Simple Folkways

Three days later.

An Chen stood on a hillside as a gust of sea wind rushed toward him.

The wind here was not as violent as it was on the open sea, but it still carried dampness, along with the smell of fish and a faint salty tang.

Blowing against his face, it left him feeling refreshed.

At the foot of the hill lay a drab little town.

Sanchao Post.

Its streets stretched along dirt roads, lined on both sides with rows of low stone houses, most of their roofs covered in dark gray tiles.

The town was not large, but there were plenty of people coming and going. There were laborers carrying goods, sailors with swords at their backs, and merchants dressed in silk.

An Chen lowered his head and looked over his outfit.

When he had left Xuanshui City three days ago, he had spent a few Gold Soul Coins at a roadside blacksmith shop to change his attire.

He now wore a worn leather cuirass, with a broad-bladed short saber at his waist and a slightly rusted spear slung diagonally across his back.

This sort of outfit was common among mercenaries. It did not look wealthy, but it was far from shabby.

It was exactly what a "mercenary employed by a noble" ought to look like.

"An outsider mercenary, running errands for a noble. My employer wants Whale Rubber." He quietly repeated the cover story he intended to use.

The sea wind howled past, making his clothes flap loudly.

He took a deep breath and headed down the hill.

As he entered town, An Chen slowed his pace.

Sanchao Post was livelier than he had imagined.

Shops lined both sides of the road, their colorful signs reading things like "East Sea Dried Fish," "North Port Abalone and Sea Cucumber," and "Secret Whale Glue." The street was packed with people and bustling with activity.

Everyone passing by had a loud voice, and laughter, curses, and drinking-game chants blended into a single uproar.

"You filthy sailor, if you can't afford it, then get lost!"

"Fuck you! Believe it or not, I'll flip your whole stall over!"

"Come on, then! If you don't, I'll look down on you!"

"You fucking stinking..."

"..."

A sailor was haggling with a vendor. They had begun politely enough, but their voices grew louder and louder until they were pointing at each other's noses and cursing out eighteen generations of each other's ancestors.

An Chen shook his head and kept walking.

Before long, he came across several women sitting by a doorway, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting. Every now and then, they burst into shrill laughter as they commented on every man who passed by.

Soon after, An Chen passed a melon stand.

"Two Gold Soul Coins per jin? Is your melon rind made of gold, or are the seeds made of gold?"

"Look around. Where are you going to find melons at this time? Mine were all ripened by Plant-type Soul Masters. You think they're expensive? I think they're expensive too."

"..."

"Murder! Murder!"

A perfectly ordinary sale had somehow escalated into a murder case.

An Chen's mouth twitched slightly, and he quickly left the area.

The folkways here really were simple and honest.

He continued onward.

After walking for roughly the time it took to burn half an incense stick, An Chen stopped before an establishment with a sign reading "Sanchao Inn."

The inn stood three stories high, making it a rather respectable building in town.

Two attendants stood outside, calling out to passing customers.

"Sir, are you staying the night or having a meal?" One attendant approached him with a smile plastered across his face.

"I'm staying." An Chen took out a Gold Soul Coin and weighed it in his hand. "Get me a good room, somewhere quiet."

The attendant's eyes lit up, and his attitude immediately grew more attentive. "Certainly, sir. Please come in!"

An Chen was led into the main hall and seated by a window.

The attendant swiftly brought over tea and pastries, then stood nearby while rubbing his hands together.

"Sir, forgive me for asking, but judging by your attire... what business brings you here?"

"I was commissioned by an important figure in Heaven Dou City." An Chen took a sip of tea and spoke casually. "They need some Whale Rubber... you understand."

The attendant suddenly understood. "I do, I do... You've come looking for Whale Rubber. Then you've come to the right place, sir. Sanchao Post might not have much else, but we have all the Whale Rubber you could want!"

"How is the quality?"

"It's all top-grade!" The attendant patted his chest in assurance. "The Whale Rubber here is refined from fresh catches hauled straight out of the bay. It's golden in color and pure in texture. If you want the very best, you can speak with Director Mo."

"Director Mo?"

"Director Mokai." The attendant lowered his voice, and a trace of awe entered his tone. "He manages all the Whale Rubber business in Sanchao Post. If you want to buy in bulk, he's the right person to find."

An Chen nodded. "Where is he?"

The attendant glanced around and lowered his voice. "Director Mo lives in a courtyard at the very back of town. But..."

"But what?"

The attendant scratched his head, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "Director Mo... how should I put it? He's lived here for seven or eight years. When he first arrived, he was just an ordinary man. No one knows how he suddenly made it big. Now all of Sanchao Post is under his control, and even the local authorities have to show him some respect."

He paused, then added, "Still, Director Mo is a pretty good man. He's generous to inn attendants like us. It's just that sometimes..."

"Sometimes what?"

The attendant shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. It's just that he can have a bit of a temper sometimes, so please don't take it to heart, sir. If you want to meet Director Mo, I can notify him for you right away."

"Thank you."

After nightfall, the streets became even noisier.

Drinking-game chants drifted from the taverns, along with shouting and faint... moans.

Even through a window, those sounds seemed to be amplified countless times as they bored into his ears.

An Chen poured himself a cup of wine and leaned by the window, listening to the commotion.

The sailors of this little town really knew how to have a wild time.

He heard the clinking of cups from next door, along with a group of people egging someone on.

There was also the sound of coquettish laughter and horseplay coming from a room upstairs.

On the street, sailors loudly sang vulgar little tunes, drawing laughing curses from passing women.

An Chen shook his head and shut the window.

That old-fashioned Tang San would probably be unable to stomach a scene like this.

He drained the wine in his cup and lay down on the bed.

Listening to the moans from next door, An Chen felt for the first time that good hearing was not necessarily a good thing.

After an unknown amount of time, An Chen was startled awake from a deep sleep. He had been having a pleasant dream.

Then a piercing scream rang out.

"Ah—!"

An Chen jolted awake and sprang upright.

The sound was shrill and grating, especially terrifying in the middle of the night.

He listened carefully.

"Why the hell are you screaming in the middle of the night?!"

"Where did that ghostly shriek come from? It scared me limp..."

Complaints and curses rose from all around.

Chaotic footsteps soon sounded in the corridor, followed by someone knocking on a door.

"Sir? Sir? What happened?" It was the attendant's voice, tinged with nervousness.

There was silence inside for a moment, then a trembling woman's voice answered, "I... I want to check out!"

"Check out?" The attendant froze. "Sir, it's the middle of the night..."

"I want to check out!" The woman's voice suddenly rose. "I'm not staying here! This place is haunted!"

"Sir, please calm down..."

"I am calm!" The woman's voice became hysterical. "Do you know what I just dreamed about? You don't know..."

She stopped halfway through her sentence.

An Chen frowned.

The woman began to cry.

"I... I saw a man... He... sea rattan grew from his hands... No, they were tentacles! He and those tentacles licked me!"

"Sir, you must have had a nightmare, right?" The attendant sounded helpless. "At least thousands of guests have stayed here before, and there has never been..."

"What do you know?!" the woman screamed. "What do you know?! That wasn't a dream at all! I could actually feel..."

The voice abruptly cut off.

An Chen heard hurried breathing.

The attendant continued comforting her.

"Sir, I'll move you to another room first. We'll handle your checkout tomorrow."

Things gradually quieted down afterward, and no more sounds could be heard.