A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 106 The Unlucky Man, the Merchant and the Prostitute (Revised)
Quinn was not polite at all. He raised his stick and hit Jack's face, which had just turned red, and quickly turned pale again.

"Wow, he didn't say a word after being hit by six sticks. What a tough guy!"

Quinn gripped his baton and sighed, "You're not even going to explain yourself?"

Jack was in tears.

He didn't say a word not because he was a tough guy, but because he was hit by six sticks in one second.

You just come up and beat me up, and then you ask me what I want to confess?

Quinn didn't care about anything and hit him with a few more sticks before he could say anything.

His stick techniques are very sophisticated, which he learned from the large-scale patriotic education TV series "The Fifth Republic" in South Korea. He specifically hits the fleshy areas, which is confusing but not harmful to the brain.

"A bargain, huh?! A sincere deal, huh?! Selling diamond rings, huh?! Robbing a jewelry store, huh?! You framed your dad, huh?—"

The reason why Quinn dared to chase him was because he was sure that this guy would not be too strong.

Which serious extraordinary person could be bitten by a dog like this?

The Academy speculated that Jack's power likely came from a Sequence Eight with a greedy destiny—like Quinn, he was a fifth-tier, entry-level Transcendent. In one-on-one combat, combatants were generally a notch stronger than clerics and Abyssal Sequences, and could even leapfrog levels at mid- and low-levels. Even the most insignificant thief could outrun an average Sequence Eight.

Quinn is not an ordinary thief. He is a double sequence with a brave destiny bonus. He also has a pistol and the dean's snake scales in his pocket - this is his greatest reliance for daring to chase.

It's so hard to catch it, don't miss the opportunity.

Every time he said a word, he was hit with a stick. Jack wailed.

"Stop hitting me, sir! I can explain, I can explain—Ouch!!"

Quinnyou swung his stick one last time, staring at him coldly and saying, "Explain the Bull Demon's reward. Where are the ten gold pounds?"

Quinn is referring to the ten pounds that Jack took from the trunk in Broom Lane.

It is also the "payment" for the diamond necklace.

In order to change his exchanged fate, Quinn must get back the ten gold pounds that symbolize his fate.

If his hair hadn't grown longer and his temperament hadn't changed slightly, Quinn wouldn't have dared go out on the street, for fear of being mistaken for a robber by law enforcement officers.

"Ten, ten pounds!" Jack said, playing dumb. "There are ten pounds in the lining of my coat. Ouch!!"

Quinn struck him again with the club, this time with much more force, hitting him in the face and knocking out a tooth.

"You know what I mean."

Quinn said with a wry smile, "Besides returning the money, the other way to cancel the deal is to kill you. Do you think I'll be brought to justice if I kill you now?"

Jack, with blood all over his mouth, suddenly looked clear.

Principal Grindelwald is his father, and he has the eldest daughter of the Branson family to protect him. I want to laugh when you talk about the rule of law.

What's more, killing an abyss transcendent is not illegal, and the church will give a huge reward.

"I'll return your money." Jack admitted his guilt and accepted the punishment: "If you spare my life, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Did you rob the jewelry store?"

"I didn't rob them." Jack struggled to his feet, holding his hands high. "I was only responsible for helping them cover their tracks. I didn't expect this to become such a big deal."

"Who robbed the jewelry store?"

"."

Jack said with a sad face: "I can't tell you this - hey, hey, don't hit me! At least not now. They spent money, I have to keep it a secret. This is the rule. If I break the rule, I will be stuck here for the rest of my life."

"Why don't you wait for me to raise some money and pay the penalty, then I can tell you."

"Liquidated damages?" Quinn frowned slightly. "Do I have to pay liquidated damages even if I return the necklace?"

"Well," Jack said frankly, "I have to pay, but it's not you who has to pay. My employer and I have to pay. Once a deal is done, I have to take responsibility if there's any problems within a certain period of time."

"why?"

“It’s stipulated by law.”

"What law?"

".Abyssal Law."

