What Kind of Trouble Is This?

A voice cooperatively rang out from the watchtower. "Who goes there?!"

The three assassins seemed startled. Crouching low, they prepared to scatter in all directions...

They had realized that this tall building might, perhaps, possibly be the headquarters of the Lion Knight Order!

But two crossbow bolts fired down from the watchtower stopped them in their tracks.

"Don't move! Someone actually dared cause trouble here?"

Then, a group of burly men dressed like iron cans poured out of the building, surrounding the assassins and Li Ang.

This place was the hall of the Lion Knight Order, the national knightly order of the Lionheart Kingdom!

The three men had their face coverings ripped off. The pale-faced leader had tried to speak, but after a knight punched several teeth out of his mouth, he obediently squatted down with a hand over his mouth.

Three masked men in black and one outsider—the knights felt this matter hardly required any investigation...

So, after verifying Li Ang's Pioneer Noble Emblem, one knight politely asked him what had happened, paying no attention at all to the criminals who were practically about to piss themselves.

Li Ang glanced at the three trembling robbers. "I saw them robbing and murdering someone over there, and then they probably intended to kill me, the witness..."

With a few casual words, he pinned the drunkard's death directly on those unlucky assassins.

In a situation like this, the words of a noble were naturally more trustworthy than those of "robbers"...

Thus, the knights escorted the "robbers" away, intending to search for their accomplices.

As the victim who had "nearly been silenced," Li Ang naturally had to lead the way.

But when they reentered the alley and found the spot where the corpse had been, everyone was stunned!

There were only a few bloodstains on the ground. The corpse was gone!

Or rather, the corpse's flesh and blood were gone.

All that remained at the scene was an intact human skin, completely empty of flesh, blood, and bones—like an empty cicada shell!

Other than the openings of the seven facial orifices and the wound on top of the head where it had been split by a sword, there was no other damage to the skin.

This could not have been done by human hands. No one could strip such a complete human skin in so short a time.

"A Fallen One!"

The leading knight turned pale and blurted it out.

While everyone stared in shock as they examined that hollow human skin, the pale-faced man with the nimble movements seized the chance to flee into the pitch-black alley.

But no one, Li Ang included, had any desire to chase him anymore.

Petty matters like robbery no longer seemed worth mentioning. No one believed that pale-faced man could be connected to the legendary demons known as Devourers and Fallen Ones.

And if that pale-faced man really was connected to that human skin, chasing after him would probably just mean throwing away their lives...

The knights quickly turned back to report the matter, their expressions grave.

Soon afterward, the Lion Knight Order launched an investigation into the heretical demon as though facing a great enemy, dispatching squads of knights throughout the city.

Li Ang was also politely escorted away by a knight.

His scalp was tingling. Fallen Ones actually existed on the Pande Continent?

Then... did the demons worshipped by heretics also exist?

—It was said that heretical worshippers had always planned to sacrifice living people and summon demons from another world. Judging by this, had they succeeded?

After all, he himself had crossed over from another world...

It seemed possible enough for a demon or two to come from some other world.

What a dangerous land...

If he ran into a demon, would his little collection of skills and proficiencies be enough to help him escape?

It seemed he needed to learn more about those heretics and their mysterious beliefs...

Lost in wild thoughts as he walked, he realized he had reached a familiar place. Looking up, he found himself standing once more before the Adventurer Tavern.

Feeling a little unnerved, Li Ang looked at the dark streets, then at the brightly lit tavern, sighed, and walked inside.

Human longing for light was really no different from a moth's.

Light truly did give people a sense of psychological security.

It was already late at night, and there were only a few people in the tavern.

The floor had been cleaned spotless as well, as though no violent incident had ever happened there.

The tavern owner was tidying the bar. Seeing Li Ang return after leaving, he grinned in surprise. "Sir, did you get lost...?"

Li Ang gave him an "honest" smile. "I need a room."

The owner shook his head in disbelief. "Are you sure the matter's been settled?"

Li Ang took out two gold coins and tossed them onto the bar. "I'm a professional when it comes to digging holes and burying people... Bring me some hot food too."

The owner stared at the coins, then at Li Ang. In the end, he surrendered to the allure of denars, picked up the gold coins from the bar, and tossed him a key.

"All right, then. Don't cause any more trouble. Go to Room 3 upstairs. I'll bring your food up in a little while..."

Li Ang truly had no desire to get into any more trouble either. He had had more than enough unexpected incidents today, so he went straight upstairs and entered the inn room.

Just as he was about to close the door, the door to the room opposite opened. A waft of fragrance drifted over, followed by a curvaceous woman stepping out.

The woman glanced at Li Ang, smiled faintly, and walked downstairs with elegant poise.

She was an exceptionally alluring woman, with a figure that was both slender and voluptuous...

Her face was exquisitely beautiful. Even by Li Ang's standards, she was outstanding.

More importantly, she possessed an indescribable aura...

After just one second of eye contact, that aura made Li Ang immediately think of the most common piece of furniture—a bed.

For a moment, Li Ang could not bear to close the door. Like any normal man, he watched her from behind for a few extra moments, until she vanished from sight.

A seductive voice drifted up from downstairs. "Boss, please do me a favor..."

For some reason, hearing that voice made Li Ang picture a fox.

She was a fox-like woman.

Women like that usually meant trouble.

Li Ang closed the door, unwilling to invite trouble.

By the time the owner knocked on Li Ang's door to deliver his food, at least an hour had passed. Li Ang had already taken off his chainmail and lain down on the bed.

"Sorry for the slight delay. Here's the hot food you ordered."

The owner looked rather apologetic. Under normal circumstances, ten minutes was enough to prepare a meal, and Li Ang had been "generous" enough not to urge him, which made the man feel somewhat guilty.

Pande's cuisine was remarkably crude. In Li Ang's eyes, it barely managed to cook the ingredients through, with no flavor worth mentioning. Accordingly, meals were usually made quite quickly.

"That was quite a long 'slight delay'..."

Li Ang grumbled, took the food, and began eating with his head lowered.

But before the owner left, he seemed to notice something. He stopped and looked at the gear Li Ang had placed beside the bed, as though he wanted to say something.

"Is there something else?" Li Ang intended to send him away.

"You appear to be a Pioneer Baron, sir?" The owner awkwardly forced some conversation, his gaze fixed on the small emblem beside Li Ang's pillow.

Li Ang felt a little depressed. You saw the Pioneer Noble Emblem and still asked? Obviously, you wanted something... Why was there so much damn trouble today? Had he really offended Eunomia, the Goddess of Order?

"Just say what you want. I'm not in the mood for pleasantries."

The owner smiled awkwardly. "Sir, if you are a Pioneer Lord, I believe you might be willing to discuss a business deal..."