Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The airship glided through the night sky for another half an hour.

On the distant horizon, a dark silhouette gradually emerged.

That was a wall.

A towering, thick wall that stretches to the horizon.

The walls were built of deep red boulders, which gleamed with an almost rusty luster under the moonlight.

It starts from the city walls of the Red Earth Territory and extends straight southeast.

Like a sleeping giant python, it lies prostrate at the boundary between the earth and the desert.

It stretches as far as the eye can see.

There is no end in sight.

Lin Gui slowed down the speed of the flying boat and his gaze fell on the wall.

Red walls.

This is its name.

A defensive fortification stretching for hundreds of miles.

Stretching across the eastern part of the red desert, it separates that land of death from the boundless desert.

Its purpose is not to stop demons.

The red desert is too vast, and the scale of the demons is too enormous.

A wall, no matter how high or thick.

For legendary, epic demons, it's just a matter of one kick.

The true purpose of the red walls was for observation.

Every few kilometers, a tall watchtower stands on the city wall.

A huge perception magic crystal is embedded at the top of the tower.

Under the moonlight, it shimmered with a faint blue glow.

Those watchtowers, like silent eyes, ceaselessly scan the depths of the desert for any movement.

Once a large-scale disturbance by demons is detected.

The watchtower would then relay the message quickly back to Red Earth Territory via the observation tower.

Then, the Red Earth Territory will send an alarm through the magic tower to the rear.

The red wall is a defensive line made up of eyes.

To maintain this long defensive line, four city-states originally stood along the Red Wall.

Together with the red clay collar, they form a complete surveillance chain.

Like a row of nails driven into the edge of the desert, they jointly guard this most dangerous border.

But now, all four city-states have been abandoned.

The airship continued to glide forward into the night.

As the outline of the red wall became clearer and clearer.

Elvia leaned slightly out of her seat, her eyes lighting up.

"Is this the Red Wall?"

As a princess of the Carter capital, she had naturally seen the name of the Red Wall in books and maps.

But this is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes.

The city wall, gleaming a dark red under the moonlight, was even more magnificent than she had imagined.

Lillian also lay on the edge of the boat, looking up at the majestic city wall with her eyes wide open.

"Wow...that's amazing..."

Her voice was filled with pure amazement.

As a girl who has never left Qianta.

This vast desert and this endless city wall.

The impact on her was far greater than on Elvia.

Lin Gui remained silent.

He simply sat at the front of the airship, remaining silent.

He stopped the flying boat some distance from the red wall.

The three of them disembarked from the boat. Lin Gui put away the flying boat and put on an oak staff instead.

Elvia straddled him and skillfully wrapped her arms around the ghost's waist.

Lillian stood on the sand, looking around as if searching for something.

Her gaze swept around, but she saw no thick, long wooden sticks, nor anything that could replace the staff.

Lin Gui glanced at her, raised his hand and pulled out a cyan staff from his storage space, then threw it at her.

"Use this."

Lillian caught it in a flurry and looked down at the staff in her hand.

The staff is long and slender, with smooth wind-elemental runes engraved on its surface.

The blue crystal inlaid at the top gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

She paused for a moment, then whispered something.

"Thanks."

Being weak, she didn't realize the extraordinary nature of this staff.

She gripped her staff and whispered a spell.

The staff slowly rose, lifting her into the air.

Lillian's levitation spell was not yet proficient, and her staff wobbled slightly.

She quickly steadied herself and, blushing, caught up with Lin Gui and Elvia.

The three flew towards the Red Earth Territory.

The staff slowly descended at the city gate.

The gates of Red Earth Territory were wide open, with torches burning on either side of the archway, their flames flickering in the night wind.

Several guards in heavy leather armor stood at the entrance, their eyes scanning each person entering the city with vigilance.

Lin Gui dismounted from his staff and walked steadily toward the city gate.

The guard's gaze swept over him, then fell on Elvia and Lillian behind him.

Elvia was dressed in simple travel clothes, her face mostly covered by a hood.

Lillian, wrapped in a large mage's robe, hunched her shoulders and looked like an inconspicuous apprentice.

The guard waved for them to pass.

