The alley is winding and pitch-black. There are either walls or houses on both sides of the alley without the slightest candlelight. Compared with the bustle of people outside, this place is as quiet as a cemetery.
Looking up at the sky, Claude discovered that most of the houses on both sides of this alley called Huashi Lane were two-story stone and wood structures, with eaves protruding so much that only half a meter was left above the alley. There is a gap, so the clear light of the silver moon cannot bring much light to this alley.
Claude could only fumble forward with one foot lower and one foot higher. He could not see the ground clearly, but he could still distinguish the scene in the alley with the help of the dim moonlight.
There was no one in the alley, and the muddy ground remained with countless puddles and marks left by wheels rolling through the mud.
It hasn't rained during this period, and the muddy ground in this alley can only mean one problem. There are no sewerage pipes here, so residents can only pour waste domestic water onto the road outside.
Claude felt that the alley was very long. He estimated that he had walked for more than ten minutes, but he still didn't find any house lit by candlelight. Both sides of the alley were dark. Although he could see the general facade clearly, Claude couldn't determine which one was the underground magic market he was looking for. The underground purchasing point in Bailu Town.
Maybe I should come during the day. Claude smiled bitterly and shook his head, listening carefully to make sure no one was following him. The security in the slums is chaotic. In such dark and deserted alleys, it is necessary to remain vigilant. Otherwise, a dark figure will come out of nowhere and stab you just to rob you of a few coins, so that even if you die, you will not rest in peace.
Fortunately, Claude's hearing is extremely keen now. If someone is ambushing in this dark alley, he can definitely hear the other person's breathing and heartbeat within ten meters. But Claude seemed to be worried in vain, not even a ghost could be found in this dark alley.
After walking for another four or five minutes, Claude found that the alley turned a big bend to the right, and there were faint voices and the light of candlelight coming from the front.
Claude was refreshed and strode forward to turn the corner. When he saw the scene in front of him clearly, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious: he seemed to have been to this place before, but he couldn't remember it for a while.
In front is the intersection of four alleys, just like the intersection of cross streets. The four alleys meet in front to form an open space at the intersection. There is an old mulberry tree in the open space, and a large awning is built with some old wooden boards under the tree. .
Two fish skin lanterns hung under the awning, and a stall for late-night snacks was placed under the lanterns. The human voice that Claude heard just now came from that side. Four or five figures were sitting around a table over there, making loud noises. An oil lamp was lit on the table, and the fire was brightly lit under the stove of the late-night snack stall. The smell of sea food and rye wine drifted in the wind.
Claude walked towards the open space at the intersection. As he walked, he thought about it in his mind. This place looked familiar. When had I been here before
As Claude approached, the voices of people talking in the old mulberry rain shed also subsided, and soon no one made a sound. Only the sound of the fire under the stove was burning, and occasionally there was a spark. bright.
Claude could feel that everyone's eyes in the late-night snack stall were focused on him, and they still had alert and vigilant eyes.
There was nothing he could do. He was told to wear a black burqa and a gray linen scarf, making it difficult to see both his face and figure. A mysterious figure dressed like this suddenly appears from a dark alley. Anyone who sees it will be alert.
Who knows if this masked man will take out a knife and rob a late-night snack stall or something. It is not uncommon for such things to happen here. Or maybe someone hired this guy with his head covered to cover his face to attack someone
Claude ignored the people at the late-night snack stall who were paying attention to him. When he arrived at the intersection, he looked at the awning and the old mulberry tree, and suddenly remembered where this place was. Erikson had brought him here before, not from the Huashi Alley leading from the old street, but from another alley. During the day, there was nothing under the old mulberry tree. At night, a late-night snack stall was set up, and for a while, I couldn't even recognize it.
Erikson brought him here not to visit the alley, but to buy his favorite maltose.