When eating in an unfamiliar place, you had to know how to choose.
Never go into a restaurant that was cold and deserted at mealtime. Even the locals did not go there, so something had to be wrong with it.
The kind frequented by locals was usually a safe bet. The smoky aroma of food was rich, the quality and prices were generally reasonable, and the place bustled with voices. Too noisy did not matter—at least you would not get ripped off.
The night was a deep blue. Looking down from the top of the tower, all she could see were rooftops, while the lit streets shone below.
At night, sounds carried far. She could hear the noisy clinking of cups in the brightly lit taverns, along with laughter, curses, and drinking games.
Suddenly, the boiling din came to an abrupt stop, as if someone had pressed pause on the clamor.
Someone screamed, only to be quickly silenced by a hand over their mouth.
Inside the tavern, everyone froze mid-expression and mid-motion, staring helplessly at the enormous tiger head filling the doorway.
The tiger head tilted aside, and a Little Girl squeezed in with difficulty, a short-tailed cat at her feet.
Bai Yujun wrinkled her nose. The smell inside was truly overpowering.
It was full of that scent people had after drinking, along with sour sweat and the smoky odor of cheap candles burning. She looked down at the Lynx Cat, and without another word, it stirred up a Demonic Wind...
The windows rattled under the gusts, and the door shook wildly, its panels repeatedly slapping against the tiger's head.
The candles flickered, shadows dancing uncertainly. The atmosphere was indescribably eerie.
Bai was already used to it. Wandering the mortal world with a tiger mount was bound to cause all