

"Click"

Yun Lan immediately locked the door and summoned additional thorny spikes to jam the door panel.

"Alright, we can rest now!" With that, she was the first to slip into the shower.

"They really know how to enjoy life."

Shenba looked around like a country bumpkin visiting the city, then followed Cheng Lang into another shower room.

After they washed away their fatigue, changed into bathrobes, and ran into the slightly scalding hot pool, Yun Lan, who was already soaking in the next pool, pulled a rope, and a large amount of steam began to spray out from the edge of the pool, filling the bathroom where they could see most of the scenery of Dawn City through the window.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think of this treehouse?"

Yun Lan asked the question seemingly casually, but she subtly emphasized the word "treehouse".

Her reminder immediately made everyone realize that the treehouse wasn't private enough.

Naturally, the conversation inadvertently shifted to topics such as the local delicacies of Dawn City.

Of course, even with such caution, they were unaware that one of the falcons perched on a tree branch not far from their window, busy preening its feathers, had been following them all the way.

Soaking from dawn till dusk, until their fingers were wrinkled from the heat, the group finally left the steam room with light, satisfied steps, just as the lush green cannon outside the window stopped roaring.

"We should find a place to rest for the night."

As Yun Lan spoke, she once again skillfully flagged down a carriage and led them to the entrance of an inn not far from another city gate in the opposite direction of Dawn City.

This hotel occupies a tree all to itself, and on the ground, it has its own tavern and various food stalls.

After buying some food, the group, led by Yun Lan, once again went up the steps on the huge tree trunk to the first floor and rented two adjacent rooms at the high price of 20 silver coins per night.

What's interesting is that there's actually an elevator, in some sense, inside this tavern.

Once they stand inside the hoisting frame, someone will drive the draft horses, drag the ropes, and pull the frame up, precisely delivering it to the desired "floor".

Although these things seemed somewhat primitive in Cheng Lang's eyes, just by looking at the amazed eyes of Yun Ji, Shen Ba, and Ya Fu Suo, and Yun Lan's barely concealed smugness, one could tell that these broken things were considered high-tech products here.

In any case, the group followed Yun Lan to their respective floors and found their two adjacent rooms, which were even connected by balconies.

"Get a good rest tonight," Cheng Lang said before entering the room. "We have to get up early tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Yun Lan said, yawning as she walked into the room shared by the three girls.

"Good night"

Yunji and Yafuso followed suit, yawning as they entered the room; they too were eager to get some sleep.

"Good night"

Cheng Lang and Shenba greeted each other and then went into their room next door.

Objectively speaking, although the elevator was a bit primitive, the conditions inside the treehouse were indeed very good.

"It would be great if we could plant some treehouses."

Cheng Lang muttered to himself as he lay down on a large bed by the window.

Unfortunately, this was just wishful thinking. Through casual conversations during the day while soaking in the bath, he had learned from Yun Ji and Yun Lan that the tree in the house was actually a seedling sprouting from the roots of the Evergreen Sacred Tree.

In other words, after severing their connection with the sacred, verdant tree, these house trees will likely wither and die soon, making transplantation impossible.

However, this only made him more eager to help Yun Ji find another seed of the Verdant Sacred Tree.

While he was lost in thought, Shenba, who had secretly drunk quite a bit of alcohol during the day, was too lazy to even take off his clothes and lay down on his bed to fall fast asleep.

Turning his head to glance out the window, Cheng Lang yawned, too lazy to take off his clothes, and simply closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Yun Lan next door was unusually cautious and once again blocked her door with thorns.

Soon, everyone in both rooms fell asleep. The falcon that had been standing on a tree branch not far from the door flapped its wings and quietly flew away, its whereabouts unknown.

Amidst the rising and falling snores, the night deepened, and Dawn City gradually fell silent, patiently waiting for the dawn to illuminate the city once more.

However, in the boundless darkness of the night, directly above the two rooms where Cheng Lang and the others were staying, as the balcony door opened, ropes silently swung down.

Immediately following, figures dressed in black and carrying weapons nimbly descended along the ropes.

At the same time, two or three elven-like figures tore off their cloaks, revealing wings that only bird-like beastmen possess, and silently glided to the branches of the rooftop tree that were just above Cheng Lang and the others' balcony.

However, just as the people upstairs were rappelling onto the balcony, and just as the two or three elven-like figures had drawn their spider bows, the rapier that Yun Lan had seemingly casually placed on the table suddenly tipped over, making a crisp "crack!" sound.

Immediately following, the undead Xiao Bao, hidden in the scabbard of the rapier, emerged and unfurled his hunting bow, smoothly drawing the bowstring and releasing it.

"Snapped!"

Amidst the crackling sound of shattering balcony glass, the first arrow instantly struck an archer crouching on a branch, pinning him firmly to the branch!

Before he could even scream, the undead Xiaobao had already fired a second arrow. At the same time, Yun Lan, who hadn't even had time to get up, snapped her fingers, causing a large number of thorns to grow on the balcony, easily piercing the crotches of the unsuspecting visitors.

After a brief silence, less than a breath, the tranquil night of Dawn City was shattered by a desperate scream that had taken on a different tone.

(End of this chapter)