Lin Gui nodded and stepped into the city gate.

Unbeknownst to Lin Gui, after they left, the guards exchanged glances, and one of them quietly departed.

On the other side, after passing through the city gate passage, Lin Gui and his two companions felt a dry yet warm atmosphere.

The sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

The gray-blue morning light shone through the gaps in the red walls.

The low adobe houses on both sides of the street are painted with a light, warm color.

Several early-rising shops have already opened their doors.

A man wearing an apron was carrying several crooked wooden tables out of the door and placing them at the entrance.

Then he turned back and brought out a pot of steaming hot porridge.

The doors to the Adventurers' Guild were also ajar, with dim light shining from inside.

You can vaguely see a few early-rising adventurers yawning while leaning on the counter.

The streets gradually became more crowded.

There were porters carrying goods, merchants leading pack animals, and weary travelers wrapped in tattered cloaks.

They were in a hurry and barely spoke to each other.

When they occasionally brush past each other, they only give each other a wary look.

Elvia jumped off her staff and dusted off her robes.

She walked up to Lin Gui and reached out her hand to him.

Lin Gui glanced at her and handed her the backpack he was carrying.

Elvia took it and skillfully slung it over her shoulder.

Then she smiled at him and glanced at Lillian.

"Let this little girl stay with you; I can't take care of her if something happens to her."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked deeper into the street.

Her steps were light, and her long golden hair swayed slightly in the morning light.

Lin Gui watched her retreating figure and said something.

"be safe."

Elvia didn't turn around, but simply raised her hand and waved in response.

Soon, her figure disappeared into the crowd at the street corner.

Lin Gui withdrew his gaze, turned around, and strode towards the other side of the street.

Lillian followed behind him, clutching the cyan staff, her steps somewhat hurried.

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated and didn't speak.

Lin Gui didn't turn around, and kept walking.

He walked through several alleys and finally stopped in front of a grocery store.

Most of the shop's door panels have already been removed.

An old man with gray hair was bending over, placing a bundle of dried herbs on the shelf.

Lin Gui walked in, took out a folded list of supplies from his pocket, and handed it over.

The shopkeeper put down the herbs in his hand, took the list, and glanced at it.

His brow furrowed slightly as he scanned the list line by line.

Then he raised his head and looked at Lin Gui with a scrutinizing gaze.

He did not speak immediately.

He remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked deeper into the shop, beginning to search through the items on the shelves.

Standing behind Lin Gui, Lillian looked at the boss's back and finally couldn't help but speak.

"Um, you..."

She had barely begun to speak when Lin Gui raised his hand and gently covered her mouth.

Lillian's voice stopped abruptly, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

Lin Gui didn't turn around, but simply turned his face slightly and gently placed a finger to his lips.

Then he glanced around.

Lie.

Lillian's gaze followed his line of sight, sweeping towards the outside of the shop.

On the street, a few shops had just opened, and there were still few pedestrians.

But in those few short breaths, more people appeared around us.

Some people were squatting on the street corner, some were leaning against the wall, and some were standing under the eaves of the opposite building.

They did not talk or move around.

He simply stayed there quietly, his gaze seemingly drifting towards the direction of the general store.

Lin Gui released his grip, his expression unchanged.

The shop owner's voice came from deep inside the shop.

Everything you wanted is inside.

He dragged a bulging burlap sack out and placed it on the counter with a dull thud.

"A total of 1102 gold coins."

Lin Gui's hand stopped on the money bag.

He looked up at the boss, his tone slightly strange.

"More than a thousand gold coins? You might not even get that much from a quest to defeat a demon who has risen to the rank of hero."

The boss didn't say anything, he just looked at him.

After a moment, he spoke.

"This place is remote, located in the desert. All supplies are delivered from outside by transport teams, so the prices are naturally high."

Lin Gui pulled a yellowed map from his pocket and spread it out on the counter.

That's a map of the Akara continent, a version from the Dark Ages 20 years ago.

His finger landed on the southeast side of the map.

A city-state in the southeast of the Red Earth Territory.

"Isn't there a city-state with green spaces here?"

