Chapter 28

Captain Anderson's face was marked with a few drops of cold sweat trickling down his cheeks. He had never expected the situation to escalate to this point, leaving him in a difficult position, feeling as if he were riding a tiger and unable to dismount.

These unruly adventurers, who disregarded authority and law, were not easy to deal with.

The deputy captain of the police station recalled an incident. Two months ago, Captain Jin Sen of the South City Police Station had a dispute over a barmaid with a few adventurers. Although both sides suffered injuries, Captain Jin Sen used his power to label the adventurers as "colluding with heretics, plotting rebellion, and assaulting law enforcement officers," and had them all arrested.

Unfortunately, Captain Jin Sen had forgotten one crucial thing. In Bishui City, which bordered the Cold Mist Mountains, there were many adventurers, and the Adventurer's Guild held significant power. When the friends of the arrested adventurers made a big fuss, the Adventurer's Guild intervened, organizing over a thousand adventurers to blockade the city council tightly.

In the end, after negotiations, the adventurers were released without charge, and Captain Jin Sen not only lost his position but was also exiled to the colder and more remote north to repair the Anduin Great Wall.

Since then, the police station had reached a consensus: without solid evidence or strong backing, it was best not to provoke adventurers, or they might end up in trouble themselves.

Now, facing the tense situation with both sides drawing their weapons, Captain Anderson was in a dilemma.

Should he directly arrest these adventurers on charges of slander? Not only was the charge of slander difficult to substantiate without concrete evidence, but he also doubted that his dozen or so police officers, who had only dealt with drunkards and vendors, could handle so many seasoned adventurers.

But if he let it go, how could he explain it to the noble mage Gorden and Pastor Jack?

Just as Captain Anderson was at a loss, Gorden spoke up to ease the tension: "Captain Anderson, Pastor Jack, although it's regrettable that things have come to this, I think it's best to temporarily back down. A real conflict would be bad for everyone. Both of you should leave through the back door."

"It seems we have no choice. I apologize deeply for not being able to help," Pastor Jack said with a look of disgust, "If you find the instigator of today's rumors, please inform me. Lady Dawn has taught us to promote justice and spread light, one hand with doctrine, the other with a warhammer... Those who dare to offend the Dawn Temple and defame the reputation of the priests must not be spared!"

Seeing Pastor Jack's clenched teeth, it was clear that today's incident had made him hate the instigator of the rumors. After all, a usually revered and adored Priest of Melidia had been verbally abused by the adventurers today. His choice to retreat temporarily to stabilize the situation did not mean he was a forgiving saint.

Captain Anderson also looked apologetic: "I'm truly sorry, Mr. Gorden."

Although he hadn't helped Gorden, Pastor Jack still received 15 gold coins as a fee for his efforts. Even Captain Anderson received 5 gold coins from Gorden as he left.

Both men looked grateful, and their relationship with Gorden had grown closer. This was one of the few gains of the day.

"Gorden, why did you let Pastor Jack and the police station leave? Doesn't that make us look guilty? I think we should arrest all those adventurers, interrogate them, and find the instigator. I used to be an adventurer and know their mindset. They may be loud now, but if we get serious, they'll all back down."

Gorden shook his head: "What's the point of arresting them? Can it eliminate the negative impact of the rumors on the store? No. On the contrary, it will put us at odds with the adventurers. Even if we expose the rumors later, do you think any adventurer will come to our store again?"

"This... I guess I was too simplistic," Duro said, blushing.

"Shh..." Gorden suddenly made a gesture for Duro to be quiet. He pointed outside and whispered, "The adventurers are dispersing. Observe carefully."

He cast a "Detect Magic" spell on himself and focused intently, scanning the many adventurers.

Just then, the voice of the instigator was heard again: "Ha, look, the priest and the police have run away! The store owner doesn't even dare to show up. If they weren't guilty, why would they do this? Today, we've exposed the plot of the unscrupulous merchant. This is a victory for the adventurers!"

Encouraged by the voice, many adventurers cheered. However, most of them, seeing no excitement or profit, began to leave.

Gorden's eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed to a man with a horse-like face, wearing tattered leather armor and a black cloak. "It's him. He just emitted a magical aura. This guy is definitely using a magical item to speak!"

The horse-faced man, extremely sensitive, seemed to sense someone watching him. He crouched down and darted out of the crowd, quickly disappearing down the street.

"Damn! He's really fast!" Gorden cursed.

