Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 307 - 19 Features of the City of Innocence_1

Chapter 307: Chapter 19 Features of the City of Innocence_1

The carriages of the Camel Beast Group were far from ordinary, duly justifying the amount of gold coin spent on them. The vehicle, driven by a pair of horses, was built from solid planks and coated in soft beige paint. Measuring three meters in length and two-and-a-half meters in width, it was spacious enough for Catherine and Vivian to comfortably lie down horizontally. There were six windows crafted from polished clear crystal stone embedded on all sides of the cabin. The large windows gave the passengers a clear view of the world outside. The seats, made from processed lizardtail tree gum, were soft, comfortable, and flexible. A ride in the carriage was nearly vibration-free thanks to its state-of-the-art shock absorption system. A square table was engineered into the base of the cabin, held up by a robust square pillar and equipped with four small drawers. Each drawer was designed with a purpose. The first drawer had cutouts to hold three water bottles and six teacups, and it was stocked with freshly squeezed juices of three different kinds for the passengers. The second drawer, identical in design to the first one, traded the water bottles for a bottle of champagne and six flute glasses. Even though the champagne was of common quality, priced around one gold coin, it spoke volumes of the provider’s generosity. The third and fourth drawers were filled with common snacks, all of which were replenished daily for free. Although not pricey, these amenities bespoke thoughtful service from the provider.

Upon opening the windows to the front and on the side, the stuffiness inside the carriage was replaced by the cool winter air. With a touch of curiosity, the two ladies watched the scenery pass by in reverse.

We entered the city from the west gate," said Swin from the driver’s seat, introducing the city as he steered: "You must have taken this road, Horizontal Two Street. Flanking the road are District Five and Ninth District. District Five on your left is the antique district, where a plethora of prized items can be found. Porcelain ware, renowned paintings, sculptures, specimens, ancient gold and silver ware, and antique bronze ware. Any antique you might fancy can be found here. I can assure you that all these items are hot goods, so the prices are generally about twenty percent cheaper. Thus, this is the ideal place if you wish to buy a few antiques to decorate your dwelling. Also, unless an appraiser’s assessment is off, every object here is genuine. Instances of merchants purposefully selling fake items to customers or providing false information are unthinkable. Any such deceitful tradesmen would have quite possibly met with their end already, so you can shop here without fidgeting."

"On your right is Ninth District, full of rarities. Apart from antiques, you can buy all sorts of valuable items here: invaluable medicines, scarce materials, prized jewels, and powerful magical artifacts, sturdy armors, and sharp weapons. There was even a rumor that a complete Dragon’s leg bone was for sale two hundred years ago, although the price was astronomical."

"A Dragon’s leg bone?" Vivian exclaimed in surprise: "It must have been a relic from the Third Epoch War era, right? But doesn’t directly provoking the Guardians signal their death wish? Daring to trade in their remains. How much gold did it sell for, eventually?"

"Heh heh." Swin chuckled dryly, regretfully replying: "A half-Demigod Dragon incinerated half of the block with a single breath. The three Demigod city lords were unaware of this sale until the Dragon’s attack. They personally conveyed their apology and returned the bone, diffusing the Dragon’s fury. As for the shopkeeper possessing the Dragon bone, he was carbonized by the Dragon’s breath. It was a self-inflicted death, no one else to blame."

"Pretty expected outcome." Vivian sneered: "Although the Guardians lead a secluded life, they still hold their counterparts in high regard, including their remains."

Swin shrugged and said indifferently, "When someone dies, others naturally won’t make the same foolish mistake. Since then, nobody dares to mess with any race that has substantial individual power, fearing repercussions that can sometimes be shocking and even the city lord cannot cope."

"Wait, there seems to be a strange sound," Catherine suddenly said to Swin through the window: "It came from the right. Did you hear it?"

"No, what sound?" Even before Swin could finish his sentence, a tragic scream was heard from a narrow alley on the right. A man stumbled out from the alley and collapsed face-first, with three horrifying wounds on his back gushing blood that quickly darkened his clothes. Yet, as if seeing nothing, Swin whipped the horses and moved on.

"Aren’t you going to take a look?" Without going to the aid of the victim, knowing full well from the injuries that he was beyond saving, Catherine was nevertheless surprised at Swin’s reaction and couldn’t help but ask, "Is it okay to just leave like this?"

"My lady," said Swin, without turning his head: "Hasn’t your friend mentioned it in what he wrote for you? The most crucial item among things you mustn’t do in the City of Innocence is meddling in other people’s business."

"Sorry, he didn’t write that," said Catherine: "Because he knows I will not heed this particular advice even if he advised me to."

"Phew, judging by your attire and the things you say, if I’m not mistaken, you are a knight," Swin lamented: "Knights sure are troublesome. Well, you probably know this already, but according to the single official law of the City of Innocence, any invasive act is guilty only if witnessed; otherwise, it’s innocent. Since we didn’t witness the crime scene earlier, we can’t prove anything. There’s no need to stop and look."

