lcionline Chapter 256 Tea Room and Lair
Chapter 256 Tea Room and Lair
(On the 31st, the last 6k of this month, presented; this month's 6k update goal, completed!)
After asking Ivan some questions, Abes also learned from the leader of Carterburg where the so-called Baijing Tea House was.
"Shirai Tea House? So the old lady who came to sell medicine is actually the owner of that tea house?"
"Why didn't I think of that before? She is a powerful being. Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to live in the direction of Carterburg."
"No, considering the current chaotic world and the change of the owner of the Shirai Teahouse, perhaps something even more terrifying is going to happen. Master Qianzhongzhan, I don't need to remind you of this."
As Alvin muttered to himself, he also hand-drew a simple picture for Abes on the spot.
After seeing the simple diagram, Abes finally understood what Ivan meant.
The Shirai Teahouse is located just west of Carterburg.
Because it is located on the only way from the small kingdom of Łomza to the hub fortress city of Carterburg, business is pretty good.
After the small kingdom of Wommza fell into civil strife due to the manipulation of General Paddy and old Winston, some bandits gathered on the nearby hills.
At a time when bandits were surrounding the country and the country was in civil turmoil, the Shirai Tea House was replaced by an old woman as the owner, but it survived safely and even had time to set up a stall in Carterburg to do business.
This is already a clue.
"The former boss is missing. Haha, who knows... maybe he has turned into the short bone stick in the old woman's hand."
In response to Ivan's sigh, Abes also asked, "If you knew in advance that she had power, would you have asked her to come and take charge like you did to me?"
Originally, Abes thought that Alvin would be somewhat roundabout in answering such a tricky question.
Unexpectedly, the rugged bald man in front of him answered directly, "Yes."
"Because I am just a mortal, I couldn't foresee that she would endanger the future of Carterburg. So at that time, if I had known that she was the new owner of the Shirai Tea House and that she could maintain her life and the existence of the shop surrounded by bandits, I would definitely ask her for help."
"There's nothing to hide about this, because this is the tragedy of the little people. They may have chosen a path that betrays themselves, but they don't know that in the end, there will only be one way to go."
Ivan Root's direct answer actually hinted at his inner attitude towards loyalty to Carterburg.
That is, he certainly knew that it was a bit ridiculous for him to suddenly pledge allegiance to Carterburg.
But this is his sorrow. Unable to see the future clearly, he can only choose to trust Lord Qianzhongzhan and choose to trust the passing adventurer who is fighting against the old woman's insect-spitting methods.
His answer was also based on the hope that if Qian Zhongzhan was really leading him on a path of sacrifice and betrayal, perhaps his suggestion would inspire some kindness in him and he would ultimately choose not to do so.
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Back to the present, according to the simple map, Abes also left Carterburg and headed west, approaching the so-called Shirai Tea House.
Surprisingly, it was a beautiful place.
Unexpectedly, the old guy who used vicious means to cause the infectious worm vomiting phenomenon in Carterburg, and used far insufficient ointment to force Abes to see her, actually lived in such a poetic place. This made Abes feel uncomfortable.
On the vast grassland, a clear stream meanders like a silver ribbon gently wrapping the earth.
The grass on both sides of the stream is as green as emerald. When the breeze blows, the green waves rise and fall, revealing the goats that occasionally pop their heads out and make calls.
The stream gurgles, and the scales of the little fish in the water glow silver under the sunlight. Occasionally they jump out of the water, causing ripples.
In this world where even Abes, who has seen many beautiful scenes, would be suffocated for a few seconds, there is an ancient and elegant teahouse.
The teahouse and its oriental style tell people that this is a cultural feature spread from the three eastern countries.
With its exotic atmosphere and important transportation route, this place should have been a booming business.
It’s just…through the open window, you can see the mountains in the distance.
Where there should have been trees and flowers, puffs of green smoke were now rising.
Those mountains are already full of the bandits that Alvin mentioned.
Once you look at it with this rational mindset, the situation in the tea room becomes extremely strange.
The support and structure of the tea house are built with natural wood and bamboo, and the roof is covered with thatch, which emits a faint grass fragrance in the sun.
Several strings of wind chimes are hung on the half-open walls. When the breeze blows, the pleasant sound of the chimes is like the melody of nature, which complements the gurgling sound of the stream, making people feel relaxed and happy.
Looking through the half-open wall, Abes could see that the furnishings in the tea room were simple yet exquisite. Several low wooden tables and futons were neatly placed, and the tables were covered with plain linen tablecloths.
Several porcelain tea sets were waiting quietly, as if looking forward to meeting the guests.
Indeed, it is beautiful, peaceful, and has quite a bit of the charm of the Three Eastern Kingdoms.
But it's just so unreal in comparison.
