Don't provoke mentally ill people in the infinite flow genre!

Yi Zanglan picked out a narrow-bladed dagger and sincerely praised the boss. The boss, who originally seemed to have a very bad temper, was now beaming with joy at the praise, feeling a sense of satisfaction as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Haha! This young lady is a real expert, unlike the roughnecks who live on this street, none of them understand my skills."

"It's a waste for a craftsman as skilled as you to make a living in a place like this." Yi Zanglan took out two silver coins from his pocket and handed them over, smiling as he asked, "Excuse me, my friend and I are new to this place and not very familiar with it yet. May I ask you for some information?"

These two silver coins certainly exceeded the price of the dagger itself, but since they weren't earned through her own labor, she wasn't particularly distressed.

And getting clues from the other party always comes at a price.

As expected, the boss was even more delighted to receive the silver coins and readily agreed.

"Sure, sure. I'm actually very hospitable and I love answering questions for people from other places. Go ahead and ask."

"I'd like to ask, are there many believers of the God of Life in our town?"

This question seemed so sensitive that the shop owner's expression changed slightly, and he quickly corrected it.

"It's more than just a lot. This land was created by the goddess of life, Phtas. Everything except the goddess of life is evil, and everyone is her follower."

"So..."

"Young lady, I am a crude craftsman and am not qualified to comment on gods. You should ask the priests in the church about that."

Realizing that the other party seemed to be very averse to matters of faith and that he probably wouldn't get any useful information out of them, Yi Zanglan decided not to press the matter further.

She skillfully changed the subject: "To be honest, my friends and I are both very adventurous. I'm curious whether the jungle south of town and that tall tower hold any undiscovered secrets. Is it worth exploring?"

Upon hearing this, the shop owner scratched his head in embarrassment: "It's not that I don't want to give you advice, young lady, it's just that I only like forging weapons and I don't love adventure. I just stay here in this shop and at the iron furnace in the backyard every day."

"I understand, after all, your ambitions lie elsewhere." Yi Zanglan and Ling Ye exchanged a glance, and she politely followed up with, "Then do you have any friends who are experts in this field?"

The shop owner thought about it carefully for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "That's right, I have a friend named Gragas. He served in the army when he was young and also likes to travel around. Maybe he can help you."

"Great! May I ask where he lives?"

"He lives in the alley on the west side, near the tailor shop. Turn into the third door and you'll find him. When you meet him, tell him my name is Hans." The shopkeeper thought for a moment, then added, "But he has a very strange temper. Even I have a hard time communicating with him. It will depend on your skills."

"We will do our best, thank you for reminding us."

Yi Zanglan nodded politely, then selected a knife for Ling Ye as well, before turning and leaving the blacksmith shop.

After they left, Lingye asked her, "Should we split up? I'll go to the church, and you can go find Gragas. It might be easier for you to communicate with him."

"No need." Yi Zanglan calmly rejected the suggestion. "You don't need to go anywhere. Just follow me. Let's go find Gragas first."

"What about the church?"

"We can go to the church later. It's okay if Liang Danyi goes first. We'll get the information she can get sooner or later, so there's no rush."

Ling Ye hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Yi Zanglan turned her head and calmly looked at him: "I know what you're thinking. In a normal dungeon, you're a master and can do anything—but not this time. I'm here to protect you. Compared to the dungeon content, you are my mission, so I can't allow any mistakes."

"……I see."

"If you understand, then follow along; don't waste time."

* * * * * *

The two crossed the street as quickly as possible, found the alley next to the tailor shop, turned in, and counted the third door.

Yi Zanglan knocked on the door more than a dozen times before finally hearing dragging footsteps from inside.

The heavy iron gate opened to both sides, and a bearded face peeked out from behind it. The person had brown curly hair, a flushed face from drunkenness, and seemed to be quite muscular, with his clothes half-open, revealing his chest.

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the two men warily: "Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Gragas?" Yi Zanglan put on a gentle and friendly smile. "Mr. Hans from the blacksmith shop introduced us. He said you are an excellent soldier and explorer, and perhaps you can give us some reliable advice."

Gragas sneered, "There are always some ignorant young people who use Hans's name to bother me. How do I know if you're his friend? Don't try to deceive me based on hearsay."

He was about to close the door when Ling Ye stopped him with one hand, and the two were locked in a stalemate. He glared at Ling Ye angrily.

"What, are you here to cause trouble?"

"We really are friends of Hans." Yi Zanglan thought for a moment, then took out the dagger from his pocket and showed it to him. "This is a weapon that Hans gave me. He considers me a kindred spirit and praised me for having the same courage and adventurous spirit as you, which is why he suggested that I come and learn from you."

Sure enough, no money was wasted.

The weapons purchased from Hans now serve as tokens of his identity.

Gragas took the dagger and examined it for a long time. Convinced that it was indeed forged by his close friend, his expression finally wavered a little.

"That guy always complains that nobody in this poor place appreciates quality, which means his meticulously crafted daggers have no market—this little girl actually has a good eye."

"Yes, I admire Mr. Hans's craftsmanship."

"Then come in." After saying that, Gragas forcefully pushed away Ling Ye's hand that was blocking the door frame and stepped aside to make way for her. "But little girl, I have my own set of rules for treating guests."

Yi Zanglan strode inside, nodding frankly: "That's reasonable. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You decide what the rules are."

Her gaze swept across the room, observing the layout, but nothing seemed particularly special.

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and a pile of brass wine jugs and bowls were scattered on the table; a wooden bed stood against the wall, and a jumble of odds and ends was piled up in the corner; further in was a stone stove hidden by a curtain, which looked like it hadn't been used for a long time.

Gragas moved aside the pile of junk, revealing a cellar door. He jumped in and fiddled around for a long time until he brought out two heavy wooden crates. When he opened them, he found the crates were stuffed full of wine jars.

"These are my rules." He patted the wine jars, raised his chin, and said, "Little girl, what you want to ask me depends on your drinking capacity."

Ling Ye frowned and asked, "How much do you need to drink?"

"...I was talking to the person in charge, what are you doing interrupting?" Gragas glared at him angrily. "I'm already being very lenient by letting you in!"

Yi Zanglan shook her head, put her arm around Ling Ye's shoulder and pushed him back, then asked again.

How can I prove my alcohol tolerance?

Gragas grinned, revealing two rows of yellowed teeth, with a hint of mischievous triumph.

"It's simple. You and I keep drinking. If we can drink until I give up, I'll answer any question you ask."