Chapter 124: Take Care of Yourself
Hearing that the "Serpent Emblem Consortium" also dealt in property, Wu Heng wasn't surprised.
Real estate is a vital investment in any city.
And since the Serpent Emblem Consortium held a legal status in the city, it was natural for them to be involved.
Wu Heng himself did have plans to open a shop.
However, dealing with shop owners and local merchants directly would be somewhat troublesome.
If he could collaborate with an organization like the consortium, it would avoid many issues.
The cost might be a bit higher than negotiating privately.
But it wouldn't be too much higher, since being unreasonable would make business unsustainable.
"Where are the locations?" Wu Heng continued to ask.
"One moment!" The woman turned and gave instructions to the staff outside.
Soon, someone brought in a map.
The woman bent down, spreading the map on the coffee table, and pointed to a few spots with her pale fingers. "These are all the shops we own. You can see which one suits you."
The map was of Rontam City.
It included both the inner and outer districts.
The outer district was divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north, with shops in each area.
The number wasn't large, but there were enough options for him to choose from.
Wu Heng glanced over and asked, "How's the rent calculated?"
"Shops on the main streets range from 2,300 to 3,500 silver coins, while those on side streets are cheaper, around 1,700 to 2,000."
Wu Heng nodded. The price was close to what he had researched, only a bit higher by a couple of hundred silver coins.
But still within his acceptable range.
"How do you handle gang problems?" Wu Heng glanced at the map again.
"You don't need to worry about that at all. The shop would still belong to the consortium, and we have our own agreements with the local gangs. No matter how chaotic things get, they won't interfere with your business operations," the woman explained.
Wu Heng nodded, satisfied with these conditions.
It was also the quickest way to open a shop.
Thinking about it, it was a bit amusing.
As a guild captain, he found it easier to do business through the consortium.
With enough money, most problems weren't really problems.
Seeing that Wu Heng was satisfied, the woman said directly, "If you decide now, we can arrange for someone to prepare the shop."
Wu Heng shook his head, "Not yet, give me a few days."
"That's fine. When you're ready, come by, and I'll help you pick the right shop."
Soon, the staff member finished writing the new commission for acquiring spell books.
Wu Heng's emblem was returned to him.
After chatting with the woman for a bit more.
He left the consortium and headed back to his residence.
Upon returning home.
He had a simple meal of instant noodles and snacks.
Then went straight to the study.
The four Skeleton Witches were flipping through the spell books.
Wu Heng picked up the one in one of the Witches' hands and glanced at it.
It was the same book he had looked at before.
Was it that difficult?
Two or three days had passed, and they still hadn't unlocked the spell.
Could it be that they simply couldn't learn it?
He started to have some doubts.
According to the "Book of Necromancy," summoned creatures could learn necromancy spells.
There shouldn't be no progress at all.
Maybe the Witches' intelligence was too low, and it required more time?
He couldn't figure it out, but there was no solution either.
He could only let them keep studying. For now, they weren't much use.
Returning the book to the Hag, Wu Heng sat down at the desk and took out the two spell books he had obtained today.
He began to read them.
[Ray of Sickness] was a traditional necromancy spell, similar in principle to the "Ray of Enfeeblement" he had learned before.
Using necromancy magic to affect the target's physical condition.
In game terms, it was like casting a negative debuff on the opponent.
To reduce their physical attributes.
He quickly skimmed through it, and upon reaching the last page.
The system prompt appeared.
[Skill Unlocked: Ray of Sickness.]
He was still fast at this.
If he were like the Witches, taking days to figure out a spell, he would have given up by now and focused on increasing his skeleton army.
He then opened the second book and started reading.
[Vitality Spell] was quite rare among necromancy spells.
At least, it wasn't recorded in the "Book of Necromancy."
Necromancy spells usually leaned toward "Undead Minions" or "Diseases."
In other words, it was more like being a summoner in a game, where skeletons or zombies fought on the front lines, and the necromancer cast debuff spells from the rear.
But this "Vitality Spell" was more like a medical support skill.
Necromancers were used to dealing with corpses and spirits, having seen the end of life countless times.
It was rare for them to care about the life or death of others.
Researching a spell that was clearly for saving lives was indeed uncommon.
[Skill Unlocked: Vitality Spell.]
Both spell books he had obtained were unlocked.
"Learning spells is easy."
Wu Heng placed the two books on the bookshelf behind him.
He said to the Skeleton Witches, "Once you've learned your current spells, pick other spell books from the shelf to study."
