The Spirit World

Chapter 10: The Boy from the Land of the Fallen Dragon [Wenti County]
[Principality of Arlan Spring 2025]

Legend has it that a giant elemental dragon fell and died in the north of the Principality of Allan. The dragon's tail turned into a thick swamp, the dragon's body turned into continuous mountains, and the dragon's wings turned into two towering mountain peaks. Where the dragon's skull lay, the "Dragon City" [Winti County] was born.

Wenti County is located in the Fallen Dragon Plain. Although it is located on the northernmost border of the Principality of Allan, Wenti County is different from other cold northern places. It is evergreen all year round and has unique climatic conditions suitable for living. Ivy covers the ancient city walls of Wenti County, and moats surround the marble main city area of ​​Wenti County. The moat winds underground in Wenti County along the huge sewer entrance, like a long snake entwined in Wenti County, guarding one side. The underground moat is bounded by the city hall opposite the fountain in Central Park. The commercial area, living area, and manufacturing area are clearly separated. People flow between the various areas, and the prosperous scene is everywhere. People of different languages ​​and races communicate or pass by each other. Manned monster carriages travel through every corner of Wenti County. The storefronts of vendors are crowded with people, and the vendors sitting on the ground are also trying hard to sell their own unique goods and weapons. Adventurers of various ethnic groups hurried past, with different costumes, different professions, and different ethnic groups. The caravans moving back and forth on the street are also moving slowly, and there are even circuses passing by, performing rare acrobatics. The marble city sculptures depict the posture of a giant dragon soaring into the sky, and more ancient buildings are inlaid with large and small inlays recording the legend of the fallen dragon.

Such scenes of various ethnic groups living together peacefully can be seen everywhere in the big cities of the New Testament era. Regardless of the racial conflicts in other places, Wenti County has so many races that it almost includes most of the racial categories. It is one of the rare cross-racial metropolises in the Principality of Allan. In addition, Wenti County is located on the border between the Principality of Allan and the Kingdom of Beasts. The mayor of Wenti County must be one of the most capable confidants of King Allan, "Dragon Beard Lord". It is said that Dragon Beard Lord has six beards, an amazing mind and a gentle personality. His shrewdness and loyalty are proportional to his ability. He is a rare talent. In addition, with his shrewd and long-term vision, it is reasonable for him to be the manager of the border metropolis Wenti County. Under his management, Wenti County has also achieved rare development.

Of course, it is not only the good management of Longxugong that has made Wenti County, which was originally extremely cold and sparsely populated, prosperous today, but also the legend of the fallen dragon and the strange climate. The two complement each other and add a lot of mystery to Wenti County. A large number of ordinary people from surrounding villages and towns come to Wenti County to make a living, and the number of adventurers who come here is also increasing day by day. Of course, they do not come to Wenti County to make a living like ordinary people, but for the legend of the [fallen dragon]. According to legend, an adventurer found the ribs of a giant dragon in the surrounding area of ​​Wenti County, ground the ribs into powder and took it to gain unprecedented powerful strength, and the magic level increased several times. So far, adventurers who pursue power have come in droves, and even in the surrounding towns of Wenti County, there are adventurers. Adventurers come for power, but some do not come for power. They assassinate and rob adventurers who have gained something and reap the benefits. They are notorious and have a bad reputation. They are different from ordinary robbers and bandits. They generally do not rob ordinary people's finances, but only trouble adventurers and caravans. They are called [Shadow Hunters], killing those on the list. They usually come and go without a trace, changing their identities and appearances to hide on their routes. They kill adventurers from other countries, even their own compatriots. For adventurers, they are extremely cruel and fearful, so everyone has the right to kill them. Of course! There are many specialized organizations of Shadow Hunters squatting in the jungle to do a big job.

Wenti County is adjacent to the border of the Kingdom of Beasts in the north and connected to the town of Bezezik in the Principality of Allan in the south. It is surrounded by mountains and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is also a transit border city on the important trade route between the Principality of Allan and the Kingdom of Beasts, so its importance can be seen.

