Chapter 382: Discussing Heroes Over Wine

Upon entering the small village, the arrival of the Dwarfs drew the villagers to watch. In Weidong Province, everyone knew that the Dragon fleet always sailed southwest these years to trade with them, but the commoners of Weibei Province still felt novelty toward these fellows who only reached their waists in height but were half again as wide as themselves.

There was only one inn in the village, with a restaurant on the first floor and a few guest rooms on the second; it was undoubtedly unable to accommodate such a large troop. Sinuoli handed a gold ingot to the three village elders, asking them to disperse his troops and arrange for them to stay in farmhouses to shelter from the rain and eat.

"Whatever good food you have, bring it all out!"

Occupying the space of the inn with his attendants and guards, Sinuoli shouted at the waiter. The weather was bad today, and it was not a market day; the innkeeper was startled by this group of strange men in armor and weapons suddenly rushing into his business-less inn.

"This guest, this is a small shop in a desolate village, there's nothing fancy, only our home-brewed spirits are famous. Besides that, there are home-cooked dishes, rice, and noodles. If you want meat, we'll have to go buy it and cook it now."

"Buy and cook it now? Who knows when this heavy rain will stop! Bring us the wine to warm our bodies; we have to get on the road once the rain stops!" Sinuoli muttered, seeing that this shop offered no meat dishes outside of holidays or festivals.

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"Indeed, such a heavy rain in early winter is rare here! I don't know when it will stop either." The innkeeper sighed before going to the kitchen to prepare.

"Creak!"

Just as the Dwarfs were preparing to enjoy the freshly warmed white wine with a few small dishes, the inn's simple wooden door let out a creaking sound, and then a figure appeared.

"Hmm?"

The subordinates were making a loud noise, and the guards at the two tables near the door relaxed their vigilance after seeing that the newcomer was only a man and carried no weapons. They had previously stayed in Fuzhou City, and as the seat of Weidong Province, the public security there was very good.

"A traveler, borrowing a place to shelter from the rain."

The newcomer looked at the room full of Dwarfs without showing any strange expression. He spoke in a low voice while walking to Sinuoli's table. As the lord, his table was the most spacious; Ailike had gone out, and now only Gotrek and Buluokesen were there.

"May I sit here?"

He seemed to be asking, but in reality, without waiting for the Dwarfs to answer, he lifted his robes and sat opposite Sinuoli.

"A chance encounter, we are all guests from afar, please!"

Sinuoli narrowed his eyes again; he was accustomed to doing this when his mind was tense. This man was not very tall, wore cloth robes, and his face had a grey-blue hue, looking somewhat down-and-out.

But based on his years of experience traveling north and south, Sinuoli sensed that all this seemed to be a facade. The fellow opposite had an extraordinary bearing, carried a confidence inconsistent with his appearance, and gave him a sense of familiarity.

"Second on the Heaven Ranking, Storm Hammer Sinuoli is indeed no ordinary person!"

"You know, uh, what should I call you?"

Being called out by his background in a small foreign village, Sinuoli was slightly surprised, but upon reflection, it was not strange given his obvious physical characteristics. He immediately began to ask for the newcomer's identity.

"Hehe, as you said, it's a chance encounter, why bother asking for a name? Although we have never met, I have known you in spirit for a long time." The man took the wine pot, filled a cup for himself, and drank it in one gulp.

"Hahaha! Sir is also a wonderful person. To entertain a distinguished guest, one must have good wine. Buluokesen, go and fetch a barrel of my Seal Diamond!" Sinuoli's cheek twitched slightly, but he still forced a loud laugh.

"Hmm?"

The Engineering Master was stunned by the order. He looked at his lord suspiciously; logically, fetching wine was not a task for him.

"Bang!"

Sinuoli kicked him under the table. Noticing the tension hidden under the apparent harmony, Buluokesen nodded and left to carry out the order.

"So, what advice do you have for coming here, Excellency?"

Combining the sudden storm, the innkeeper's sigh, the warning received from Shenzhu, and the temperament and verbal sparring of the man opposite, Sinuoli made a preliminary judgment on the identity of the visitor, or rather, the Dragon—the Governor of Weixi Liesheng, Iron Dragon Zhaoming!

With the opening of the sea route to the East, the Changya Zhilu, which was already unsafe and time-consuming, had been completely abandoned over the years. Shangyang, the western gateway to Zhendan and an international metropolis that flourished due to trade, was the most severely impacted.

Sinuoli was willing to share a portion of the profits to compensate the Slayer King Ager, who guarded the western end of the Changya Zhilu—the Peak Pass—but Yin Yin did not intend to share her huge profits with the brother she considered to have a strange personality.

The Dragon of the Morning, Shenzhu, told him that his name had been repeatedly mentioned at the gatherings of the Dragons in the Tianting in recent years. The Iron Dragon complained to his parents and siblings about his constantly increasing pressure and gradually decreasing income.

"What is his purpose in coming? With this posture, he should, probably, not directly take action, right?"

Sinuoli dug marks into the wooden table with his hand. Although Zhaoming was young, his combat power was not something that Shenzhu, whose Authority was auxiliary, could compare to; at the very least, it was on par with the Minglong Yin.

Judging from Yin Yin's combat performance on the Jade River, if Zhaoming were to suddenly launch an attack now, he might really be in trouble. Even with hundreds of elite soldiers around, without large firearms designed for giant beasts, relying solely on numbers would not be of much use.

"Does your Excellency know of the transformations of a Dragon?"

After a moment of confrontation, Zhaoming slowly spat out a question.

"I know a thing or two."

Sinuoli squeezed out a dry laugh; he understood that Zhaoming was testing whether he had recognized him.

"A Dragon can be compared to the heroes of the world. You have traveled far and wide, and must know the heroes of the Western Lands. Please try to name them."

"I have lived in the mountains for a long time and am inexperienced; I truly do not know the heroes of the Western Lands."

"Since you do not know their faces, you must have heard their names."

"The Human Emperor William, with sufficient troops and provisions, can he be called a hero?"

"A mere mortal, not worth mentioning!"

"The Phoenix King Finubar, skilled in diplomacy, all the kings of the High Elves submit to him. He unified Aosuan and has many capable subordinates, can he be called a hero?"

"Finubar has no strength to truss a chicken and is indecisive; I have heard that his wife and daughter were taken by others. He is no hero!"

"There is one called the Immortal Emperor, victorious in every battle, can Settra be a hero?"

"Bones in a grave, he is no hero!"

"There is one who cultivates both magic and martial arts, ruthless and vicious, can the Witch King Malekith be a hero?"

"Borrowing his father's name, he is no hero!"

"Mazida of Lustria, with heaven-reaching magic, can he be a hero?"

"A dog guarding a house, how can he be a hero!"

"What of the likes of the Grey Seer, the Aixinyewang, the Plague Lords, and others?"

"Such mediocre rats, not worth mentioning!"

"Apart from these, I truly do not know. May I ask who you think qualifies?"

"A hero is one who has great ambitions in his heart, excellent strategies in his belly, the capacity to contain the universe, and the will to swallow the heavens. Of those I have seen, only two can be called heroes!"