Chapter 359 Better to Intimidate, the Rose Holy Symbol

The night in Sheephorn Town was very quiet.

So quiet that Xia Nan, having grown used to the noisy environment of the White Chickadee Tavern, felt a little unaccustomed to it.

Regardless, a peaceful place to rest was always a good thing.

It allowed Xia Nan to sleep a bit longer than usual.

He fell asleep before midnight, and seven hours were enough to fully restore his physical energy.

When he woke up, it was still before dawn.

Not wasting any time, he grabbed his equipment and items, got dressed, and left the inn. He headed to a secluded patch of woods near the town—a spot he had scouted out earlier where few people passed by—for his daily training.

Considering the town's special circumstances and his temporarily altered action plan—changed because the Pastel Gemstone could provide energy for the [Dream Weaving Corridor]—

Xia Nan slightly modified his workout routine, increasing the proportion of technique training to conserve as much stamina as possible.

[Gravity Etching], which he used to train with almost strictly on its six-hour cooldown back in Rivervale Town, was now only used late at night or in the early morning. During the day, he tried his best to maintain a full three charges to deal with any potential battles.

He warmed up with [Spinning Slash] and stretched his body with [Fang Hunt]. Even though these two combat techniques had already been leveled to the max, they still took up a significant portion of his training plan, combined with basic sword practice and advanced [Gravity Control] combat techniques...

By the time Xia Nan finished his daily training, found a stream on the way back to wash himself, and returned to the town with his short black hair still wet, the sky was just barely getting light.

The townsfolk also woke up very early. The streets, completely empty when he set out for his training, were now bustling with many residents who had gotten up to work.

Even the owner of the Woolen Rusty Nail, the round-faced middle-aged man, had gotten up early and was standing behind the counter, organizing his plates and glasses.

Seeing this, a thought stirred in Xia Nan's mind.

He walked straight up to the bar, sat down, and ordered breakfast from him.

Located on the provincial border and far from any major cities, the local economy relied almost entirely on income provided by passing adventurers and merchants.

Even though this was already the highest-class inn in Sheephorn Town, the variety of its food was only average.

Fortunately, the prices were relatively affordable.

A large plate of dark rye bread, a glass of lemonade, a thick stew made of onions, beans, and local vegetables, two eggs, a small wedge of cheese, and three finger-length strips of bacon.

At the end, he also asked the boss for a few fully ripe Sugar Tangerines, their color an orange-red like the setting sun.

All of this added up to just over 1 silver coin, only slightly more expensive than the basket of Sugar Tangerines Xia Nan had bought yesterday.

Compared to the White Chickadee Tavern, it couldn't possibly be more of a bargain.

The taste was also generally above average.

Even the coarse rye bread became a rare delicacy with the addition of the anvil bee honey Xia Nan deliberately spread over it.

Meanwhile, throughout the meal, facing the innkeeper who remained slightly wary of him because of yesterday's events, Xia Nan didn't say a single extra word. He just kept his head down and ate.

It wasn't until he had cleared every plate on the table that he noticed the innkeeper's slightly tense body relax a little.

Only then did he begin peeling a tangerine and, in a seemingly casual tone, unleash the "masterful" conversational tactics he had spent so long preparing last night.

"Boss, it's way too boring around here after dark," Xia Nan said, trying hard to lace his tone with the complaints of a man bored out of his skull. "Isn't there anywhere a bit more lively in town?"

Given his identity as an adventurer and the stereotypes ordinary people in this world held about those in his line of work, asking such a question was completely normal.

The man didn't think much of it, a hint of a smile even appearing on his face.

"Ah, it's a small place in the countryside, what kind of entertainment could we have?" he said. "Everyone is busy with their own work in the fields. By the time they finish every day, very few still have the time and energy to come to my tavern for a drink."

"I get it, I get it."

Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded and stuffed the peeled tangerine wedges into his mouth.

As he felt the sweet, fragrant fruit burst on his tongue, he followed the conversational script he had prepared the night before, steering the topic toward the Sugar Tangerines.

"Speaking of which, your tangerines here are really good. They taste much better than the ones I had over in Cloudclimb Province."

"It's a gift from the Goddess," the boss replied.

"The harvest can't be low, either. Have you ever considered selling them out of town to give the town another source of income?"

