Chapter 159: Xiao Qi


    Early the next morning.


    After washing up, Han Ming stepped out of his room and headed to the small hall on the first floor of the inn for breakfast.


    Although it was still early, the small hall of the inn was almost full.


    Han Ming casually ordered two dishes and a soup, and also asked for a pot of wine. He sat alone, sipping quietly.


    The hall was noisy with chatter. Many people were in a hurry to explore the Ghost City early in the morning. Among them were lone travelers, groups of people, and even squads of mercenaries, though these individuals generally weren''t very powerful.


    Notably, there wasn''t a single mage in sight. The average power level ranged from first to second rank.


    Han Ming glanced around the hall and noticed that the strongest person present was merely a second-rank warrior.


    It seemed that what Saros had said was indeed true; this place was filled with low-ranking individuals. Apparently, the Ghost Domain wasn''t much to look at.


    Just as Han Ming was finishing his meal, a small figure appeared at the entrance of the hall.


    This figure instantly caught Han Ming''s attention. Upon closer inspection, it was the little boy he had encountered the night before.


    However, the boy had clearly been washed up and groomed, looking quite stunning.


    Upon closer examination, Han Ming noticed something unusual about the boy. His face was suspiciously clean, almost to the point where every pore was free of impurities. Such fair skin was rare; even Ku Luo, a woman of unparalleled beauty, couldn''t compare in terms of skin quality.


    The boy was still wearing his tattered clothes and cautiously stepped into the hall.


    "Does anyone... does anyone want to buy something? I have some good stuff here."


    The boy asked timidly in a trembling voice.


    His weak voice was immediately drowned out by the noise of the crowd.


    "Does anyone want to buy something? I have some good stuff!" the boy tried again, this time raising his voice a few decibels.


    Finally, the people in the hall turned their attention to this small figure.


    "Come here, let me see what good stuff you have to sell."


    A strong man at a nearby table called out.


    Upon hearing this, the boy hurriedly ran over, excited.


    Standing in front of the strong man, the boy rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a small dagger.


    The dagger was made of hard black steel, with a circle of shiny little gems embedded around it, making it particularly eye-catching. However, it was clear that this was just a trinket for the wealthy, with little practical value. It might fetch a decent price in a place frequented by the rich, but here, among rough men who lived by the sword, it was unlikely to stir their interest.


    Indeed, the strong man played with the dagger for a while, his expression growing more disappointed. He curled his lips and said, "All show and no substance, not worth much."


    Upon hearing this, the boy''s face immediately tensed up, and he quickly said, "I... I can sell it to you for less."


    The strong man looked at the dagger in his hand, then at the boy. He handed the dagger to his companion, and the group passed it around, eventually returning it to the strong man. Those who had seen the dagger all shook their heads.


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    "How much are you asking for?" the strong man asked, seemingly reluctant to refuse the poorly dressed boy.


    "Two... two hundred gold coins! I''ll sell it for one hundred if you want."


    "Two hundred gold coins?" The strong man was taken aback by the price, then frowned. The onlookers burst into laughter.


    Hearing the laughter, the boy, clearly unaccustomed to such a reaction, nervously rubbed his hands together, his face turning red with embarrassment as he stood there at a loss.


    "Two hundred is too much," the strong man said.


    "How about one hundred fifty?" the boy quickly reduced the price.


    The strong man shook his head slightly.


    "How about one hundred gold coins?" the boy asked, almost on the verge of tears.


    Han Ming silently watched the scene and softly said, "Can I take a look?"


    His sudden question surprised the boy, who looked at Han Ming in delight before turning back to the strong man.


    The strong man curled his lips, returned the dagger to the boy, and said, "Since someone is willing to make an offer, I don''t mind. Go ahead and show it to your friend."


    Han Ming smiled as he took the dagger, testing its weight. It was passable, but its value was indeed just as he had guessed—just a trinket with no practical use. No wonder the strong man wasn''t interested.


    Seeing the hopeful look in the boy''s eyes, Han Ming couldn''t bear to disappoint him and softly said, "Two hundred gold coins is indeed a bit much."


