Chapter 365: Identity Disguise

"Children, I am taking a guest inside to sit for a while. If anyone is willing to help, remember to thank them politely." Doctor Danika turned her head and instructed the children.

"Understood, Grandma Danika!" The children responded one after another.

Subsequently, Doctor Danika led Gao De into the orphanage behind her.

With a "creak," she pushed open the peeling gate, and what came into view was a small garden.

Even though the orphanage was so destitute that they couldn't even get enough to eat, the small garden was still full of flowers.

Most of them were small flowers, appearing somewhat thin and haggard in the cold winter wind, but they still emitted a faint fragrance.

In a corner of the garden, there were several somewhat old swings, the ropes of which were already somewhat worn, and the colors had become dim and lusterless.

Passing through the garden and walking along a path paved with irregular stone slabs, at the end was a two-story building.

That was the main building of the orphanage, with cracks on the walls, but no stains.

Doctor Danika led Gao De up the steps and came to a room at the very end of the second floor, knocking lightly on the equally dilapidated wooden door.

"Grandma Danika?" Anna's voice came from inside the room.

"It's me, Miss. You have a guest." Doctor Danika said in a low voice at the door.

The next moment, the wooden door was opened with a creak.

"Big brother." Little Anna was wearing a tall hat, the brim of which pressed down on her hair, revealing only a black line at the edge. She looked up at Gao De, her face full of joy.

Standing beside her was Aisha.

Compared to Anna's undisguised joy, Aisha just looked at Gao De deeply, with complex emotions hidden in her eyes, such as "finally here" and "can be a little more at ease," saying: "Mage Gao De."

"Miss, you talk first. I'll go to the door to see the children; they are still soliciting donations there." Doctor Danika said respectfully.

"Alright, I'll trouble you, Grandma Danika." Aisha stroked her chest with one hand and bowed slightly to thank her, her movements elegant and appropriate.

"You are too polite, Miss."

After Doctor Danika left, Aisha stepped aside, signaling Gao De to enter the room.

The room was filled with an old atmosphere, mixed with a faint musty smell, and several faded paintings hung on the walls, the frames of which were also slightly deformed.

The floor was covered with somewhat worn carpets, and although it still felt soft underfoot, one could clearly feel the unevenness underneath.

Sitting down at the only table in the room.

"Were you waiting anxiously?"

"It's alright." Whether it was really alright or not, Aisha had to put on a posture of being "neither anxious nor slow."

She straightened her back slightly, with a faint smile on her face, but her tone revealed a trace of relief.

"The funds required to acquire the Harland Shipyard are huge, so it took some time to prepare." Gao De explained.

"As it should be, Mage Gao De. May I know your surname?" Aisha pondered for a moment and asked.

Being able to produce a sum of money sufficient to acquire a shipyard within a few days, in her cognition, apart from merchant firms, only a few nobles could do it.

And Gao De was so young, yet he could control such a sum of money.

It could only mean two things: first, Gao De's background was extraordinary, and it was highly probable that he was from a great noble family; second, he was highly valued at home and possessed considerable say.

Although she had decided to trust Gao De and accept his proposal to go to the northern realm to escape, before that, she still hoped to learn more about Gao De.

After all, the current situation was that Gao De knew she and Anna were princesses of the Xidian Principality, while they knew nothing about Gao De except for a name and the identity of a Hai Shao Bing mage.

"I might disappoint you." Regarding the question Aisha raised, Gao De naturally understood the other party's intention. He spread his hands and said truthfully: "I don't have a surname. Of course, if you can accept it, it's not impossible to treat Gao as my surname."

"No surname?!" Aisha's pupils shrank, and the surprise finally appeared on her originally calm face.

Clearly, this answer was beyond her expectations.

In her anticipation, even if Gao De was not a child of a great noble, he was definitely from a wealthy family or a mage family. How could he have no surname?

Surnames were originally the privilege of nobles and the rich; ordinary people had no need to use surnames.

However, with the progress and development of the times, the population continued to grow, and coupled with legal and administrative needs, surnames gradually became popularized.

Even ordinary people began to adopt surnames to facilitate management, recording, and identity distinction.

By now, people without surnames were generally only left in the bottom social groups, such as serfs, urban poor, slaves, etc.

But Gao De, as a Hai Shao Bing mage, didn't seem to have anything to do with the bottom social groups.

"Actually, like you, I came to the Jin Quehua Dynasty after my country fell," Gao De didn't mind revealing his background. "I was originally from the Saint Xi En Principality."

