"Shopkeeper Sun, how's business today?" A tired old man walked into the tavern, took off his hat, and found an empty table. Under the table, he asked, "A bowl of glutinous rice wine, a plate of soy peanuts, and a plate of wind-blown beef..."

…Hey, half a plate is enough.”

"Hey, it's Uncle He who's back. Doesn't it look like business is good?" The frowning shopkeeper Sun walked up to the old man and poured half a cup of big leaf tea for him.

"Hey..." The old man known as Uncle He shook his head, sighed, and said nothing.

"Uncle He, you have been out for a few days, how is the situation outside?" A middle-aged man who was sitting in the corner and smoking a cigarette raised his head and asked.

"No, everyone's situation is not good. I didn't make any money when I went out this time, and I almost lost my life. The interrogations along the way were too intense." Uncle He took out a cigarette from his arms and carefully rolled the shreds.

"What's wrong?" Shopkeeper Sun asked with concern.

"I went to Yancheng to sell some salt, but the salt business was controlled by the Crusaders. They didn't accept imperial coins, so I had a dispute with them... Well, in short, it's hard to say, it would be great if I could come back alive." Uncle He sighed.

He lit the cigarette, raised his head, and looked out the window with a pair of cloudy eyes, full of confusion.

"Yancheng has also fallen?" Shopkeeper Sun's face changed as he returned with a tray, and the hand holding the wine was trembling...

"I can count on one hand the number of places in the Han Empire that have not fallen." Uncle He blew out a puff of smoke, stretched out two fingers, picked up a peanut, squinted his eyes, and chewed slowly.

"Where is General Wu Yuan?" The middle-aged man coughed, slammed his pipe on the table, and said angrily.

"Don't talk about General Wu Yuan. After the last battle at Shanhaixiongguan, he was seriously injured. He protected the little emperor from wandering around and never recovered... Hey, you can't blame him. He is hundreds of years old. He is old...

"

"Could it be that our great Han Empire has no one except General Wu Yuan, and where are the four gods?" the middle-aged man said with an angry look.

"The four great gods are dying, dying, and now, only the Golden Melon God is left. In fact, the four great gods are dead in name only..."

"What?!"

The few diners in the tavern all looked horrified.

"Heaven will destroy our Han Empire!" Uncle He picked up the wine bowl, as if he had no intention of drinking anymore. He slowly put it down and wiped the corners of his eyes. Only then did everyone realize that he was already in tears.

An atmosphere of despair filled the tavern.

The atmosphere in the tavern became increasingly depressing. The middle-aged man clenched his fists tightly, and his finger bones made a crackling sound.

"Dongzi, you're lucky to have asked for leave and came back, otherwise, I'm afraid..." Uncle He sighed.

"I would rather die on the battlefield than live an ignoble existence here!" the middle-aged man muttered.

"Why……"

"How about General Lu?" the middle-aged man asked.

"He is protecting that useless little emperor and can't get away."

"Do you know where they went?"

"I don't know. It seems that after the defeat not long ago, they went to the Dark Forest area... Dongzi, what are you doing? You don't want to find them, do you?!"

"I am a soldier, and now we are facing a national crisis. How could I still stay here and drink with you?" Dongzi took out a banknote from his arms and put it on the table.

"Dongzi, this place is more than ten thousand miles away from the dark forest Wuchao City. I'm afraid that before you find them... just..."

"I am a soldier. If soldiers are greedy for life and afraid of death, then the Han Empire will really fall."

"Brother Dongzi, I'll go with you."

Suddenly, a young man who was serving food and wine said.

"You're crazy!" Shopkeeper Sun yelled.

"Dad, Brother Dongzi is right..."

"Dongzi is a soldier, you are not a soldier!" Shopkeeper Sun interrupted the young man's voice sharply.

"Everyone is responsible for the national crisis! Dad, I am not young anymore. In short, I have decided on this matter. If you don't let me go, I will go, unless you lock me up."

"Sun Fu, you are still young..." Dongzi persuaded.

"Brother Dongzi, if everyone in the Han Empire hides, they will really become slaves of the country. Don't try to persuade me. Even if you don't take me, I will go there secretly. In short, I have made up my mind!

"The young man took off his hat and apron with a determined look on his face.

"..." Dongzi opened her mouth but said nothing, with a hint of appreciation on her face.

"I'll go with you too."

