Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui had no idea that joining the guild had attracted the attention of many people.

He went straight to the transport association's map shop.

His steps were neither fast nor slow, the soles of his boots making a steady, rhythmic sound on the marble floor.

My eyes swept over the signs on both sides of the hall and I quickly found the direction of my destination.

Behind the counter sat a gaunt old man.

He was wearing reading glasses with the temples tied with hemp rope, clearly an old item that had been used for many years.

He was looking at a thick ledger, its pages yellowed and curled, as if it had been turned countless times.

His eyes behind the glasses were narrowed to slits, and his lips moved slightly, as if he were silently calculating something.

Fingers moved slowly across the paper, ink stains that couldn't be washed off embedded in their fingernails.

Lin Gui took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it over.

That was the second long-distance mail delivery route he had marked.

Starting from Dragonbone City, the journey traverses the Southern Tundra, White Cliff City, Whispering Valley, and Watchtower...

Then he plunged headlong into the barren wasteland.

They emerged from the barren wasteland and plunged back in.

Then come the Cursed Swamp, the Bone Highlands, the Ash Rift, and the Red Desert.

The old man took the paper and glanced at it.

His expression turned strange.

His brow furrowed slightly, as if he wasn't quite sure what he had seen.

He raised his head and glanced at Lin Gui, his cloudy eyes holding a hint of scrutiny.

Then he lowered his head again, his withered fingers pointing to the route that cut through the barren wasteland:

"From Watchtower, across the western part of the Deadwood Wasteland, to Deadwood Town?"

He paused, as if waiting for Lin Gui to confirm.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a detour?"

"Going through Fenglang Ridge in the north is a bit longer, but much safer."

Lin Gui said:

"Sure."

He paused.

"Isn't there a Golden Route developed by the Golden Adventurers on this road?"

The old man's lips twitched, revealing an expression that was both a bitter smile and a hint of disdain.

"The golden route through the forbidden zone?"

"Is that something a Golden Adventurer's Guild can handle?"

His tone carried an indescribable meaning, as if he thought Lin Gui was talking in his sleep.

"Even if the Barren Wasteland isn't ranked highly, it's still a forbidden area with more than ten epic demons."

Lin Gui asked:

"No?"

The old man remained silent for a while.

He took off his reading glasses, wiped the lenses with his sleeve, and put them back on.

Then he bent down and rummaged under the counter.

After rummaging through it for a while, I finally managed to pull one out from a pile of yellowed paper rolls.

The edges of the paper roll were worn and frayed, with a thin layer of mold on the surface, and it gave off a musty paper smell.

"There is one."

His voice was flat.

"But it was developed four years ago."

"Accuracy..."

He didn't continue.

But the meaning is already very clear.

A map from four years ago.

In the wilderness, four years is enough time for a group of demons to move several times over.

Lin Gui looked at the rolled-up parchment and said calmly:

"That's it."

Are there any other golden routes?

"Give me one."

The old man didn't ask any more questions, and turned around to pull out a few rolled-up parchment sheets from under the counter.

Each one was tied with thin hemp rope and had a yellowed label attached to it, indicating the route name and the year of development.

He spread them out one by one on the counter, pressing the corners of the papers with his fingers to prevent them from curling back up.

After that, Lin Gui bought some of the latest city-state maps, as well as a map of Akara's continent.

Although he had already bought it in Carter King.

But in the Dark Ages, geographical information and the culture of city-states were changing almost constantly.

Because of demons, because of the Black Tide, because of those city-states that could disappear from the map at any moment.

He bought about eight maps.

It cost nearly six million gold coins.

Lin Gui's face looked as miserable as a bitter gourd.

His brows were furrowed, his lips were pressed into a thin line, and he looked as if all his strength had been drained away.

He stared at the pile of maps on the counter, then at the location where his funds were stored in the storage space.

The room, which was originally filled to the brim with gold coins, is now mostly empty.

I ended up paying anyway.

A pile of gold coins mixed with Star Coins was transferred from the storage space to the postman's parcel, and then Lin Gui took it out of the parcel and placed it on the counter.

The gold coins landed on the wooden counter with a dull "clatter".

The old man counted the beans one by one with a blank expression, his fingers flying across the paper, his movements as practiced as if he were counting beans.

In the end, they received eight sheets of paper.

If Lin Gui hadn't managed to siphon off some of the wealth left behind by those fleeing nobles, he really wouldn't have had the money to pay.

