Chapter 113: Green Blood

"Any suitable squads?"

Chaputun looked at the black-haired young man in front of him, a look of surprise on his face.

"It's Hunting Day, after all." Xia Nan sat on the wooden chair in front of the bar, his expression helpless. "I only found out today when I went to the Association that I have to meet the condition of a four-person squad."

"Otherwise, they won't even let me accept the mission."

Although he had learned the concept of "Hunting Day" through the adventurers in the tavern and had urgently learned information related to it through various channels.

But after all, time was short, and he had ultimately made a mistake on this common knowledge that was "well-known" to local adventurers.

"It's fine; Hunting Day has only just begun, and the vast majority of squads are still in town. It won't take long."

Chaputun wiped a glass and comforted him.

Xia Nan had stayed in the tavern for such a long time, and almost every meal was solved here; to him, it had almost exceeded the concept of a "regular customer."

The relationship between the two, even if it couldn't be called close friends, was far beyond others.

In fact, as the owner of the "Baishanque Tavern," where a large number of adventurers come and go year-round.

Being recognized by him was already very difficult.

After all, only by surviving multiple missions and obtaining generous rewards could one have the confidence to consume frequently in a place like the "Baishanque," where the average price is far higher than ordinary taverns.

And only by returning alive from the extremely dangerous Mist Forest, filled with various monsters, could one have the possibility of being "recognized" by him.

Xia Nan's own image as a "Dual Swordsman" had already made Chaputun pay extra attention to him.

Every time he came to the tavern to drink and eat, he was alone, suddenly disappeared for a period, returned covered in blood after a few days, and his equipment was constantly being updated...

Just looking at these aspects, this experienced tavern owner could already make a judgment:

Often acts alone, rarely seen interacting with other adventurers—"Lone Wolf";

Financially strong, able to stay in the tavern for a long time and not treat himself poorly in terms of food and drink—generous mission rewards;

Goes out adventuring frequently, combat is intense, but he is never seen suffering any serious injuries—side proof of strength.

Even though his appearance looks very young, not even twenty years old.

But the abilities Xia Nan currently displayed were enough for Chaputun to take the initiative to contact him and make friends.

"Don't be too anxious; even if it's a few days later, there will be plenty of opportunities."

"It's Hunting Day, after all; the danger level is much greater than in the past. Especially in the last few days, no matter how much preparation is made, there will still be a shortage of manpower."

The massive number of Goblins is a danger that most adventurers can easily flip over if they are not careful.

Suffering losses, nearly sixty percent of the squads in town will need to temporarily supplement members during this period to increase their competitiveness.

"You shouldn't be going far recently, right? I'll keep an eye out during this time, and if there's a suitable one, I can help introduce you."

"Many thanks." Seeing that the other party was willing to provide help, Xia Nan felt a little relieved.

Coincidentally at mealtime, his gaze subconsciously swept over the menu behind the wall.

But without much hesitation, he habitually said:

"The usual, one No. 3 set meal."

"Alright, please wait a moment!"

Greeting the other party, Xia Nan left the front desk and returned to the corner of the tavern lobby where he usually sat.

Speaking of which, having stayed in Hegu Town for so many days since crossing over, he had already ordered every item on the "Baishanque Tavern" menu, whether expensive or cheap.

Among them, there were quite a few that tasted "not bad."

But perhaps because it was the first proper meal he had after crossing over, Xia Nan still preferred the No. 3 set meal of cream mushroom soup + white bread + stewed meat.

Leaning back against the chair, the familiar noise lingering in his ears gradually relaxed his body and mind.

He couldn't help but narrow his eyes, pondering his next plan:

"First, use Hunting Day to earn a wave of money, preferably pulling 【Tooth Hunt】's proficiency to Lv4, close to max level."

"Then slow down the training intensity slightly, and set aside some time to find the next combat technique. Speaking of which, over in Niumu..."

Bang—

A wooden mug suddenly landed on the table, the light sound bringing Xia Nan's consciousness back to reality.

A sturdy figure had arrived at the table at some point.

Without waiting for Xia Nan's consent, she sat directly opposite him.

