Chapter 37: A Convenient Hell
[ Quest Completed ]
[ Reward Granted: Soul Brand (Skill) ]
The notification flickered across Lan’s vision, but he barely acknowledged it. His eyes remained fixed on the man across the table.
A heavy silence settled in the tavern. The floor was littered with bodies and blood, and the air still carried the echo of violence. Venom’s men stood frozen where they were, blades hovering at their throats, wrists, and spines. Lan’s Qi Blades, glowing faintly crimson, danced around the tavern like hungry ghosts.
None dared move. Not even to breathe too loudly.
The only sound that dared break the silence was the rhythmic tap tap tap of Venom’s finger on the wooden table, slow and measured.
Then finally, his voice cut through the tension. Rough. Gravelly. Hoarse like someone who had smoked out his conscience.
"You’re the prince, I presume. The one sent as the new governor."
"Yes," Lan replied coolly. "That’s correct."
Venom nodded, his sharp eyes never leaving Lan’s. He reached for the bottle on the table, poured himself a drink into a wooden cup, and took a sip without fear. The way his men stared at him, it was clear no one else in the room had the spine to move an inch without permission.
"I must say," Venom began, swirling the liquid in his cup, "I’m surprised. You’re the first one to come around these parts with such... audacity."
"Is that so?"