The waiter came by several times, intending to refill Ren's tea, but the tea he brought went untouched.
It left him rather embarrassed. Seeing Ren sip his own tea, he clearly understood that Ren thought little of the tea served here.
Noticing his embarrassment, Ren smiled faintly. "Sit down. Let's talk."
The waiter looked surprised, then alarmed. "Sir... we're only servants. How could we sit and chat with you?"
Ren paid it no mind and brewed his tea. "Don't be afraid. We'll just chat. News travels through inns like yours, so you must have heard quite a bit."
"News? What would you like to know, sir? I'm just an ordinary man, but I serve a lot of guests, so I do hear things." The waiter relaxed and looked at Ren.
Ren took a sip of tea and smiled. "I heard some people talking about the Heaven's Prides of the Central Plains. Tell me about them."
The question was casual, and the waiter answered with a cheerful grin. "Ask me about anything else and I might have trouble answering. But the Heaven's Prides of the Central Plains? I know plenty! The Heavenly Prodigy Rankings have changed enormously lately. For one thing—"
"Wait," Ren cut in. "The Heavenly Prodigy Rankings? What are those?"
Ren had only recently emerged and had no idea such a list existed in this era.
The waiter wiped down the table with a chuckle. "It's only natural you haven't heard of it, sir. The list hasn't been around long. No one knows who publishes it, but it's spread far and wide. In just half a year, many people have come to accept it. It lists Heaven's Prides under a hundred years old who possess astonishing combat strength. Anyone who makes the list has something exceptional about them. There