With a reputation of 70,000, one leader travels across countless worlds with his adventure team.

A funeral was being held inside the Red Keep. Former Hand of the King Jon Arryn lay on a long table in the center of the hall. His sudden death had left King Robert deeply distressed and grieving.

Jon Arryn was both his prime minister and his adoptive father. His adoptive father's death reminded him of many things from his childhood. Now, with no one to help him with government affairs and no one to go to the red-light district for pleasure, handling government affairs only gave him a headache.

Meanwhile, Queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, were relieved that Jon Arryn and he, who had been investigating them, had gone to meet the Seven. They no longer had to live in fear that their affair would be discovered.

Robert was even angrier at the Lannister servant's clumsy mistake in the King's room.

"Idiot, go find my maester and have him write to Winterfell in the North, telling our duke that his king is coming to the North to find him!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Seeing that Robert did not continue speaking, the attendant bowed nervously and hurried to leave the room.

"Wait, you idiot!" Robert's irritable voice stopped the servant.

“Tell your mistress at the Red Keep that she is also going on this trip to the North. You are not allowed to disagree; this is the King’s order,” Robert continued.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the attendant replied once again.

"Get lost, you idiot," Robert said, not wanting to look at him any longer.

While King Robert was arranging the northern expedition, the martial arts contests and weapon delivery in the North did not stop.

Lords, knights, and captains of the guard from various families in the North—anyone interested in the sword—had gradually arrived at Winterfell. They first went to Wolfsburg to pay their respects to Ned Stark, the Lord of the North, and then their acquaintances began inquiring about the tavern, trying to give this sword-hunting trip a definite purpose.

Lord Gebert Glover of Deepwood Keep within Wolfsburg looked at Lord Jon Umber of House Umber and said:

"What, you're interested in this sword that appeared this time too? Don't you always like to be at the forefront of the battlefield?"

Jon Snow was an impatient man, and in response to Gaebert Glover's teasing, he angrily retorted:

"Only with better weapons can you always be at the forefront. You'll just have to follow me around and eat dirt forever. I'm definitely taking the weapons from this tavern."

Ignoring the furious Amber, Gabert pondered how to obtain the weapons for the tavern duel and whether his strength was sufficient to defeat the other lords and the younger captains of the knight guard.

After much deliberation, Gabert felt it was safer to ask Lord Ned or Sir Jory, who had already obtained the tavern sword. Without wasting any more time, he got up and, with his entourage, went directly to Duke Ned.

Gable arrived at Ned Stark's room, knocked on the door and said, "Lord Ned, it is Gable." "Come in, Gable, I am here." Gable pushed open the door and entered the room, bowing to Ned.

“Sit down, Gebert, no need for formalities,” Ned said casually. He had known about the lords’ thoughts ever since Ser Jori received the sword, so he was not surprised at all by Gebert’s arrival.

"Thank you, sir. I've come to inquire about the Swordsman's Tavern. Is it true, as they say, that the owner, Bai Ze, uses weapons comparable to Valyrian steel swords as prizes for duels? What kind of family wealth allows them to indulge in such extravagance? Even the Targaryen family has never been so lavish!"

Bai Ze's generosity initially made Ned Stark quite uncomfortable, because no one would selflessly offer such a high reward for something so simple. Duels and tournaments were happening all the time in Westeros, but no one would offer equipment comparable to Valyrian steel weapons as a reward simply for having fun.

However, after the conversation and exchange following the banquet that night, Duke Ned got to know a different Bai Ze. There really was someone who could selflessly give so much for the future of humanity. So now he had no doubt about Bai Ze's actions and wanted all the families in his fiefdom to come to Winterfell to see the generous Lord Bai Ze!

"Don't worry, Gabbert. Boss Bai Ze is an approachable person. He is very skilled in martial arts and doesn't have the arrogant and domineering habits of nobles. Treat him as an equal, and he won't deliberately make things difficult for you."

Ned Stark's words reassured Gaebert a bit, making things much easier from there. Even if he didn't get the sword this time, getting to know a generous and nice "boss" would be a good thing.

"Then I'm relieved. I'll go back and prepare to visit the tavern and see what this highly skilled swordsman, Boss Bai, has to offer!"

Gabert stood up and bowed to Duke Ned. "Go back and get some rest. Otherwise, you won't be in good shape for your duel with Boss Bai Ze."

Ned thought highly of this cautious and steady vassal. If the impatient Earl of Umber were here, Ned thought it would be a good choice to let the White Lord teach him a lesson, subdue him, and then talk to him and catch up.

"Oh, by the way, Lyanna Mormont, the niece of Elder Bear (Jeo Mormont, the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the Lord Commander and Supreme Commander of Castle Black, and Jon Snow's subordinate when he went to the Wall; the Mormont family's Valyrian steel sword—Bearclaw—was given to Jon by Elder Bear), is also here. Bring her along when we go to the tavern tomorrow!"

Ned instructed Gabert, who had not yet left the room, "Yes, sir. I will bring Lady Lyanna tomorrow." Gabert bowed and left the room.

As lords, knights, and nobles from the surrounding castles arrived at Winterfell, the already mild weather in the North began to feel hot.

