At the pier, chaos erupted. The guards were blocked on the other side of the pier by scattered goods and gathering crowds.
Luo Hao turned back and gave Xiangzi a thumbs-up. But before he could lower his hand, he heard a stern question from the direction of the port:
"Who is casting magic within the city barrier?"
The voice wasn't loud but was full of authority. Before the words finished, several Light Gates opened on the other side of the pier.
From the Light Gates, believers in Terra Wotu clad in blue robes stepped forth.
"To the ship," Luo Hao decided immediately, pushing Xiangzi and Ai Xiaoxiao forward, then lifting his Great Shield to block.
The Terra Wotu believers in blue had already spotted them. Although they were believers, just like the Arcanists worshipping Androma, or the Scholars worshipping Angina, most were Magic Guided Conductors.
The believers pointed their Magic Wands at Luo Hao and his group, and a massive force crashed into the Great Shield, sending him flying.
He tumbled back several times, only stopping when he hit a pile of boxes.
"Fatty!" Ai Xiaoxiao cried out in fright, shouting nervously.
"Damn it, can't you use a nicer nickname," Luo Hao said, almost in tears, as he got up from the ground, unscathed thanks to his chainmail.
He looked up to see the Terra Wotu believers and the guards had already crossed the overturned goods, coming their way.
Thinking quickly, Luo Hao pressed his Great Shield to the ground and pushed it forward with force. The shield spun like a flying disc, sweeping towards them.
The guards managed, but the Magic Guided Conductors in the front were caught off guard by this unorthodox attack mode, scrambling in confusion.
Seizing the opportunity, Luo Hao leapt up from the ground and sprinted towards the Seven Seas Traveler.
Xiangzi was already grabbing the dangling soft ladder controlled by Miss Tata from the airship, flipping himself onto the ship.
Then he turned around, grabbed Ai Xiaoxiao's hand, and pulled the little girl up as well.
By this time, Luo Hao had reached below the ship. Xiangzi extended a hand, hoisting him several meters from the pier as if he were a sack of potatoes, placing him onto the ship.
"Damn," Luo Hao said as soon as he landed, without even catching his breath, "Ai Xiaoxiao, Xiangzi, get to the Magic Guided Pod, start the Magic Guided Engine immediately—"
Xiangzi and Ai Xiaoxiao nodded, quickly turning and heading below deck.
Luo Hao raced to the side, untying the ropes from the ship's rail, then shouted:
"Miss Tata, raise anchor and set sail!"
...
Fang Hong put down the Communication Crystal, a bit surprised.
He didn't expect the efficiency of the Art of Conflict Guild to be this high. It was just past noon when they sent a message saying they planned to sell the Earth Origin Crystal to them at the original price.
In fact, after such an incident, they could have tried to lower the price, but Tang Xin believed it was unnecessary. After all, their identities were not entirely safe, and they shouldn't complicate matters further.
Fang Hong agreed with this view. He thanked Silian through the Communication Crystal, though the latter mentioned that they should be the ones thanking him.
After discussing when to make the transaction and shutting off the crystal, Fang Hong let out a deep breath.
Nothing had gone smoothly since arriving in Orlenze, but at least they accomplished something, which was their main goal here.
More importantly, it left the Descendants of Flor with a hard lesson.
Initially, the Descendants of Flor had some ideas about these local Free Guilds, and that guy named Tus was just a mole they had long since bought. They only wanted to use this chance to teach Fang Hong and others a lesson, thinking they could do it flawlessly without raising any suspicion of an insider. But unexpectedly, it was so easily uncovered.
Tus now faced imprisonment, and to negotiate leniency with his investors, he had to confess everything.
After this incident, the Descendants of Flor offended more than just one Free Guild locally, but also those investors keen on this Guild from behind the scenes.
Although Fang Hong did not hold any positive impressions of these people, he was happy to see them turning against one another.
"Looks like things are wrapping up here," Big Cat's voice drifted over, "just waiting for news from the Saintess."
"Saintess?" Fang Hong was somewhat surprised. This wasn't the first time he'd heard Big Cat call Miss Atira the Saintess.
But Reed casually responded, "The Guardian of the White Oak Temple, Unicorn Girl, daughters of Ameya, aren't they Saintesses?"
Fang Hong knew that 'daughters of Ameya' was just a term, essentially referring to those Druid girls beloved by her, synonymous with Unicorn Girl.
Yet, what amused him was the somewhat resentful tone Big Cat had toward Miss Atira.
Because the voice of the Big Cat was actually coming from a flower-spotted Big Cat lounging on the windowsill.
Its eyes, like grey gemstones, watched everyone as it twitched its whiskers with a paw.
In the morning, on a reconnaissance mission, it nearly got caught by a group of affection-struck female cats, almost failing to return. And amid the experience, there were even two noble girls trying to capture him as a pet. The perils of it all were not for outsiders to comprehend.
But thanks to his unique appearance, he managed to gather quite a bit of useful information.
"Mr. Reed, how long will this form last?" Gita asked, slightly worried.
"Seven days," Reed sighed, "Don't doubt your Miss Atira's skills, Magic Potion Studies is a Druid's forte too."
Sitting to the side, Elisa was already laughing herself breathless.
But it was precisely at this moment when the red glow lit up in the darkness.
Bakins gestured for silence. To be safe, they used Ai Xiaoxiao's crystal for outside communication, but since Ai Xiaoxiao wasn't there, the crystal was naturally in the Bosun's care.
He activated the crystal, and an anxious voice immediately came through:
"Ade, my deputy came to see me this morning, but I wasn't home at the time. It was my servant who told me about this."
"When I came back earlier and saw your Wanted Order, I realized something might be wrong... the young man is somewhat timid, and I'm worried he'll mess up, so you better be careful and get out of Orlenze as soon as possible..."
Fang Hong was momentarily stunned, never expecting such a thing to unfold at this moment.
But as he was about to speak, suddenly his own crystal also lit up.
Luo Hao's tense voice came through:
"Ade, evacuate quickly!"
...