The six of them got four rooms. Anya, being a girl, got a room to herself. Wang Chao, as the captain, also got a separate room, though he had originally planned on sharing with Ling Xiao.
The return of his lost strength made Wang Chao overjoyed, but also a bit insecure. He was constantly afraid that his recovery was only temporary, so he felt that staying by Ling Xiao's side at all times was the safest option.
But for some unknown reason, the usually quiet Tang Ming requested to share a room with Ling Xiao, and Wang Chao had no choice but to agree.
"Ling Xiao, let's go down for a drink," Tang Ming invited, his handsome face sincere as he looked at Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao got the feeling that ever since they'd met today, Tang Ming had something he wanted to ask but just couldn't bring himself to say it. Although Ling Xiao was a bit puzzled, he wasn't about to press the issue. Seeing the invitation for a drink, Ling Xiao, who still felt he didn't know enough about this world, readily agreed.
Wutan Town was densely populated and fell under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Capital. As such, its level of prosperity was in no way inferior to the Imperial Capital's.
Moreover, since it was a necessary stop on the way to adventurous hotspots like West Lake and the Vendia Great Snow Mountain, it attracted a large number of Adventurers and members of Mercenary Corps, causing all sorts of businesses to flourish.
Of course, the places most beloved by Adventurers were the bars where they could get a drink.
Adventurers and Mercenaries lived a life of constant danger, often not knowing if they'd see the next day. So, whenever they had money, they would drink the best wine, eat the best food, and enjoy the company of the youngest, prettiest girls!
Few Adventurers saved money. Unless they had a family, no one would be foolish enough to save for a tomorrow they might never see.
Not far from their inn was a large bar with a name that had not a shred of creativity: the Adventurer's Bar. There were probably countless bars with the same name across the continent. Most Adventurers were hot-blooded and short-tempered. If you gave a bar a pretentious name, something like the "Alice Bar," it might attract some nobles with their refined tastes in the Imperial Capital. But in a place swarming with Adventurers, many of the burly men would likely just spit on the sign, grind their boots on it, and curse, "That's a place for sissies!"
The bar wasn't too crowded at the moment, nor was it as rowdy as one might expect. The lighting was just very dim. Most people were minding their own business, and no one paid any attention to the arrival of the two strangers, Ling Xiao and Tang Ming. To the people here, anyone who wasn't a companion was a stranger.
Tang Ming lowered his voice and said to Ling Xiao, "In here, don't ever meddle in other people's business. This place is full of all sorts of characters, and the owner of this bar is incredibly powerful! So, no matter what you see, stay out of it!"
Seeing the extremely cautious look on Tang Ming's handsome face, Ling Xiao nodded. To be honest, he was probably even less inclined to stir up trouble than Tang Ming. As long as no one provoked him, Ling Xiao wouldn't go looking for a fight.
The two found a quiet spot to sit down. The solid wood chairs were polished smooth with age, giving them a heavy, historical feel. When a server came over, Tang Ming expertly ordered two glasses of the cheaper alcohol. The server didn't seem to mind; after all, not every Adventurer's pockets were full.
"We pass through here about twice a year," Tang Ming said calmly, taking a sip of the slightly cloudy, low-proof alcohol.
In Tang Ming's eyes, one could see a world-weariness that didn't match his age. The life of an Adventurer wasn't as wonderful as many naive young girls imagined. No matter how grand the tales of slaying dragons were, they were still just tales. Real adventuring life had little room for romance.
"Can I ask you a question?" Tang Ming picked up his glass, downed it in one go, then looked at Ling Xiao and asked, "This sword you're carrying—where did you get it?"
Ling Xiao froze. He suddenly recalled the strange expression on Shangguan Yutong's face when he'd told his teacher he was going adventuring with Wang Chao. 'Could it be that they know each other?' he wondered. Ling Xiao thought for a moment. Since Shangguan Yutong hadn't mentioned it herself, it wasn't his place to say much.
He paused for a moment before replying, "A friend lent it to me."
Tang Ming seemed to have expected Ling Xiao's answer. He shook his head with a bitter smile and muttered to himself, "She's still the same, heh... Never liked people prying into her life." A self-deprecating, bitter smile touched his lips as he added, "The one who lent you the sword... it was a woman, wasn't it?"
He immediately felt he had been too forward and continued, "Never mind. You don't have to say anything. I understand." He sighed, then mumbled in a barely audible voice, "'If only I had a High-level Sword Skill... sigh...'"
Ling Xiao was speechless, the muscles in his face twitching. 'You might understand, but I'm still completely in the dark,' he thought. Still, since Tang Ming wasn't elaborating, he wouldn't press him for answers.
Tang Ming seemed to be in a foul mood. After ordering a few more drinks, his eyes became a little bloodshot, and a flush appeared on his pale face. He didn't start rambling like most people do when they've had too much to drink. Tang Ming was a man of few words, and Ling Xiao wasn't much of a talker either. The two quiet types just went back and forth like that, and surprisingly, they ended up drinking quite a lot.