"Of course we've considered it. In fact, the shops in town basically all have partnerships with the orchards," the innkeeper said, glancing at the Sugar Tangerine in Xia Nan's hand. "It's just that even though we call them a 'specialty,' these kinds of tangerines aren't rare in Upstream Coast Province to begin with. The ones further south even taste better. There's just no market for them."

Seeing the topic gradually extending in his desired direction, Xia Nan shifted the conversation, asking with a tone of curiosity.

"But I've walked around these past two days, and I noticed the town doesn't seem to have any other industries. Unlike a few towns I've passed through before, which had mining or specialized handicrafts. Does your income mainly just come from the fields and passing merchants?"

As if he had heard a specific keyword, the innkeeper's wiping of the glass paused imperceptibly before returning to normal. He let out a chuckle.

"Isn't that the truth? We're just a small place anyway, what kind of industry could we have?" he said. "Farming peacefully and living our days is good enough."

Noticing the details in the man's demeanor and movements, and knowing the conversation had reached a critical juncture, Xia Nan decided to press his advantage.

Leaning forward slightly, he deliberately lowered his voice to exert invisible pressure.

"Speaking of which, I've traveled to quite a few places, but to be honest, it's rare to see a place with an overall atmosphere as... well, as peaceful as your Sheephorn Town," he said. "It feels like everyone lacks any sort of desires. That's very rare."

The innkeeper couldn't help but frown. He set down the glass he had finished wiping, the smile fading from his face.

"Guest, the residents of our town are all honest folks," he said. "We don't have any bad intentions."

Knowing the man had become guarded, Xia Nan waved the Sugar Tangerine in his hand at him and laughed. "Of course! Don't misunderstand, I meant it as a compliment."

However, perhaps his overly abrupt questions from yesterday had already made the innkeeper—whose perception was suspected to be deeply influenced by the Pastel Gemstone—suspicious of Xia Nan.

Now, just by touching on the subject slightly, the man became alert once again, reverting to that cold, politely distant attitude.

No matter how Xia Nan pressed further, he only replied with short, meaningless phrases.

'That shouldn't be the case...'

Returning to his room on the second floor of the inn somewhat baffled, Xia Nan felt more than ever that "conversation" was a true art form.

Even if his Perception was exceptionally high, allowing him to clearly sense changes in the other party's demeanor, movements, and emotions, it would ultimately just be wasted effort if he couldn't accurately grasp the right timing, wording, and tone.

Still, it was early, and there were many ways to gather information.

A minor setback wasn't enough to make him lose confidence.

After resting in his room for a while, seeing that it was broad daylight outside, the fully dressed Xia Nan walked out of the inn once again.

But this time, his destination wasn't the empty woods on the outskirts of town, but a location much closer to the center.

...

Sheephorn Town, the blacksmith shop.

Even though they had just gotten into a conflict yesterday, he had to admit that if he wanted detailed information about things like gemstones and minerals, the man—as one of the few blacksmiths in town—was the best person to ask.

When Xia Nan arrived at the blacksmith shop, the burly shop owner seemed to be taking a break from his forging. He was holding a rough cloth, wiping his shiny, bald head.

Seeing Xia Nan walk into the shop, his brows furrowed instinctively.

"What is it?"

His tone was stiff and his attitude poor. He obviously still minded yesterday's encounter.

Xia Nan's expression didn't change; he merely brought out the excuse he had prepared well in advance.

Pulling the small dagger he had gotten from the Rockhammer Smithy from his waist—the one he normally used for skinning loot materials and cutting miscellaneous items—he placed it on the counter and spoke with a sincere tone.

"Sorry to bother you. I've been using this tool for too long, and it's gotten a bit dull lately," Xia Nan said. "I heard your craftsmanship is the best in town, so I wanted to see if I could get it maintained here."

Thanks to Xia Nan's exaggerated rate of damaging his armor, he had to visit a blacksmith shop every few quests. Naturally, he knew exactly what to say to tickle the fancy of this type of blacksmith.

Sure enough, when Xia Nan mentioned the words "the best craftsmanship in town," the bald, burly man's stern expression instantly softened.

Nodding, he showed great professionalism by letting go of his grudge over yesterday's conflict with Xia Nan. He strode forward, picked up the dagger, and began to examine it.

He had heard compliments from his shop apprentices and regular customers countless times; they no longer elicited any reaction.

