Ocean voyages are insanely boring.
From the sea of smoke to Valantis, a total of 200 miles, about 960 kilometers of voyage, the fleet sailed in the wind and waves and the monotony day after day for more than a month before finally arriving at the huge and noisy delta of the Lorne estuary, and saw the magnificent city of Valantis, crawling on the sandbar.
The wide Lorne River divides Valantis in two.
The East City belongs to the nobles of ancient blood and is tightly surrounded by a two-hundred-foot oval wall made of black stone.
The West City is a boiling market furnace, merchants, mercenaries, prostitutes, thieves, actors... People of all colors mingled in the narrow streets and noisy bazaars, and the air was filled with the smell of spices, sweat, and low-quality alcohol.
The two urban areas are connected by a long bridge with a huge span that is large enough to accommodate two four-wheeled carriages passing side by side.
After the fleet docked, Liu Qian, who had healed from his injuries, asked Jelena to buy ships at the port that could sail long distances to replace the dilapidated sailboats they had obtained from the ruins of Valyria, and to replenish fresh water and food at the same time.
Liu Qian and Janice were going to the slave market to buy some slaves.
He took Janice, who was about to overflow with curiosity, and thirty silent dragon spirit guards, and stepped into the hustle and bustle of the West City District.
The huge white stone road was smoothed by countless footsteps.
Janice opened her eyes wide and looked at everything in front of her curiously, the streets were full of vendors, jugglers, pedestrians in fancy clothes... To her, a girl who grew up in ruins, it was like a bizarre dream.
At the entrance of the market, several mercenaries wearing faded leather armor and dusty servants were shouting hard, waving a rough wooden sign: "The Wind Blowing Rebellion is recruiting warriors!" The commission is generous! The opportunity is rare... "
Liu Qian's steps paused slightly.
Wind blowing group? The Prince of rags?
He took a second look, and those mercenaries were obviously not doing well, and they were allowed to shout their throats, and Yemen was in front of the stall.
Liu Qian no longer stayed and went to the slave market with a clear goal.
In the square, the pungent smell of sweat came to the face.
A slave trader with a fleshy face was wielding a long whip and whipping a group of ragged, yellow-skinned slaves with foul language.
Seeing Liu Qian dressed in extraordinary clothes, with a young oriental face, followed by a lively and curious little girl and thirty heavily armored guards behind him, the slave trader immediately changed his face, piled up a flattering smile, and trotted up to greet him:
"Good day, my lord. What can we do for you? Should you choose a few clever servants or strong coolies? "
Liu Qian's eyes swept over the group of shrinking slaves behind him: "How many people are you here? "
"Sir, you asked," the slave trader puffed out his chest, "These two hundred in the square are only a part, and there are thirteen hundred in the house." These are high-quality goods, men, women, old and young, from all over the world, guaranteeing your satisfaction. "
The slave trader observed Liu Qian's expressionless appearance, slowly stretched out five thick and short fingers, and smiled like a chrysanthemum: "A slave, as long as five Hui coins, the old man is not deceived." "
Liu Qian's eyes were cold.
He was sold from here, how could he not know the market?
Valantis' Hui Coin is small and thin, and although its purchasing power is far inferior to that of Westeros' Golden Dragon, it is more valuable than the Silver Moon.
"A Hui coin, a slave, otherwise there is no need to talk about it."
He turned around to leave.
"Ouch! Master, sir, stay..." The slave trader hurriedly grabbed Liu Qian's sleeves, and a embarrassed and shrewd look appeared on his face, "One Hui coin one... This price is really... Alas, look at you, sir, you are a big customer, in this way, one Hui coin at a time, but you have to cover all these 1,500 people, how about it? "
1,500 people? Liu Qian pondered for a moment.
The Shijie Islands have a harsh environment, and the initial construction does require a lot of labor.
He nodded slightly and gestured behind him.
Several dragon spirit guards immediately picked up more than a dozen heavy wooden boxes and placed them on the ground with a clatter.
The box opened, and the golden coins inside shone in the sunlight, almost dazzling the eyes of the slave traders.
He greedily reached out to touch it, but was ruthlessly blocked by the cold armor of the dragon spirit guard.
"Count the number of people, and the money and goods will be completed." Liu Qian's tone was unquestionable.
