Chapter 141: Food at the Tavern, and the Overpriced [Siren Ganzi] Inn

After clarifying the situation in the vicinity, Jier did not let the shopkeeper speak for free; he gave the shop owner one silver coin, then walked toward the tavern next door.

The people in the tavern had long since stepped out of the shop, happily watching the arrival of so many people. They did not care whether the newcomers were a caravan or bandits; after all, whoever they were, they would have to come to them to drink and spend money.

However, these people clearly had not thought it through: without merchants and travelers, there would naturally be no bandits, and in the end, if no one traveled the entire trade route, who would they sell their food and drink to?

Jier strode toward the tavern, scaring the people inside so much that they thought Jier, in his fully armed state, was coming to pick a fight; several people could not help but step backward.

Seeing that they were about to close the door, Jier immediately spoke up to stop them: "Wait a moment, do you not welcome long-lost guests? It is not very good to be in such a hurry to close up."

The tavern owner, who looked rough and burly but was actually somewhat timid, was a bald, sturdy man. This person managed a reluctant smile and moved aside from blocking the door: "This... uh, Young Master."

He sized Jier up before continuing to speak: "I welcome you, of course, it is just that you were too frightening when you strode over just now."

"Was I? I didn't feel it." Jier waved his hand: "Never mind that, send a few barrels of ale to the 【Siren Ganzi】 inn across the way. Also, what food do you have here? Give me a recommendation."

Hearing that Jier's subordinates were staying at that inn with the dead bodies hanging outside, the tavern owner wanted to open his mouth to advise the other party to change to a different place to spend the night. But looking at Jier's fully armed metal armor and glowing sword, he felt that he probably did not need to offer any reminders. After all, one or two travelers might be bullied by that inn's overbearing style, but this person and his subordinates might not be.

After all, they looked very strong, and there were many subordinates. The owner of the 【Siren Ganzi】 inn would likely restrain his temper and greed, not wanting his inn to be smashed.

Thus, while the tavern owner had his shop assistant send the ale to the inn across the street as requested, he guided Jier into the shop to sit down. He thought for a moment and introduced: "Young Master, we are very close to Duoen Town here, so the shop has all the food that should be available, though it might not meet your requirements. It is just some pan-fried meat, stewed fish, and roasted meat and the like."

Seeing Jier had no particular reaction, he explained in detail: "For pan-fried meat, we have fatty and lean cured pork and cured beef steaks. If you want better fresh meat, we have chickens and ducks in cages in the backyard; if you want them, I will slaughter them for you right now, Young Master. As for the stewed fish, it is fresh fish caught in the small stream that divides the border to the west. Every midnight, my shop assistant puts the fishing cages into the stream, goes to retrieve them in the morning, and after gutting them, stews them in a large pot."

As he spoke, he pushed aside the linen cloth curtain next to the tavern hall, letting Jier see the iron pot stewing over a small fire behind the curtain. Inside, small fish were stewed until tender, almost falling off the bone, and the fresh aroma of fish soup drifted out just like that.

It was clear that the other items were either cured food that could be stored for a long time, or live animals; only this stewed fish was ready to be served at any time. It was likely that if this stewed fish did not sell out by the end of the day, the tavern owner and the shop assistant would eat it themselves.

These people ate quite well.

"Your fish is not bad. I want the whole pot; send it to that inn with the dead bodies at the door. Remember to add more salt; the weather is hot, and with a lot of sweating, one needs to eat more salt to replenish physical strength."

Jier then ordered some other food casually. The tavern also had its own bread oven, so he had them send over some freshly baked bread as well.

"For the cost of the food and drink, come find me across the street after you finish eating later," Jier said, tossed a silver coin as a deposit, and walked out of the tavern.

He was in no hurry to ask this tavern owner about the surrounding bandits. To be honest, Jier did not really think those bandits would be bold enough to attack his caravan, unless those bandits did not want to live.

Walking out of the tavern and arriving at the entrance of the inn not far across the way, Jier first let the Tianxuecao enter the inn's backyard through the side passage by itself. Then, he looked up at the corpses hanging from the high wooden pole at the inn's entrance. He did not feel it was unlucky or repulsive; he was just curious: like this, with corpses hung on high wooden poles and exposed to the scorching sun every day, would the corpses turn into monsters?

He looked left and right, but he felt that the few corpses above, being pecked at by crows, showed no signs of turning into monsters at all.

Was it because of the intense exposure to sunlight? Or because the crows had eaten all the flesh off the corpses?

Or perhaps, human corpses turning into monsters after death was a low-probability event?

Jier was not a member of the Church of the God of the Dead, nor a believer, and he did not know much about this aspect of things; perhaps it was a mix of various situations?

He looked up at the corpses on the wooden pole, and the crows that had been eating vigorously on the corpses also stopped and looked down at Jier.

"Caw!" "Caw, caw, caw!"

They squawked, seemingly a bit dissatisfied that a human like Jier was so unscrupulously watching them eat.

