Chapter 854 Tavern and Pirates

Ordinary citizens of the Twin Cities were unaware of the undercurrents that had been surging over the past two days. As Evolution Day drew closer, the atmosphere of the festival had already filled the air.

September 6, evening.

The day before Evolution Day.

People on the streets of Piltover had already put on decent and low-key costumes in advance, and the shops were decorated with lights and colorful decorations. Messengers, who were coming and going more frequently than usual, shuttled through the crowd. Occasionally, people who were pushed by them would punch and yell, fearing that the messengers would damage their only decent clothes.

Sometimes someone looked up at the sky and saw a motorboat floating in the sky with a photo of a handsome young man printed on it, so they smiled knowingly.

Jace Tallis, Evolution Day Person.

In this city with a history of nearly 200 years, the Evolution Day Person who represents the city's future progress and the scientists who give speeches on Evolution Day has always been nominated and decided by the parliament, but every year, without any surprises, Heimerdinger takes the position.

It's not that there haven't been talented young people before, but they still have a huge gap with Heimerdinger, and their prestige among the people is not enough. At most, they only appear in the nomination stage of the councilors.

But this time is different. Jayce was not only nominated, but also successfully elected.

The residents of Piltover are not only not worried or dissatisfied about this, but are full of expectations. This represents the rise of a new generation of Piltover, no longer relying on Heimerdinger alone, and has taken another solid step forward. The future is promising!

In the laboratory tower, Jayce was also standing at the window looking at his photo on the motorboat outside the window, and moved his back with some difficulty.

Not far away, Victor, who was collecting experimental materials, looked over and said, "Are you okay, Jayce?"

"Ah, no." Jayce turned around and said, "Although my back is still a little bruised and sore, it doesn't affect my daily activities, let alone my speech on Evolution Day tomorrow. Fortunately, the shrapnel from the explosion didn't hit me directly, and thanks to Seville, he caught me."

As an Evolution Day figure, he had been in the hospital for five days and was just discharged two hours ago. He was having a headache about preparing for tomorrow's speech.

"Compared to my injury, Victor, are you really not going to go on stage with me tomorrow?"

Victor dodged slightly: "Forget it."

"Is it because... you are from Zaun?"

Victor was startled and thought he might have heard it wrong, but when he looked at Jayce for confirmation, he only saw a pair of sincere eyes.

Jace would not ask like this before.

Jayce shook his head gently: "When I was lying in bed and couldn't move, I thought a lot. Maybe I really had some prejudice against Zaun without realizing it. It is undeniable that Zaun must have problems of one kind or another, such as the smuggling case and the people who attacked us, but Zaun also has people like Victor and Sewell.

I will see it with my own eyes in the future and distinguish it with my own eyes. So... Victor, are you really not going to go on stage with me? As long as you make enough contributions, the people of Zaun should be able to go on stage!"

Victor's mood was slightly complicated. Although there was still some naive idealism in his words, he was very pleased that his friend's views had changed.

"Leave that kind of thing to the future, to Seville." He smiled weakly: "You know me, Jace, I can't open my mouth in front of so many people."

Jace accepted this reason, so he shook his head and smiled, and then said: "By the way, I haven't had the chance to ask in the hospital, has the guy who detonated the professor's laboratory been caught? And Seville, what are you busy with recently? He saved our lives. After the Evolution Day is over, we must thank him once."

"Caught... cough cough." Victor coughed twice and said: "According to the professor, he was imprisoned in Jingshui Prison during the attack Soon after attacking the laboratory, she tried to kidnap Seville again, but was beaten and captured by Seville himself. Councillors Mel and Giraman interrogated her twice, but got no results, and wanted to wait until after the Evolution Day to investigate in detail.

As for Seville... maybe he was busy with the things to be displayed on the Evolution Day. The professor and I haven't seen him in the past few days. The professor went to the Blue Smoked Manor to look for him twice, but he was not there either time. "

"Is that so... Forget it, I will definitely see him tomorrow." Jayce stepped forward and put his arm around Victor's shoulders: "Prepare the speech first and show everyone our new inventions!"

...

Hundred Wine Street.

As the name suggests, most of the taverns in Piltover are located here, dozens or hundreds of them. People can buy every kind of fine wine in the entire Rune Continent here, as long as you have enough money.

But every time on the eve of Evolution Day, there will be no more people from Piltover coming here, because the guys who climbed up from the bottom city will fill the taverns.

