What are you looking at?

The inn was a small wooden building, divided into two floors.

The ground floor was the tavern, offering food and drinks, with a large bar counter and plenty of tables and chairs.

Beside the counter, a few patrons were drinking and bragging, and many residents were seated at the tables, looking quite harmonious.

But as soon as Li Ang entered, he ran into a drunken fellow holding a mug of ale coming his way.

Even though he tried his best to dodge, the stumbling fellow still spilled the ale all over him, even grabbing him and, with a wriggling throat, looking like he was about to throw up.

Li Ang, naturally, reacted reflexively, pushing the drunkard away. He then stared at the man's intimidating mouth, considering where to dodge...

The drunkard froze for a moment, swallowed hard twice, and to Li Ang's surprise, didn't throw up. Instead, he asked a familiar question: "You... what are you looking at?!"

Almost instinctively, Li Ang replied: "What about it..."

As a result, the drunkard immediately drew his sword: "...Bastard! I'm going to kill you!"

This was truly an undeserved disaster...

Heaven and earth as my witness, anyone who heard that classic question would have answered the same way...

This guy, so drunk his eyes were blurry he couldn't even walk straight, wildly swung his sword, causing a commotion in the tavern. A large group of patrons scattered in panic, dodging everywhere—the drunkard swung his sword so carelessly and freely, he had no idea where it would strike next...

A man in noble robes seemed to have been grazed by the sword tip. He shrieked like a chicken and scrambled behind the bar counter to hide.

Li Ang sighed, found an opening, kicked the drunkard over, and twisted his wrist, preparing to disarm him.

But he didn't expect the drunkard to be so drunk he felt no pain—with his wrist twisted, he still relentlessly thrust his sword at Li Ang.

And the force was unexpectedly strong.

There was no choice. Li Ang retreated to dodge, then turned and grabbed a chair, smashing it down on the drunkard's head.

As if by instinct, the drunkard raised his sword to block, but the chair, like a hammer, knocked the blade into his face...

The drunkard staggered and fell, his own sword embedded in his skull.

Not much blood flowed, but a red-tinged white fluid slowly streamed down the blood groove of the blade—he was clearly not going to live, his brains had been splattered out.

The tavern fell silent.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Ang was also stunned. Was this self-defense or an emergency escape?

Everyone in the tavern stared at Li Ang.

But it was the pretty boy in noble robes, hiding behind the bar, who spoke first.

"D-did someone die?! Ah! Murder!"

Then, with a long, drawn-out scream, he flailed his way out of the tavern, his speed so astonishing Li Ang was impressed...

The tavern owner also emerged from behind the bar. He looked at the dead drunkard on the floor, then at Li Ang, who looked a bit dejected, and spoke a fair word.

"I think you're entitled to that scoundrel's weapon and wallet, after all, you prevented more people from having their skulls split open... But a death in the establishment isn't a good thing, so you'd best take the scoundrel's body and leave immediately."

Li Ang sighed helplessly. It was normal for the tavern owner not to want trouble. That screaming pretty boy would likely attract the city guard soon.

Although in this era, nobles killing a commoner in self-defense wasn't a major issue. But he was only a Reserve Baron, and his usual conduct was under review. He didn't want to get caught up in a murder case at this critical juncture.

With no other choice, he dragged the corpse onto his horse and left the tavern.

He couldn't leave the city with a corpse, so Li Ang had to duck into the alleys, planning to find an out-of-the-way place in the city to bury the drunkard.

But when one is down on their luck, even drinking cold water can get stuck in their throat...

Just as Li Ang, using the cover of night, brought the body to a patch of grass by the city wall, ready to dig a hole, a large group of masked men in black emerged from a corner behind him, forming a line and blocking the only passable alley.

The leader, holding an oil lamp, even boldly stepped forward to examine Li Ang's face closely.

"Look at that black hair and black eyes, it's definitely 'that person'... Tsk tsk, I didn't expect a bulging coin purse too... Talk about a double blessing..."

That voice was exactly the same as the pretty boy who had screamed and run out of the tavern...

These people were assassins from the Crimson Brotherhood!

Li Ang drew his sword and seriously reflected: Had his extorting Count Auden this afternoon become so shameless that even the gods couldn't stand it anymore?

Otherwise, why would misfortune strike him one after another?

After all, he had already transmigrated. Perhaps there really were gods on the Pande Continent...

Well, he needed to be more cautious and prudent from now on.

He had to make sure the Goddess at least didn't dislike him!

He should try not to extort and blackmail in places with statues of gods from now on...

Standing up and surveying the masked men in black, each holding various weapons, Li Ang decided to use the strongest skill he had ever learned!

--Run away!

He flung the corpse off his horse onto the ground, leaped onto the horse, and slashed with his sword, hacking his way out.

There was no other way. The Thirty-Six Stratagems were the most profound tactics he knew.

Fighting more than a dozen people single-handedly was something he should avoid as much as possible unless there was absolutely no other choice...

Getting hurt hurts, and bleeding too much means death. This isn't a game.

Running away immediately was indeed a wise decision.

The group of men in black seemed to have not expected Li Ang to react so quickly and so decisively. They hastily tried to intercept him, but Alice had already created an opening.

In the pitch-black alley, horses couldn't really pick up speed, but they were at least no slower than people.

The masked assassins behind them started throwing daggers, but in the winding alley, the daggers only managed to create small sparks against the walls.

Under certain circumstances, horses are far superior to vehicles like motorcycles.

This is because horses, when not being controlled, usually won't crash into walls on their own—even in the dark.

Li Ang was completely not controlling the horse right now. He knew that holding the reins might actually cause Alice to make the wrong move.

He just kept gently tapping her belly, urging Alice to keep running.

Alice indeed proved herself, and after winding through the alley for a short while, she arrived at a main street, successfully shaking off most of the masked robbers behind them.

This was already an unfamiliar main road, with stone foundations for houses on either side. Torches were stuck in the walls, their flames flickering and illuminating this short stretch of road.

The houses were very tall, and there seemed to be a lookout tower at the top. A banner extended horizontally from the tower, bearing a golden lion crest.

The moment Li Ang saw the banner, he stopped his horse, turned back, and grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth: "Looks like the Goddess favors me!"

The men in black behind him gradually stopped.

In fact, only three people managed to chase them this far. The movements of one of them were quite familiar; he was likely the pale-faced young man with the "outstanding agility" who had fled the tavern.

The members of the Crimson Brotherhood looked at each other, seemingly unsure whether to continue the pursuit.

But Li Ang directly shouted: "Help! Murder!"

The tone was almost identical to when that pale-faced young man had run out of the tavern