It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Having said that, you also need to be moderate. Always letting external things release your emotions is not a good choice."

"I know, you know I'm very clear about this, don't you? Really? I got scolded a lot at home, and now I've even quit smoking and made great progress."

"Hmph, it's good to know."

It seemed that the effect Bai Lin wanted was indeed achieved, and the poet's mood returned to a more active state. She closed her eyes slightly, then sighed, looked at Bai Lin sideways, and said,

"Holy Son, since you didn't agree to that choice just now, I won't be so forceful this time. I'll just give you a little advice. This is life advice from a fortune teller, so please listen carefully."

"Hmm? Then I'm all ears."

Although he noticed that the poet's mood had changed slightly, Bai Lin would definitely listen to his suggestion. He just listened to the poet and said slowly,

"Holy Son, never think of sacrificing yourself. Instead, believe that you will prevail in the end. No matter what difficulties and tragedies lie ahead, I hope these words will remain in your heart forever."

The actual meaning of these words was very clear to Bai Lin. After all, she had always thought so. However, when the poet said it, it had another meaning, and she couldn't help but feel a little warm in her heart. Bai Lin replied,

"Of course, I will definitely do that. Even at the last moment, I have to give it my all. I can't sacrifice myself, but I have to fight with the goal of achieving great perfection."

"Of course, if it's not such an urgent matter, and you keep it to yourself and feel that you have to sacrifice yourself, that's not good either. If you have a trusted partner, you should naturally talk to him, right?"

Bai Lin said so. The poet did not respond, then took another sip, as if to acquiesce. So Bai Lin also smiled slightly and asked again,

"By the way, poet, how old are you? You're not underage in your race, are you? Can you drink?"

"...Your question is so full of loopholes that I don't even know where to begin. Holy Son, you've been drinking for so long and you're just now asking this? You can't be serious, can you?"

"Oh, don't take it too seriously. I was just asking out of curiosity."

And so, the night between the two continued.

Chapter 820 How Much Money?

In this chaotic land, their laughter and joy spread far and wide. Just like the dwarves who inhabited this place, within this gloomy and bleak world, there still existed a spirit of happiness, a strong, and a radiant light. Those who pursue beauty exist everywhere, and no matter how bleak the world may seem, they will always move forward.

Even if all you can see ahead is the abyss...

-

Within the low walls of limestone, a flickering flame shone, making the otherwise ordinary building material appear resplendent. The bright, almost blinding, high-temperature lava filled the modest room. Within, many items of similar style were displayed.

There was a black iron bar, ablaze with flames, crimson sofas, and flame-lit signs everywhere. A skull with flaming skulls, wearing a brown leather jacket, played a flaming guitar and sang with his bizarre bandmates. And the guests crammed into the room were all eccentric, some with one, some with two, some with three, some with no head, and of course, some with inhuman forms.

A large amount of flaming liquid splashed everywhere, being poured from the container into the cocktail jug, and then fell into the guests' cups. As the guests clinked and shook their glasses, it flew into the air, or poured into their throats or other cavities.

All in all, this place, which looks like a ghost or something, seems to be quite lively, even better than a small livehouse in the human world, and there is a lot of laughter and joy among the people coming and going.

This is probably a bar.

At that moment, a figure who didn't belong in the bar pulled aside the blood-stained curtain made of some unknown leather and walked into the bar. She was a completely humanoid figure, seemingly out of character. Furthermore, she was very beautiful. Even though she was wearing simple everyday clothes, her beauty was dazzling.

It was like taking a Japanese manga character and dropping them into a realistic American comic. The word "out of place" barely captures the essence of the character. And the white fur and golden eyes made it easy to identify who this person was. Of course, it was the familiar protagonist, Bai Lin Ershlivitan.

What a coincidence! Now, we are really in the abyss.

"Oh...it's really quite hot, and it doesn't seem to be much cooler inside. But it doesn't matter. This should be a bar, right? I saw the sign outside your door says so. Do you have any drink recommendations? Give me one or two."

Bai Lin has never been a social phobic. Even though she instantly attracted the attention of most people after she came in, she still looked at the eight-clawed black shadow in the bar and said so. At this moment, a green one-eyed gel-like thing crawling on the ground screamed in fear,

"Angel...Angel is coming!!"

With its cry, fear spread instantly. Most of the guests gathered in the same direction and huddled together tightly. The big ones and the small ones looked terrified, even a little funny. And a humanoid creature glanced at Bai Lin and replied,

"Oh, that's not an angel, what are you afraid of? The color of her soul is mysterious and complex, but it's definitely not the corrupt and stinking smell of an angel. So, you races who only judge by appearance are not very good..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the guests still seated couldn't help but laugh. Clearly, they were also the type who could see spirits, as they knew Bai Lin wasn't a so-called "angel," so they didn't make a fuss. The frightened guests also breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "That's good," as they returned to their previous state.

