Chapter 76: Strong Adhesive

Three naked men comfortably sat in a bathtub, teasing each other while waiting for Swann's mother to bring them "a good show."

The temperature of the water in the bathtub was just right, neither too hot nor too cold, resembling the body temperature of a virgin when first touched. A few oddly shaped leaves floated on the surface, emitting a fragrance as mild as sheep's milk, creating a soothing atmosphere.

"Although Shadowcrest Ridge is a dump, the Crow Lord is pretty decent."

Gruk leaned his head back, his thick arms resting on the edge of the bathtub, he took a deep breath and continued, "I've dealt with so many officials and caught so many slaves for them, but none have ever invited me to bathe like this."

"Yeah, those noble lords really look down on us!"

Scar-faced Nos made the water splash, "In their eyes, we are less important than the slaves in cages that fulfill their perverse desires."

Simon disliked discussing such topics; he pursed his lips and poured warm water over himself, the fatigue from the journey fading significantly.

"Relaxing herb?"

He picked up a leaf from the water, examined it closely, then laughed, "It really is relaxing herb, this herb can quickly soothe fatigue."

Scar-faced Nos was uninterested and scoffed, "Look at you, Simon, getting excited over a few leaves, what will happen when you see a naked woman later, will you just shoot your load?"

Gruk laughed heartily, "I'm sorry, Lord Simon, Nos is just joking."

Simon didn't mind and kept his gaze on the relaxing herb, "You don't know, this herb is quite precious, usually only used by nobility during their baths. One leaf of relaxing herb costs two gold coins, and there are three in each of our tubs."

Gruk's smile faded, puzzled, "A stranger like the Crow Lord using such expensive stuff to host us? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"My master uses these herbs daily for his baths, how could I mistake them?" Simon replied with a cold laugh.

Nos scratched his scarred face, "Brother Simon, I've always wanted to ask, who exactly is your master? We shouldn't pry, but it's been so mysterious all the way, it's really itching my mind."

"You'll find out once the goods safely arrive."

Simon poured more water on himself, then shifted the topic back to the relaxing herb, "What do you think, why would the Crow Lord use such expensive herbs to treat us?"

"That's obvious!"

Nos laughed loudly, "He's probably worried we might not perform well later, wants us to have a good time! I'm starting to like this Crow Lord more and more."

Gruk was not so optimistic, "I'm wondering if he's trying to knock us off somehow?"

"I saw it coming."

Simon's lips curled slightly, "First, he intimidates us at the door, then lets us enjoy to forget the displeasure, and when we officially meet, he'll raise the toll tax—it's just a typical little lord's trick."

"What should we do?" Gruk frowned.

"Just give him the money, as long as we can safely pass through Shadowcrest Ridge and enter Stonerock Kingdom, even if he strips us bare, it's okay."

Gruk's eyes twinkled, "Lord Simon, you promised us, all losses would be doubly compensated."

"Don't worry."

Simon spoke lightly, "Just enjoy yourselves for now, I just wanted to remind you, this Crow Lord, he's definitely not kind-hearted."

Gruk complimented with a flattering face, "Lord Simon, being close to the upper nobility, you see things much clearer than us rough folks. Especially the way you handled those two guards, we are thoroughly impressed."

Simon enjoyed the flattery and explained proudly, "The best way to deal with those types is to satisfy them first, then report them to their superiors."

Nos grew impatient, grumbling, "How come that big-breasted woman hasn't come back yet?"

Gruk also found it strange, "Yeah, it's been over ten minutes, right?"

Simon also began to wonder, listening carefully to the noise outside. "Why is it so quiet outside?"

"I can't wait any longer."

Nos tried to stand up by leaning on the edge of the bathtub, but the bath water glued him down like glue. He exclaimed in surprise, struggling with all his might but unable to break free, cold sweat immediately flowing into his scar-faced.

"What the hell?"

Gruk and Simon discovered they were stuck just like Nos, their faces turning from relaxed to panicked.

"Bad news!"

Simon sniffed hard, "There's something wrong with this bath water!"

Nos sarcastically thanked him, "Thanks for the heads-up!"

"It must be that big-breasted woman's doing!"

Gruk, without further ado, gathered up Sixth Tier Battle Qi, "Once I blow this bathtub apart, I'm definitely going to flay her skin!"