Jack looked at Quinn in surprise. Since you are the principal's son and know how to cancel the deal, how come you know nothing about the common sense of the abyss?
"Well, it doesn't matter who robbed the jewelry store."

The suspect has been identified.

It's either the Golden Wind or the Yeongun Exile Government. General Kua's efficiency is far beyond the imagination of these little bastards.

"Those abilities you just had." Quinn picked up a gold pound from Jack's clothes. It was a British style with a crowned head of a British monarch printed on it, which was very common. "What are they?"

".It is the extraordinary power of greedy destiny."

"Sequence number?"

"Eight—[Traveling Merchant]." Jack said honestly, "It wasn't long since I was promoted from Sequence Nine [Trader]."

"Have you ever dived into the abyss?" Quinn asked doubtfully.

During the Forbidden Forest Trial training course for freshmen, the academy repeatedly warned against taking items from the abyss out. Once the power of the abyss manifests in reality, it will form a materialized "relic of the abyss."

Abyss relics can not only cause people to go crazy, but are also the materials for making Abyss sequence potions.

There are five entrances to the abyss around the world.

One in the South Continent, one in the West Continent, one in the East Continent Islands, one in Grindelwald, and one in the underground of Saint Camelot, the center of the world of Tamilan.

All of these are guarded and sealed by major religious sects or academies. For example, there are legions from various countries stationed outside the entrance to the abyss in the southern continent. It is impossible for ordinary people to sneak into the abyss.

"Uh, no." Jack said, "My potion was given to me by someone else."

"Who gave it to you?" Quinn stared into his eyes.

"Mr. Q."

Jack said nervously: "All the Abyss Transcendents in Eswell City were created by him. We have only seen him in the Abyss and have no connection with him in reality. We don't even know if he is a man or a woman."

"Haven't you ever been into the abyss?" Quinn asked coldly.

"Whenever a Transcendent of the Abyss sleeps, their souls can log into the Abyss' network. There, we have another identity."

Jack looked calmly at the calf that had been bitten by the dog.

There was a new gunshot wound on his thigh, fortunately it did not hit the aorta, but if ten minutes passed and the wound on his calf came back, he would be completely unable to move.

He didn't have much time to escape.

"Hey, sir. The marshal is coming," Jack said, forcing the same smile he had when he sold the necklace that day. "I've answered all the questions I need to answer. I'll return your money, and how about you let me go?"

Quinn laughed. "You're still thinking about bargaining? Have you become obsessed with business?"

"Ten pounds if you promise not to kill me."

Jack simply closed his eyes, resigned to his fate: "Or you can just kill me. I'm going to die anyway."

Quinn's cold eyes fell on his face.

If you just want to get rid of that exchanged fate, just kill him.

But this guy is useful, useful to Ankuya.

The benefits of handing over the corpse of an Abyss Transcendent to the Cult and receiving a reward are far less substantial than handing him over to the Academy and helping Ankuya gain more trust.

"--good."

Quinn smiled and said, "Give me back the ten gold pounds, and I promise not to kill you."

At the same time, he took out the diamond necklace he was carrying with him, and the bright diamond edges sparkled in the sunlight.

Jack opened the clothes and began to pick them up.

His coat was covered with numerous wallets and hidden pockets, filled with new and old currency, including rubles from the Philippine Empire, commercial bank notes, and checks from the Clock Tower Bank.
He picked out three Ron gold pounds, two British gold pounds, and five Eastern gold pounds. He held these gold pounds of different styles but the same size in his hands, pressed them against his forehead, and began to mutter to himself.

Quinn recalled the missing ten gold pounds. His memory clearly presented the patterns on each side in his mind. They were indeed these three styles, and the quantity matched.

"I want the ten I gave you." Quinn raised his stick. "Are you still trying to play tricks?"

"No, no, no -"

Seeing he was about to be beaten again, Jack hurriedly said, "Currency circulates! Currency circulates! As long as the style is consistent, it can become a container of fate. You will know once you feel it."