"But shouldn’t we at least check if he needs help?" Vivian asked persistently: "In any given place, when someone gets injured before our eyes, it’s only natural to take a look."

"This isn’t any place; this is the City of Innocence! It’s never wise to save someone here where everyone is ruthless and malevolent. Your kindness and assistance will most likely be met with a dagger or secretive pillages, with seldom other possibilities."

"So this is the real face of the City of Innocence?" sighed Catherine: "The apparent peace and beauty are just a veil."

"Indeed, the City of Innocence is just that, a city without compassion, forgiveness, mutual aid, friendship, and where all the inhabitants need to be treated as enemies for one to survive easily. Going by what the man appeared to be, he was clearly a disorganized thug with no organization. These kinds of people dying here usually boils down to a single possibility, they were looking for targets on someone else’s territory. This overt violation of customs, being killed is not surprising. Right now, we are merely seeing a murder. If you are unfortunate, you might witness more macabre scenes ahead, and by then, you will realize, it’s more reasonable for the majority to die; else, their existence becomes unreasonable."

"Including yourself?" Vivian asked on Catherine’s behalf.

"Of course, including myself." Swin laughed naturally, "There are no innocents here."

"Forget it, no need to continue." Catherine suddenly felt dejected, interrupting Swin’s words, "Continue introducing the city."

"The main road we passed while talking just now is Vertical One Street. Past Vertical One Street, which you now see on both sides, are the Sixth District and the Tenth District. The Sixth District is known as the miscellaneous goods area, also called the fenced area. The shops here specifically purchase stolen goods, and then they are sorted manually. Special goods that can be sold in other districts will be sold to the shops in those districts, the rest of the items are sold in their own shops. The items here are often very cheap, at most, one third of the price outside, so many people come here every day to try their luck, maybe they will encounter something they like." Swin pointed his hand towards the Sixth District to another direction, "Over there is the Tenth District, also known as the men’s quarters."

"What a bizarre name." Vivian asked with confusion, "Are all men here? Is there anything special?"

"No, there are various taverns, dance halls, leisure houses, performance halls, and gyms here, and all kinds of people live here, except men." Swin turned around and blinked mysteriously, "Not one."

"Stop it there." Catherine’s face turned slightly red, she spoke with a touch of anger, "I already know the use of this place, let’s talk about something else."

"Hehe." Swin snickered for a while before he continued, "The men’s quarters is the most chaotic among the twelve open districts around the central road. Seven medium-sized organizations are vying for territory here, but as outside visitors, as long as you do not cause trouble, basic safety can be guaranteed. There have been a few exceptions, but the murderers were dealt with swiftly. Overall, it is a paradise, but also a hell."

The wheels rolled forward at a fast speed. After progressing on Horizontal Two Street for about fifteen minutes, the two girls saw another intersection ahead. In the middle of the intersection was a circular plaza, with two statues of gods standing on it, representing the Goddess of Conspiracy and Assassination and the Goddess of Thieves and Stealth. The intersecting main roads go around the small plaza in a ring-shape and continue to extend on both sides.

"This is Central Square, the city center," Swin continued, "The other main road is Vertical Two Street. On the left hand side across Vertical Two Street and opposite the miscellaneous goods area is the Seventh District, also known as the Guild District. The headquarters of the Shadow Hand and the two major temples are in this area, and the two senior managers you are looking for are over there. On the right hand side and opposite the men’s quarters is District Eleven, also known as the Hotel District. All the hotels in the City of Innocence are concentrated in this area, and it is said that all the hotels combined can easily accommodate over ten thousand people. I suggest you ladies choose a hotel to settle down in first, and if you are still interested, you can continue to explore the city."

"Do you have any recommendations?" Catherine asked.

"That depends on what you ladies require," Swin said professionally, "Luxurious, comfortable, safe, quiet, lively, interesting, exciting; these hotels all have their own characteristics. As long as you put forward your requirements, there will definitely be a suitable choice."

"A quieter one, with a higher level of safety," Catherine answered with a slight hesitation, "It’s best not to be too expensive. Although the Shadow Hand is covering all the expenses, I don’t want to waste excessively. These are my only requirements, you choose one for us."

"Understood." Swin replied, "I will make sure you are satisfied, please rest assured."

"I’ve been wondering about something all along," Vivian asked, "Why are there so few pedestrians on the road, and so few places open for business? Has it always been like this?"

"No, because this is the City of Innocence," Swin loudly replied, "The day and night here are opposite to other cities. For here, it is currently the middle of the night. Hold on tight, we are setting off now."

The lash of the whip sounded, and the carriage slowly turned, heading towards the direction of the Hotel District. (Want to know more about "The Adventure Log of Yarra"? Open WeChat now, click the "+" sign in the top right corner, select "Add Friends" and add the "Official Account", search for "Qidianzhongwenwang", follow the official account and never miss an update!)(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)