There was no talking all the way, and at dusk they came to the place where Xiou's caravan was attacked. The camels were still tied to the car, and there were scattered horses not far away. There were more than ten corpses lying on the sand dunes, including several bodyguards with weapons. Ye Lang and the others killed so many people, it was indeed extremely ferocious. Perhaps it was because the caravan was not large, so Night Wolf didn't lead a large team, but unfortunately ran into Amon's hands.
Amon ordered Aesop to stop the carriage, sighed and said, "It's such a misfortune. If we can't bring back all their remains this time, then we should bury them properly first."
That night, the dead were buried, and the camels and horses were taken away, but the other car was left behind. Amon split the car into many long wooden strips, and inserted them into the sand dunes where the corpses were buried like a small forest, leaving identifiable marks. While he and Aesop were doing all this, Xiou was watching, not wanting to destroy a car in his heart, but he didn't stop it either.
Amon made a very strange discovery. The ability he obtained from Hades has not disappeared. He can sense the emotional changes of the master and servant, such as joy, anger, sorrow, and joy, but he must enter a state of deep meditation. What's going on here, is this special ability "brought out" from the underworld, or is a certain ability that was originally possessed happened to be awakened
As long as there is one, Amon didn't think too much about it. The various magical arts he cultivated are inconceivable magical powers for ordinary people, and it would be better to have one more.
This time, Xiou was transporting goods to the Uruk city-state, and he didn't bring much on the return journey. He carried all the cash recovered from the sales, so the night wolf would chase him closely. He carried a bulging money bag in his arms, and he was careful not to take it out all the way, even sleeping with his arms crossed.
In the early morning of the next day, the three of them continued to set off, sitting in a covered carriage and changing horses along the way, which was indeed much more convenient and comfortable. At noon, Amon hugged Schrödinger in his arms, took out the water bag to feed it, moistened his lips drop by drop, and gently moistened it, his movements were as gentle as feeding a baby.
Xiou made excuses and said, "You must also be from Eju. Only we Eju people love cats so much. Cats are symbols of gods and are worshiped and loved. My family has several cats. If you If you like it, I can give you the best one, it can catch mice!"
Amon shook his head with a smile: "Keep it for yourself, how can I take advantage of others? This cat is not a pet, it is my friend, and it has been ill recently." Then he asked another question that made Xiou very happy. Nervous question: "How much money did you bring this time, so that the robbers will target you?"
Xiou folded his arms subconsciously, shrank back and replied, "Not much, it's only worth a dozen or so divine stones."
A dozen or so divine stones are worth hundreds of gold coins, which is quite a lot, but Amon knew he was lying, even if he didn't need to detect something with divine magic, he could tell from Xiou's reaction and tone that the businessman wasn't telling the truth . In fact, Xiou has more than twenty-five sacred stones. Yesterday he made the same promise as the robber, and paid Amon three times the reward, so there are at least seventy-five sacred stones, which is unimaginable for ordinary people. Capital!
When he came back to his senses, how could Xiou not be heartbroken, so he laid a big ambush when he spoke, and felt uneasy in his heart, for fear that Amon would see through something or insist on checking his purse. Fortunately, Amon just asked casually, and didn't intend to delve into it, so Xiou secretly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that his back was already sweating.
Xiou's reaction to Amon was clear, and he couldn't help feeling a little funny. Amon was just saving people, he didn't want to ask for that huge reward, let alone blackmail the businessman, he was just teasing Xiou. This person is timid and stingy, and it is fun to always sweat. Most of the men in Duke Town are tall and strong, and it is rare to meet such a person.
At this time, Amon had just turned sixteen years old, and his appearance was already very mature, but he still had the disposition of a teenager to some extent. Amon's next action surprised Xio again. He took out an exquisite copper bottle from his leather pocket, uncorked the stopper, held the cat in one hand, and handed the bottle to the cat's mouth with the other. Feed it drink little by little.
