Stranger Danger

Chapter 616: Impending Danger

“Five hundred silver?”

Ye Qing gasped a little. That was two thousand and five hundred silver in total. Simply insane!

With that much money, he could eat abalone, shark fin soup and all the expensive food every day, and it would still take him three to five years before he used them all.

“But! If you order ‘Nine Suns Scorching Heaven’ and ‘Wind Flower Snow Moon’ together, then it will cost only one thousand and five hundred silver. It’s a massive discount!” The female attendant added.

“Haha...” What else could he do but laugh? It was admittedly a massive discount, but it was still a meal that cost one thousand and five hundred silvers! Eating food? No, he was eating money!

In his estimation, he was only going to spend three to five hundred silver at this place. But now, a single meal was going to cost him one thousand and five hundred silver. This was before lodging and the money he might spend at tomorrow’s auction too!

They all said that it was easier to make a living as a Hill Carrier than a robber. He finally understood why.

“So? What is your decision, customer?” The female attendant asked.

How about no? Ye Qing thought in his head. I may be rich, but being rich and being wasteful are two completely different things!

“Ahem... I think I’m just going to order a couple of ordinary dishes and a jar of fine wine.” Ye Qing replied a little meekly before explaining himself in a hurry, “I need to save the rest for tomorrow’s Treasure Appreciation Auction, you know?”

“Sure. Please give me a moment,” The female attendant replied smilingly. Although Ye Qing did not take her up on her offer, she did not disrespect him or act disdainful in any way.

“Oh right, do you have a sweet-tasting wine that is also low alcohol? If you do, then please bring me a jar as well,” Ye Qing added. He had almost forgotten about Giggle.

“Yes, we do. Your order will be served very quickly.”

After the female attendant was gone, Ye Qing released Giggle from the Dragon Nursing Net.

As soon as the little guy appeared, it immediately circled around the room while stretching its arm wide like a bird. Its laughter resounded throughout the room.

After it was done satisfying its curiosity, it sat at the window sill and examined the crowd below quietly. It seemed to be listening to the customers’ conversation and searching for someone.

As promised, the meal was served just a short while later. There were three dishes, one soup and two jars of wine. Both the food and the wine were perfectly ordinary, but it still cost Ye Qing over eighty silver. It was an expensive meal to say the least.

At least the food was delicious, and the wine was rich and sweet. For a traveler who was weary from their journey and had to eat and sleep in the open for heavens-know-how-long, this was practically divine.

“Let’s drink, Giggle.”

After the female attendant left, Ye Qing poured Giggle a cup of Honey Flower Brew.

Honey Flower Brew was brewed using a very special spirit flower known as the Honey Flower. Its pollen was sweet like honey, and the wine brewed from its flower shared the same taste and floral scent. It was why it was an excellent wine for children and old people.

A hint of sorrow flickered in Giggle’s eyes as it looked away from the dining hall. But when it saw the Honey Flower Brew, it perked up immediately and jumped onto the table. When it gave the Honey Flower Brew a sniff and a tentative lick, its eyes immediately curled into happy crescents. Without hesitation, it hugged the wine cup and lapped up the wine to its heart’s content.

Giggle’s happiness was infectious, and Ye Qing felt happy as well. His hunger caught up to him, and he began engorging himself on the food and wine.

......

“Are you sure they’re in there, Dream Master?”

The speaker was a thin, short, wizened man with a bluish black complexion and a head so sharp that it looked like a pencil.

The man had a weak appearance, but that couldn’t be further away from reality. Every inch of his skin and muscle was hard and tough like it was forged from pure metal. The way it glimmered dark in the light also looked quite intimidating.

“Yes, the thief is there. I can sense Nanke’s aura from it.”

Next to the thin man, another man dressed in white robes answered. He had a sweet, melodious voice that made it sound like he was singing. Just the few words he spoke was enough to elicit a positive reaction from anyone.

He wasn’t exactly male either. To be accurate, he possessed both the handsomeness of a man and the attractiveness of a woman. His face was so extraordinarily beautiful that he almost looked divine. His beauty was such that it almost transcended the concept of gender itself.

“Wonderful. We will finally have his head and the item he stole from us!”

An exceptionally tall and muscular man uttered savagely. He was half a body taller than most, and he was wearing a bloodthirsty grin on his face. “For the crime of robbing The People of the Divine[1], the thief shall pay in blood!”

As he said this, a crimson hue covered up his eyes, and killing intent thick enough to be tangible rolled out of his body. He got ready himself to charge the Hill of Services.

“Calm down, Slaughterer,” said a young woman as she blocked in front of Slaughterer. She had a wholesome figure, and she was wearing a dress with ribbons flying all around her. She was quite beautiful.

“Why are you stopping me, Dancer[2]?” The brawny man immediately glared at the woman. The way the crimson hue in his eyes churned resembled that of a sea of blood.

“Why don’t you look at the place in front of you—like, really give it a look—before you rush forward like a bull?” Dancer said softly.

“And why should I? Are you suggesting that a couple of puny ants could lay a hand against me?!” Slaughterer scoffed with dripping disdain.

“Idiot.” The thin man snorted.

“You got something to say to me, Earth Walker?” Slaughterer took one step toward the thin man and glared down on him from above. Blood was starting to slide down his cheeks, and it gave him the appearance of a ghoul.

The thin man didn’t look intimidated in the slightest, however. “Yes. You’re an absolute buffoon, you know that?”

Before the two could clash, Dream Master spoke up, “Enough. We have business to do.”

His melodious voice was like magic. As soon as he spoke up, the savagery and impatience in Slaughterer’s eyes immediately started receding until they looked normal once more. At the same time, his rationality returned to him.

“That is the Hill Carrier, and the Hill Carrier is no weakling. We do not need to fear him, but there is no reason for us to offend him either.”

Dream Master analyzed, “Also, I believe that tomorrow is the Hill Carrier’s triennial Treasure Appreciation Auction, so the Hill of Services must be full with jianghu warriors right now. At least some of them have to be capable warriors, and if we cause too much of a commotion, we may bring unnecessary trouble upon ourselves. Worst case scenario, we might even alert our quarry and allow him to escape.”

“What the hell should we do then?” Slaughterer seemed to be afraid of Dream Master because he dared not throw his tantrum in front of the man. Instead, he vented his impatience and frustration by walking in circles.

“For now, inaction seems to be the best course of action,” Dream Master said slowly.

“... You’re saying we should hide outside the entrance and catch the thief when he reappears?” Slaughterer guessed.

“No, I’m saying we should enter the Hill of Services.”

Dream Master said gently, “One, we need to confirm the thief’s identity and figure them out as much as possible. Only by knowing our enemy can we guarantee victory.”

“Second, the Treasure Appreciation Auction is held only once every three years. I’m sure that we will find many valuable treasures. It is not an opportunity we should miss.”

“Last I remembered, neither of us have brought much money with us.” Dancer frowned.

“And since when do we have need for money?” Earth Walker said in a low, raspy voice as a sneer spread across his face.

“Earth Walker is right. Someone will pay for us.” Dream Master smiled, and it was as if he was standing on a bed of flowers.

“Hahaha! Now that’s what I like to hear!” Slaughterer too cracked his fists and laughed savagely.

Earth Walker, Dancer and Dream Master exchanged a glance with each other before they began laughing as well. It sounded like a chorus that resounded throughout the plains.

1. The organization where Ye Qing took Nanke from. You know, the Nagas etc. ☜

2. Not to be confused with the extremely dead Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 of the Way of Taiping. ☜