"Wait!"

Simon sharply cautioned with a furrowed brow, "Don't use brute Battle Qi! You'll kill yourself!"

Gruk had been ready to strike, but hearing Simon's shout, he abruptly stopped. "I'm just going to smash the tub, how could that kill me?"

Simon looked serious, "If I'm not mistaken, this bath water must have been mixed with a strong adhesive. Anything that comes into contact with this strong adhesive will get stuck permanently, fused together. If you tear it with Battle Qi, your own body will also tear."

"Damn! What a sinister thing, who the hell thought of this!" Nos cursed angrily.

Gruk's lower lip trembled, fear evident in his heart. "Lord Simon, thank goodness you're here, otherwise... What do we do now? We can't stay like this forever, right?"

"Don't panic, both of you."

Simon remained composed, "Although I'm not much of an alchemist, I remember that this strong adhesive is just a basic alchemical product. I believe if we just wait for an hour, the adhesive will naturally lose its stickiness, and then we can get out of this bathtub."

Gruk and Nos were somewhat relieved.

"Truly someone from the upper nobility!"

Even Nos, who usually scorned Simon, couldn't help but praise, "Lord Simon is really amazing!"

Simon smiled faintly, though his heart was in turmoil. To refine ordinary strong adhesive into something completely undetectable, how skilled must one be? Who is deliberately causing trouble?

Just then, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside the makeshift wooden walls.

"Hey, someone!"

Gruk shouted loudly, "We're trapped here!"

No one responded to them. The footsteps outside the wooden walls grew louder, and the voices more chaotic, within moments, Gruk could no longer hear his own shouts.

Simon shook his head helplessly, "Stop shouting, there are a lot of people outside now, it would be embarrassing to be discovered like this, let's just quietly wait an hour, after the effects of the strong adhesive wear off, we can get out. Maybe by then, the people outside will have gone."

Gruk and Nos had no choice but to give up, sitting impatiently in the bathtub, waiting anxiously as time slowly passed.

After several minutes, there was no sign of the strong adhesive weakening, but the chaotic feeling outside intensified, as if all the people of Shadowcrest Ridge had crowded into the council chamber.

Simon frowned, "I was too busy watching that big-breasted woman's twisting backside, I completely neglected to notice where this makeshift wooden shack was located in the council chamber. Now that I think about it, it seems we didn't turn a corner after entering the hall—

Could it be that this shack is right in the middle of the council chamber?!"

Simon gasped, trying to stand but was pulled back into the bathtub by the strong adhesive. "Not good! We must get out of here!"

Gruk strained his ears and asked, "Huh? What did you say? It's too noisy outside, I can't hear you!"

Simon sighed in despair, "We're doomed..."

Several long spears simultaneously struck the ground, and it immediately quieted down outside. A high-pitched voice then declared, "All rise! Crow Lord has arrived!"

"Crow Lord?! Why would he come here?"

Gruk and Nos looked at each other, not fully comprehending, "My god, where are we exactly?"

Simon chuckled bitterly and shook his head, "This is going to be a huge embarrassment..."

"Everyone, please be seated."

The Crow Lord's cool and somber voice came from outside, and although distant, the chill in his tone still penetrated the wooden boards, making Gruk and the others shiver uncontrollably.

"Why is there a small house in the middle of our council chamber?"

"I do not know," replied Olivia, the village chief of Dusty Village, to the lord's question.

"Black-armored guard, tear it down."

The command from Crow Lord left no room for objection.

The black-armored guard hammered the floor with the butt of his spear, turned around, and started dismantling the simple wooden boards—exposing Gruk and the other two naked men in the bathtub to the gaze of everyone present.

The council chamber erupted into commotion, and Simon, with a red face, peeked around. The vast hall, the size of a racetrack, was packed with a dark mass of people, including natives of Shadowcrest Ridge and passing merchants, thousands of seats filled, with spectators also crowding the doorway and aisles.

Above in the hall, a man in splendid robes sat on the throne, holding a giant, black sword, his face masked, his gaze as cold as ice. Simon thought the man's features seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.

His gaze intended to linger, but was immediately caught by the large crow perched on the man's shoulder.

"Wu ah!"

A threatening cry froze Simon's heart in his chest, preventing him from looking up any longer.