Bai Xue watched with puzzlement the man who had appeared out of nowhere. After pondering for a while, she remembered that she had seen him before at her home.
She only met Xue Mingzhi once and didn’t know him well, but she had a deep impression of Xue Mingzhi’s uncle, Fu Hua.
When Fu Hua visited Shen Yuan, he always brought her delicious food and small toys. Because of this, she had a semblance of familiarity towards Xue Mingzhi, who often accompanied Fu Hua.
She was naturally elated to see a familiar face here who helped scare off the villain.
She waved her small paw towards the room, continuously making “yiyi” sounds.
Looking at Bai Xue’s gesture, Xue Mingzhi suddenly understood, “Are you saying Mr. Shen is cultivating inside the room?”
Bai Xue nodded vigorously. Then, she waved her small paw towards Qin Yuewu, putting on a ferocious expression, seemingly urging Xue Mingzhi to beat up the ruffian in front of her.
Xue Mingzhi turned his gaze towards Qin Yuewu, his smile slowly fading from his face.
“Captain Qin, I need an explanation.”
At this moment, Qin Yuewu was utterly flustered. He had not expected that he would offend the young master of the Earl Xue family by simply choosing a room.
Although Young Master Xue Mingzhi was not the direct heir, his exceptional cultivation talent gained him an invitation from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to attend the question and answer forum.
The Xue family’s status wasn’t considered top-tier in the Imperial Capital, nor was Xue Mingzhi’s cultivation talent the most outstanding, but when combined, they were enough for Xue Mingzhi to enter the circle of elite talents in the capital. The significance of this was self-evident as he now had contacts who were children of kings, ministers, and generals.
Furthermore, half a month ago, Xue Mingzhi broke through to the Qi Transformation Stage, attracting attention from all sides. His cultivation speed was even faster than some talents who were claimed to be superior to him, instantly elevating Xue Mingzhi’s reputation.
Even the conservative Uncle Changyuan held a birthday party for his fiftieth birthday under the pretext of celebrating Xue Mingzhi’s achievement. Anyone with discerning eyes knew that the banquet was to celebrate the emergence of a true prodigy in the Xue family.
To offend such a talent was to offend Uncle Changyuan. Qin Yuewu, a mere Western Army doyen, was nothing in front of Uncle Changyuan, the commander. He didn’t possess the capability to contend against him.
With a single word from the Xue family, even if he had reached the Qi Transformation Stage, he could still be expelled from the Western Army, and be despised by the various dignitaries of the Imperial Capital.
What’s more, the resources for his breakthrough to the Qi Transformation Stage were given by the Imperial Court. Once he was removed from the Western Army and lost the blessing of the Royal Qi, his talent wouldn’t be able to support his cultivation.
Upon thinking this, Qin Yuewu’s rugged face turned pale.
“Young Master Xue, I truly didn’t know that the person in the room was your fri...”
Xue Mingzhi raised his right hand, his expression icy.
“No need for explanations. After apologizing to Mr. Shen, you can leave.”
Qin Yuewu’s eyes lit up. He didn’t care about the apology and asked expectantly:
“Young Master Xue, if after apologizing...”
If Xue Mingzhi decided not to hold a grudge over this matter, he would be willing to apologize even if it meant kneeling.
Xue Mingzhi’s face darkened. “After you go back, I will propose to my father to discipline the Western Army. As a Captain of the glorious Western Army, you tried to forcibly seize someone’s room in this town, which is simply a disgrace to the Western Army’s reputation!”
Qin Yuewu’s face turned deathly pale. Xue Mingzhi’s words were akin to a death sentence for him.
Just after Xue Mingzhi finished reprimanding, he suddenly felt a slight force tugging at his trousers.
It was Bai Xue pulling at his clothes, eagerly pointing at Qin Yuewu and then at herself.
At first, Xue Mingzhi was slightly confused, but seeing Bai Xue’s serious expression, he immediately understood.
“Right, you also have to apologize to Miss Bai Xue!”
Qin Yuewu’s face turned crimson.
With a single sentence, Xue Mingzhi took away his identity as a Western Army doyen, and even made him apologize to an animal, clearly showing his disregard.
“Xue Mingzhi, you’ve gone too far!”
Since he had already lost his position and offended the Xue family behind Xue Mingzhi, Qin Yuewu simply decided to make a clean break.
“I’ve already paid the deposit for this room. The ones who should leave are this beast and the man inside.”
Xue Mingzhi glared fiercely at him, causing the two young men in brocade clothes behind him to burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! It seems your family name doesn’t hold much weight, huh.”
“Mingzhi, why don’t you trade that half vial of Spiritual Liquid to me, and I’ll sort this guy out for you?”
The teasing of the two well-dressed young men didn’t bother Xue Mingzhi at all. From the beginning to the end, his focus was on Shen Yuan’s attitude inside the room.
He knew immediately that this was a rare opportunity to improve his relationship with Shen Yuan, and he was eager to present himself in front of Shen Yuan.
Who would have thought that Qin Yuewu would dare to resist, which infuriated him.
At this moment, a cold voice came from the corridor.
“Noisy behavior is forbidden in the Moon Viewing Inn!”
Everyone turned towards the voice to see a middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white gown with an embroidered crescent moon on his chest, walking up to the third floor.
Everyone’s expression changed slightly as they recognized the logo on the man’s chest as belonging to the Moon Viewing Chamber, the sect that founded the Moon Viewing Inn.