After that, he left the study and used the portal in the bedroom to return to the zombie world.
...…
His vision cleared.
Wu Heng was now inside a dormitory room in the prison.
According to the layout map.
This was the warden's room, quite spacious, with a bedroom and a living room.
It felt more like a small hotel suite.
Wu Heng led the skeletons out of the room and went downstairs.
Outside, he saw Li Yanhong not far away, talking and gesturing with Qiangzi and the others.
Wu Heng walked over, "How's it going?"
Qiangzi and the others greeted him before going back to work.
Li Yanhong said directly, "Nothing major. The new survivors in the prison have settled in. During the day, Qiangzi and the others repaired the iron gates and the damaged wire fence, so everything's completely secure now."
Wu Heng was quite satisfied with Li Yanhong's efficiency.
She was the type who would immediately handle any task given to her and produce results quickly.
"Good!" Wu Heng nodded.
"I charged the iPad, and there are a few movies on it. You can show them to 'Xiaoxiao.' She's always asking to watch TV!" Li Yanhong said.
After spending more time together, they weren't as afraid of each other anymore.
Sometimes women were more thoughtful. She had remembered what Xiaoxiao had often mentioned.
"Where did you find it?"
"In the room where Chen Jinlong held the women. There were a few phones too. The power here is sufficient, so we can play some games or whatever."
"Alright, I'll thank you on Xiaoxiao's behalf." Wu Heng took the iPad.
"No need to thank me. This place is yours, after all. We'll need your protection in the future too," Li Yanhong said and added, "I'll give you a tour inside."
"Let's go!"
Li Yanhong gave him a tour around the prison.
This really was a good place—spacious, with complete facilities.
There was even a "labor reform workshop" with hundreds of sewing machines.
"What was this for?" Wu Heng asked.
"I heard that when the prison was still operational, prisoners were made to work here, making clothes. Now, it's just used for storage," Li Yanhong said.
The workshop was full of clutter.
Given the current situation, there was no need to produce clothes.
The priority was food and supplies. Even if clothes were needed, they could be scavenged from shops.
After their tour, they returned to the front of the building.
Wu Heng continued, "Make sure all the cars are fully fueled. In the next couple of days, we'll go back and bring the rest of the people and equipment here."
"Okay!"
Late into the night, Wu Heng returned to his room.
He set up a movie for Xiaoxiao and spent some time practicing his swordsmanship in the living room.
...…
The next morning.
Wu Heng made a trip to the guild.
On his way to the lounge, a staff member called out, "Captain Wu Heng, there's mail for you."
"Thank you!" Wu Heng took the two letters.
He knew right away that they were from Blackstone Town.
He had sent out three letters, but it seemed one person hadn't responded.
He headed straight to the lounge, which was empty today—Duke wasn't around.
Wu Heng sat down and held the letters in his hand.
Picking up the first letter, he noticed something unusual about its weight. He broke the seal and gently shook it into his palm, where a gold coin fell out.
Wu Heng frowned.
What's going on? Why send me money like this?
He immediately picked up the letter and started reading.
The handwriting was neat and elegant, the strokes light, clearly written by a woman with strong writing skills.
Who was this?
Did he know someone who wrote this well?
He continued reading.
"Captain Wu Heng:
I received your letter. Congratulations on becoming captain.
Everything in Blackstone Town is fine. Law and order in the city is stabilizing, and work isn't as burdensome as before."
Wu Heng frowned. Who was this, sounding so official?
Did they send it to the wrong person?
He kept reading.
"Not long after you left, I personally went to the slums twice. Two new security posts have been set up there, and it's not as chaotic as before. The residents of the slums think it's because of you, and I've heard they're planning to raise money to build a statue in your honor.
The Fourth Squad has been reorganized, and Captain Otruluk has arrested a few mercenaries. Earning bounties is still possible, but gaining merits is difficult.
Yuli often speaks of you. Write her a letter next time; it'll make her happy.
Everything here is good, no need to worry. Once things settle down, I'll bring Yuli to visit you.
Take care of yourself."
Wu Heng's eyes widened in disbelief.
By the end of the letter, he had figured out who it was from: the Blackstone Town steward, Madam Slater, a woman as ripe as a peach.
It seemed he hadn't written to her.
So why did it sound like a reply to him?
Wu Heng furrowed his brow and quickly realized that the letter he had sent to Yuli must have ended up in Slater's hands.
He then glanced at the gold coin included in the letter.
What was the meaning of this?
What did she mean by "take care of yourself"?