The Landlady of the Iron Tooth Inn

Dugu Yan, refusing to believe it, also scooped up a spoonful. The moment it touched her lips, her face contorted in disgust. She grabbed the teacup and gulped it down. "This... is this even food?"

"Only southerners can handle this," a man in a wide-brimmed leather hat chuckled at the next table, his accent thick with the Star Luo Empire dialect. "Old buddy, first time on this kind of road, huh? Take it slow, the third bite won't be spicy anymore."

Xiao Wu picked up the rock cake, weighed it in her hand, and then tapped it with her fingernail, making two "thump-thump" sounds.

"Can this be used to crack walnuts?"

"Rock cakes are made from Shi Mo mountain flour and animal fat, and they're a local specialty." Dugu Bo broke off a piece, added a slice of salted meat and a piece of cheese, and chewed it with a strong liquor, his cheeks bulging, eating like an old merchant who was used to traveling the mountain roads.

Xiao Wu copied him, picked up a piece, and tried to bite it for a long time but couldn't get it through. In the end, she simply soaked the pancake in the soup.

After soaking for a while, Xiao Wu took a bite, her cheeks puffed out, and it took her a long time to swallow. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "It's still hard on my teeth!"

"This bread was originally meant for people going into the mountains," Dugu Bo said, putting down his wine bowl. "It won't spoil even after ten days or half a month; it's normal for it to get a little hard. For the locals, there's no more reliable food than this."

As the four were talking, a shout suddenly came from the corner, followed by two men slamming their fists on the table, one of them even drawing his knife halfway out.

The woman behind the counter didn't even turn around; she just slammed the iron spoon against the counter.

"Put the knife away." Her voice was low. "If you want to fight, turn left at the rocky outcrop. Violence is not allowed in my shop."

The two men paused for a moment, then put the knife back in and drank in silence.

Not a single person in the entire hall looked up to watch the commotion; that was the only rule of the Iron Tooth Inn.

Dugu Yan held her teacup and muttered softly, "Is this the proprietress?"

"That's right, she's known as Iron Tooth, and she single-handedly built this Iron Tooth Inn." Dugu Bo, biting into a pancake. "She started out as a smuggler in her youth, and on this street, her word carries more weight than an official seal."

Xiao Wu couldn't help but ask, "Her arm...?"

Dugu Bo swallowed the cake and took a sip of tea.

"More than ten years ago, she was a Soul King- level powerhouse," he said calmly. "Back then, she and her husband were smuggling goods along the border when they offended someone. The other side sent a team to block them at the mountain pass. Her husband took the final blow for her, but he didn't survive. She also lost an arm, rolled all the way down the mountain pass, and survived."

"Later, she ended up in Dexius and opened this inn all by herself." Dugu Bo glanced at the counter. "It's been over ten years, and she hasn't moved an inch."

Xiao Wu turned her head to look at the counter. The woman was looking down, busy at the counter with her only remaining hand. Her movements were very skilled, and the sleeve of her amputated arm was neatly tied up. From behind, it looked as if she had simply hidden her hand in her bosom.

The pot of stew was almost empty, and Xiao Wu drank three bowls of water, still sticking out her tongue.

After finishing his meal, Dugu Bo pushed his bowl away and stood up.

"Rest for two hours, then hitch up the cart and continue on your way as soon as it gets dark. Crossing the mountain pass at night is less troublesome than during the day." He took two steps toward the door, then stopped. "I'm going to sit at that old opium den at the edge of town to find out what's going on along the way. You three, don't wander off; just stay in the shop."

"Senior, are you going alone?" Xiao Wu looked up.

"This old man's bones are not afraid of being robbed." As soon as he finished speaking, he walked out the door with his hands behind his back.

Lin Chen ordered a pot of light tea and poured it slowly.

Two mountain runners at the next table sat close together; one had his hat pulled low, and the other had a dirty rag wrapped around his hand, and he deliberately spoke in a low voice.

"... The stone gate doesn't open until it's dark," said the man with his hat pulled down. "Last time I arrived half an hour early, and no matter how much I pleaded, they wouldn't let me in."

"Do you have any stock tonight?"

"A new batch of ore has arrived at the ore area, including Fire-Patterned Copper and Cold Bone Stone. If we're lucky, we might even find Shadow-Patterned Ore. Those are snapped up by the big merchants as soon as they appear; we won't get a chance."

"Oh? Is there anything else good?"

"Hmph, there are plenty of those." The man's voice lowered further. "I heard there's a new batch of slaves arriving, all of them inspected. They're priced according to their Soul Power and age. Last time, there was a boy who hadn't even fully grown up yet, and a master from the Star Luo Empire bought him."

Dugu Yan paused, her hand holding the teacup still. "What? Selling people?"

"Hmm? First time here, young lady? Didn't know you sell everything here?" The man with the rags wrapped around his neck chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Heaven Dou's crossbows, Star Luo Empire's scimitars, fake documents, poison formulas, even Soul Beast eggs are sold. Whether they're real or fake depends entirely on your own eyesight."

"There's an auction house deep inside the city," the man with the hat pulled down continued. "They auction everything: ores, herbs, intelligence, even people. The rule is simple—money and goods are settled immediately, no recourse once you leave. If you argue after you've made the purchase, the Shadow Hunters will come and get you. If you're asked to leave, no one will see you again the next day."

"Shadow Hunters?" Xiao Wu asked instinctively.

"Clad in black, with a cloak covering half his face, and an iron chain around his waist." The man glanced towards the doorway. "No one dares to mess with this place. Don't ask any more questions; asking too many will be taboo."

The two paid the bill, pulled their hats down, and left one after the other.

Dugu Yan held her teacup, her brow still furrowed. "What did that person mean by 'selling slaves'? Are there really people buying and selling people in places like that?"

Lin Chen shook his head. "I didn't understand. They were being too vague."

"This town is so strange, with all these rules and regulations. My grandfather never explains them to me," Dugu Yan complained, resting her chin on her hand.

Lin Chen turned his head and looked at the tavern. He didn't know when, but the hall was already empty.

The seven or eight tables that were half full a moment ago are now empty, with only a couple of empty wine bowls left. Even the broken bones on the tables have been wiped clean with a rag. Only two waiters and the proprietress behind the counter remain.

Lin Chen stood up.

"Hey? Where are you going?" Dugu Yan looked up.

"I'll go ask the landlady."

"Hey, hey, don't go, don't break any taboos..." Dugu Yan reached out to Lin Chen, but couldn't stop him.

Lin Chen walked to the counter and stopped on the half-person-high countertop. The proprietress didn't turn around and was still slowly arranging the bowls, one by one, neatly stacked.

"Boss lady." Lin Chen took out three Gold Soul Coin from his sleeve and placed them one by one on the table. The Gold Soul Coin tapped on the wooden board with a soft but solid sound.

The woman stopped setting the bowls.

She turned around, first looking at the money, then at the person, her eyes lingering on Lin Chen's face for a long while.

"Out-of-towners are certainly generous." She draped the rag over her shoulder. "What do you want?"

"I'm curious," Lin Chen said. "Those two guests mentioned there's a market down in the town. What do they sell there, and how do I get in?"

"Just out of curiosity?"

"Just out of curiosity."

The woman looked at him for a while, then suddenly smiled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.

She reached out and gathered the three Gold Soul Coin, dropping them one by one into the money box under the counter, making three clattering sounds.