Yun Town had inns prepared specifically for outsiders, but they were all directly run by the elves, who forbade outsiders from opening shops here.
Consequently, even in taverns packed with adventurers, one rarely encountered the raucous clamor seen beyond their borders. Still, there were advantages. A tavern operated by elves never reeked from an overabundance of orcs, nor would one carelessly step into disgusting puddles of vomit.
Even with their best efforts, however, the elves could only preserve the taverns' aesthetic and cleanliness; as for the patrons inside, they simply could not be controlled.
Anbaixiu chose the liveliest tavern, and pushing the door open, he was hit squarely in the face by a wall of deafening noise.
"This is the discreet place you were talking about?" Gareth's voice echoed from within his helmet, the reverberation instantly giving away the hollow secret inside.
Anbaixiu shot Gareth a look of disdain and said, "You're an undead. Do you really have to speak out loud?"
Hearing that, Gareth felt Anbaixiu reaching out to establish a soul link with him.
This was an ability unique to the undead. After all, low-tier skeletons and zombies were utterly incapable of speech and were painfully sluggish in their movements, making this form of communication necessary.
Not suspecting Anbaixiu of harboring ill intent, Gareth readily accepted the connection.
Joined in the link were not just Gareth and Anbaixiu, but Melina as well; the three formed a small circle for exchanging thoughts.
Anbaixiu conveyed to the other two through his mind, "The more crowded the tavern, the less conspicuous we'll be. If we rented a room at an inn and hid inside for secret whispers, we would only draw more attention. Later, we drink what we should and make whatever noise we like; we can leave the critical information to the soul link."
In truth, the best choice would have been Anbaixiu's personal demiplane. Unfortunately, the divine portfolio containers could not be placed into it, leaving Anbaixiu with no choice but to settle for second best and blend into this tavern.
The tavern was bustling, and finding an empty table seemed nearly impossible, forcing Anbaixiu to cast several Sleep spells to put quite a few drinking adventurers out cold.
Before long, several patrons hauled their "drunken" companions away, cursing and scoffing at their comrades' pathetic alcohol tolerance.
Anbaixiu promptly took the vacated table and dispatched Gareth to purchase several bottles of wine.
Elven brews were notoriously exorbitant. It was best to let Gareth, the live-in son-in-law of the dragon clan, foot the bill. Anbaixiu himself couldn't bear to waste the gold—undead couldn't taste anything anyway.
Gareth paid no mind to Anbaixiu's petty calculation. For this dragon clan son-in-law whose private stash was counted in the tens of millions, a few bottles of wine meant nothing at all.
Thus, Gareth opened his mouth and said, "Give me three of your most expensive bottles."
The lovely bartender blinked, scrutinizing this odd fellow clad head-to-toe in armor. The plate was obviously premium gear, so he probably wasn't some drunk looking for trouble.
She quickly fetched three bottles of wine with exquisite craftsmanship.
"This is our finest wine, made from—"
Just as she began to explain, Gareth tossed down an enchanted coin pouch, grabbed the three bottles, and walked away from the bar.
The elven beauty opened the pouch, almost blinded by the golden gleam. The coins inside were enough to buy thirty bottles!
How could there be such a generous patron?!
Watching Gareth's retreating figure, the elven beauty found this man remarkably captivating. He wasn't deliberately putting on an air of generosity in front of her; he truly treated wealth like dirt.
Unfortunately, the style of that armor was clearly not elven. Otherwise, she would have been genuinely interested in getting to know him better.
Anbaixiu took in the whole scene and began to understand why Gareth was so popular with women. Generosity was one thing, as wealth was indeed part of a man's charm, but what truly worked was his unstudied bearing.
Just as a beauty was most captivating when unaware of her own grace, the more natural a stunning woman appeared, the more enchanting her beauty became, whereas calculated seduction often diminished its allure.
The same applied to men. Flaunting wealth or posturing with power was a mistake; instead, an aura occasionally and effortlessly revealed drew people in far more, making it much easier to win the favor of the opposite sex.
Except...
"We came to discuss secrets! Why the hell are you showing off by buying the most expensive wine?! Isn't that just begging for attention?!"
Anbaixiu roared directly in Gareth's soul, but Gareth replied carelessly, "How could this pocket change draw attention? The elves aren't that poor."
Anbaixiu hurriedly warned Melina, "Don't you ever learn from him, hear me?!"
Melina nodded blankly. Having been born only recently, she merely knew what money was, possessing no real concept of large or small amounts. After all, as the princess of the Underdark, she had never needed money.
She didn't know what was wrong with Gareth spending money that way, but if her father said so, it had to be right. She would just remember it.
Popping the corks, the three undead poured the wine straight down their throats, showing not the slightest appreciation for its taste.
This prompted several onlookers to sigh at the sheer waste of fine wine, though knowing the patrons were rich, all they could do was grumble sourly about good things being squandered.
Paying no heed to those around them, the three drank in silence while their soul communication continued without pause.
"Gareth, I plan to give you the Spider portfolio. Any objections?" Anbaixiu asked.
