Chapter 147: Never Cross Him

Chapter 147 -143: Never Cross Him

BLRBLRBLRBLR!!

BLRBLR!!

BLRBLRBLRBLRBLR!!!

…

As it turned out, Hess couldn’t understand Lu Wei’s warning at all.

So as soon as they returned to the grotto, it leaped right in front of Bai Ya, squealing endlessly with excitement.

It even started putting on a personal performance to express itself more clearly, throwing itself into an Imitation of the Light-guided Arrow—

First, it jumped onto Furen’s head and turned itself gold.

Then it jumped onto Lu Wei’s left hand, poised and ready.

Finally, it rammed headfirst into the stew pot, which was representing the goblin.

The four of them could only stare, dumbfounded.

It was a good thing they hadn’t started the fire yet.

Otherwise, if it had managed to turn into a Flame-guided Arrow, the scene would have been even more stunning.

In any case, Hess was clearly very excited about what it had just witnessed.

After all, Lu Wei was something like its “second master,” and his ability to unleash such a powerful Skill filled it with a sense of shared glory and pride.

Unfortunately, Bai Ya listened for a long time but couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“Lu Wei… gold… arrow…”

“Goblin… dead…”

“Hmm… I don’t get it at all.”

Scratching her head in confusion, Bai Ya turned to Lu Wei.

“So what exactly happened?”

“Nothing much. I just found a couple of goblins near the Big Fluff Tree and took care of them.”

Lu Wei shrugged. “Hess happened to see it, so it probably got spooked.”

“Oh, I see… Then what was the golden arrow about?”

“How would I know? Hurry up and cook.”

“Oh, okay. Right.”

Hearing it was just two goblins, Bai Ya didn’t give it much more thought. After placating Hess with a few half-hearted “I get it”s, she went to start a fire and cook.

Furen, meanwhile, dragged the giant bat carcasses out of the cave to dispose of them and squeezed in a round of “pre-dinner training.”

That’s right. Ever since their encounter with that Bandit Group, he had increased his twice-daily training sessions to four times a day.

Once in the morning, once at noon, once before dinner, and once before bed.

His dedication was so intense that even Mirana felt a little ashamed.

After all, she only worked out twice a day, in the morning and evening.

Bai Ya did it once before bed.

As for Lu Wei, he didn’t do it at all.

‘Hmm, maybe I should put in some effort too.’

‘Even though raising Attributes through exercise is incredibly slow, constant dripping wears away the stone. I can’t become the richest man on the continent if I keep slacking off like this.’

‘But dinner’s almost ready, and working out before a meal is bad for you.’

‘I’ll think about it later.’

Gazing at the delicious mushroom soup in the pot, Lu Wei made his firm resolution.

…

…

As everyone knows, working out right after eating is also unhealthy.

So, an hour later, once dinner was over, Lu Wei immediately dove into a heated Gwent Card match.

And after the card game was done, it was about time for bed.

As for the matter of “putting in effort”…

‘Mental exercise is still exercise. So, strictly speaking, I’ve already been training all evening.’

‘Yep, nothing wrong with that logic.’

‘Now it’s time to get a good night’s sleep and fully recover.’

After this brief period of self-reflection, Lu Wei decisively wriggled into his sleeping bag, using Hess as a pillow, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in Heitai Town, the Adventurer’s Tavern was as boisterous as ever.

“Two Dwarven Strong Alcohols! A large plate of roast meat with a thick vegetable soup!”

“Thirteen points! Hahaha! I win! Drink up, drink up!”

“Hey, have you guys heard? A noble lady arrived in town today. She’s staying at the Silver Moon Corridor.”

“Old news! They say she’s even prettier than Mei Lin!”

“For real? I’ve never seen a woman prettier than Mei Lin!”

“Hahaha, just take a trip to Rat Street in Kalin Port someday and you will!”

“…”

The din filled every corner of the tavern. A boisterous heatwave, thick with the aroma of ale, rolled through the room. Brass chandeliers hanging from the rafters swayed gently, their dozen or so thick candles illuminating the entire space as brightly as day.

As a long-standing establishment in Heitai Town, the Adventurer’s Tavern had an Ordinary name and no scantily clad waitresses, but because it never watered down its drinks, its business was always the best.

Around eight o’clock in the evening, a spirited Marcus pushed open the door and walked in.

After parting ways with the Mushroom Squad, he, Urzha, and the others had traveled for four straight days, arriving back in town last night.

