Chapter 79: Giant Killer

Lan En not only prepared fine wine and food but also found bards and dancers to help with the banquet.

Perhaps because his ancestors were once merchants, and the Ilunwood family is still doing business today, Lan En didn't have much of a noble's airs and chatted happily with many people during the banquet.

Mali then also brought Xia'er forward to toast.

Lan En's eyes swept over Xia'er's ears. "Half-elf? I also had a half-elf wife. They all say that Elves are cold-natured, but... my half-elf wife had a fiery temper when we quarreled."

After saying that, he looked at Mali again. "As for you, you don't look like someone from the Leiwateleisi Continent."

Mali nodded. "I came from another place."

"I bet the alchemy in your hometown must be very powerful. That alchemy creation you parked outside the city gate is very eye-catching. Even my two sons were attracted and secretly ran out to observe it. I heard from my subordinates that it can even walk," Lan En's eyes flickered.

"That's right," Mali said. "I rely on it to do business everywhere."

"Interesting," Lan En drank the remaining wine in the glass. "You should walk around more in the town; Yongran Cheng is a beautiful city."

"Indeed, you have governed this city very prosperously."

"But I guess... what attracts you here is something else."

Mali was about to speak, but was stopped by Lan En with a wave of his hand. He said to the attendant responsible for pouring wine behind him, "Okay, call all the buyers."

The attendant nodded, and after a while, Saiwansi, Fuleidisi, and the other three groups of merchants all came to Lan En's wine table.

Lan En first greeted the old man with a goatee. "Ah, Saiwansi, my old friend, we haven't seen each other for about six or seven years."

"Yes," Saiwansi sighed. "My age is also old, and over the years, I have gradually handed over the business that requires running around to my sons," he pointed to the young man beside him, "This is my youngest son, Pei Lei Si."

"Lord Lan En," Pei Lei Si saluted.

"Aha, but this time Gray Fox Saiwansi still couldn't rest assured and chose to come out in person," Lan En said. "It seems that my goods are still quite attractive to you."

"Not just you, but also Tulip Lai Tuo from Gaoting, Ship King Wei Ke Duo from Shen Shui Gang, Temple Merchant Wuselu, Master Mali from the Rose Alliance, and the Siren Fuleidisi from Kushedao... You are all famous merchants, and now gathered in my Glorious Castle, what an honor. Let's have a drink for this first."

The crowd raised their glasses one after another, only Lai Tuo didn't make any movement. "Famous? I don't think so. I haven't heard of some names at all."

As he spoke, he raised his chin, and his eyes fell on Mali intentionally or unintentionally.

"I did become a merchant not long ago," Mali didn't hide it.

"To be honest, great Lord Lan En, the Ilunwood family should be more cautious in choosing trading partners, at least choose those who are stable, reliable, and have successful experience," Lai Tuo said.

Lan En on the main seat smiled without saying a word.

Xia'er couldn't help it first and refuted, "Who says we don't have successful experience? We sold honey wine to the Dwarf clan of Shuang Qiu Shan, and did fur trade..."

A burst of laughter came from the crowd, and Lai Tuo also raised his eyebrows, mocking, "My apprentice can also do the things you said."

"I... we also won the Wealth Trial and killed a Cyclops."

This sentence of the half-elf girl made the hall quiet. Lai Tuo's expression also changed, and after a while, he snorted coldly, "The champion of this year's Wealth Trial came out long ago, and I happen to know him. As for the Cyclops, it is even more absurd."

"How long has it been since a Cyclops appeared on the Leiwateleisi Continent? Even if you want to lie, you should make up a decent lie."

"I didn't lie," Xia'er said. "We have photos as proof."

Mali took out his mobile phone, opened the album, found the Cyclops corpse, and showed it to Lan En and others.

Among them was a comparison picture of the dog-headed man standing in front of it, which could intuitively feel how huge the Cyclops's body was.

"Gods above, that really is a Cyclops. Look at his fingers, they are as thick as my arms!"

"What a magical alchemy creation, it can actually leave images."

"How many guards does it take to defeat a legendary Cyclops?"

"They really killed a Cyclops!"

"…………"

The guests whispered, and the eyes looking at Mali and Xia'er also became different from before.

Lai Tuo wanted to say that a caravan is not about who can fight better, but thinking of the Cyclops corpse in the photo, he swallowed this sentence back.

The red-haired female merchant Fuleidisi seemed to be more interested in Mali. She said, "You don't have a nickname yet, why not call you Giant Killer? It sounds very majestic."

Mali refused. "I am a merchant and alchemist, not a murderer."

"So what? I am also a merchant, and it doesn't prevent them from calling me Red-haired Siren. I quite like this nickname," Fuleidisi paused and smiled again. "And Siren and killer, we should get along quite well."

Hearing her words, Xia'er subconsciously tightened the hand holding Mali again.

Lan En raised his glass, drawing a period for this small dispute. "Oh, what are you still doing? That was a Cyclops! Gods above, let's toast to the warrior who killed him!"

The crowd raised their wine glasses again. This time, even Lai Tuo drank a sip reluctantly.

Lan En waited for them to put down their glasses before continuing. "I know why you are all here. I don't like to cover up, so I'll just get straight to the point."

"Tar, our production this year is not much. I believe you can see that most of the birch forests around Yongran Cheng have been cut down."

"I let those little bastards plant new trees, but new trees won't grow overnight. So I told the people below that we must reduce production, otherwise the fire on the outskirts of Yongran Cheng will eventually go out one day."

His gaze swept over the several merchants present. "This is not aimed at any of you, just the price paid for past greed."

"The Ilunwood family has always valued reputation, and the orders signed before will still be delivered on time, but," he drank wine again, "we really don't have much stock left to sell. If you are willing to wait another two days, I can squeeze out one hundred barrels for you at most."

"But there are six of us," Lai Tuo said. "If one hundred barrels are divided equally, each person only has ten or so barrels."

"I can understand, this is a bit too little, right? So I decided to provide you with another solution," Lan En's small eyes flashed with cunning light.

"You are all my friends. Some have been doing business with me for a long time, and some I just met, but I like them very much. I can't favor one over the other."

"How about this? I can give you a base price, hmm, let's say 3 Gold Deers a barrel. On this basis, you can tell me your bids privately. Tomorrow night, still here, whoever has the higher price, I will sell those one hundred barrels of tar to."