Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 669: Rather Nice

Han Yu's attention sharpened.

The boy nodded. "Yes, the Fatui Clan. They have a decent-sized estate there. Nothing huge, but bigger than most in that town."

Han Yu kept his expression neutral, but inside, a wave of relief washed through him.

'Good. Very good.'

That confirmed it. The information Zhao Liumen had given him was accurate after all. There had always been a small chance that something had been altered or tampered with. But now he had an unbiased confirmation from unrelated common folk.

He took another calm sip of whiskey, hiding the satisfaction.

Changli added, "Riverglade is quiet. Good food, decent people, very polite. Not many cultivators though. If you have business there, you can finish it in a day."

Han Yu nodded. "And Frost Bloom Town? You mentioned it."

"That is where the whiskey is from!" someone shouted, making everyone laugh again.

Changli grinned. "Frost Bloom Town is the last large settlement before the Harrow Mountains. Decent market, a few cultivators, and a good place to stock up. If you want more of that whiskey, you can get it there."

Han Yu smiled faintly.

"I will hold you to that."

Changli lifted his drink again. "We are heading there anyway. You can join us, we can take you with us when we leave. No point wandering the mountains alone when the ice is starting to form."

A thin hunter chimed in with a laugh, "Though be careful when you walk. The path gets slippery. I broke my arm there once."

The others burst out laughing.

"You did not break it slipping," Wei said loudly, "you broke it because you were drunk and slipped!"

"I was only a little drunk!" the thin man protested.

"Little? You walked in circles for half an hour looking for your own boots!"

Even Han Yu laughed at that, shaking his head.

The room filled with warmth again. Laughter, the smell of roasted meat, the heat of the furnace, and the faint but steady trickle of green Joy energy made Han Yu feel almost comfortable.

Almost.

He had been alone in the mountains for so long that simple human company felt incredibly refreshing. They were just normal men, simple and straightforward, terrified of death, excited about profit, eager to joke and tease one another.

Compared to the scheming of sect disciples and the cold brutality of the Harrow Mountains, this was a welcome change.

Han Yu raised his cup.

"To a warm winter," he said.

The hunters cheered and slammed their cups against his, joy brightening their faces as they drank again.

Han Yu allowed himself a small smile.

He would escort them to Frost Bloom Town, then reach Riverglade Town, then—finally—carry out the next step of his mission.

But for now, he simply enjoyed the warmth, the laughter, and the whiskey that burned pleasantly in his chest.

It had been far too long since he had felt something like this.

The next morning came early.

The hunters packed up their gear with practiced ease, loading bundles of wolf pelts, preserved meat slabs, and assorted supplies onto their backs. Han Yu helped them drag one particularly heavy sack, though for him it weighed nothing.

The men laughed and said he was worth ten hunters by himself.

By sunrise, they were already leaving the lodge behind, walking along one of the narrower valley paths that wound out of the Middle Ring. Their breaths misted in the cold air, boots crunching on frozen earth. For once, Han Yu walked among people instead of shadows.

Conversation flowed freely.

"You know," Wei said with a loud sigh, "with how much we hunted yesterday, Changli should be the one paying us for all the work we did."

"What work?" one of the others barked with a grin. "Standing behind him clapping?"

Another snapped back, "I did the clapping! You just screamed every time a wolf got too close!"

Han Yu chuckled quietly, enjoying their bickering.

Changli puffed out his chest. "Anyway, you all owe me. If not for me, none of you would have seen such a haul."

The older hunter smirked. "Oh yes, you glorious hero. Truly, a man deserving of mountains of spirit stones. If only you had a wife to spend it on."

Laughter exploded from the group.

Changli made a face. "I will marry when the mountains stop trying to kill me. Maybe next year."

"You say that every year!"

"Because every year something new tries to bite off my leg!"

Another hunter leaned forward with a sly grin.

"No no. We all know where your spirit stones go."

Changli's eyes widened. "Oi. Don't—"

But it was too late.

"The Frost Lily Pavilion!" the man shouted triumphantly.

The others roared with laughter.

Changli turned scarlet. "It is not like that! They have good music, good wine, and—"

"And good thighs!" the others finished at once.

Han Yu snorted smoke out his nose trying not to laugh too loudly.

He finally asked, "What is this Frost Lily Pavilion?"

That made the teasing grow even louder.

One of the men clapped him on the back. "Brother, it is the only place in these parts where beauties are more abundant than snow. A courtesan house, but not just any courtesan house. The women there are trained, refined, graceful and expensive."

"You mean overpriced," another muttered.

"Shut up, you have never even been inside!"

Han Yu smiled faintly. "And it's in Frost Bloom Town?"

"Yes," Wei said. "The only one within five hundred kilometers. People travel from all around for it. The Frost Lily Pavilion is… famous."

The thin hunter nodded enthusiastically. "Even merchants from the capital city in the north come down sometimes just to visit."

Han Yu raised a brow at that. For a small frontier town to host something like that was unusual.

"And who runs it?"

At this, the men all lowered their voices.

"Madam Cold Fang," Wei said.

Han Yu blinked. "Cold Fang?"

"Sounds like she bites," Han Yu commented dryly.

"Better than biting," another chuckled. "Some say she can freeze a man where he stands."