The Old Charlatan (1)

"Woman's scent? Where?"

Steve, who had been dozing off in the carriage, immediately perked up at Harri's words, pulling back the curtain to look around.

Du Chen also looked on with curiosity. He'd heard that the renowned city of Antwerp, built by the sea, was half port and half a fortress-like city wall, and they were currently approaching the main gate of that very wall.

Before the ten-meter-tall, dark-teal city gate, the drawbridge over the moats had already been lowered. Dozens of pedestrians, mostly merchants, along with a smattering of clerics, laborers, and soldiers, traversed it. Yet, there was no sign of the woman Harri had mentioned.

Steve, retracting his head in disappointment, declared, "Shieb, if you dare deceive me again, I'll hand you over to the Beastkin as a boy toy!"

As he spoke, he subtly glanced at Aliza.

Our Aliza, behaving like a well-fed toddler, was happily gnawing on a basket of dried beef. Hearing Steve's words, he blinked, "What's a boy toy!? Is it edible? Or is it for playing? That big fleshy blob probably isn't good to eat, but it should be fun to play with!"

"Young Master Steve, how could I ever dare to deceive you! You must believe your humble servant!" Hearing Aliza's comment, Harri shriveled in fright into a corner, his face a mask of injustice. "You know, we Shieb are good for nothing, but this nose of ours is the only thing we can boast about in front of others. Yes, I am a contemptible Shieb, but I would never use my sole pride to mislead you!"

"Enough, Big Brother!" Du Chen, having detected no anomalies himself, said impatiently, "It's just one woman. Forget about her; there are plenty of beauties waiting to welcome you inside the city!"

"No, no! Stop the carriage!" Steve waved his hand with utmost seriousness. "My dear brother, you don't understand! With Big Brother's years of experience, a woman who exudes a natural body fragrance is always a top-tier, beautiful virgin! How can such an opportunity be missed! Harri, describe the scent in detail. And the location! If you're not clear, you will absolutely become Aliza's boy toy!"

Harri took several more deep breaths. "Young Master Steve, your experience is indeed boundless, and your servant holds you in utmost reverence! The salty tang of the sea, the stench of merchants' rotting goods, and the sweat of soldiers—none of these can mask this maiden's delicate fragrance. It's like... a faint violet blossom scent, very elegant, refreshing to the heart, and utterly devoid of vulgarity!"

Steve's eyes lit up at Harri's description. He urged, "Keep sniffing! Find me the exact location of this beauty right away! If you handle this well, Young Master will set you free! Otherwise..." He cast a glance at Aliza, who was still gnawing on dried beef.

"Yes, yes!" Harri rejoiced, quickly sticking his head out of the carriage and sniffing vigorously.

Du Chen, meanwhile, leaned disinterestedly against Aliza, sharing his dried beef.

Women...

Dammit...

Daoist Grape...

I hate you!

A moment later, Harri's face was flushed. His frantic, continuous sniffing had left him breathless. He pulled his head back into the carriage, eyes closed, and spoke as he continued to sniff: "This woman's scent is hidden beneath a fishy odor, but it's a very strange fishy smell—not blood, nor rotting goods. Young Master, your humble servant truly is helpless now. I've tried my best, truly I have."

"Just a little more effort!" Steve gazed at him, filled with hope.

"I can only confirm one thing: the woman is moving towards the city gate, very slowly. Hmm... probably less than two hundred meters from us!"

He could smell *that* out? What the hell, his nose was better than a dog's! Du Chen, unable to suppress his curiosity once more, pulled back the curtain to look outside.

There was only one main road leading to the city gate, and with the distance narrowed to just over two hundred meters, the scope was quite small. Within this specific range, only a few figures could be seen: mercenaries carrying weapons, merchants pushing carts, and a cleric with a sack on his back...

A cleric with a sack? Could *that* be her? But Du Chen immediately dismissed his own thought. Although the cleric was rather slight, the difference between a man and a woman was easy to discern. Since the cleric was clearly male, then the woman? A cleric carrying a sack?