"I read in the Encyclopedia of City-States that this city-state called 'Annabelle' is rich in resources and is the core that maintains the four red walls."

"It is only 200 kilometers away from the Red Earth Territory."

"Can a distance of 200 kilometers really cause prices to rise to this level?"

He looked up at the boss, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Are you trying to rip me off?"

The boss's pupils suddenly contracted.

Lin Gui mentioned that name.

His face turned pale in an instant, as if he had remembered something terrible.

After a long silence, he raised his head and looked at Lin Gui.

"Is this... your first time here?"

Lin Gui shrugged.

"right."

The boss's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, as if trying to discern something.

"What brings you to Red Earth Territory?"

"Send a message."

Lin Gui's tone was indifferent.

"Deliver a message?"

The boss frowned even more, his voice carrying an incredulous tone.

Lin Gui didn't explain further.

He pulled a list from his pocket, placed it on the counter, and pushed it toward the boss.

"This is the list of people I'm sending gifts to."

"You can check if your name is in there."

"Maybe you'll be one of the people I'm going to deliver this to."

The boss paused for a moment, then looked down at the list.

His gaze swept across each line, starting from the first.

The population of Red Earth Territory is not large, so he knows almost everyone there.

And this list is full of residents of the Red Territory whom he knows.

Just then, a voice came from behind Lin Gui.

"what?"

A middle-aged man wearing old leather armor appeared behind Lin Gui at some point, peering at the list.

His finger touched one of the names, his voice carrying an inexplicable strangeness.

"Old Ballow? That guy's still in Huangshating? He even sent me a letter?"

"It's been almost five years, and he's still willing to spend hundreds of gold coins to send a message?"

He looked up at Lin Gui with a curious expression in his eyes.

"Are you sure he sent me a letter?"

Lin Gui nodded.

"Yes, the letter is kept at the Adventurers' Guild. My companions will post it there, and you can pick it up anytime."

The middle-aged man remained silent for a moment, as if processing the information.

Then he withdrew his hand, looked away from the list, glanced at Lin Gui, and turned to leave the grocery store.

This caused the surrounding vigilance to relax slightly.

In places where Lin Gui couldn't see, the number of people surrounding him dwindled.

Lin Gui looked at the stunned grocery store owner and asked again.

"So you're sure you're not ripping me off? The price you're charging for these herbs far exceeds the fee I received for delivering the message."

The boss looked at Lin Gui, sighed, and spoke with a perfunctory helplessness.

"I'm not lying to you, the price is the same at other stores, but that city-state you mentioned..."

He paused for a moment, his voice lowering slightly.

"It was already trampled flat by demons."

Lin Gui pretended to be surprised.

"That's where the southeastern seaport connects, and it has red walls. How could demons possibly trample it flat?"

The boss didn't delve too deeply into the topic, simply waving his hand.

"It was simply trampled flat."

"As for the southeastern seaports, they have already...fallen."

"Therefore, we can only replenish our supplies from Huangshating, which is thousands of kilometers away, so it is very expensive."

Are you going to buy it or not?

Lin Gui pretended to hesitate, but eventually took out ten Starshine Coins from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

"purchase."

He grumbled as he packed up the sack.

"It's so easy to make money here."

The boss chuckled, but there was little warmth in his smile.

"Making money is easy, spending money is easy too. A serving of fried rice at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city costs fifty gold coins."

Lin Gui slung the sack over his shoulder and turned to leave.

Just as he stepped out the door, the boss's voice came from behind him, very low.

"Go back to where you came from."

"Remember, don't go southeast."

"Don't go back to Huangshating in that direction."

"There……"

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"It has already become a 'forbidden zone'."

"A very terrifying 'forbidden zone,' no less so than the red desert."

"If you don't want to die, stay away from there."

Lin Gui stopped in his tracks.

He stood by the threshold, his figure casting a long, thin shadow in the morning light.

A moment later, he turned his head and responded.

"rest assured."

"With my strength, how could I possibly cross the forbidden area?"

"After I deliver the letter, I will return the way I came very soon."

After he finished speaking, he walked out of the grocery store without waiting for the shopkeeper to say anything more.