The long night had finally come to an end, and the warm morning sun rose slowly, its golden dawn light slanting through the gaps in the leaves and sprinkling across the forest, forming a series of golden rays. A hint of morning mist rose from the forest, and delicate grass blades were beaded with dewdrops that glittered in the sunlight, while some birds flapped their wings, flying through the trees, and the entire forest presented a scene brimming with life.
Huang Yi, carrying Little White Cat, had been walking all night and was feeling a bit hungry, as was the spirited wild dog up ahead, which now showed a hint of fatigue, its tail drooping and its body muddied as if it was wilting.
Just then, a wisp of smoke from cooking subtly drifted through the forest ahead, rising into the air and bringing with it a hint of the human world.
Huang Yi walked over to have a look and saw in the forest ahead a small stronghold made of wood. This stronghold was very small and did not have facilities like a Respawn Point; it was just an ordinary little stronghold and could not begin to compare with race camps like Wind Forest Stronghold.
"Little sister, we need to go find an inn to rest for a while. You are too beautiful and conspicuous; how about I help you with a makeover?" Huang Yi coaxed as he held Little White Cat in his arms.
"Meow~" Little White Cat blinked her large eyes and shook her head, then she reached out her little paw and gently touched Huang Yi!
Suddenly, Huang Yi felt his body change and he transformed into a human!
Since his birth, he had always been in beast form, and now, suddenly turning into a human shape, he was a little unaccustomed for a moment.
The wild dog in front, upon witnessing this scene, shrank back, also startled by the sight.
At that moment, Little White Cat’s body also swayed slightly and transformed into a small tabby cat, indistinct from any other little tabby cat, ordinary with nothing special about her.
"Sis, you are amazing to have such abilities!" Huang Yi complimented, picking up Little White Cat and continuing to walk forward.
Now, their group seemed normal, a human accompanied by a cat and a dog for pets. And by now, Huang Yi had washed away his Sin Value through extensive killing of beasts. The blood qi that emanated around him had completely dissipated, and he appeared to have no intent to kill.
Following this, Huang Yi approached the small stronghold ahead.
"Who are you?" the two guards at the entrance of the stronghold stopped Huang Yi, eyeing him warily.
"I’m passing by and would like to find an inn to rest my feet," Huang Yi said calmly.
The two guards scrutinized Huang Yi carefully, then nodded and cautioned, "Our village is very peaceful, please do not use force within the stronghold, or we will have to expel you or even kill you."
Huang Yi nodded, carrying Little White Cat and leading the wild dog into the stronghold.
There were probably only about a dozen wooden buildings in the stronghold, almost all visible at a glance. By now, the residents of the stronghold had already started their new day’s activities; each household was cooking, and the air was filled with the aroma of rice. A few children chased and frolicked in the stronghold, their laughter cheerful.
At the very end of the stronghold stood a three-story wooden building. On the sign hung in front of the door, written crookedly in the common language of the continent were four characters—Osmanthus Inn. Huang Yi walked straight toward it.
"Instakill, when transformed, looked extremely fierce, his fangs as thick as an arm, enough to keep wild beasts from sleeping..." Before Huang Yi had even entered the inn, he heard a voice from inside, astonishingly recounting his story.
Huang Yi paused briefly before walking in without drawing attention to himself.
The inn had a large hall with three worn tables and chairs and a counter. Some chairs were even missing a leg, bearing the marks of many long years. At this moment, the counter was deserted, but at the central table, a group of children sat in a circle. They were listening intently with their large eyes and chins supported by their little hands as if they had reached a critical point in the story.
The young man in the center was in his twenties, thin and frail-looking. He was now speaking with a fluency that riveted his audience: "...In the end, Instakill’s sharp claws stabbed toward Barbaric Hammer, piercing his hard body and cruelly killing him!"
"Ah! Instakill is so cruel! He’s a Big Baddie!" a little girl clutched her chest, looking frightened, "I hope I never have to meet this Big Baddie in my whole life!" As she spoke, she turned her head and saw Huang Yi at the doorway. Her expression instantly brightened, and she got up to greet him with a radiant smile, "Welcome to the Osmanthus Inn, traveler from afar! Are you here to stay or to have a meal?"
"Let’s have something to eat first! Two plates of beef and a bowl of hot porridge." Huang Yi looked at the little girl with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. A moment ago, she had cursed him as a Big Baddie and didn’t want to see him, but now she saw him right after saying those words and even welcomed him. Life was truly unpredictable.
At that moment, Huang Yi turned his head to look at the young storyteller, noticing a cup of fruit wine in front of him, and he added, "And a bottle of fruit wine, too."
"Sure! Please have a seat over here!" The little girl nodded cheerily and led Huang Yi and Little White Cat to an empty table. The stray dog also trotted over, its eyes gleaming, tongue out, drooling at the corners of its mouth, seemingly aware that something tasty was coming.
Immediately afterward, the little girl went down into a cellar next to the counter, brought out a jug of fruit wine, set it on Huang Yi’s table, and then ran off into the kitchen. Soon, the sound of clanging spatulas could be heard.
"Poet brother, tell us the story of Dao Feng!" a little boy called out to the young storyteller.
"Sure! But it seems my cup isn’t that full of wine anymore!" The young man glanced at his cup, his face turning somewhat wistful, his tone carrying an ulterior motive.
"Well, let’s collect some more money, then we can hear Poet brother’s story again." The little boy pursed his lips, addressing the other children around him.
Then, the children reluctantly reached into their little pockets, each producing a bright Small Copper Coin, really intending to collect money to buy the young man wine.
This young man was using his storytelling to coax these children into buying him wine!
"Drink mine!" Just then, Huang Yi offered the jug of fruit wine to the young man’s table.
The young man and the children were all momentarily stunned, then broke into happy smiles. The children joyfully put the coins back into their pockets, while the young man accepted the jug of fruit wine with delight, quickly pouring himself a glass and gulping it down, a look of enjoyment spreading across his face.
"Hello, I am called Poet, a Bard traveling across the continent. May I ask your name?" The young man introduced himself and then looked at Huang Yi.
"You can call me Big Baddie." Huang Yi gave him a slight smile.
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Thank you Dong Huang, Great Qin Vanguard, and Little Riddler for your generous rewards! Also, here’s a request for a Recommendation Ticket for the new day!
Great Qin Vanguard friend cast four 12,000-word rapid update tickets. I’m sorry, I can’t update that much tomorrow because I have to work, so I won’t have enough time to write. I truly apologize! However, after this period passes, I will certainly have bursts of updates from time to time. If the results are good, I will resign and focus on writing. I hope you continue to support me!