"You’re on my turf, so you better hand it over!" The chubby leader pulled out a knife, his face twisted menacingly. "You better take it out yourself, or else..."

"Alright, alright~" The clown handed over the silver coin with a strange laugh.

The guy couldn’t think of anything else when he saw the silver coin in the clown’s hand. He quickly reached out to grab it.

But what happened next shocked everyone. The moment he reached out, the silver coin slipped right through his fingers.

This scene stunned the chubby guy for a second. He instinctively grabbed the clown’s hand to check, then looked at the ground, but there was nothing there. It was as if the silver coin had vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Where’s the money?"

Only then did he realize and questioned the clown.

"Didn’t give it to you? They both saw it too."

The clown’s words cracked the already fragile trust among the three because they both actually saw him reach for it.

The chubby guy felt the weight of their gaze and instinctively defended himself.

"I didn’t take it, the silver coin must be hidden by him."

Saying this, he raised his knife threateningly towards the clown. "Hurry up and hand it over!"

"But I’ve already given it to you, you can’t deny it, even if you kill me, it won’t change anything."

The clown’s words deepened the suspicion among the other two. The formation restraining the clown subtly shifted, as the two people spoke to the chubby guy.

"Stop messing around, hand it over."

"Yeah, we agreed to split it evenly."

"I’ve told you, I didn’t take it!" The chubby guy roared like a madman, feeling the accusatory eyes of his comrades.

"Then where did the money go?"

"I said it was him..."

Just as the chubby guy tried to find the clown to prove his point, he realized the clown was gone.

They looked around and couldn’t spot the clown’s recognizable figure. Only then did they realize they had been tricked.

"Where did he go?"

"I have no idea..."

"Stop playing with your stupid knife and find him!"

Meanwhile, the clown had already left that place and entered a regular tavern down a nearby street.

Even during the day, the bustling city had plenty of people in the bars. After all, not many taverns in this city allow you to sit all day for just a cup of beer that’s worse than swill.

Some people there were waiting for work, others used it as a resting spot during work breaks, some might have just woken up from last night’s drunken haze, and some were there to eat...

But undoubtedly, most of them were ordinary, struggling folks.

As soon as the clown entered, all the drinkers turned to him with smiles, and someone shouted.

"The clown’s back!"

"Why are you back so early today? Must’ve made a fortune, huh?"

They deliberately shouted at the top of their voices.

"I bet some rich fella rewarded him with a bag of gold coins!"

"Hahaha!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and the atmosphere inside and outside the tavern was cheerfully lively.

Amid the teasing uproar of the crowd, the clown didn’t get angry. Instead, he leaned on the bar counter, placed nine copper coins down, and gestured to the attendant, "Settle the bill."

These past couple of days, he didn’t make any money, and this tavern was the only place willing to take him in, given his fallen clown status. As for getting some food, it was thanks to those who were just making a fuss.

"Damn! Did he really meet a rich fella!"

"Is there really someone willing to tip these days?"

"Not much, not much, is it... not even much..." The clown’s voice carried a pleased laughter from beneath the mask, and even though it was covered, it seemed as if you could see his smiling face.

Just now, a nobleman tipped him a silver coin, but about the other copper coins, who knows how he got them.

Soon after, he extended his hand, turned it over, and a silver coin miraculously appeared in his palm. He placed it on the table.

"The rest is for everyone to have a drink!"

The clown’s words caused an uproar in the tavern. Everyone raised their glasses in respect, accompanied by cheers.

"Alright!"

"Bring the drinks! Bring the drinks!"

"Hahaha! Let’s have a tune!"

The attendant seemed to be infected by the lively atmosphere too, letting out a holler.

"Coming~!"

Amid the preparations, the commotion seemed to alert the boss from the back room. A bald middle-aged man came out, shouting with an agitated voice.

"What are you making a racket for? You bunch of stupid groundhogs!"

But everyone kept laughing, and some of the regulars even heckled, provoking the bald boss to express his anger.

"Oh~ damn, watch out or I’ll kick your ass with my boot, I swear I will!"

"Old man, aren’t you going to make money?"

"Money? What money?" he said before noticing the silver coin on the table. Instantly, his demeanor changed, "Look, such an amazing thing!"

This scene amused everyone again, and the bartender, seemingly used to the boss’s personality, chuckled while busying himself.

The boss ignored everyone’s heckling, picking up the silver coin and weighing it like a miser.

After a while, he confidently gestured to the clown, "I knew you were promising the moment I saw you."

"Yeah, right, right~" The clown’s voice under the mask was peculiar, carrying a somewhat sarcastic tone for some reason.

With the drinks flowing, stories continued.

The tavern quickly became lively, and everyone started bragging.

Don’t assume that just because they’re ordinary people, they lack information sources. On the contrary, people from all walks of life gather here, and there’s a wealth of information.

Currently, the hottest topic in the Empire isn’t the rebels at the frontline, nor the missing princess.

It’s Hamlet, the rumored land of gold, filled with lost ruins waiting for treasures to be discovered.

There’s no denying that such a topic holds immense allure for everyone. Who hasn’t fantasized about finding a treasure and becoming wealthy overnight?

Especially for those living at the bottom, they yearn to change their lives, yet most have had their edges smoothed by reality.

Although the clown treated them to drinks, he himself didn’t drink; he just sat nearby listening to their conversations. He loved this kind of environment, as it sparked his inspiration.

This wasn’t the first day he’d heard this. At first, he listened as if it were a story.

However, over these past few days, the news about Hamlet hasn’t diminished; instead, it’s grown, piquing even his interest.

Hamlet, what sort of place is that?

Just then, the tavern door was pushed open. Nobody bothered at first until the newcomers made a racket, making it clear it was the same trio from earlier.

"Found him!"

"Hiding here, of all places!"

"Stole our money and tried to escape?"

The trio approached the clown, their anger undisguised.

They realized earlier that not only did they fail to get the money, but their own money was stolen.

How could they tolerate that?

They’re in the business; if people find out, how can they operate?

Snakes have their paths, rats have theirs.

The clown played around the area for two days, and it didn’t take long for them to track him down.

Honestly, this had nothing to do with anyone else, and they were so used to acting domineeringly, they simply ignored others.

But they needed to know what kind of place this was, especially after the clown just treated everyone to drinks. Approaching like this, they were clearly causing trouble.

The trio didn’t realize the tavern had suddenly gone silent until someone unexpectedly made a sound.

"Bang!"

The sound of a heavy oaken tankard hitting the table was followed by the rapid clattering of taps.

Those customers, who had been chatting, now focused their gazes on the three intruders, and their eyes were far from welcoming.

For a moment, the trio was taken aback, standing frozen in their tracks.

This situation didn’t seem right...

"Kid, do you even know where you are?" The tavern owner had lost his previous demeanor, holding a musket, placing it on the bar, with a menacing face, "Who gave you the guts to cause trouble on my turf?"

To run a tavern in a place like this, without incident for so many years, one would surely need some capabilities.