Chapter 016: The Town Inn

Alfred, with his extensive military experience, immediately realized that a town of this size would never welcome a group of armed men of such magnitude. Though they were all Templar knights, who knew what beliefs the people here held?
To be cautious, Alfred selected two knights as attendants and instructed his deputy to find a sheltered spot nearby for the group to set up camp and light a fire. As for him and Du Fan, they both decided to explore the town of Wood Town to assess the situation.
Just as everything was arranged, before Du Fan and the others could set off, Tasia and Nicholas got out of the carriage.
Alfred hurried over and said, “Why have you come down? It’s windy and cold outside. It’s better if you go camp and rest with the Templar knights first. As for the rest, Du Fan and I will handle it.”
Tasia said nothing, only giving a cold snort.
Nicholas, on the other hand, smiled gently and said, “After being trapped in the carriage for days, Sister Tasia and I are both tired. It’s rare to find a town, so we’d like to take a look around. But don’t worry, Lord Alfred. Do whatever you need to do. Sister Tasia and I aren’t children—we know what’s important and won’t cause you any trouble.”
Nicholas’s smile was extremely charming and gentle, like the flowers of spring in June.
Alfred was stunned and hesitated for a moment before nodding. First, both Tasia and Nicholas had higher status than him, making it difficult for him to refuse their requests. Second, both of them were incredibly strong, so having them around would provide extra support in case anything went wrong in the town.
Du Fan naturally had nothing to say about their actions. Although he could be considered one of the leaders of this mission, his weak strength made his position in the group awkward. If it weren’t for his good relationship with the Templar knights—yes, he had killed dozens of them in one go—and his seemingly pious and noble demeanor, which won the respect of those devout knights, assigning him a leadership role would be nothing but a joke.
So, under these circumstances, Du Fan naturally had nothing to say.
This brief disturbance soon settled down.

The remaining Templars took their men to look for a place to camp, while Du Fan and his five companions slowly walked toward the entrance of Wood Town. Perhaps because few outsiders came to Wood Town, their arrival inevitably caused some stir. Some women and children, clearly unexperienced, stared at them curiously, but they merely observed without daring to say anything. Du Fan and his group already had a pretty good idea of Wood Town’s situation: there was only one tavern in the town, which seemed to also serve as an inn, though its business wasn’t very good. By the time they reached the inn’s entrance, night had fallen. Du Fan looked up at the wooden door covered in snowwater, above which a tattered sign swayed in the wind. Noisy sounds came from inside the door, and warm light seeped through the cracks, giving the tavern a sense of warmth amidst the cold wind. When Du Fan’s group pushed open the door, they immediately caught attention. After all, how many people could there be in such a small town? In a place like this, any stranger would be watched closely, let alone several at once. Moreover, although their clothes were simple, they were extremely neat, setting them apart from the rest of the people in the tavern. At that moment, the two leading knights went to a table in a corner, quickly clearing the area around it and pulling the inn’s stove a bit closer. Seeing this, Du Fan smiled lightly, gestured for them to come in, and stepped inside first. Tasia and the others hesitated for a moment before following in one after another. But once they reached the table, Nicholas and Tasia’s expressions changed slightly. Although the two leading knights had arranged the chairs and table, the layer of black grime on them couldn’t be easily wiped away. And since the Templars weren’t professional cleaners, they naturally couldn’t handle such tasks. Noticing their strange expressions, Du Fan and Alfred exchanged a glance and secretly smiled knowingly. Still, despite their laughter, Du Fan didn’t want to offend these two “reserve pawns” too much. He took off his coat, tore it into pieces, and spread them over the chairs and table before Tasia and Nicholas sat down.

Nicholas was clearly quite satisfied with Du Fan’s behavior. He turned to Du Fan and gave him a light smile that was so seductive it made Du Fan feel terrified and his skin prickled. Although Tasia said nothing, she nodded at Du Fan as well. Du Fan touched his nose, secretly amused. Compared to those old foxes, it seemed not so difficult to flatter these two. But his own motives for flattery were rather ulterior! Should he tell them, “Hey, I’m flatterying you so that when I go to the Sacred Palace in a few days, I can use you as pawns”? However, in the eyes of the people in the tavern, their behavior seemed a bit pretentious. The tavern, which had quieted down, soon became lively again. Although no one knew Du Fan and his companions’ true identities, the people started talking recklessly. “Oh! Come and see! That seemingly pretty guy is just a servant, and he even has to tear off his clothes to serve as a cushion for the other two. Could those two be noble lords?” “What’s so special about noble lords? Look at that woman! Good heavens, even when my cousin took me to the provincial city to find prostitutes, I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful. If I could sleep with that girl for one night, I’d give up all the gold coins I have at home.” “Nonsense! What do you know, kid? You want to sleep with such a woman for just a few gold coins? Let me tell you, some women can’t be bought with money!” “Enough, enough. Forget about women. Look at that man—he’s so fair and delicate, even prettier than women. Could he be a rabbit god?” Du Fan and his three companions didn’t react to these reckless remarks, but the two knights couldn’t help but tense up when they saw Saint Nicholas and Sister Tasia being teased by these commoners. Du Fan clapped his hands and said, “Please sit down, both of you. Poor places produce poor people. There’s no point in getting angry. Are you going to kill them? Our goal is the Sacred Palace. Just ignore such things. Avoid trouble if possible.” Alfred also nodded and said, “Sit down. Ignore such people.” Although the two temple knights were annoyed, they still sat down obediently, not daring to disagree with Du Fan and his companions. Meanwhile, the drunkards became even more outrageous in their remarks. Du Fan, however, remained calm, ordered some hot food and mead, and invited everyone to eat together.

But these six people in the group, including two Templars, though not all were pampered nobles, really had no interest in those dark cups and the food on the plates; they simply left them untouched. Seeing Du Fan and the others’ behavior, the drunkards laughed even more arrogantly. Amidst the men’s laughter were also a few women’s coquettish giggles—obviously, these women were in the prostitution business. Though they spoke only occasionally, their words were even more vicious than those of the men. “Hey, look at that little bitch with her head bowed—must’ve been fucked by those men just now and now she has no strength left.” “No, no, I think she’s the one who fucked those men.” Some drunkards, amidst the prostitutes’ laughter, staggered to their feet. One of them, holding a cup, walked over to Du Fan and the others’ table, raised the cup toward Tasia, and said, “Hey, girl, come here and keep me company…” Before he could finish, one of the Templars suddenly stood up, waved his hand, and sent the guy flying. Fortunately, though angry, the Templars still had a kind heart, so he didn’t use any combat energy in that strike. The drunkard was thrown to the ground, writhing for a long time before managing to get up unsteadily. Laughter erupted throughout the tavern. The man who had been knocked down seemed annoyed. He grabbed his hair, pointed at Du Fan and the others, and said, “Bastards! Do you know who I am? I gave you guys a face by taking a fancy to that little bitch of yours. How dare you resist? Let me tell you—every woman from every merchant who comes to town for business has been with me. If you let that little bitch lick me this time, it might still be okay, but otherwise, none of you will live to leave this town!” This time, even Nicholas couldn’t help but frown, while Tasia remained indifferent, as if the man wasn’t talking about her. Seeing their expressions, Alfred sneered and said, “Kill him!”