"Saint Xi En Principality?!"

"Yes," Gao De smiled, "which is now the Saint Xi En Province of the Holy Empire."

"However, unlike you who are children of the royal family, I was a beggar. I was taken in as an apprentice by an old mage, and only then did I embark on the path of a mage by chance."

"So, I don't have a surname." Gao De looked at Aisha with a calm gaze.

A beggar, without even parents, where would a surname come from?

Very reasonable.

It's just that, how could a little beggar from the Saint Xi En Principality become a Hai Shao Bing mage of the Jin Quehua Dynasty today, and still be able to produce such a huge sum of money?

However, without Aisha needing to ponder, Gao De immediately gave the corresponding explanation.

"Fortunately, my talent as a mage is not bad, so after coming to the Jin Quehua Dynasty, I successfully passed the selection assessment of the Hai Shao Bing and joined it. As for why I have the ability to acquire the Harland Shipyard..."

Gao De thought for a moment and said seriously: "It can be considered good luck. I was valued by a great power, and they are willing to provide me with support within the maximum range of their ability."

Although one should be sincere in treating others, and Gao De did indeed do so.

But one must also have a heart to guard against others. In the situation where the other party knew he was carrying a huge sum of money and was just a beggar, Gao De dared not say that Aisha would not have any malicious intent.

The other party's mage rank was at least second circle. If they really made a move, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Just a Hai Shao Bing mage uniform, at least in Gao De's view, was not enough to shock Aisha, so he had to put another layer of tiger skin on himself—the so-called "valued by a great power."

However, he was not purely bluffing.

The Zhenbing Tribe could barely be considered a great power, right?

Aisha listened quietly, but her heart was surging with stormy waves, and she couldn't help but sigh: "You said Anna is a genius, but in fact, you are the real genius!"

Coming from a royal family, she could better understand how difficult it was to go from a beggar to a Hai Shao Bing mage today. The mage talent required for this was definitely not something that could be achieved by just being "not bad."

"There is indeed a little talent..." Gao De did not deny it, but he quickly skipped this topic and asked with interest: "You seem to have known Doctor Danika before?"

Just looking at the performance just now, it was obvious that Aisha and Danika's relationship was very familiar, not just a simple stay.

What's more, even if it was to avoid tracking, choosing the orphanage as a landing spot was a very niche thing.

"Grandma Danika was originally from our Xidian Principality and was once a noble daughter, a good friend of my mother."

Aisha spoke slowly, falling into memories. "Among nobles, marriage as a means to consolidate family strength is a very common thing, and Grandma Danika was designated by her family to marry into another noble family at that time."

"The other party was a notorious noble child, addicted to wine and sex. Grandma Danika heard many evil deeds about him, and her heart was full of fear and resistance."

"However, family honor and interests are above everything. No matter how much she resisted, she could not change the family's decision."

"But Grandma Danika had a very strong opinion in her heart. She was unwilling to become a sacrifice for family interests, so she tried every means to escape this marriage. But how easy is it for a woman to get rid of family control?"

"In the end, it was my mother who secretly helped her and arranged an escape route for Grandma Danika."

"With my mother's help, Grandma Danika left the Xidian Principality, came to the Jin Quehua Dynasty, and then changed her name, joined the Chaoyuzhe Sect, and started a brand new life in Lagos City as a nun."

"And shortly before the fall of the Xidian Principality, my mother told me about this, telling me that if I have a need in the future, perhaps I can try to find Grandma Danika; she will definitely be willing to shelter me."

"And it is indeed so," Aisha bit her lower lip and said slowly: "Grandma Danika took me in without hesitation, and even when the money I had was not enough to buy a ship, she sold the necklace her mother left her to make up the difference for me."

"The situation of the orphanage is already so bad, and the children also need this money..."

"I see..." Gao De lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he raised his head and said: "Perhaps I can help Doctor Danika and the orphanage, but this will have to wait until the successful acquisition of the Harland Shipyard before we can talk about it."

Aisha's eyes couldn't help but light up upon hearing this.

"I came to find you today because there is actually something I need your help with," Gao De said, returning to the main topic.

"What is it?" Aisha sat up straight slightly.

Gao De raised his hand, took out five crystal jade boxes containing Enduring Zhenbing leaves, placed them on the table, and lined them up: "I need to sell them for Jin Quehua coins."

"This is?!" Aisha raised her eyebrows slightly, with suspicion on her face, her gaze fixed on those crystal jade boxes.

Although she didn't recognize the Enduring Zhenbing leaves, she could still perceive their extraordinariness.