A large number of caravans and their accompanying adventurers traveled together in the area of ​​Wenti County. They naturally did not need to worry about the main road, but the journey around the mountains was accompanied by hundreds of beasts and monsters in the mountains, and there were also silent and dangerous [Shadow Hunters] lurking. Therefore, a good mountain guide was the key to the caravan's travel. Guides were generally locals who were proficient in mountain terrain and trails. Most of them were born and raised in rural areas of Wenti County. Although their ability to point the way was average, the trails they pointed out could generally allow the caravan to safely reach Wenti County, or safely leave Wenti County. Large caravans were generally protected by official troops, but sometimes these recruits were not as familiar with the terrain as the cattle and sheep raised by rural people around Wenti County. Therefore, it was natural that the guide in Wenti County could become a hot profession. More importantly, for rural people, the profit of being a guide was very considerable. However, this profession was still very dangerous. If they really confronted the Shadow Hunters, people who basically did not know magic or had no ability to save their lives could only die under their knives.

[Jack Nyman], 9 years old, the youngest son of the Nyman family in Mousse Village, Wenti County, with short blond hair, a delicate face and some dimples, his fangs are clearly visible with some heroic spirit, and his coarse linen clothes are obviously a bit loose. He is a well-known naughty boy in Mousse Village, a mischievous boy who is not favored by the villagers, and the most famous child with magical talent in the whole village. He had secretly applied to become a guide in the city of Wenti County, but he did not tell anyone in the village, and only took some relatively close guide tasks that would not arouse suspicion. When other children were herding sheep in the grass, he would go to the city to ask for a guide. When herding cattle, he would hand over the cattle and sheep to his sister, who was a quarter of an hour younger than him, and leave alone to lead the smaller caravan through the hidden forest path to a safe place. In the morning, he would leave for the guide reception door of the county to take the task. In the evening, his sister Erica would wait for him to come back and then go home together. Of course, in the eyes of outsiders, he was just being lazy, leaving the work to his sister alone, and then he didn't know where to fool around. Even so, the villagers of Mousse Village would still not blame a naughty child. In front of his parents, Jack was also very polite, not like a lazy child at all, and very sensible. He was brave and shrewd at a young age. For him, he was destined to be extraordinary.

A nine-year-old child is naturally not qualified to be an official guide. The only thing Jack does as a guide is to lead the way for some small caravans on short-distance trips, and the price is not too high, and it is not too formal. He can only accept small orders displayed outside the door. Of course, it is no coincidence that Jack can become a guide at such a young age, which only adults with relatively experienced terrain can be, and make the slightly more qualified guide Old Thomas praise him. Although he only leads the team to a very small surrounding area, it is not only because Jack is a native of the rural area of ​​Wenti County, is very familiar with the mountain roads and trails, and is very proficient in geographical knowledge, but more importantly, it is Jack's peculiarity.

When Jack was a little older and had some self-awareness, he realized his specialness. He could understand the sounds of animals and plants, and even see elves that humans could not see. Jack could hear or see their whispers, their chats, and even their postures clearly. There was an interesting story when he discovered this little secret.

Although Wenti County was prosperous, the rural areas around Wenti County were another story. The cattle and sheep raised by my parents were plotting and clamoring to break through the cowshed and sheepfold every day, but when it was feeding time, they couldn't wait for Jack to move all the grass to eat, and even after eating, they were smug and wanted to "revolt" again. At first, some cattle and sheep were more stubborn. A little black cow and a little yellow sheep were two typical ones. They refused to eat no matter what. The other cattle and sheep ate the grass silently, but these two The three-year-old Jack followed Rajer Nieman, his father, to see the two little guys, motionless. Normally, his father would be in the room feeding the cattle and sheep and would not know what was happening outside. At this time, Rajer was squatting outside the cowshed, touching his big head, looking at the two unhappy "little ancestors" without any idea what to do, and complained, "Are these two little beasts sick? If they are sick, isolate them immediately, otherwise all the cows in the village will suffer!" He was about to pull out the caged little black cow.

"You are sick! Your whole family is sick!" A clear voice echoed in Jack's mind. He pulled his father's clothes and said in a baby voice: "You are sick! Your whole family is sick!" and laughed. Rajer was confused. He looked at the little Jack with narrowed eyes and smiled in surprise, and then looked at the little black cow, "Is he possessed by evil spirits?"

