Chapter 38 Part 1

After circling around, aside from clearing the map’s fog of war to ensure they wouldn’t get lost in the mine pit next time, Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang had gained nothing. Their potions had all been wasted.

Although Qin Lang’s expression remained unchanged, Xia Xifeng sensed his mood was very foul.

“Let’s go, to the tavern!” Xia Xifeng tugged at Qin Lang’s shoulder, who wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. “Maybe we can trigger a monster-fighting event!”

Between doing nothing and trying to trigger a monster-fighting quest in a filthy, rowdy little tavern, Qin Lang chose the latter—falling right into Xia Xifeng’s scheme.

Susan and Lynn had initially wanted to continue guiding Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang, but Xia Xifeng refused.

When Susan tried to insist a little longer, Lynn hinted for her to stop.

Only after Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang left did Lynn tease Susan: “Didn’t you realize Mr. Qin and Mr. Xia wanted some alone time as a couple?”

Susan paused, then exclaimed in surprise: “They’re a couple?”

Lynn replied, “It’s quite obvious. Best friends don’t say things like ‘he’s mine to nurture.'”

Susan thought it over, then covered her face with both hands. “Right! For someone as aloof as Mr. Qin, he didn’t even retort. Why didn’t you warn me earlier?”

Lynn said, “I thought you’d already figured it out… Ow.”

Susan stomped on Lynn’s foot.

Even if she had made a fool of herself, that didn’t mean Lynn could laugh at her. Take that!

Susan’s stomp was light, but Lynn pretended it hurt greatly.

After begging for mercy, Lynn asked, “Should we head home first?”

Susan hesitated for a moment, then said, “I want to go see Mother.”

Lynn chuckled softly. “Mm, I’ll go with you.”

A flicker of retreat passed through Susan’s eyes, but it quickly hardened into resolve.

She didn’t want to drift along anymore. She had to face her heart directly.

Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang switched into a set of simple “costumes” and, following Lynn’s directions, went to the busiest adventurer’s tavern in town.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Xia Xifeng was driven right back out by the stench of smoke and alcohol.

He stood at the entrance, stunned.

Xia Xifeng had mentally prepared himself for many aspects of a small tavern, but he never imagined he could endure the sweat and booze stench, only to be defeated by tobacco smoke.

Right. In Western fantasy settings, there were vile things like pipes and tobacco.

Smoke swirled thickly inside the tavern. It was far worse than the aroma in any unsegregated small restaurant back home.

This was completely unprocessed, the most pungent raw tobacco.

Bleurgh.

Xia Xifeng shot a glance at Qin Lang, whose eyes were brimming with schadenfreude. “You anticipated this? Why didn’t you warn me?”

Having already consumed a scent-dampening potion, Qin Lang replied with feigned surprise, “Aren’t you a lore player? Shouldn’t you know what a tavern is like better than me?”

Whenever Qin Lang spoke to Xia Xifeng in a long, emotionally rich sentence, he was definitely mocking him.

Xia Xifeng threw a heavy punch, which Qin Lang easily blocked with one hand.

“Still going in?” Qin Lang asked, feeling cheerful at seeing Xia Xifeng deflated.

Xia Xifeng grumbled, “Going. Give me the potion.”

That Qin Lang hadn’t been driven out by the stench meant he must have prepared.

Qin Lang handed Xia Xifeng the potion he’d deliberately kept out of the shared inventory.

Xia Xifeng downed the potion in one gulp, then complained, “Why must Western fantasy potions always be actual liquids? Wouldn’t a smaller pill be better?”

Qin Lang said, “Swallowing a pill mid-combat might make you choke.”

Xia Xifeng imagined the scene. Alright, definitely possible.

Xia Xifeng asked, “What about those instant-dissolving pills in xianxia stories?”

Qin Lang said, “You can try developing them yourself.”

Try he would. Xia Xifeng made a mental note for his learning goals.

With the overwhelmingly strong odors filtered out, Xia Xifeng finally entered the iconic adventurer’s tavern of his dreams.

Without the stench, the tavern was exactly as he’d imagined.

Adventurers gathered around tables, laughing and talking loudly. It was as lively as a barbecue stall back home.

Xia Xifeng ordered a light beer. Qin Lang only asked for a glass of water.

Following the tavern’s recommendation menu, the two ordered a table laden with specialty dishes.

The small tavern didn’t bother with starters and mains; everything was brought out in one go.

The cream stew contained potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and unidentifiable leafy greens.

The black-pepper roasted meat was a mix of fat and lean, roasted to a crispy charred edge—looked terribly unhealthy but was bound to be incredibly delicious.

The fruit pie’s filling was fresh seasonal fruit sweetened with honey; the filling might differ every day.

The ham, cheese, and rye sandwich… ugh. Rye bread was awful no matter where you went.

Finally, the miner’s specialty of Blackstone Town: spicy meat sauce mashed potatoes!

The underground was dark and damp. Strong liquor might numb a miner’s senses, so it could only be drunk upon returning to the surface. Spicy food was the perfect aid for driving out cold and dampness.

The spice profile of Blackstone Town’s signature spicy meat sauce mashed potatoes wasn’t just from ordinary peppers.

