Chapter 156

After hearing Osta's explanation, Lu Mian thought with a hint of amusement:

"What kind of strange rule is this?"

Remembering things like walking turtles, interstellar bridges, visiting catacombs while holding candles, and following trends to run, he felt that this didn't seem like much either.

Perhaps the citizens of Trier just liked this kind of unique experience.

Watching people come one after another and put on monocles to enter the cabaret, Lu Mian asked casually:

"What if new guests don't know about that rule beforehand?"

Osta pointed to the end of the old street:

"There is a shop there that sells monocles and short suits.

"I suspect it's opened by the owner of the 'Unique' cabaret himself."

No need to suspect... Lu Mian muttered.

He even thought that Timmons setting such a rule for the "Unique" cabaret was just to earn an extra bit of money from selling short suits and monocles.

Of course, it was also aimed at the trend of Trier citizens chasing new fashions and styles.

"How many years has this been open?" Lu Mian pointed his chin at the "Unique" cabaret opposite.

"More than twenty years, I suppose. When I first arrived in Trier, it was already here. It is said that it opened when cabarets first started becoming popular in Trier." Osta looked toward Purgatory Square. "Nothing else, right? I have to go back underground."

His heart and mind were only thinking about making money, afraid of missing people looking for him to divine and "help."

Lu Mian turned his head and stared at him intently.

This made Osta's heart rise, as if he had been stared at by a wild beast.

"What's wrong?" He subconsciously piled on a smile again.

Lu Mian withdrew his gaze and said nonchalantly:

"Be careful these two days."

"What?" Osta was blank-faced, both shocked and afraid.

Charles shouldn't be threatening me, right? We just cooperated very happily, and he even entrusted me to help him find materials!

Lu Mian smiled:

"Literal meaning, but it has nothing to do with me.

"By the way, help me collect more news about water monsters, the more detailed the better. The reward is the same as before."

He means I might be unlucky recently and get beaten up by someone? Osta tried to interpret the real meaning Lu Mian wanted to express.

At the same time, he always felt that the style and tone of the other party's sentence just now were very familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it for a moment.

On the way back to Purgatory Square, Osta decided to perform a divination for himself to see if he was really going to have bad luck.

As a "Secret Prayer," his probability of successful divination and corresponding accuracy were both much stronger than ordinary people.

At this moment, Osta suddenly woke up and understood why he had a sense of familiarity before.

Isn't this the style and tone he usually uses when talking to those "customers"?

Opposite that ancient building, Lu Mian hesitated whether to go buy a short suit and a monocle to mix into the "Unique" cabaret to observe the environment on-site and collect more intelligence.

"But if Timmons really belongs to some mysterious organization and is friends with the police commissioner, kidnapping him for a few tens of thousands of Vergold is not a wise thing; it will affect my doing serious business. In that case, wouldn't the money for buying the short suit and monocle be wasted? This isn't cheap." Lu Mian was never stingy when he should spend money—after all, Trier had numerous "kind-hearted people"—but when he shouldn't spend money, he still had a considerable spirit of thrift.

While considering, he looked around and found an "Alone" bar diagonally opposite the "Unique" cabaret.

"The customers of the cabaret and the customers of the bar have a large degree of overlap; they should be competitors..." Suddenly, Lu Mian's train of thought opened up.

The one who knows a person best is often his enemy, and the one who knows a cabaret best is mostly his competitor!

Even if their claims would likely have exaggerations, they could also reflect some facts to a certain extent.

Lu Mian turned his body and walked into the "Alone" bar.

The buildings on the old street were quite ancient, most of them dating back to before the Roselle era. Their windows were narrow, and even during the day, the lighting was poor; dimness became the main theme here.

In the situation where the gas wall lamps had not yet been lit, Lu Mian passed through the dark-toned hall with only a few guests and came to the front of the bar, sitting down.

"A glass of gin with ice." Lu Mian took off his duckbill cap and said.

The bar was in the innermost part of the tavern, where the lighting was the worst. The thin and tall bartender seemed to be shrouded in darkness, only presenting a corresponding outline.

With Lu Mian's eyesight, he could only barely see that the other party had slightly curly black hair, eyes that seemed to be more blue, and a nose bridge that was not high enough.

While waiting for the gin, Lu Mian smiled as if unintentionally:

"Your business here isn't too good. I see that 'Unique' cabaret opposite has many guests."

The bartender pushed the gin with a slice of lemon and plenty of ice cubes in front of Lu Mian.

He looked at the entrance and said:

"Our business isn't bad either; it's just that most people are in the cellar waiting to watch the theatrical performance.

"How about it, do you want to go watch? Guests who have ordered drinks only need to pay another 5 Ricks to enter the cellar. Uh, your gin is 8 Ricks."

