Chapter 79: Hunter Bar
“Damn.”
Looking at the book in his hand, Zhou Ming spat out a curse, gently “greeting” the stall owner who had just looked so simple and honest.
After leaving the stall where he bought Beast King Body, Zhou Ming grew deeply interested in New Martial Arts. So, he circled around the street market until he finally found a book introducing it.
However, Zhou Ming hadn’t been happy for long before learning that the Beast King Body in his hand was worth only tens of thousands of Alliance Coins at most.
The manual was real, and the information about New Martial Arts was also genuine—but the price was completely wrong.
Fortunately, Zhou Ming hadn’t brought much money with him, or else he would have been completely ripped off this time.
This was the first time Zhou Ming had suffered a loss since arriving on Blue Star, and it was a painful one at that.
When he first entered the stall market, Zhou Ming had even mocked a stall owner who tried to sell him a low-level meditation technique. Unexpectedly, the slap in the face came so quickly.
It wasn’t the story of him hitting others this time, but Zhou Ming himself being slapped several times. He finally experienced how that Young Master Tong must have felt when being crushed by someone’s intelligence.
And since this happened in the stall market, Zhou Ming couldn’t cause any trouble. Even if he took action secretly, once the Hunter Guild discovered it, he would have no choice but to flee into the Wilderness.
The veins on Zhou Ming’s right hand bulged as he forced himself to swallow his anger.
There was no way around it—offending the Hunter Guild would truly leave him with no place to stand within the Alliance.
As a power spanning the entire Blue Star Alliance, the number of forces capable of opposing the Hunter Guild could be counted on one hand.
Zhou Ming couldn’t risk his life over mere tens of thousands. In a world where extraordinary powers existed, he couldn’t guarantee his actions wouldn’t be discovered.
“Just take it as spending money for a lesson.”
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ming could only comfort himself like this.
Scanning the bustling surroundings, Zhou Ming suddenly felt irritated. His plan to relax had completely fallen apart.
Not wanting to stay any longer, he decided to visit the Hunter Guild’s bar to see if he could pick up any useful information.
The Hunter Bar wasn’t far—it was right next to the Hunter Guild and even connected inside. Some hunters, after completing missions, would stop by for a few drinks.
After what just happened, Zhou Ming planned to drink a bit himself to vent his anger.
“Young man, you look upset. How about having a couple of drinks together?”
As soon as he stepped into the bar, a scantily clad woman with an enticing figure leaned toward him.
Good thing the bar had heating—otherwise, wearing so little in this weather, she would have frozen solid.
“Swish.”
Zhou Ming’s right hand, like an iron clamp, caught the woman’s hand just as it reached toward his forbidden zone.
“Sorry, beauty. I prefer to drink alone. You should find someone else.”
Zhou Ming’s words were polite, but his tone was like a cold winter wind that pierced the bone. Even with colored contact lenses, his eyes felt like those of an emotionless predator serpent ready to strike.
Already in a foul mood, Zhou Ming wasn’t about to let himself get tricked again. Whether it was a honey trap or a drugging setup, he disliked trouble.
“R-Really? Then I won’t bother you, young man.”
Hearing Zhou Ming’s chilling voice, the woman forced a smile, losing all her previous flirtatious charm—as if Zhou Ming were some villain threatening to force her into prostitution.
Once Zhou Ming released her hand, the hostess fled in panic, desperate to distance herself from the man who clearly wasn’t playing along.
“Didn’t expect Xiaoli to actually meet someone who gave her the cold shoulder.”
“Heh, if Xiaoli came to drink with me, no way I’d stop all night.”
“Stop drinking? You mean you’d keep her busy all night!”
“Hahaha…”
Nearby hunters, witnessing the scene, immediately began chatting and laughing crudely.
They were all rough men—three sentences in, and the talk turned dirty.
Zhou Ming didn’t bother with them. For most hunters, wine and women were their whole lives. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to save money or settle down for a normal life.
But once you entered the hunter circle, seeing death and chaos became routine. Being able to maintain a stable mental state was already impressive; few still remembered their original dreams.
“Hello, customer. What would you like?”
The bartender noticed Zhou Ming approach and asked calmly.
“Got anything strong and stimulating, but not too intoxicating?”
Hearing Zhou Ming’s request, the neatly dressed bartender didn’t seem surprised—he’d seen all kinds here.
“Yes, Ice and Fire Love, five hundred per glass.”
“I’ll take one.”
Zhou Ming pulled out five hundred-coin bills and placed them on the counter.
“Please wait a moment, sir.”
Backed by the Hunter Guild, the bartender’s composure was unwavering, entirely unaffected by the noisy atmosphere around him.
He took the coins, then began preparing Zhou Ming’s Ice and Fire Love with deft, fluid movements that were pleasing to the eye.
When the elegant display ended, the drink was placed in front of Zhou Ming.
“Please enjoy.”
“Thanks.”
Though in a bad mood, Zhou Ming’s manners remained intact—it seemed his irritation hadn’t clouded his reason.
As the Ice and Fire Love entered his mouth, Zhou Ming felt a wave of refreshing coolness down his throat, like eating iced watermelon on a summer day.
But right after that came a wave of heat rising from his abdomen, surging straight to his head.
The alternation of cold and heat brought a unique comfort, and with its low alcohol content, it was indeed a special drink.
Zhou Ming raised his glass toward the bartender in acknowledgment, then took it to a small empty table—perfect for one person.
“Did you hear? Two small bases in the northeast region of our Alliance got wiped out by beast tides this year.”
Zhou Ming had barely sat down when hunters at the neighboring table started gossiping.
“What’s so surprising? Every year, a few small bases get destroyed by beast tides. If there weren’t any, that would be news.”
“Yeah.”
“When will days like this ever end…”
One of the hunters sighed with a trace of concern for the Alliance—it seemed not all hunters were self-serving.
“Stop worrying about the world, come on, drink.”
His companion raised a cup to cheer him up, drowning all unease in alcohol.
Seeing they had nothing useful to say, Zhou Ming took another sip of Ice and Fire Love and turned his attention to other nearby tables.
In a Hunter Bar, there was never a shortage of hunters drinking.
“You know? A huge Dimensional Rift appeared in the Northern Wilderness this time. Heard a lord-level Ferocious Beast crawled out of it.”
“Isn’t that old news from a few days ago? If you’ve got nothing better, just drink.”
His companion laughed, annoyed by the fake mystery.
“Bah, do you think I’d brag with outdated news? The real story is, that rift triggered a massive earthquake—exposing a survival base buried underground for hundreds of years!”
Hearing that, Zhou Ming’s eyes instantly lit up.
He set down his glass and focused all his attention on eavesdropping on the hunters’ conversation nearby.