No longer curious to peek, Jier turned and pushed open the door to this notorious inn, discovering that his subordinate Warriors who had entered first were currently confronting the inn's people in the inn's hall.

Interestingly, others like the drivers in the caravan did not care about other things; after entering the inn's backyard through the side door, they busied themselves on their own.

"What is going on? So many people are piled up here. Everyone has been tired for a day, why not hurry up and tidy up and then eat? I have already ordered the food from the tavern across the street to be sent over."

Jier pushed aside the subordinates blocking the way, arrived in front of the confrontation, and asked the team leader, Xueya Site.

Generally, when Jier was not present and it was not a combat situation, the team was commanded and managed by Jier's good partner, Xueya Site. Previously it was the Priest Bata'er, but after parting ways with the Priest, it was Xueya Site.

At this moment, his good partner was angrily pointing his finger at the innkeeper opposite, and the innkeeper opposite also had a stubbornly feigned expression, with his shop assistants standing firmly behind him.

However, unlike what Jier had heard, although the people at this inn carried Daggers and short wooden sticks at their waists, none of them seemed to have them drawn. Some shop assistants even spread their hands, fearing that Jier's subordinates would think they were making any dangerous moves.

There was no help for it; although these people were violent and greedy, in the face of Jier's tall and sturdy Warriors, many of whom were armored, they did not show the slightest sign of exercising violence.

After all, every one of Jier's men had a one-meter-long Soldier Sword hanging at their waist, and although many did not wear Plate Armor, things like Helmets, Shields, and Soldier Bows were all carried with them.

The Tusi Brothers even carried Large Bows that were 1.5 meters long, and the Large Arrows that went with the Large Bows were as terrifying as short spears.

In front of such a fully armed group of Warriors who clearly lived by violence, the violent behavior of this inn seemed almost cute.

"Jier, you're here. Look, this is the price list given by the owner of this shop. What the hell! For a small single room for one night, you actually want to charge one Silver Coin! Is the bed in your shop made of velvet? Or does it come with a girl to warm the bed? Or does it include dinner, breakfast, or a bathtub for washing? None of these? Then on what basis do you set the price of an ordinary room so high?"

Xueya Site was furious; he had never seen a guy so crazy about money in his life. He knew the situation on the trade route was not good and that inn prices might have risen, but this was the first time he had seen an ordinary inn with prices inflated four or five times, or even more.

Especially since there were unlucky corpses hanging at the shop entrance, which clearly violated the rules of the Church of the God of the Dead regarding the handling of human corpses in various human settlements.

'Should I, should I go specifically to the Church of the God of the Dead to file a complaint when we reach a nearby large city?' Xueya Site thought to himself.

The innkeeper was a tall, middle-aged, sturdy man with a rough and ferocious appearance that could scare off ordinary people just by looking at him.

But Jier's subordinate Warriors had been baptized by many battles with the Parasitic Vine Monster and were no longer afraid of these guys who looked fierce. How could anyone be fiercer than those terrifying parasitic monsters?

"You are wrong to say that. The price is just like this; I have already specifically marked it on the wooden board. If you think the price is expensive, there are empty, dilapidated wooden shops everywhere along the trade route outside; it wouldn't be impossible to make do and squeeze in for a night. They don't charge money there."

Although the other party feared Jier's Warriors, he did not soften his tone.

Jier placed his hand on Xueya Site's shoulder and took the small wooden board from his companion's hand, on which the prices were written in Charcoal Pencil.

【Empty floor space for a room, twenty Copper Coins and seven Iron Coins per person per night.】

【Ordinary single room, one Silver Coin and nine Copper Coins per night.】

【Luxury room, five Silver Coins per night.】

Seeing these prices, Jier was almost laughed to anger; these prices were simply ridiculous. Even at the 【Jinbi Dingdang】 inn in Duoen Town, where he had stayed in the top-floor suite for two days—a luxury inn suite with three Bedrooms, a living room, a terrace, and an accompanying dining room and a dedicated place for bathing—he had privately asked the innkeeper, and the price was not even one Silver Coin per night.

Even during the peak trade season in Duoen Town, the price of this top-tier suite was only a little over one Silver Coin per night.

And this inn, a dilapidated single room, actually cost more than one Silver Coin?

Truly crazy for money.

Or, was this shop not meant to be opened for long-term profit?

Thinking of this, Jier looked up at the innkeeper again. This person was a tall, middle-aged, sturdy man with a burly physique; calling him an innkeeper, he looked more like an excellent Warrior who lived by the sword.

Even the inn assistants behind him looked like guys who had once relied on force to make a living.

Jier had a bold guess: could this inn have been opened by a bunch of bandits who wanted to quit?

That was why they did not shy away from setting up poles at the shop entrance and hanging dead people on them.

And the inn's management was also nonsensical; rather than saying it was raising prices, it was more like deliberately provoking travelers who entered the shop to create conflict.

Thinking of this, Jier thought a bit more, then slapped the price board in his hand onto the innkeeper's chest: "Hmph, it's not like I can't afford your inn. But the prices at your shop are nonsense. Everyone, stop standing here for now; go pack your things and head up. Find any rooms you like and stay; don't be shy. I will discuss the room rates with the innkeeper personally."