Not only did they encounter no danger along the way, but they also unexpectedly discovered a Goblin Nest, earning a small extra profit.

Early this morning, they went to sell off their loot, and then each began their five-day holiday.

Unlike Urzha, who had a child, or Geluo, who was already married, Marcus, despite not being young, was an old bachelor with no family to support.

And he wasn’t like Andrew, who needed to save money to upgrade his Equipment and pursue his dreams in a High Level Adventurer’s Land.

His definition of life was very simple—

Enjoy life while you can. If you die, you die.

So, after dividing the money and fulfilling his duties as captain, he made a beeline for Pigeon Lane and had an epic battle with Mei Lin, the so-called “Wild Rose,” for the entire afternoon.

Afterward, he went to the bathhouse for a wash.

Only then did he come to the tavern, intending to get something to eat.

“What are you doing here, Brother Yorun?”

Squeezing through the crowded front room, Marcus plopped down at the bar and asked the man polishing a glass with a smile:

“Where’s Clara? Did she take the day off?”

“Don’t even ask. She suddenly claimed to be sick this afternoon.”

The man named Yorun snorted irritably.

He was the owner of the Adventurer’s Tavern. He had a short, full beard and several scars on his hands, indicating a less-than-stellar adventuring career in his youth.

“She’s taken sick leave three times in the last six months! You tell me, have you ever seen such a lazy bartender?!”

“Hmph. If she weren’t a reasonably quick worker, I would’ve told her to get lost long ago.”

Muttering, Yorun set the glass down and waved his hand impatiently.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about her. What can I get for you?”

“A large dark beer, and the meatiest meal combo you’ve got.”

Marcus bragged with a mock-troubled expression, “That Mei Lin is really something else. I haven’t eaten since noon. I’m starving.”

“Oh? Sounds like you had a good haul this time?”

Yorun poured a frothy beer and placed it in front of him. “How much did you make?”

“Not a huge amount, but enough to take a few days off.”

Marcus gulped down half the beer in one go. GULP GULP. He changed the subject. “Anything new happening in town these days?”

“What else? Still the same old talk about the trade route. They’re saying the Silver Scale Merchant Association is coming next week.”

Yorun pursed his lips dismissively. “I’m so sick of hearing about it my ears are growing calluses. I just hope my business picks up a little after they arrive.”

“Hahaha, you think your business is bad now?”

Marcus laughed heartily and glanced around. “Look at this place! There’s barely any room to sit!”

“That may be true, but who doesn’t want things to be even better?”

Yorun finally cracked a smile, then remembered another piece of “news.”

“Oh, right. Did you know a general store opened up over by the Dome Pillar?”

“Ah, of course.”

Marcus paused for a moment, then nodded.

Lu Wei never missed an opportunity to advertise, so he had already told him about it.

If it hadn’t been out of his way on this trip back, he definitely would have stopped by to give him some business.

“That’s great news. We won’t have to worry about supplies when we go into the forest anymore.”

“I heard they also buy back Equipment. That’s even better. We won’t have to haul a bunch of junk around anymore.”

Smiling, Marcus took another sip of beer. He wasn’t just saying this to suck up to Lu Wei… after all, Lu Wei wasn’t even there.

He genuinely believed it.

But in the next second, Yorun sneered and said with utter contempt:

“Great news? Go there once and you’ll see how ‘great’ it is.”

“He’s selling a bottle of Healing Ointment for one silver coin, a pack of Insect Repellent Powder for 80 Copper Coins, and even a pack of biscuits costs 30 Copper Coins.”

“Yes, it’s in the middle of the forest, so it’s normal for things to be a bit more expensive.”

“But do you still think it’s ‘great news’ when the prices are five times higher?”

“Sigh, that kid Lu Wei is truly black-hearted.”

“His father was such an honest and kind merchant…”

It was unclear whether it was out of “jealousy” or “hatred of evil,” but the more Yorun spoke, the more indignant, sorrowful, and disappointed he became.

In the end, he nailed Lu Wei to the pillar of shame, branding him a Crafty Merchant.

Marcus’s eyes widened in a daze, and then, at a certain point, he suddenly interrupted:

“Ahem, Old Yorun, as your friend for so many years, I have to give you a piece of advice.”

“You’d best not repeat any of that in the future.”

“Hm?”

Yorun was taken aback. “Why?”

“Well…”

Marcus drained the last of the beer from his glass, putting on a profound and mysterious expression.

“Don’t ask why. Just remember not to get on Brother Lu Wei’s bad side.”

“I’m doing you a favor here.”