"Enduring Zhenbing leaves. After soaking in water and drinking, they can increase a mage's mental power limit. Taking a first-circle mage as an example, it can increase mental power by about 30. Of course, only the first time you drink it will have this effect." Gao De briefly introduced the Enduring Zhenbing leaves to Aisha.

"You actually have so many of such precious things, and you still want to sell them?!" Aisha's eyes widened.

She was a knowledgeable person, so after Gao De finished the introduction, she instantly realized the value of the Enduring Zhenbing leaves.

This was definitely something mages dreamed of.

"I have more; this is just a small part of it, so I don't feel bad about selling them." Gao De was still speaking the truth, so his expression was very calm.

Aisha was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

"These Enduring Zhenbing leaves, Lagos City can eat them, but after all, they are valuable and might attract some trouble, so I hope you can help me hold the scene..." Gao De continued.

"That's no problem, but how are you planning for me to help you?"

Gao De paused, did not answer Aisha's question, but suddenly asked: "Do you mind revealing your mage rank to me?"

"... Second circle late stage." Aisha hesitated for a moment, but still gave the answer.

"【Levitation】 mastered?"

"Hmm."

"Good, that's enough," Gao De nodded and smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth. "You just follow me, pretend to be my servant, and then listen to my command."

"Good." Aisha agreed immediately, without any so-called "princess airs."

50 Enduring Zhenbing leaves, with a total value of about 15,000 Jin Quehua coins.

This number, for an individual, might be an astronomical figure.

However, for the volume of a city, 15,000 Jin Quehua coins actually didn't count for much.

Although after the Spirit Marrow Fever, the economy of Lagos City suffered heavy losses and had greatly declined, and the prosperity of the past no longer existed.

But the Jin Quehua Dynasty was one of the two most powerful countries on this continent, and Lagos City, backed by this big mountain, was always a camel that was thinner than a horse but still bigger than a horse.

Therefore, Lagos City could completely digest 50 Enduring Zhenbing leaves without needing to go to great lengths to go to other cities to sell them.

However, it was still necessary to avoid selling all the Enduring Zhenbing leaves at once to prevent being maliciously cut in price or being targeted by great powers.

Gao De's idea was to split the 50 Enduring Zhenbing leaves into 5-10 transactions and sell them at different locations and times.

In addition, disguising his identity was also necessary.

If he sold these Enduring Zhenbing leaves directly in Gao De's identity, once noticed by the Hai Shao Bing, it would be difficult for him to explain the origin of the Enduring Zhenbing leaves, and he would likely be treated as a "spy."

As for how to disguise, it was actually just two points.

One is the disguise of background, and the other is the disguise of appearance.

The former had been settled, as for the latter...

Gao De stood up.

Under the gaze of Aisha and Anna, his body underwent a wonderful change in this instant.

His originally thin figure gradually expanded, his waist became rounded, forming a slightly protruding belly that rose and fell with his breathing.

While his figure changed, Gao De's appearance was also quietly changing.

His originally hard-lined, angular chin was covered by a layer of soft fat, the skin on his forehead became loose, and his originally thick hair became sparse and greasy, drooping on his scalp.

The clothes on his body also changed, becoming a gorgeous robe with exquisite patterns embroidered on it, highlighting the wealth of the owner.

In just the blink of an eye, Gao De had actually changed from a thin young man into a pot-bellied middle-aged wealthy merchant.

"Big brother is so amazing..." Anna's mouth opened slightly, expressing shock in a crisp, childish voice.

"Disguise, just a small spell." Gao De smiled. His voice, at this moment, had actually also become the typical deep and thick voice of a middle-aged wealthy merchant, revealing a sense of smoothness, as if it came from the depths of his chest.

A week had passed since he obtained the spell formula for 【Disguise】.

Even though Gao De's schedule was very full, on the way from Phoenix to Valar Bay yesterday, he had successfully constructed the spell model for 【Disguise】 and mastered the spell.

And after adding points with "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow," 【Disguise】 had undergone some small changes...

【Disguise+】 (Illusion School, 1st Circle):

You change yourself and all your belongings, including clothes, armor, weapons, etc.

Extra: While casting Disguise to change your appearance, you can simultaneously simulate a voice line that matches your current appearance (adjustable tone, accent), but you cannot imitate the voice of a specific person; you can freely choose whether to emit certain basic odors (such as the fishy smell of fishermen, the nitrate smell of leather workers), but you cannot choose the body odor of a specific individual.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 366 =====