Bai Lin, on the other hand, was a bit confused by these guys. However, she probably understood that these customers might be a little afraid of her, so she smiled awkwardly and walked towards the bar instead of going inside to find a seat.

I ordered some to try, drank it, and ran away. The main purpose was to taste it and quench my thirst. Since I was not very welcome here, it was natural to make a quick decision and not disturb other people's lives.

The man at the bar saw Bai Lin sitting like this and said very welcomingly,

"Oh? Friends who look like elves are here with us? Since you asked us if we have any recommendations, I guess you're already prepared, right?"

"Of course, just come."

Bai Lin naturally understood what the other party meant, and she replied confidently. Since everyone here is a bunch of monsters, the drinks shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary. But after trying the food at the dwarfs' place, how could the drinks here be any more outrageous? She didn't believe it. At most, it would probably taste a little weird and look a little strange.

"That's quite impressive! How about a glass of Hephaestus first?"

"No problem. It's such a classy shop, so of course I trust your taste, boss."

Bai Lin replied. The eight-clawed black shadow also moved rapidly, transforming into a hurricane, flipping over the various containers in its hands. In a short while, it completed its action. A cup of liquid that looked like burning lava was placed in a charred black cup and pushed in front of Bai Lin.

This was somewhat expected. However, Bai Lin originally wanted to drink to quench her thirst and cool down. When she was served a cup of hot drink, the smile on her face could not help but fade a little. So, she did not take it first, but asked,

"By the way, how much is it?"

In the abyss, one cannot complete a "transaction" under inexplicable circumstances. Accepting the cup would have been fine, but if Bai Lin drank it without asking beforehand, the other party's explanation might have exceeded her imagination. She still understood this.

After all, she was acting alone in a place like this... The poet must have told her everything he needed to.

The boss was also straightforward and said directly without any extra words,

"A human, or a soul of equal value. It shouldn't be difficult for Miss Elf to come up with something similar, right?"

Chapter 821 Burning

...?

Bai Lin's smile froze a bit. Although he knew that money wouldn't be used in the Abyss, how could Bai Lin possibly have a stockpile of souls? After all, did elves normally possess such a thing?

As for why Bai Lin came here to place an order so confidently when she didn't know the whole situation, the poet had told her to order whatever she wanted, whatever she could afford, but not to overdo it. Just order what she liked.

"Sh ...

Thinking of this, Bai Lin seemed to recall something. She felt around her waist for a long time and grabbed a stick-like object in her hand. At the same time, a deafening roar sounded.

"Human, what do you want to do—?!"

This voice originated from Bai Lin's mind, and its owner was naturally Kronos. Then the thing in Bai Lin's hand was naturally the spear head. Bai Lin smiled and replied to Kronos,

"Anyway, you're just a piece of shit, you do nothing all day, and you're burning me with fire and affecting my spirit. This gun isn't as powerful as it was before you. Now I've got this Beyond, so quickly trade it for some wine. I'm going to have a good day today."

"Bullshit! Is your brain filled with alcohol? Have you become stupid? Can't you feel that the ember flames are so powerful only because of my existence? As for burning you, that's because dragon flames are like that! It's just that they have no effect on us. It's because your human minds are too fragile that this happened!"

"Oh, what are you saying? How can I kill you with this gun? I'm too fragile. Forget it, just be tough. It's too late for you to kowtow to me now anyway."

Kronos, the always proud dragon, started to swear, and even tried to reason with Bai Lin. It was obvious that he was anxious and helpless. Bai Lin's attitude seemed unexpectedly firm. At this moment, a loud voice that sounded like a way to smooth things over rang out.

"Alas, my beautiful daughter, even if you have some grudge against this soul, it's such a waste to use it for drinking. With this little money, you can buy it on credit from the boss. He won't do anything to you. At most, he'll let you work here for a few days. The owner of this bar is famous for being simple and honest in the abyss."

The flaming skull had come down from the stage at some point and was walking towards Bai Lin. It spoke in a rough male voice and sat down next to Bai Lin without any hesitation, saying,

"Well, I'll buy you this drink. You should put that thing away. Don't worry, I won't cheat you. You may not know that a soul equivalent to a human is not much more valuable here than a piece of weeds outside."

This information actually made Bai Lin stunned for a moment. So... is it true that humans like her are so unappreciated? However, she certainly would not indulge in the evaluation of her own value by others. Looking at the big brother who sat down, she also briefly examined him, then suppressed her extra emotions and replied calmly,

"Gift? That sounds like a very expensive price..."

