Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 725: Feeling Human Again

Han Yu leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on his stomach, the other lazily holding a toothpick he had somehow acquired without remembering when. His expression was one of deep, almost spiritual satisfaction, the kind that only came after surviving months of misery and then stuffing oneself with warm food until the world felt right again.

He exhaled slowly.

"…I'm alive," he muttered. "Truly alive."

Around him, the restaurant remained unusually quiet.

Not silent, but subdued, as if everyone inside was still processing what they had just witnessed. Bowls had stopped clinking. Chopsticks hovered uncertainly above plates. Even Old Wang himself was peeking out from the kitchen curtain with a conflicted expression that was half awe and half concern for his inventory.

The waiter stood a few steps away, staring at the empty plates, trays, and bowls stacked like evidence of a crime scene.

He swallowed.

"H-He… finished it all," the boy whispered to no one in particular.

Someone at a nearby table coughed.

"That was enough food for ten people."

"More," another replied quietly. "With leftovers."

Han Yu finally stood up, stretching his arms above his head as his joints popped audibly. The sound made a few people flinch for reasons they themselves could not explain.

Only then did he seem to remember something important.

"Oh," Han Yu said, turning back toward the waiter. "Payment."

The waiter jumped as if struck by lightning. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"R-Right! Yes! Of course!"

Han Yu reached into his pouch and casually took out a handful of silver coins, letting them clink together before placing them on the table.

The waiter blinked.

Ninety silver.

Exactly.

Not a coin more. Not a coin less.

The boy stared at the pile, then at Han Yu, then back at the coins again, as if expecting them to transform into spirit stones or explode.

"T-Thank you, honored guest," he said quickly, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly hit the table.

Han Yu waved a hand dismissively.

"Good food," he said simply. "Worth it."

That statement alone caused Old Wang to beam like he had just received a personal commendation from an immortal.

With his hunger sated and his mind no longer occupied by the single thought of eating everything in sight, Han Yu finally felt like a rational being again. His posture straightened, his aura settled, and the sharp edge of desperation that had clung to him since leaving the mountains faded away.

Now, he needed information.

And there was no better place for that than a tavern.

A short walk later, Han Yu pushed open the familiar doors of the same tavern he had visited months ago. The interior was warm, smoky, and loud, filled with the voices of hunters, guards, and the occasional merchant trying to drink away the hardships of winter.

A few heads turned.

Then more.

Then whispers spread.

"That's him."

"The one from the restaurant."

"He ate like a starving beast."

"Did you see his robes?"

"High Quality, at least a peak qi refining realm beast fur, I tell you."

Han Yu walked up to the counter and tapped it lightly.

"One bottle of spirit wine," he said. "The most expensive one you have."

The tavern keeper paused mid wipe.

"…Are you sure?"

Han Yu placed ten low grade spirit stones on the counter.

"I'm sure."

The tavern keeper's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"R-Right away!"

The bottle arrived quickly, placed on the table as if it were a sacred artifact. Han Yu poured himself a cup, inhaled the sharp aroma, and took a slow sip.

Warmth spread through his chest.

It was not as refined as the Fen Clan's offerings nor as homely as the Cinnamon Spirit whiskey, but after months of mountain survival, it tasted like luxury.

The reaction from the surrounding patrons was immediate.

"Ten spirit stones for wine…"

"At the end of winter too."

"Who even has that kind of money left?"

A few hunters exchanged glances before one of them gathered his courage and approached Han Yu's table.

"Brother," the man said cautiously, hands clasped. "Forgive my curiosity, but… how do you still have money?"

Han Yu let out a tired chuckle and took another sip.

"Luck," he said. "And misfortune."

That answer only piqued their interest further.

Another hunter joined, then another. Soon, a small group had formed around his table, some sitting, some standing, all watching him with open curiosity.

"Were you hunting this winter?" one asked.

Han Yu nodded slowly.

"In the Harrow Mountains."

A hush fell.

Several people sucked in sharp breaths.

"You came out alive?" someone blurted.

"Barely," Han Yu replied, putting on a weary expression. "Got lost. Over five months wandering. Snow, beasts, storms. Thought I would die there."

Understanding dawned on their faces.

"That explains the eating…"

"I would have eaten the table too."

"That's still terrifying."

Someone laughed nervously.

"And did you get anything out of it?" another hunter asked, eyes glinting with interest. "Any fortune?"

Han Yu glanced around, then casually waved his hand.

With a faint flash of light, several beast corpses appeared beside the table, carefully stacked and exuding the faint pressure of strong Qi.

The tavern went silent.

"Core… Core Condensation realm beasts?"

"Three of them?"

"Look at the horns on that one."

A few hunters who had been idly watching from afar stiffened, their expressions changing instantly. Nefarious thoughts that had briefly flickered through their minds vanished without a trace.

This was not prey.

This was a predator.

"To hunt these," one man said slowly, voice respectful now, "you must be Core Condensation realm yourself."

Han Yu neither confirmed nor denied it, merely taking another sip of wine.

That was answer enough.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Voices lowered. Postures straightened. Even those who had been a bit too curious moments ago now treated him with careful respect.

Seizing the moment, Han Yu leaned forward slightly.

"So," he said casually. "What's been happening around town while I was gone?"

The hunters exchanged looks before one of them spoke.