Quinn didn't immediately take the gold pounds that Jack handed him.

Instead, he looked at it carefully.

In terms of wear and tear, and the degree of newness of the gold pounds, there are certain differences from the original ten gold pounds.

However, Quinn felt a sense of destiny that "things are returned to their original owners", which is the fate that symbolizes "indifferent people" and "passersby".

There was no evil impulse of greed, nor did the thief's extraordinary characteristics make him feel wary of the gold pound.

Under Jack's cautious gaze, Quinn took the gold coin and weighed it.

There was an indescribable feeling of completion - it was only after becoming a transcendent that he became aware of the mysteries of "fate". When his fate was swapped before, Quinn knew nothing about it.

"Well then." Jack smiled awkwardly and pressed the wound on his thigh. "I'm leaving now that the deal is done?"

"Take back your diamond necklace."

Quinn threw the necklace that had been polished to a pulp over the past few days at Jack and sneered, "If I don't kill you, I won't let you go."

He raised the baton to his shoulder and grabbed his collar: "You are breaking the law. Come on, follow me to the college and turn yourself in."

"This, this, this isn't right?" Jack took a step back timidly. "If I turn myself in, won't I die too?"

"That has nothing to do with me, you."

Quinn's voice paused.

He couldn't exert any strength on Jack's hands, and the other party struggled lightly and slipped away.

There was nothing wrong with his body, but there was an irresistible force restraining Quinn, [forbidding] him to catch Jack.

There was a strange taste in Jack's humble smile. He raised his eyes, put the necklace on his finger and turned it in circles, looking at Quinn with a forced smile.

"I paid you ten pounds not to kill me, so of course I can't go back to the academy with you, dear client."

Quinn reached out again, trying to grab him, but when he got close to him, his strength suddenly faded.

Jack is an Abyss Beyonder, and the noise caused by the gunshots and the gold pounds just now was too loud, so more and more law enforcement officers were approaching this section of the street.

Any action that restricts his movement will result in Jack's death.

And if he is taken to a religious cult, a college, or the government, the final outcome will surely be death.

Quinn could only watch Jack leave.

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, to draw the attention of the investigating law enforcement officers on the avenue, but the words were stuck on the tip of his tongue, and he couldn't shout. He tried to pull out his gun, but it was the same thing. It wasn't that he couldn't pull the trigger, but his finger was stuck there. Whenever he aimed at Jack, or locked onto Jack through Mista, his finger refused to obey his body, as if it were bound by iron chains and couldn't move.

But when it was directed at other places, the strange power disappeared without a trace.

This is the power of "contract".

Jack limped along, completely oblivious to Quinn who was following closely behind him.

"Don't waste your energy. You must abide by our agreement before the time that ten gold pounds can buy ends."

Quinn stared at him intently. "Isn't this the refund you gave me?"

"Refund?"

Jack laughed sarcastically, "In business, money comes first, goods come second, but in refunds, goods come first, money comes second. Didn't your parents teach you the rules of doing business?"

"These ten gold pounds do contain your fate, but the gold pounds are given to you as a transaction currency [payment], not some bullshit refund. Do you understand?"

Quinn immediately threw out the ten gold pounds he had just obtained.

But after trying again, he found that the power of the rules that bound him was still there.

"These pounds already belong to you. It's up to you what to do with them. Even if you melt all the pounds, our business will still be valid, idiot."

Jack covered his leg and limped into a hotel.

This is one of the few shops still open on this nightclub street.

"Just follow me and watch how I disappear, just like last time. Are you anxious? Don't be anxious, wait a minute. The fate of being a scapegoat is still on you, ha ha ha."

Quinn stared at him intently. As long as he didn't restrain Jack or make any move that might lead to his "death", the power of the restraint would not take effect. He could move freely, but now he could do nothing but follow him.

Damn Quinn, where did your fighting spirit and will to fight go? Why did you become such a coward?

The hotel receptionist was scared away by the previous gunshots. Jack didn't find anyone who could bribe his fate, so he made a dissatisfied sound and walked up the stairs.

