The air in the small inn room suddenly grew thick. Every word from the man outside the door was like a hammer blow to An's mind. The Merchant's Guild. Young Master Bai Wen. The residence. This was no random encounter in the forest. This was a deliberate summons. Evasion was not an option. In a small town controlled by a power like the Bai family, the disappearance of a G-rank adventurer after being "invited" would not cause a single ripple.
"Please wait a moment," An replied, his voice surprisingly calm.
He acted quickly. He couldn't bring all the Demonic Crystals. That would be a foolish act, like a sheep carrying a sign that said, "please slaughter me." He carefully hid the precious bag of Demonic Crystals under the rotten straw of the bed, keeping only the two smallest pieces, one from the rabbit and one from the wolf, hiding them in a hidden pocket inside his cloak.
He took a deep breath, pulled his hood down to cover his face, and opened the door.
The man standing outside wore the neat attire of a steward, his face emotionless but his eyes holding a sharpness that was hard to conceal. He gave An a once-over, then smiled politely. "Mr. An, please follow me."
An nodded and followed in silence. They walked through the noisy main streets but soon turned into a different part of town. Here, the streets were paved with clean cobblestones, and the wooden houses were replaced by sturdy stone mansions with spacious gardens. The air no longer smelled of mud and sweat, but of the faint fragrance of flowers. The division between rich and poor in this town was even clearer than the division of monster tiers in the forest.
Finally, they stopped in front of the largest mansion, surrounded by a high stone wall and a heavy iron gate. Two guards in bright iron armor, much more imposing than those at the town gate, stood solemnly on either side. This was the residence of the Bai family.
The steward led An through meticulously trimmed courtyards, and through corridors adorned with carpets and exquisite lanterns. Every detail exuded wealth and power. Finally, An was brought into a large guest room, decorated with precious wood furniture and landscape paintings. "The Young Master will be here shortly. Please wait," the steward said before quietly backing out and closing the door.
An didn't sit. He stood in the middle of the room, silent as a statue. But under his cloak, his yellow eyes were scanning everything, his brain collecting and processing data. He discreetly activated Basic Analysis.
[Target: High-End Guest Room]
[Analysis: High-level spiritual qi fluctuations detected in the northeast corner. Possibility of a hidden formation or a concealed guard.]
There was at least one master hiding in the room. An tightened his grip on the dagger hidden in his sleeve.
A moment later, the door opened. A young man, around eighteen or twenty years old, wearing a fine silk robe and gracefully waving a silk fan, sauntered in. He had a rather handsome face, but his thin lips and narrow eyes exuded an air of arrogance and calculation. This was undoubtedly Bai Wen.
"Oh, this must be the adventurer An, the hero who saved our entire southern forest," Bai Wen said, his tone seemingly friendly but carrying an undisguised condescension. He sat down in the host's chair without inviting An to sit.
An just bowed his head slightly, saying nothing. He focused all his mental energy, analyzing the person before him.
[Name: Bai Wen]
[Level: 15]
[Cultivation: Ninth Level of Qi Refining]
[Note: Supported by a powerful family. Arrogant and cruel, but not without cunning.]
Ninth level of Qi Refining. Much stronger than him. An felt an invisible pressure weighing on his shoulders. This was a confrontation he couldn't win with strength.
Bai Wen fanned himself, smiling. "I heard you single-handedly dealt with the Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower. A remarkable achievement for a G-rank adventurer. I am very curious, how did you do it?"
An was silent for a moment, his brain working at full speed to find the most suitable answer.
"Luck," he answered curtly. "The source of the contamination self-destructed."
The smile on Bai Wen's face stiffened slightly. He was clearly not satisfied with this answer. He snapped his fan shut, tapping it lightly on the table.
"Luck? I, for one, do not believe in luck," he said, his tone growing colder. "I don't care about some mad rabbits or a rotten plant. I want to know what you found in that cave." He looked straight at An, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "Hand over all the spoils. Perhaps, I'll consider letting you live."