Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze walked back from the counter.
Seeing Huo Ting sitting there, the two only glanced at him before taking their seats.
“This tavern owner is really stubborn. No matter what, he refuses to spill anything,” Chai Yingying said helplessly. “I’ve never seen such a difficult old man.”
Jiang Ze’s face was equally filled with frustration.
Huo Ting asked, “Were you trying to ask him about the Witch’s Tavern?”
Chai Yingying nodded and then glanced at Gu Jiu, silently asking with her eyes if this handsome guy was someone they were supposed to collaborate with.
Gu Jiu smiled but said nothing, tossing her empty milk carton back into her backpack.
At this moment, Lu Ji pulled out a few milk candies, unwrapped one, and fed it to his girlfriend. Watching her open her mouth to accept it, a faint smile appeared on his pale, doll-like face.
Seeing their interaction, Huo Ting’s eyes darkened slightly.
Chai Yingying felt like the two of them were showing off on purpose. Was Lu deliberately getting affectionate with the young lady in front of his rival?
She cleared her throat and recounted her and Jiang Ze’s earlier encounter with the tavern owner. In conclusion, she said, “That old man is incredibly stubborn. No matter what we asked, he wouldn’t say anything. Every time we mentioned the Witch Ella, he just sneered. What does that mean?”
Jiang Ze added, “I think he must know something about Witch Ella. He’s not like the other residents of this small town, who are entirely clueless about her.”
From the tavern owner’s reactions, they could infer this much.
That man definitely knows about Witch Ella!
Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t help much since he refused to reveal anything.
“If he weren’t an old man and deserving of some respect for the elderly, I’d already be tempted to grab him by the neck and force him to talk,” Chai Yingying said, her frustration with the owner’s attitude mounting.
“Yingying, calm down!” Jiang Ze quickly urged her. “Don’t act rashly. If something happens, it’ll be bad for everyone.” The Witch’s Tavern was a strange place. Who could say whether the owner could be touched? If not, any consequences would befall the players.
The other players clearly thought the same way, which was why, despite their suspicions, they hadn’t dared to do anything to the tavern owner.
Chai Yingying pouted. “If I don’t make a move, someone else will sooner or later.”
No sooner had she said this than an angry shout rang out: “Old man, spit it out, or don’t blame us for taking action!”
The tavern patrons were startled and turned toward the source of the voice. There, two towering Western players stood at the counter, slamming it and yelling at the owner.
The tavern owner remained indifferent, holding a soft white cloth in one hand as he meticulously polished a small, pitch-black object.
This action only enraged the two players further. One of them slammed the counter hard, causing it to shatter with a loud crack. The wooden surface splintered into pieces, startling the adventurers, who instinctively shrank back.
Although the counter looked old, it was made of solid, heavy wood and extremely sturdy. But its strength was nothing to a B-rank player.
The items on the counter clattered to the floor.
The tavern owner’s polishing paused. His deeply wrinkled face drooped further, exuding an icy and sinister air.
Suddenly, he looked up sharply, and his gaze startled the two players at the counter.
When the two players smashed the counter, they controlled their strength, ensuring that the splintered wood didn’t harm the tavern owner. It was a deliberate test to gauge his reaction, to see if they could intimidate him into submission.
However, the old man wasn’t fazed by such minor theatrics.
The tavern owner cast a cold glance at the two players. Just as they tensed, expecting some kind of retaliation, he slowly crouched down and began picking up the fallen items from the ground.
Everyone in the tavern turned to watch, silently observing the scene.
The two players who had made the move felt a mix of anger and embarrassment, especially since their destruction of the counter didn’t elicit any real response. The old man’s quiet, indifferent behavior emboldened them.
“Old man, if you don’t talk, I’ll tear this whole tavern apart,” one of them threatened in a harsh tone.
The tavern owner chuckled coldly. “Go ahead and try.”
His tone and expression made it clear he found their threats utterly laughable.
In the next moment, one of the players grabbed the tavern owner by the collar and lifted him off the ground. His frail body dangled mid-air as the two players glared at him with malicious intent.
Finally, someone couldn’t stand watching any longer.
“Grut, Tok, put him down!” Odinson said sternly, his disapproval evident.
Grut, the towering man holding the tavern owner, glanced at Odinson with disdain. “Odinson Heimworth, just because you’re well-known in Boundless City doesn’t mean we have to listen to you. Don’t talk to us with that leader’s attitude!”
“Yeah! We’re all B-rank players—none of us are better than the others!” Tok added, flipping Odinson off.
Odinson’s expression darkened, and the three companions by his side stood up, glaring at Grut and Tok with hostility.
The Eastern players watched this exchange with quiet amusement, even as their expressions remained neutral. They had assumed that Odinson’s reputation among Western players would make him a natural leader, but it seemed not everyone respected him. Grut and Tok’s blatant defiance was surprising—and entertaining.
Good for them! They thought to themselves.
Despite the tension, Grut and Tok didn’t escalate their actions.
They weren’t stupid. While they were tempted to do something to the stubborn old man, they understood this was the game world. The Witch’s Tavern was shrouded in mystery, and no one could predict the consequences of harming its owner. Reluctantly, they reined in their impulses.
Grut casually dropped the tavern owner to the ground, sneering at Odinson and his companions before turning and heading upstairs with Tok.
Odinson remained composed, showing no signs of anger. His calm demeanor suggested he saw no need to quarrel with two unfamiliar players. However, his companions were visibly upset, glaring at Grut and Tok until they disappeared up the stairs. Only at Odinson’s signal did they reluctantly sit back down.
Meanwhile, Mina and her group watched from the sidelines, slightly disappointed.
