The next moment, several Naruto's Shadow Clones appeared in the empty corridor.
Or perhaps the wall plaster on a certain section of the corridor wall peeled off like a giant piece of paper, revealing two Shadow Clones hidden within.
They had clearly used the Stealth Technique.
There was also a Shadow Clone with his arms crossed, wearing Ninjutsu sandals, stepping on the ceiling, directly inverted on the roof.
Some didn't even bother to act, hiding directly behind flower vase ornaments.
Without exception, they all used the Stealth Technique.
Naruto had used experience scrolls to upgrade the Stealth Technique from [Beginner] level all the way to [Mastery] level.
After using the skill, not only could he conceal his aura, body temperature, and Chakra, but even his sense of presence was greatly reduced.
Because he had no sense of presence, people with weaker spiritual perception wouldn't notice him even if Naruto stood right in front of them.
They might even glance over and then selectively ignore him, treating him like air.
Of course, it wasn't overly exaggerated.
You wouldn't notice a pebble on the roadside, but if a pebble on the roadside started hopping and jumping in front of you, would you still not notice it?
These Shadow Clones, which Naruto had set up in advance before bathing, either carried corpses, cleaned up, or wiped away bloodstains, working with clear division of labor, in an orderly and efficient manner, without any sloppiness.
After a while.
The corridor became clean again, and the many Shadow Clones once more went into stealth, as if nothing had happened.
An innocent man is guilty only by possessing something valuable.
Some people didn't dare to snatch the Dragon Blood from the Gold-Grade Adventurer Heather, so they set their sights on the boy who looked about twelve years old.
No one expected it.
The soft persimmon they thought he was, was actually a titanium alloy iron plate.
Kicking it, they not only failed to steal the Dragon Blood but also lost their lives in vain.
Throughout the long night, there were always those who couldn't hold back.
There were several more waves of assassination attempts.
But it was hard to say who was assassinating whom.
Naruto summoned a hundred or so Shadow Clones in one go, setting up ambushes and defenses in the surrounding area, forming a 'net from heaven to earth'.
It's no exaggeration to say that the inside and outside of the inn were full of Naruto's Shadow Clones, possibly more than the number of people staying in the inn. How could you assassinate him!?
If there were a Hyuga clan member here who had trained their Byakugan to a very high level, they would definitely be shocked—the entire outside of the inn... was Naruto!
"Hmm—"
Morning.
There was no rooster crowing from a farm, but Naruto was still woken up by his biological clock, sat up, and stretched with a big, satisfying yawn.
He slept well last night, very soundly.
He lowered his head and glanced left and right.
To his left was the Witch, sleeping unrestrainedly, sprawled out, her undergarments having mysteriously disappeared, leaving her cool and inviting, full of spring's vitality.
Naruto recalled that he had probably slept with his head resting on the Witch's arm.
To his right was the Sword Saintess, in a thin, soft, silky nightgown, curled up on her side facing Naruto.
After bathing last night, the Dragon Blood body tempering had left them too exhausted.
Coupled with safety concerns.
Naruto let them squeeze into his room and sleep together.
Now, the sun had risen, and the danger was resolved.
The Witch and the Sword Saintess were still fast asleep.
Naruto didn't disturb them, quietly got out of bed, and after a wash and tidy-up, headed straight for the Adventurers' Guild next to the inn.
The Adventurers' Guild in the morning was as lively as a town market opening.
The Adventurers' Guild's doors hadn't even opened yet, but many adventurers were already crowded at the entrance, craning their necks and staring, like old men and women scrambling for vegetables and eggs.
The Counter Lady, whose braids were meticulously neat, glanced back at the stained-glass window and, seeing the crowd outside, couldn't help but shake her head.
"Why do there seem to be so many adventurers today?" the Counter Lady said as she posted yesterday's newly received quest requests on the notice board.
A colleague, helping nearby, replied with a smile, "Perhaps they were stimulated by yesterday's Dragon Slaying Celebration."
"I heard that the Flying Dragon's corpse from yesterday sold for quite a bit of money."
"That Gun Goddess Heather from the City of Fire has become quite famous in Border Town."
"Who wouldn't be tempted by such a matter of both fame and fortune?"
"I'm guessing there won't be few new adventurers coming to register today."
The Counter Lady nodded in deep agreement.
Yesterday's Dragon Slaying Celebration was indeed inspiring.
Holding a celebration not only boosts morale and thanks the dragon slayers for their efforts but also attracts more people to become adventurers.
"Currently, the backbone of adventurers is lacking, and the Demon God King's army is stirring, so the Guild indeed needs an influx of fresh blood."
After posting the quest requests, the Counter Lady tidied up the goods on the shelves.
She thought for a moment and secretly moved Naruto's instant noodles to the most prominent spot on the shelf.
"Will the Branch Master scold me?" The Counter Lady stuck out her tongue, feeling guilty.
"Are you ready? I'm about to open the door," her colleague asked from the doorway.
"Mm."
The Counter Lady nodded, tidied her appearance one last time, and then her pretty face revealed a professional smile.
"Bang!"
The Guild's doors opened, and adventurers poured in, rushing towards the quest notice board.
"Are there any dragon-slaying quests today?"
"I want to slay a dragon too!"
"What are you thinking? There aren't that many dragons for you to slay."
"First, look in the mirror and see if you have the strength to slay a dragon."
After all the adventurers at the door had squeezed in, Naruto unhurriedly walked into the Guild hall.
He didn't go to the notice board to look for quests but went straight to the counter.
"Naruto!" The Counter Lady, with her professional smile, showed delight in her eyes.
Naruto pointed to the most prominent item on the shelf and said, "I heard these instant noodles are a delicacy eaten by heroes before slaying dragons. Give me a box; I want to try the instant noodles that a hero has eaten too."
The Counter Lady was slightly stunned.
She was dumbfounded.
Can... can it be marketed like this?
Naruto winked at the Counter Lady like a mischievous boy.
"I didn't mention Heather's name; I just let them imagine. Miss Heather shouldn't hit me," Naruto explained in a low voice.
"Achoo!"
Heather, carrying her spear and riding in a carriage on her journey to find dragons, couldn't help but sneeze.
"Strange... Is someone talking about me?" Heather looked back at the increasingly distant Border Town, murmuring in confusion.
A Spearman's intuition is quite sharp!
Adventurers' Guild.
The Counter Lady nodded with a bit of a wry smile, forced to become an accomplice.
Sure enough.
As soon as they heard 'eaten by a hero,' the surrounding adventurers immediately cast their gazes, their hearts naturally filled with curiosity.
"What are instant noodles?"
"Never heard of them."
"Eaten by a hero before slaying a dragon? Could it be yesterday's Gold-Grade Adventurer!"
"I remember that Gun Goddess was named Heather. She seemed to have talked about something with Naruto."
Through coming and going, the rumor spread and became more and more real, with no one doubting it.
Seeing this, Naruto knew the time was ripe, so he raised his voice and asked, "How much?"
"Five..."
Just as the Counter Lady was about to say 'five,' Naruto desperately made a 'ten' shape with his mouth.
"Five... fifty silver coins."
"What, fifty silver coins?!"
"That expensive?"
"What do you know? A delicacy eaten by a Gold-Grade Adventurer, do you think it's some commoner's food?"
"Specially saved to eat before slaying a dragon, maybe it has some power-up effect?"
"Fifty silver coins, I'll buy a barrel!"