We evil gods must hide.

Chapter 50 Strictly Investigate Gray-Market Game Proxy Services

The leader spoke in a cold voice, waved his hand, and the group escorted Old John toward the guild square in the town center.

The townspeople and adventurers who had gathered around quickly made way for him and followed behind, discussing the matter animatedly.

Lin Qi sensed something was wrong and followed them.

The guild square was already packed with people.

Almost all the adventurers, townspeople, and shop owners in Silverleaf Town crowded around the square, whispering among themselves and looking on with curiosity.

On the high platform in the center of the square, old John was roughly tied to a stone pillar by the patrolmen, occasionally letting out painful groans, but they were completely ignored.

A guild inspector with short blond hair, holding a yellowed parchment, was loudly proclaiming Old John's crimes through a magical amplification.

"An investigation has revealed that John, the middleman among adventurers in Silverleaf Town, has been organizing gray-area proxy teams for a long time, illegally accepting gray-area quests, disrupting the order of the Adventurers' Guild, and undermining the quest rating system. The circumstances are extremely egregious!"

The sound echoed throughout the entire square.

"In accordance with the regulations of the Adventurers' Guild of the Duchy of Fanster, John is sentenced to death by hanging, to be carried out publicly in the square three days later!"

The crowd erupted in a frenzy, with gasps of astonishment filling the air.

No one expected the punishment to be this severe; a mere middleman doing shady business was to be executed in public.

The blond inspector raised his hand and pressed down, and the square instantly fell silent.

His gaze swept across the crowd below the stage, as cold and sharp as a hawk's.

"Hereby, the Adventurers' Guild of the Principality officially announces a thorough investigation into all shady proxy-related activities in Silverleaf Town!"

Lynch frowned.

"Anyone who reports a grey-market game boosting team or provides valid clues will be rewarded with one gold coin! Anyone who apprehends a member of a game boosting team will be rewarded with five gold coins!"

"Anyone involved in illegal account boosting who voluntarily surrenders will receive a lighter sentence; if verified, they will be permanently expelled from the Adventurers' Guild, and those with serious offenses will be punished the same as the perpetrator!"

He pointed to old John, whose face was ashen.

The crowd below the stage stirred again.

Five gold coins are enough for an ordinary town resident to have a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Countless gazes swept through the crowd, filled with greed and scrutiny, landing on the adventurers who frequently took on low-level missions.

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, tinged with unease and fear.

"A dragon just charged into the Misty Forest, and the main city's patrol team arrived right away. What a coincidence!"

"Yeah, and they even sentenced him to hanging. There must be something fishy going on here, right?"

"Five gold coins... If I could catch a few, I wouldn't have to work or go on missions for a year."

Lin Qi's calm gaze held a hint of doubt.

His gaze swept over the patrolmen on the high platform, then over the menacing crowd around him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. The arrival of the patrol team and the appearance of the blue dragon were timed too perfectly.

This is by no means a coincidence.

Just then, the voice of the little black cat rang in my mind.

"Lynch, Ella has been captured."

...

Lynch did not find Old Cole and the other man.

If the old archer had been more cautious, he might have hidden Neil away.

Lin Qi stood at the entrance of the dark alley, observing the passersby in the town. Perhaps cracking down on the gray industry was a big deal for the guild and an opportunity for those who wanted to make money, but for ordinary townspeople, it was just something to talk about over tea.

But occasionally, glances would fall on Lin Qi.

He would be instinctively alert.

One can imagine how Ella and Neil must be feeling right now.

"Ella has been captured. We need to gather more information before making a decision."

Lynch put on his hood and walked out of the street corner.

He was going to see his mentor, the thief Fold.

Although the old man is semi-retired, he should know a lot of things.

Pushing open the gate to the courtyard where the old man lived, Lin Qi could hear faint sounds of arguing coming from inside; it was a woman and her mentor.

He felt a chill run down his spine.

I subconsciously leaned my ear to the doorway to listen.

"...You wouldn't even go to my dad's birthday party. Do you even consider him your brother anymore?"

"Your dad is almost a hundred years old, how could I possibly attend all his birthday celebrations?"

A helpless voice rang out from Professor Fuld.

"When we were kids, he beat me every day because he was strong. Why didn't you, as his niece, ever stand up for me?"

"Where's the evidence?"

"..."

Lin Qi smiled knowingly, pushed open the door, and was greeted by a mixture of tobacco and leather smells. The old man was sitting behind a wooden table, casually wiping the short dagger in his hand, while opposite him was a beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes.

It was his niece, Lina, who was angrily crossing her arms and throwing a tantrum at her uncle.

When Lin Qi came in, the old man didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Look, your little boyfriend has heard about your family's embarrassing secrets again."

"So what if I listen?"

Lina's attitude was different. The moment she saw Lin Qi, her expression changed. She walked towards him with a smile and gave him a big hug.

Lina was, after all, a first-tier swordswoman, and she was quite strong. Even though Lin Qi had all his attributes at 99, he still couldn't keep up with her.

"Ignore this old man, let's go out and get something to eat."

Lina looked at Lin Qi's smile, which was so sweet it was almost sickening. This little guy was so handsome that she wished she could look at him every day.

Lin Qi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Don't worry, this kid's here because something's happened," the old thief said slowly. Lina's eyes flashed with doubt. The old thief continued, "You're really not taking your job seriously. The guild's inspectors are here and are cracking down on grey-market boosting services."

"This kid's team is probably going to fall apart."

Lina's expression turned cold.

"Let's just break up then. Anyone who dares to touch Lin Qi is going against me."

The old thief sighed.

"Don't be so arrogant just because you're the branch president's daughter. Your father has been retired for a long time, and this time is a little different."

Good guy.

Second-generation high-ranking members of the guild.

This was the first time Lin Qi had ever heard of it.

"That's when you remembered me, the old man."

The old thief looked at Lin Qi and snorted coldly.

Two months ago, he patiently taught Lynch the core basic skill of Shadow Step, which is the stepping stone for all thieves to enter the ranks. Anyone with a little talent can get the hang of it in ten days.

He thought that with Lin Qi's talent, he should be able to achieve this in three to five days.

But after studying for half a month, Lynch still couldn't even do the most basic concealment of his aura.

The old thief almost drove me crazy.

But Lynch knew.

It wasn't that he was too stupid to learn; it was that the divinity within him naturally rejected the shadow and the power of the god of thieves. Even the slightest trace of orthodox shadow energy would be silently erased from his body.

In the old man's eyes, this was a hopeless piece of trash with no talent, and he had no intention of teaching him anymore.

"I told you, don't come again."

The old thief slammed his dagger on the table, glared at Lin Qi, and spoke with obvious impatience.

"You can't even learn Shadow Step, and you still want to advance? I have nothing left to teach you. You should find another way to make a living and stop wasting your time on the path of a thief."

"I don't have a disciple as stupid as you!"