Pale red, crystalline wine swayed and splashed onto the table, and the wooden mug filled with wine was pushed in front of him.

His peripheral vision subconsciously swept over it.

"Lava Sigh," the signature strong liquor of the Baishanque recently.

Quite expensive.

His gaze moved up to look at the uninvited "guest" sitting directly opposite.

Messy crew cut pushed short roughly, rough black-brown skin covered in scars, smooth scale armor worn over faded linen clothes...

The person who came was exactly the female adventurer he had met once at the alchemy shop and had met again outside the Goblin lair a few days ago.

"Edwinna." Accompanied by a low, slightly soft and short voice, the woman took the initiative to introduce herself.

Taking the trouble to bring over a cup of expensive wine, there should be no hostility.

Even less likely to be a pick-up.

Xia Nan had no interest in the woman in front of him; even setting aside the relationship of having met only twice and not even being nodding acquaintances, just her appearance was not within his aesthetic range.

A hairstyle finer and shorter than his own, a tough facial appearance, and arm circumference the same size as that Orc youth at the neighboring table...

Except for having no beard or Adam's apple, and a slightly softer voice, she was almost indistinguishable from ordinary male adventurers in town.

To some extent, if one really had to say, his own body might look even more delicate.

Thoughts drifted, guessing the woman's intention.

But his face remained that sharp and indifferent expression, his brows slightly furrowed, and he said coldly with a tense face:

"What's the matter, speak directly."

Not intending to waste time with the other party here, Xia Nan went straight to the point.

And the female adventurer named "Edwinna" clearly had already anticipated Xia Nan's reaction, and without wasting words, said directly:

"Just saw you at the Association, are you looking for a squad?"

"Our squad is currently missing a front-liner; are you interested?"

Oh, looking for me to join.

Knowing the other party's intention, Xia Nan's gaze followed Edwinna's shoulder to look behind her.

He saw her two companions, whom he had also seen a few days ago, sitting at a wooden table near the tavern door.

Noticing Xia Nan's gaze, one of the adventurers, who looked like a middle-aged man and carried a longbow, smiled at him in a friendly manner and raised his glass to signal.

And the youth beside him, who was clearly greener and about the same age as him, didn't even lift his head, his face buried in his food bowl, eating silently.

"Do you know me?"

Somewhat abruptly, Xia Nan suddenly asked.

Edwinna was stunned for a moment before she reacted to what he meant.

She shook her head.

"Then should I know you?"

Still shaking her head.

Xia Nan couldn't help but laugh in his heart.

He thought the other party knew his combat record from several missions through some channel.

Or that she had a considerable reputation in town, the kind where he would be willing to join just by hearing her name.

Now it seems, whether it was his lack of understanding of Edwinna's squad or Edwinna's lack of understanding of Xia Nan himself, they were completely ignorant.

Let alone the squad's composition and each member's specialized combat type, he didn't even know the names of the other two members in her squad.

Even if Xia Nan did indeed need a temporary squad to accept relevant missions.

Agreeing like this would be too careless.

Pushing the wine glass on the table in front of him toward the other party.

Just about to refuse.

Clang—

Not far from his side, a harsh sound of utensils falling suddenly came.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Two thin and slender children dressed as waiters apologized repeatedly with a hint of crying in their voices.

On the floor at their feet was wine spilled from the fallen wooden mug and a few pieces of stewed meat stained with mud and dust.

Standing in front of them was a sturdy Dwarf wearing an iron helmet.

At this moment, he was looking distressed, using gauze to wipe his "exquisite" braided beard stained with wine.

Fortunately, because of Hunting Day, the Dwarf, who was about to leave town and enter the Mist Forest and was usually addicted to alcohol and wouldn't move his butt without drinking until he was unconscious, was not drunk.

Although the ground around them was a mess with scattered food and wine, and even his precious braided beard had suffered "heavy damage."

After his teammates persuaded him a few times, he couldn't be bothered to entangle further, waved his hand, and let the two young waiters finish cleaning up as soon as possible.

"New waiters? Why are they so young?"

Staying in the tavern for a long time, this was the first time Xia Nan had seen the two, and he couldn't help but feel strange in his heart.

