The carriage fell silent for a moment. A middle-aged guard leading the horses, his face fierce, pointed at Xu Mu and barked, "You brat, do you know who's in this carriage!"
Xu Mu calmly tied the horse to the side of the inn. He then lightly leaped onto the third-floor window ledge and looked at the man, saying, "I don't care who he is, but I was here first, so this room is mine."
The middle-aged guard's sturdy body beneath his cloth robe trembled violently. A potent aura of blood energy emanated from him, causing the entire inn to seem to shake. The horses pulling the carriage whinnied restlessly.
"Seeking death!"
He roared and punched at Xu Mu, unleashing his peak second-stage aura without holding back.
Xu Mu stood on the window ledge, his gaze sharp as a hawk. Anger simmered within him. Such a punch, he thought, could easily kill an ordinary cultivator. He couldn't understand why, when he'd seen the room first, these people could simply speak a few words and demand he give it up, threatening to cripple him if he refused. Was this the way of the Great Zhou martial world?
"Bang!"
Fist met palm. The middle-aged guard remained in his punching stance, his body suspended in mid-air, his eyes filled with horror. His punch felt as if it had struck an indestructible meteorite. Xu Mu's palm, simply held open, had blocked all his force. Then, with a gentle push, that force was returned, laced with an even more terrifying power. The middle-aged guard crashed to the ground with a "bang," creating a large crater.
"Bang!"
Stone bricks shattered, and dust billowed.
Zuo Mingqiu slowly retracted his hand and then stood beside Xu Mu. "You shouldn't have acted. These people are not ordinary. I'm worried they might recognize you."
Xu Mu nodded. It made no difference who acted; his intent was merely to teach the other party a lesson.
"Young man, you've gone too far," a powerful, aged voice called from within the carriage. A pair of wrinkled hands parted the curtains.
An old man emerged. He was a very powerful old man.
Xu Mu met his gaze, silent, his eyes filled with caution. Zuo Mingqiu's expression was equally grim. This elder gave them the feeling of a towering mountain, his realm and power far surpassing theirs.
"He's not a Domain Lord," Xu Mu stated calmly after carefully sensing him.
"But he's not far from it," Zuo Mingqiu said, his face grave. This elder was clearly a peak fourth-stage cultivator, on the verge of breaking through to the fifth realm. That was why he exerted such immense pressure on them, something an ordinary fourth-stage lord could not achieve.
"I didn't kill him; I just taught him a lesson," Zuo Mingqiu said softly.
The old man's voice, hoarse, replied, "Our people are not to be trifled with by just anyone. I can see you two are not common wanderers. State your sects, and then we can discuss how to resolve this."
Zuo Mingqiu replied calmly, "We have no sect."
The old man's expression darkened. "Are you sure?" As he spoke, his imposing aura intensified, as if unfolding a domain that enveloped the entire inn. Even the fourth-stage innkeeper felt a suffocating pressure.
Xu Mu subtly placed his right hand on his waist. Zuo Mingqiu did the same. Both wore solemn expressions, prepared for a battle at any moment.
At this point, the innkeeper let out a cold snort. His own domain expanded, pushing back the elder's domain from the carriage and the inn. He spoke with displeasure, "Esteemed guest, if you are not staying, please leave. Resolve your grievances on the street and do not involve my inn!"
The old man in the carriage fell silent for a moment, about to speak again, when another person inside the carriage suddenly called out to him.
"Forget it, Commander An."
Through a gap in the carriage curtains, Zuo Mingqiu could vaguely see a lean man in a yellow robe, his face obscured. "We are here for the sword. It concerns my elder brother's birthday, and there can be no mistakes. We'll let this matter slide for now."
The young man spoke softly. The old man glared at Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu before slowly lowering the curtain.
"Take him with you and go to another inn."
A voice came from the carriage. The surrounding guards immediately moved to lift the middle-aged man who had been blasted into the ground by Zuo Mingqiu. Then, they led the carriage and departed down the main street.