Imagine that you see a large freehand painting of a vast river and mountains, but people tell you that that area is now shamelessly occupied by foreign invaders, and the other side is leased by someone for ninety-nine years.
Well, no matter how ambitious the painting is, it will not make people feel majestic and comfortable, but only make people feel endless pain and resentment.
After observing from a distance and making sure that the old woman was not visible from any direction visible to the naked eye, Abes began to selectively move closer.
However, as Abes took his step, there was the sound of a spring jumping.
Abe's heart suddenly tightened, and the sound of the spring beating seemed particularly harsh in the silent environment.
He quickly looked down and saw a pair of rusty iron clamps with their bloody mouths wide open, suddenly closing towards his feet.
Abes stepped back hastily, but the sharp teeth of the clamp still bit hard on the edge of his boot.
"Damn it!" Abes clenched his teeth, cold sweat oozing from his forehead.
It’s not because of the pain. With full body protection, ordinary clips may not be able to break through the leather of the boots.
Mainly because of fear.
The protection of the path has been upgraded to level three, and the priest is a profession that excels in perception, but Abes didn't feel it just now?
After taking a closer look at the ordinary-looking grassland on the ground, Abes also moved to the side.
But then, a "crack" was heard, and the ground under the other hand also made a terrible sound.
Abes did not dare to delay, and did not even look back to confirm. He immediately pulled his legs off the ground and jumped into the air, trying to avoid the second trap.
However, before his body was completely off the ground, the third trap pounced on him from the side.
It's not a clamp, but a swing that swings from the side.
As if expected, the log, which was as big as a tree trunk, hit Abes' waist directly and solidly.
Under the force in the air, even if Abes is not seriously injured, his body will lose balance.
He struggled to support his body with his arms, but the traps around him seemed to have life and emerged one after another.
Every struggle would trigger more mechanisms, as if the entire ground was a huge network of traps.
On those seemingly shallow grasses, a trap that Abes had not seen just now could unexpectedly appear.
Although there was no bleeding, the whole process made Abes feel physically and mentally exhausted and helpless.
Moreover, Abes knew that he had been delayed too much time by these traps, and the old woman might have already noticed his presence.
He gritted his teeth, held on to the tree trunk and slowly stood up.
These feelings were too abnormal, even Abes couldn't continue to suffer any more.
So, summoning his strength, Abes once again used Sass's divine power.
The power of the realm of light, dedicated to guiding souls who are infused with light, can help people see through illusions, dispel lies and burn away all darkness.
It was at this time that Abes, who had found the right method, finally felt a sense of confrontation.
However, on the one hand, Abes used the ability of the priest profession; on the other hand, it was just a simple defensive measure left by Aunt Vanna. The result of the fight between the two could only be the disappearance of the illusion.
After opening his eyes, what Abes saw was a horrific scene.
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It was as if a sudden and strange storm broke the peace.
The sky suddenly became gloomy, and dark clouds gathered rapidly, as if they were about to crush the entire sky.
The green grass on both sides of the stream began to wither and turn a dead gray. The originally green leaves of the grass and trees seemed to have been burned by invisible flames. They quickly curled up, turned yellow, and finally turned into dust.
The color of the originally clear stream water became darker and darker, gradually changing from transparent to a disgusting dark brown.
A layer of filthy foam floated on the water, emitting a foul odor.
The small fish that once played in the water have completely disappeared, replaced by some rotten meat covered with mucus, drifting slowly with the current.
The plants on the shore began to rot, their roots turned black, and their stems became as fragile as rotten wood and broke at the slightest touch.
Gradually, the stream slowed down, the water became viscous and difficult to flow, and finally stagnated.
The mud under the water began to produce dark brown foam and began to expand. Then countless mosquitoes flew out of it, biting any living creature that approached.
A suffocating stench, as if countless dead creatures were rotting in the mud.
And under Abes' feet, the grassland began to undergo strange changes.
The emerald green grass turned yellow in an instant, and then the trees could not hold on much longer and turned into black vines that twisted and climbed like snakes.
As the grass and trees are moved by the wind or animals, they make an eerie rustling sound.
If the previous scene was a medal of nature, then the current scene can be said to be a scar of nature.
And those seemingly docile sheep began to twist their bodies one by one, gradually deforming their bodies and revealing hideous faces.
The sheep's fur fell off from the illusion, and the truth revealed was...
They are goblins, but they are a little different. They all wear red pointed hats on their heads.
They are called Red Caps and are a kind of evil goblins. Their appearance is full of horror and weird features.
They are typically shorter than normal goblins, and their skin is an unsettling blue-gray or blue-green color, as if it were rotten mud dug from deep underground.
Their mouths are wide and full of sharp teeth, as if they are ready to bite their prey at any time.