Chapter 247: Intelligence from the Human World

The chips piled on the gambling table were getting higher and higher, and the demons who were originally out of the game were forced to be involved in this gambling game, and just at this time, an inconspicuous small boat approached Sardo Port.

Standing at the bow, Lumier looked at Sardo Port, his eyebrows twisted into a ball like a rope knot on a sailboat.

Mo Er than a month ago, he was ordered by the Demon King to drive the ship carrying the dreams of the residents of Lei Ming City out of the Whirlpool Sea, heading toward the vast western part of the vast ocean, to explore the territory of the Colin family that did not exist.

This month of wind and sun not only tanned his skin but also forced him from a young man who had only driven a fishing boat into an experienced captain.

And just when he was exploring the tricks of navigation while sailing toward deep water, he suddenly received an order from the Demon King in the routine regular communication, asking him to go to Sardo Port on the way to understand the situation there.

To be honest, he wasn't actually on the way.

However, based on his loyalty to the Demon King, he still turned his direction without hesitation.

As the distant port came into his view, his brows also frowned deeper and deeper, and he couldn't help but curl his lips.

"It seems the situation here is even worse than expected."

There were still scorched marks on the broken pier, and the warehouses in the port were almost razed to the ground by the war.

A few crumbling broken ships were parked on the shore, like stranded whales, lingering in decay.

And how many wrecks were sunk under the harbor, he didn't know.

As stated in the letter, the entire port had been destroyed by war, and before the ocean currents washed away the wrecks near the port, slightly larger ships could hardly dock.

Exactly, his big ship couldn't go ashore either.

After all, the ship was full of corpses, and the perfume used to cover the identity of the corpses was limited.

Putting down the single-tube telescope in his hand, Lumier made a gesture to the two corpses beside him.

"Put in more effort, move faster!"

The corpse sailors remained silent, but clearly accelerated the rowing action, urging the small boat to sail toward the port.

The small boat slowly approached the port.

Lumier tied the rope to the wooden pile on the pier, and at the same time looked at the imperial guards walking toward him in the distance.

The man with uneven beard on his back carried a musket and shouted at him loudly.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"As you can see, I am the captain of the ship behind me,"

Lumier nudged his chin toward the shadow of the ship behind him, then raised his thumb, and a silver coin popped into the hand of the imperial guard without anyone noticing.

"Can I replenish some supplies? My ship doesn't have enough fresh water, we will leave after buying things."

Catching the silver coin and stuffing it into his pocket, the guard instantly beamed with joy, but still scolded seriously.

"Be honest in the port! Don't cause trouble for me!"

Saying that, he waved his hand, signaling to let him pass.

Lumier took off his hat and nodded in greeting, then took the two corpse servants who were rowing and went ashore, passed through two or three pedestrians, and walked toward the tavern on the edge of the port.

The entire port currently had only one tavern still in business, and the crumbling sign and the charred door panel seemed to tell the story it had once experienced.

Lumier walked straight up and pushed the door open lightly.

Although it was daytime, there were still quite a few idle people gathered in the tavern.

"A glass of rum, and two glasses of water for my friends."

Walking to the bar, he looked at the bartender sitting behind, and threw a silver coin on the table.

The taciturn bartender nodded, took out a slightly old bottle of rum, and poured him a glass.

Lumier picked up his wine glass and swirled it, signaling his companions beside him to take a seat, while his gaze casually scanned the tavern's main hall.

There were merchants, sailors, and citizens who had survived the disaster gathered here, but most of them were imperial soldiers.

Because they had just experienced a victory, these soldiers all had excited expressions on their faces, talking about their "glorious achievements" without concealment.

Lumier remembered the Demon King's instructions, so he took out a video crystal without changing his expression and placed it gently next to the wine glass.

At this very moment, the entire Sardo Port was immersed in that miraculous epic victory, and the vigilance was relaxed to the extreme, and no one noticed his movements at all.

Time passed minute by minute, Lumier waited patiently, and finally a rough laugh came from the corner of the tavern.

"Hahaha, I tell you, the battle that day was not so much that General Hamorton used troops like a god, but rather a miracle brought down by Lord Xisi!"

