Chapter 45: Wangyin Inn
After flying with their spirit swords for several days, a few people finally arrived in the territory of Lingxiao Sect.
The first city of Lingxiao Sect is called Qian City. The city is surrounded by rolling great mountains. From afar, it looks like a vast, hundred-mile expanse of mountains, one after another, verdant and lush, resembling a colossal jade-green cage.
It felt like anyone who entered would never be able to leave. The tallest, largest, and most magnificent of these cages was called Mount Shuangyu, which was the destination for Ming Zhaoshuang and the others.
It happened to be getting late, and the group was travel-worn and exhausted. Fei Changxiu then led everyone to find an inn, intending to rest before going to Mount Chunhua to rescue Qin Zhi the next day.
“Wangyin Inn, what a strange name.”
Fei Changxiu stood at the entrance of the inn, supporting Ji Qi with one hand and Ming Chenxing with the other.
Ming Chenxing took a step back, and Fei Changxiu almost fell.
“What are you doing, kid!”
Fei Changxiu glared at Ming Chenxing, then quickly supported He Jiusi with one hand and maintained his nonchalant demeanor as he entered the inn.
Fei Changxiu said to the innkeeper, “We need seven superior rooms.”
The innkeeper frowned. “Superior rooms are scarce; only one is left. Sir, perhaps you would accept one superior room and six standard rooms?”
Fei Changxiu was puzzled. “Looking at your inn, it doesn’t seem like you’re short on superior rooms. How is it that there’s only one left when I arrive?”
Qian City is remote, with little foot traffic, and naturally, few guests.
This Wangyin Inn was a hundred feet tall, with flickering lights. Its tiles were mixed with spiritual power, its beams were hard and dark, its windows small and deep, and its large door was thick and ancient. It appeared extremely safe and exceedingly spacious, and by all appearances, it should not have been lacking seven superior rooms.
To be honest, Fei Changxiu, as a businessman, truly doubted whether this inn would turn a profit.
After all, tiles mixed with spiritual power were extremely expensive; they were typically used by sects that cultivated cultivators.
However, for ordinary folk, common tiles would suffice. Spirit tiles were not only costly but also somewhat of an overkill.
Fei Changxiu understood, but he was not unreasonable. After a moment of silence, he said:
“How about this, you give me three superior rooms and four standard rooms, and I’ll pay you double the price, alright?”
The innkeeper blushed with embarrassment. “Our inn does indeed have few guests, but… but there is truly only one superior room available each day. This is not a matter of money.”
His explanation was strange. What did he mean by only one superior room available each day?
Fei Changxiu was perplexed. “Are your other superior rooms perhaps already booked by other guests?”
The innkeeper stammered for a long time, unable to utter a word. “Indeed, there’s nothing that can be done. Sir, why don’t you take one superior room for yourself and let others stay in the standard rooms?”
Seeing Fei Changxiu’s darkened expression, the innkeeper added in a small voice, “Anyway, you are the leader, and no one will blame you.”
Fei Changxiu snorted coldly. “Then give us seven standard rooms.”
The innkeeper acknowledged and then lowered his head to prepare the rooms.
However, he couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “After arguing for so long, they only want seven standard rooms. If they don’t have money, they don’t have money, but they still pretend not to understand the rules of our Wangyin Inn.”
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but Fei Changxiu’s high cultivation and keen hearing caught every word. His eyebrows shot up, and he slammed his hand on the table, saying:
“What do you mean? Do you think I, young master, have no money? If you had even three superior rooms, no, even if you had three superior rooms, I wouldn’t book standard rooms.”
The innkeeper was startled by Fei Changxiu and said, “Sir, please calm down, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean, mocking me for not having money? Just kidding, do you know how much my Grandpa Fei’s family has? If I put you in my family’s bank, you couldn’t count all the money in a lifetime!”
Fei Changxiu truly did not expect that he, the second richest person in the Lower Cultivation World, would be mocked for not having money. This was simply absurd.
Fei Changxiu continued to speak:
“Do you think I wanted to book standard rooms? In all my years, when have I ever stayed in a standard room? But do you think I’m the kind of person who would take superior rooms while my masters… younger siblings have to stay in standard rooms?”
When they were out, they couldn’t reveal their relationship as cultivators, so Fei Changxiu and the others all referred to each other as siblings.
