Just as Shaman Lande was fretting nervously and secretly praying to the ancestral spirits that nothing would go wrong, Sui Xiong had already strolled leisurely into a tavern.
Samat Manor's style was utterly different from Keen City's. Keen Territory was a town centered on agriculture, with commerce as a supplement. Most of its residents were prosperous farmers, small merchants, or retired veteran soldiers. The entire city carried a rather tranquil, warm feeling—perhaps because the lord and his wife, who had ruled here for twenty years, were both gentle, soft-natured people who favored a quiet, peaceful life. Samat Manor's residents, however, were mainly adventurers, merchants, and active-duty soldiers. They were more ambitious, more vigorous and energetic, and also fiercer and rougher.
Take taverns, for example. The taverns of Keen City only began receiving customers in the evening, and mainly sold mild drinks such as rice wine and fruit wine. Their side dishes were generally hearty, easily digested, and inexpensive fare such as stewed mixed vegetables and meat soup. At Samat Manor, however, even though it had only been a short while since lunch, roughly half the seats were already occupied. The menu hanging by the bar prominently listed potent liquors such as "Dwarf's Drunk," "Magic Beast Blood," and "Iron Is Burning"—super-strong spirits mixed with small amounts of medicine to heighten their kick. The food was even more rugged, centered on huge chunks of roasted meat, and naturally cost more as well.
This meant that Samat Manor's residents were more keen on seeking thrills than the people of Keen City, but it also proved that they were stronger—those medicinally enhanced spirits were not something ordinary people could drink. If a normal commoner downed one cup, they would be bedridden for four or five days at best; at worst, they would have to