Lumier looked sideways slightly, discovering that the speaker was a young imperial soldier.

He was wearing a standard leather armor, and the emblem of the Griffin Knights was printed on the leather armor, looking like a knight's squire.

This guy had drunk quite a bit of wine in broad daylight, presumably he was on vacation. I saw him patting the table while talking about the details of the battlefield with his companions.

"Who is that guy?" Lumier raised his eyebrows with interest, looking at the bartender behind the bar.

The bartender looked at the tip on the table, silently put it into his arms, and said in a chatting tone.

"The squire of Old Man Cadwell, the name seems to be Jimmy or Kumi, the wine quality is very bad, the mouth has no gate... only when Old Man Cadwell is beside him is this guy more honest."

"Did the squire also go to the battlefield?" Lumier looked at him in surprise, "I always thought—"

"Him?" The bartender glanced at the loud, shouting young man, curled his lip, and said, "He's just a menial laborer who feeds the griffins; the stories in his mouth are all scraped together from others... but I have to say, this guy is an honest lad; he didn't lie."

Lumier nodded, with an admiring expression on his face, and said.

"General Hamorton is indeed amazing... I took a look at the mountains in the north when I entered the port, and I simply couldn't imagine how he snatched that dangerous fortress from Hell."

The bartender's mouth curled up with a touch of pride.

"That's not it, let alone you, we people who have lived in Sardo Port for half a lifetime feel the same way, Hell's artillery was placed on our heads, this time it was definitely finished, the end of the world is nothing more than this. But sometimes you have to believe that Xisi is watching us."

"Why do you always say Xisi?" Lumier took a sip of the rum in his glass, looking at the bartender behind the bar, "In my opinion, it is clearly General Hamorton who uses troops like a god."

"So you don't understand anything," the bartender curled his lips, chuckled and said, "Even General Hamorton himself admitted that he was ready to die for his country that day, but the gods stood on his side, and the Griffin Knights approached the artillery position of Hell silently—"

"That's right, buddy! If there was no divine help, it wouldn't make sense!"

The laughing sound suddenly came from behind Lumier, a hand rested on his shoulder, making his nerves tense, and he couldn't help but hold the short gun inserted in his waist.

However, the alcohol smell that followed made him relax his vigilance, a drunk face leaned in front of him, his body tilted and sat on the high stool next to him.

"I was at the scene that day, if you are interested, I can tell you about it... of course, provided you treat me to a drink."

Lumier grinned, throwing a few silver coins on the table.

"Let him drink until he vomits, it's on me... to the defenders of Sardo Port,"

The drunkard's eyes lit up, and he gave him a thumbs up.

"Brother, enough meaning! But I am a reinforcement from Saint Yier Castle, haha, you toasted the wrong object."

Lumier said with a smile.

"We are all citizens of the Empire, there is no difference."

Taking the wine glass handed by the bartender, the imperial soldier from Saint Yier Castle drank it down and burped.

"Your accent is not like a local."

Lumier laughed.

"Who here is a local besides you?"

The drunk soldier scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"That's true."

Looking at the half-drunk imperial soldier, Lumier introduced himself.

"I am from the Principality of Campbell."

The imperial soldier looked at him curiously and asked.

"Where is that?"

"The south of the Kingdom of Ryan, the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea, known as the land of knights," Lumier continued with a smile, "I came to the New World to do business, but now... I think I should bring your story back."

The imperial soldier's eyes lit up, laughed, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Then I have to tell you well..."

With one glass after another of strong spirits, the imperial soldier also opened the conversation, telling the story of what happened that day from the perspective of a front-line private.

A squire of the Griffin Knights, a private on the front line, the two people's statements verified each other, basically restoring the situation that morning.

Lumier's index finger tapped the bar lightly, gradually guiding the drunkard's thoughts to the direction he expected.

"In other words... the victory that day was entirely because the Griffin Knights broke through the artillery position of the Hell side without any obstruction? And the Hell side was like blind, and the defense that should have been deployed around the artillery position didn't play any role at all?"

