Chapter 217: Coming Up Empty

Hmph, say whatever you want.

"So where is the person you are looking for?" Sarana looked at the other party with a smile, "If you are willing to answer, I can give you a sum of money and grant you freedom. You only need to leave Tana City."

"You think I'd fall for that? The information we have is safe in that guy's hands; after all, he wouldn't dare sell it off casually, and he has to be careful about us hunting him down."

"If he really dared to sell it, he'd be silenced at any moment. But if we told you his whereabouts, wouldn't our things be destined to fall into the hands of you Zheng Shen Church members?"

The leopard-man was no fool; although he wasn't very smart and even had some beast-like emotional tendencies.

But in matters like this, his mind was still clear.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have become an Administrator of the Tana City region.

"Just because you won't talk doesn't mean your companions won't. We only need to know where that guy is living." Sarana had absolutely no doubts about those Xiahui People; in her view, those people would never defy the Zheng Shen Church.

Especially when there was money to be made, those guys wouldn't hide anything.

After all, it would be too difficult to get so many Xiahui People to hide one thing at the same time.

"You..." The leopard-man frowned; he couldn't guarantee that his subordinates wouldn't talk.

He hoped that guy would be found by his own people and silenced in time.

He also hoped he would be found by the Zheng Shen Church and then captured and tortured.

But thinking of the information from the Nature Church, he gritted his teeth, fervently hoping in his heart that the guy would move to a different place and not get caught.

At this moment, the players had already instigated Mofate to move to a different place.

Thinking that moving would be safer, Mofate also felt it wasn't a bad idea. He had been staying in the most expensive places along the way, and these places would also be watched by people from the Zheng Shen Church. He didn't want the animals from the Nature Church to discover him, and he wanted even less to be discovered by people from the Zheng Shen Church.

Moreover, after seeing the bustling activity in the dock area, he felt that hiding here would be safer.

Hiring these bodyguards was also more convenient, because Tuorsuo and the others also had a branch in the dock area, where he could contact those Xiahui People at any time to work for him.

"Living here for the time being will be safer, and it's more convenient to set up a Formation." Tuorsuo recommended this old house in the dock area.

These houses were originally residential homes for residents of the dock area.

After the players' winery recruited them to work at the winery, these houses became vacant.

Many people felt that the houses here were of no use and that it was better to live in the newly built houses near the winery, so they were willing to rent out their houses in the dock area.

After the houses were repaired, they became historical buildings and were protected by the players.

The rental work was also handed over to the players. The local fishermen of Tana City trusted these players, especially since the players could really pay them money monthly and renovate their houses.

Looking at the house, Mofate nodded with satisfaction.

He needed a house with poor lighting, which was rare in Tana City, but there were two Banyan Trees planted around this house, so the lighting was very poor.

Those Xiahui People didn't cut down the two big trees, but instead renovated the house.

Although the lighting wasn't great, it looked quite new, and the furnishings inside were clean and tidy.

"I think it's okay, what do you think?" Mofate no longer had his own aesthetic sense; after seeing the blueprints for his castle, he couldn't wait to move in immediately.

His requirements for a temporary residence were not high.

"This place is very suitable for a Formation, especially those two trees; we can place two Formations on the trees, so the range will be larger."

"Right, we can also set up two more Defense Arrays here to prevent mosquitoes and insects, and here, we can raise two fierce hunting dogs."

Hearing the suggestions, Mofate felt that he had truly found the right people this time.

Before, he had been desperate and sought help from several secret organizations, none of which were able to save him.

They even almost cost him half his life.

Now, although these Xiahui People were not Awakened, they were efficient and reliable. Almost anything he wanted could be fulfilled on the same day.

Although the time required to build the castle was a bit long.

"Do as you say. Help me bring my luggage over. This place is more secretive, and not many people will see me. I'll leave this matter to you." Mofate couldn't wait to hide in a room without light and lie down immediately; he hadn't had a good sleep in a long time.

The players moved quickly, immediately moving Mofate's luggage here, and they also re-arranged the Formation and collected another sum of money.

As for the personnel from the Wealth Church, they came up empty-handed.

After setting up the Formation, the players outside the door began to discuss.

"There isn't any of that secret information the leopard-man mentioned among this luggage."

"Unless he is willing to sell it. After all, the other party is an Awakened who has lived for 200 years. According to the evolution method in this game, even if he is stupid, he should have basic intelligence."

"In other words, this guy must have hidden the things?"

"Isn't that obvious? As long as we follow him and slowly grind up his favorability, I think this guy will talk." As they spoke, this player seemed to have thought of something, "And we can remind him."

"You say he's so stupid, could he have thrown it away?"

"How is that possible... In any case, let's remind him. Mention it when we change shifts later and let them drop hints."

Daytime was when Mofate slept. He slept quite well this time, and inexplicably, he had a sense of security.

It was as if his previous crisis no longer existed, and his original ideals would soon be realized.

By the time he woke up, the sky had completely darkened.

He was somewhat hungry, but he knew that drinking blood was impossible; he couldn't find suitable Grain at all.

Fortunately, he could go a month or two without eating. He muttered a word and then climbed up from the soft bed.

"Has the handover been completed?" Mofate yawned. The sky had turned completely black. The people protecting him this time seemed to have been replaced by two others. It seemed these Xiahui bodyguards were organized, which made him feel more at ease.

This kind of organized bodyguard group was usually more reliable and wouldn't be like those unorganized people who would dispose of the person they were protecting at the drop of a hat.

Amao said politely: "Yes, sir, we changed two people because the previous ones had some things to do."

"What did they go to do?" Mofate felt he couldn't be completely indifferent, even if he trusted these people very much.