The onlookers collectively breathed a sigh of relief. It was understandable, as the old man was clearly a fourth-stage expert, and Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu did not seem like easygoing individuals. If the innkeeper had intervened, a massive upheaval would have ensued. With the street so crowded, a battle would have left people with nowhere to hide.
Seeing that the other party had withdrawn, Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu also silently relaxed. Xu Mu hadn't intended to fight in the first place. The other party was a fourth-stage expert, and it was unknown if there were reinforcements. Under broad daylight, their chances of escape, even with the advantage of the 'Xun' character, were slim.
"Here are three hundred taels. We'll stay for three days."
Xu Mu produced a money pouch and handed it to the old man beside him, his expression respectful. He knew that if the old man hadn't intervened just then, the people in the carriage would never have let the matter go.
The old innkeeper accepted the money pouch, openly took out one-third of the silver, and tossed the pouch back.
"The window of this superior room was damaged by me, so I'll give you a discount."
"You two are staying in the superior room. Your meals will be delivered to your door by the waiter daily, free of charge. If you don't wish to eat, just give us advance notice," the old innkeeper said to Xu Mu with a calm expression.
"So much cheaper, and free food?" Xu Mu was surprised. Due to the early snow in Jiange, Taocheng was now overflowing with people, and inns were packed. This inn not only didn't increase prices but also offered them a discount!
"It seems the old senior runs this inn purely to pass the time, and doesn't care about money."
Xu Mu cupped his hands in thanks to the old man and then, with Zuo Mingqiu, entered the room through the window. Inside, two young waiters were already waiting with hammers, nails, and planks, their expressions lazy, clearly accustomed to their master's habit of damaging property.
Once inside the inn, Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu casually found a place to sit and have tea. From here, they could faintly hear the sounds of hammering and nailing from within the room.
"We'll take turns resting tonight. One person will stay on watch," Zuo Mingqiu said, drinking his hot tea, his brow slightly furrowed. He was quite familiar with Great Zhou. The clothes worn by the person in the carriage they'd just encountered bore a striking resemblance to those of the Great Zhou royalty. Considering the scale of their convoy – sixteen guards, all peak second-stage cultivators, and a small old man driving the carriage who hadn't spoken a word, his strength potentially no weaker than the lord in the carriage.
Zuo Mingqiu said gravely, "I suspect the person in that carriage is a prince."
Xu Mu was startled and frowned. "I did hear something. The person in the carriage seemed to mention something about 'Royal Brother' and 'birthday'. I found it strange at the time. But how are you so sure?"
Zuo Mingqiu took a deep breath. "Then it must be. In about a month, it will be the birthday of the Great Zhou Dynasty's crown prince, Zhou Su. Since the person in the carriage called him 'Royal Brother,' he must undoubtedly be a prince. We just don't know which one."
"Whichever one it is, as long as it's not the third one," Xu Mu said, cupping his hands.
Zuo Mingqiu raised an eyebrow. "What? You're afraid of Zhou Yuan too?"
Xu Mu shook his head. "Afraid is not the word. I just find that fellow a bit like a lunatic."
Zuo Mingqiu sighed. "Indeed. Some time ago, I met him once at the Great Zhou Imperial Court. For the duration of two incense sticks, he lectured me about freedom and equality until my ears were calloused."
"Ji Xuansu had it even worse. He had studied the entire Three Thousand Daoist Canons since childhood, but in front of Zhou Yuan, he couldn't get a word in. They were the same age, yet Zhou Yuan acted like his elder, always lecturing him."
"Hmm..." Xu Mu thought about the three of them together and couldn't help but chuckle. "In this era, to talk about freedom and equality, he truly does seem like a madman."
"How strong is that fellow?" Xu Mu asked curiously. He had only heard from the Wine Immortal that Zhou Yuan was a newly rising prince in the Great Zhou Dynasty, commanding both grace and might, highly esteemed by the populace and favored by the National Preceptor, who kept him by his side. All this pointed to his exceptional talent.
"When I was at the mid-second stage, we fought once. However, he had just finished debating with Ji Xuansu, so my victory was not honorable," Zuo Mingqiu said, then added seriously, "But even without Ji Xuansu, I would have won."
