Looking at Mu Xuan’s slightly flustered and wary gaze, the people around burst into laughter.
“There’s no liquor called ‘Diezi’ here. The label you saw was altered by Els!”
A burly man raised his wine cup and explained to Mu Xuan.
“‘Diezi’ is what they call streetwalkers here. Els has always wanted to advertise that woman, so he goes around changing the labels. We regulars all know about this! Hahaha!”
Another big man, bare-chested with a bushy beard, also chimed in with an explanation.
After their explanation, Mu Xuan immediately understood why they were laughing.
So, what he randomly ordered as a “drink” turned out to be… that sort of thing…
His face flushed a little, and Mu Xuan said, slightly embarrassed, “I really am from out of town… I’m new here and don’t know much. Could you recommend something?”
“Recommend, huh… hic… if you ask me, just go for a ‘Green Hide’! Packs a punch!”
“Don’t listen to this fatty. That stuff isn’t for humans. You’d better order a ‘White Berry’…”
“Hey, who’re you calling fatty… hic… that’s what real men drink. If you don’t have the guts, don’t sit here… hic…”
“If it weren’t for those two rolls of fat on you…”
Watching the two men start bickering, Mu Xuan felt a headache coming on.
He only wanted a drink recommendation. Was it worth arguing over?
But then again, people who come to taverns are usually the kind who can’t keep their mouths shut. Otherwise, who’d bother hanging around here, drinking and bragging?
“Sir, the ‘Green Hide’ that gentleman just recommended isn’t suitable for newcomers. The ‘White Berry’ has a very mild strength and a nice flavor—you could try that. If you’re not satisfied, you could also try the ‘Golden Ear’, which is a wheat beer.”
The bartender, seeing Mu Xuan’s troubled look at the quarrel, quickly stepped in with a recommendation.
After all, Mu Xuan’s attire was quite splendid, suggesting he was either rich or noble. Even though the tavern had a large backing, it was still best not to offend someone important if it could be avoided.
What’s more, the development of the tavern relied on a good and broad network. Making more acquaintances was never a bad thing.
“In that case, I’ll have a wheat beer…” After a brief hesitation, Mu Xuan chose the wheat beer. It had a low alcohol content, so it wouldn’t muddle his thoughts.
“It’s just, I don’t have any money on me. I wonder if I can use this as collateral?”
As he spoke, before the bartender could react, he took out a stone infused with a large amount of radiant power.
Because of the radiant power, the whole stone shimmered with a golden gleam.
The moment the bartender saw the stone, a look of surprise flickered across his face. Then he quickly hid his expression and resumed his professional smile.
“My goodness… There really is a Lumistone of this purity. I’ll have stories for half my life!”
“Tut… If only one day I could have a piece like that… hic…”
“…”
Just as the bartender was about to say something, the people around them burst out in amazed voices.
This undoubtedly spoke to the stone’s value.
Mu Xuan was a bit surprised too. It was just a stone filled with a lot of radiant power—was it really so rare?
However, Mu Xuan quickly thought of spell scrolls. Spell scrolls were made by inscribing fixed magic circuits onto the scroll and then infusing them with elemental power.
For ordinary people, such things were invaluable.
Perhaps this stone was like a spell scroll, which was why it caused such a stir?
“Honored sir, you also know this Lumistone is quite valuable. We don’t have enough money on hand to match its price…”
The bartender apologized, cursing the group of drunks in the tavern under his breath. He’d had no chance to test whether this man actually knew the value of what he had.
But given the situation, the bartender had to find a way to keep the stone—it was truly a rare treasure.
“How about this, sir. Today, all your drinks are on the house. And for the next three years, you can order three drinks a day for free.”
The bartender’s offer was sincere, and if one calculated at the highest market price, what he was offering was worth about two such stones.
However, Lumistones of such purity were priceless and impossible to find.
Mu Xuan considered for a moment, then smiled and agreed. This kind of stone meant little to him. Once his radiant power recovered a bit, he could easily make another.
When he saw Mu Xuan agree and toss the Lumistone onto the counter, the bartender beamed with delight.
“Sir, please wait a moment. Your ‘Golden Ear’ will be served shortly. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Seeing this, Mu Xuan didn’t hesitate and spoke up directly: “Everyone, drink up! Today’s on me!”
With that, Mu Xuan looked at the bartender.
The bartender immediately understood Mu Xuan’s intent and announced, “Of course! All drinks are free today!”
“Whoa, I knew this guy was all right!”
“Didn’t I say so? If only Wesson and them had one-thousandth—no, one ten-thousandth—of his generosity…”
“Hey, with that kind of boldness, if you ever run into trouble, just come to me. I’ve got your back! Come on, bring me a ‘Red Rose’!”
“Hic… Stop bragging, you can’t even take care of yourself… hic… If you need anything, just find me. My mercenary squad will take care of it for you…”
Hearing Mu Xuan and the bartender, the people around instantly became extremely enthusiastic. Words of praise and cheers echoed nonstop.
Then, drink orders came one after another, so many that even Mu Xuan couldn’t keep up.
The bartender quickly put away the Lumistone, instructed his helpers to fetch wine from the cellar, and then grabbed several bottles himself from the bar shelf.
Next, he took out a tall goblet, opened a bottle, and expertly poured wheat beer into the glass.
The liquid was golden, crowned with delicate foam, swirling like golden wheat dancing in the glass. The bartender gently swirled the glass, allowing the beer to coat the walls evenly and release a faint aroma of malt.
He then took a small pinch of rosemary from the spice box and sprinkled it on top of the drink.
After that, he used a special small spoon to slowly pour a layer of honey water along the inner wall of the glass, letting it trickle down to form a distinct dividing line.
With the drink prepared, the bartender smiled and set the glass before Mu Xuan, saying, “Honored sir, your ‘Golden Ear’. Please enjoy.”
“If you have any questions, you can go ask them. If there’s anything else you want to know, you’re welcome to come ask me.”
Seeing Mu Xuan lift the goblet and take a gentle sniff, the bartender continued. He could tell what Mu Xuan’s purpose was in coming here.
Reading people’s intentions was a bartender’s essential skill. Only by understanding what customers wanted and how they felt could he recommend the right drink and offer appropriate advice.
Mu Xuan glanced at the bartender, nodded slowly, then lowered his voice and said, “Friends are always good to have, but when it comes to information, I’m sure your sources are far better.”
The bartender smiled again and immediately opened the back door, making an inviting gesture.
“Honored sir, this way please…”
Mu Xuan didn’t hesitate and followed the bartender inside. He was now certain that this tavern was the most normal place in the whole town.
At least for now, everyone could converse normally, and no rules were ever broken.
However, Mu Xuan only considered the tavern a safe place during the day. Nighttime was another matter entirely.