Chapter 15: What a Bitter Drama

In the evening, the rain stopped, and a refreshing scent of earth permeated the air, making one feel relaxed and happy.

"Brother Wu, you soloed a High-level Spirit Venerable, which already counts as exceeding your training mission; you should be able to get an extra reward when we go back. How about it, have you thought about what you want?"

Wu Qi shook his head, "Cultivation is for self-improvement, not for rewards."

"We have made no contributions to the Spirit Hall; we have already received enough just by relying on the glory of our elders."

"Besides, this matter is not worth mentioning to me, so there is no need to use it to claim credit."

Listening to his humble-brag, Qiangu Changkong could not help but roll his eyes.

If it were him, he certainly wouldn't be this modest. If you have the strength but don't show it off, wouldn't that be a waste?

If Wu Qi knew his thoughts, he would definitely reply, "You kid haven't been beaten down by society yet."

What has the inside of the Spirit Hall become?

Being so flashy everywhere, do you really think Bibi Dong wouldn't dare to make a move?

Right now, for them, low-profile development is the top priority.

Before having sufficient strength, wandering in front of Bibi Dong is purely a death-seeking behavior.

Entering the Inner City, the two did not face any interrogation.

After the previous high-intensity battle, the two were in urgent need of replenishing their energy.

When entering a restaurant, Qiangu Changkong could not help but ask, "Tell me, where does the food here come from?"

Logically speaking, the environment in Death Canyon is not suitable for growing crops, and there aren't many Soul Beasts either.

Yet, the restaurant can provide a large amount of meals and meat, which is worth pondering.

Wu Qi felt a bit helpless; this guy Qiangu Changkong seems to have a soft spot for "conspiracy theories."

Isn't the situation here simple? It must be food provided by the Spirit Hall.

And that Slaughter City, the environment is even harsher than here, yet doesn't it still have food and drink?

The Spirit Hall provides food for these places just to maintain stability and prevent these criminals from harming the continent.

Before long, the waiter brought the dishes up.

After only a few bites, a sound of begging came from outside the door.

Looking back, a mother was praying for alms from others with teary eyes, carrying a mute child.

Qiangu Changkong could not help but feel moved, "It's not easy for a mother to survive here alone with a child. What are those people in the Hall doing? Could it be a miscarriage of justice?"

While he was pondering, other guests in the restaurant were discussing this.

The thing mentioned most among them was that the Spirit Hall had wrongly judged this pair of mother and child, leading to their exile here.

In order to survive and wait for a reversal of the verdict, this mother could only bring her child out to beg.

Wu Qi tilted his head and carefully examined this mother.

This person looked like she had no flaws and was no different from ordinary beggars.

The mute son behind her, however, revealed panic and fear in his eyes.

Intuition told him that there was something wrong with this mother and child, but he couldn't see where the problem was for a moment.

This mother took a bowl and came to their table; Qiangu Changkong directly poured a plate of meat into the mother's bowl.

"Thank you, benefactor."

Saying this, the mother kowtowed to the two.

Qiangu Changkong pulled her up, while Wu Qi remained unmoved.

A few minutes later, the mother and child left, and Qiangu Changkong could not help but ask, "Brother Wu, what's wrong? You seem absent-minded; did you think of something?"

Wu Qi frowned and said, "Do you think a female beggar could live safely for so long? Moreover, listening to the other guests, this mother and child have been begging here for a while."

Qiangu Changkong did not understand, "Isn't that normal? In Wuhun Cheng, aren't there female beggars who entered the city to beg because of famine?"

Wu Qi shook his head, "Can these be the same?"

Wuhun Cheng is, after all, a city with sound laws, and it is also where the Pope Palace is located; ordinary people wouldn't dare to act recklessly in the city.

And what kind of place is this?

Death Canyon is a paradise for crime.

As long as one wants to, one could rape a woman in the street and no one would care; some might even applaud. But the premise is that one isn't afraid of being killed by that woman in return.

Furthermore, the current Spirit Hall's power has not yet fully fallen into the hands of the madwoman Bibi Dong, so how could unjust, false, or wrong cases easily happen to a mother and child?

If there was no miscarriage of justice, it must be an act.

Eliminate all incorrect options, and whatever remains, no matter how absurd, is the truth of the matter.

Listening to his analysis, Qiangu Changkong still didn't believe it and whispered, "Forget it, let's ask about the situation when we go back."

After the meal, just as the two walked out of the restaurant, that mother took the initiative to approach them.

Qiangu Changkong was stunned, "Didn't you get enough to eat? Should I go and order another portion for you to take back?"

The mother said repeatedly, "No, no, no. Benefactors, you must have just arrived here, right?"

"If you don't have a place to stay, I can recommend a hotel for you."

"Don't misunderstand, the owner of that hotel is a good person; he lets me help pull in customers and gives me and my child a bite to eat."

"Two benefactors, look, is that okay?"

Qiangu Changkong seemed convinced that the mother and child were wronged, so if he could help a little, he would naturally lend a hand.

The woman led the way in front, passing through several alleys and arriving at a remote spot.

Not far from them, there was indeed the plaque of an inn.

Along the way, they heard the sounds of fighting in the city, but looking at the path the woman led them through, they almost never encountered any danger.

Just as they were about to reach the hotel, Wu Qi suddenly stopped his footsteps, "What a fine sob story, it's a pity you gave yourself away."

The woman turned around and said in a bewildered manner, "Benefactor, what are you talking about?"

"What is going on?" Even Qiangu Changkong did not understand the meaning behind his words.

Wu Qi sneered, "In this paradise of sin, a mother with a child wouldn't survive here for even half a day."

"I guess quite a few people must have had lecherous intentions toward you, but it's a pity those fellows underestimated you; I'm afraid their ashes have already been scattered by you."

With the words laid bare, the panic on the woman's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold sneer, "In consideration of you being so clever, leave behind the Golden Badge, and this lady will spare your lives."

Qiangu Changkong opened his mouth wide; everything seemed to have been guessed correctly by Wu Qi.

"Tell me, how did you figure it out?" Wu Qi asked in return.

The woman sneered, "People exiled to this place are already unable to look after themselves, so where would they find the spare time to show charity to others?"

"Hehe, you are so confident and fearless; besides being trial-takers, do you have any other identities?"

Wu Qi thought to himself that it was as expected.

Putting on a performance of a sob story to filter out targets from the crowd.

One has to say, this fellow has some brains.

If he hadn't kept his guard up, he would have likely fallen for the trap already.

Wu Qi spread his hands, "It's just a pity that you guessed wrong."

"We snuck in, came here to search for a certain medicinal herb, and do not have the Badge you speak of on us."

"Clearly you don't believe it, so a battle is unavoidable next."

Not admitting to being a trial-taker was the bottom line; heaven knows how many ears were in the shadows.

Once admitted, wouldn't they be facing pursuit every single day for the next twenty-nine days!?

(End of this chapter)