Xu Mu smiled faintly. "I believe you."
"Guests, the room has been repaired!" The waiter who had been fixing the room came out with his tools, calling out enthusiastically to Xu Mu.
"Alright."
Xu Mu turned and waved. He stood up and, with Zuo Mingqiu, returned to the room. It was only then that they carefully examined the hard-won superior room. It was spacious and bright, with red wooden tables and chairs, and landscape ink paintings. Not a speck of dust marred its beauty, a pleasure to behold.
"I'm tired. Let's get some sleep first," Xu Mu said, then leaped onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Zuo Mingqiu remained still, his expression slowly turning grim.
Xu Mu, not understanding, asked, "Why the long face?"
"Shh," Zuo Mingqiu said, holding up a finger and transmitting his voice to Xu Mu. "This room has a listening device installed!"
...
The first snow in Taocheng fell for three days and three nights. The superior room on the third floor of the inn remained silent for three days and three nights. It was only when they checked out that Xu Mu spoke his first words in days.
"Thank you for your hospitality, innkeeper."
Xu Mu looked at the old man before him, a smile on his face as he cupped his hands. The latter looked deeply at Xu Mu and said nothing. The listening device had been installed by his men in Xu Mu's room. He wasn't just running an inn to retire; he had other ambitions. Therefore, every room, even those occupied by lords, had very discreet listening devices. Zuo Mingqiu had discovered the device but didn't want to cause trouble, so he hadn't removed it. Xu Mu, on the other hand, had simply observed a vow of silence, speaking not a word for three days and three nights, communicating with Zuo Mingqiu entirely through soul transmission.
"Are you two heading to Jiange?" the innkeeper, surnamed Fang, asked Xu Mu.
"Yes," Xu Mu replied, then asked, "Does the old senior have something to ask of us?"
The fourth-stage old innkeeper coughed lightly and took out a small wooden box from beneath the counter. It was square and heavy, containing something unknown.
"If it's possible, could you two help me deliver this to Steward Qi Long of Jiange, and tell him to keep it safe?"
Xu Mu was taken aback. "Why me?"
The fourth-stage old innkeeper looked at Xu Mu and smiled. "Jiange is currently teeming with prodigies. The Xuan and Huang rankings attract countless martial artists. Ordinary people would certainly not have the chance to meet my old friend."
"I'm tied down by this little inn and can't get away myself, so I wanted to find reliable people to deliver it. You two are just right."
Xu Mu pondered for a moment, then said, cupping his hands, "I'm afraid that will disappoint you, senior."
"We are going to Jiange not to retrieve a sword, but..."
The old man interrupted him. "Even if you're just using the teleportation array, you can still help me. My little friend Qi Long is precisely the steward in charge of Jiange's formations."
"If you deliver this item to him, he will then provide you with convenient passage."
Xu Mu placed a hand on the wooden box, testing, "Is this true?"
The old man nodded. "Absolutely."
"Alright."
Xu Mu exchanged a look with Zuo Mingqiu, then took the wooden box and turned to leave the inn. Just then, the old man asked doubtfully, "Aren't you going to ask what's inside this box?"
Xu Mu retorted, "If I ask, will you tell me?"
The old man smiled slightly. "If you don't ask, how will you know I won't tell you?"
"And I warn you, this box has a seal. If you try to force it open, you will suffer a backlash."
"No need. I'm not curious," Xu Mu waved his hand. Although he didn't know the innkeeper's intentions, he wasn't particularly concerned. All he cared about was successfully using the teleportation array to return home, nothing more.
"Waiter, please bring out our horses."
Xu Mu waved to the waiter at the door. The latter nodded and quickly brought out two horses. Xu Mu put away the small wooden box, then he and Zuo Mingqiu mounted their horses, raised their whips, and rapidly disappeared into the falling snow.
The old steward watched Xu Mu leave, gazing at their receding figures in the wind and snow, his expression growing serious.
"Tell Qi Long, it's time to cast the net!"
...