Lord of the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 109: Right of Permanent Residence

This Mare Inn wasn't difficult to find, surprisingly its location was on the east side near the Lord's Fortress. That is to say, on one end of the wooden houses that entirely made up the civilian district.

From a certain perspective, this was actually a prime location. Being adjacent to the Lord's Fortress didn't just casually mean enjoying a favorable position.

One could imagine that centuries ago, the castle builders, after a tiring day, would come to the nascent Tavern to enjoy good food and raise a toast to drink. With the firelight flickering in the fireplace, their laughter and singing could travel very, very far into the silent night.

Even amidst the glint and flash of cold steel, and despite all the deceit and trickery, it still could not compare to a touch of softness deep within human hearts, even if it only existed for a brief fleeting moment.

However, it was very quiet here now. There weren't even any lights. Had the sky not still been bright, he might not have even found it.

In fact, the scale of this Mare Inn was not small. Within this cramped castle, it was a two-story stone building. It was evident that its original builder had put quite a bit of thought into it. Whether it was the choice of stones or the architectural style, it possessed quite an artistic atmosphere. If only the lights were lit at night...

Wait, it couldn't have closed down permanently.

Li Wei turned his head and looked at the Lord's Fortress about fifty meters away. Over there, however, it was brightly lit. It was bustling with human voices, and there were even sounds of musical instruments. It seemed the Lord was throwing a banquet.

What a massive contrast! Li Wei was a bit disappointed. Thanks to those games and movies, he had always expected to see a bustling crowd, a sexy landlady, hot waitresses, drink a cup of cheap beer, and shout a toast to Sovngarde amidst the songs of bards!

"Forget it. In this day and age, having a place to stay is good enough."Li Wei looked up at the sky. Dense, dark clouds were gathering in the northwest. Was it going to rain?

"Creak!"

He stepped forward and pushed open the tightly closed door of the inn. The door wasn't locked and was even somewhat decayed. However, after pushing it open, all he could see was darkness, along with flying dust and cobwebs.

It was deathly silent inside, making him momentarily think he had come to the wrong place.

Moreover, there was a uniquely rotting smell here, like a place where corpses were hidden.

"Guest from afar, are you looking for lodging?"

At this time, from deep within the dark room, an aged, hoarse, and peculiar voice drifted out, making him feel exceedingly uncomfortable.

"Click! Clack!"

It was the sound of striking flint. After a long while, a glimmer of firelight appeared, and subsequently, a candle was lit. Li Wei braced himself and walked inside, only to unexpectedly discover that it was quite spacious in here. Assorted crude tables and chairs were randomly haphazardly arranged, seemingly still preserving the scene from the last revelry.

Yes, there was no mistake. This truly was an inn that simultaneously functioned as a Tavern, yet it had deteriorated to such a point under the ravages of the Plague!

Li Wei sized up his surroundings. He saw an old woman wrapped in an robes standing behind the counter. That stench, akin to a living corpse, emanated off her.

Could it be she was currently infected with the Plague?

Li Wei was slightly surprised, but he wasn't particularly afraid. He was just curious, because this was still the first sick person with Plague symptoms he had encountered in Kakh City.

As for the others, although they were skinny, poor, dirty, and smelly, none of them exhibited Plague infection symptoms. This was because they had already been entirely filtered through one round.

"Perhaps this is down to individual differences, but because of this, with the landlady not dying, even those who gained immunity do not dare to come here anymore."

Li Wei thought of a possibility.

As for that Tax Collector, he might have been setting a trap for him, or it could simply be that this was truly Kakh City's sole place offering accommodation for outsiders.

"Rumble!"

A burst of thunder rang out, followed by the pattering sound of rain. Thus, the first rain of this spring had abruptly arrived.

Li Wei sighed. Now he didn't even have his last sliver of a retreat path left. And that woman just remained unmoving behind the counter, not uttering a word. The scene looked bizarre, yet it was permeated with desolation and misery.

After a long time like this, Li Wei spoke in a deep voice, "I wish to stay for a night. Are there any clean rooms? I don't need food, nor do I need water. Oh, wait, it's fine if the room isn't clean; I can tidy it up myself."

"There are, guest. One silver coin a day. Additionally, as a reminder, if you do not possess Kakh City's entry document, then it is best to go to the Tax Collector every morning to pay the city entrance tax. If you are a Bounty Hunter, you'll also need to go to the Tax Collector to seek suitable tasks. Sometimes, maintaining a good relationship with the Tax Collector will save you a lot of trouble. Also, please proceed to the second floor on your own. Here is a candle; you may take your pick of any room."

Li Wei took the candle, handed over one silver coin, held his breath, and swiftly departed.

The stench emanating from this landlady reminded him of that black-robed Witch; they were somewhat similar.

The second floor of the inn had likewise been uncleaned for a very long time, densely covered in cobwebs and dust. The good news, however, was that this inn's rooms were exceptionally sturdy and windproof. Despite the lightning, thunder, and violent winds outside, he wasn't affected in the slightest.

At this time, Li Wei actually felt incredibly fortunate to have secured lodging in the inn. Otherwise, given his small tent that was already torn open, he would definitely be soaked to the bone like a drowned rat in such wind and rain. The cold and moisture would lower his immunity, and the Plague might seize the opportunity to infiltrate him once more.

However, at the same time, he was somewhat worried about his two acres of winter wheat. Although he had planted over a dozen Scarecrows in the Wheat Field right before his departure this trip, he didn't know if this storm would leave any impacts.