Seeing the stunned Rajer, the little black bull mooed again, staring at the laughing little Jack.

"Can you understand me?" Jack said in a baby voice, dragging out each word without any reason. Rajer looked at the black cow, then at Jack, and hurriedly carried Jack, who was still talking, into the room. The black cow was still jumping and trying to rush out of the cowshed because of surprise. After that night, it was known in Moose Village that Jack was the most gifted child in magic.

Later, Rajer learned from Jack that the little black cow just wanted to eat apples and had no interest in grass, and the little yellow sheep fell in love with the little white sheep girl who was eating grass with it and had no interest in eating grass. And those cows and sheep that were clamoring for a "great uprising" could only be heard as "mooing" and "bleating" in the ears of ordinary people.

Jack can not only understand the sounds of animals, but also those of plants. The only difference is that he can't hear them directly like animals, but needs to touch them with his hands to hear them.

What surprised Rajer even more was that Jack could actually see and sense the elemental elves and other elves of the elves. Elemental elves generally cannot be materialized and can only exist invisible in the air, and some elves cannot be seen with the naked eye. Being able to see and sense these two things shows that Jack has a very high magical talent, and it should be easy for him to become an elemental mage.

But although Rajer Niemann wanted Jack to learn magic, it would be very hard for an ordinary family to pay the tuition for magic school, not to mention that it would take years of study. Magician is a profession with high investment and high return, but not everyone can learn magic, and those who are born unable to learn magic can only find another way out. Rajer asked Jack to start with swordsmanship and become a member of the Knights of Wenti County. After he had a stable salary, he could learn magic with his own ability. However, whether Jack's talent could keep up at that time would depend on luck. Of course, this was just a preliminary idea. In fact, Rajer would certainly try his best to let Jack learn magic at the best age, so he thought that when Jack was ten years old, he would save enough money and then consider Jack's intention. Another way is for Jack to pass the official selection competition of the Principality of Arlan [Dragon Competition], and get the opportunity to study in the capital of the Principality of Arlan [Flan City] and the best school in the entire Principality of Arlan [Flan Royal Academy] with the top three in Wenti County, with free tuition. As long as you go there, those who return after learning are the pillars of the country. Several well-known magicians and high-ranking knights come from there. It would be the best if Jack could go there for further study. However, that kind of competition has no way out for people who have never learned magic. Rajer naturally has no such plan. Several prestigious squires came to urge Rajer Niman to prepare for the [Dragon Competition] early, but Rajer pretended not to hear and perfunctorily passed it by. Rajer still hopes that Jack will learn magic with the first two methods, which is why he asked the only magician in the village to teach him. Rajer saw Jack's growth and remembered it in his heart, but his wish for Jack is to become a more ordinary person. Even if he is gifted, he still hopes so. Becoming a knight in Wenti County or being respected in a small village like the old magician is not bad. There is nothing wrong with studying in Wenti County. When Jack reaches the age of ten, he can enroll in Wenti County, and Rajer has already raised enough tuition.

Children from poor families grow up early, this is absolutely true. Even if Jack is gifted, becoming a member of the Knights Templar or even an elemental mage is a bit out of reach. The arduous training of swordsman skills and maintaining the elemental mage talent are like two mountains pressing on Jack's heart. He can learn swordsman skills from old swordsmen nearby, but the talent for magic is gone, and not being able to learn magic is a very worrying thing. Even the best wizards today have become famous after long-term training and self-study. Ten years old may not be a big deal for other races, but ten years for a human is one-tenth of a life. Ten years old is the only good age for humans to learn swordsmanship or magic.

Fortunately, Jack was sensible and never gave up sword training and magic concentration even when it was windy and rainy, and he also did not fall behind in the heavy farm work. Fortunately, he had a sensible sister to share the burden, so the two children did not need their parents to worry about them.

Having said that, thanks to Jack's special talent of communicating with all things in the mountains and leading the way with the elves, plus Jack's clever little skills, as long as Jack acts as a guide, they can reach their destination safely, so Jack's reputation in the guide team has also grown, thanks to old Tom.