Turning to serious business, Gareth abandoned his casual attitude and asked gravely, "Among the four divine portfolios, there should be the Drow Race portfolio, right?"
Anbaixiu did not conceal it, admitting frankly, "Indeed, that portfolio is there. Do you feel this distribution is unfair?"
"You initiated this crusade, so it's entirely fair for you to distribute the portfolios. Whichever one you give us is fine. It's just that the Drow Race portfolio is too unique, and the dragons want it. Why don't you name a price, and we'll make up the difference?"
Gareth knew very well that he had merely gone on a subterranean trip with his wife and had a grand time playing around. Setting aside mortal peril, they hadn't even run into a decent opponent, and he didn't feel he had expended much effort at all. To receive a divine portfolio for that already left even the Bone Dragon Eldest Miss quite pleased—and even slightly embarrassed.
Thus, Gareth wasn't trying to demand the Drow Race portfolio; he was here to negotiate with Anbaixiu.
"The dragons want the Drow Race portfolio... Don't tell me you intend to use those dark elves to return to the continent?"
Gareth replied, "No. The treaty the dragons signed back then was witnessed by the gods. A large-scale return is impossible, as the dragons cannot bear the consequences of violating that covenant. But if we obtain this portfolio, the drow elves can act as representatives for our clan. The overseas islands are barren in resources. The dragons cannot return, but they often miss everything on the mainland."
Anbaixiu hesitated for a moment, neither agreeing immediately nor naming terms. Instead, he turned to Melina and asked, "Did your mother say which portfolio she wants?"
Melina shook her head.
"Mother said she would leave it entirely to you."
Anbaixiu was very pleased. The Rose of Decay was truly the best partner.
"In that case, I'll give you the Corruption portfolio."
Compared to Darkness, Corruption sounded somewhat narrower in scope, but due to Shar's presence, the power of a Darkness portfolio was severely constrained. Even if traded to other deities, Darkness was the least valuable kind.
Business required reciprocity. The Rose of Decay had treated him impeccably, so whenever it was within his power, he should reward his client.
Melina nodded obediently and accepted the small box Anbaixiu handed over.
"Keep it safe. Once you carry this, you won't be able to teleport and will have to walk back on foot. Are you sure that won't be a problem?" Anbaixiu asked.
"It should be fine. Entrances to the Underdark are everywhere. As long as I return underground, there won't be much danger."
Looking at Melina's naive, innocent expression, Anbaixiu felt she was anything but dependable.
He wasn't worried about her combat prowess—once she deployed her Whispering Ward, even Anbaixiu couldn't beat her. What he feared was her being swindled. With her intellect, if someone sold her off, she'd probably have to count on her fingers just to help them tally the coins.
This item was too important; he had better escort her back once matters were settled here.
Melina was delighted to hear this. She quite liked spending time around Anbaixiu; compared to her imposing, dignified mother, she preferred this father figure who seemed capable of solving anything.
Having settled Melina's side of the matter, Anbaixiu turned back to Gareth. "I originally intended to sell the Drow Race portfolio to the elves. Otherwise, I wouldn't have arranged for us to meet here. Gareth, you should understand what the drow elves mean to the elven race. I doubt the dragons can match the price they would offer."
Business was business. Out of friendship, a discount was fine, but this portfolio was too extraordinary. The dragons' resolve could hardly match that of the elves, and Anbaixiu could not let it go cheap.
Gareth said generously, "Just name your price. I'll ask the clan. Whether it works out or not won't affect our friendship."
Anbaixiu was equally frank and said directly, "I originally planned to use this portfolio to join the elven pantheon. I've offended far too many gods; the moment I ascend to godhood, I am bound to be hunted down by them. I hope to trade this portfolio for the elven pantheon's protection. If the dragons can promise that as well, then naturally, I'll prioritize selling it to you."
Gareth was straightforward too, pulling out his Necrotic Codex to send a message to the Bone Dragon Eldest Miss.
Anbaixiu assumed the dragon clan would need a prolonged discussion to reach a conclusion, but only a few minutes passed before Gareth received a reply.
"Sorry, the dragons aren't prepared to pay that price."
Anbaixiu felt a twinge of disappointment, though he wasn't particularly surprised.
The Lord of the Dawn had an agreement with the draconic deities, and the struggle between the Demonic Dragon and Ryan had yet to reach a definitive conclusion. The draconic gods likely faced countless restrictions of their own.
Gareth sighed softly.
"It seems draconic luxuries aren't that vital after all. Bringing mainland goods over is, in the end, only meant to keep the young hatchlings quiet."
Anbaixiu asked curiously, "Young hatchlings?"
"Yeah. You know dragons love collecting precious valuables and luxuries, but the hatchlings born overseas over the past millennium can hardly find such things. The overseas islands are just too impoverished. And then there's food—they can't just keep eating fish forever."
Anbaixiu pondered for a moment, then said, "Then you don't need to go through the drow elves at all. Luxuries and all kinds of food—I can supply them for you."
Chapter 287