"Isn’t that right, it’s just a small place, what kind of industry could it really have."
"Living peacefully by farming is quite good enough."
Noticing the subtle details in the other’s deanor and movents, Xia Nan realized the conversation had reached a critical juncture and decided to press on.
He leaned forward slightly, intentionally lowering his voice, exerting invisible pressure:
"Speaking of which, I’ve traveled quite a bit, but honestly, places like your Sheep Horn Town, with such an overall atmosphere... hmm, so peaceful, are rare."
"It feels like everyone seems to have no desires, that’s quite remarkable."
The tavern owner furrowed his brows slightly, putting down the already-polished glass in his hand, the smile on his face gradually fading: "Guest, the residents of our town are all honest folks, with no ill intentions."
"Of course!" Knowing the other had beco wary, Xia Nan raised the honey mandarin in his hand and smiled, saying, "Don’t get wrong, I’m giving praise."
However, it might be that yesterday’s abrupt questioning had already made this tavern owner, who seed deeply influenced by the pink Jadestone, suspicious of Xia Nan.
At the slightest touch of the topic, the owner beca cautious once more, reverting to that cold yet polite and distant deanor.
No matter how Xia Nan inquired, he was only t with brief, trivial responses.
"It shouldn’t be like this..."
Returning to his room on the second floor of the inn sowhat puzzled, Xia Nan increasingly felt that "conversation" was a kind of art.
Even if his Perception Ability was high, able to clearly notice the changes in the other’s expressions and emotions, failing to grasp the right timing and tone of speech would ultimately make all efforts futile.
However, since it was still early, there were many ways to gather intelligence.
This small setback wasn’t enough to shake his confidence.
After resting for a bit in his room and seeing the bright daylight outside, a neatly-dressed Xia Nan walked out of the inn once again.
But this ti, his target was not the uninhabited woodland outside the town, but a location closer to the center of town.
...
Sheep Horn Town, Blacksmith Shop.
Although a conflict had occurred just yesterday, it must be admitted that if Xia Nan wanted to obtain detailed information about gemstones and minerals, the few blacksmiths in town were the ideal sources to ask.
When Xia Nan arrived at the blacksmith shop, the burly shop owner seed to be taking a break from forging, holding a piece of rag to wipe his shiny bald head.
Upon seeing Xia Nan walk into the shop, his brow furrowed instinctively.
"What do you want?"
His tone was curt, his attitude not very welcoming, clearly still holding a grudge about yesterday’s encounter.
Xia Nan’s expression didn’t change, but he took out the lines he had prepared beforehand.
He pulled out a small dagger from Rock Hamr Blacksmith Shop, used for stripping spoils and cutting miscellaneous items, from his waist and placed it on the counter, speaking sincerely:
"I apologize for the intrusion, this tool has been in use so long it’s gotten dull recently."
"I heard soone say your craftsmanship is the best in town, so I’m here to see if you could maintain it."
Thanks to Xia Nan’s exaggerated breaking rates, he needed to visit the blacksmith shop nearly every few tasks, and naturally knew what to say to hit the itch spots of such blacksmiths.
Sure enough, when Xia Nan ntioned "town’s best craftsman," the bald man’s previously stern face imdiately softened.
Nodding, he professionally put aside any grudge over yesterday’s conflict, stepping forward to examine the dagger.
To him, the usual complints from apprentices or ordinary custors in the shop had been heard countless tis, without eliciting any reaction anymore.
But if those sa words were said by a senior adventurer, equipped with Good equipnt and whose strength seed boundless, the effect was entirely different.
After a short mont, the bald blacksmith gave his assessnt.
"This dagger of yours isn’t cheap, is it?"
"Though it looks plain from the outside, both its materials and forging techniques are excellent, it must have co from the hands of a highly skilled artisan."
He spoke quite honestly, not hiding his own inferiority compared to Barn of Rock Hamr.
"Honestly, there are so many details that it’d be difficult for to replicate it even if I were given a model."
"But just for maintenance, it’s no issue."
"You can co back before dinner this afternoon to pick it up."
Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded slightly, "Alright, thanks for your trouble."
However, he didn’t rush to leave, pretending as if he were interested in purchasing other equipnt, he walked over to the shelves, glancing around.
After circling twice, his gaze fell on the pile of iron and coal in the corner of the shop, casually asking:
"Your materials look quite good, with very few impurities, the finished products must be of high quality."
"These shouldn’t co from ordinary iron mines, do they have so special source?"
Xia Nan’s inquiry had of course been ticulously designed, avoiding sensitive topics related to "gemstones" while steering the topic towards the blacksmith’s most familiar field, expanding the chat content from "gemstones" to "minerals" in general, hoping to coax so information about pink Jadestone from the opponent through his guidance.
But unexpectedly, the other seed especially sensitive to words like "mineral," "source."
Just as he finished speaking, the bald blacksmith’s recently softened face turned stern once again.
"Maintenance fee, 1 silver and 7 copper."
"Or find another blacksmith, it’s up to you."
He left a cold remark.
Then he no longer looked at Xia Nan, turning to pick up the heavy Forging Hamr, imrsing himself back into work.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The crisp clanging of hamr striking anvil shattered the last bit of Xia Nan’s attempts.
...
"How could this be..."
Walking along the street, Xia Nan’s face showed no expression, but he felt particularly frustrated inside.
Even with a Charm of 6 points, paired with his professional-looking senior adventurer attire, and outstanding sharp features, he wasn’t necessarily adored by everyone, at least his impression shouldn’t be bad.
Not to ntion he had ticulously planned his rhetoric according to the identity and character of the target he wanted to inquire from.
Even if there were discrepancies between plan and reality, the conversation shouldn’t have frozen and died so quickly after just a few words exchanged.
A persuasion check failed twice.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have wasted so much effort and might have tried "Intimidation" instead, perhaps with better success.
Thinking about this, Xia Nan unconsciously followed the main road towards the central square of Sheep Horn Town.
The square was paved with rough blue stones, marked by the passage of ti, but well-maintained, with few damages.
As the intersection of several town roads, in so sense, it was also a microcosm of town life, with several farmwon sitting on the edges of the square chatting and laughing, baskets of vegetables and eggs in front, and children playing further ahead.
Xia Nan’s gaze swept over them, finally resting on the northernmost side of the square.
There, a towering chapel stood silently basking in the morning light.
The very one he saw last night.
The chapel itself wasn’t particularly grand, nowhere near as magnificent as the Sun God Church in Kalanfor or the Moon God Church in Neum, but stood out due to the surrounding low buildings.
Its architectural lines were soft and smooth, without the vertical severity typical of large buildings, as if lying on the earth, intimately connected to the land;
The main structure used warm-colored stone and wood, with parts adorned in red fired tiles, creating a warm feeling in the sunlight;
The outer walls were engulfed in various vines, and even the roof had low green grasses, yet it looked neither ssy nor dilapidated from afar, instead appearing more natural, full of vitality.
The doors were shut tight.
On the surface of the two massive, heavy wooden doors, the Holy Emblem of the deity worshipped by the chapel was carved:
—A budding rose encircled by the rising sun.
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