Old Tom was not a bad person, but he was a little greedy. After all, for some guides, the next mission might mean their death. Jack was also famous for his stubborn temper. He was not the kind of rebellious person who would do it if you didn't let him. Instead, he was the kind of person who was determined to complete the task and do it well. For example, when Jack was six years old, he practiced swordsmanship, which involved jumping, slashing, turning and swiping the sword in the air. He had difficulty mastering the difficult action because he always fell because of insufficient strength and sense of direction. He was unwilling to accept it, and practiced for three days regardless of the scorching sun in summer. After falling more than 1000 times, he finally figured out a little bit of the trick and completed the action by leveraging the force. However, he had to rest for a month because of a strained waist and arm. He could only meditate every day to preserve his mental strength.

There are many similar things. After getting hurt, Jack always joked with his sister Erica, who was bandaging his wounds, that "these are just minor injuries and they don't hurt at all." Erica would also touch his wounds slowly, causing Jack to roll on the ground in pain. It can be said that half of Jack's injuries were caused by his mischief. The ferocious beasts and wonderful plants and animals he encountered in the woods, mountains, and rivers when he was a child also enriched their beautiful childhood.

Jack and old Tom are a pair of partners with a tacit understanding. Jack is 9 years old and old Tom is 55 years old. The age difference between the two is quite large. They are close friends regardless of age. Their relationship is surprisingly good. Every time Jack comes, he can get apples from Tom. It is not that Jack is greedy, but old Tom sits on the steps in front of the bulletin board, shouting and gesturing, half-raising the apple and showing half of his skinny arm to Jack to take it. Jack felt shy and embarrassed to eat old Tom's apples for the first few times, but he became familiar with Tom because he found that old Tom was always alone. He also mentioned his son, but he was not filial and did not get close to his grandson. This is because Jack looks a little like his grandson, so he treats Jack as his own grandson. Jack follows Tom to learn the skills of a guide, and they are master and apprentice. Every time Tom takes a guide task, Jack follows. When Jack goes on a task, Tom also pays attention to it. However, Jack always takes a small route, so Tom doesn't care.

The first time Jack came to try to take the guide mission, he met Old Tom. He was sitting on the ground half-lying with his eyes closed, looking very strange. Some of his old clothes were stained with some unknown green liquid, which was the blood spurting out of some ferocious beast. It looked like he had been in a fierce fight. The caravan that came to find a guide looked at the older guide carefully, and soon a few of them came over to ask about the price and the leader. At this time, Old Tom was talking to the caravan leaders in a lively manner, and he was having a great time.

It was Jack's first time at the Guides Guild and he knew nothing. He watched the caravans coming in and out. They were either tall and strong or dressed in fancy clothes, which didn't fit in with his shabby clothes and his status as a cowherd. When he met Tom, who looked dirty and a little older, he felt close to him instantly.

When Jack first arrived at the guide hall in Wenti County, he had to travel a long way. It took about three quarters of an hour for the carriage to get from the village of Mousse where Jack was to Wenti County. Jack had learned some small magic, so he broke off a large lotus leaf that would close its leaves at the touch of a finger, and used a relatively simple wind magic to drag the lotus leaf up and fly over. This kind of small magic was taught by the only old man in the village who could do magic. The old man passed away last year, so Jack had no one to teach him. But this was also a lucky thing. Jack learned introductory magic and how to condense magic, but he was not restrained. The old man's self-created method was like only opening Jack's Ren and Du meridians, but without teaching him any special martial arts secrets. Jack had to study it all on his own. Jack himself was also very intelligent. In addition to practicing the professor's spells more diligently, he also relied on his innate elemental cognition to practice several practical small spells, covering combat, farming, and play. Take herding cattle for example, the place where Jack herds cattle must be relatively fertile. Although Jack cannot change the existing fertility of the land out of thin air, he can use the elemental power of water elves and earth elves to make the land moist and thus fertile.