"Theatrical performance?" Lu Mian did not hide his surprise.

This was an element that none of the bars in the market district had.

The bartender sighed and said:

"The opposite side can dance, sing, play cards, and play billiards. We have to have something different from them to attract customers.

"Many bars and cafes on the North Shore now have small theaters."

Lu Mian didn't know how to describe this behavior and could only sigh:

"Is the competition in the bar business this intense?"

He then took out three 20-Kopek silver coins engraved with gear elements and one 5-Kopek copper coin and handed them to the bartender.

This totaled 13 Ricks, which was 65 Kopeks, including the ticket price for going to the small theater to watch the performance.

The bartender immediately pointed to the stairs located on the side of the bar leading downward:

"You can go to the cellar at any time; bring your drink."

No need for a ticket? Lu Mian didn't rush to leave the bar and said with a smile:

"That 'Unique' cabaret opposite seems very unique, doesn't it?"

"It is very unique." The bartender lowered his voice. "Were you cheated out of money by people there, which is why you keep asking about their affairs?"

"Yes." Lu Mian nodded frankly.

He didn't intend to hide it at all.

The bartender laughed:

"Every day, people who have been cheated come looking, but not a single one has succeeded. I once saw the police commissioner of the Observatory District, Condé, enter that cabaret, also wearing a short suit and a monocle."

Timmons is indeed not simple... Lu Mian dismissed the idea of asking the owner of the "Unique" cabaret for money.

He carried the glass of gin, left the bar, and walked along the stairs toward the cellar.

Before he even got close to the pair of wooden doors below, Lu Mian heard the bartender shouting from above:

"A guest is coming!"

With a *creak*, the wooden doors opened.

Lu Mian slowed his pace and walked in while observing the environment.

This place had been transformed into a small theater, with a half-height wooden stage at the very back, and two gas wall lamps providing the most basic lighting from above.

In places where the light was dim or unreachable, stools and chairs were arranged in a relatively sparse manner.

At this time, more than twenty guests were already sitting here, watching the theatrical performance above.

Not a single one of them spoke; it was so quiet that only the sound of drinking could be heard from time to time, setting off the dark cellar into near deathly silence.

Lu Mian found a chair near the exit, sat down, and cast his gaze toward the stage.

What was performing was not a real person, but a half-person-high puppet.

Regardless of gender, they were all painted with yellow, white, and red oil paint, and the corners of their mouths were curled high, outlining an exaggerated smile.

Under the manipulation of threads so subtle that even Lu Mian could barely see them, these puppets would raise their hands, open their mouths, turn around, or run, performing one scene after another of different dramas.

A deep male voice and a slightly shrill female voice alternated from somewhere, speaking different lines.

Under the yellowish light of the gas wall lamps, in the dimness spreading around, those clown puppets painted with oil paint appeared quite eerie.

Lu Mian instinctively didn't like such an environment.

Because he didn't want to waste the ticket money, he watched for a while longer until this scene of the drama ended.

Throughout the process, there wasn't a single sound around; the faces of those customers were either reflecting the yellowish light or hidden in the darkness, focused beyond Lu Mian's imagination.

Lu Mian finished the last sip of gin and left this small theater where only two gas wall lamps were lit.

…………

On the way back to the Honest Market District, Lu Mian sat by the window of the public carriage, looking at the receding street shops and pedestrians, and thought about what he would do next:

"First, find a way to get the water monster's meat, collect the materials, and complete the preparatory work for the 'Art of Prophecy.' Second, I have to do something to improve my status in the Savages and strive to become a real leader as soon as possible... What should I do..."

As thoughts presented themselves, Lu Mian's gaze suddenly swept over a familiar figure.

It was Wilson, wearing a white shirt and black jacket, with fleshy cheeks and slightly curly brown hair—Wilson of the Poison Sting Gang.

Wilson was taking two thugs through Market Avenue and into a side alley, his pace steady and his posture normal.

"I threw him like that, and he's fine now?" Lu Mian was stunned.

You have to know, that was a fall from the fourth floor!

What kind of recovery ability is this? Even cockroaches can't compare to him!

Lu Mian quickly made a deduction:

"Does the Poison Sting Gang have healing abilities involving the supernatural?

"A 'Physician' of the 'Farmer' pathway?"

Deducing to this point, Lu Mian suddenly remembered one thing:

In that dream of his, Lady Poleis possessed the ability to instantly heal others' injuries!

Although this might have components of exaggeration or distortion in the dream, the abnormal pathway corresponding to Lady Poleis did indeed contain the life domain.

The person suspected to be Louis Lund also appeared on Market Avenue before... Is the force behind the Poison Sting Gang related to the evil god Lady Poleis worships? While pondering, the corners of Lu Mian's mouth curled up bit by bit.

(End of chapter)