Fei Changxiu’s several younger brothers were truly helpless with his tendency to argue over trivial matters. They shook their heads, thinking that perhaps he would be fine after a few more scoldings.
After all, if they went to persuade him, Fei Changxiu might blurt out anything. Seeing that he liked to play, they might as well let him play.
Thus, Fei Changxiu vented his anger to his heart’s content.
“I don’t care if you only have a few superior rooms left. This young master wants seven today, and all my younger siblings must have superior rooms.”
“You said I don’t have money? Let me show you how much money I have! Are the superior rooms already booked? I’ll give you ten times the price and tell them to get lost!”
“Don’t try to play coy with your grandpa. Believe it or not, I’ll buy this whole shop of yours!”
……
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ming Zhaoshuang, Shen Liqian, He Qingqing, and others were looking around the Wangyin Inn, chatting and laughing.
However, for some reason, Ming Zhaoshuang had a sense of foreboding.
The three of them saw that the walls inside and outside this inn were plastered with many notices, layered on top of each other. New ones were still brightly colored and illuminated on the walls, while old paper had turned pale and brittle with time.
Fei Changxiu was discussing room bookings with the innkeeper ahead, so the three, bored, stared at these notices for a long time, occasionally pointing out interesting things written on them to each other.
But Qian City was, after all, just a small city, and only trivial matters happened there.
Ming Zhaoshuang whispered, “Our Young City Lord only reached Golden Core Formation at twenty, how could he have posted so many notices for over a month?”
He Qingqing whispered, “Why are they reporting that the dog from their City Lord’s mansion gave birth to eight puppies?”
Ming Zhaoshuang whispered, “Don’t tell me, their Young City Lord also had eight, just like the dog.”
He Qingqing whispered, “Don’t tell me, their Young City Lord’s thirtieth concubine just joined their household last month.”
Shen Liqian remained silent, only searching for amusement among the notices.
Suddenly, a greasy, hoarse voice interrupted their conversation:
“That’s right, I, this lord, reached Golden Core Formation at twenty. Isn’t that amazing?”
The three looked up, their gazes converging on the man before them.
The man was short and gaunt, with small eyes and a protruding mouth. He had a large mole on his forehead, which looked particularly terrifying under the dim light of the Wangyin Inn.
Ming Zhaoshuang swallowed, not because of the Young City Lord’s ugly appearance, but because he felt extremely embarrassed for gossiping about someone and being overheard.
“Hey, little beauty.”
The Young City Lord of Qian City was startled by the appearance of the three, and especially when he saw Shen Liqian, his eyes gleamed with unconcealed greed.
“In that case, you shall be my thirty-first concubine!”
His pair of black fingers pointed towards He Qingqing and Ming Zhaoshuang:
“You are slightly less attractive, so you will be the thirty-second. As for you, you are too young, but I don’t mind. I can reserve a room for you and welcome you in a couple of years.”
He squinted, observing Ming Zhaoshuang.
Shen Liqian frowned. Previously, when the Young City Lord of Qian City offended her, she had no reaction. However, when he offended Ming Zhaoshuang, Shen Liqian unceremoniously pushed his hand away and said word by word, “Respect yourself!”
The beauty’s jade hand did not anger the Young City Lord of Qian City; instead, it made him even more excited.
He chuckled lewdly, “Little beauty, don’t be angry. How about this, I’ll just take you.”
As he spoke, he lewdly rubbed his palms, looking impatient.
“Presumptuous!”
Just then, a long sword sliced through the air and stabbed directly at the Young City Lord’s feet. A powerful spiritual flow erupted from the ground, kicking up dust and flying dirt!
The Young City Lord trembled all over and then noticed four youths standing at the end of the inn.
“What do you intend to do to my three younger sisters?”
Fei Changxiu tilted his head, smiling playfully at the Young City Lord.
Behind him, Ming Chenxing, Ji Qi, and Jiu Si’s long swords all shone with brilliant light, and the spiritual flow, symbolizing cultivators, spread outwards, even clinging to the feet of the Young City Lord.
The Young City Lord of Qian City swallowed. The guards behind him also drew their spirit swords, their spiritual flows surging, covertly confronting the four.
Just as the situation became tense, the innkeeper, who had been thoroughly berated by Fei Changxiu, slapped his forehead, finally mustering the courage to respond to Fei Changxiu’s earlier request:
“Uh, the remaining superior rooms in our establishment have all been booked by the Young City Lord. His thirty concubines are all in there.”
