Chapter 304 - 159: Small Town (3)

Jiang Ran collected their remains.

After finishing all of this, the group set out again.

But just as Jiang Ran prepared to carry Man Shengming on his back, Scholar Jingtan beat him to it, lifting the man himself.

He also took the opportunity to ask what had happened to Man Shengming.

Jiang Ran explained briefly, and Scholar Jingtan was rather surprised.

He had seen Jiang Ran’s group kill ruthlessly yesterday, even looting valuables from the dead.

He hadn’t expected them to also perform such a life-saving act.

The journey was peaceful for now, but Jiang Ran felt that traveling like this wasn’t going to work for much longer.

They had originally planned to travel at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery, so they hadn’t bothered with horses.

But now with an injured person in tow, they couldn’t just keep carrying him on their backs. Jiang Ran decided to buy a carriage and a few horses in the next town so the group could conserve some energy.

They walked like this for half a day.

Scholar Jingtan and Gu Xizhi had known each other for many years and, as expected, understood each other perfectly.

Gu Xizhi, who had left last night, had indeed done as he said and was following the group from a distance this morning.

He ignored everyone, acting as if nothing was wrong.

Jiang Ran called out, inviting him to travel with them, but he simply replied, "Those with different principles cannot travel the same path."

So Jiang Ran didn’t bother him again.

Half a day later, Jiang Ran and the others arrived at a town that looked quite dilapidated.

Tang Huayi looked up at the mottled top of the town wall and couldn’t help but click her tongue in surprise:

"Can you even buy a carriage in a place like this?"

"It can’t possibly be *that* poor..."

Jiang Ran smiled. "Let’s go in and see."

But as soon as they set foot inside the town, the group felt eyes on them from all directions.

Some came from the ordinary folk walking the streets, some from the beggars by the roadside, some from the loudly conversing patrons in the restaurants, and some from the women posturing seductively in the windows of the brothel.

Ruan Yuqing’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Be careful. Something’s wrong with this town."

Tang Huayi sneered.

"Looks like more fools who don’t know what’s good for them have come knocking."

"Everyone, stay calm."

Jiang Ran smiled.

"Let’s go. We’ll find a place to eat first."

Scholar Jingtan marveled inwardly. ’Jiang Ran really is something else.’

’This town is clearly bizarre, yet he’s in the mood to eat first...’

Just as he was about to say something, he saw Ruan Yuqing, Tang Huayi, and the others all nodding in agreement.

For a moment, he was bewildered.

He didn’t know much about the ’Li Tianxin’ that Tang Huayi was disguised as, but the reputation of the Gentle Water Sword was formidable.

’Since she can see that there’s something strange about this town, shouldn’t she be advising Jiang Ran to avoid trouble and leave as soon as possible?’

’Why is she going along with his nonsense?’

But he was the newcomer, so it wasn’t his place to speak out of turn.

He could only follow Jiang Ran, watching from behind as he picked and chose, finally settling on a rather dilapidated tavern.

"Of all the places in this town, this is the only tavern that looks halfway decent."

"Let’s just make do. We’ll grab a bite and then leave."

Jiang Ran gestured for everyone to sit and then shouted:

"Waiter!"

"Coming, coming!"

An extremely scrawny young man came trotting up to their table.

"Greetings, esteemed guests... What would you like to eat?"

"Do you have wine?"

Jiang Ran asked.

"We do!"

The waiter immediately broke into a smile. "Well, you’ve come to the right place, guest! Our tavern... we don’t have any of that stuff that runs in the mountains or swims in the water. But we do have all the fine wine you can drink... You wouldn’t know it, but our Shopkeeper has a jar of thirty-year-aged Daughter’s Red!"

"It’s the treasure of our establishment!"

"Thirty-year-aged Daughter’s Red?"

Ruan Yuqing was taken aback for a moment.

"That’s..."

The so-called "Daughter’s Red" wine is typically buried underground when a daughter is born.

When she comes of age and gets married, it’s dug up to be served to friends and family at the wedding banquet.

It’s usually only aged for a little over ten years...

This thirty-year-old "treasure of the establishment," doesn’t that mean the Shopkeeper’s daughter is thirty and still unmarried?

In this era, if she wasn’t a part of the martial world, she’d definitely be considered an old maid.

Even among those in the martial world, it’s rare for a woman to be unmarried at thirty...

Luo Qingyi blinked.

"Then this thirty-year-old Daughter’s Red must be quite expensive, right?"

"But of course, it’s extraordinary... How much would you guests like?"

The waiter glanced at the money pouches hanging from Jiang Ran’s and the others’ waists.

Jiang Ran casually took out a silver ingot and said softly:

"Bring me a jar."

"Right away!"

The waiter’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the money.

He took it, wiped it, and even bit it before scurrying off to get the wine.

But he hadn’t run two steps before Jiang Ran called him back.

He then ordered a few side dishes to go with the wine, as well as some staple foods like steamed buns and baked flatbreads.

The waiter’s legs moved like pinwheels of fire, and he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Scholar Jingtan said softly:

"There’s something wrong with this tavern, Young Hero Jiang... It would be best not to drink this wine."

Jiang Ran nodded.

"Don’t worry, Senior. I’ll only drink a little."

As he spoke, he took the wine gourd from his waist and took several large gulps.

"..."

Scholar Jingtan felt he had wasted his breath.

’Just those few gulps would have been enough to make a normal person pass out drunk.’

He sighed, deciding not to say anything more and just watch how things unfolded.

A moment later, the waiter came back from the rear of the tavern, carrying a wine jar still caked with mud.

He placed it gently on the table, then turned and left again.

When he returned this time, he was carrying a large tray.

On it was both pork and mutton, a full spread of stir-fried dishes and cold platters, with a good mix of meat and vegetables.

The waiter cheerfully placed the tray on the table and said with a smile:

"The food’s all here. Please, enjoy your meal..."

Jiang Ran nodded and picked up his chopsticks, seemingly about to pick up some food. But just as the chopsticks were about to descend, they suddenly changed direction and, with a CLINK, clamped down on a dagger.

The waiter, who was in the middle of thrusting the dagger toward Jiang Ran’s kidney, froze, his face twisting into a savage snarl.

"Die!!"

He put all his strength into pressing the dagger down, trying to plunge it into Jiang Ran’s heart.

But it didn’t move an inch.

Jiang Ran pressed down with his chopsticks, and with a BANG, the waiter was forced involuntarily to his knees.

He knelt so hard that the cyan stone floor shattered with a loud crack.

The sound of his bones cracking and splintering could be heard.