You'd Even Scam an Undead?

Though Anbaixiu didn't buy the crowd drinks, he tossed several gold coins to the dwarven singer. This counted as a massive tip; in an instant, Anbaixiu became the singer's top patron of the past few years. The little old fellow beamed with delight, bowing respectfully. "Oh, generous undead lord, allow me to sing you a dirge of mourning." Anbaixiu replied, "No need. This tip is to make you shut up." At that moment, the tavern patrons who had just been cursing broke into a chorus of cheers. The dwarven singer glared furiously at Anbaixiu. This was a blatant insult; he ought to fling the coins in his face and denounce him loudly, but... he had just given far too much. Anbaixiu felt quite satisfied. Earning his own money or not was one thing, but squandering someone else's money to play the high roller was thoroughly intoxicating. Of course, Anbaixiu didn't forget his real business. He took out another gold coin and handed it to the orc bartender. "I need a sewer guide. The best you have, and make it quick." The City of Alchemy dumped discarded potion ingredients straight into the sewers. The longer it went on, the more mutated monsters spawned down there. Once their numbers grew, powerful specimens would inevitably emerge. If left unchecked, a monster might even advance to legendary rank, which would spell serious trouble. Besides, the Ryan Empire's paladins had suddenly shown up here. Even if they claimed it was for training, Anbaixiu sensed there was more to it. Something big was definitely brewing down in the sewers, and if he didn't hurry, it might disrupt his experimental progress. Money was indeed a powerful motivator. After Anbaixiu tossed out that single gold coin, by the time dawn was breaking, three distinctly styled guides appeared before him. Standing before Anbaixiu were two men and a woman. One glance at the two male adventurers' attire made their professions obvious. "Let me see... a rogue, a ranger, and... little girl, you're a druid?" Anbaixiu asked, puzzled. A rogue and a ranger were both well-suited guides, but what was a druid doing here? Although the City of Alchemy welcomed all races, druids were an exception. Druids revered nature, believing that all things under heaven followed natural laws and should not be meddled with unduly, striving to maintain the balance of all creation. As for the City of Alchemy—one only had to look at twisted abominations like the mercury slime to know that these madmen were capable of anything. These were two fundamentally opposed beliefs. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call druids and the City of Alchemy mortal enemies. It was only because druids were few in number, scattered across the continent without a powerful alliance, that no major conflict had erupted between them. Even so, druids generally avoided setting foot within the City of Alchemy's borders. They stayed far clear of even its vassal city-states, fiercely resisting any communication with its people. It was a kind of childish defiance along the lines of "I'm not playing with you," though the City of Alchemy had never actually issued an order forbidding druids from entering. Regardless, finding a druid in the City of Alchemy was exceptionally rare. "That's right, I'm a druid. Didn't you need a guide? I've been down into this city's sewers, and I know where to find the most slimes." The human girl looked to be in her twenties, with a lean, athletic build that matched the wild, natural aesthetic of a druid. "Don't be in such a rush. First come, first served. Let me talk to these two gentlemen first." The rogue fellow was ruthless, demanding a flat three hundred gold coins. Furthermore, he would only guide Anbaixiu to two slime gathering spots, without guaranteeing that any slimes would actually be there. "Things change down there by the day. I know slimes used to gather at those two spots, but who can say now? Three hundred gold, take it or leave it. And I don't fight. If danger shows up, I'm running." What a neat and tidy rip-off. Refusing to guarantee slimes was bad enough; for all Anbaixiu knew, the man could point to some random corner, claim slimes used to be there, and walk off with the cash. Such a contract was purely aimed at fleecing rookies. Anbaixiu didn't even bother haggling; the man was probably an outright fraud. The second guide, a half-elf ranger, seemed far more upright, though his opening quote was five hundred gold coins. "Five hundred gold. I can promise to help you find at least a hundred slimes. Of course, I only guarantee you'll encounter them; the capturing is up to you. If we run into danger, I can summon my beast companion to cover our retreat, but I'll withdraw if necessary. My own survival comes first." The terms were reasonable enough; the problem was the price. For a simple guide, the fee was exorbitant. Anbaixiu's target budget was two hundred gold coins—the gap was just too wide. Anbaixiu tried negotiating with the ranger, but the half-elf seemed to have some stubborn dwarven blood in him. He was foul-tempered and stiff-necked, refusing to budge by even a single gold coin after minutes of arguing. "Sir, shouldn't you hear my price now?" the druid girl chimed in with a touch of impatience. "You haven't left yet?" Anbaixiu asked, surprised. "You heard earlier, didn't you? I'm an undead. A druid like you wants to work with an undead?" Crossing her arms over her chest, the druid girl replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Why not? Isn't this the open and tolerant City of Alchemy? When in Rome, follow the local rules. Druids and the undead can collaborate on friendly terms, too." Anbaixiu didn't buy it for a second. Undead creatures were a race that utterly defied the laws of life and death, diametrically opposed to druidic doctrine. When talking to the other two guides, Anbaixiu had openly declared his undead identity just to prevent them from using 'fraud' as an excuse to extort him later. He had expected the druid girl to turn on her heel and leave immediately. Who would have thought she would step up to pitch herself? Didn't that make it glaringly obvious she had an ulterior motive? Anbaixiu could tell at a glance that this druid was hiding something, but right now, secrets were the last thing he wanted to deal with. The more trouble he attracted, the more his affairs would be delayed. Reason told Anbaixiu to reject the girl outright. Yet, as if foreseeing his reaction, she uttered words he simply could not refuse: "I can do it for free!" A resounding declaration. Every syllable reverberated through Anbaixiu's very soul. "What did you say?" Anbaixiu asked, disbelief in his voice. The druid girl shoved past her two competitors, leaned her hands on the table, and said in an assertive tone, "I said, I won't charge a copper. I guarantee I'll help you find hordes of slimes, and I won't run away. If danger strikes, I'll take the rear to ensure your safety." Anbaixiu stared at her, thinking, *This time I've truly met someone burning newspapers before a grave—trying to fool a ghost.* Guiding for free, and even covering his retreat in danger? Anyone with an intellect above a slime's wouldn't believe a word of it. *You'd even try to scam an undead? Have some shame!*