Frost White City

At a tavern in one corner of Frost White City, voices surged through the air amid a clamor of noisy chatter.

The place wasn't among the finest in Frost White City, but it drew the largest crowds.

This tavern was never short of down-on-their-luck paupers, wealthy men seeking romantic adventures, or villains plotting mischief.

Places like this, where all sorts of people rubbed shoulders, were often the best spots to uncover rare and unusual information.

Having learned to navigate such places under Lyle's guidance, Ye Chen ignored the drunken shouts at the entrance, strode into the tavern's main hall, and sat in a corner of the bar. He dropped a few silver coins on the counter and ordered the most expensive drink on the menu.

The owner glanced at the customer whose face was concealed, said nothing, and pushed the drink in front of Ye Chen.

But Ye Chen ignored it. Instead, he grabbed the owner's rough hand and slipped a Frost Coin into it.

"I'd like to ask a few things about The Lord."

After handing over the coin, Ye Chen leaned in and spoke softly.

The tavern owner accepted the coin with a cheerful grin, but when he heard that Ye Chen wanted to ask about the lord of the city, his expression froze. He immediately returned the coin.

"Go ask someone else about that!"

Ye Chen pushed the owner's hand back and slipped in several more coins, deliberately lowering his voice as he explained:

"Don't worry. I only want to ask about some perfectly 'ordinary' things. I won't put you in a difficult position."

The owner looked down at the five gleaming coins in his palm and furrowed his brow, seemingly locked in a fierce internal struggle.

At last, when Ye Chen offered him another five coins, the owner's defenses finally crumbled.

With a greedy look, he deftly stuffed all ten coins into his pocket, then glanced around.

After making sure no one was listening, he promptly led Ye Chen to a secluded, quiet storeroom inside the tavern.

"What exactly do you want with Lord Xiaowalus?"

The owner asked nervously. By the tavern's unwritten rules, he shouldn't ask guests why they wanted information, but the lord was a different matter.

After all, Xiaowalus wasn't merely the lord of Frost White City; he was the king of the entire Frost White Person nation.

Ye Chen saw the owner's concern and quickly offered a friendly explanation.

"Heh, don't worry. I'm from a village outside the city. I came to Frost White City to discuss a business deal with The Lord."

"Since I'm from out of town, I don't know much about Xiaowalus. That'll make it hard for me to gauge how hard to bargain when we meet."

"You're a merchant yourself, so you understand what I mean, right?"

Leaning against the storeroom's brick wall with his arms crossed, Ye Chen explained with a smile. His manner and bearing genuinely gave off the shrewd, seasoned air of a merchant.

The owner looked Ye Chen over doubtfully. His outfit didn't look much like a merchant's, but the ten coins in his pocket proved he was wealthy. That meant he might well have the means to strike a deal with the lord.

"If that's the case, what do you want to know about him?" The owner accepted Ye Chen's explanation and returned to the matter at hand.

"Hmm. Give me a quick rundown of his background, personality, and strengths. How about it? Nothing dangerous about that, right?" Ye Chen shrugged and made his request casually.

The owner nodded with a grin. Since he'd taken the man's money, he was obliged to help. If Ye Chen was willing to pay ten coins, the owner would gladly talk until he was hoarse.

As the owner rambled on, Ye Chen learned quite a bit.

Xiaowalus had inherited his position as lord from the previous head of the Xiaowalu family. For a hundred years, that family had held the throne of Frost White civilization.

As for Xiaowalus's personality, he was much like the lords of Frost White City before him: hungry for power, lustful, fond of treasure, domineering, and arrogant. A typical aristocratic lord.

"As for what makes him special... well, I'd say he's particularly good at keeping the people in line."

"Frost White City is better policed under Lord Xiaowalus than it was under the previous lords. Things still aren't great around here, but every few months, Lord Xiaowalus gives a speech in the city center. His words always leave us feeling encouraged and satisfied."

"That's why the lower classes in Frost White City haven't rioted or rebelled in over a decade. The only trouble this year was that some strange death-row prisoner escaped. In that regard, Xiaowalus is a lot better than the lords who came before him."

The owner folded his arms and patiently shared what he knew with Ye Chen.

"Keeping the people in line. Speeches... Is he a good speaker?"

Ye Chen's eyes shifted as he immediately asked.

"Lord Xiaowalus isn't especially eloquent. It's just that when I hear him speak, his voice sounds so pleasant, so soothing. Maybe he was just born with a good voice."

The owner scratched his thinning hair, offering his opinion of the lord.

"His voice..."

Ye Chen's gaze darkened. Then he turned back to the owner and asked:

"Then there's one last thing I'd like to know. Has the lord changed in any strange way over the past few years? For example, staying home a lot and rarely showing himself in public?"

The owner's expression changed, and he instinctively nodded.

"That's true. Lord Xiaowalus used to love hosting banquets. He held them all the time to show off his wealth."

"But after returning from a hunting trip a few years ago, he lost all interest in them. Apart from attending the city speeches held every few months, Lord Xiaowalus rarely appears before the public. He spends most of his time in his mansion, and who knows what he's busy with."

"That's all I know. You must understand, people like us don't get many chances to meet the city lord."

After listening, Ye Chen asked nothing more. He simply nodded to the owner in thanks.

"Alright, thanks for the information. Until we meet again."

Then the young man left the tavern without another word, striding off briskly.

"..."

The owner watched Ye Chen's retreating figure in silence, a faint sense of unease rising in his heart.

But when his fingers reached into his pocket and touched the handful of extra coins, that unease was quickly replaced by sheer delight.

He'd made a fortune from just a few simple questions. Today really was his lucky day!

Beaming, the owner left the wine cellar. Then he secretly poured the drink Ye Chen had ordered but never touched back into the barrel, saving it to serve to another wealthy customer who might show up later.