Chapter 14: Squirrel's Tail

"I didn't mean to lie to you. Yingzui City wasn't so strict with foreigners when I came last time."

Xia'er's face flushed red, annoyed that she had provided wrong information.

Mali instead comforted her, "It doesn't matter, it's just a few worthless things. Those guards also said they would return them. They might be so vigilant because something happened in the city recently."

Pausing, he added, "When do you plan to see the City Lord?"

"Well... let me think. We can find a place to settle down first. The city gate is about to close. We have to spend the night in the city at least tonight. After I find a place to stay, I will go to see Lord Belstein. You can wait for me at the inn."

"Then do you have any recommended inns?"

"Squirrel's Tail," Xia'er answered quickly, "Dad stayed there when he was an adventurer. He said the beds there are soft, the price is reasonable, and they can provide a free cup of ale for every guest.

"And next door is the Jinliyu Tavern. They have the best fish jelly and fish balls in the whole Jiadelan. Dad took me to eat there once when I was a child. Have you eaten carp?"

"I have. Many places along the Yellow River have a tradition of eating carp."

"What is... the Yellow River?"

"It's a big river that passes through my hometown. It has another name called the Mother River."

"That's great," the half-elf girl envied, "It's not easy to see carp on the Leiwateleisi Continent. It is said that the carp in the Jinliyu were brought back from the West Continent by the tavern owner from thousands of miles away, and the recipes for fish jelly and fish balls are also exclusive secrets of the West Continent. Let's go there to eat when I come back!"

"I have no opinion."

"Then it's a deal. I'll treat you to this trip!" The half-elf girl patted her chest generously, "You saved me before and let me eat several... those canned goods. Please be sure to let me repay you well. All your expenses in Yingzui City will be covered by me!"

"Won't it be too extravagant?"

"Not at all, I brought a lot of money on this trip! Village Chief Daimengde also gave me some travel expenses. It's enough for us to stay comfortably in Yingzui City for a few days!!"

Xia'er found a passerby to ask about the location of Squirrel's Tail, and then the two walked toward that side.

Yingzui City wasn't big, with a total of only two city districts. The old city district, with Zhandou Castle and Fengrao Temple as the main body, was inhabited by nobles, the rich, and some clergy.

And the new city district where Mali and the others were now was mixed with fish and dragons. Commoners, adventurers, serfs and criminals who fled from other places, careerists and frustrated people... gathered here, injecting vitality into this border town while also bringing chaos.

The two walked a few steps on the street full of mud and cow dung and witnessed a conflict.

A group of adventurers carrying weapons suddenly rushed into a dwarf blacksmith shop. The leading warrior angrily threw a broken sword with a gorgeous shape in front of the dwarf blacksmith.

Afterward, the two sides had a fierce argument, which soon evolved into a physical conflict. The warrior grabbed the red beard on the dwarf blacksmith's chin, but didn't expect that with just a little force, he actually tore them all off.

The crowd first burst into a burst of exclamations, and then laughed one after another.

The half-elf girl also widened her eyes, "Wow, a gnome! The boss of the Dwarf's Hammer is actually a gnome!"

After sighing, she didn't forget to explain to Mali, "Gnomes and dwarves are very similar in appearance, but gnomes even claim that their ancestors are close relatives, but dwarves don't agree with this statement. In fact, besides looking alike, they have almost nothing in common.

"Dwarves are good at smelting and fighting, while gnomes prefer drama and performance. They possess very excellent performance talents. I heard my dad say before that some gnomes would impersonate dwarves to cheat on the continent.

"It's also very easy to distinguish them. Dwarves all have beards, while gnomes, regardless of male or female, are bare-chinned. Speaking of which, this trick of sticking on a beard is too despicable! Where did he find such a big handful of dwarf beard? Dwarves value beards more than their lives."

Seeing the disguise exposed, the gnome immediately put away the look of rage on his face, and while the warrior and his friends were still stunned, he turned and fled, plunging into the crowd.

He ran past Mali and Xia'er, and even winked at Mali, muttering something in his mouth.

"What did he say?"

"Good boots!" the half-elf girl said.

Mali looked down at the hiking boots he got for zero yuan from Decathlon, "Let's go too."

Ten minutes later, the two successfully found the Squirrel's Tail inn.

The huge oak sign hanging on the second floor helped a lot, and one could see the furry tail painted on it from afar.

The innkeeper was a human woman in her early forties. Although time had left many traces on her, one could still see that she should have been a beauty when she was young.

When Mali and Xia'er entered, she was chatting with a man wearing a gray cloak, three swords hanging at his waist, and several scars on his face.

However, upon seeing Mali, her gaze was quickly attracted.

It wasn't until the half-elf girl tapped the counter twice that she retracted her gaze.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Give us the two best rooms here!" Xia'er deliberately lowered her voice to make herself sound more mature.

"Okay, two silver shields a night."

"Two silver shields?!" The half-elf girl was startled, "What kind of black shop is this? Just for one night, two rooms cost two silver shields. Do you treat us as fat sheep from the countryside who don't understand anything?"

"One room."

"What?"

"One room costs two silver shields, including two meals, equipped with feather pillows and mattresses, and professional service for distinguished guests."

The landlady smiled and pointed to the wooden sign behind her, "I know there are many people in the city who don't do business honestly, but everything here is clearly marked, and you look like experienced veterans with extraordinary skills. I never meant to look down on you."

This made Xia'er feel a bit embarrassed, scratching her head, "We are planning to go to the Jinliyu next door to eat fish jelly and fish balls... so we don't need the inn to provide food."

"Then I recommend you choose ordinary guest rooms. Two rooms cost 60 copper Krun coins in total, with mattresses made of pea pods, straw, and wool, which are just as comfortable to sleep on. And we also provide a free cup of ale for every guest who checks in."

"I can prove this point." The scarred man on the side agreed.

"Then we want two ordinary guest rooms." The half-elf girl emphasized again, "We are not unable to afford the best rooms, we just don't want to waste food."

"I understand." The landlady looked at Mali, who was looking at the inn's decoration, and lowered her voice, "Actually, you can stay in one room. Our beds here are very spacious."

"What?!!" Xia'er was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, jumping up from the ground, waving her hands repeatedly, "I... we are not that kind of relationship!"

"Oh, sorry, I misunderstood." The landlady blinked. ===== CHAPTER 15 =====