Feng Bei, however, clutched Zheng Xiu’s clothes, her eyes sparkling. She had been listening with rapt attention to the legendary tales of Strongman Zheng and was still hungry for more. "Brother Zheng, what’s next? What happened after the Lion King met the ape? Is an ape a kind of monkey? Is the Ice and Fire Island you mentioned a Ghostly Realm? If it’s not, could there really be a monkey as tall as a mountain out in the vast ocean?"

Zheng Xiu said, "Patience."

Feng Bei pursed her lips and clenched a fist. "I want to hear it."

Zheng Xiu had already dismounted, striding toward the blind man in front of the inn and preparing to make his move. As he walked, he announced, "To find out what happens next, you’ll have to wait for the next installment!"

"Fine."

Feng Bei nodded in resignation, a nearly imperceptible glint of killing intent entering her eyes as she looked at the blind man.

’If he’s really from the Incompleteness Tower...’

Feng Bei decided she would make an exception and strike.

"So, where are your lame and deaf friends?"

Zheng Xiu squatted in front of the blind man and asked with a grin.

The blind man tilted his head. "Would you two masters like a bite to eat? We’re a decade-old establishment, honest with all our customers, young and old. We’ve got top-grade cured beef and aged yellow wine—we’ll make sure you leave full!"

’Oh? He’s not playing along?’

Zheng Xiu glanced at Feng Bei and gave her a signal.

Feng Bei nodded, understanding him perfectly. "Upper Three, Feng Bei."

She announced her affiliation politely; there was nothing amiss with her tone. But if her listener knew of her reputation as the Evil Star, the name "Feng Bei" alone would be enough to scare him witless.

After speaking, Feng Bei slowly reached toward the blind man’s face, her fingers outstretched.

Closer and closer they came.

The blind man’s expression remained blank.

Zheng Xiu watched the blind man’s face intently.

Just then, the man’s eyes cracked open a sliver, revealing milky-white pupils. His expression turned to panic. "You two masters... you’re not here to shake me down, are you?"

Feng Bei halted her attack and looked to Zheng Xiu.

When she was with Zheng Xiu, she always did as he said.

Zheng Xiu slowly shook his head.

Feng Bei nodded and obediently withdrew her hand. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"A table for two!"

Someone inside heard Zheng Xiu’s shout, and a waiter came out, all smiles, to greet them.

Everything seemed perfectly ordinary.

It seemed the blind man really was just sitting by the door to drum up business.

Zheng Xiu and Feng Bei took a seat. When Zheng Xiu asked why a blind man was sitting by the door, the waiter chuckled. "Business is tough out here in the middle of nowhere! That blind man has sharp ears; he can hear hoofbeats from a mile away. When folks hear his pitiful cries, even the most stone-hearted travelers can’t help but come in and lend their patronage. See? You two, husband and wife, you came in, didn’t you!"

Feng Bei froze at his words, her fists tightening, but she didn’t deny it.

Zheng Xiu laughed and told the waiter to stop spouting nonsense that could ruin a young lady’s reputation, then ordered a plate of cured beef and a pot of yellow wine.

"Right away! Please, have some tea, our valued guests. The beef and wine will be out in a moment! Our food is excellent and affordable! Just one silver, all you can eat!"

As the waiter was about to head to the back kitchen, Zheng Xiu added, "We brought our own chopsticks."

The waiter paused, gave Zheng Xiu a long, hard look, and then left.

"Let me tell you, there used to be these cutthroat inns..."

Zheng Xiu then recounted the stories Second Lady used to tell him about cutthroat inns that served human flesh and the like.

After quietly listening to his story, Feng Bei offered a small smile. "Brother Zheng, I doubt those kinds of places exist anymore."

When the waiter returned with their food, Zheng Xiu added, "Sorry, could we get a pair of chopsticks after all? Turns out we forgot ours."

The waiter chuckled. "This master doesn’t think we’re one of those cutthroat inns that serves ’white meat,’ do you? You won’t find places like that anymore! I’ve heard all those scoundrels who used to serve it came to nasty ends—covered in festering sores, their dicks rotting off... not a single one died a peaceful death."

Zheng Xiu scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward. ’Damn, I got careless. I’m so used to telling stories all the time I almost fooled myself. For a second, I forgot the world has gotten better.’

They ate and drank their fill, and by the time they were done, it was dusk.

When it was time to pay, the waiter ran out. "Did you two masters enjoy your meal? That’ll be one hundred silver."

Zheng Xiu was both amused and annoyed. "And you still claim this isn’t a cutthroat inn? Didn’t you say it was one silver?"

The waiter replied with righteous indignation, "Watch your mouth, sir! Don’t you slander us! The beef and wine are indeed one silver for all you can eat." He pointed to the hot tea on the table. "But the tea costs ninety-nine silver. That’s one hundred in total. No miscalculations here."

Zheng Xiu was puzzled. ’Is my Mighty Man image not mighty enough? How can a simple roadside inn have the gall to try and bully me?’

But when the waiter yelled, "Someone’s trying to dine and dash!" Zheng Xiu’s confusion vanished. A butcher, nearly two meters tall and bare-chested, his apron stained with blood, burst furiously from the back kitchen brandishing a butcher’s knife. He glared, his brows furrowed in rage. "What pretty boy dares to skip out on his bill in my shop?"

The man looked more formidable than a Mighty Man—at the very least, he surpassed him in height.

And he was holding a knife.

’It’s true what they say: the kind get bullied.’

Feng Bei adjusted her black silk gloves, preparing to strike.

But Zheng Xiu was a step faster. He slammed his palm down on the table. BANG! It shattered to pieces.

The Chef and the waiter reacted almost instinctively, shouting in unison, "Masters, let’s talk this out!"

Zheng Xiu fished out five silver fragments, feeling rather vexed. He normally enjoyed throwing his wealth around to bully people, but he couldn’t do that today. His Incarnation wasn’t carrying any money; these funds were Feng Bei’s travel money.

"One piece of silver is for the beef and wine."

"One is to pay for the table."

"With the remaining three, I’d like to ask you for some information."

"And the tea is on the house. Any objections?"

"On the house! It’s on the house! Of course it’s on the house! You two are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman! You wouldn’t deign to argue with the likes of us!"

The quick-witted waiter chimed in.