They want to join in the excitement of Evolution Day, but they are reluctant to stay in the increasingly expensive hotels during the festival.

Compared to the flashy bed, they would rather spend the money they saved in a year to buy a hangover and spend the night in the pub. Of course, if they can attract a bedmate to have sex in the back alley of the pub, it will be a more perfect eve of evolution.

Walking on the Baijiu Street, Ji Xing casually looked at the discount banners of the surrounding pubs.

The people who squeezed past him could not touch him at all under his precise footsteps, until a seven or eight-year-old child bumped into his legs.

The little boy seemed to be a little dizzy and looked up at him blankly. Ji Xing raised his index finger and shook it, saying, "Let's go."

The gutter kid who didn't steal his wallet ran away in a hurry, and Ji Xing turned his head to look at the pub sign beside him and walked in.

"Welcome, sir!"

It was even busier inside than outside, but the tavern waiter came over immediately.

"Are you alone?"

"That's right." Ji Xing smiled and took out two silver wheels from his arms: "Bring me two bottles of good wine. Don't pass it off as good wine. If you are satisfied, you will be rewarded."

The waiter's eyes lit up and his smile became even more enthusiastic: "Please come in and find an empty seat. The wine will be delivered to you right away!"

At the same time, the guests at the tables near the door also looked sideways at Ji Xing. Seeing Ji Xing walking towards the center, a few people hesitated for a moment, then stood up and followed him in from a distance.

This tavern is not small in size, and the guests inside are basically divided into three teams.

On the far left, there was a lot of excitement, filled with cheers or curses. People gathered together and were placing bets on an empty table, and the gambling event was the most traditional form of competition between men - arm wrestling.

It was even more lively in the middle, because there were some women in cool clothes dancing to the dance music played on the tavern tape. Their half-climbing hook on the pole attracted many people's attention.

The right side is relatively quiet, mostly scattered. There are three or five friends gathering to have a drink, and there are also some alone people who are drinking and getting drunk.

Ji Xing's eyes passed over a pair of men and women wearing robes that covered their figures and half of their faces, and he found a table near the middle to sit down.

As soon as we sat down, the waiter from earlier brought us two bottles of wine and several wine glasses.

"Guest, your wine."

His movements were light, but he was a little slow when he reached into his pocket: "I don't know what your taste is, but a bottle of strong liquor, lime, and a bottle of sweet wine, Zaren, are the best wines we have here. And here is the change, 12 copper rings, please keep them."

Ji Xing smiled and waved his hand: "Take it away and open these two bottles of wine for me."

"Hey, thank you guest!"

After opening the drink with two bangs, the waiter left happily. Just as Ji Xing poured a glass of lime into his glass, several figures flashed around him, and finally a girl with a dark, pretty face and a hot figure slid down and sat down Arrived opposite him.

Looking at the two bottles of wine on the table, and then at Ji Xing, she licked her lips and raised a finger directly: "One glass at a time."

So Ji Xing poured her a glass: "Please have a drink. I wish you a happy Evolution Day in advance. Nothing else is needed. See you later."

The girl's eyes flashed strangely, and she looked at Ji Xing in surprise. With a smile on her face, she picked up the glass and drank it in one gulp. She stood up and bowed half-bowed: "Thank you for your generosity. I wish you a happy Evolution Day and may the gears turn smoothly. My My name is Elize, she’s always hanging around here, come find me anytime.”

She left swayingly, and the people who were 'targeting' Ji Xing looked at each other. After hesitation, another old man sat in the empty seat opposite Ji Xing.

The old man must be about seventy years old, with a white beard. His face is full of weather and vicissitudes, but he smiles at Ji Xing.

"Can you buy me a drink too?"

Ji Xing knows these people. They are in every tavern on Baijiu Street, and they are all drunkards who have no desire to drink. Most of them don't have much money. During the off-season, they work as wine trustees, and during the peak season, they try their best to get good wine.

Ji Xing was naturally targeted.

He looked at the old man opposite and asked, "What do you want in exchange?"

"Hmm... some news?" The old man paused and asked, "Are you from Piltover?"

"No, I'm from Zaun."

The old man suddenly smiled and his wrinkles relaxed: "It seems that you are doing well in Pi City. You have moved here for many years. Drinking by yourself on the eve of evolution is too boring. Since you are not going to spend the night with those women, then I will give you Can we talk about some interesting stories and the history of Zaun and have a drink instead?”