"Yes! Be! Right away! Right away! The slave trader nodded and immediately sent someone to arrest him.
Not long after, the square was crowded with black crowds.
The dragon spirit guards were extremely efficient, silently and accurately counted, exactly one thousand five hundred slaves.
Liu Qian's eyes swept over this group of numb, frightened, and exotic faces: the Lazarins, the Dothraks, the deep-skinned natives of the Midsummer Islands, and the islanders of the Snake Lizard Islands... Suddenly, his eyes were fixed on several figures huddled in the corner.
Black hair, black pupils, and an eastern complexion.
Liu Qian walked over and spoke in pure Yidi language: "Are you from Yidi?" "
The slaves trembled, their faces showing a mixture of fear and dazed panic.
One of the middle-aged men, who looked about thirty years old, although his clothes were shabby, could not hide his calm temperament, slowly stood up under the gaze of others.
His eyes were not as numb as the others, but with a hint of careful observation.
"Yes, my lord."
The man bowed slightly, his accent was pure, "We are all Yidi people." "
"Where is the ceremonial place? Why did you end up here? Liu Qian asked.
The man pointed to himself and the people behind him: "The villain Luo Wen, from Yidu." They are my retinue and maid, from Ich, Tichen, and Ray. We were merchants between the Jade Sea and the Sea of Summer, but when we were anchored on Nas Island for supplies, we unfortunately got involved in a conflict between the local lords, the guards were gone, the goods were robbed, and we were also captured and resold to this Valantis. "
He recounted the tragic experience, but his tone was unusually calm, as if he was telling a past event that had nothing to do with him.
Rowan? Liu Qian silently memorized the name.
Liu Qian's eyes swept over the Yidi slaves behind Luo Wen, two men and three women.
Two young men, around twenty years old, tall and tight, like cheetahs ready to go.
Among the three women, two female slaves, aged seventeen or eighteen, had ordinary appearances, with the numbness and fatigue common to slaves.
The third is a girl of the same age as Liu Qian, her face is covered with dark red, twisted and interlaced scars, leaving only a pair of calm black eyes.
Liu Qian nodded calmly, signaling the Dragon Spirit Guard to bring everyone back to the port.
He and Janice turned away from the hustle and bustle of the slave market.
"What's wrong?" Janice was keenly aware of a hint of strangeness.
"Nothing." Liu Qian smiled and shook his head, comforting.
However, there were waves of doubt in his heart.
Just now, when his eyes touched the slaves of the ceremonial land, an extremely faint magical fluctuation was keenly captured by him.
The aura was hidden and obscure, and if it weren't for the first time in Valantis, he would almost suspect that there were Faceless assassins mingling among them.
Liu Qian did not choose to speak out, even if these people had abnormalities, they could not threaten their current selves.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity in his heart, what was the true identity of these Yidi people with magic fluctuations on their bodies?
The two return to the hustle and bustle of the port.
Jelena was doing things vigorously, a brand new sailboat with a towering mast was already moored on the side, and the huge sails were inflated and flown in the sea breeze, making a hunting sound.
On the dock, the dragon spirit guards were like tireless workers, moving mountains of materials from the old ship to the new one.
Even the heavy and mysterious black stone was tightly wrapped in a huge linen cloth and carefully lifted into the new cabin by several guards.
Liu Qian asked Janice to return to the cabin to meet her sister first, while he stayed on deck to supervise the slave boarding and the final material delivery.
At this moment, a high-pitched, almost crazy female voice pierced the noise of the harbor and pierced the eardrums sharply:
"Look up at the stars! The stars cover the sun! The long night is endless! The end has come! "
Liu Qian followed the reputation.
Not far away, on a high platform made of simple wooden boxes, there was a woman wearing a black and red robe.
With her long hair disheveled, her eyes were frenzied and empty, she was waving her thin arms and shouting to the dazed or sneering crowd below:
"Awakening Lord! Break free! Blood as a sea! Cleanse the world! "
Liu Qian frowned and complained in a low voice: "God is nagging... What the hell are you talking about..."
"Let go, let go..." A rough voice sounded abruptly beside him.
Liu Qian looked sideways and saw an old man as chubby as a wine barrel smiling strangely, constantly squeezing in the crowd and approaching.