The tempting aroma of wine wafted in the carriage, even the driver Aesop in front couldn't help but take a deep breath, it was obviously a fine wine. Amon bought this bottle of wine in the town of Sumer, and it was originally prepared for Schrödinger. He bought two bottles and Schrödinger left after drinking one bottle. Amon remained untouched for the remaining bottle of wine, and kept it in his leather pocket until Schrödinger came back to drink.
There was no wine in the carriage, and Xiou, who had just started his journey in the desert in shock, was a little greedy. He licked his lips and said in surprise and regret, "You actually used such good wine to feed the cat!"
Amon explained: "This cat is my friend, I know it likes to drink, the better the wine, the more it likes it."
Siou: "We're friends too."
Amon raised his eyes and looked at him: "I saved you, are you heartbroken about the huge reward you will have to pay? Are you complaining in your heart that I fed the cat with good wine, but didn't buy you?"
This child Amon spoke directly, as if he could see through Xiou's careful thoughts at a glance, Xiou avoided his eyes and dared not look at Amon, and replied in a panic: "No, of course not! As soon as we reach the cape City-state, I will pay you thirty sacred stones, thank you before it's too late!"
Amon smiled, knowing that what he said just now was a little narrow, which made Xiou very uneasy, so he lowered his head and continued to concentrate on feeding the cat. Schrödinger didn't seem to be in a real coma, but he was too lazy to move or open his eyes. When the wine was passed to his lips, he stretched out his small pink tongue and licked his lips. He drank half a bottle in a row, enjoying himself. Jiu just hiccupped slightly, and rubbed his head into Amon's arms again, as if he had fallen asleep.
It was the first time in two days that Amon saw the cat move. It seemed that it was recovering, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He put the remaining half bottle of wine back into his leather pocket and kept it for Schrödinger to continue drinking tomorrow. Now that Schrödinger can drink, he can also be fed some broth at night.
At dusk, Amon ordered the carriage to stop for a rest, got out of the carriage and placed a pot among the sand dunes to make a pot of fragrant broth. After it was lukewarm to dry, he brought the cat over and fed him a little. Schrödinger did not eat as much as before, but he also drank half of the pot with his eyes closed, and fell asleep again. This time Amon was not stingy, and made another pot full of thick meat soup, and asked Xiou and the driver Aesop to eat it together.
Aesop was a slave, so he couldn't sit and eat with them. After Amon and Xiou had finished eating, he thanked him and ate clean. The meat soup made by Amon is much more delicious than the dry rations brought by the caravan, and Xiou ate it with relish. It may not be as good as the food in the city-state, but how can you eat better than this in the desert?
It was already dark after dinner, and the starry sky in the desert was exceptionally beautiful and bright. Amon found a gentle sand dune, sat down quietly and began to practice divine magic meditation again. He has experienced so many things these days, even if he walked in the underworld, he has never stopped practicing meditation on the basics of divine arts.
In the early morning, when the sky was getting bright, we continued to set off on our way. Xiou looked at Amon with a curious expression, and asked cautiously, "My benefactor, are you a magician?"
Amon asked calmly, "Why do you ask that?"
Xiou explained: "I saw you sitting upright under the starry sky in the middle of the night. Only a noble magician would meditate like this, so I took the liberty to ask. If you are a magician, Please forgive Xiou for his offense and disrespect."
Amon shook his head and said, "No, I'm not a magician."
At this time, Aesop sat on the shaft and explained: "Master, in my hometown and farther places, there are many people who like to sit and meditate like this, thinking about life, existence and other profound issues. They are not magicians... Sometimes I also like to sit under the stars, feel everything with my heart, and think about all kinds of stories in the world."
His words helped Amon out of the siege, and there was no need to explain further. Needless to say, they met other caravans along the way. After several days of trekking, the sand dunes gradually disappeared into the Gobi, and shrubs and weeds grew on the Gobi, and finally came to the border of the cape city-state of the Ecu Empire.
