Chapter 5: Black Stone City (3)
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Lin Nan strolled to the tavern entrance, her long dress shimmering like a phoenix’s golden feathers. Gone was her frosty demeanor; instead, the vibrant golden stripes of her gown lit her up like a walking chandelier, making Xi feel like he might just faint from the sheer beauty of it all.
After a moment of collecting himself, Xi gently pushed open the door and made a grand gesture inviting Lin Nan to enter.
As the doors swung wide, a wave of the tavern’s signature smell—a heady mix of barley beer—hit them like a freight train. The raucous laughter and chatter inside ricocheted off the walls, and Lin Nan even caught a distinct “ding ding” of music amidst the din.
“The esteemed and beautiful Lady Lin, please come in.”
Lin Nan had revealed her real name, but Xi thought it was just a fancy alias cooked up by the owner of the place at the last minute.
The second they stepped inside, all eyes turned towards them. The raucous tavern fell into an unusual silence, as if someone had hit the pause button, while the sound of a harp’s enchanting melody flowed on, like a gentle mountain stream.
Curious, Lin Nan glanced over at the stage in the tavern where a stunning demoness clad in a fancy ruffled dress sat before a large harp, her hands dancing gracefully over the strings, as delicate as silken threads.
Who would’ve thought they’d find Western instruments being played in this joint? If this were still a game, then it seemed this so-called Demon Race had simply copied the lifestyle and entertainment habits of the West. Even this tavern scene was a favorite pastime of young folks from Europe and America!
In no time, the tavern was back to its usual lively chaos. But unlike before, two demon lads in long black cloaks and armed with weapons moved to block Xi and Lin Nan’s path.
To them, seeing one of their own with such a peculiar high hat might have seemed odd, but the obvious horns made his demon identity crystal clear. As for the stunning woman beside him? Well, they were a bit uncertain of her origins.
After all, they’d seen some pretty strong demonesses in Black Stone City, and their greatest fun was turning into stunning replicas of human women. Sure, some of them slipped up and showed their true selves, but if they played coy, the demonesses would get all thrilled and might even plant some fragrant kisses.
These two worked out that the duo was likely linked, and decided to start with the pale-faced demon in front of them.
“Brother, where do you hail from? I swear I’ve never seen you in Black Stone City before.” One of them questioned.
Xi twirled his cane a bit, “Just call me Xi. I’m from Glenbang, the owner of the Black Goose Castle, which is right next to the Imperial Capital. As for being in Black Stone City? Well, this lovely lady and I are on a long journey and feeling a bit pooped, so we decided to drop in and rest for a few days. Imagine my surprise to find a fellow countryman here, and oh, this delightful tavern with its music, how could I not bring my friend along for this nostalgic thrill and the taste of home?”
The two exchanged glances, and their suspicion began to melt away.
The Demon Race controls a vast area, with a multitude of noble families each sporting unique coats of arms and histories. Unless you were a dedicated heraldry researcher, you’d marvel at the variations amongst nobility, while the unnoticed lesser nobles claimed most of the slots.
As Xi navigated their inquiries without a hitch, even though they’d never heard of Glenbang or Black Goose Castle, it hardly mattered.
After all, in just a few hours, the tavern would close for the night. They couldn’t party until dawn like in the Demon Race’s Imperial Capital. This was Black Stone City! As reinforcements, they still needed to keep their wits about them for the enemy’s attack at sunrise.
As for this duo claiming to be travelers? Well, once the tavern shut, they’d be out of there faster than you could say “trouble.”
Might as well just send two patrol guys along with them, just in case.
“Brother Xi, come, come! We have some exquisite wines brought straight from Cangyan City. If you don’t try them, you’ll be missing out!”
Xi replied with a grin, “Sounds good!”
He shrugged a glance at Lin Nan, who nodded slightly, and he exclaimed, “Let’s have two cups then!”
“Sorry, gentlemen, but we only accept gold here.” The tavern keeper announced.
Without missing a beat, Xi pulled a little gold nugget from his pocket and tossed it to the keeper like he was tossing a crumb to a bird.
With that, all doubt had evaporated from the two demon lads’ minds.
Gold was the specialty of the Demon Race territory. When the Spirit Coin system began to outbreak into chaos due to a sudden influx of mystery humans, the whole commercial network of major cities collapsed almost overnight. Spirit Coins became utterly useless, forcing the demons back to using gold as their currency.
Seeing Xi so nonchalantly pull out gold indicated he at least came prepared for his excursion. Nobody ever found gold beyond the demon borders!
But, just for good measure, they cast a glance over to Lin Nan, who was a solid 100 in figure and only about 80 in looks, and inquired, “And this charming lady, where does she hail from?”
Xi smiled, “Ah, my friend here is the top-level Great Demon! Even the lord of Black Stone City would treat her with respect.”
The two nodded, deciding that was the end of their questioning. Naturally, they took Xi’s comment as a joke.
There were many demonesses in Black Stone City, and the best way to gauge their powers was to see how human-like they were. Most focused so much on their transformations, they glossed over training their inner power.
But hey, they didn’t need to get hung up on that. The more human they looked, the more Great Demons would shower them with attention. They didn’t need to conquer the world; they just had to conquer men to get what they wanted.
No wonder this little noble from the Demon Race was gallivanting with that alluring bird demon—just look at her looks!
Demon laws might not interfere with demon men courting outside their kind, but they were strict when it came to keeping the bloodlines pure. In other words, flirting was fine, but you better not be planning to marry them!
So, to these guys, Xi became just another noble student off on a wild jaunt, lucky enough to charm a stunning demoness along the way.
“Have fun, brother!”
Xi politely replied, “Thanks!”
“Live it up! In a few days, we might just have to pack up and leave this place for good.”
“Shh… what nonsense are you spouting?”
“What? There’s no one around, and even if I did say it, do you think those two can understand us?”
“Shh…”
Peeking back, they noticed Xi had given up on them altogether, his other hand casually wrapping around the waist of a nearby demoness. Meanwhile, the enchanting demoness seemed enchanted by the harp’s tune, leaning against the stage, deeply immersed in the professional musician’s performance.
With their worries eased, the two demon lads finally moved on to charm the tavern keeper for more drinks.