The wind elves were flying and spinning under the mimosa leaves, and Jack's round trip was much faster. More importantly, he didn't have to pay for the carriage. The mimosa leaves were collected from the poles. With a light tap on the lotus leaves, the leaves would fold up, just like a flying umbrella. When the poles were folded up, the thorn-free poles were wrapped with lotus leaves and placed in a special thin bamboo tube, which was connected to two holes and a white rope passed through. Jack carried it on his back, just like carrying a green scroll. However, such a poetic corner of the scenery was really incompatible with Jack's linen clothes. Rich people also took carriages, so why would they travel in this way?

Jack put away his umbrella and put it on his back, watching the people rushing to and fro. People of different races also dazzled Jack, such as the orcs with cat ears and fur, the Chinese with black hair and wide sleeves, and the goblins with somewhat embarrassing appearances, all gathered in the guide hall, some waiting anxiously, some with joy, and some with sad faces. They were in various shapes and with different expressions, which was still a bit shocking to Jack. In the small village of Mousse, there were not many people of other races. The only ones he had seen a few times were the dwarves who came to Mousse Village to borrow things. They were short in stature, and almost all the men had big beards. It was said that they were clever and skillful, and it was very rare for them to come to Mousse Village to borrow things. Jack was still learning magic with the old man at the time and did not pay attention to it. He just felt strange and even happy that there was such a strange race.

But now, looking at these unfamiliar faces, I still feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

Nine-year-old Jack, with flowing short blond hair, wearing a loose gray-yellow coarse linen shirt and carrying a slender green bamboo tube on his back, was looking at the steps of the guide hall that was so familiar yet so strange.

Although Jack has been a guide for almost a year, he still has not received an invitation from the official Guide Hall to become a formal guide and enter the Guide Hall. Old Tom said that guides who have been leading teams outside the Guide Hall for a full year are eligible to enter the Guide Hall to take on formal tasks. There are no special restrictions such as age, only affirmation of the guide ability.

Jack had relied on his "outstanding talent" and familiarity with the geographical environment to not make any mistakes this year. He had a very high reputation. He had special abilities unknown to ordinary people, and he had relied on animals and elemental spirits to not even encounter a "Shadow Hunter" once. In addition, he was only nine years old, so he could be considered a legend in the guide world of Wenti County. This was also thanks to Old Tom who taught Jack a lot of outdoor common sense and experience. Although Jack led short-distance teams, his capable experience still helped Jack a lot. Jack was very grateful to Old Tom.

Today was the day he was going to register as an official guide, but Old Tom was not waiting for him outside. He looked around but there was no trace of him. Jack felt a little disappointed, which only made his heart pound more nervously.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Jack was a little hesitant about whether to go as a formal guide and lead a formal team. Thinking of his father's lack of expectations and lack of foresight for his future, becoming a member of the Knights was definitely not his life, and becoming a little wizard was definitely not his limit. In order to raise funds for the [Dragon Contest], Jack often breathed a sigh of relief, as if all the efforts of leading the team this year were worth it. He gritted his teeth, and finally mustered up the courage to walk towards the guide hall. However, despite this, he still felt that these short few steps seemed very long. There was no one around to ask, or no one had time to be asked. The unfamiliar environment and the noisy crowd made Jack feel more stressed.

Jack took a step forward, mustered up his confidence, held his head high, and moved his hands and feet wide, trying to walk in a dignified manner. Most of the caravan leaders who came in and out of the guide hall were elegant and graceful, and their clothes were gorgeous and elegant, which really gave Jack an inexplicable pressure. His wide movements were originally intended to appear dignified and not so ugly, but now it was even more ridiculous. When his eyes came into contact with the slightly exposed shoulders of those tall beauties, or even those who looked at him as if he were a strange creature, Jack had to raise his head and turn his face away, his face flushed, and even if he looked over here unintentionally, he would immediately feel embarrassed, not only because he looked a little abrupt among so many people, and felt that many pairs of eyes were looking at him, and he didn't know what to do for a while. More importantly, he was wearing a yellowed coarse linen shirt and didn't seem to fit in here. There was a little reluctance in his heart, and the gap in status made him breathless. Of course, compared with the dress of those nobles, it was indeed incomparable.