"Then beautiful lady, just tell me whether you want it or not?"

"That's really important."

"Okay, by the way, boss, give me two drinks too, old guy!"

Receiving Bai Lin's quick response, the skull nodded readily and, by the way, put forward his own demands to the boss.

A gift from the abyss is a true gift. Favors are barely a constraint for these creatures. Bai Lin, of course, was the type to follow local customs. He simply offered a glass of wine, and after a brief moment of hesitation and reflection, he agreed and took the drink.

"Beautiful lady, it seems like this is your first time here, right? I've heard that the elves are very powerful and knowledgeable, and judging from your attitude just now... you seem quite wealthy, don't you? But you'd better be careful here. Someone like you might get tricked and deceived by some big family."

After his wine was on the table, the skull naturally started chatting with Bai Lin. Bai Lin wanted to laugh when he heard this. Powerful, knowledgeable, and rich? Bai Lin was only slightly related to the first word. As long as I am not good enough, those big families will definitely not be able to trick me. So, Bai Lin replied very quickly,

"It's okay, I know what I'm talking about. Brother, how should I address you? You've already bought me a drink, so I can't possibly not recognize you."

"Hey, what do you mean by knowing me or not? Just call me Lao Hong."

As soon as the word "Old Red" was mentioned, everyone knew it was not a real name. However, Bai Lin did not express anything. Here, one should be more cautious about one's real name. After all, there are more chaotic races in the abyss, so she just asked for a name out of courtesy. She raised the wine glass in her hand and said to the other party without any excessive emotion.

"Okay! Lao Hong, cheers!"

"Come on."

The glasses clinked, and Bai Lin finally entered the tasting phase she'd been waiting for. As soon as the wine entered her mouth, a sinister feeling immediately filled her mind. A liquid, resembling gasoline, passed from the tip of her tongue into her throat, its interior mingled with what seemed like ash, giving her an unpleasant sensation that wasn't quite liquid.

Most importantly, a blazing burning sensation struck Bai Lin's very core, making her feel as if her head was about to explode. It wasn't just a simple heat wave; physical heat wouldn't have caused her to feel this way. It was a real feeling that even her body couldn't resist.

Of course, with Bai Lin's temperament, she'd already ordered and drank, so how could she stop just because the heat was making her brain tremble? She quickly drained the contents of the cup, slammed the cup to her hand, breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped the corners of her slightly wet mouth with her hand.

"Wow, beautiful, you really have a good alcohol tolerance. This is the first time I've seen an outsider drink this in one gulp right after arriving here."

It was clear that Lao Hong, on the other side, had also finished his drink. He casually pushed aside an empty cup and said this to Bai Lin. Bai Lin smiled and waved her hand without saying much, perhaps trying to convey that it was a piece of cake. But a closer look at her forehead revealed an inexplicable vaporous substance seeping out. It was like a computer had crashed.

Chapter 822 Don’t look at it, you’ll be tricked

As we all know, computers are water-cooled. The human brain is affected by high-temperature substances, so it is natural that it will overheat.

"Speaking of which, beautiful lady, what are you doing wandering around here all by yourself? Are you traveling? We don't have any beautiful scenery here, and the food and drinks don't seem to suit your taste."

After drinking a glass of wine, it is necessary to chat with each other. Although Bai Lin's brain is hot, she is still quite sober. She only heard Bai Lin reply,

"I'm doing some work and trying it out. How can I know if it suits my taste if I haven't tried it? The wine here is really strong. It's not bad to try it once."

"Oh? It seems you like it. I'm a regular customer of this shop. As long as I bring in new customers, the boss will give me some free drinks every month. How about this? I'll consider you as the one who brought me here. When you don't come to the Abyss, the free drinks belong to me. If you come, I'll treat you to some drinks. How about that?"

Seeing that Bai Lin seemed to be very understanding, Lao Hong directly put forward his own suggestions. Bai Lin, who had just finished drinking, was more sober after hearing such terms. She did not rush to answer, but looked at the owner in the bar and asked,

"Boss, is that so?"

The creature inside nodded and gave an affirmative answer. Lao Hong also struck while the iron was hot and took out a contract from behind his waist. After making two strokes on it, he presented it directly to Bai Lin and said,

"Beautiful lady, you understand, right? In our Abyss, the most effective thing is the contract. Although this isn't a big deal, you should still take a good look at it. If you think it's okay, then sign it. This is a good thing for both of us, as we can both get what we need!"

Bai Lin had no doubts. She was a person who would be skeptical of unfamiliar things, but she would not make excessive and malicious assumptions about others without reason. Everything was based on facts. So, she took the contract and examined it carefully.