This hotel is located on Yunduan Avenue. Its decoration is extremely luxurious, but its storefront is extremely hidden. It is self-evident what kind of business it does.

Prostitution has existed in almost every era, either openly or covertly. Ashwell has imposed certain restrictions on this practice. Nightclubs seeking to operate a prostitution business must obtain a license and pay an exorbitant tax, resulting in a limited number of legal brothels in Ashwell.

The hotel is one of the ways surrounding nightclubs circumvent regulations.

Dancers, hostesses, and even elegant singers almost all had their prices secretly marked - this street was the most famous red-light district in the upper class of Eswell. The rich people disdained to go to the brothels run by the gangs in Sewell because the quality of the women there was too poor.

But it's different here. The women here often have more glamorous identities, which can arouse their desire to conquer them, as if they are not soliciting prostitution but talking about art when doing that.

You can negotiate a price in the nightclub, let the bosses behind the scenes take a share, and then you can come to this hotel to enjoy a good night.

The decoration is first-class, but there are no service staff except the front desk and the cleaning lady. It is extremely private, with screens between doors, and there are three sets of stairs for entering and exiting.

It ensures the privacy of the private lives of the gentry and celebrities.

It also made it easier for Jack to escape.

Quinn tried again and again, reaching out to grab Jack, but each time he broke free limply. His other hand kept pulling the trigger, but no matter what, the power of [Transaction] was restraining him.

Quinn could feel that this power was becoming weaker and weaker as time passed.

I estimate that in about five minutes, the time that ten gold pounds can buy will be over.

But he is still just a small Sequence Nine. Even with the dual sequence blessing of the Hero and the Thief, his overall physical strength does not exceed the range of normal people. He has no way to deal with this strange ability.

But he could talk trash, as long as it wasn't too loud and attracted others, and even if he insulted Jack too much, it wouldn't be a violation of the deal.

Old man Quinn was at peace. He started with his parents and ended with the three lower methods. Soon he scolded Jack so hard that his brows twitched.

But he is very patient.

It seemed that there was some limitation to this ability. He didn't dare to attack Quinn and didn't want to waste any time on him.

"You Sima thing, why are you still shutting up? You guys are so deep-"

The word "Yuan" suddenly got stuck in my throat.

The corridor of the hotel was very quiet. Mingming had just cursed the idiot "stinking abyss" all the way. As long as he kept his voice low enough, he could curse as much as he wanted, but at this moment, he was forbidden to say the word "abyss".

It seemed that just speaking the word abyss would lead to Jack's death.

He was surprised, and after a brief thought, his eyes fell on the door on his left - judging from the "No Need to Clean" sign hanging on the door handle, this was the only room around that was occupied.

While Jack in front of him wasn't paying attention, Quinn reached out and knocked on the door.

But at the moment when his fist was about to touch the door, his hand was stuck in front of the door panel, preventing Quinn from knocking on the door.

His eyes lit up slightly.

"Hey, Jack, it won't be long before I can break free."

Jack turned around and gave him a provocative look.

"Then you'd better pray that no one encounters us before then. I'm very familiar with this hotel. At the end of the corridor is the dormitory for the hostesses. There are a lot of people in need of money in there. What do you think you're doing standing in the way?"

Quinn's slightly awkward standing position caught Jack's attention - he had been standing on the right, but now he suddenly moved to the left, his body tilted unnaturally.

It was as if she was deliberately blocking his view.

"I'm just following you."

Quinn said, pretending to take a step forward casually.

Jack snorted coldly, suddenly bent down, and looked over Quinn's body to see the "No Need to Clean" on the door handle.

"Ha—" Jack was delighted. "Looks like my luck today isn't that bad. I don't need to walk to the end of the corridor."

After saying that, Jack walked straight to the single room with "215" on it.

Quinn seemed to want to stop him with all his might, a trace of unwillingness and struggle flashed across his face, but just before he was about to block Jack, he suddenly stopped and staggered away, as if pulled aside by an invisible force.

