Chapter 75: Finding Tavern

He snapped his head at Moon, Nox, and then Levi, and said in a low, suppressed voice,

"It worked!"

The man in black’s face was now clear and healthy.

No rot or exposed flesh could be seen. Though the blackness was still fading and not entirely gone, the effect was undeniable.

The man woke up with a soft cough.

With that, he vomited out a black mass of bad blood.

"Take him out and clean up the floor," Levi said nonchalantly, entirely unresponsive to the pungent smell of the blood.

Moon could not help but admire him a little.

"I have seen worse," Levi answered Moon’s curious expression.

"Mm," Moon nodded and smiled.

As if it hit Nox’s nerves, he tapped on the table twice. "Settle the bill. You used one pill already. Don’t try to dodge the price."

"You need to provide a pill for testing," Levi scoffed.

"That’s your man getting the benefit. I never said I would give a sample for free. Not to mention, the herbs used were so rare you won’t find them once in a millennium."

"1,000 siki," Levi said.

"Are you kidding me? After using my pill? Don’t think just because there is no pack rule above you, you can rob people."

"I am not robbing. It is precisely because there is no pack that you can still sell pills here. I don’t think a wolfless like you can concoct this pill," Levi said in a deep voice, his gaze sharp and inquiring.

"You don’t need to assume anything. The pill master is our own person. Rest assured, there is no problem with the source," Moon answered this time.

Levi thought for a moment, then sighed. "1,500 siki for each. No more than that. It’s still a low-grade pill."

"Okay. Deal," before Nox could protest, Moon agreed. He didn’t want to spend more time here. His gut told him they needed to leave soon.

It would not be hard to find out who had been in the Black Sea Gorge recently, and if someone tried hard enough, that would reveal their hidden Lost Realm, too.

Levi chuckled. "How many do you have?"

"Only those three," Nox grumbled.

"Really? Only three?" Levi asked. "Such a loss; we lost one already!"

Nox scoffed.

Levi took out a pouch, counted exactly 4500 siki, and slid it to Nox. "Hope you will come back soon. Any other medicines, elixirs, or pills are welcome."

"I would rather not. You are annoying," Nox said as he stood up, tucking the pouch into his sash.

Levi stood up and spread his hand for a handshake.

As he held Nox’s palm, he pressed it a little and leaned down.

He said in an almost inaudible tone, "Let’s keep this a secret between us. You sell everything to me, and I will hide your traces from the Black Sea."

Nox’s eyes narrowed.

He flashed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Well, well, then you better remove all our traces properly. If any rats crawl behind us, I can’t guarantee your next transaction."

Levi patted his shoulder, then let go.

He tossed a communication stone to Moon and sat back down in his chair.

The group went out and strolled through the shop.

Before, they hadn’t paid much attention, but this shop had many things they needed. Moon bought spirit grass, morning dew, and a few other types of seeds. He also bought a bottle of rejuvenating elixir.

When they went out of the shop, it was already dusk. The evening sun had gone down, and the path was already lit up with oil lamp posts.

Marina led them toward the bustling merchant district.

She navigated the crowded streets with smooth, easy turns.

It was clear that one day would not be enough to finish all their business in the city, so finding an inn to rest and getting something to eat first was their top priority.

Marina stopped in front of a multi-story tavern that smelled of roasted meats and wine.

"We can eat here," Marina suggested, her eyes bright, but they soon dimmed again. "Umm... it’s a bit expensive." She looked at Moon with shy eyes.

She wanted to eat here, but she was also embarrassed to say it aloud since she had been eyeing this tavern for a long while.

"The upper floor has private boxes. We can sit and eat. The food is tasty," she added eagerly.

"Good. Let’s head up," Moon agreed.

While heading upstairs, Moon sent a quick voice transmission to Axe and Ugo, telling them to meet them at the restaurant as soon as their errands were finished.

They took a seat in a spacious box overlooking the main courtyard and ordered a sumptuous meal meant for eight people.

The waiter looked at the three of them strangely—wondering why so few people needed so much food—but didn’t say anything and hurried away.

After a short while, Axe, Ugo, and Oshan arrived together, looking worn out but pleased as they joined them in the box.

Axe and Ugo had gone to sell the herbs, wild fruits, and raw meat they had.

They had mixed some rare items with a lot of common ones to avoid suspicion.

They had also earned 2,000 siki.

Oshan, however, was not so lucky.

Because he had been occupied with spying on the brothers a few days prior, the only trade good he had was the elk, which fetched only 40 siki.

Thankfully, he still had some personal savings stored away. Instead of just wasting time waiting around, he had gone through the local shops to buy tools, mattresses, and cutlery to make their living in the Lost Realm more comfortable.

He came back with a massive bundle resting beside him.

"This place is so crowded. Never knew Malong City had so many people and good things,"

Axe said, taking a seat and pouring himself a cup of water.

"I have always thought Malong City was the poorest city in the Southern region," Ugo said. He also took a cup of water from the table.

As the group settled down and the waiter began lining their table with steaming plates of food, a loud commotion suddenly broke out on the first floor.