TM CH70

Chapter 70 Shady Inn

On the other side, Rong Qi spurred his horse into a gallop, heading towards Pingxing City. In just two days, he reached the border of Shengzhou.

Shengzhou had many mountains, along with countless trails and dense forests that sheltered untold numbers of wild animals and birds.

As the day began to grow late, Rong Qi decided to find a secluded inn to rest for the night.

The inn was simple, but relatively clean. When the young innkeeper saw him enter, he immediately broke into a wide smile and greeted him warmly. Rong Qi, not fond of the cramped and dim main hall, requested a room upstairs and asked the innkeeper to send the food up.

The room was not large, but with a few oil lamps lit, it appeared bright.

Rong Qi took a brief rest, and not long after, the innkeeper brought the meal.

“Guest, this is our inn’s specialty. You should eat it while it’s hot!”

Rong Qi waved his hand dismissively, impatiently sending the man away. He raised his chopsticks to take a bite, but as he did, a faint medicinal scent reached his nose.

He sneered coldly and set his chopsticks down.

“So it’s a shady inn.”

He picked up Zhukong, and stepped out of the room. Outside, he saw the innkeeper and two burly men, all holding weapons, standing at the door, seemingly ready to rush in at any moment.

Rong Qi didn’t waste time with them. Without even drawing his sword, he kicked all three of them down the stairs.

Just then, a passerby entered the inn. As soon as he stepped through the door, he saw three people tumbling down from the staircase.

Rong Qi slowly descended the stairs, his sword cutting through the innkeeper’s arm. He spoke coldly, “You dare to drug me. Do you have a death wish?”

The innkeeper trembled and begged for mercy. “This lowly one’s eyes failed to recognize Mount Tai. Great hero, please spare me!”

Rong Qi chuckled. “Great hero?”

The innkeeper hurriedly explained, “This lowly one really had no choice! The inn hasn’t made any money in half a month, and we have elderly and children at home. There are mouths to feed. I was blinded by desperation and offended you, great hero! Please spare me, spare me!”

Rong Qi kicked him again, stepping on his chest. “Which of your eyes saw me as a hero?”

The innkeeper was stunned.

Rong Qi: “I’m not.”

The innkeeper’s face immediately fell as he thought, Crap, he’s from the demonic sect.

Rong Qi slapped his face lightly, as if pondering where to begin. His gaze casually shifted toward the door and froze. “It’s you?”

“It’s me,” the passerby replied, strolling over and taking a seat at an empty table.

The person who entered was none other than the ‘righteous gentleman’ from Qingshan, the one who had stopped him from teaching people a lesson.

Rong Qi inwardly muttered, What a narrow road for enemies to meet! Bad luck!

The ‘righteous gentleman’ asked, “Are you fighting again?”

Rong Qi sneered. “Can’t you tell this is a shady inn?”

As he spoke, several more men wielding large knives burst out of the kitchen, glaring at Rong Qi. They then turned their attention to the newcomer.

“Boss, what’s with this one? Another person?”

“Who cares? He looks like he’s got some worth. Let’s go together!”

Rong Qi couldn’t be bothered to waste more words. He had originally intended to test out the Zukong Sword that Gu Yunxing had given him, but these bandits were so mediocre in their skills that they didn’t even deserve to make him draw his weapon.

So, with a flick of his hand, he casually threw a few small items. A few fine needles flew through the air, piercing the wrists of the men in front of him. Their screams echoed in the air, followed by the clatter of falling weapons. The small inn instantly erupted into chaos.

Realizing they had picked a fight with someone they couldn’t handle, the bandits immediately changed their tune. They cried out in pain, desperately dropping to the floor in disarray, begging for mercy.

Rong Qi ignored them and went straight to sit down in front of the newcomer, crossing his arms and sizing him up.

“Who exactly are you?”

“My surname is Cui. Young Master Rong may call me ‘Senior’ if you like.”

Cui? That surname wasn’t common.

