Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 109 Permanent Residency Rights

The mare inn wasn't hard to find, as it was located on the east side near the lord's fortress, at one end of a residential area filled with wooden houses belonging to commoners.

From a certain perspective, this is actually a prime location, right next to the lord's fortress. This is no ordinary case of being in a prime position.

One can imagine that hundreds of years ago, the castle builders, after a long day's work, would come to the still-developing tavern to enjoy a meal, raise their glasses and drink, the firelight flickering in the fireplace, their laughter and songs carrying far and wide in the quiet night.

Even amidst the clash of swords and the treachery of betrayal, nothing can overcome the deepest tenderness in the human heart, even if it exists only for a fleeting moment.

However, it was very quiet here now, without even any lights. If it weren't for the fact that it was still daylight, he might not have been able to find it.

Actually, this mare inn is quite large. Within this cramped castle-like space, and being a two-story stone building, it's clear the original builders put a lot of thought into it. Both the stone materials used and the architectural style have a distinctly artistic feel. Imagine it lit up at night…

Wait, this place shouldn't be closed down, right?

Li Wei turned his head and looked at the lord's fortress about fifty meters away. It was brightly lit, bustling with people, and the sound of musical instruments could be heard. It seemed that the lord was holding a banquet.

What a huge difference! Li Wei was a little disappointed. Thanks to those games and movies, he had always thought he would see a noisy crowd, a sexy proprietress, a hot waitress, and drink a cheap beer while shouting "Cheers to Sognd!" to the tune of a bard's song!
"Forget it, these days, having a place to live is good enough."

Li Wei looked up at the sky. Dark clouds hung heavily in the northwest, as if it were about to rain.

"Squeak!"

He stepped forward and pushed open the tightly closed door of the inn. The door was unlocked and even somewhat rotten, but once he pushed it open, all he could see was darkness, dust, and cobwebs.

It was so quiet inside that he almost thought he had come to the wrong place.

Moreover, there is a peculiar rotten smell here, like a place where corpses are hidden.

"Guest from afar, are you looking for lodging?"

At that moment, from the depths of the dark room, came a somewhat old, hoarse, and strange voice that made him extremely uncomfortable.

"Crack! Click!"

It was the sound of flint striking fire. After a long while, a wisp of light appeared, and then the candles were lit. Li Wei braced himself and went inside, only to find that it was quite spacious, with various rough tables and chairs haphazardly placed, seemingly preserving the scene from the last revelry.

Yes, that's right, this is indeed an inn, which also functions as a tavern, but it has fallen into ruin due to the ravages of the plague!

Li Wei looked around and saw an old woman wrapped in a robe standing behind the counter. The stench that smelled like that of a living dead was coming from her.

Could she be infected with the plague?

Li Wei was slightly surprised, but not really scared. He was just curious because this was the first patient with plague infection symptoms he had encountered in Kah City.

Although the others were thin, poor, dirty, and smelly, none of them showed any symptoms of the plague, because they had already been screened once.

"Perhaps this is due to individual differences, but because of this, even if others develop immunity, they still wouldn't dare to come here if the proprietress didn't die."

Li Wei thought of a possibility.

As for the tax collector, he might be being cheated, or it might be because Kah City really only has this one place where outsiders can live.

"Boom!"

A clap of thunder sounded, followed by the patter of rain; the first rain of spring had arrived so suddenly.

Li Wei sighed. Now he had no way out, and the woman remained standing behind the counter, motionless and silent. The scene looked eerie, yet it was also desolate and tragic.

After a long while, Li Wei said in a deep voice, "I need to stay for one night. Is there a clean room? I don't need food or water. Oh, wait, it's okay if the room isn't clean. I'll clean it myself."

"Yes, sir, one silver coin per day. Also, please note that if you don't have a pass to Kahe City, it's best to pay the city entry tax to the tax collector every morning. If you are a bounty hunter, you also need to go to the tax collector to find suitable missions. Sometimes, maintaining a good relationship with the tax collector will save you a lot of trouble. Also, please go to the second floor; there are candles there, and you can choose any room."

Li Wei took the candle, handed over a silver coin, held his breath, and quickly left.

The stench emanating from the proprietress reminded him of the black-robed witch; they were somewhat similar.

The second floor of the hotel hadn't been cleaned in a long time either, covered in cobwebs and dust. The good news was that the hotel was quite sturdy and airtight, so the thunder and lightning and strong winds outside didn't affect it in the slightest.

Li Wei was actually glad he had checked into a hotel. Otherwise, with his small tent that had been torn open, he would have been soaked to the bone in the wind and rain. The cold and dampness would have lowered his immunity, and the plague might have taken advantage of his weakened state again.

However, he was also worried about his two acres of winter wheat. Although he had planted more than a dozen scarecrows in the wheat field before setting off, he didn't know if the wind and rain would have any impact.

