Chapter 17: White Tit Tavern

【Adventurer's Handbook】 (Hegu Town Branch Special Edition)

Foreword…………1-2

Selection and Use of Weapons…………3-9

……

How to Handle Your Spoils…………31-38

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9. 【Regarding Those Shiny, Pretty Stones】

"Kukunuer's Sundry Shop" at 62 Mist Street has the fairest prices in Hegu Town, but one must admit that young Kukunuer is prone to misjudging things at times (a 3-silver-coin difference, with a 100-gold-coin risk!);

By comparison, "Fairy Wind" next door is stingy with their offers, but the shop owner, Fali Lue, has a background in jewelry and served as an apprentice at the most famous pawnshop in "Niumu," possessing the most discerning and meticulous eye in all of Hegu Town (go to him for high-end goods!).

"Pat."

Three small, opaque green stones with faint stripes were neatly arranged on the counter by Xia Nan.

With a glimmer of expectation in his eyes and harboring fantasies of "getting rich overnight," he looked at the middle-aged man before him, who was dressed solemnly and wore gold-rimmed spectacles.

The man named "Fali Lue" did not speak casually just because he had identified the type of gemstone at a glance.

Instead, he picked them up one by one, turning them over and bringing them close to study them carefully for a while before sitting back behind the counter with a lack of interest.

"Malachite, ordinary texture, 10 gold per piece."

……

16. 【Where to Throw Your Junk?】

First, stop your incessant chatter!

You must know that those second-hand goods you strip off some poor sap can only be sold for half price; that is common sense!

Magic items are an exception, of course (if you actually have any).

Second, if you really want to find a place to dump the heavy burdens on your body, I recommend "Walnut Furnace" at 25 Mist Street.

The owner there was once an adventurer himself; he knows how hard it is for you to lug these pieces of junk back, so he will always give a decent quote (provided you don't mind the dozens of "glorious deeds" he recounts while appraising your items).

Additionally, for purchasing weapons and armor, I recommend "Rock Hammer." It is said the owner there has 1/64th dwarven blood. Although he shares no similarities other than a love for braiding his beard, his craftsmanship is quite good (you can also go to him for custom equipment).

"Oh, a moldy small round shield, a few pieces of leather armor still stained with blood—it's only because you ran into me; other shops would probably find them a nuisance even if given away for free. 10 gold."

The burly man with a thick, brownish-tan beard in front of him said in a gruff voice,

"But I don't blame you. When I was young, I always liked lugging these things back too. I remember one time……"

Xia Nan kept the handbook's advice in mind, keeping his mouth tightly shut and not saying a word, giving the other party no opportunity to perform.

"These arrows are well-maintained, though. The poison on them has expired, and you haven't even wiped it off? Add this two-handed axe to that…… 30 gold."

"Tsk, a mace? Must be from some Bugbear, right? Those beasts don't maintain their weapons at all. 6 gold."

"But for someone your age, being able to hunt a Bugbear is not bad. Even back when I was your age……"

Twenty minutes later.

Bang.

The door to "Walnut Furnace" was gently closed.

Breathing in the fresh air outside, Xia Nan rubbed his somewhat stiff face and let out a long sigh of relief.

Compared to how he looked just after emerging from the Mist Forest, he felt much lighter now.

An entire morning.

Except for the 【Dead Line】 ring and the two daggers from Erji still tucked at his waist—they were quite handy for emergencies, so he hadn't sold them.

He had finished processing all the other spoils.

Counting the small pouch of coins collected from the Goblin Lair.

Xia Nan's total assets now reached a "staggering" 131 gold, 5 silver, and 9 copper.

Without a doubt, for the predecessor—a farm boy who grew up in the fields—this was a massive fortune he had never seen before.

Looking at the numbers alone, one might not understand the significance of this money.

If converted into actual items, it would be a warehouse full of flour, over a hundred goats, or more than a dozen cows.

In the village where Xia Nan previously lived, this was more than the assets of most families combined.

And this was merely the harvest from a single mission.

Only now, feeling the heavy weight of those hundred-plus gold coins in his backpack behind him,

did Xia Nan truly understand why, despite knowing this industry was extremely dangerous and nearly a nine-out-of-ten death trap, countless people still risked their lives every year, throwing themselves into this quagmire.

Of course, these gold coins might have strong purchasing power for ordinary items.

But once it involved matters related to adventurers, it seemed to become a different currency entirely.

To be blunt, excluding the 【Dead Line】 ring, his entire net worth was only enough to buy two bottles of "Healing Potion."

Xia Nan shook his head with a bitter smile, forcibly suppressing the sense of unreality and disparity filling his heart.

He opened the 【Adventurer's Handbook】 again.

After rushing about for the whole morning, perhaps he should find a place to rest and get something to eat.

……

【White Tit Tavern】

The low prices of food and drink, combined with its convenient location right next to the Adventurer Association, made it the top choice for low-level adventurers in Hegu Town.

Xia Nan had been here once before; it was Maji who had treated him.

He remembered ordering a portion of "Grey Rat Fried Rice" and a cup of water.

It was just that the predecessor's mind hadn't been on the food at all, and he had simply wolfed it down to fill his stomach.

This resulted in the current Xia Nan not having a clear impression of the tavern's culinary standards.

"But since the handbook recommended it, it should be decent enough."

He muttered to himself and pushed open the tavern door.

Creak—

The rich aroma of alcohol, thick enough to be cut with a knife, accompanied by the clamor rushing out like a wind, enveloped Xia Nan's body.

The bright street, the warm tavern.

Separated by a single door, it was as if he had entered another world.

There were young adventurers, flushed with drink, standing on wooden tables and waving their unsheathed longswords while holding forth on some topic; there were also middle-aged men with stubble and weary faces, drinking alone in the corners.

Colorful tapestries and banners, swirling smoke and copper oil lamps, long wooden tables and rough benches; maps, dice, wine glasses, leather armor, robes, and hands plucking at lute strings……

"The vibe is right."

Xia Nan finally felt a sense of reality about having arrived in another world.

The warm, soft light inside the tavern and the aroma of food filling the air released the fatigue his body had accumulated over these past few days in an instant.

Sweeping his gaze across the hall, he found the location of the tavern owner and walked over.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====