The drunk imperial soldier was stunned, his eyes suspiciously staring at him.

"Buddy, why are you asking so carefully?"

Lumier smiled calmly, and said softly.

"Because this is indeed very strange, isn't it? If I don't ask clearly, my compatriots in my hometown will definitely think I am bragging."

"That's true..."

The imperial soldier muttered, looked left and right, and then lowered his voice.

"Actually, this matter is indeed very weird, our superiors don't let us talk everywhere, because it's like... it's not that Xisi helped us, but that the Demon God helped us."

Lumier looked at him in surprise, and hurriedly lowered his voice.

"This kind of talk is not suitable to be spoken randomly."

Although he said so, he leaned his ears closer, and his body was pressed very low—the cooperative behavior clearly urged this big-mouthed guy to continue to speak without restraint.

The imperial soldier hesitated for only two seconds, and finally opened the conversation under the influence of alcohol, regardless of saying.

"Forget it, anyway, it's not something that can't be said... actually, when our Griffin Knights rushed to the high ground, we found that not only was the high ground not defended, but those goblins were like being hit by blindness and weakness curses, otherwise those little guys running around wouldn't have been unable to run away. Don't you think it's suspicious? I am quite strange, it's as if the enemy tied their own hands and feet and sent them over for us to kill."

Lumier's heart twitched, suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, and lowered his voice.

"This... sounds really too strange, curses are not the power of holy light."

"Right? Let alone you, we also feel so." The imperial soldier sighed and continued, "We caught some prisoners, but those guys didn't know anything, and even thought it was us who did it, we felt strange, although holy light can also blind, but those who were hit were clearly undead magic... did the old men in the Griffin Knights steal the tricks of Hell? But this can't be said randomly, anyway, we won in the end."

Lumier asked in surprise.

"Are there any goblins still alive?"

The imperial soldier nodded and said drunkenly.

"Yes, they are locked in the prison by the port. We kill ordinary demons, but hard currencies like goblins or dark elves have value to keep."

Lumier asked with interest.

"How do you plan to deal with them?"

The imperial soldier smiled and said.

"What else can we do, the people from the Academy took some to do experiments, saying they wanted to dig the magic crystal cannon blueprints out of their heads, but I think they are dreaming. As for the rest, I guess they are sold to nearby mines or farms to work, those guys only have this use."

Lumier touched a glass with him, took a sip of the mellow strong spirits, and asked inadvertently.

"I happen to have a farm in Lei Ming City, are these goblins diligent in work?"

The imperial soldier scolded with a smile.

"This bunch of lazy ghosts are stupid to death, they are lazy if they are not careful, but coal mining is okay... why, are you interested?" Lumier leaned closer and said.

"To tell you the truth, I am really interested."

The imperial soldier grinned.

"Then you found the right person, I am very familiar with the guard there, how many do you need?"

Lumier thought for a moment and said.

"Two, I want to buy two first to try, see if they are easy to use, if they are easy to use, when I pass by here on the return trip, I will buy some more. After all, they are soldiers of Hell, I am afraid that more will cause problems."

"What problems can goblins have, just whip them twice, you are too timid."

Seeing that he only bought two, the imperial soldier showed a look of regret, sighed and continued.

"... And those guys won't live until next month, they will be gone by the time you return."

"I am a businessman, not a gambler, before considering the return, I have to consider the risk." Lumier shook his head, and placed a gold coin gently on the table, "Rest assured, no matter how many I buy, there will be no shortage of your benefits... I think we can cooperate for a long time."

!

Seeing the gold coin on the table, the imperial soldier's eyes were straight, and he couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

That was 10,000 copper coins!

Equivalent to two months of his salary!

"Brother... I have made this friend of yours! I will give you these two goblins! Where do you want to pick up the goods?" His voice trembled with excitement, looking at the captain-like man in front of him, as if seeing a gold mine.

Lumier thought for a moment and said.

"I am here to replenish fresh water, I am afraid I can't stay here for too long, I have to set sail before dusk tomorrow, do you have any good suggestions?"

The imperial soldier nodded quickly, and said with joy.

