Chapter 28: Why Are You Snatching My Fruit Knife?

The rules of the Monster Tavern were still somewhat of a mystery to Changlu Li. Yet he understood that any monster listed on the task board as a target for hunting had invariably committed grave crimes against humanity, causing serious harm to people. At least, that was how it seemed for now.

He wasn’t sure if monsters who harmed their own kind would also become prey on the task board. What he did know was that possessing a contract was akin to holding an amulet within the tavern—no one dared to make a move against you inside those walls.

It seemed as though the monsters had reached an unspoken agreement in the tavern: here, only matters of food, drink, and survival were discussed. What would happen if someone stirred up trouble inside? Changlu Li did not know; he had neither seen nor heard of such an incident. The tavern was tranquil. Yet this tranquility was like that of a placid lake—serene and peaceful only because terrifying monsters lurked beneath its surface, discouraging any fisherman from provoking it.

Whenever Changlu Li found himself in trouble with other monsters outside, his first thought was to return to the Monster Tavern.

Late at night, a taxi halted in the bustling city center. The daytime clamor had faded, and now the streets were quiet.

“What are you doing?!”

Changlu Li and Xiaoqing sat in the back seat. Xiaoqing had already raised her hand, carefully aiming for the right angle and position to knock out the driver.

But the vigilant driver noticed her, turned around, and stared fearfully at the young couple, especially the adorable girl with eyes entirely white.

Late-night taxi drivers were always alert; few decent folk wandered the streets at such hours, but it was all for a living.

Changlu Li felt exasperated. He couldn’t fathom Xiaoqing’s way of thinking. It seemed every problem could be solved by knocking someone out—if once didn’t work, then twice.

“Sorry, my wife’s had too much to drink.”

Indeed, the two reeked of alcohol. Changlu Li tossed the driver a hundred yuan and hurriedly dragged Xiaoqing out of the car.

They rushed back to the tavern. Watching the two young people dart eagerly into the dark alley, the driver couldn’t help but sigh, “City folk really know how to have fun—youth is wonderful.”

Back inside the tavern, Changlu Li finally relaxed. The lights were still bright, but few monsters were in sight.

However...

There were now many “things” scattered about, completely incongruent with the tavern’s usual atmosphere. They were neatly placed in every corner: refrigerators, electric drills, puppies, calligraphy brushes—even bats, hemp ropes, watermelons, rice cookers hung from the tavern’s beams. All sorts of inexplicable, chaotic items were everywhere.

Changlu Li knew these “things” belonged to homeless monsters who sought refuge in the tavern, like beggars.

Now, everyone silently reverted to their original forms, found a spot that wouldn’t take up too much space, and settled down to sleep.

The tavern’s second floor had guest rooms, but Changlu Li had no idea what qualified someone to stay up there. In the month he’d been here, he’d only ever seen the odd waiter, Zheng Qiguai, and the head chef, Miss Ming Shan, living upstairs.

What puzzled him most was that the tavern’s manager, the accountant, perhaps even the manager’s sister-in-law—all those associated with the tavern in his memory—were nowhere to be found.

He’d tried to ask about them, but it seemed that the monsters he encountered in the tavern were either as new as he was, or even newer.

Yet, what he wanted most to know right now was not the mysteries of the tavern, but Xiaoqing’s origins.

Her background.

Ever since their first encounter, trouble had followed...

He and Xiaoqing, like the other homeless monsters, found a corner to curl up in.

“Can you tell me where Fat Brother is now?” Xiaoqing asked Changlu Li anxiously.

“Oh, come on, you’re my wife, and yet your mind is always on someone else... Fatty’s in deep trouble right now. We can’t be indulging in romance here, absolutely not.”

Changlu Li had hoped to tease her a little, but seeing Xiaoqing raise her hand and eye his neck, he quickly switched to a more serious tone.

Once Xiaoqing lowered her hand, Changlu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He considered himself unbeatable when it came to schemes and tricks, but faced with this straightforward, almost foolishly adorable girl, he was truly at a loss.

It was as if you were a master of martial arts, but the opponent was a complete novice who ignored all conventions—a flurry of wild punches left you flustered.

You’d tell her, “Let’s compare external strength—foot against foot, hand against hand.”

But she wouldn’t care; she’d just knock you on the head.

You’d say, “Let’s compare internal strength—the kind where you defeat your opponent with sheer willpower.”

But she still wouldn’t care, and would only knock you on the head.

For Changlu Li, Xiaoqing was the embodiment of winning without a move—a puzzle with no solution.

“I can tell you where Fatty is, but you have to be honest with me too.”

“Oh, all right.”

“How did you come to this world?” Changlu Li asked.

“I don’t want to know.”

“Like, how did you die? Maybe you were bitten by a snake while playing with one, or obsessed with the Snake game?” Changlu Li prompted.

“I don’t want to know.”

“Where did you live before, which city?” he tried again.

“I don’t want to know.”

“‘Don’t want to know’ my foot! Is this what you call honesty? You don’t want to know, but I do!” Changlu Li snapped.

“I really don’t remember anything from before. Whenever I try to recall, my head hurts, so I just don’t think about it,” Xiaoqing said, timidly patting her head.

Changlu Li patted his own head, feeling the ache. “So what do you know?”

“Since I came to this world, those evil monsters have always tried to capture me. I ran and ran, then met Fat Brother. He saved me and made a deal with those monsters: if he found this book, they would let me go.”

Xiaoqing handed over the bonfire skill book she’d been clutching, letting Changlu Li glance at it before quickly hugging it back to her chest.

“Fat Brother told me that once we found this book, they’d stop bothering me. He told me to wait for his message and promised that during this time, those monsters wouldn’t try to catch me again.”

“He said that where the corpse ginseng monster appeared, there would be clues about the book. Then he suddenly disappeared…”

“So when you saw me bring back the corpse ginseng monster, you planned to steal my fruit knife and search for clues yourself?” Changlu Li asked.

“That was my first thought. I wanted to look for the corpse ginseng monster with Fat Brother. Later, they told me Fat Brother was in their hands, and if I brought them the book, they’d release him and leave me alone…”

Xiaoqing’s eyes dimmed, betrayed by those monsters—she’d handed over the book but never saw Fat Brother.

Changlu Li sighed inwardly. The foolish girl had been tricked; they must have realized Fatty was missing, then saw she’d completed the E-level task and obtained the book they wanted. They found an excuse to lure her in, hoping to get both her and the book.

Perhaps even if Fatty had the book, they would never have let Xiaoqing go.

Why did they want to capture Xiaoqing, anyway?

Changlu Li, still troubled, asked, “You could’ve asked me to help you at the time. Why were you so fixated on stealing my fruit knife?”