He knew he hadn't paid the final payment for the castle construction, so these people wouldn't do anything to him.

"They went to collect intelligence. After all, we don't want to die ourselves, so we will pay attention to the movements of the Zheng Shen Church. As for those guys from the Nature Church, we have already entrusted some clansmen who believe in the Sun God Cult to report them. Recently, the Sun Church should start taking this matter seriously, so the activities of those guys will be restricted."

"You have done very well. Hmm, although it is also for your own sake." Mofate was very satisfied with the prudence of these guys, then he sat down next to an oil lamp and opened the newspaper at hand.

This was something he had entrusted those Xiahui People to buy during the day.

It is impossible to find newspapers from the last six months, but newspapers from the last month can still be collected through various channels.

He did not know if his parents would look for him, but if they did, they would certainly leave traces in the newspapers.

And it would be in newspapers available throughout the Federal, such as the *Tasuo Daily Mail*, *Federal Weekly*, *Ladies' Weekly*, *Metropolitan Morning News*, and so on.

He began to browse through them casually; one night was enough for him to find the content he was interested in.

"Do you need our help?" Amao asked, "I think I know what you are looking for."

"You can read the text?" In Mofate's conception, these people of Tana City should not be able to read.

He did not expect that they could actually understand it.

"We can understand it, more or less." Most of the players who came to stand guard tonight were those who stood out from the translation activities on the forum.

Players who obtained a Helmet through translation are highly sought after throughout the entire game; regardless of whether it is player organizations or various job positions, they all extend olive branches to them.

Therefore, there are now quite a few "cloud players" who cannot play the game studying Tana Language under Ye Laoshi's homepage, wishing they could pass the exam for the university under the Wisdom Cult immediately after entering the game.

"Help me look for all information regarding wineries." With helpers, Mofate breathed a sigh of relief.

A month's worth of various national newspapers, just stacked together, was over half a person's height.

Although he did not know how these guys managed to find such a complete collection.

After listening, Amao smiled, "Rest assured, we will not charge you extra commission."

"This is 10 Xide; if you help me find all of these, it's yours." Mofate was certainly not a fool; he heard the subtext.

As for how this guy distributed it, that was not his own problem.

At the Government Building, Saina began to spread out a map and write and draw on it.

Her friend Lijia was still wiping away tears on the sofa; she did not care whether Saina was listening, she was just very grateful that she was willing to let her cry here.

Lijia Taile was born in Gannaer, came to Tana City from Gannaer at the age of five, and had lived here for a full twenty years.

As a noble from Gannaer, her family had invested in quite a few industries in Tana City.

And ten years ago, she married a Viscount of Tana City in a whirlwind marriage; it seemed her life should have been happy and fulfilling.

But unfortunately, shortly after she married, she suffered two miscarriages.

Because her health was not very good, her mother returned to Gannaer, intending to pray to the God of Death to let her child return to her womb.

Regrettably, the God of Death did not satisfy her family's wish.

Although they spent a lot of money, Lijia was still unable to conceive and give birth; every time she lost her child, her health grew worse.

Because of her physical condition, her husband drifted further and further away from her, until she discovered that her husband had a mistress.

Anger and resentment filled her, and not long after, she divorced.

Then she married her second husband.

This husband was not a noble, but just a commoner; he promised her many things before marriage and tricked her completely.

She handed over her industries to this husband to manage, but before long, this husband squandered all the industries under her name.

When her family assisted her in auditing the accounts, this husband fled Tana City directly and disappeared without a trace.

This was a huge blow to Lijia; already unable to bear children, and having been betrayed and abandoned by two husbands, she was left devastated.

Her family tried to help her, but she cursed them away.

No one could get close to her; she became somewhat crazy and hysterical, causing those around her to keep their distance.

So she not only lost her children and husbands, but also lost her relatives and friends...

In short, to use her own words, she was a person shrouded in misfortune.

She had no idea how to climb out of it.

"Thank you for listening to me say so much." Lijia recovered from her previous manic state, "Every time it is you who listens to me; I am truly grateful to you."

"Your family and you have made quite a few contributions to Tana City; even now, quite a few properties on the Commercial Street are your family's." Saina revealed a business-like expression, "And I know you are going to Gannaer recently."

"Even you know? I originally did not want to go back; since the War began three years ago, my parents have not come to Tana City again, and we can only contact each other through letters." Lijia's eyes were somewhat dim, "If I go back, even fewer people will be willing to listen to me; they don't like to hear what I say."

"Perhaps you should start a new life." Saina suggested, "I know you don't want to hear it, and won't take it in, but I do feel that perhaps there is some way to reduce the misfortune on you."

"Reduce? No, I hope I have no misfortune." Lijia covered her head with her hands, "My life is terrible; I am beyond saving. Sometimes I really feel that perhaps this is Heaven's arrangement; it does not want me to continue living."

"Uh, perhaps it's not just that you are overthinking it; you are indeed favored by misfortune, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing." Saina knew that if she gave the other party news about the God of Calamity directly, she would definitely do something extreme.

That was a deity, after all, and should not be blasphemed; if that happened, Lijia would truly be a person favored by Calamity.

"Those Xiahui People always say that when Heaven closes a door for you, it will open a window for you." Saina said with a smile, "Perhaps you can start a new life, for example, have a goal."

Lijia, who left the Government Building, did not feel relieved; after hearing Saina's explanation, she felt even more that misfortune had always been favoring her.

It was hard for her to convince herself that misfortune was not necessarily a bad thing.

She was even less willing to believe what Saina said, that when a person is unlucky to a certain degree, they will definitely turn things around.

(End of this chapter)