"No problem! Before the sun sets, I will wait for you at the logging yard on the west side of the city, there is a small ditch that leads directly to the sea, you can park the sampan there first!"

No one would notice the death of two goblins, and they were originally things ready to be dealt with.

However, this was a deal he made himself, and he still wanted to make it inconspicuous, so as not to be talked about by others.

Exactly, Lumier sitting next to him was the same, hoping to solve this matter quietly.

Later, he would set up a teleportation array on the shore, and as soon as the two goblins were in hand, he would send them to the Demon King.

Don't even have to get them on the ship!

Looking at the right hand stretched out in front of him, Lumier smiled and shook it, shaking it hard.

"Then happy cooperation."

Video plus witness.

I think these things should be enough to help the Demon King!

Just when Lumier was planning to send the survivors and video of Sardo Port back to Hell, Luo Yan, who was far away in the Demon Capital, also learned from the Partridge family that the Ministry of Truth had launched an investigation into the front line.

Although Mr. Festin didn't take the initiative to help him do anything, he gave him no small help in intelligence.

In fact, the Dragon family's plan to take action against him was first warned by the Partridge family.

Demon King Management Division.

At the reporting meeting.

Facing the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Luo Yan made a simple report, telling about the recent situation of the Lei Ming County labyrinth and the Principality of Campbell near the labyrinth.

Simply put, the erosion of the Great Cemetery is further spreading, more and more people have become accomplices of demons in the dark, and while constantly losing faith, they have completed the sandification of the grassroots society, changing from a solid piece of iron to a plate of loose sand.

In general, the "own people" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were very satisfied with Luo Yan.

Even, his gradual infiltration method provided inspiration for many demons present.

One of the demons attending the meeting was even a specially appointed professor at the Demon King Academy.

Although this professor hadn't taught Luo Yan before, he appreciated his strategy of "promoting social change to shake the legitimacy of Xisi's rule," and even invited him to give lectures at the school to share his experience of fanning the flames with his juniors.

Corroding humans is a compulsory course for every demon who has received higher education, and it is not something only the Demon King can use.

For the professor's request from his alma mater, Luo Yan naturally agreed happily, but everything had to wait until he was busy with the things at hand.

Perhaps because everyone present knew about his recent open and secret struggle with the Dragon family, these officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were extra easy to talk to, and even the routine inquiry session for the sake of existence became a commendation meeting, picking only good words to say.

These guys did this, on the one hand, out of consideration for the face of the Partridge family's young lady, and on the other hand, they were afraid of being misunderstood by Luo Yan as being in the Dragon family's faction, and in the end, they didn't get any benefits, but were beaten for no reason.

There are many slippery heads among the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The most typical of these is the deputy director of the Demon King Management Division, dear senior Grien.

After the reporting meeting, he found Luo Yan, patted the shoulder of this junior when there was no one around, and said with a warm smile on his face.

"The preparation for the meeting was hard, it hasn't been easy lately."

Listening to that obvious polite remark, Luo Yan also politely replied.

"It's okay, generally speaking, this small matter is nothing to me... I mean the meeting preparation."

"I know," Deputy Director Grien smiled and took back his hand, giving Luo Yan a reliable look, "No matter what, our Demon King Management Division will always be your strong backing, remember to find me if you encounter trouble."

Luo Yan smiled when he heard this.

Finding you is okay...

You guy will probably run faster than a rabbit.

However, he didn't want to offend people, so he still gave face and said.

"I will."

The two chatted for a few more words, Grien said all the good words he could think of, and then left in a hurry.

This slippery head didn't want to take any risks, both wanting to show the importance he attached to his old classmate and afraid of being implicated if his old classmate lost power.

However, Luo Yan didn't want to care about him.

Small characters also have the helplessness of small characters, this guy, although a deputy director, actually has less real power than Ms. Partridge, who has been graduated for less than a year, and doesn't even have the opportunity to participate in the game.

Leaving the corridor of the conference room, Luo Yan was preparing to visit Priest Jeffrey, and when he walked to the corner, he saw Miss Miss Mi Ya waiting there.

