The person who stepped forward to stop all this was a tall and thin hotel waiter. In such a shabby tavern, he was dressed like a butler from an ancient castle, with obvious modifications on his little suit.
The appearance seemed to be altered for easy movement and combat.
As he made a gesture of invitation, he always had one hand behind his back. Gu Xi had a feeling that if he made any adverse reactions, a dagger would immediately pierce his neck.
Have I walked into a den of thieves?
Gu Xi frowned, intending to leave, but found that the waiter had blocked his way out.
Helpless, Gu Xi could only follow the waiter's guidance to the second floor.
After reaching the second floor, Gu Xi noticed that this tavern, which didn't seem too large, was surprisingly something special on the second floor, with many small rooms.
Although each room could only hold a bed and a bedside table, the size was definitely unnoticeable outside the tavern.
Pushing open a room door, the waiter calmly said, "Please wait here, the hot water will be delivered shortly."
After finishing his words, the waiter stepped back and disappeared at the door.
After the waiter left, Gu Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Every move the waiter made just now was telling Gu Xi that he was a highly skilled assassin.
It's just that a group of assassins running a tavern here doesn't make any sense.
As Gu Xi thought, he looked around.
He noticed that although the room in front of him was clean, it lacked any signs of life.
The whole room looked as if it hadn't been used for many years, a musty smell permeating the air.
Gu Xi took a few steps in the room, hesitated for a moment, but eventually did not sit on the bed.
At this moment, a maid in a red dress, looking awkward, dragged in a large bucket.
This was Shaya, who had almost argued with Gu Xi earlier. Now she dragged the large wooden barrel filled with hot water as easily as if carrying a bottle of mineral water.
As she moved the barrel into the room, Shaya lifted her head and tried to put on a smile.
"Guest, do you need me to help you wash?"
"No need, could you get me some food as well? I have a bad stomach and need something soft."
"Alright, wait a moment, guest."
With that, Shaya retreated and closed the door behind her.
After she left, Gu Xi locked the door, took off his smelly clothes, cleaned his skin with some water, and then jumped into the barrel.
When the warm water covered his body, Gu Xi almost sighed with comfort.
But Gu Xi knew this wasn't the time for enjoyment; he quickly washed off the grime and cleaned his hair, at least making himself less smelly.
After completing all this, Gu Xi climbed out of the barrel.
Meanwhile, in the tavern's kitchen, Shaya was talking to the waiter about Gu Xi's situation.
"That guy said he has a bad stomach and needs something soft. Is this a code from somewhere?"
While adding some meat and red wine to the soup, the waiter finally looked up at Shaya.
"Do you think it's possible that he's not using code but simply stating his needs?"
"How could that be!"
Shaya looked incredulous.
"Why is it impossible? People in the underworld know we're the Thief Guild, sure, but some civilians don't know our identity. Isn't it normal for a couple of them to come in for a drink?"
"It's not normal. I've been here for three years and never encountered such a thing."
"Well, you have now. Alright, the soup's done. Take some bread with it and serve it to him. Let him finish and leave quickly. It's fine now during the day, but at night, we can't protect him."
As the waiter spoke, he poured the freshly cooked soup into a bowl.
Shaya still looked skeptical.
But she didn't argue with the waiter, and when the soup was ready, she took a tray and placed the soup and a piece of white bread on it, effortlessly carrying it out of the kitchen.
While walking, she muttered, "Unbelievable. After all this training, it's my first time actually serving a guest."
Gu Xi was unaware of everything happening downstairs. He took advantage of the hot water to wash his clothes, and after confirming they no longer had any odor, he hung his damp clothes on the bedhead.
Gu Xi had already made up his mind that as soon as his clothes were dry enough, he would leave this place.
Clearly, this tavern was not a place of virtue.
However, just as Gu Xi spread out all his clothes to dry, the door suddenly started to move.
Gu Xi turned to look and saw Shaya entering with a tray.
"I remember locking the door."
"Yeah, you did, but for us, this kind of lock is useless. Here's your food. So, what brought you here?"
"I fell into the Isis River and needed a place to wash. How could I leave with my body reeking?"
"Fell into the Isis River? You must know this is three blocks away from the river, right?"
"I know. I walked all this way. Couldn't find a suitable place to bathe."
Seeing Shaya about to get mad, Gu Xi could only explain helplessly.
"But there's also a tavern across from us. Why choose ours?" Shaya still didn't want to believe Gu Xi would come for such a reason, suspecting he had a mission instead.
Regarding Shaya's question, Gu Xi didn't know how to answer. Finally, he said, "Your sign looked familiar, so I just came in. Is that a problem?"
"No." Shaya finally believed Gu Xi.
She said somewhat dejectedly, "Your meal's here. If there's nothing else, leave quickly. Otherwise, you won't be able to leave at night."
After saying that, Shaya placed the food on the table beside the bed and prepared to leave.
As she reached the door, Gu Xi suddenly called out to her.
"Wait, do you offer other services?"
Shaya glanced at Gu Xi's waist, "Yes, but I don't do them. If you want, I can call someone over."
"No, I meant, it sounds like you're saying this is a Thief Guild or an intelligence hub?"
Realizing Shaya misunderstood, Gu Xi quickly clarified.
Upon hearing this, Shaya's eyes brightened.
"Thief Guild. Are you planning to steal something?
I knew you had a mission. Quickly say it, I'll give you a 20% discount."
Seeing Shaya so excited, Gu Xi became hesitant.
At this moment, Shaya strode up to Gu Xi, her face almost touching his.
"What's wrong with you, acting so indecisive? Can you do it or not? If not, stop blabbering."
"I'm not planning to steal anything, I need someone to help me with something."