After settling down in Burnt Stone City, Taliel took Xilutaiya to visit the home of her older sister, Wenni.
"Grandpa said to have my sister figure out a job for me here in Burnt Stone City, or else playing with the village idiots every day will make me stupid too." Taliel grumbled quietly as they walked. This was why she had followed Xilutaiya to Burnt Stone City in the first place.
At that, Xilutaiya couldn't help covering her mouth with a light laugh.
"And what does Sister Wenni do in the city these days?"
"Her? I'm not sure. But my brother-in-law I do know—he works at the 'Oak Barrel' Merchant Association, in bookkeeping, I think."
"For a villager, earning 3 silver a month is already a lot, but my brother-in-law gets 6 silver over at the association. Very good terms."
"My sister changes jobs often. Sometimes she tutors young children, sometimes she works as a front-desk waitress."
"A front-desk waitress makes about 3.5 silver a month. A tutor earns quite a bit more—up to 5 silver in a good month."
Taliel filled Xilutaiya in on how things stood in Burnt Stone City. Ordinary laboring farmers here earned about 3 silver a month, but the work was grueling, nothing like the easy pace of village life. Slightly better jobs—waiters, front-desk staff, shop clerks and the like—paid 3.5 to 4 silver, but they generally went only to young people who could read and looked presentable.
The two walked along the main road of the East City District. The streets here were fairly clean, with plenty of shops lining the roadside: clothing tailor shops, dishware shops, furniture shops, and oil-press workshops, the kind rarely seen in villages and small towns—plus a place selling weapons and armor, right beside the Adventurers' Guild.
Compared with the other shops, the Adventurers' Guild plainly drew far more traffic. People streamed in and out, many of them carrying weapons and gear. A few were physically robust, and Xilutaiya could sense the attribute power radiating from them.
Name: Unknown
Race: Human (mortal body)
Status: Healthy (slight hidden injuries)
Talent:
Sturdy [Good Grade]: You easily grow solid muscle, provided you get enough nutrition. This talent will raise your appetite.
Destiny Card: [Man of Brute Strength] (First-Order – Blood Law). Within a pale-red border, a powerfully built figure stands with head held high and back straight, showing off a sharply defined block of muscle.
'Under the training of the Breathing Method and the rousing of your Blood Law attribute, your physique grows sturdier by the day. The brute strength this muscle brings is the genuine article.'
Effect:
[Brute Strength lv.2]: Raises your base strength. Even without using any ability or secret art, you possess more than twice an ordinary person's strength, letting you wield heavier weapons and wear thicker armor.
Ability Cards:
[Breathing Method lv.2] (Blood Law): Uses the breath to regulate the flow rate of your blood, driving and strengthening the power and reaction speed of your whole body. This ability places a strain on both heart and body and cannot be used for long stretches (recommended: no more than 3 minutes per day).
[Blood-Colored Muscles lv.1] (Blood Law): Activates the trait of the 'Blood Law' attribute, making your muscles swell rapidly and granting a brief boost of strength. (Recommended: no more than 2 uses per day.)
———
A burly man passing by strolled into the adventurers' hall, chatting and laughing with his companions. The 'Blood Law' attribute power radiating from him was so conspicuous that Xilutaiya could hardly have missed it.
Seeing Xilutaiya's gaze turn toward that burly figure in the distance, Taliel looked over as well.
"That's a badged adventurer." She had spotted the copper badge of crossed swords pinned to his armor.
"An adventurer whose strength the Adventurers' Guild has recognized. Some missions only they can take."
The girl nodded, and the two moved on.
After they left, the sturdy adventurer and his companions entered the Adventurers' Guild hall, and a youth behind him spoke up excitedly.
"Big Brother Jieluo, how much of the bounty will we get this time?"
"Hahaha, at least 60 silver. Don't worry—your share is safe." His broad palm patted the youth.
"Mick, you stood out this time. Learn well, and someday you'll be just like me, hahaha." He laughed heartily in encouragement, and the companions around them roared with laughter too. Some teased the youth who had only lately joined the trade; others offered quiet words of encouragement.