This guy rarely didn't raise her chin and make a "Heh heh heh" mockery, nor did she hang "trashy Demon King" on her lips, but looked at him with a worried face.

"Are you... really okay?"

Before Luo Yan could answer, she bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and whispered.

"Or I will tell my father... let him think of a way."

Looking at Miss Miss Mi Ya who was still worried about him, Luo Yan felt a warmth in his heart, smiled gently, and teased.

"It's okay, just a few trashy demons, can they eat me?"

Hearing the title she usually used being used by Luo Yan in reverse, Miss Miss Mi Ya's cheeks flushed instantly, she glared at him angrily, and her tail curled up slightly.

"What time is it and you still have the heart to joke."

Luo Yan smiled.

"It's 5:10, there are twenty minutes left before you get off work."

"I didn't ask you the time!"

Miss Miss Mi Ya complained unhappily.

Interrupted by this sudden complaint, the complex emotions she had been brewing for a long time vanished, and even the trace of unease in her heart was easily resolved by this guy.

However—

This was not what she wanted.

The air was silent for a while, Miss Miss Mi Ya coughed lightly, lowered her head, and opened her mouth in a low voice.

"That... I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

Miss Miss Mi Ya secretly glanced at his eyes with confusion, seemingly a bit embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, but still whispered:

"I, my father said... that day at the birthday banquet, I shouldn't have pulled you to dance so high-profile. I originally wanted to help you, but I didn't expect it to have the opposite effect..."

Speaking of this, she bit her lip slightly, and a trace of guilt appeared in her eyes.

At that time, she just simply wanted to use her status to help Luo Yan gain a little right to speak in the noble circle. However, she took it for granted that the protection of the Partridge family was enough to make all opponents shut up, but didn't expect that this would instead make the Dragon family tear their faces directly, pushing the contradiction into a deeper vortex.

In her father's words—

The reason why the Dragon family was so aggressive after that was partly because they were forced by her.

Although that might be an unintentional remark made by her father when he was annoyed by her pestering.

But she remembered it, and had been brooding over it until now.

Luo Yan looked at her self-blaming appearance, feeling both distressed and wanting to laugh.

Just this thing?

If you have to say what trouble that dance brought him, it was probably being forced by Vivian to stroll on the street for a whole day afterwards... but to say that it was "trouble" was too far-fetched.

He smiled lightly and nodded elegantly.

"How could it be? It is my honor to dance with the beautiful and moving Ms. Miss Miss Mi Ya."

"But..." Miss Miss Mi Ya's lips moved, and her self-blaming eyes were filled with water mist.

"Miss Miss Mi Ya."

"Hmm?" Miss Miss Mi Ya was slightly startled that Luo Yan suddenly called her name, and her face flushed involuntarily.

Luo Yan looked at her seriously.

"I don't agree with you blaming yourself for this. It's like saying the victim is also guilty. Do you understand what I mean?"

Miss Miss Mi Ya was stunned.

"This matter had nothing to do with you from the beginning, it was entirely the Dragon family's problem." Luo Yan continued, "They wanted to put me to death, no matter what you did, this matter wouldn't change, the only difference was just the time they took action."

Miss Miss Mi Ya opened her eyes wide, staring at Luo Yan blankly, feeling a little easier in her heart, but still unable to let go.

"But... I..."

Luo Yan sighed lightly, raised his finger, and poked her forehead lightly.

"And, even if I knew what might happen after that in advance, I would still have caught your hand at that time."

Actually, he was still conservative.

He knew things would develop like this from the beginning.

Miss Miss Mi Ya's face flushed, as if swallowed by flames, and even her ear tips glowed with a crimson light.

She opened her mouth, stammered for a long time, and finally squeezed out a complete sentence:

"... You, you, you, why did you suddenly say this?!"

Luo Yan laughed, his eyes with a hint of teasing.

"Because you asked me, I naturally have to give you an answer."

Saying that, he took the opportunity to raise his hand, gently rubbed the pink hair, and said softly:

"My answer is—the Dragon family is not important to me at all, I don't care how they think."

"Dancing with you was the most important thing to me at that time."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 248 =====