Amon wanted to take out the customs clearance document, but unexpectedly, entering Eju went smoother than he had imagined. Xiou had already traveled on this commercial road many times, and was very familiar with the tax collectors and soldiers guarding the checkpoint, so he paid the fee and entered directly. Aesop was his slave, and Amon was his bodyguard. He entered the country without being checked after saying hello, and the paperwork he had prepared was useless.
After entering the country, Xiou said to Amon with some embarrassment: "This is already in the territory of Eju, but I have to go to Cape City to have a business, and I can pay you there." The implication is that I hope Amon Continue to escort him until you reach the main city of the Cape City.
Amon smiled and said: "It's just right, I'm going to Cape City too, let's continue walking together. I heard that you plan to go back to Mengfeisi directly. I have to do some things in Cape City, and we will break up there."
From the border checkpoints to the main city, there is still a long way to go. Along the way, the official road passes through many villages and towns. The largest town is a port near the sea in the north. There are tens of thousands of residents, and it looks very prosperous. It's like a little city-state. Xiou explained to Amon that since the land communication with the city-state of Syria in the Kingdom of Hatti was cut off by the flood, the trade between these two city-states relied on sea transportation, so this port town became prosperous.
However, the commerce and trade of the entire city-state has been affected to some extent, and most of the original three important trading routes have been lost.
For the shipping transactions between the Eju Empire and the Hatti Kingdom, it is more convenient to depart from the various ports of the Memphis city-state at the mouth of the Ronnie River, and there is no need to go around to the cape city-state. The cape city-state is currently a transit point for the trade of goods between the Kingdom of Baron and the Kingdom of Hatti, and the land transportation between the Ecu Empire and the Kingdom of Baron still has to pass through the cape city-state.
A few days later, they finally entered Cape City, and Amon witnessed the prosperity of this city-state with his own eyes. He has been to the royal capital of Baron, and of course he has seen everything in terms of prosperity, but the atmosphere of the population is different in different places. Most areas of the cape city-state are barren, and the agricultural and pastoral products are not rich, but the trade is quite developed. Therefore, there are countless shops and shops in the city-state, where you can see specialties, delicacies, and fine wines from all over the world. Artists from all over the world performed dazzlingly.
This is a city-state full of vitality, but there is vitality in the chaos, and it is very lively. Walking in the streets and alleys here, smelling all kinds of delicacies, looking at the dazzling array of goods, and those people who are enjoying delicious food, enjoying the performances of artists, or bargaining, there is a sense of liveliness. .
If there is a person who is weary of the world and wants to commit suicide, he should take it to this kind of place to walk around, stroll around, and feel the feelings, which will probably dispel the idea of suicide. Amon, who had just escaped from the gloomy underworld not long ago, felt very good coming here. His temperament is tough, but for a teenager, the things he has experienced are a bit too heavy. He needs to relax in this kind of place. He should be a lively and cheerful age.
Xiou was very respectful to his savior. He not only helped Amon arrange the inn, but also let Aesop take Amon to play in the city-state for two days in a carriage, going to various lively places. Although Aesop is a slave, he has a lot of knowledge and has a lot of stories to tell. It is very interesting to have him as a guide.
On the third day, Xiou invited Amon to the shop he opened in the cape city-state, and asked the shopkeeper Humbert to count thirty sacred stones in person, put them on the counter and said: "My benefactor, this is the payment to Please don't be polite about your reward, you must accept it."
Xiou's expression and tone tried to be as sincere as possible, but Amon could feel his body tense, as if grasping something and trying to force it back, and his heart felt like it was being clenched—no matter what Anyone who took out such a large fortune would feel distressed.
Amon also didn't want to embarrass him, why save a person and make a grudge? He waved his hand, and said calmly and firmly: "Xio, you should be glad that you are still alive, so you can continue to enjoy these things, but don't forget that the bodyguards and those guys you invited are dead. I only take these god stones Take ten coins, thank you for your reward! The rest of the money can be used as pensions for the families of the deceased."