But the exact same words coming from the seasoned adventurer standing before him—a man covered in Fine equipment with unfathomable strength—naturally had a completely different effect.

A moment later, the bald blacksmith delivered his verdict.

"This dagger of yours wasn't cheap, was it?" he asked. "Although it doesn't look like anything special on the outside, both the materials used and the forging process are exceptional. It must have been made by a highly skilled craftsman."

He spoke quite honestly, not hiding the gap between himself and Barn from Rockhammer.

"To be honest, there are a lot of details in here that I'd have a hard time replicating even if I tried to copy it," he continued. "But if it's just maintenance, it won't be a problem. It won't take long. Just come pick it up before dinner this afternoon."

Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll leave it in your hands then."

But he wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, pretending he wanted to buy some other equipment, he walked over to the shelves and looked around.

After circling twice, his gaze landed on the piles of iron ore and coal in the corner of the shop. He asked, seemingly casually, "The quality of these materials looks pretty good. There seem to be very few impurities. The finished products forged from them must be excellent. They probably aren't from an ordinary iron mine, right? Do you have some special source for them?"

Xia Nan's inquiry was, of course, carefully calculated. While cleverly avoiding the sensitive topic of gemstones, he steered the conversation into the blacksmith's most familiar domain, expanding the scope of the chat from gemstones to the broader category of minerals. He hoped the man would reveal some information about the Pastel Gemstone under his guidance.

However, to his surprise, the blacksmith seemed exceptionally sensitive to words like "mine" and "source."

The moment the words left his mouth, the bald blacksmith's face, which had only recently softened, immediately hardened again.

"Maintenance fee: 1 silver and 7 copper," he said coldly. "Or find another craftsman, up to you."

He stopped looking at Xia Nan, turned around to grab his heavy forging hammer, and threw himself back into his work.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The crisp sound of the hammer face striking the anvil shattered the last shred of hope for Xia Nan's attempt.

...

'How could this be...'

Walking down the street, Xia Nan's face remained expressionless, but inwardly, he felt particularly depressed.

His Charisma was at least 6 points, and paired with his rather professional look as a seasoned adventurer and his decidedly striking, cold facial features, even if he wasn't universally loved, the impression he made shouldn't be bad.

Not to mention that he had planned out his conversational tactics in great detail beforehand, specifically tailoring them to his target's identity and personality.

Even if there was a discrepancy with reality, it shouldn't have ended like it just did—freezing the topic and completely killing the conversation after just a few casual sentences.

A double failure on his Persuasion checks.

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn't have wasted so much effort. Simply changing Persuasion to Intimidation might have yielded better results.

Xia Nan pondered this. Without realizing it, he had followed the town's main road and arrived at the central plaza of Sheephorn Town.

The plaza's ground was paved with rough bluestone slabs that bore the marks of time. However, they looked as if they were frequently maintained, and overall, there weren't many damaged spots.

Serving as the intersection for several roads in town, it was, to some extent, a microcosm of the town's life. A few peasant women could be seen sitting on the stone steps at the edge of the plaza, chatting and laughing, with small baskets holding vegetables and eggs placed on the ground in front of them. Further ahead, children were playfully chasing each other.

Xia Nan's gaze swept over them, finally landing on the northernmost side of the plaza.

There, a towering church stood quietly bathed in the morning light.

It was the very same one he had seen last night.

The church itself wasn't actually all that magnificent. It was nowhere near as grand and massive as the Sun God Church in Kalanfor or the Moon Goddess Church in Nym. It was only because of the contrast with the surrounding single-story houses that it appeared particularly eye-catching.

The building's lines were soft and steady, completely lacking the sharp, vertical feeling that large structures ought to possess. It looked as though it were sprawling out across the earth, intimately connected to the land.

Its main structure was built from warm-toned stone and timber, with fired red terracotta tiles laid out in certain sections, giving it a warm feeling under the sunlight.

The exterior walls were covered in various kinds of climbing vines, and even the roof grew patches of short, emerald-green grass. Yet from afar, it didn't give off any sense of messy, cluttered ruin. Instead, it appeared exceptionally natural, brimming with vibrant life.

The main doors were tightly shut.

Carved into the surface of the two massive, heavy wooden doors was the holy symbol of the deity worshipped in this church:

—A rosebud waiting to bloom, surrounded by a rising sun.