Why is this staircase so long? Jack wondered in his heart. However, as a farm boy, Jack was immediately attracted by something else. Those gorgeous clothes and gems sparkled on the people who entered the guide hall to seek a guide. They were like the focus of the entire guide hall. The gems and silk clothes were so precious that they made people jealous. For a moment, Jack's eyes followed the gorgeous clothes involuntarily and he was distracted.

"Ah!" Jack screamed and bumped into something. A white barrier as hard as an iron plate blocked Jack. Jack was startled. He was too concerned about other people's eyes just now and was distracted for a moment. He bumped into something!

"Kid, be careful!" A gloomy male voice shouted at Jack, whose half face was pressed by the white barrier. Jack endured the pain and stepped back, looked in the direction of the voice, and said sorry. The man with the voice had golden hair, a symbol of the Principality's military uniform, and a cold face with a bit of majesty. Jack couldn't understand the military rank, and didn't know the man's military rank, but seeing his dignified appearance and majestic appearance, his rank should not be low. He was distracted by others and was stopped by others. It was a bit embarrassing to be in the public eye. The eyes of the whole hall seemed to be attracted. Jack was stunned. He looked at the pairs of eyes looking at him in unison. Their eyes were shining coldly, like cold swords stabbing at him. He didn't have any energy to look at each other! He felt that his voice seemed to be a little hoarse and not very clear. He could only watch Kraft trap him with the magic stream, feeling dizzy!
"I have every reason to arrest you and put you in jail. Haven't you seen Her Royal Highness the Princess?" The officer shook his arms fiercely, looked at him with disdain, walked towards the "Princess" who was looking at him and said: "Your Highness, there is no need to panic, it's just a child." Then he waved his hand and removed the white barrier. His white magic power was clearly visible, and then disappeared in a flash. It seemed that he was very powerful.

"Captain Kraft, don't worry about it." A calm and mature voice came from the princess' cherry lips. Her forehead was adorned with the pattern of the national flower "Jasmine". She had red hair and blue eyes. Her delicate face was even inferior to that of the beautiful women. The smile on her lips could melt people's hearts. Her snow-white skin was like white snow. Her dignified and well-proportioned figure made the black rose skirt more luxurious. Her eyebrows and eyes revealed a touching look. She was a beautiful jade carved by God, with a holy brilliance. She was the princess of the principality and had the spirit admired by thousands of people. At just one glance, Jack was attracted and stunned. Her beautiful face, her manners, and her grace made him feel that the princess should be high and mighty, and there was no doubt about it. She did not plead for Jack, but called him Captain. Without more words, she looked at him, just one glance, and then turned away, like a goddess in the mortal world, looking down at her people. Even though he was so far away from the princess, he could still feel her majesty!

Then, he realized that today was a big day for all the guides in Wenti County! Even though half of his face was pressed by the white barrier and he didn't look very happy, he could still feel the warm guilt on his face.

Fortunately, in a flash, he glanced and saw Old Tom.

Old Tom ran over in a panic. He knelt in front of Jack and pleaded with Captain Kraft: "This is my adopted grandson. It is really blind of you to fail to recognize a great man and offend the captain. The child is still young and does not understand. I hope the captain will forgive him." He hurriedly pulled Jack and asked Jack, who was stunned by the princess, to bow and apologize.

"Your Highness is as kind as a god. I will not pursue your case, but there won't be a next time. If it turns out to be a small assassin, I can't afford it! Do you understand, Sir Cruise?" Kraft was obviously still very angry.

"Yes, yes, yes, my adopted grandson is usually very well-behaved, but I didn't expect him to be so stupid all of a sudden. He is also a good guide in Wenti County and has never been in any danger. He is much better than many people. He panicked today, please don't mind. Your Royal Highness is magnanimous, and I thank Your Highness on his behalf." Tom pulled Jack, who was bowing his head, to bow and apologize, and walked out. Jack felt a small stone protruding in his heart, which was stuck in his heart and could not be taken out. His ears were already red, and his face was not visible with his head down. He saw many pairs of footsteps stopped, and he could feel that they were intentionally making way for the two distinguished guests. And it was really bad that he bumped into it headfirst, and now he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. Fortunately, there was old Tom, otherwise, he would be so scared that he couldn't say a word and might really not escape jail.