Ginger, garlic, horseradish, and a medley of spicy herbs and fruits were blended together, creating a complex, spicy sauce unique to Blackstone Town. Combined with a meat paste of three fresh ingredients—fowl, beast, and fish—and poured over mashed potatoes, stirred thoroughly, one bowl of mashed potatoes could provide miners with complete, rich nutrition.

“Tsss-ha, it takes a bit of getting used to.” Xia Xifeng chugged his light beer.

Qin Lang took a shallow taste. Not bad, the spice level was manageable.

Whether one could handle the complex spiciness varied from person to person, but the unique character of the spicy meat sauce mashed potatoes was definitely maxed out.

Xia Xifeng sampled a bite here, a nibble there, and was just evaluating which dish suited his palate best when the rowdy tavern abruptly fell silent.

Xia Xifeng looked up. A beautiful dancer entered from the tavern’s back door.

The musicians were already seated on the wooden platform in the tavern’s center, having tuned their instruments.

The performance was about to begin.

Strings vibrated, handbells swayed, and a lively drumbeat arose.

The dancer stretched out her arms. A voice, pure as a mountain spring, began to sing.

“Forgotten words cross through the ages,

As the world slips gently into dreams.

A lone traveler strides across,

The mist that shrouds the fairy tales…”

As she sang, the dancer spun, the pink gauze draped over her shoulders swirling around her like mist.

Xia Xifeng propped his chin on one hand, quietly watching the performance.

Qin Lang also relaxed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to listen.

Strangely enough, the melody of the song the dancer sang was actually the promotional theme song for the first version of Fantasy Realms.

History had been lost in the past. The world had already fallen into dreams.

The traveler came across time and space, bringing to light countless forgotten mysteries.

A dream world on the brink of destruction.

Players striving to turn the tide.

All companionships and adventures began with this very song.

Hearing, in a world they transmigrated into, the music from a game they played before transmigrating, both players felt reality and illusion blur a little.

Ancient creation legends described the Dream World as a dream of the Creator God, the Heavenly Father.

So whose dream were they stepping into now?

When the song and dance ended, the two still hadn’t snapped out of their tangled, complicated thoughts.

The other patrons were already cheering loudly.

A tavern server carrying a metal tray wove among the guests.

She didn’t press; her steps were continuous. If a guest wanted to tip, they tipped. If not, she simply moved on to the next table.

Coins of various denominations clinked onto the tray.

When the server reached Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang, the two finally returned from their reverie.

Xia Xifeng casually grabbed a handful of loose change from his inventory and dropped it onto the tray, asking, “Would it be rude to ask who wrote this song?”

The server offered the generous patrons a warm smile. “It’s a ballad passed down for a very long time. Many dancers and bards sing it. I’m not sure who first performed it.”

Though he didn’t get an answer, Xia Xifeng still tipped the server.

The server’s steps became even lighter as she moved to the next table.

Lone adventurers were mostly frugal; the server rarely received tips.

Having received one this time, she provided Xia Xifeng a special service, relaying his question to the dancer.

The server lowered her voice. “Those are generous patrons. Who knows, if you tell them a few more stories, you might get a lot more tips.”

The dancer was tempted.

She observed Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang.

The tavern was too noisy. Xia Xifeng was leaning in, speaking into Qin Lang’s ear, both hands fixing Qin Lang’s head in place, forcing Qin Lang to listen to him.

The dancer’s mind settled slightly.

These two generous patrons would probably only want to hear her stories, at most requesting an extra dance.

The dancer donned her outer garment and descended the platform.

The other patrons watched with envy at the direction the dancer walked, but no one heckled, and certainly no one caused trouble.

Anyone running a tavern was no pushover, and traveling dancers were often Combat Class professionals themselves. The adventurers drinking here were veterans who knew whom not to provoke.

“Sir, are you curious about the song I just sang?” The dancer was confident and poised, her expression bearing none of the coquettish charm from her dance earlier.

Xia Xifeng released Qin Lang’s head. “Yes! Fair lady, would you be willing to enlighten me?”

Listening to Xia Xifeng mimic a so-called gentlemanly tone, Qin Lang nearly gagged at his sudden greasiness.

The dancer, however, was very receptive.

A faint blush tinged her cheeks as she sat across from Xia Xifeng. “It’s said this song is an ancient ballad for offering sacrifices to the gods.”

Xia Xifeng ordered the tavern’s most expensive bottle of wine for the dancer.

The tavern owner beamed, personally delivering the wine.

Xia Xifeng asked, “But the lyrics don’t seem to mention any gods.”

The dancer laughed. “How could they not? Doesn’t the song ask whose dream this world is?”

Xia Xifeng thought for a moment. “The Dream World.”

The dancer nodded. “It’s a hymn praising the Creator God and the heroes guided by the Creator God.”

Xia Xifeng thanked the dancer.

He forced Qin Lang to join him in sharing a small glass of wine with the dancer, then gifted the remaining majority of the bottle to her, along with a gold coin.

The dancer hadn’t expected such generosity and dared not accept.

Xia Xifeng smiled. “Your answer was very important to us. Please take it; it’s the compensation you deserve.”

After presenting the gold coin, he asked the tavern to pack up the uneaten food and left with Qin Lang.

Qin Lang asked, “Not going to play some more?”

Xia Xifeng replied, “Hearing that song, I suddenly lost all interest in fun.”

He stopped, turned to Qin Lang walking beside him, and said, “That’s a hymn praising the game designers and the players who play the game, isn’t it?”