Chapter 6

After a brief wash of their cheeks, Ye Xiyin was teleported to a nearby main city to buy some steamed buns and porridge for breakfast. Only then did the three of them board the carriage, discussing the events of the previous day.

Since it involved the mission, Ye Xiyin did not withhold anything, simply recounting the dangers he had faced and how he resolved them.

Of course, the system reminded him that certain details were strictly off-limits.

"Fortunately, you gave me those items, or else I would have definitely been caught," Ye Xiyin said gratefully, looking at He Xiting with sincere thanks.

Without those tools, there was no way he could have outrun those three men.

Despite having no martial arts skills, he was the one who had endured a perilous night, yet he only remembered the kindness of others and bore no complaints.

Caught in those bright, sparkling eyes, He Xiting’s mental resolve wavered further.

Unable to resist any longer, He Xiting reached out and ruffled his hair.

“You did well," he said, his usually cold demeanor thawing into a tenderness he hadn’t realized he possessed. “You’re very capable.”

Ye Xiyin blushed, unable to hide the joy on his face at receiving such praise.

Xu Ziche crossed his arms, glancing between the two, feeling somewhat out of place.

“It was just one night. Did something happen that I don’t know about? Why are you two so close now?”

With this puzzlement, the three returned to the Joyful Arrival Inn.

Standing once more before the inn, Ye Xiyin shivered involuntarily. The memories of last night were still vivid. Though calm during the escape, recalling it now was still frightening.

He had come perilously close to being taken by those men. Given his small frame, nobody knew what horrors awaited him.

But now, things were different. He had someone backing him.

Turning his gaze away from He Xiting, Ye Xiyin felt an overwhelming sense of security, his posture straightening reflexively.

Clad in youthful attire, he looked like a proud young poplar tree.

He Xiting noticed the subtle shift, thinking Ye Xiyin was quite endearing, though he didn’t know exactly what was on his mind.

“Let’s go get your revenge,” Xu Ziche said, patting Ye Xiyin’s shoulder in comfort as he led the way into the inn.

Like clockwork, the waiter appeared and greeted Xu Ziche, “Gentlemen, are you here to dine or stay?”

Xu Ziche sneered coldly, revealing the two behind him, and said, “You’re quite good at pretending. Don’t you know why I’m here?”

The waiter’s confused gaze lingered on them, then suddenly he slapped his palm and exclaimed loudly, “I remember now! These two were guests here last night. Speaking of which, our landlady has been looking for you.”

His tone was confident, completely lacking any hint of guilt one might have expected.

The three exchanged glances. Xu Ziche’s tone remained firm, “Looking for us? We’re the ones looking for you.”

The waiter shouted, “Landlady! The two guests from last night have returned!”

From the back room emerged a graceful figure, appearing to be in her thirties, short in stature but with a steady gait—clearly a trained martial artist.

Her level was also above forty, but her health bar was green, indicating she was a non-hostile NPC.

In the "Sword Trial" game, NPCs are categorized into three groups:

Red-name NPCs are hostile and attackable; yellow-name NPCs are neutral and unpredictable; green-name NPCs are non-attackable.

Players who attack green-name NPCs risk in-game penalties, such as imprisonment.

Though the game’s government is generally tolerant of the martial world, killing an innocent NPC without cause would not be overlooked.

Therefore, despite suspecting something amiss with the inn, seeing the landlady’s green name chilled Ye Xiyin’s heart.

Her next words only deepened the unease.

“Are you the two who booked rooms last night?” The landlady seemed not to recognize them, scrutinizing them with a displeased expression, as if she were the aggrieved party.

“Guests, I was just about to look for you when you didn’t come. My waiter went upstairs early this morning to ask if you had any instructions but found your door wide open. The rooms were a mess, things destroyed, and you vanished without a trace.”

“I thought you had broken things and fled. But now you’re back—good. Let’s settle the bill and also compensate for the damages.”

Her words clearly twisted the situation, denying any wrongdoing on her part and accusing them instead.

Xu Ziche scoffed in anger.

“We destroyed things and ran? Isn’t your inn a den of thieves? If not for my companion’s quick thinking last night, who knows where you'd have taken us. The window still bears the fresh marks of a cleaver.”

Xu Ziche was never one to hold back. Though the NPCs couldn’t be attacked outright, he could still exert pressure.

Currently, the highest player level was 100.

Xu Ziche was among them. Skilled in internal energy, his imposing aura caused the inn’s staff to pale, their will to resist vanishing.

Realizing they were up against a formidable foe, the landlady did not back down. Her voice grew harsh.

“This is outrageous! Since you won’t confess, I, Shi Yan, who have lived in Lingxu County for so long, am not afraid of you. If you’ve got the guts, come at me! Everyone’s watching; the authorities will uphold justice for me!”