Captain Kraft threw his robe and bowed respectfully to the princess. He waved his hand to signal them to leave the guide hall. The crowd had already made way. Kraft held the princess's fingertips and retreated with the solemn sound of his military boots. The long road to the outside of the hall was so complicated. The princess glanced at the grandfather and grandson who were still kneeling on the ground, and then got on the carriage dignifiedly and left.

Afterwards, Jack, who had breathed a sigh of relief, was led by Old Tom to the registration office of the guide hall and completed Jack's formal registration as a guide. However, Old Tom did not say a word during the whole process, and his frown did not disappear.

In the tavern, Old Tom sat in a booth in the corner, which was separated from the counter and the busiest central hall by several tables. Basically, no one passed by and no one cared. The light was blocked by the bustling guests, so it was dim here, and no extra light could shine in. Even in broad daylight, the magic lamp had to be used to illuminate, but in this bad position, the magic lamp was all dim yellow light, immersing the grandfather and grandson in the color of dusk. Old Tom's wrinkled face did not look tired. Half of his face was not in the dark, but he looked very energetic. However, his brows were still frowned, and his two pairs of eyes looked at Jack with sparkling eyes. Jack lowered his head and said nothing. He knew that his mistakes were much bigger than his previous mistakes. They were not the small mistakes he made when he was a guide with Tom, and they were not the kind that could be solved by a scolding. They were huge mistakes.

Although Jack did not run into the princess's team directly, he would have been killed by the guards hiding in the dark if he had rashly entered the princess's area. Captain Kraft's timely intervention saved Jack's life.

Although Jack didn't know there was a hidden guard, he still knew what he had done wrong. A poor kid like him shouldn't be close to a princess, just like a toad shouldn't dream of swan meat. He didn't even have the qualifications to stand in front of a swan. So, he said nothing, didn't cry, and just stared at the dim table illuminated by the old magic lamp.

"Tom? Haven't seen you for a long time." A slightly hoarse voice sat down with a smile. It was the owner of the pub, with a thick beard and narrowed eyes, smiling and saying: "Found another good seedling?" He put a glass of malt on the table, pushed the orange juice next to Jack, and glanced at Jack. Jack's chubby face was a little red. He heard the boss's words and turned to face the boss. Their eyes met, and the boss also looked at the little boy carefully.

Jack's eyes were red, maybe he felt a little wronged, but his eyes were still bright and lively. The boss smiled at Tom and said, "Feeling wronged?"

"Huh——" Tom stopped talking. Perhaps he was a little angry. He let out a long sigh and ignored the boss who had been squinting his eyes.

"This old man is not good at anything else, but he is very good to his apprentice. Don't be angry." He turned to Jack who buried his head and said, "If you learn from him well, it will not be a problem for you to become a great guide in the future. I have heard of you a long time ago. Today is your first time here, so it's free!" Then he pushed the juice to Jack's table and left. Tom and Jack were left alone. Tom still didn't say anything. He took out a paper-rolled cigarette stick, took out a small flint and knocked it out to make a flame. It lit up with a "whoosh" sound, making a tiny sizzling sound. The cigarette stick and flint are things of a certain age, not something that ordinary people would use now. Old Tom took a whoosh in the dim light, shook it, and exhaled heavily. The snuff rolled on his face and dissipated again. As a master, although he lost some face by begging for mercy just now, it was a good thing that Jack was safe and sound now. He should not be so depressed. But...

Tom never smoked next to Jack, but today he only smoked one cigarette. Jack just stared at him blankly. The smoke sometimes rushed towards him like a winding ancient dragon, sometimes like a rolling auspicious cloud, and sometimes like a funny human face.

"Jack, do you know where you went wrong?" Old Tom asked slowly, picked up the wine bowl and took a sip without making any sound, then pointed his finger at him to drink the juice. "I know, I shouldn't have bumped into Her Majesty the Princess." Jack also coughed dryly and cleared his throat.

"No! Think about it again!" Old Tom greeted, and the boss came running over with a smile on his face. Jack also followed to look in his direction. The boss was short and looked a little funny when he ran.