After Jier finished speaking loudly to his subordinates, the Warriors did not feel that Knight Jier could not handle such a small matter, so they did not gather, instead running up the stairs beside the lobby one after another.

This inn only had two floors, but there were quite a few rooms; the rooms on the first and second floors combined could accommodate Jier's dozens of people.

"Right, we won't cook for ourselves tonight. I've ordered food at the tavern across the street; they will deliver it in a while, and we will eat right here in this lobby. Rest for a bit, then come over to eat."

After Jier finished speaking, he looked at the down-turned mouth of the innkeeper: "What, not happy?"

"Young man, I didn't say I agreed to renegotiate the lodging prices with you, did I?"

The innkeeper glanced at the beautiful Dagger inlaid with Gems at Jier's waist, as well as the Sword with a sheath emitting a faint blue light, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva in secret. It was unclear whether he was afraid after seeing their power, or if it was the greedy desire of an ignorant person.

"Heh, that still shouldn't mean you let so many of my men waste time blocking the way here, right? With so many of us, if we really insisted on staying, you and your few people couldn't stop us, could you? There isn't even a garrison or any guards maintaining order nearby."

Jier stepped forward casually and patted the Daggers and short clubs at the waists of the innkeeper and his Shop Assistant: "These things can't protect you. Come to think of it, you don't look like a traditional innkeeper and Shop Assistant. Did you do other work before? Did you only switch to this line of work recently?"

Jier took Xueya Site and sat on a wooden chair at a round table in the lobby. Jier even specifically chose a wooden chair that looked sturdy; he didn't dare sit on the other wooden chairs with backrests, fearing he would break them with his backside.

The innkeeper also waved his hand to let his Shop Assistant disperse to work. He threw the price board in his hand onto the counter against the wall and accepted Jier's invitation to sit next to him.

"You're right. I've run this inn for two years, but I certainly wasn't in this line of work before."

This middle-aged innkeeper sat on the chair unceremoniously, legs spread wide, hands pressed onto the surface of the round table, not looking like he was chatting, but rather like he was negotiating with others who also lived by force.

"I am curious, young Young Master, what does the image of that traditional innkeeper and Shop Assistant you mentioned look like? Tell me about it. If you say it well, I will accept your negotiation on the lodging price and give you a normal rate."

When Jier heard the other party address him as 'young Young Master', he almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't experienced any battles or killed any monsters in the last few days, and because Jier's 【Spirit's Shadow Bird】 could devour the lingering souls entangled with his Spirit, Jier didn't look that terrifying as long as he didn't intentionally reveal his killing intent.

This person had misjudged him.

Jier curled his lips in secret, feeling that the other party's previous level didn't seem very high, and his experience was likely limited.

"Hmm, a normal, traditional innkeeper must be shrewd and cunning. Think about it: an inn is a place where strange travelers arrive. No one knows the background of the travelers, so the innkeeper needs to be shrewd to judge the identity of the guests."

"Are they fugitives? Are they fat sheep who just stepped out of their homes? Are they bad guys eyeing the inn? Are they people specifically looking for trouble? Are they Merchants running trade? Is the other party traveling alone? Or do they have companions? Or are they people specifically from a Merchant Guild?"

Jier counted off the types of travelers an inn might encounter on his fingers; Xueya Site and the innkeeper both nodded continuously.

"A shrewd innkeeper must accurately identify the status of the travelers, then treat them according to their status and judge the risks. Some people look like they have ulterior motives; perhaps they are eyeing other guests staying at the inn, thinking of stealing things in the middle of the night! Or perhaps someone is here for revenge, and if you let them stay, a battle might break out in the inn in the middle of the night, leading to deaths."

"For fat sheep traveling alone, you wouldn't dare arrange for them to squeeze into an empty room with others on a floor mat; it's best to let them stay alone."

"Merchants running trade will inevitably haggle over every coin. Give them a discount, and they will definitely stay at your place instead of running to other inns."

"Merchants from a Merchant Guild are all running fixed Shanglu routes. If they come to stay repeatedly, it's better to talk more with them and give them or their Merchant Guild people a long-term discount to rent out the inn's extra empty rooms. This might seem like a loss, but in the long run, it's actually profitable."

Jier spoke eloquently, looking more like a Merchant running an inn than the actual innkeeper opposite him.

The other party was stunned, not expecting this young and wealthy little brother to actually be able to say things he hadn't thought of before.

The knowledge of the two was practically reversed; the middle-aged man who looked weathered and experienced was actually stunned and bewildered, while the young man with a youthful face spoke eloquently as if he had stayed in many inns or even run one himself.

Xueya Site also looked at Jier with surprise, not expecting Jier, a young Knight, to be so familiar with inn management.

?? Welcome everyone to subscribe to this book, follow the updates, and add it to your collection. Those who like this book, please give it recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and tips to support it. Thank you, dear readers.