Rong Qi furrowed his brows. “Which Cui?”

The man didn’t answer. When his gaze fell on the sword in Rong Qi’s hand, he looked slightly surprised. “Zhukong Sword?”

Rong Qi: “Do you know it?”

“It’s a famous sword in the jianghu. Of course, I recognize it.” The man’s eyes grew complicated. “I just didn’t expect Gu Yunxing to give it to you.”

“What of it? It’s none of your business.”

“Although it’s a sharp and famous sword, it’s still not good enough.”

“I find it quite useful.”

“…I saw you use hidden weapons earlier, and that was impressive. But those needles are too ordinary. If you encounter someone with profound internal energy, I’m afraid they won’t be able to injure them in the slightest.”

“I do have something more extraordinary, the silver-ringed bone-piercing needles.” Rong Qi smiled. “Senior Cui, have you heard of them?”

“It ranks twenty-sixth in the hidden weapons section of the Weapon Register in recent years. It’s indeed impressive.”

Rong Qi was taken aback. “What Weapon Register?”

“I had my disciples compile it,” the man said, pulling a booklet from his chest. “Want to take a look?”

Rong Qi didn’t move. “Why is it ranked only twenty-sixth?”

“Although it’s a strange and deadly weapon, Young Master Rong prefers to use it for interrogating prisoners, right?”

Rong Qi fell silent.

Appearing in Shengzhuo, possessing high martial arts skills, also surnamed Cui, and quite familiar with the way of weapons. After this conversation, he could confirm the identity of the person before him — this was Cui Xinyuan, the Cuiwei Villa Master.

Thinking of how the man had promised Gu Yunxing to forge a sword for him, Rong Qi restrained his temper.

Rong Qi: “You’re right. I don’t often use it in combat.”

Cui Xinyuan: “If Young Master Rong is unhappy with its ranking, feel free to show it to me. I’ve never seen it in person, so I may have been biased.”

“I don’t care about its rank.” Rong Qi flipped through a few pages and, sure enough, found the entry for the silver-ringed bone-piercing needles. He said, “The bone-piercing needles are gone. You can cross this page out.”

Cui Xinyuan paused. “How were they used up?”

Rong Qi glanced at him. “When facing a strong enemy, naturally, I use them all up.”

Cui Xinyuan fell silent.

Rong Qi couldn’t quite figure out what the man’s intentions were for being here. Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Rong Qi didn’t take the initiative to start a conversation either.

His gaze swept over the terrified inn staff who were kneeling behind him, and he knocked on the table. “You lot, don’t be an eyesore here. In half an hour, prepare another meal.”

The staff, in a panic, scrambled to respond. “Yes, yes! We lowly ones will go prepare the dishes right away!”

“If you try to sneak away halfway through, that would also be good.” Rong Qi slowly smirked. “After all, it’s been a long time since I’ve killed anyone, and I’m starting to miss it a little.”

The staff immediately shuddered in fear. The innkeeper and the young waiter, who had already been detained, trembled, while the others hastily swore they wouldn’t run.

Not long later, a fresh batch of plain, unseasoned food was brought to the table.

Rong Qi sniffed and remarked, “With this kind of cooking, you still dare to run a business?”

The innkeeper looked aggrieved. “It’s not… we have no choice. We have to do other kinds of business to make ends meet.”

Rong Qi’s disdain grew. Thinking of the person sitting beside him, he said, “Add a set of chopsticks for Senior Cui.”

The young waiter hurriedly went to fetch new chopsticks and brought them to the table.

“Don’t worry, there’s no poison this time,” Rong Qi said nonchalantly. “If Senior Cui doesn’t want to share a meal with this demon, I’ll have them prepare another table.”

“Just bring another pot of wine,” Cui Xinyuan said, picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite. “It’s not bad.”

Rong Qi wasn’t entirely convinced, but since he was out and about, he wasn’t one to be picky. After trying it, he found it much better than the dried roasted meat he had eaten on the deserted island. It wasn’t as bad as he had feared, though it certainly couldn’t compare to Ding Qi’s cooking.

