Chapter 155 My Name Is Solomon

Half-elves seemed to be quite popular. Although the tavern patrons were somewhat surprised when Sun Licheng and his companions entered, they quickly resumed listening to the performance.

Caroline strode over and sat down directly at a table. Silently mocking himself for being overly suspicious, Sun Licheng pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

"Respected guests, what would you like?"

A goblin waiter approached and asked softly.

"Do you have any alcohol here?" Caroline inquired.

The waiter puffed out his chest with pride and said, "We are the largest tavern in the town of Stonebridge. Not only do we have wine, but we carry several varieties. Which one would you prefer?"

Sun Licheng smiled and replied, "Bring us a cup of whatever is most expensive for each of us."

Realizing he was dealing with wealthy merchants, the waiter's face immediately lit up with joy. Exclaiming that he would fetch the drinks right away, he hurried off to prepare the order.

"What song is this?"

Seeing Chapman and Clark listening with rapt attention, Sun Licheng could not help but ask. Neither he nor his wife could understand a single word of the half-elf's lyrics.

"This is an ancient elven legend, telling the tale of the greatest Elven King—King Gisal. The half-elf is singing in the Elven tongue, so it is only natural that you don't understand," Chapman explained with a smile.

Sun Licheng felt a bit helpless. Judging by the audience in the tavern, most probably couldn't understand the words either, yet they all wore expressions of profound appreciation. The whole scene felt remarkably like sitting in an opera house listening to a grand performance.

Before long, the waiter returned with four cups of wine.

"This tastes awful."

After taking a single sip from the cup before her, Caroline's pretty face immediately twisted in disgust.

"How can that be? This is the finest wine we have here, practically as good as the vintage from the capital."

Not receiving the praise he had anticipated, the waiter instantly grew sullen and unhappy.

Given Caroline's fiery temper, she would never have let such a slight slide, but fortunately, Sun Licheng acted quickly, catching the heavy hand she had raised to strike the waiter.

"My friends, are you dissatisfied with the wine?"

A remarkably melodious voice chimed in beside them. Sun Licheng looked up and saw that the half-elf performer had walked over.

"Lord Solomon, please judge for yourself! This is the finest wine in the entire Goblin Kingdom, yet they actually claim it tastes terrible." Seeing the half-elf, the waiter felt as though a savior had arrived and quickly poured out his grievances.

"My friends, the lad is right. In the Goblin Kingdom, this wine is already considered top-tier. If you wish to taste something superior, you would need to travel further south, likely all the way to the capital of the Orc Kingdom," the half-elf explained to Caroline with a gentle smile.

"Hmph, ignorant fool! The wine my Sun Licheng brews is a hundred times better than this. Clark, go fetch a jar."

Unswayed by the half-elf's charming smile, Caroline set out immediately to tear down his pride.

"And who might Sun Licheng be? Could he be a master brewer hailing from the Elven Forest?" The half-elf asked, visibly startled.

"Hello, I am Sun Licheng. I am not from the Elven Forest; in fact, I am a goblin," Sun Licheng said, standing up and extending his right hand in greeting.

The half-elf looked at Sun Licheng with deep perplexity, particularly confused by the strange gesture. After a moment of thought, he spoke a sentence in a tongue that Sun Licheng could no longer comprehend.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you just said."

Sun Licheng smiled awkwardly and withdrew his hand.

"It seems you truly are not an elf. Still, you are the most handsome goblin I have ever laid eyes on. Tell me, is the lady beside you also a goblin?" This time, the half-elf spoke in the Goblin language, which Sun Licheng easily understood.

"I am an ogre, and the mightiest warrior of the Blazing Flame Tribe, Caroline."

Caroline's declaration plunged the tavern into absolute silence, leaving the half-elf utterly dumbfounded.

Sun Licheng offered a wry smile, then explained how they had been enchanted by the God of Food and Pleasure, adding that they had come to Stonebridge to inquire about the whereabouts of the Three Sisters of Time.

Hearing this explanation, the half-elf and the waiter finally understood the situation. The waiter, in particular, bolted toward the back rooms to alert his boss—after all, emissaries of a divine deity warranted a grand and respectful reception.

The half-elf bowed deeply to Sun Licheng and Caroline, smiling as he introduced himself. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Solomon Claire, a bard from the Elven Forest. It is an absolute honor to meet two divine envoys today."

Just then, Clark walked into the tavern carrying a heavy earthen jar of Amber Light.

"Come, Lord Solomon, taste our fine brew, Amber Light. This is a delicacy beloved even by His Majesty, the God of Food and Pleasure."

Chapman cracked open the clay seal of the jar and filled a wooden bowl to the brim for the half-elf.

After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Solomon raised the bowl and took a sip, immediately bursting into loud praises.

Observing Solomon's utterly forthright and hearty demeanor, Sun Licheng finally set his mind at ease. From start to finish, the half-elf showed not a trace of femininity; it seemed he had no connection to Cyprus whatsoever.

Everyone in the tavern possessed a deep appreciation for good liquor. Enticed by the rich aroma of Amber Light, patrons began to gather around their table. Capitalizing on the moment, the tavern owner arrived, and Chapman eagerly began promoting the product. Amidst the lively din, numerous sales agreements were swiftly struck.

After finishing their drinks at the tavern, Caroline insisted on heading back. She had no desire to sample the local food—truth be told, the culinary skills of these goblins fell far short of Sun Licheng's standards.

"Sun Licheng, I couldn't help but notice you were paying a great deal of attention to that half-elf," Clark remarked softly as they walked back together.

"I once knew an old acquaintance who was also a half-elf, so I was merely curious about this Solomon," Sun Licheng replied.

"Ah, I suppose so. Half-elves are not a common sight in the Goblin Kingdom. By the way, you should be wary of their kind; they don't abide by traditional elven rules and can be quite troublesome," Clark advised with a nod of understanding, adding a cautionary note.

Sun Licheng patted Clark on the shoulder to express his gratitude, though he secretly etched the warning deep into his memory.

Upon returning to the camp, Sun Licheng found it packed tight with merchants. Fortunately, Dazhuang had been waiting for Sun Licheng's return to cook dinner, and the crowds only retreated into the camp perimeter under Dazhuang's intimidating presence.

By the following day, two major topics of conversation had spread across the entire town of Stonebridge: first, a large merchant caravan had arrived bearing incredible goods, most notably an extraordinary heavenly brew called Amber Light; second, that Sun Licheng fellow from the Blazing Flame Tribe was exceptionally masculine, possessing an astonishing nighttime endurance that kept half the town awake with his loud activities until dawn.

The Blazing Flame Tribe became famous, and Sun Licheng became a household name. As word of these two developments spread, the caravan's inventory dwindled rapidly, and Chapman's face was perpetually wreathed in the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Sun Licheng, however, was far from happy. They had already stayed here for a full five days, yet there was still no news whatsoever regarding the Three Sisters of Time. In fact, many locals had never even heard of such deities.

Just as Sun Licheng was sinking into gloom, Clark stepped into the tent.

"Boss, that half-elf Solomon is here and wishes to see you."

Clark's opening words instantly made Sun Licheng's heart skip a beat.