The Moon Viewing Chamber was a powerful sect in the Yun province that held a blessed land of inheritance, second only to Mount Laojun.
In this era of Spirit Energy Tidal Surge, the influence of the sects was growing stronger with the return of the Spirit Energy Tidal Surge.
Despite their significant status, they still had to follow the sect rules in front of Moon Viewing Chamber.
Upon seeing the people of the Moon Viewing Chamber, Qin Yuewu hurriedly spoke,
“You’re just in time, shopkeeper. I’ve already reserved this room, but the current occupants are unwilling to move out. In fact, they’ve collaborated with their friends to seize my room.”
Knowing he had completely offended Xue Mingzhi beyond the point of reconciliation, Qin Yuewu boldly claimed the room based on his prior payment.
He could feel the pure spirit energy in the room, evidently emanating from some extraordinary treasure. If he managed to secure it, he might be able to mitigate some of his losses.
He was like a desperate gambler, itching to secure even a small profit to avoid a devastating loss.
The shopkeeper of the Moon Viewing Chamber glanced at Xue Mingzhi and his companions. He paused briefly upon Bai Xue, the gatekeeper, then turned to the trembling waiter and asked,
“Is what this guest just said true?”
The waiter anxiously looked at Qin Yuewu.
He only became an errand-runner disciple for the Chamber during the Spirit Energy Tidal Surge, hoping to eventually become a proper external disciple.
But now he was embroiled in this troublesome situation. If he ended up revealing his gains, he could face punishment from the shopkeeper or even lose his qualification to become an external disciple.
Given his predicament, he had no choice but to admit,
“What the guest said is true. He has indeed paid the deposit for the upcoming days, and this room’s term is just about to expire.”
He deliberately omitted the fact that the room still had four hours left, hoping to resolve the matter quickly without any repercussions to himself.
The shopkeeper frowned upon hearing this and turned to Xue Mingzhi, saying,
“Since the ownership of the room has already been settled and it belongs to this guest. You, on the other hand, have violated the rules of the Moon Viewing Inn by protecting your friends and obstructing his rights.”
“This is Yunfu market, not the Great Xia’s imperial capital. So-called powerful families and sects hold no special privileges here.”
“Considering this is your first offence due to ignorance, I will not take this matter any further. But, if it happens again, it will be a problem for Moon Viewing Chamber and Yunfu Market. I believe that’s a consequence you can’t bear.”
Xue Mingzhi’s expression turned grim upon hearing this.
He knew very well that the sect and the Great Xia were not on good terms, and invoking his family’s influence here would not earn him any favours.
Bai Xue, who was standing next to him, turned frantic. She tugged at Xue Mingzhi’s clothes, pointing at the waiter while making numerous sounds in protest.
Confused, Xue Mingzhi watched Bai Xue dart into the room, fetch several pieces of broken wood, and drop them at the door. She then started scratching at the pieces of wood, gesturing towards the waiter.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the unusual patterns on the broken wood, and they could smell the strange fragrance wafting from the pieces.
“This is high-quality Yunfu’s red sandalwood. Although they’re only fragments, they’re perfect for making spirit-focusing incense when ground into a powder,” remarked a well-dressed young man standing behind Xue Mingzhi.
The corners of Xue Mingzhi’s eyes were alight. He realised exactly what was happening.
“Miss Bai Xue said she’d already paid the room fee with pieces of Yunfu red sandalwood, but the waiter concealed the information to keep the spirit wood for himself. He has even teamed up with others to take this room forcefully.”
Listening to Xue Mingzhi’s explanation, Bai Xue’s head bobbed in vigorous agreement.
Qin Yuewu was seething with anger, “Nonsense! You are relying on the words of a cat that can’t even speak. Ridiculous!”
Even the shopkeeper’s expression had changed. He walked over to the trembling waiter, and immediately noted the scent of Yunfu red sandalwood on him.
Although faint, it was enough to confirm that the waiter had indeed been in contact with such spirit wood, and the source was apparent.
Understanding the situation, the shopkeeper fell into deep thought.
The incident on the third floor had already attracted many onlookers. If he revealed that his waiter had concealed spirit objects and deceived his superiors, it would make him, the shopkeeper, look like a fool. It would undoubtedly taint the reputation of the Moon Viewing Chamber.
From a business perspective, the best course of action would be to deny any knowledge of the waiter’s misconduct. After all, the testimony given by a cat, even if it belonged to the monster tribe, carried no weight.
Just as the shopkeeper was about to speak,
The closed room’s door suddenly opened, and an elegant, handsome man with a calm demeanor appeared before everyone.
The moment the door opened, a wave of pure spiritual energy spread out in all directions, leaving everyone taken aback.
The shopkeeper looked at the young man whose fluctuating aura made it impossible to determine his cultivation base. His pale face betrayed a hint of fatigue.
The mysterious man picked up the fuming Bai Xue and gently stroked her head, asking in a calm voice,
“May I ask, shopkeeper, is what she said true?”
Despite his question being a simple inquiry devoid of any Divine Sense pressure or Spell fluctuations,
As the youth spoke, the shopkeeper felt an overwhelming pressure, as if a supreme Emperor residing in the heavens was looking down on all life and issuing him an edict.
His body, Mana, Spirit Soul; all were trembling. Every cell in his body seemed to compel him to submit to the youth standing before him.
Under the irresistible might, all considerations of personal gain were forgotten.
He bowed his head, and in an unexpectedly reverent voice responded,
“Yes!”

Comments

Loading...