Xiou was moved to tears when he heard the words. He stepped forward and grabbed Amon's arm and said, "Thank you, my benefactor! If you have time to pass by Mengfeisi, please come to my residence as a guest." , I will give you the best hospitality!"
Aesop was also very moved. He picked up ten sacred stones from the counter, knelt on the ground and handed them to Amon with both hands: "Hero, I thank you for those unfortunate people, for your bravery, integrity, generosity and kindness." Pray!"
Amon took the Sacred Stone and put it in his pocket. Aesop forgot one thing when he was excited. The laws of the Eju Empire also stipulated that slaves should not touch the Sacred Stone with their hands. Once they violated it, a finger would be cut off. , and he picked up ten divine stones at the same time!
Without anyone realizing it, Humbert, the shopkeeper, suddenly shouted: "Master Xiou, this slave, Aesop, touched ten sacred stones. , have said and done things that exceed the rules many times, this is intolerable!"
No one expected that such a thing would happen suddenly in such a seemingly touching scene. Humbert's voice was so loud that all the guys heard it, but Aesop's face turned pale in an instant, but he bit his lip and did not speak. Amon was startled. Looking at the slave, he suddenly remembered the scene when he was interrogated by Priest Xiaogu in Duke Town.
Xiou was obviously angry. He was very dissatisfied that Schubert had spoken out loudly about Aesop's fault, and pretended not to see it, so it was over? Aesop is a very capable slave, articulate and knowledgeable, and is very valued by Xiou. This time, if Aesop hadn't reacted quickly and drove him to the depths of the desert in time, Xiou would have died at this time.
But under the watchful eyes of everyone, everyone saw it, and Humbert even said it loudly, Xiou is not good at blatantly violating the imperial law.
Amon glanced at Humbert and found that when the shopkeeper looked at Aesop, there was clearly anger and hatred in his heart, as well as gloating. Why is this? This kind of mentality may not be difficult to understand, just like Xiao Gu wanted to punish the innocent Amon back then, out of a deep jealousy from the heart.
Xiou lost a lot this time. Although it was all the master's money, it was also the loss of the cape city-state shop in the account. The thirty sacred stones were taken from the account of the shop here. And Aesop, as a slave, has been more and more used by the master in recent years, and his status is even higher than his shopkeeper. Humbert has long disliked him, and Aesop usually satirized him several times Second-rate.
This time Aesop saved the master again, wouldn't he be more restless in the future? Humbert happened to catch him for a mistake, and of course he was going to be punished!
Xiou was very embarrassed in front of the buddy. He looked at Amon for help and said, "Senpai, what do you think should be done with this slave?" He clearly didn't want to cut off Aesop's finger, otherwise there is no need to ask . Slaves are also his wealth, and abolishing a slave, especially the most capable slave, is also a loss, and he can't bear it.
Amon asked himself that he did not have the eloquence of Aristotle, and the situation was completely different, so he asked Aesop pleasantly, "If you want to keep your fingers, what reason do you need?" He wanted to hear this How does a slave justify himself? If it is not possible, he will spend a large sum of money to buy the slave and take him away on the spot, so as not to worry about it.
Aesop knelt on the ground and raised his head, trying to keep his voice calm and not trembling: "Master Xiou, this hero, the empire's decree does stipulate that slaves cannot touch the sacred stone with their hands, but the empire also has another decree. Slaves are The property belonging to the owner, as long as there is no dispute with others, how and when to dispose of it is up to the owner to decide."
Xiou nodded and said: "Yes, I will handle it, but I can't violate the laws of the empire. Everyone has seen you touch the sacred stone. Amon asked you what reason you need to keep your fingers, can you tell Do I have a valid reason?"
Aesop replied slowly: "Can you listen to me tell a story? It is my early experience, a story of a distant sage named Pythagoras."