Speaking of which, this rain is really heavy.

Holding a candle, Li Wei chose a room, tidied up briefly, put down his bundle, took out the iron spear, placed it within easy reach, and lay down fully clothed.

Before I knew it, I was drifting off to sleep to the sound of thunder and rain.

It was sweeter than I had ever tasted before.

At dawn, Li Wei jumped out of bed, feeling brimming with energy, his condition at its peak. He even felt that this was the most comfortable night's sleep he had had in the past few months—no, since he came into this world.

Heaven have mercy on him. For the past year, he has slept either on the ground or on a bed of dry grass. Last winter, since he turned his fur rug into a sling, he has even been sleeping by the fireplace.

So even the simple wooden bed in this inn was a pleasure for him.

He opened his water pouch, carefully drank a few sips of water, and took out salted fish and some food from his backpack. This was his breakfast; it wasn't lavish, but he ate it with relish, mainly because of the salted fish.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Li Wei tidied up and went downstairs, only to find that the woman from last night was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two windows were open, and a rare ray of sunlight shone in. Outside the window, there were even a few unknown flowers and plants swaying in the breeze, one could imagine what these flowers and plants would look like in summer.

If there were no stench, no sewage, and no plague, that would be quite nice.

Without giving it much thought, he hurriedly left, first going to the market to buy his daily supply of salt from the caravan owner. However, when he passed through the city gate, he found a group of people gathered there, including soldiers, militiamen, and civilians, as well as the tax collector and the drunken caravan guard from the previous night.

What the hell? Is this how it works?
Moreover, they seemed to be looking at something. When Li Wei squeezed in, he found that what the group of people were looking at was actually a dog's head, the head of a wild dog that he had shot and killed the day before. He had no interest in cutting off the dog's head for a reward, but someone had secretly cut it off, and the technique was quite good. Even the placement of the head was very professional, making it clear at a glance that it was excellent archery.

Everyone in the group is praising it.

The caravan guard, in particular, was full of praise, vividly recounting the glorious deeds of someone who had harassed hundreds of stray dogs the previous evening.

The eloquence, the intonation, and the thrilling plot.

Even Li Wei was stunned. Good heavens, anyone who didn't know better would think this was Lu Bu reincarnated or Li Guang reborn.

In short—it's all very mysterious.

As Li Wei was thinking, the caravan guard finished his boasting, squeezed out of the crowd, grabbed Li Wei's arm, and acted as if Li Wei had become the champion.

"Gentlemen, this is the veteran bounty hunter from the province of Ver! Let's cheer for him!"

What the hell?

Li Wei was completely bewildered, but the cheers were real, as were the envious, admiring, and curious glances.

Next, the caravan guard nudged Li Wei's arm and winked at him quickly.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and demonstrate it to everyone!"

A demonstration? Oh, I see!

Li Wei immediately took down the two-star composite bow, but hesitated, unable to bring himself to take out the two feathered arrows. It wasn't worth it; hardwood arrows would suffice.

At this moment, the crowd automatically parted to create a shooting line, and in the distance, about seventy meters away, was a wild dog that had been hung up. It was still alive and kicking wildly.

Holy crap, this is way too difficult!

Old drunkard, are you really that convinced?
Li Wei glanced at the caravan guard, who kept giving him meaningful glances, almost shouting out the words "Eagle Feather Arrow, Eagle Feather Arrow."

However, Li Wei really couldn't bear to use it.

Taking a deep breath and gazing at the wild dog hanging there, Li Wei instantly eliminated all distractions, drew a hardwood arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, raised the bow, and in the instant the crowd quieted down, fired an arrow that struck the wild dog squarely in the neck.

"it is good!"

A huge cheer and applause erupted from the crowd, just like during the Lunar New Year. Although there is no such festival here, everyone loves to watch the excitement!

So why be stingy with cheers, why be stingy with applause?

Li Wei smiled back at those around him, as if from this moment on, he had become a minor celebrity in Kah City.

Moreover, he finally figured out the core of the caravan's guard operation.

This is fame, of course. And of course, there's also the old drunkard's silver tongue that got Li Wei to become sworn brothers with the tax collector, and to discuss archery tips with several soldiers, especially the process of killing that blood wolf.

In short, it's all nonsense, but it's really useful.

Although the tax collector ultimately did not make up for the withheld reward money to Li Wei, he did stamp his entry document.

I've got permanent residency.

From then on, he was half a commoner in the city of Kah.

At the same time, a line of information appeared silently.

[You have gained 50 reputation points with Kah City, bringing your total reputation to 100. Your relationship with Kah City is now friendly. Here, you are already a bounty hunter of some renown. While this increases your risk of being recognized, it also brings some additional benefits, such as the favor of noblewomen!]

(End of this chapter)