Chapter 43 - 42: Wanted man

The guard asked, "Is this man in the picture you?" He held up the wanted poster, comparing it seriously, "Is it him?" He seemed uncertain, while Pei Guang loudly and confidently declared, "Yes, it's me!" The guard looked at the sinister, cunning, and carefree expression in the poster, then back at the confident, brave man with fiery eyes standing in front of him. The guard captain was doubtful, "Really?" "Yes!" Pei Guang glanced at the wanted poster, then confidently declared, "That's right! It's me. This is a depiction of me in the heat of battle." One of the other guards spoke up, "That's definitely not you!" This guard was the one Pei Guang had encountered on guard duty the day before. He had a vivid impression of Pei Guang—the fervor, admiration, and desire to become a Silvermane Guard reflected in his eyes couldn't be faked. Especially since Pei Guang's clothes were clean and tidy, and the two girls with him were cute and charming—how could he be the villain in the poster? How could someone like him be an assassin targeting the Supreme Guardian? Pei Guang, eyes shining, declared, "You say it's not me? I say it is me!" Seeing Pei Guang's firm spirit, the captain, somewhat nervously, put away the wanted poster. "I'm telling you, this isn't you. If we arrest the wrong person, we'll all be punished. You're just trying to get us in trouble to claim compensation, aren't you? I'm telling you, if you really want to make money, do something legit." Pei Guang interrupted, "No problem, arrest me. We are the ones you're looking for." The guard who had just spoken laughed, "Alright! We know you're upset about being stopped while you were having fun. But it's a special time—the Supreme Guardian was attacked, so we need to be more vigilant. Please understand, sir!" The Guard captain nodded, "Indeed, if you see anyone suspicious, be sure to let us know." Pei Guang nodded, "No problem, but if we report someone suspicious, is there a reward?" The Guard captain nodded, "Yes! If your tip is useful, there will be a special reward." Pei Guang reached out, "Great, could you give us a copy of the wanted poster? If I spot someone suspicious, I'll let you know." The Guard captain handed over four wanted posters. Pei Guang took one and stared at Dan Heng's image, lost in thought. Just as the Guards were about to leave, Pei Guang pointed to a distant trash bin, "If you're talking about suspicious behavior, I just saw it. A blue-haired guy snuck into that trash bin while we were talking." Following Pei Guang's direction, the Guards saw a trash bin awkwardly standing in the middle of the road. Inside that bin was a man named Sampo. He had entered the city and, seeing all the Silvermane Guards around, decided to find a good hiding spot to wait until nightfall. He had just gotten comfortable in the bin when Pei Guang spotted him. Pei Guang, being an honest man, saw the guards offering a task and conveniently reported the suspicious person he saw. Without any hesitation, the captain rushed over to check. He cautiously led his men to the trash bin, and when they were ready, they opened the lid. Seeing Sampo inside, they were thrilled. "Look! Here's the suspicious individual!" "His eyes lack any fervor or light! He must be a criminal!" "The assassin who tried to kill Lady Cocolia! Come quietly with us!" Sampo was dumbfounded. He saw Pei Guang in the distance, who was waving enthusiastically, "Reward! Where's my reward?" Sampo had to admit, Pei Guang was way out of his league. Back in the snowfields, Pei Guang's eerie singing had knocked him out cold. Now, in the city, he had accurately predicted his hiding spot and had the Silvermane Guards capture him? What kind of grudge was this? They didn't even know each other—why was he being set up? The guard who had vouched for Pei Guang earlier tossed a badge into his hand, "Take this. You can exchange it for a cash reward or keep it as a souvenir." Sampo had no idea why these people were arresting him. Those troublemakers in Qlipoth Fort earlier in the day were standing right there—why weren't they being arrested? What had he done wrong? He was just taking a nap in a trash bin! "I'm not a bad guy! They're the ones! They are!" Sampo grinned, still trying to explain, but the guard captain pulled out Pei Guang's wanted poster and compared it seriously, "Shifty eyes, dodgy gaze, and you smell like trash. Plus, you're smiling while answering questions, not taking this seriously. If it's not you, then who is it? Take him down!" At that moment, Sampo looked at Pei Guang in the distance, who was standing there with confidence, his eyes burning with conviction, smiling like a saint. There was no trace of mockery or malice in his eyes, only pure, positive energy. Oh man! He had run into a real pro: no one in the tavern could match this guy's acting skills! But Sampo wasn't one to give up easily. He took advantage of the guard's distraction, dropped a smoke bomb, and bolted away. As he ran, the Guard captain blew his whistle, "Assassin spotted! Assassin spotted!!!" With the sound of the whistle, Silvermane Guards started swarming from all directions to capture Sampo. Watching this unfold, March 7th couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of you!" Meanwhile, in the room, both Serval and Dan Heng were observing the scene. Dan Heng remarked, "Did you see that..." Serval responded, "I now understand why you were so confident. With that kind of unwavering attitude... very few people can pull it off. Even if the big guy himself were here, he probably wouldn't dare to arrest them so easily, right?" Dan Heng sighed, "The scariest part is, he genuinely believes he's right. His actions, which defy common sense, often lead people to make wrong judgments, and somehow, things end up working out in his favor. His nature also tends to attract the attention of those who are pure at heart. For people who value inner qualities, he has an extraordinary allure." Serval added, "Truly a terrifying existence..." Outside in the street, March 7th couldn't help but applaud, "I've learned something new again." Stelle, on the other hand, looked curiously at the badge in Pei Guang's hand and asked, "What's that for?" Pei Guang proudly pinned the badge on his chest and said, "This is our reward for righteous action. It's a commendation for our noble morals and also a useful item!" Stelle looked enviously at the badge, "I want one too." Pei Guang unpinned the badge and handed it to Stelle, "Then you can have this one. I'll just earn another one." Stelle asked, "Really?" Pei Guang replied, "Of course!" Taking the badge from Pei Guang, Stelle suddenly felt its weight, as if it were worth a thousand gold coins. Just as Pei Guang had said, she could feel the gratitude of the Sivermane Guards towards them in this badge, as well as the praise for the high moral standards of their team. Wearing the badge, Stelle felt as if she had done the most righteous thing in the world, and she unconsciously straightened her posture. Even March 7th, watching this scene, showed a look of admiration. Whether it was the praise brought by the badge or the confidence exuded by Pei Guang, the three of them walked openly down the street. March 7th even boldly took out her camera to take pictures of the Silvermane Guards standing watch. As for the guards who had seen them at noon? Unfortunately, Pei Guang technique's mental impact had been too strong. Except for a few who had recovered, the others had temporarily gone to rest after the battle. The current guards on duty had never seen the faces of Pei Guang and his group, so they could only rely on the wanted posters for identification. But clearly, trying to capture players based on abstract wanted posters was impossible: the usual methods for catching people were useless against players. After wearing the badge, Stelle's entire demeanor changed. Filled with confidence and righteousness, she asked Pei Guang, "What are we going to do next?" Pei Guang replied, "We're going to gather important information about how to get to the underground!" March 7th asked, "But who would know something like that?" Pei Guang answered, "We'll just ask around. NPCs who have the information will tell us directly!" A week ago, March 7th would never have believed that simply asking around could yield useful information. In so many worlds and with so many challenges, everything had to be explored bit by bit. But now, she had a feeling—trusting Pei Guang was the right thing to do.