Chapter 598, My Heart Feels Heavy
The others also reacted—whenever black hair and black eyes were mentioned, it referred to the Island Lord.
It was talking about the Island Lord.
Not much different from the detective stories.
Now, everyone started to become interested.
The Island Lord Wu Heng had appeared.
In other words, this was a real story.
The detective stories always began from Watson's perspective, but this time, it was Benny's.
But what connection could the Island Lord have with a tavern maid from a remote place?
"It must be about the Island Lord, probably one of his past experiences."
"Maybe she was the Island Lord's lover. When I was young, I grew up in a tavern under Ophelia's care."
"If it's that kind of story, I actually want to hear it."
"Everyone, quiet! I want to hear this story."
...…
With the appearance of the male and female protagonists, the story became easier to understand.
Benny, seeing him there for the first time, recommended a milder-flavored drink. Wu Heng invited her to sit and asked if she had encountered any foreigners with a southern accent from the Yak Kingdom.
Benny thought for a moment and provided clues about someone she had met.
"He's gathering clues—so it's still a detective story."
"Looking for a foreigner with a southern accent? Must be a fugitive."
The crowd murmured in low voices, their thoughts beginning to turn with the story.
...…
After obtaining the information, Wu Heng left.
He used Benny's intel to track down a criminal hiding in the city, killed him, and rescued the missing child.
They met again at the tavern.
Wu Heng brought her a share of the bounty and told her about the rescue and the gratitude of the child's parents. When Benny heard that she had indirectly saved the missing child, she smiled.
Wu Heng left, and Benny stared at his departing figure for a long time.
Later, when Wu Heng was promoted, he came to bid farewell to Benny.
Benny was reluctant to part. She wanted to leave with him but felt inferior because of her status, so she never spoke up. The next day, she stood in the crowd, watching as Wu Heng boarded the train to another city.
The two seemed to have no further connection—one became a squad captain, while the other continued working in the tavern.
Everyone furrowed their brows.
It wasn't a romance story, nor was it a detective story.
The initial case was resolved too smoothly—he got the intel, found the target, and eliminated him. It lacked the excitement of a true detective tale.
...…
Just when everyone thought the story had ended…
And were about to curse it as garbage…
Saban continued telling the story.
With a shift in tone, he introduced a religious cult.
"The Destiny Sect—a cult wanted by the Guild. Its leader is over level 18, with many level 15 experts. They traveled to the northern kingdom, spreading their doctrine and recruiting followers."
But neither the Guild nor the local authorities had received this information.
Benny overheard rumors about the cult at the tavern. She went to the Guild, hoping to trade intelligence for the status of a Whisperer.
She set out for Gold-Silver Island…
...…
Clang~!
A patron dropped his cup, spilling his drink everywhere.
The story was implying that an ordinary person went to investigate a cult with level 18 Professionals?
Could she even survive that?
Even if she managed to gather intelligence, small places like hers had no means to resist such a cult.
As if confirming everyone's fears…
Benny was discovered by the cult while trying to send out a message and was trapped inside a house.
The cultists mocked and scolded her.
Benny, initially terrified and hesitant, gradually became resolute and fierce. She cursed the level 18 cult leader and denounced all the cultists who had slaughtered villagers.
The leader was furious, and the cultists were equally enraged.
They decided to drag her out and execute her.
Benny knocked over an oil lamp and slowly walked into the flames.
Standing amidst the raging fire, she declared that the spirits of the slain villagers would await them, and that Wu Heng would return to avenge her and the villagers.
The fire grew fiercer, swallowing her figure.
...…
Silence filled the tavern.
In the corners, faint sobs could be heard from the tavern maids.
"Damn cult! I want to tear them apart."
"What the hell is the Guild doing? Sending an ordinary person to investigate a level 18 Professional? Using civilians as informants?"
"What a waste… she was such a good girl."
"And the Island Lord? The newspaper published all this, and he did nothing? He could at least avenge her."
"That level 18 cult isn't even near Gold-Silver Island—how could he go there to kill them?"
"My heart feels heavy… today's story is too painful."
The patrons clenched their fists and cursed in low voices. The sobbing around them grew louder, making the tavern's atmosphere even more sorrowful.
No one had expected this kind of story.
A simple tavern maid had done something most people wouldn't dare to do.