Speaking of which, this rain really is heavy.

Carrying the candle, Li Wei picked a room, nominally tidied it up, put down his pack, and took out his Iron Spear. Placing it within arm's reach, he lay down to rest without undressing.

In the blink of an eye, amidst the sounds of thunder and rain, he entered the land of dreams.

It was unexpectedly sweeter than he had ever experienced.

At dawn, Li Wei rolled over and got up. He immediately felt his entire body was bursting with Strength; his condition was simply at its absolute peak.

He even felt this was absolutely the most comfortable night's sleep he had had in the past few months—no, no, no, since he arrived in this world.

Heaven take pity. Over the past year, he either slept on soil or on floors laid with dried grass. Last winter, ever since he turned his leather mattress into a bow bag, he had constantly slept next to the fireplace.

Therefore, even this very simple wooden bed in this inn was an enjoyment for him.

Opening his waterskin, he carefully drank a few mouthfuls of water. He took the salted fish and some food out of his backpack. This was his breakfast. It wasn't considered abundant, but he ate it with great relish—mainly because he had salted fish.

Once full and hydrated, Li Wei packed up properly, pushed open the door, and went downstairs. However, he saw that the woman from last night was nowhere to be seen. On the contrary, two windows were open, with a rare ray of sunlight shining inside. Astonishingly, outside the window, a few unnamed flowers and plants were swaying in the wind. One could imagine what these flowers and plants would look like blossoming in summer.

If there were no foul smells, no sewage, and no Plague, it would frankly be quite nice.

He didn't think much of it and hastily departed. First, he went to the market, planning to find the caravan boss to purchase today's portion of Table Salt. However, as he passed by the city gate, he discovered there was a ring of people gathered here—including soldiers, militiamen, and civilians; even covering that Tax Collector and the drunken caravan guard from last night.

What the hell? Was this how this guy operated?

Furthermore, they seemed to be crowding around looking at something. When Li Wei pushed his way in, he found that this ring of people was actually looking at a dog's head. It was a wild dog he had shot and killed yesterday, yet he hadn't possessed the interest to sever its dog head to claim the bounty. He didn't know who secretly cut it off, but their technique was actually quite good. Even the placement was extremely professional, allowing anyone to clearly confirm at a single glance that this was outstanding archery.

Now, this entire circle of people was clicking their tongues in praise.

Especially that caravan guard, whose praises were ceaseless. With vivid and descriptive wordings, he was recounting the glorious deed of a certain person flirting with over a hundred wild dogs yesterday evening.

That eloquence, that cadence in his voice, and that thrilling plot.

Even Li Wei was stunned by what he heard. Good heavens. Someone who didn't know would have mistaken this for the reincarnation of Lu Bu or the rebirth of Li Guang.

In short—it was extremely profound.

Just as Li Wei was thinking, that caravan guard finished boasting. He barged straight out of the crowd, grabbed Li Wei's arm, and acted as if Li Wei had become a champion.

"Everyone, this here is the seasoned Bounty Hunter from Weir Province! Let us cheer for him!"

What the hell?

Li Wei was thoroughly bewildered the whole time, but the cheering was truly real, as were the envious, admiring, and curious gazes.

Next, that caravan guard nudged Li Wei's arm and rapidly winked at him.

"What are you dazing off for? Hurry and demonstrate for everyone!"

Demonstrate? Oh, oh, understood! Understood!

Li Wei immediately unslung his Two-Star Composite Bow. He endured and endured, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to draw those two Eagle Feather Arrows. It wasn't worth it; a hardwood arrow would suffice.

At this time, the crowd automatically cleared a firing line. Far away, about seventy meters out, was a hanging wild dog. It was still alive and kicking around randomly.

Holy shit, this significantly ramped up the difficulty!

Old drunkard, you had this much faith?

Li Wei glanced at the caravan guard. The latter kept shooting glances at him; he was only short of shouting the words "Eagle Feather Arrow, Eagle Feather Arrow".

But Li Wei truly couldn't bear to use it.

Taking a deep breath, he gazed distantly at the hanging wild dog. Instantly eliminating all distractions, Li Wei drew a hardwood arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, raised the bow, and in the split second the crowd fell silent, the arrow flew right through, piercing straight into that wild dog's neck.

"Excellent!"

Massive cheering and applause erupted from the crowd, just like celebrating the New Year. Although there was no such festival here, everyone liked to watch a lively event!

So, why be stingy with cheers? Why be stingy with applause?

Li Wei returned smiles around. It seemed from this moment onward, he had become Kakh City's little celebrity.

Furthermore, he finally guessed what the core operation of that caravan guard was.

It was prestige! Of course, it also couldn't do without that old drunkard acting glib, pulling Li Wei to act buddy-buddy with the Tax Collector, discussing archery tips with several soldiers, and particularly talking about the process of killing that blood wolf.

In short, what they spoke was all nonsense, but it was genuinely very useful.

Even though the Tax Collector ultimately didn't reimburse the bounty he embezzled, he stamped Li Wei's city entry document with a seal.

The Right of Permanent Residence was obtained.

From then on, he was half a commoner of Kakh City.

At the same time, lines of information silently drifted out.

[You gained 50 Kakh City Reputation points. Your total reputation has reached 100 points. Your relationship with Kakh City is Friendly. In this place, you are already a slightly renowned Bounty Hunter. Although this will somewhat increase the risk of you being recognized, it will also afford you some extra benefits—such as the favor of noble ladies!]