As for the valuables from the hyena's fang, Lin Gui took stock of them afterward.

This arrogant local bully has less than 500,000 gold coins in total.

It seems that most of the illicit money was given as bribes to the higher-ups.

Lin Gui sighed.

The sigh was long, as if he was trying to expel all the pent-up frustration from his chest.

He went from being extremely rich to being extremely poor very quickly.

Excluding those treasures that couldn't be converted into cash quickly, Lin Gui had only tens of thousands of gold coins left.

They can barely afford to keep Elvia anymore.

He put away the map and turned to leave.

Go and purchase other necessities.

Dry rations, medicine, wilderness survival gear, and some knight armor to protect Elvia from damage.

Her rough plate armor, which she had bought from Dragonbone City, was rusty at the seams and had several cracks on the shoulder blades, making it completely inadequate for dealing with the dangers of the wilderness.

Just as Lin Gui was about to leave, a voice called out to him.

"Excuse me, young mage, please wait a moment."

The voice was not loud, but very clear, with a deliberately low and gentle tone.

Lin Gui turned around and found a middle-aged man standing behind him.

He was wearing an elegant dark blue robe with a gold brooch pinned to his collar.

The gemstones set in the brooch reflected a warm luster under the candlelight, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary piece.

She wore two rings on her fingers, not large, but very exquisite, with the ring faces polished smooth and shiny.

He's a businessman, and not just any small-time vendor; he's someone with considerable wealth.

He had a kind smile on his face, and his eyes curved into two crescent moons, making him seem very approachable.

But in those eyes, there was a shrewd glint, as if he were assessing the goods.

He bowed slightly, adopting a very humble posture:

"May I speak to you in private?"

Lin Gui glanced at the other person, his expression somewhat strange.

A merchant approached him, the man who had offended the city lord.

The reactions of the surrounding businessmen were also strange.

It seemed that Gang was not surprised that the businessman had come to them.

Lin Gui withdrew his gaze, looked at the kind-smiling middle-aged man in front of him, and said bluntly:

"My transport team has no intention of engaging in trade."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Young mage, please wait."

The merchant quickly caught up and blocked his way.

The smile on his face remained the same, but his tone became more direct:

"I have a newly developed golden route map from Watchtower through the western Deadwood to Deadwood Town."

Lin Gui stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and looked at the businessman, his eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

"You have routes that even the Transport Guild doesn't have?"

Whether it's a route pioneered by the Golden Adventurers or a route pioneered by the transport team itself, they will ultimately choose to sell the route map through the Transport Guild because the rewards are very high.

Nobody turns down money, unless it's an exclusive route.

Like the North Wind Caravan crossing the silent sea, it was kept secret and not made public.

The businessman smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile.

"My caravan has its own exclusive trade routes."

Lin Gui frowned slightly.

"A caravan?"

He paused, then said, "Since you have your own caravan, why did you approach me instead of having your own caravan transport the goods?"

There are many types of transport teams.

There are caravans or chambers of commerce that specialize in serving private merchant groups.

Freya's North Wind Caravan is one such example.

There are also transport teams that freely carry goods, and many merchants from the transport guild camp out there to wait for them.

As for the others, there are many more: those that run short distances, those that run long distances, those that specialize in running through restricted areas, those that transport money, and those that escort important figures.

The businessman's bitterness deepened.

He lowered his head, his voice very soft:

"Our caravan... has perished on the road."

He looked up at Lin Gui.

"The soul lamps have all gone out."

Lin Gui remained silent.

The merchant continued:

"There are hardly any transport teams running the route from Watchtower through the western Deadwood to Deadwood Town."

"Except for the 7-coin post office."

"I've also seen the route map displayed outside the post office."

His tone carried a hint of earnestness.

"I think letters shouldn't take up much space."

"So, could we also bring our goods on board?"

He took a deep breath.

"I will pay for the golden route our caravans have used for generations to traverse the barren wasteland."

"Although more than a year has passed, the geography, terrain, and resident demon species marked along the way should help you with your journey."

"I will also pay you compensation."

What do you think?

Lin Gui narrowed his eyes.

He really needs the golden route map to that forbidden area.

Crossing the barren wasteland wasn't difficult for him, but there was a route map that could save a lot of time and a lot of unnecessary trouble.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke:

"Our transport team already has existing transport contracts."

"At the Transportation Guild..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the businessman understood.

