Chapter Forty-Eight: Drunkard Street
In the little town, once dusk fell, hardly anyone dared to wander into these remote dark alleys, especially when eerie “boom boom boom” sounds echoed from within. So, the ruckus caused by this brief scuffle hardly caught anyone’s attention.
Even if someone heard or saw something, they’d quickly skedaddle, not wanting to get caught in whatever mess was brewing.
Above, the crescent moon emerged, though the sun still lingered at the horizon. Thick clouds lounged around like lazy fish in a deep sea, occasionally shimmering with flashes of gold.
“Once we pass through this alley, we’ll find ourselves at the infamous Drunkard Street, the wildest street in town. After dark, aside from over there, you’ll be hard-pressed to find people anywhere else in the town. If you do, trust me, they’re not the friendliest bunch…”
On the cluttered little path, the red-haired woman confidently strutted ahead, her ponytail swaying like it owned the place.
“Of course, I’m not saying everyone over there is a saint; most of them aren’t. But at least Drunkard Street has its local bullies keeping order. Most outside travelers end up there for drinks, and the town depends on them for survival, so nobody dares to cause trouble… Well, brawling is common, as long as nobody dies, it’s all good.”
As she spoke, her boots clicked rhythmically against the ground, echoing down the path where a young woman and a little girl trailed quietly behind her. Both wore similar light-colored robes and tightly wrapped headscarves, their faces hidden beneath veils.
Despite being hard to see, their large, fluttering eyes were already enough to send imaginations running wild.
The young woman held two skewers of grilled meat, occasionally peeking under her veil to take a bite. Yet, something was off; her brows knitted, and she stared at the red-haired woman’s back, as if deep in thought.
Meanwhile, the little girl seemed a lot more anxious, glancing nervously between the woman and what lay behind them, pulling on the young girl’s robe with a hand that clutched the skewer tightly, her wide eyes filled with dread.
“I’ve been in the Eastern Continent with my mentor for years, so I’m pretty out of the loop on what’s happened in the Western Continent lately… News here is practically sealed off, and even private channels are scarce. Towns here are nowhere near as lively as those in the West. Aside from the Nogowai Sea Port, the rest are just poor, rocky corners…”
“No security, no public bathrooms; in many places considered ‘big cities’, they even lack streetlights. And here? Ha—”
The woman sighed heavily. “The Western Continent is much better. Sunny, fresh air, and so many young noble gentlemen. They’re handsome and smell nice; they invite you to dance politely when they walk up… Unlike here, filled with ugly, sleazy drunks. I can’t help but fight with someone every day. My temper’s getting worse, plus with all this dust blowing around, I feel like my complexion’s taking a hit…”
Turning a corner out of the little path, the alley widened, although it was even messier, with a pungent stench hitting us like a freight train—like a rotten mix of vomit and alcohol that made my brows furrow even tighter.
“Sister, look at that person…”
The little girl tugged at my robe and pointed to a filthy figure slumped against the wall, covered in pustules, bl**d-soaked clothes, and holding a half-empty bottle, eyes closed, looking as if he passed out cold.
“Tsk, a drunkard…”
I grimaced, pinching my nose.
“Becky’s a bit scared of him…”
“If you walk a bit further, you’ll see more people like him,” the woman continued without turning back. “Little one, watch your step—might accidentally tread in vomit, excrement, or something even worse…”
“What something worse?”
“Ha.”
She chuckled, falling silent and pointing to her ears, signaling us to listen. I paused in confusion, but after focusing, I could faintly make out a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s blissful m*an from beyond the earthen building.
“Uh…”
I felt my face heat up, unable to suppress a curse, “Wild dogs!” I flicked the skewer I’d finished to land on the cart, making a dull thud, before a rustling noise alerted us as a disheveled couple hurried out, the guy not even having his pants up properly.
What a disgusting place…
What a disgusting woman…
What was the point of telling me this?
And…
“Did you previously… go to a lizard’s nest in the west? Where you killed a bunch of lizards?”
I asked, and the woman glanced back at me, puzzled. After pondering, she smiled and nodded, “Now that you mention it, there was something like that… It was almost two months ago. Why, did you go there too?”
“There were four of you.”
“Now, it’s just me and him here.”
“…Why?”
“Something… unpleasant happened. It’s a long story, not a good place to talk. Later, let’s find a room where we can chat in detail, you can ask him directly.”
“You know who I am.”
“Do I? Ha… I probably don’t.”