"I shouldn't have ignored that group of people. If I had noticed those people who were already alert, I guess I wouldn't have seen what happened today." Jack looked at the juice with some regret and drank it in one gulp.

"No, think about it!" Old Tom called the boss away. He ordered two dishes, both of which were meat dishes, which was rare in the past. Old Tom was always frugal and didn't eat meat. He only picked vegetables and fruits. Jack was also a little surprised, but he didn't have time to care. He was still scratching his head and thinking about why. He just accidentally contradicted the princess today and was scolded by Captain Kraft. If he hadn't been careless and had been more careful, today's incident wouldn't have happened, and Master Tom wouldn't be so depressed. If it wasn't such a mistake, what could it be?

"I don't know," Jack shook his head.

"I've taught you that as a guide, the most important thing is to concentrate. You should concentrate on everything you do!" Old Tom took a pair of chopsticks and a bowl and placed them on Jack's table. He moved the juice aside and said, "What I taught you are not those clichés. If you don't concentrate and don't always remember what I said, I, as your teacher, will be very derelict in my duty!"

"Master! You don't want me anymore?" Jack was shocked. He was about to pick up the chopsticks, but put them down suddenly. "That's definitely not it." Old Tom smiled. He hadn't smiled since he came in. Now he suddenly felt relieved.

"Today is a celebration dinner for you to officially become a guide, not to expel you from the sect! You little brat, think again about where you went wrong!"

"I am quite happy today. I am very happy to be a guide today. No one in the guide hall stopped me. How would I know that Her Royal Highness the Princess is there?"

"Of course they won't stop you. People in the guide hall are strangers to you. They are either high-ranking officials or wealthy ladies who come to seek guides to clear the way. They have no relatives or friends with you. Anyone who offends the royal family for a little kid like you, wouldn't be a real fool?" Old Tom picked up the meat and put it in Jack's bowl. "Your mistake was that you didn't stand up for yourself at that time!" Old Tom glanced at the puzzled Jack, his eyes glowing white under the light.

"If the tiger standing in front of you today is a wild tiger, what would you do?"

“I will definitely run away!”

"Yes! You will run away. Running away is what you should do. Your current magic power and swordsmanship are not enough to beat a tiger. All you can do is run away! This is why you should "stand up" for yourself!" Old Tom took a sip of wine and continued: "What kind of situation did I see today?" Old Tom looked at Jack, and Jack thought: "I saw a cowardly child, not a brave man." Old Tom paused: "If you encounter a tiger and can't beat it, you have to run away! That is not cowardice, but to survive and not become food for the tiger. It is a brave escape!" Old Tom finished the wine and said firmly: "Today, you were blocked by Kraft's magic. You are a real coward! You don't even have the courage to defend yourself!"

"If it were a tiger today, you would be scared to death and be eaten obediently!" Jack listened, and the meat he was eating with relish suddenly lost its taste. He slowly put down his chopsticks, not knowing what to do. He was still young and had never experienced such a situation. It was understandable that he was confused for a while, but he should not be called a coward by the master. Besides, the master was so embarrassed today, he looked more like a coward, didn't he! He felt very uncomfortable.

"Do you know how many guards were sent today to secretly protect Her Royal Highness?" Old Tom saw Jack put down his chopsticks and continued, "Three elite troops, hiding in the crowd, they will quickly gather there if they find any sign of trouble. If there is a threat, they will be wiped out on the spot!"

"What!" Jack was shocked. Cold sweat on his back appeared all over his body like new pores and goose bumps!

"Eat quickly, eat quickly, we will talk about business later!" Old Tom ate noisily and knocked on Jack's bowl to urge him.

Jack ate his meal in a daze, forgetting to pick up the dishes. The master's meaning was very clear. He could be killed at any time! Now, he was stunned again, terrified. He was so far away from Her Royal Highness, and was stopped by Captain Kraft. He walked past the road that was originally given to Her Royal Highness without thinking. The disaster of killing was just a thought away! Old Tom looked at his dazed look without a smile, but just helped him pick up the meat in the bowl with an expressionless face.

Running away is not shameful, but it is useful!



(End of this chapter)