Chapter 28 Pepper Incident
Just two weeks ago, the largest local spice company purchased a batch of pepper.
As soon as the goods arrived at the dock, they were snatched away by a group of bandits.
The police have been investigating for a long time but have made no progress so far.
Business owners have lost confidence in the efficiency of the police.
He simply offered a reward to catch the thief and take back the stolen pepper.
It has been almost two weeks since the notice was posted.
There are many adventurers and bounty hunters interested in this.
However, when they heard that the mastermind was "One-Eyed" Jason, they all backed off.
"One-Eyed" Jason, the leader of a gang of thieves active in the mountainous area of Quint Island, is said to be a strong and brutal half-orc.
This guy has more than ten desperate criminals under his command.
He is also a warlock apprentice and is quite powerful!
Who, except a genuine sorcerer, would dare to provoke such a group of fierce bandits? !
However, a sorcerer like Ms. Sora has nothing to do with this matter and has no reason to interfere.
So far, Jason's gang of thieves are still at large.
…
Two months later, Alan returned to the Hot Spring Valley where he hunted the basilisk.
Take advantage of the spring season when flowers bloom to collect medicinal herbs and poisons to assist the poison demon bloodline in its cultivation.
In order to facilitate the collection of herbs, Alan would cast the 0-ring magic "Detect Virus" every once in a while.
Explore toxin reactions in bushes and rock crevices with complex terrain.
This trick really works.
Along the way, we discovered many rare medicinal herbs and poisonous insects.
Near noon, Allen reached the depths of the valley.
Inadvertently, an unprecedentedly strong toxic reaction was detected!
"Hmm? Something's wrong!"
Alan immediately became alert.
The magical feedback provoked by poisonous plants that normally grow in the wild will never be so strong and concentrated!
What does it mean when a large amount of level 2 toxins are concentrated in one cubic meter of space?
In all likelihood, it is a highly toxic substance that has been artificially stored!
Alan narrowed his eyes slightly, and his originally leisurely mood suddenly became excited!
Following the guidance of the spell, we passed through the dense forest ahead and found a cave.
Dense vines hung down the stone wall, covering the entrance of the cave like a green door curtain.
It looks like a deliberate barrier created specifically to hide the cave.
Alan quickly checked his gear.
Dagger, crossbow, lime pack, blasting bottle.
All in handy locations.
Gently lifting the vine curtain, Alan slipped into the cave.
The cave tunnel is winding and deep.
The further you go, the wider the space becomes.
The stalactites above my head occasionally drop water.
There are also jagged stalagmites growing on the ground.
Typical karst landform.
A large natural cave with a myriad of mysteries inside.
Deep in the cave, one could faintly see flickering flames and sounds of quarreling.
Alan stuck to the wall of the cave and sneaked under the cover of shadows.
At the end of the tunnel is an exceptionally empty dome.
Two groups of people are facing off.
One of the parties, just by looking at their attire and demeanor, could be identified as a group of bandits.
There were eleven people, and the man in the lead was nearly two meters tall.
He wore an eye patch diagonally and his skin was greenish.
The ferocious face looks like a wild beast.
A pair of fangs appeared at the corners of his lips.
A sharp battle axe is slung across his back!
Looking at his face, Alan immediately thought of the legendary bandit leader.
"One-Eyed" Jason!
There were also ten people on the opposite side of Jason's group.
Nine of them were heavily armed and looked like mercenaries.
There was also a short and fat middle-aged man in a robe, who should be the employer of this group of mercenaries.
Out of curiosity, Alan hid in a dark corner and eavesdropped.
It's not complicated.
The short and fat man was named Dubin, and he was the second-ranked spice merchant in Port Quint.
A competitor named Marco, who has been riding on his coattails for years, has used all means to suppress his business.
Mr. Dupin was so angry that he kept looking for an opportunity to take revenge on Marco.
Not long ago, he learned that Marco had imported a batch of pepper, and immediately came up with a vicious plan.
Find Jason's gang, with whom he had worked twice before, and hire them to raid the dock warehouse of Marco's Company and steal two large barrels of pepper.
After the robbery, they smuggled the item into the mountains overnight and hid it in this secret cave.
After the storm had passed, Dubin took his men to transport the pepper and settle the commission at the same time.
Today is the day for both parties to settle the bill.
But Jason's side suddenly changed their minds.
The reason was that three brothers were killed during the robbery.
This pension is not a small amount.
Doberman must pay for it!
Of course Dubin was not happy.
This clause did not exist in the original contract.
Raising the price arbitrarily and breaking the rules is not acceptable!
The two sides argued endlessly about this matter.
The atmosphere in the cave was tense, but neither side dared to actually fight.
Jason's gang is indeed fierce, and the guards around Doberman are all mercenaries who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the enemy.
Especially the mercenary captain, whose strength is no less than Jason.
The two factions are evenly matched.
Once a conflict occurs, both sides will suffer losses.
If they are wary of each other, they will naturally not fight.
However, this is just an appearance.
Alan, who was watching from the sidelines, had already sensed a deeper conspiracy!
Dupin, the profiteer, brought two barrels of rum to the thieves.
It was said to comfort them.
In fact, Doberman had already poisoned one of the barrels of wine!
This profiteer, not to mention the pension, didn't even want to pay the commission agreed upon in advance. He had already planned to kill people to silence them!
Alan dared to make such a bold judgment.
This was because with the help of magic, they had already detected that the wine was poisonous.
Some kind of level 2 toxin, one glass is enough to be fatal!
The toxic reaction he had accidentally detected outside the cave before originated from the wine barrel.
Just as Allen predicted.
Dubin was fussing over the pension issue in order to create confusion and paralyze Jason and his group.
After arguing for a while, he finally gave in.
Jason didn't want to offend his old customer too much, so he wisely backed down a bit.
So the two sides reached a consensus.
In addition to the agreed commission, an additional 30% will be added as a pension.
The business is done, harmony brings wealth.
The atmosphere in the cave gradually calmed down.
It's time to drink and chat.
Dubin turned around and winked at the mercenary captain.
The captain understood.
He opened one of the barrels of wine and asked his men to drink.
When the bandits saw the mercenaries drinking, they couldn't help smacking their lips and looking envious.
"Doberman! Don't be stingy, give us brothers some good wine too!"
The one-eyed orc Jason was also tempted by the alcohol.
"no problem!"
Doberman waved cheerfully.
The mercenary captain pried open another barrel.
The strong liquor in the barrel exudes an attractive aroma.
Plus the unique caramel flavor of rum.
Completely masked the smell of the poison.
The poison that Doberman carefully selected would only have fatal consequences when mixed with alcohol.
Furthermore, it will take at least fifteen minutes for the toxin to take effect after drinking it.
It is highly toxic and has a delayed onset, making it ideal for ambushing groups of bandits!
As he wished, Jason was the first to raise his glass and drink.
However, the development of the situation was beyond Dubin's expectations.
As soon as the liquor entered his mouth, Jason's expression changed immediately!
With a "puff" sound, it spurted out!