…As expected.
Hmph, annoying woman.
I really didn’t want to follow her, unsure if this was a trap. I’d hesitated after our earlier skirmish, especially since I had a little drag-along with me; in case something went down, I’d be stuck between a rock and a hard place… But for some reason, I kept trudging along.
Impulsiveness overpowered reason, and I couldn’t help it.
Despite how annoying this woman was, she didn’t seem to be lying to me.
She must be telling the truth.
Besides, some things can’t be deceived, like when she mentioned that Mr. Ryan was also her teacher. In our prior skirmish, she had indeed used a sword technique I found familiar—of that, I was certain. Plus, that guy had told me when leaving the Western Continent that he came to find his teacher…
This woman likely had a clue about my identity.
Even though this was our first meeting, if that guy was truly her friend, and both were disciples of the Sword Saint, it’d make sense for them to team up in the Eastern Continent. It was almost certain that he had mentioned me to her, and after a shocking encounter, she should’ve confirmed some features of my identity from his description, which is why she now wanted to bring me to meet him…
So.
“What’s he doing in a place like this?”
Navigating through the bustling, alcohol-soaked streets, the stumbling silhouettes of drunkards seemed to pop out everywhere. The heavy aroma of liquor mingled with strange scents assaulted my nose, making even the little girl cover her mouth, refusing to say a word, silently trailing behind me.
That guy’s not even a drunkard; why would he be here?
And from what the woman said earlier, it sounded like they’d been here for at least a few days…
I thought they might have something important to deal with, but the woman’s next words caught me off guard: “Living it up, what else can you do here? Flirting with the moon and chatting about feelings?”
I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks.
“You…”
No way! This woman can’t truly be playing me, can she?
Is she trying to catch me… is she one of Angel’s people?! What’s her plan… How could that guy possibly end up here, living it up? I hardly ever saw him drink… No! Wait.
“What is it?”
“Ha—”
The woman halted too. She glanced up at the dimming sky, her red lips parted as if sighing in melancholy, “You’ll just have to see for yourself.”
With that, she pointed toward a nearby earthen building with a sign-waving woman at the entrance. “That’s it; I really don’t want to enter that door again. The people and the smells inside make me want to vomit…”
Though she said this, the woman quickened her pace, and I stood still for a moment before dragging Becky to hurriedly catch up.
This earthen building had no wooden door, no sign; the entrance was a half-circle arch with people continuously coming and going. The sign-waving woman wore very revealing clothes, even allowing someone to pinch her chest without a fuss while shooting them a flirtatious glance. When we walked in, she cast a peculiar look at Becky but said nothing, her smile never fading.
Once inside the archway was a small courtyard filled with rickety tables. It was barely night, yet many were already drinking. A fair number were drunk, shouting and banging on tables, the atmosphere was noisy and vibrant, the stench intensifying. Since Becky had never been in such a place, she gripped my robe tightly, staying glued to my back.
“Don’t be afraid, look away. We’ll leave soon.”
I patted her head, and the little girl nodded timidly.
The woman led us through the courtyard, and numerous gazes fell upon us, accompanied by whistles and wicked laughter. I furrowed my brows, ignoring them as we arrived at the inner building. Pushing open the folding door, the first feeling that hit me was the heat, followed by an unbearable stench of alcohol and sweat that nearly made me turn back.
But I held my ground…
The tavern was dimly lit and filled with drunkards sprawled everywhere—on tables, leaning against the bar, and in corners. They shouted and cursed, while someone strolled up with a silly grin, reaching out to grab the red-haired woman’s waist. Without even a glance, she slapped him away, sending him crashing into another drunkard, and they tumbled to the ground, grappling. Others rushed in to cheer them on as we continued to move forward, eyes scanning for a familiar figure.
“Hey beautiful, care for a drink?”
“That chest is something else! I’d love to see what it feels like…”
“Look, you’ve even got two little ones with you, haha! You’re mine for the night!”
Unrestrained banter surrounded us from all sides while I forced down my fury, thinking if anyone dared to touch me or make a move, I’d make sure they wouldn’t know their own name again… Just then, a loud, arrogant curse erupted nearby.
“d*mn, do you know who I am—”
Bang!
With that angry shout, a table closer to the bar was flipped over. Several people around it sprang up, and one brawny guy raised his glass, ready to pour it over a man in a cloak before him.
As the lights flickered, I saw a strand of silver hair slip out from the man’s loose hood.