Everyone was discussing the topic of the Swordsman's Tavern, talking about who could truly defeat the tavern owner Bai Ze in swordsmanship, or what the quality of the weapons that came out of the Swordsman's Tavern was like.

Teda of White Harbor has seen countless people. Even Earl Wiman Mandler of White Harbor is a little envious of Teda. Although his sword, Hanred, is not the best sword in the tavern, it is the first weapon to come from the tavern owner.

Sir Jori was in a real bind. The Crimson Phoenix Blade in his hand had already spread throughout the Northern Territory in a small circle. Familiar and unfamiliar people alike sought him out every day to appraise the Crimson Phoenix. Some even wanted to spar with him to see if the Crimson Phoenix truly possessed magical properties and if it was really that sharp.

The next morning, after getting up early and dressing, Gabert Glover, leading Lyanna Mormont, followed the Wolfsburg swordsmen to the Swordsmen's Tavern.

As soon as they arrived at the tavern entrance, they saw two fully armored swordsmen, their faces bruised and swollen, staggering out of the tavern, supporting each other. Gabert's retainer looked at the two disheveled swordsmen's attire and said to Gabert, "Swordsmen from the Skinners of Dreadfort."

Gabert glanced at the two staggering swordsmen and noticed that one of their swords was broken down to just a hilt, while the other's was almost a saw.

When Gabert Glover entered the tavern, he saw that most of the tables were occupied by all sorts of people, with only a few tables occupied by a few individuals. Gabert looked closely and realized that almost everyone who could come had come.

Jon Snow of Umber, Rickard Stark, Hayward the Knight of Wolfsburg, and many of their family's vassals were chatting and drinking, but everyone's eyes were fixed on one spot.

To the left of the tavern entrance is a large, two-story-high circular space, which is the tavern's dueling arena. In front of the semi-circular window on the left side of the arena are several weapon racks, and a beautiful blue greatsword is placed on the middle weapon rack.

In the center of the arena, a white-haired, lean, unarmored swordsman is wielding a red greatsword (Kuran's Flame Shadow Sword) and dueling with a burly swordsman.

"This white-haired man is the tavern owner, Lord Bai Ze," the Wolfsburg swordsman who led the way said to me, pointing at Gaibert with a fanatical look at the two in the arena.

Bai Ze and the burly swordsman fought evenly, with Bai Ze generally using his quick reflexes and ghost swordsman skills to teach this swordsman from the Rickard Stark family a lesson.

The burly man wielded his two-handed sword like a clumsy bear twirling a wooden stake; few could match his speed. Seeing that the swordsman was about to exhaust himself, Bai Ze increased his strength, deflecting the burly man's greatsword in two moves and lightly tapping his chest with his sword, forcing him to retreat.

He quickly stepped forward and struck the man's waist armor from the side. The big man cried out in pain. Bai Ze then struck him in the ribs with the hilt of his sword. The big man's arm went limp and he dropped the sword on the tavern floor. He curled up and knelt on the ground, clutching his injured ribs with his other hand and groaning.

The crowd around the arena cheered as they saw that the contest had been decided. Some people were even keeping track of the time to see who had lasted the longest under Boss Bai Ze's command.

The group was laughing and joking without any restraint, it seemed that the big man from House Rickard Stark hadn't brought them the perfect time they wanted.

The knights and nobles at the tables near the arena had been watching for a while. Boss Bai Ze's swordsmanship was indeed very impressive. Even without his sword, it wouldn't be easy for him to defeat Boss Bai Ze based solely on his skills.

Bai Ze looked at the people who came to the tavern today; several of them had levels above 20. He figured he should be able to complete the quest today.

Bai Ze slung his sword over his right shoulder with one hand and looked at the crowd, saying, "Thank you all, esteemed lords, knights and swordsmen, for patronizing my swordsman's tavern. I hope you all have a good time and enjoy your drinks. Here's a glass of Sosia wine for everyone; the bill is on me!"

"Yahoo!"

"Praise be to the ancient gods, praise be to Lord Bai Ze!"

The crowd cheered! Bai Meng looked at the grinning Bai Ze, rolled her eyes at him helplessly, and began pouring wine for everyone.

Bai Ze took a few steps forward and walked to a few tables near the arena, smiling as he addressed the knights:

"Welcome to our visit. I know you've all come for the sword. Don't worry, the sword isn't just the one on the shelf. Show me your skills, and as long as I'm satisfied, the sword is at your disposal."

Lyanna Mormont looked at Bai Ze as if he were a nouveau riche, pouting angrily, and didn't speak to me.

Looking at the adorable yet resilient little bear girl, Bai Ze thought, "How can I let such a beautiful lady die at the hands of the White Walkers? I'm determined to help the North! I said, even the Seven Gods couldn't save me!"

Jon Snow of House Amber was the first to lose his temper, slamming down his glass and standing up, saying:

"Then come on, that sword on the shelf is mine today!"

As they walked toward the arena, Bai Ze chuckled and turned to follow.

Jon watched as Bai Ze walked to the opposite side of him.

"bring it on!"

He drew his sword, gave a knightly salute, and prepared for battle.