    Upon hearing Han Ming''s words, the boy''s face fell.


    "But... how about this, I''ll give you one hundred fifty gold coins. I''ll buy the dagger."


    Excitedly, the boy let out a small cheer upon hearing Han Ming''s offer.


    Han Ming chuckled as he took out a small pouch from his storage bag and handed it to the boy.


    The crowd laughed and shook their heads, clearly mocking Han Ming for being such a fool as to spend so much money on this trinket.


    The boy took the pouch, his hands suddenly feeling heavy, and quickly placed it on the table in front of Han Ming, pouring out the gold coins. A large pile of shimmering gold covered most of the table, and he began to count them meticulously.


    Seeing the boy pour the coins onto the table in front of so many people, Han Ming frowned slightly. The boy was too trusting; these were undoubtedly dangerous individuals. If someone set their sights on him, it would be trouble.


    Feeling several greedy gazes fixed on the coins, Han Ming coldly swept his eyes over them. The owners of those gazes were immediately stunned, feeling a suffocating sensation. They hurriedly looked away, no longer daring to harbor any ill thoughts.


    Han Ming withdrew his cold gaze and smiled patiently as he watched the boy count the coins carefully, not urging him at all.


    When the boy finally finished counting, Han Ming smiled and tossed a chicken leg in front of him.


    "Hungry? Have something to eat first."


    The boy smiled contentedly, took the chicken leg from Han Ming''s hand, and began to gnaw on it without any concern for his image.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Uh... um... you can call me Xiao Qi, big brother. Thank you so much."


    Han Ming smiled kindly and said, "You''re welcome. Eat slowly, don''t choke."


    Xiao Qi smiled naively and wiped the grease from his mouth with his sleeve, embarrassed.


    Seeing this, Han Ming was taken aback and carefully examined the boy. To his surprise, the grease on Xiao Qi''s face seemed to be slowly dissolving before his eyes.


    "What... what is this?" Han Ming asked in astonishment, feeling amazed.


    Could Xiao Qi actually dissolve the grease on his face? What kind of ability was this?


    After a while, Xiao Qi finished eating and looked at Han Ming gratefully.


    "Here, have another one," Han Ming said with a smile, handing him another chicken leg.


    Xiao Qi hesitated for a while, blushing before taking it. However, he didn''t eat it but instead put it into a small cloth bag on his waist.


    "Thank you," Xiao Qi bowed respectfully to Han Ming.


    Han Ming smiled in return.


    "Excuse me, are there any mercenaries here? I would like to hire a mercenary to go to the Ghost City."


    After thanking Han Ming, Xiao Qi turned around and called out.


    People turned their heads again to look at the boy, wondering how he could spend the one hundred fifty gold coins he had just received so quickly.


    "We are mercenaries."


    The strong man who had spoken before said.


    "That''s great! Can I hire you? I have no other requirements; just take me to the Ghost City."


    The strong man frowned. "How much are you willing to pay us? I am a second-rank warrior, and my fees are expensive. Besides, the Ghost City is very large. Where exactly do you want to go?"


    "A second-rank warrior! That''s great! Name your price. I can''t give you the exact name of the place I want to go, but I''ll point it out when we get there."


    After thinking for a moment, the strong man decided that the boy probably wouldn''t want to go to any dangerous places, at most just around the outskirts of the Ghost City. He decided to charge fifty gold coins.


    Upon hearing this, Han Ming frowned slightly; fifty gold coins was a bit steep.


    But Xiao Qi immediately said, "Okay! Fifty gold coins it is!"


    Murmurs spread among the crowd.


    "This kid is really innocent, paying whatever he''s asked."


    "So when do we leave?" Xiao Qi asked eagerly, looking at the man in front of him.


    The man wiped his mouth with a piece of cloth and said, "Let''s go now. We should arrive before dark."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi nodded repeatedly. He thanked Han Ming again and followed the group of men out of the inn.


    Han Ming was curious about Xiao Qi''s peculiar ability to dissolve grease and worried that the naive boy might be deceived. Without a word, he settled the bill and stepped out of the inn, quietly following the group from a distance.