"Naturally. I'm going to make big money." The youth Mick rubbed his nose, brimming with ambition.
"I'm a once-in-a-century genius from my village. I learned the Breathing Method at sixteen, and no one can match my swordsmanship." Indeed, with that kind of strength, it was no wonder his ambition ran high.
"Back then I was only around twenty myself when I suddenly grasped the Breathing Method." At this, Jieluo grew a little wistful, old memories stirring.
"Ah, never mind the past. Today we drink our fill and get some meat on the table." The group walked up to the front desk of the Adventurers' Guild, pulled the cloth sacks from their backs, and flipped them open. Inside were wolf heads one after another—and among them a huge wolf head with crimson fur, its lower jaw torn open.
The sight instantly drew the attention of everyone else in the Adventurers' Guild.
"Wow, a Red Wolf head—that's a Blazing Sun first-order Red Wolf!" Someone recognized the beast at once.
"The others are Ti Wolf skulls in fine condition too. Should fetch a fair pile of silver."
"A Red Wolf's pelt is worth even more—plenty of nobles would buy it. Who knows where they've put it. Looks like they didn't bring it along, hidden it away somewhere."
"Seasoned adventurers, all of them. They'd never take it out carelessly."
"Who's the one leading them? Powerfully built, isn't he? The bloody aura about him is heavy too."
"That's Jieluo. You don't even know him? He's one of the most famous adventurers in Burnt Stone City. Word is few men can beat him."
"That strong? Then how does he compare to Lord Suolang?"
"No comparison. Lord Suolang is the guard captain of Burnt Stone City, appointed by Viscount Xuefeng, and his strength has already reached second-order of the 'Castle' attribute." The man answering shook his head.
"Strip away the appointment, and Lord Suolang's strength would drop to first-order. Only then would Jieluo stand some chance."
"A noble's foundation isn't something ordinary people can stand against."
While the onlookers chattered, Jieluo's companions smiled with pride, striking poses for some of the young women in the hall.
"Hey, tonight's going to be fun." One of them threw an arm around a companion's shoulders, grinning.
"You bet. All that effort spent finishing the bounty was for exactly this—a few days of living it up, hahaha."
Ten minutes later, once the tally and registration were complete, the receptionist had someone bring out 64 silver coins and set them on the table.
"The first-order Red Wolf skull carries a bounty of 50 silver. The other 31 Ti Wolves are worth 14 silver by their condition. If you also obtained the Red Wolf's pelt, the guild will buy it at a premium."
"How high a premium?" Jieluo stroked his chin.
"About 60 silver." The receptionist answered after a moment's thought.
Blowing on his fingertip, Jieluo gave a slight nod. "Decent enough. But you asked too late—that pelt's already been claimed. The buyer offered 80 silver."
"As for exactly who, I won't say. You wouldn't need to go prying, I take it."
"What a shame. Please do consider the guild next time you bring down a Red Wolf." The receptionist didn't press the matter, answering with courtesy.
Jieluo only gave a teasing little nod, waggling his eyebrows at the pretty receptionist. "How about we have a drink tonight, then?"
Faced with the invitation, the receptionist in her brown-and-white uniform waved him off with a professional smile.
"Sorry, sorry. I don't go out casually at night."
"How dull of you." The man put on a bard's melancholy drawl.
Then he scooped up the money pouch, turned, and hailed his long-waiting companions: "Right, brothers—tonight it's the Blood Pig Bar! We'll drink deep and raise a proper ruckus, hahaha!"
"Ooh~"
"Jieluo, you're the best captain I've ever met!"
"Big Brother Jieluo!"
"I'm sticking with you from now on."
"Good brothers."
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
The group left the Adventurers' Guild amid the envious stares of everyone around. Only then did quite a few people crowd up to the front desk, studying the wolf head submitted as the bounty trophy.
"It's a Red Wolf. One eye was ruined by a blade, and the lower jaw is wounded too—but nothing that looks fatal…"
The onlookers mulled it over piece by piece, and the bustle inside the Adventurers' Guild carried on until late in the night.
Chapter 9