Jack smiled and knocked on the door with more confidence.

dong dong.

"Room Service."

He stood in front of the door and said, and soon, a reply came from inside the door -

"I do not need it, thank you."

It was a peaceful, low and magnetic voice with a hint of joy.

But Jack seemed not to hear and knocked on the door again.

"Room service—"

Dong dong dong dong, knocking violently.

There were footsteps inside the door, and after a moment, the door opened.

Jack walked straight in, and Quinn wanted to follow, but was restrained outside by an invisible force, as if whatever he did would lead to Jack's death.

He had to move aside to get a better angle to see what was happening.

He looked at a woman tied to a bed.

Her skin was naked, her face flushed, and judging by the lingerie she'd taken off to the floor, she was clearly a sex worker. The ropes she was tied up with were also very elaborate, using a tortoise shell bondage technique, not to mention the erotic ones.

But the strange thing is that the woman's sensitive parts are blocked by a leaf. The leaf is extremely beautiful, in the shape of a long and round inverted triangle, with intricate and noble patterns, which makes people feel a sense of holiness.

The woman's body was covered with essential oils, and there were candles and whips beside her. Quinn was shocked. Ace admired her so much.

A half-naked man wearing only trousers poked his head out from behind the door, holding a copy of the "Golden Ring" of the Holy Tree Cult. He had long hair and was tall, with a typical Northern Continental look, with deep and charming features.

"Sir, we don't need room service." He calmly raised the Bible in his hand. "You're interrupting my sermon."

Jack glanced at the scripture and frowned.

".A follower of the Holy Tree Church?"

“Only believe when you need to.”

The man's voice was really nice, and he didn't look annoyed at all. He must be a very gentle person.

He noticed the gunshot wound on Jack's leg, his eyes calm and unmoved. "Do you need help?"

".Tsk."

Jack ignored him and walked towards the bed.

People of faith are generally more difficult to bribe.

So he threw a gold pound on the ground and then went to untie the woman on the bed.

"My dear, I really need these ropes on your body. Can you sell them to me? I am willing to pay this much——"

Jack took out a handful of gold pounds and held it in his hand. This money was enough to buy a celebrity in the opera house.

The woman's eyes were instantly attracted by the pile of golden pounds, but she did not nod immediately. Instead, she said hesitantly: "These ropes are his."

"Ok?"

Jack followed the woman's gaze.

His eyes trembled.

The half-naked man was not attracted by the gold pounds on the ground, but put on his clothes slowly.

He still spoke in that calm tone, but this time with a hint of relief:
". As for faith, I generally don't believe in it. But this time, it's an exception—it was Heaven that sent you here. Apart from this explanation, I really can't think of why an abyss pagan would knock on the door of a brothel and happen to come to me while I'm doing good deeds."

He put on the long, dark robe and fastened a half-living, half-decayed World Tree pendant on it. The man held up the "Golden Ring" and ran his fingers across the center of his chest. This was the prayer posture of the Holy Tree Cult.

“So, now you can believe it.”

When Jack saw the matte black robe that represented the "Church Bishop", his heart sank instantly.

Sorry, sir, I didn't recognize you just now.

He immediately put down the gold pound and wanted to beg for mercy.

But suddenly a loud and majestic voice sounded in my ears.

It seemed to come from the depths of the sky or the end of the earth. The tone was powerful and strange, with spiritual charm, like a spell, but no one could decipher its meaning.

Jack's consciousness gradually became dim, and a warm feeling came from all directions. He saw a woman screaming, and his vision became increasingly blurred. The priest was also looking at him compassionately, his lips moving slightly, as if he was reciting a eulogy.

Until the cold fire ignited by the Word Spirit burns the soul to ashes, the consciousness becomes blank, and all transactions and greed become a thing of the past.

The priest closed the scripture while looking at the extraordinary characteristics of the Merchant emerging from the ashes.

"Wow, these were all picked up by the Abyss Transcendents, wow!"

(End of this chapter)