"I'll chase him. Follow the marks I leave behind," Duro said, his obese body turning into a whirlwind as he rushed out of the store.

Gorden was surprised. He hadn't expected this small shop owner, who had been living a life of luxury for years, to still retain the agility of his adventurer days.

After closing the store, Gorden followed at a leisurely pace. Following the marks left by Duro, he eventually met up with him at an abandoned warehouse by the Bishui River.

"Nice moves," Gorden said, seeing that Duro wasn't even out of breath, and gave him a thumbs up.

"Thank you, I used to be known as Lightning Duro."

"Wasn't it Firehammer Duro?"

"Both."

After casting an invisibility spell on himself and Duro, they cautiously approached the warehouse.

The man in the black cloak, with a horse-like face, was bending over, speaking to two men with a fawning expression.

"Hao Lin Haidenberg and Deng Wei Litter," Gorden silently repeated the names. It wasn't surprising that Deng Wei was the instigator, as he had already guessed. But he hadn't expected Hao Lin to be involved.

"It seems this mage really hates me," Gorden's eyes grew cold.

The 5th-level Conjuration Mage Hao Lin Haidenberg seemed very confident and had not set up any magical alarms around the warehouse, so he was unaware of Gorden's presence. He was smiling as he listened to the horse-faced man.

"Was anyone following you on your way here?"

"Master Hao Lin, the communication ring you gave me is excellent. I can speak in a crowd, and Gorden can't find my location. Don't worry, no one could have followed me."

"Good to hear." Hao Lin looked pleased and turned to Deng Wei, "How about it? My plan was quite clever, wasn't it? This way, Gorden's store will lose all credibility and go out of business soon. He won't be able to repay his debt within the time limit. I told you, spending 400 gold coins to hire me was worth it."

"Great cooperation, Master Hao Lin."

The two men smiled at each other and shook hands.

...

When Gorden returned home, his mood was not good. He ate the roasted flower duck that Bard had prepared for him with a frown, and even the delicious food couldn't lift his spirits.

After dinner, he returned to his new, luxuriously decorated study, which was five times larger, and sat down on a single sofa, closing his eyes.

A wave of fatigue washed over him.

Spreading rumors is easy, but stopping them is hard.

This was indeed a profound truth. He had thought that inviting Pastor Jack, with the authority of the temple and the police station, would easily dispel the rumors. But the unruly mercenaries didn't buy it, and a little provocation was enough to ruin his efforts.

"Just opening a magic shop, and I encounter such a problem. Life in this world isn't easy. Achieving my dreams won't be simple," Gorden sighed softly, beginning to think of a solution.

"Master, are you tired? Try the mint tea I made. It can help you relax," a soft, sweet voice said. Gorden opened his eyes and saw Irelia and Iliana enter the study.

Gorden nodded, took the teacup, and sipped the clear, green liquid. The cool, sweet, and slightly bitter tea flowed down his throat, and a minty sensation rushed up his spine, invigorating his mind.

"Mm, excellent, refreshing!" Gorden praised, feeling more alert.

"Thank you, Master," Irelia smiled happily, "I'll massage your legs."

"Master, I'll give you a massage," Iliana, seeing her sister praised, also stepped forward, extending her soft, white hands to massage Gorden's head.

The four gentle hands moved over his body, making Gorden feel incredibly relaxed. The apple scent from Irelia and the strawberry milk scent from Iliana filled his nose, making him feel refreshed.

Gorden's mood improved, and his thoughts became clearer.

"Passively defending won't work. Proving my innocence is time-consuming, exhausting, and unappreciated. I can't use this method anymore. Since Deng Wei and Hao Lin are using rumors to attack me, I need to break their plot at the root and make them pay!"

A plan began to form in his mind.

Gorden opened his eyes, and his dark, night-like eyes shone with determination, surrounded by a strong sense of confidence.

"You two are great," Gorden pinched Iliana and Irelia's soft cheeks. They felt so tender, as if they could be pinched to release water.

"If it weren't for you two helping me relax and change my mood, I might not have thought of this idea. Go to your mother and get a gold coin to buy new clothes. The Harvest Festival is coming, and little girls should look beautiful."

"Thank you, Master!" The two little girls beamed, almost jumping on Gorden.

"Call me Master! Am I that old?"

"Hehe, thank you, Master!"

After Irelia and Iliana skipped away, Gorden, feeling confident, calmed his mind and took out the thirteen Netherduran scrolls from his dimensional bag to read.