When Grut and Tok had acted, Mina and her team had secretly hoped they’d push the situation further. They were curious to see how far the duo would go and what would happen if the tavern owner was truly forced to react. After all, any consequences would fall on Grut and Tok, not them. It was an ideal opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Witch’s Tavern.
The counter was now shattered, heavy wood pieces strewn everywhere. Cleaning up and retrieving the items buried underneath wasn’t going to be easy.
Huo Ting, Chai Yingying, and a few others went to help the tavern owner clean up the mess and pick up the fallen items.
Unfortunately, the old man didn’t seem the least bit appreciative.
“Don’t bother. If you want answers, go find them yourselves. I won’t say anything,” the old man said coldly.
Chen Zhiru almost hurled the wooden block in her hand at his face.
It wasn’t hard to understand why those two Western players had lost their tempers. The old man’s attitude tested the patience of even the calmest players. If it weren’t for the peculiar nature of the Witch’s Tavern, he would likely have been beaten up long ago.
Since becoming players, they’d encountered difficult NPCs, but most of those were powerful beings, demanding respect. This old man, however, wasn’t some untouchable ghostly NPC. He seemed like an ordinary, frail elder—no match for a single punch from a player. There was nothing inherently scary about him, which made his arrogance even more infuriating.
Were it not for the Tavern’s mysteries, he wouldn’t be worth tolerating.
After helping the old man clean up, Huo Ting, Chai Yingying, Jiang Ze, and the others left.
Since it was clear they couldn’t get anything out of him, there was no point in wasting more time.
“This old man really knows how to provoke people,” Chai Yingying muttered as she sat beside Gu Jiu. “Those Western players are bold and impulsive. If they lose their tempers, they might really do something to him.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Exactly, which is why I didn’t bother dealing with him.”
Chai Yingying was momentarily speechless.
Despite her delicate and gentle appearance, Miss Gu had a fiery temper that could frighten even ghosts when provoked. Fortunately, she knew how to control herself and didn’t act recklessly.
Huo Ting chuckled softly, clearly understanding Gu Jiu’s temperament.
“Ah Jiu, your temper hasn’t changed,” he said, his voice a touch lower, as if reminiscing.
This casual “Ah Jiu” made two other people’s faces darken simultaneously. Lu Ji’s lips pressed into a thin line as he clasped his girlfriend’s hand tightly, while Chen Zhiru’s expression turned sour as if she had bitten into a lemon.
Gu Jiu felt the sudden pressure on her hand and glanced at her boyfriend.
“Sorry,” Lu Ji quickly loosened his grip, looking slightly embarrassed. His thick lashes lowered, concealing his dark eyes.
Gu Jiu stared at his profile with a radiant smile. Leaning against him, she rested her chin on his shoulder, her gaze lingering on his delicate earlobe. Suddenly, she blew softly into his ear.
In an instant, Lu Ji turned almost completely red.
Feeling the gazes from those around him, his shyness mixed with an inexplicable sense of joy.
Gu Jiu had intended to tease him but found herself unexpectedly affected by his reaction. Unable to resist, she tugged him to his feet and said to Chai Yingying and the others, “We’re heading upstairs to rest. Don’t call us for dinner.”
The implication was clear—they’d be having dinner in their room.
The group watched them ascend the stairs, their gazes subtly shifting to Huo Ting.
Huo Ting’s expression remained calm as he watched the two disappear from view. No one could tell what he was thinking.
Watching the person he liked with someone else must be painful.
Chen Zhiru, feeling a mix of satisfaction that Gu Jiu had found a girlfriend and frustration at Huo Ting’s inability to move on, couldn’t hold back her words.
“Brother Ting, Gu Jiu has found a same-sex partner. She won’t care about you anymore. Her personality is unyielding—once she’s decided on something, she never changes. If she’s chosen Lu Ji, she won’t look at anyone else.”
They say your enemies know you best.
Chen Zhiru had seen Gu Jiu as her rival for nearly twenty years. Her understanding of Gu Jiu was likely deeper than Gu Jiu’s understanding of herself.
So, she wasn’t wrong. Gu Jiu was indeed that kind of person.
Huo Ting glanced at Chen Zhiru, poured himself a glass of water, and sipped it slowly.
Chen Zhiru, trying her best to reason with him, said, “Brother Ting, you really shouldn’t keep looking at her. No matter how much you like her, it’s not going to lead anywhere. It’s better not to look—it’ll save you the heartache…”
“It’s not that,” Huo Ting interrupted her.
“What?” Chen Zhiru looked at him, confused. What did he mean?
Huo Ting placed his empty glass on the table, his expression thoughtful. “Don’t you girls often do intimate things with each other? Like those interactions between close girlfriends… I think Gu Jiu and Lu Ji seem more like close friends.”
Chen Zhiru: “…”
Everyone present: “…”
So, in this man’s mind, the relationship between Gu Jiu and Lu Ji was just… girlfriend-level closeness? Was he serious?
Well, to be fair, many oblivious straight men often struggle to see the difference, so no one blamed him for his misinterpretation.
As someone who had witnessed Gu Jiu and Lu Ji’s relationship as a bystander, Chai Yingying felt the need to speak up. “Huo handsome, the young lady and Lu Ji are really dating. They’re in love—it’s not a close-friends kind of thing.”
“I know,” Huo Ting replied calmly, nodding. “I can see that. Gu Jiu does like her.”
A person’s gaze doesn’t lie. Although he had initially doubted their relationship, seeing the way Gu Jiu looked at Lu Ji made it clear. She genuinely liked her—not in the way one admires a beautiful woman, but in a romantic sense.
Chai Yingying was taken aback. If he understood that, why did he still claim their interactions looked like something between close friends?
Huo Ting patiently explained, “Because Ah Jiu used to interact with other girls in the same way.”
Chai Yingying: “.…” Sorry, young lady, but I can’t defend you anymore.