Saban let out a deep breath before continuing with the final conclusion, "Benny had no surviving relatives, so the local Guild sent a letter to Gold-Silver Island…"
The crying stopped, and the tavern fell silent.
Everyone turned their gaze to the stage.
They hoped for a better ending.
"Island Lord Wu Heng traveled there, used magic to awaken Benny's spirit, and she revealed all the intelligence she had gathered."
"Later, Wu Heng allied with the local Guild to launch a purge against the cult, eliminating them all."
"Avenge Benny, and the villagers from three nearby settlements."
Hoo~!
Everyone let out a long breath.
It felt like… at least it was a satisfying ending.
At the very least, Benny got to stay by Wu Heng's side in some form, and the cult was completely wiped out.
The tavern became lively again.
On the stage, Saban's eyes gleamed as a powerful aura surged from his body. He suddenly had a deeper understanding of the bard's profession.
"Mr. Saban, are you alright?" the bartender whispered.
Saban swallowed and softly said, "I've reached level 10."
...…
Guild.
Sheila Grey returned from a mission.
She glanced at her sister and asked, "A new newspaper? Did they find the culprit?"
Shiyali handed her the newspaper. "It's not a detective story today. It's about Wu Heng and a tavern maid."
"A tavern maid? No way…" Sheila Grey asked as she removed her armor.
"See for yourself. The story's down there."
Sheila Grey curiously looked over, raising an eyebrow.
Benny!
A tavern maid.
"So that's what he was doing when he left a few days ago," Sheila Grey said, sitting down.
Shiyali asked curiously, "Aren't you jealous?"
"This is good, isn't it? A righteous necromancer." Sheila Grey said casually, then suddenly corrected herself, "Wait, why would I be jealous?"
...…
Island Lord's Manor.
Wu Heng finished testing his new trait in the courtyard.
The effect was excellent—it provided the same defense as two pieces of leather armor, which was already quite good.
It significantly improved his safety.
He hadn't expected to complete the Tier 3 potion research today.
But that was a good thing.
Now that it was developed, future production would be streamlined, like an assembly line.
Thinking this, he casually opened his panel.
His gaze sharpened.
[Level: 18 (257,831/305,000)]
[Renown: 18 (48,552/48,000)]
His renown had surpassed the threshold.
This wasn't just from this issue of the newspaper.
The renown gain also included the newspapers distributed in Rentam City.
Last time he was in Rentam City, his renown had already reached 33,000.
Since then, two more issues had been published there, right when the story was at its peak.
It was normal for the renown to surpass the limit.
"My renown exceeded the cap, but nothing changed."
Analyzing it, he figured that while his renown was sufficient, his level experience hadn't yet reached the requirement.
Fortunately, renown was still accumulating—it wasn't being wasted.
He turned and said, "Minnie, I'm heading to my room. You all can play."
"Do you need me to take care of you?" Minnie asked.
"I'm not taking any more potions. If I need anything, I'll call you."
"Alright, Master."
Minnie responded and left for the orchard with the other two maids.
...…
Wu Heng returned to the study.
The three ghostly figures he had sent out also returned, floating around the room.
"How did the story perform?" Wu Heng asked.
Even if the renown wasn't fully credited to this newspaper,
The results were still evident.
"It was a blast!" Xiaoxiao excitedly flew over. "Benny's famous now—the whole island practically knows her."
Glenda, speaking more calmly, said, "At first, people were resistant because it wasn't a detective story. But once they heard it, they found it impressive."
"Yeah, when Benny was swallowed by the fire, the tavern was filled with crying," Xiaoxiao added.
It seemed the story had a strong impact.
Being able to stir readers' emotions proved its success.
Benny's story had been slightly altered.
Blackstone Town wasn't mentioned, and the Destiny Sect was renamed the Spirit Sect.
Although it was unlikely that the Destiny Sect's remnants would see the newspaper, precautions were necessary. Changing the name didn't affect the story.
Wu Heng looked at Benny and asked, "Benny, how do you feel?"
"I don't feel much. But Lady Glenda wrote me as too much of a hero. If I had known how dangerous it was, I wouldn't have gone," Benny said with a smile.
Benny had worked in a tavern for years.
She wasn't shy at all. In fact, she felt like Wu Heng had published her story as a form of protection.
It made her feel cared for.
Wu Heng nodded and then said, "The detective story will continue in the next issue. We still need it to build renown."
"We can release the next issue two days early," Glenda suggested.
"That works too."