If the server hadn't noticed that Ling Xiao's clothes didn't look like those of someone with no money, he probably would have been afraid to keep serving them. No matter how cheap the alcohol was, it couldn't hold up against such heavy drinking.
Suddenly, a noisy commotion erupted in the bar. Ling Xiao looked up and saw three men sitting at a table about ten meters away. One of them was as tall as a giant, well over two meters, and looked to be close to three hundred pounds. Just his presence was intimidating. He was reaching for a skinny man in black clothes beside him, roaring, "You little punk! Are you fucking tired of living? You dare bump into me?! I'll kill you!"
But the small, black-clad person was extremely agile. Like a slippery eel, they dodged left and right, never moving too far away, as if they were toying with the giant.
The other two men just sat there, grinning as they watched the show, with no intention of helping.
Seeing Ling Xiao look over, Tang Ming said flatly, "Don't watch. It's nothing interesting. This kind of thing isn't rare at all. Besides, those guys are Mercenaries!"
Mercenaries. They looked no different from Adventurers, because in essence, they were the same kind of people.
But in reality, almost no Adventurer was willing to provoke a Mercenary. It was considered perfectly normal for a Tier One Great Sword Master who was a Mercenary to throw his weight around in front of Tier Two or even Tier Three Adventurers. When faced with such a situation, the vast majority of Adventurers would choose to carefully avoid them. If they couldn't, they still wouldn't easily start a conflict.
This was because Mercenaries were often backed by a powerful organization. Provoking one was the same as provoking a whole group. Adventurers might be hot-blooded, but they weren't idiots. It wasn't worth making a powerful enemy for no reason.
Furthermore, during the process of hunting Magical Beasts, danger was inevitable. If they encountered each other and offered some help, it could serve as a safety net for the future. Thus, Adventurers and Mercenaries had always maintained a delicate relationship of mutual non-interference. Of course, the Mercenaries were always a bit more arrogant.
The giant man seemed to have gotten fed up with being toyed with. With a flash, he drew the greatsword from his waist, its cold blade gleaming. The surrounding people cried out in alarm and scattered, watching from a safe distance.
The short, black-clad person seemed to realize they'd gone too far and got up to run. The giant man swung his sword, and a brilliant light erupted in the dim bar. Someone cried out in shock, "A Great Sword Master!"
The short, black-clad person was quick on their feet and ran directly toward Ling Xiao and Tang Ming. But they were a step too slow. The giant man's Sword Qi struck their right shoulder, and a spray of blood filled the air. The short person let out a muffled grunt—the sound surprisingly crisp—and stumbled straight toward Ling Xiao, falling into his arms.
The giant man on the other side roared, "Where do you think you're going!" He charged over, greatsword raised, yelling, "Anyone not involved, get the hell out of my way!"
Ling Xiao instinctively reached out to push the short person away, but his hands landed on something unexpectedly soft and round. The short, black-clad figure in his arms let out a soft whimper and looked up, glaring at Ling Xiao with fury.
Ling Xiao yelled, "Watch out!" He threw himself to the ground, pulling the short, black-clad person down with him. The giant man's greatsword came crashing down on the chair that had stood there for who-knows-how-many-years, neatly cleaving the sturdy piece of furniture in two.
The onlookers let out a collective sigh of disappointment. It wasn't because they were worried for Ling Xiao, but because they were disappointed not to have seen a spray of blood...
The giant was furious that his strike had missed. He snarled at Ling Xiao, "Dammit, you little punk! You dare meddle in my business? Are you looking to die?!"
Just then, the short, black-clad person gave Ling Xiao a hard shove with both hands and darted away like a wisp of smoke. The giant, however, was blocked by the table and chair he had just destroyed. He flew into a rage, glaring at Ling Xiao and roaring, "I'm gonna slaughter you!"
The greatsword in his hand let out a WHOOSH as it unleashed a slash of Sword Qi at Ling Xiao. A cold light flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes. He had frozen a moment ago because he'd just realized the short, black-clad person was a girl. Seeing this giant try to kill someone without a second thought, rage flared in his heart. 'Does he really think I'm a pushover?!'
Just as Ling Xiao was about to draw his Fine Willow Sword, Tang Ming had already drawn his longsword, steadily blocking the giant's heavy, powerful blow. The two swords met with a sharp CLANG. Tang Ming, showing no trace of drunkenness, looked at the giant and said in a low voice, "Friend, this has nothing to do with my friend. How about you do me a favor and let this go?"
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I'm rolling on the floor, shamelessly begging for you to add this to your collection and give a recommendation! Friends, if each of you could spare a vote, just move your finger and help Xiaodao get more recommendations! Thank you, thank you!