A sudden jolt struck Du Chen. As a First-Class Cleric of the Enforcement Temple, he knew that members of the Holy Church wielded great power across the Three Continents. For instance, if they were traveling with goods and encountered slaves from the lowest strata of society, they could compel those slaves to carry their burdens.

In short, few clerics ever performed such arduous labor themselves.

This cleric was suspicious!

Du Chen scrutinized him again. The sack on the cleric's back was indeed very large and bulging, and with every step, he seemed to struggle immensely.

Steve noticed it too. Grabbing Du Chen's hand, both jumped down from the carriage. "Francis, come with me. That old geezer is trouble."

The two brothers rushed up to the cleric just as he reached the drawbridge.

"Hey, esteemed cleric, aren't you tired carrying such a large sack?" Du Chen stepped forward swiftly, clapping one hand on the cleric's shoulder while his other hand quickly brushed against the sack.

It felt soft and remarkably elastic to the touch. What a sin, what a grave sin! Inside the sack was a woman! And it was stuffed with cotton, so outsiders wouldn't discern a human form. But it could just as easily suffocate someone to death!

The cleric turned around, revealing an old man. His short, grizzled hair suggested he was in his sixties or seventies, but he possessed a pair of shifty, triangular eyes, thin lips, and a tuft of upward-curling goatee. One glance was enough to tell that this old rascal must have been a scoundrel in his youth.

Though one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, everyone had to admit there were some people who, at first sight, inspired a primal urge to flog them. This old man was precisely such a person.

"Oh, young brother, what can I do for you?" Seeing Du Chen's benevolent expression, the old man suppressed the discontent in his heart, a bright smile spreading across his wrinkled face.

"Nothing much, just curious, old sir. What do you have in that sack on your back?"

At that moment, Steve nodded to Du Chen, signaling that he had already probed the old man and confirmed he was no master fighter.

The old charlatan offered a faint smile. "Nothing at all, just some cotton. I'm quite old, you see, I can't carry anything too heavy. My apologies, but I have urgent business and must be going!" As he spoke, he started to address the checkpoint guards.

"Stop!" Steve snatched the sack with a swift move. The moment his hands assessed its weight, his experience from having embraced countless noble young ladies instantly told him: inside was a rather slender young woman!

"Which family's young master are you? Have you no manners?" The old charlatan roared in fury, reaching out to grab the sack back. "Return it to me! Or else..."

"Or else what? Hmph, old man, you dare to traffic women!" Du Chen bellowed right in front of the city gate. Instantly, all those entering the city were drawn to the commotion.

The old charlatan's face clouded with shifting emotions, then he raged, "Nonsense! I've lived my life with a clear conscience; when have I ever committed such a despicable act!?"

"Ha! Still denying it? Everyone, come take a look! Does this look like cotton?" Du Chen loudly called for the crowd to gather, while secretly chuckling to himself. A good deed was at hand, and with so many onlookers, who knew, he might even earn himself the title of 'the Virtue of Antwerp Port'!

People quickly converged, surrounding Du Chen and his companions. With Antwerp Port's constant flow of merchants and travelers, the gathering crowd grew increasingly massive.

Du Chen pointed at the old charlatan and shouted indignantly, "Everyone, look! This old man, in broad daylight, is impersonating a Holy Church cleric and abducting a woman into the city..."

"You... you scoundrel!" The old charlatan's goatee quivered with rage, and he snatched at Du Chen's hand.

*Hmm*, this old man's grip was weak; he wasn't a tough nut to crack. And his clothes weren't luxurious, so he likely had no powerful backing. This good deed was definitely happening.

"What? You want to get physical? Still trying to deny it?" Du Chen shook off the old charlatan's hand and signaled Steve to place the sack on the ground. He gripped the mouth of the sack with both hands, scanned the onlookers, and declared, "Today, I will make everyone here a witness to your shamelessness!"