The Inn

Chapter 270: The Inn

“Woof, woof…” Mantou kept wagging her tail. Though she could smell both scents, as a dog, she didn’t understand what Li Huowang was saying.

Just then, the monk beside him spoke up. “Taoist, her body smells like blood and rust—what does that mean? Is she a bad person or a good one?”

Li Huowang shook his head and looked up at the sky. At that very moment, a single raindrop fell from the air and landed in his eye.

“Let’s go. It’s going to rain. We need to find an inn first.”

The rain started as a sprinkle, but gradually it grew heavier. By the time Li Huowang and his group stepped into an inn, a torrential downpour was crashing down.

Shaking the rainwater off his clothes, Li Huowang called out into the empty room. “Waiter! We need a room!”

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a waiter with a white rag draped over his shoulder pushed through a curtain and came out.

The moment he saw so many outsiders, the waiter’s face changed. His expression twisted with fear, and his body instinctively recoiled backward.

Just then, Gouwa jumped out and grabbed him by the arm, stopping him from retreating. “What are you running for? Can’t you see we’re customers? Hurry up and tell the cook to make some food. My wife and Senior Brother Li are starving!”

“R-right, right away, esteemed guests. Please wait a moment.” The waiter’s voice was conspicuously lacking in confidence.

As he turned and headed toward the kitchen, Li Huowang, seated at the main table, furrowed his brow. The man’s behavior was far too strange.

“Xiaoman, follow him and keep an eye out. Make sure they don’t put anything in our food.” Chun Xiaoman nodded. Using her single arm, she picked up her sword and headed toward the back courtyard. After a moment’s thought, Bai Lingmiao followed as well.

“Little Daoist, maybe we should leave as soon as the rain lets up,” Lü Zhuangyuan said. It was clear he didn’t know Li Huowang had come here precisely looking for strangeness, but as a man who had traveled far and wide, he had already sensed something was wrong.

“Don’t panic. Right now, they’re afraid of us, not the other way around. This town is big enough, and everyone’s tired. We’ll rest our feet here and move on later.”

Hearing this, Lü Zhuangyuan fell silent. The little Daoist was skilled and bold; there was no need for him to court trouble. Even if there was something wrong with this town, the little Daoist would handle it.

Before long, all sorts of fragrant dishes were brought to the table. A little bit of each was set aside and tossed to the floor. Mantou, who had been waiting a long time, began eating ravenously.

After watching Mantou finish her food and seeing no ill effects for a good while, the others finally picked up their chopsticks.

Chewing on a piece of crunchy lotus root, Li Huowang ate in silence. He could feel two pairs of eyes boring into his back from behind the kitchen curtain.

The waiter from before and the cook were both standing there, staring at them with fearful eyes.

Li Huowang also recalled the woman they had passed on the road earlier. Her gaze had carried the same fear when she looked at them.

He didn’t think he looked particularly frightening right now. After all, everything that should have grown back had grown back. After spending so long making small repairs, every part had returned to its proper place.

“What are they so afraid of, anyway? This town is big enough. Why are they so wary of outsiders? Did something happen to them before?” The hearty dinner came to an end, bookended by Li Huowang’s thoughts.

That night, the rain showed no signs of letting up. It was as if the sky itself had broken, endlessly washing away everything outside.

“Wah, wah, wah…” The sound of the rain and wind frightened Lü Juren’s son, who wouldn’t stop crying. Lü Juren held him carefully, trying to soothe him, but nothing seemed to work.

“Tsk, some father you are. Give him here.” Luo Juan, looking disgusted, reached over and took the baby. She pulled open her clothes and began to nurse him.

“What are you doing? My brother is right here!” Lü Juren moved to block the view between his wife and his younger brother.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Look at him. Do you think he’s interested in looking at me?”

Lü Juren turned to look at his younger brother. At that moment, Lü Xiucai had taken off his shoes and was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes closed, muttering something with complete focus. He paid no attention at all to his brother and sister-in-law’s conversation.

As for Xiucai learning the divine ability from the little Daoist, Lü Juren himself wasn’t too keen on the idea. He knew his brother; no matter how he looked at it, he wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing.

Besides, just gripping the little Daoist’s sword once had turned him into this. Heaven knows what he’d become after training for a while longer.

But this household wasn’t run by him. Whatever he said didn’t matter. The one who made the decisions was still Lü Zhuangyuan.

“By the way, where did Father go?”

Hearing her husband ask her this, Luo Juan shot him a sharp glare. “Where your father went, how would I know?”

With that, she looked down at the baby in her arms and said in a low voice, “Tongsheng, my boy, you can’t grow up to be as clueless as your father. You’re going to be a high-ranking official someday!”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The door creaked open, and Lü Zhuangyuan walked in, his face stern.

“Father, where did you go?” Lü Juren stepped forward to meet him.

“Get out of my way. Since when does a son have the right to question what his father does? Go to the back courtyard and bring me that cook.”

Lü Juren, his face full of hesitation, clearly had no power to refuse. He turned and walked out of the room.

When Lü Zhuangyuan saw his little grandson nursing in his daughter-in-law’s arms, his face first showed a flicker of joy, then immediately twisted into anger. “Indecent! Cover him up at once!”

It didn’t take long to summon the cook. Soon, a cook with a hairy black mole on his chin appeared before Lü Zhuangyuan. His expression was just as bad as the waiter’s, his face greasy and unctuous.

“Honored guest, you called for me? Want some supper?” he asked, rubbing his hands together nervously.

“Heheheh…” Lü Zhuangyuan smiled before speaking, pulling some loose silver from his sleeve and offering it over.

“Little master chef, as you can see, my daughter-in-law just had a child, but she’s having trouble with her milk. Could I trouble you to make some stewed pig trotters and crucian carp soup to help her milk come in?”

On hearing this, Luo Juan, who was actually nursing the baby, pursed her lips. She didn’t need any help with her milk at all. Every day, there was more than enough for Tongsheng, and she could even spare some for Xiucai.

Still, she didn’t object. Free pig trotters and crucian carp? Only a fool would turn that down.

“Oh, I see. I’ll get right on it. I recall there’s half a pig trotter left in the kitchen.” The cook turned to leave, but Lü Zhuangyuan stopped him again. “Ah, ah, ah! Little master chef, don’t be in such a hurry. Hehehe, I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

With that, Lü Zhuangyuan pulled a thumb-sized silver ingot from his chest and surreptitiously pressed it into the cook’s pocket.

“Listen, I want to ask you something. Did something… happen to the people around these parts before?”

Upon hearing this, the cook, who had been so nervous before, immediately changed color. It was as if the silver in his hand were a venomous snake. His fingers spasmed violently, and he flung the ingot away in terror.

“Don’t ask me! I don’t know anything! I don’t know anything!” he cried, before fleeing the room as if his life depended on it.

Lü Zhuangyuan let out a soft sigh. He bent down and picked up the silver ingot, holding it in both hands. With a trace of regret, he spoke to the empty space on his left. “Little Daoist, this cook wouldn’t take the bribe.”