The paper didn't look overly stiff, yet it had a thickness that gave it a sense of reliability. Fancy borders clung to the edges, giving the contract a sense of reliability and professionalism. The text contained a lot of content; it seemed quite complex, despite being just about a few drinks. The rules and regulations seemed rigorous and meticulous, so Bai Lin read it carefully.

Just like Lao Hong said, in the Abyss, the power of contracts is extremely strong, so Bai Lin did not dare to underestimate it. If it can be achieved, it will be beneficial to her.

"Don't look at it, Holy Son, you'll fall for it."

At this moment, a familiar voice sounded, interrupting Bai Lin's thoughts. There were probably not many people who could call out the name of the Holy Son in a place like this, and of course, the only one who cared about her so much was the poet. The poet had walked through the curtain and came to Bai Lin's side. She pointed at the contract and said,

"The contract in the abyss is indeed very effective, and it will definitely be presented in written form. Granted, you have good eyesight, and those tricks using small print won't fool you, but..."

"Other things, I can't say for sure. For example, the border around the edge of this contract is actually the language of a certain world. Let me see... Well, if I translate this simply, it means you're signing a contract to sell yourself. There's a lot more to it below..."

At this point, the poet sighed slightly, and then she continued,

"This is one of the most common mistakes made by beings from the upper realm. After all, in many cultures, this pattern is far removed from the written language they recognize. Furthermore, the way he just introduced himself to you is also a form you're familiar with, intended to bring you closer and ease your guard. The act of offering you a drink naturally needs no explanation."

The poet's words made Bai Lin's expression more and more interesting, from surprise to anger. She glared at the flaming skull next to her and snapped her fingers, as if to say, "If you don't explain quickly, you will have no chance to quibble." The skull seemed to be slightly embarrassed. He sighed and shook his head, and replied,

"Ah, someone in the know has messed things up. The elves and fortune tellers like you are actually working together? That's rare. I admit defeat. However, in the abyss, this level of behavior is very normal. You have no reason to interfere with me, and you must not use your power to threaten me."

"We don't mean that. The elves over there just want to beat you up. It's a simple idea, and it's also a valid one. After all, there's no explicit prohibition here on fighting over personal feelings. But Holy Son, I don't recommend you do that."

The poet put more pressure on Bai Lin and changed the subject. Seeing Bai Lin's slightly surprised look, she explained,

"As for pain, this creature is already accustomed to it. And creatures like it cannot die in the abyss. While you have a way to kill it, there's no need to do it just for this. After all, it couldn't trick you, so just consider it a warning."

The poet's words were something that both sides could carefully consider. Bai Lin naturally didn't think too much about what the poet said. She felt that what the poet said made sense, so she didn't express her opinion much and turned her gaze back to the other party. As for Lao Hong, he replied with a slightly forced tone,

"Hmph, don't think you can bluff me just because you're a fortune teller. But since you're putting pressure on me by saying you can kill me, you must have a need for what I have, right?"

"Whether it's a deception or not, you know it yourself. But your guess is not wrong. We want to buy something from you. Of course, we do."

The poet didn't give the other party a chance to speak. The small round robot behind her floated out. With a flash of light, it printed out something that looked similar to the object in the other party's hand. She slapped it on the table, motioning Bai Lin to hand it to him, and said,

"Manifesting multiple souls in the Abyss shouldn't be a difficult task. What we want is that medicine, and a small cage to confine them. The specific price is already written in the contract, so you can just go and negotiate with my brother. I'm allowed to raise the price a little, but you'd better be sensible."

"Although he's not a bloodthirsty person, it's hard to say if his exorbitant asking price angers others. You're also a smart person, so you should understand what I mean."

A constant stream of information emerged from the poet's words. Bai Lin had occasionally witnessed this kind of outwardly assertive side.

Chapter 823 The scenery at the bottom of the valley is not starry

After all, the poet's attitude when talking to himself was different from when talking to others, and Bai Lin was very clear about this. Her tribe seemed to be very noble, so no matter what race, they all seemed to respect the poet.

Lao Hong really didn't have the chance to speak. He took the contract, glanced at it, and quickly confirmed it. Then, he said,

"Hmm? You want two doses of medicine, so you need a cage? As a fortune teller and an elf, you don't need me to remind you that while a cage can confine two souls, it's very likely to..."

"Don't worry about that. Just give us the things."

The poet interrupted the other person neatly, and Lao Hong raised his hands in surrender. Without saying anything more, he clapped his hands and conjured a pocket out of thin air. Two black stones that looked like coins and a small birdcage were thrown out of it and fell on the table. Then, Lao Hong said,