Seeing Jon at level 22, Bai Ze also started to get serious. This was not like those lowly Karami who were only around level 10. Once the level difference exceeded 10, it was a whole new level. A level 20 swordsman could easily defeat several swordsmen who were only around level 10.

As we were talking, we started fighting. Jon's strength was pretty good, not much worse than the big guy from before, and his swordsmanship was also excellent. It was just that his impatient temper ruined his rhythm; he wanted to fight as fast as he could.

The continuous exchanges of blows made Jon increasingly impatient, because he couldn't find a weakness in Bai Ze to secure victory. He knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time due to his dwindling strength and his impatience. Gradually, Jon's defensive stance began to distort.

Bai Ze knew he couldn't afford to stall any longer; pushing an impatient person to their limit would cause them to lose control. Bai Ze increased the frequency and speed of his attacks. Seeing this, Gabert, sitting at a nearby table, said to Lyanna Mormont:

"Jon is going to lose. He's starting to lose his composure, while Bai Ze is just beginning his real attack."

Lyanna Mormont also noticed something amiss and nodded in agreement.

As they spoke, Bai Ze seized upon Jon's weakness, forcing him back with a single sword strike. He then moved closer, placing his sword on Jon's shoulder, and said:

"That's enough, Lord Jon. You've reached your limit. There's no fun in continuing. Don't worry, your sword won't get away."

Upon hearing Bai Ze's words, Jon Snow gradually calmed down from his near-explosive rage, sheathed his sword, and bowed to Bai Ze, who returned the bow.

The surrounding audience began to applaud and cheer, because those who could walk off the fighting field unscathed from Boss Bai Ze's hands were truly capable people; the clowns and arrogance had been knocked down and carried out of the tavern.

Bai Ze beckoned Xiao Meng over. Xiao Meng walked up to Bai Ze, who whispered a few words to her, telling her to cover up and take out the other rare purple weapons she had prepared earlier, and to let the Northern Knights have some fun.

This time, Bai Ze prepared several purple weapons with different attributes that could be purchased from the system before. Anyway, they were all going to be given to these lords to fight against the White Walkers in the end. He would give them to them sooner or later.

A short while later, Xiaomeng brought down four swords from upstairs.

Dance of Fine Snow (Ice Attribute Attack Katana)

Blue Moon Dragon's Roar Sword (Ice Attribute Greatsword)

Light-Slaying Rock-Cutting Sword (Petrifying Greatsword)

Azure Light Beast-Shaking Sword (Greatsword with Strength Bonus)

Xiaomeng placed the swords one by one on the weapon rack beside the arena, but they were covered with a cloth so no one could see what the swords looked like. However, the sight of four swords at once made everyone present feel like they were having a stroke. When did Valyrian steel swords become so common that people would take out so many at once and "give them away"!

Some people ran out of the tavern like madmen. Some were going to deliver messages to their masters or lords, while others were spies from other regions who had found out the truth and were going back to report.

Gaibert, Wyman, and others who hadn't yet taken the stage were stunned in place, while the others couldn't resist and rushed to the front of the line like madmen, wanting to take another look to see if they were seeing things because they were drunk. There were four more swords, it was so exciting.

Bai Ze glanced at his mission: two more battles to go in five, meaning his duel with Jon Snow had met the system's requirements. Looking at Gaebert, Wyman, Rickard Stark, and the others who hadn't yet made a move, Bai Ze knew he could complete the mission today.

"Come on, esteemed lords, I am very happy today. It is my honor to spar with so many experts from the North."

"Come! Let's have a good fight and take away the sword you've all been dreaming of!"

Bai Ze's bold tone excited Gabert and his companions. Gabert stood up and walked towards the tavern's dueling arena.

The duel with Gabled was not like the one with Jon Snow. Gabled was also a very cautious and calm opponent. The two exchanged blows for over a hundred moves before finally stopping due to exhaustion. The people around them still gave them a loud round of applause.

Only then did people realize that Boss Bai Ze had already fought more than four consecutive duels. The fact that he could continue to fight such high-intensity battles against top opponents made everyone realize the terrifying nature of Bai Ze's physical abilities. With such strong swordsmanship and incredible stamina, how could anyone possibly win?

But Wyman doesn't have to worry about that. The old man knows his age, and the boss won't use the same strength he uses on young people against an old man. After exchanging a few dozen blows with me, the old man stopped and exclaimed that it's good to be young.

Finally, Ser Rickard Stark came up, and this time he fought Ser Rickard Stark to his heart's content, until both of them were exhausted before stopping.

Call it a day!

Everyone was enjoying the dueling feast, drinking the Sosia wine provided by Bai Ze. Everyone was excited because the next part was the weapon introduction and selection process. They wondered what the knights would choose.

Bai Ze leaned against the bar, happily listening to the system's notification sound indicating that the task was completed.

"Ding! Mission - Engage in 5 battles against Northern Lord-level elites has been completed. Rewards are now being distributed:"

Three jewelry slots are now available (necklace, ring, bracelet).

Level +1, Random Jewelry Jar +1

The sound is so beautiful, it's intoxicating!