She even thrust her neck forward defiantly, like a toughened fighter unafraid of death.

Their heated argument drew attention. Previously, some NPCs had been observing discreetly, but since this was a remote area, no one wanted to get involved.

Now, fearing the conflict might turn deadly and bring trouble upon themselves, some hurried forward to intervene.

“There’s no need for this. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Let’s all back down a bit and keep the peace.”

“Exactly, landlady, if these guests had intended to damage your inn, they wouldn’t have come back. Besides, your inn hasn’t suffered much loss.”

The speaker was a well-dressed merchant, speaking clearly and reasonably.

After calming the situation here, he turned to Ye Xiyin and the others.

“Don’t get too worked up. With your strength, if this inn was truly shady, you would have caught the culprit last night. There should be some description or evidence. Since there isn’t, you can’t just claim the inn is a den of thieves. Could it be a misunderstanding?”

His reasoning sounded plausible but was really an attempt to blame an unknown third party, hoping to downplay the matter.

Others, worried about escalation, nodded in agreement.

This de-escalation gave both sides a face-saving exit.

The inn’s staff feared provoking the trio’s power, while Ye Xiyin and the others lacked proof and could not attack a green-name NPC.

So, they had to withdraw for the time being.

Outside the inn, Ye Xiyin frowned in frustration.

“I’m not lying. That inn really has problems. The landlady’s voice is familiar—just like the one I heard last night.”

“No one doubts you,” He Xiting, who had been quiet, finally reassured him. “There’s something strange about this inn.”

“This kind of thing isn’t unheard of. Some people are just very cunning,” Xu Ziche added, giving an example.

NPCs in "Sword Trial" are intelligent and adaptable. One inexperienced player had been tricked by an NPC before, receiving no mission reward and nearly losing his life. Though he later forced his way to claim the reward, it was a cautionary tale for all.

“As long as we expose their true nature, attacking them will be justified,” He Xiting summarized. “In other words, find evidence so this NPC can no longer pretend.”

Once an NPC turns red-name, players can attack freely.

“Isn’t that too troublesome?” Ye Xiyin recalled that initially, the two had only helped him with an escort mission. Now, they were getting involved in something else, possibly wasting time and effort without reward.

Though reluctant, he thought it best to avoid unnecessary trouble, planning to handle it himself once stronger.

Xu Ziche laughed, finding the little NPC amusing.

“That’s perfect—we’re not afraid of trouble.”

“And besides, the people we protect can’t be bullied. If word gets out, our reputation will be ruined.” Based on his extensive gaming experience, Xu Ziche suspected a major quest was hidden within the inn.

He Xiting nodded.

“They’re very practiced at handling these matters.”

It was like a well-established supply chain.

Harming others, trading, and covering up failures—it was clearly not their first time.

This could only mean one thing.

“This definitely isn’t their first offense,” Ye Xiyin quickly caught on, recalling a suspicious detail.

“I noticed the waiter said there’s only this one inn around. Many travelers come and go. Some guests who doubted the stories insisted on camping outside and disappeared within days. Officials even came to inquire.”

He hesitated. “Could it be that those people aren’t just missing—that their disappearance is connected to the inn?”

“Not impossible.” Xu Ziche rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

In the game, even a single NPC’s sentence might be a clue, sometimes triggering missions.

“And there are those types of people, right? Killers who, instead of hiding, inadvertently reveal clues. Since this inn is a den of thieves and has done this more than once, there must be evidence of their crimes inside or nearby.”

“So, should we search the surrounding area for clues?” Ye Xiyin asked, glancing around.

The inn was manageable, given He Xiting and Xu Ziche’s strength, but expanding the search into the wild mountains seemed daunting.

Could the three of them handle it?

Sensing his worry, He Xiting said, “Don’t worry, we have backup.”

“Backup?”

Ye Xiyin looked up at him thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziche’s lips curled into a mischievous smile and then fell silent.

Ye Xiyin recognized this as the system’s chat function in use.

Were they contacting friends or guild members? But Xu Ziche’s expression didn’t quite fit that.

Suddenly, a bright idea struck Ye Xiyin.

Could it be?

He quietly opened the world chat channel.

Sure enough, a rapidly updating message appeared:

[World] Dreaming of Fortune: Coordinates Lingxu County (45,36), an exploration mission is underway collecting clues. Short on personnel, 3=2. Anyone want to team up for exploration?

That location was right near the inn.

Though only two were invited, no dedicated player would miss such an opportunity—especially since it was a new mission with potential valuable items.

When others were drawn in, the number would surely exceed five.

Ye Xiyin sighed inwardly.

How could he have forgotten this option?

Never underestimate the execution power of players.