For some reason, it even faintly carried a sense of familiarity.

"Moses, Feiyi."

As if sensing what he was thinking, Edwinna, sitting opposite, suddenly spoke.

The familiar names made images flash subconsciously in Xia Nan's mind.

——Two thin little boys hiding behind their mother, eyes wide open, staring blankly at him.

Long before he crossed over, just after finishing his first mission, on the way back.

Seeing the two looking malnourished and skin-and-bones, he even gave them a few pieces of extra dried meat.

It's just that the children's mother didn't seem to like them interacting too much with him as an adventurer, and her attitude was so submissive that it was even a bit distant, so he didn't stay too long.

Later, as various things piled up in front of him, he gradually forgot this small matter during his adventure.

Now, reminded by Edwinna, he remembered again.

"I remember these two didn't live outside town with their mother, how..."

"Dead." Edwinna replied.

An image of a simple mother, about thirty years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a patched apron, protecting the two children behind her, couldn't help but appear in his mind.

"Was it because of the monsters near the town?"

In his impression, they lived in the suburbs; if they encountered monsters that had ventured out of the forest due to hunger to forage, it was indeed possible they met such a disaster.

To this, Edwinna just shook her head.

Her yellowish eyes turned slightly, looking at the adventurers sitting around the tavern tables nearby, noisy and wantonly venting their desires and emotions.

"You should know him."

"Bernie, a famous drunkard in town before."

Xia Nan reacted immediately.

"Didn't he provoke the wrong person that time and get his limbs broken by a professional and thrown out?"

He remembered the other party had provoked him before, but because of his teammates' obstruction, the situation didn't escalate.

"His teammates were good; they used the gold coins saved from missions to buy him a bottle of healing potion."

Edwinna raised her glass and took a light sip, no expression visible on her face.

"His life was saved, but he was left disabled."

"Every day, he relied on the relief of his former teammates to hang around in the tavern."

"That night, Bernie, who was as drunk as usual, happened to run into the mother of those two children returning from night work, and then... there's no need to say more."

Xia Nan's brows furrowed tightly, the decapitation longsword at his side refracting a cold iron-grey light under the tavern lights.

Just about to ask, he heard Edwinna say again.

"It's quite a coincidence."

"The day Kalanfur exploded, Bernie happened to be gambling at 'Full Bag of Gold'."

"Bang!" From beginning to end, she, whose expression had never changed, suddenly retracted her hands in front of her, made an explosion gesture, and a strange expression appeared on her face.

"Not a single bone was left; the body was melted."

Learning that the other party was already dead, Xia Nan's gradually suppressed heart also let go, but he quickly caught the blind spot.

"This Bernie, killed someone, and can still go to taverns in other towns to enjoy himself?"

"Paid some gold coins, spent a few days in jail, and came out."

"Hegu Town is the Hegu Town of adventurers." Edwinna showed a mocking, indescribable smile on her face. "This was his original words when he was drinking the night he was released from jail."

Slowly standing up, this captain who still had the smell of blood on her didn't entangle further.

Just leaving one sentence:

"I sincerely invite you to join the squad."

"Think about it; I'll be at the 'Baishanque' for the next two days."

Then she turned and left, returning to the tavern table where her two teammates were.

Xia Nan was pondering, and footsteps sounded beside him again.

"Your No. 3 set meal!"

The two waiters were busy cleaning and couldn't spare their hands, so the tavern owner Chaputun walked over carrying the tray himself.

Seeming to think of something, Xia Nan pulled the other party over, gestured toward Edwinna's direction, and asked in a low voice:

"The female adventurer near the door over there, how is she, is she reliable?"

Following his gaze, Chaputun looked over.

He couldn't help but grin.

"That's a coincidence; I was just about to tell you."

"'Green Blood' Edwinna's squad is just short of a person, and I was about to ask if you had any thoughts."

"'Green Blood'?"

Chaputun's nickname for Edwinna had an extra title he had never heard of, Xia Nan asked suspiciously.

"Oh, almost forgot, you've only been in town for a short time."

"Then it's normal not to know some things."

"This Edwinna, the reason she is called 'Green Blood' is because..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 114 =====