To prevent transport teams from earning extra money or loading additional cargo en route, there are corresponding rules to regulate this.

At the very least, the transportation process of the transportation association cannot be openly used.

The merchant nodded and lowered his voice:

"We can do it privately."

Lin Gui looked at him.

This is exactly what he expected.

His transport team is fake; if he goes through the transport guild, his exposure is almost certain.

"Take me to see the goods."

The businessman smiled, a smile that carried a hint of relief.

"This way, please."

The warehouse is located in an alley at the end of the main street.

It's not big, but it's very clean.

Two guards stood at the entrance. Upon seeing the merchant, they nodded and stepped aside.

The merchant pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lin Gui go in first.

There were four wooden crates piled up in the warehouse, each three meters long and one meter wide.

It was sealed very tightly, with black glue applied to the seams of the wooden boards.

Lin Gui noticed that the wooden box seemed to be wrapped in a very faint magical aura, which was for protection to prevent being spied on.

It seems this cargo... is not fit for public display.

Lin Gui turned his head and looked at the merchant.

The businessman smiled, a very natural smile:

"We will pay three times the reward."

Lin Gui nodded without asking any further questions.

He walked to the wooden crate, stretched out his hand, placed his palm on the surface of the crate, and glanced at the merchant watching him from the side.

Then he began to chant.

"A light breath, an ethereal feather."

"Relieve your burdens, and rise with the wind."

"Float up".

The sound wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

As the incantation was cast, the wooden box moved.

It slowly rose from the ground, floating motionless in mid-air, as if being supported by an invisible hand.

The businessman's eyes widened.

He looked at the wooden box floating in mid-air, then at Lin Gui, his lips moved, and after a long while he finally spoke:

"I understand why Miss Selena approached you."

His form of address changed from "you" to "Your Excellency".

As a businessman who dealt with the transport guild year-round, he understood all too well what levitation meant for transport teams.

Regardless of skill level, as long as you can levitate, you can join the team directly without taking any assessments or attending the incredibly difficult induction interviews, and you'll enjoy the same salary that only senior members receive.

In particular, the opponent's proficiency in levitation was astonishing; that incantation just now lasted no more than ten seconds, the fastest the merchant had ever seen.

What he didn't know was that this was a chant that Lin Gui was deliberately pretending to sing in order to avoid attracting attention.

He can take flight with just a thought, as long as he wants.

Lin Gui withdrew his hand, and the wooden box slowly fell back to the ground.

He turned around and looked at the businessman.

"I can approve this deal on behalf of my transport team."

As a user of levitation, Lin Gui is indeed capable of representing the transport team.

"Could you tell me where you need me to send it?"

The businessman's smile became somewhat mysterious.

He shook his head:

"Once you deliver the goods to Drywood Town, someone will come to pick them up."

"The gentleman will also receive the other half of the payment."

He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Lin Gui.

"This is an advance payment."

Lin Gui took it and unfolded it.

It was a bank exchange receipt with a string of numbers written on it: three million gold coins.

Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.

Three million, more than double the market price.

What surprised him even more was the signature on the voucher: Grant Dalton.

It turned out to be a member of the Dalton family, the most powerful noble family in White Cliff City.

Lin Gui raised his head and looked at the merchant.

The merchant met his gaze and bowed slightly.

"I apologize for my knight's rudeness a few days ago."

"The extra double pay is an apology."

Lin Gui stared at the voucher, remained silent for a while, then put it away and nodded.

"make a deal."

The moment he took the voucher, that long-lost voice rang in his mind.

[Ding! Special commission triggered!]

[Content: Complete the transportation commission for the Dalton family.]

[Reward: A random, fully proficient extraordinary spell with a selectable damage output role.]

[Risk Warning: The Barren Wasteland is a forbidden area, inhabited by powerful legendary and epic demons. Please be sure to avoid the demons' activity areas.]

The system task was triggered unexpectedly.

While Lin Gui was still in a daze, the merchant smiled mysteriously and finally said:

"By the way, if someone comes to pick up the goods along the way, you don't need to go all the way to Drywood Town, just give the goods to them directly."

"Also, please inform the other members of the transport team not to attempt to damage or inspect the cargo inside."

"That would cause the magic to fail, and the people coming to collect the goods from Drywood Town wouldn't be able to find the location."

After saying this, the merchant left.

Du Liulin looked at the supplies behind him with some doubt and uncertainty.