A young man who was drinking drunk stood up with a look of determination on his face.

Dongzi didn't say anything, nodded, and strode outside. The young man Sun Fu and the drunken young man quickly followed.

"Wait, wait a minute..." Shopkeeper Sun shouted anxiously.

"Dad, I have made up my mind..."

"Silly boy, are you going like this? You need to bring some dry food, money, and a few more pairs of shoes, and by the way...and weapons...just wait, I'll get it for you right now, no matter how urgent it is, I won't

Be anxious for a moment..."

"Dad..." Sun Fu had tears in his eyes.

"Cry me, don't cry. You are my father's pride. If my father wasn't old enough and his old bones couldn't stand the torment, he would have gone with you. Okay, okay, don't cry. You can go together."

, there is also someone to take care of you, Dongzi, just wait, I will come right away..."

"We are waiting for you." Dongzi nodded.

"I'll be here soon."

After shopkeeper Sun greeted everyone, he picked up a bunch of keys and hurriedly entered the back room...

…

"Haha, these are my treasured weapons, combat shoes, and heart-protecting leather armor. These are good things. They can be hidden under clothes and are invulnerable..."

When it was time to burn a stick of incense, shopkeeper Sun came out of the back room carrying a lot of things. Because there were so many things, shopkeeper Sun's entire head was covered.

Quiet!

There was a breathless silence.

Shopkeeper Sun did not hear cheers, but a pin-drop silence, as if there was no one in the tavern.

Shopkeeper Sun felt something was wrong and slowly turned his body. He saw a group of people. A group of soldiers wearing armors surrounded a sitting young soldier. Those soldiers had dazzling golden cross badges on their armors.

At the same time, shopkeeper Sun saw that Dongzi and the young man had returned to their original positions, while his son Sun Fu was standing by the counter blankly.

Wow...

Shopkeeper Sun shook his body and let go of his arms. His shoes, wrist guards, leather armor, and weapons fell to the floor.

The young man who was sitting stood up, walked to Shopkeeper Sun, slowly bent down, picked up a small and sharp dagger, and pulled it away. The dagger emitted a bright light.

"Not bad, good stuff, remember to keep it next time." Zhou Sen inserted the dagger into the scabbard and handed it to Shopkeeper Sun.

"Yes, yes..." Shopkeeper Sun was sweating profusely and trembling all over.

"If you have anything good to eat or drink, bring it up. By the way, don't use drugs or anything like that." Zhou Sen looked around the tavern and returned to where he was sitting.

"Don't dare, don't dare..."

Shopkeeper Sun wiped the sweat from his forehead and winked at Sun Fu, but Sun Fu was still in a daze. Shopkeeper Sun had no choice but to walk over and give Sun Fu a hard poke. Sun Fu then ran away as if he had just woken up from a dream.

When I got to the kitchen, I prepared the food and drinks.

Most of the taverns serve cold dishes and stewed vegetables, and wine and meat are served quickly.

The diners in the tavern didn't dare to leave. They held their breath and didn't dare to make the slightest sound.

Soon, people saw the clues that the young man who started talking to Shopkeeper Sun was the leader of a group of soldiers. Not only was he calm and elegant, but the soldiers around him also looked at him with respect.

Zhou Sen invited everyone to sit down and drink and eat meat.

A group of space hunters looked at each other, hesitated, and finally sat down, but they only sat on half of the chairs, looking very reserved.

It's very quiet inside the pub.

Although people were not staring at Zhou Sen, everyone was paying attention to Zhou Sen's every move and guessing his identity.

Dongzi glanced at Zhou Sen for a while, then looked out the window, looking anxious, and kept smoking his pipe. He didn't realize that there was no shredded tobacco in the pipe.

Finally, Dongzi stood up.

Seeing Dongzi stand up, the diners' hearts beat wildly. However, Dongzi did not walk towards the group of crusaders, but towards the counter.

"Shopkeeper, check out." Dongzi said slowly.

"Bill, please……"

Shopkeeper Sun was stunned, but he clearly remembered that Dongzi had already paid the bill.

"No need to look for it. By the way, give me the things I put in there." Dongzi put several large-denomination imperial coins on the counter.

"Ah...what?" Shopkeeper Sun looked confused.

"I'll take it myself." Dongzi walked straight into the counter.

"Dongzi." Suddenly, the young officer who had been chewing slowly shouted.
To be continued...