"You have a story and I have wine? Haha, tell me first." Ji Xing said with a smile.

The old man pursed his dry lips and said, "Did you know that Zaun was the original city of evolution, long before Piltover became famous, but..."

"I know that the glorious Sun Gate split Piltover and sunk Zaun." Ji Xing interrupted and took a sip of wine.

The old man's expression froze and he laughed dryly: "Of course, of course, this is history that most people in Zaun will know. Of course, what I want to tell you is more than that. Before that, it was even more complicated than when Zaun was still a city of progress. Jiuyuan, do you know what Zuan is like?"

"Huh?" Ji Xing became a little interested.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief: "I heard it from hearsay, so I can't be sure, because this is history unearthed by a third-rate explorer, and no evidence was given. But according to other rumors I heard, it still makes some sense.

In the ancient past, the two cities of Piltover and Zaun, or rather the cities that sunk into the sea, were the same city. The name was Oshra Vazuan, and it was a port of the powerful Shuriman Empire. City.

In the city of Zaun, things that do not belong to this era can actually be occasionally excavated, and there are even rumors that powerful magic tools belonging to Shurima are buried in certain places. You must know Shurima, right? That once..."

Ji Xing poured him a glass of wine, so the old man talked even more energetically. In exchange for the wine, he did know many things that were not recorded in books. To ordinary people, it sounded like a biography novel, but to Ji Xing's ears, it was something different. mean.

As a result, the wine became more and more enjoyable as he drank, and the other guys around who wanted to drink some wine receded in disappointment. After drinking half a bottle, the old man also entered a tipsy state. He looked at Ji Xing and gave Ji Xing a thumbs up.

"Good drinker."

Ji Xing smiled and pointed: "It seems that there was a little conflict over there?"

"Ah? Old John's tavern, who dares to make trouble here?" The old man was stunned and turned his head.

The atmosphere in the originally lively arm wrestling venue has indeed become stiff. The people surrounding the outer circle are furious, and the five or six people standing in the inner circle are full of disdain.

One of the big men with a face as sharp as a knife and an axe stepped on a chair with one foot, completely ignoring the anger of the people around him, and sneered: "Why, I allow you to use both hands together, but no one dares to play with me again?!

A bunch of cowards, you can't even win in arm wrestling, but I still want to rob you openly?! What are you looking at? If you don't accept it, sit opposite, otherwise go home and suck your mother's milk!"

From the pile of copper rings and even silver wheels on the table, it is obvious that there is a spoiler in tonight's arm wrestling gambling.

This kind of "strongman" has appeared before, but they usually know to stop when they are ahead. It is very rare to provoke everyone like today.

"They are not from Piltover, nor from Zaun." At the table, the old man looked in that direction and lowered his voice: "I noticed when these bastards came in. They have a different smell, the smell of the sea, and each of their faces has obvious marks of the sea breeze. They are obviously not ordinary sailors."

"What is that?" Ji Xing asked.

"Pirates." The old man lowered his voice even lower: "I don't know how those damn pirates in Bilgewater who kill people without blinking an eye dare to come here to join in the fun, don't mess with them!"

"You are really careful in observation."

"Of course, my eyes will not miss anyone who walks into the tavern, and I can see through most of their origins and occupations!" At this point, the old man showed a little pride.

Ji Xing asked: "What do I do?"

The old man paused, and said awkwardly: "I really didn't see this, but you look different from ordinary Zaun people. I'm afraid you have obtained legal status in Piltover, settled here, and have a certain amount of industry?"

It's almost the same. Only the rich and powerful in Piltover know Seville's face, and he is not as well-known as Jayce.

"Don't turn your head." Ji Xing still said calmly: "Answer me according to your memory. There is a man and a woman wearing hooded robes seven tables behind me. You must have noticed this unique dress. So the time they walked into this tavern with those pirates... was close or far away?"

The old man was startled, and after a brief recollection, his expression gradually stiffened and became terrified: "You..."

"Okay, I know the answer."

Ji Xing said: "The remaining half bottle of wine belongs to you. If you are worried about getting into trouble, hide in the crowd first and don't let people notice you."

"Are you, are you a law enforcement officer?"

"How can a law enforcement officer act alone." Ji Xing stood up and said: "I am just here to find trouble."

Well... I was a little busy before the New Year. I went abroad and didn't prepare any New Year's goods at home... Sunday, next Monday and Tuesday, at least two of the three days can make up for 7k+, don't worry.