The young waiter brought over a pot of wine.

Cui Xinyuan didn’t like having too many people watching while he ate, so he waved his hand to signal them to leave. Soon, only the two of them remained in the hall.

Cui Xinyuan: “Would you like to drink?”

Rong Qi showed no interest. “I’m not used to drinking.”

Cui Xinyuan: “…My wife also doesn’t like drinking.”

Rong Qi was taken aback. “Now that you mention it, I had a brief encounter with Madam Cui some time ago, out at sea. I may have been rude. I hope you and Madam Cui can forgive me.”

Cui Xinyuan: “She doesn’t hold it against you.” As if recalling something, he poured himself several cups of wine, one after another, downing them quickly.

Rong Qi: “……”

Rong Qi eyed him with suspicion, wondering if the wine had some special quality. Unable to resist, he poured himself a cup and took a sip.

“Cough, cough, cough!” The sharp, pungent smell of the wine shot up to Rong Qi’s nose, bringing with it a strong spiciness that made his head spin. He immediately frowned and clutched the edge of the table, choking on the drink.

A trace of amusement flashed in Cui Xinyuan’s eyes. Seeing how uncomfortable Rong Qi was, he thoughtfully poured him a cup of tea.

“I know you’re not making excuses.” Cui Xinyuan raised his wine glass. “Come, let’s toast!”

Rong Qi’s face darkened, a wave of frustration building up for no reason. After finishing the tea, he managed to recover a little. He silently vowed never to touch wine again, but seeing Cui Xinyuan drink with no apparent issue, his doubts resurfaced.

“Is this wine… really good wine?”

“Of course!” Cui Xinyuan, now a little more relaxed after a few cups, answered with a grin. “The more remote and desolate the place, the stronger the wine they make.”

Rong Qi pondered for a moment, then turned his head and instructed the waiter to fill a pot for him.

Cui Xinyuan was taken aback. “What are you…”

Rong Qi strapped the wine gourd to his waist. “Someone else likes strong liquor too. I’ll take it for him to try.”

For some unknown reason, Cui Xinyuan’s expression darkened again, and he silently drank his wine.

This was the first time Rong Qi had seriously interacted with a leader of a righteous sect. Seeing him focused on drinking, it didn’t seem like he had come to hunt down a remnant of the demon palace like himself. So Rong Qi decided not to pry, continuing to enjoy his meal in peace.

Cui Xinyuan suddenly spoke, “I’m planning to head to Pingxing City. Young Brother Rong, where are you headed?”

Rong Qi frowned, paused for a moment, and then lied, “I’m heading southwest.”

Cui Xinyuan gave him a meaningful glance, then casually said, “Looks like it’s not on the way.”

Rong Qi: “Yes.”

Cui Xinyuan: “What a pity.”

Rong Qi: “What’s a pity?”

Cui Xinyuan: “I thought we might have some company on the road. It seems that by tomorrow morning, we’ll each be going our separate ways.”

Rong Qi paused for a moment, then asked, “May I ask what brings Senior Cui to Pingxing City?”

Cui Xinyuan poured another cup of wine, speaking slowly and casually, “I’ve heard that a group of miscreants has been causing trouble in Pingxing City. I’m going to take a look at the commotion.”

“What kind of miscreants?”

Cui Xinyuan: “Probably remnants of Lihuo Palace, or perhaps some other evil sect.”

Rong Qi wanted to ask more, but Cui Xinyuan wasn’t willing to answer any further. Instead, he began praising the wine, commenting on its rich, fragrant taste.

It was something Rong Qi could never appreciate.

After the meal, Rong Qi lost patience to keep him company and decided not to linger. He returned to his room upstairs, planning to rise early the next day and leave before Cui Xinyuan.

He didn’t believe in such coincidences. Regardless of why Cui Xinyuan had appeared in this place, he knew better than to let his guard down.