Chapter 240: The Inn with No Name

"Qian... Long." As Gao Yue uttered her given name, the bamboo slip before her transformed into a shower of fine, golden motes of light and dissipated into nothingness.

"You have obtained your true name. From this moment on, you must begin to truly be yourself."

"This trip to the Phantom City has yielded an unexpected harvest." Seeing that the ritual was complete, the Eastern Great Goddess walked slowly along the long corridor toward the platform, speaking with a trace of reverence to the Eastern Emperor.

"Oh? What kind of unexpected harvest?" Even when asking a question, the Eastern Emperor's tone remained utterly level and serene, as if nothing in this world could affect him or draw his genuine concern.

"Please look, Your Excellency." In the palm of the Eastern Great Goddess's hand rested a wooden box adorned with intricate, unusual patterns.

"The Mirage Music Box!"

"For generations, the Yin-Yang School spent countless hours searching for the Mirage Music Box, all to no avail. Who would have thought it was hidden within the Mohist domain?" The Eastern Great Goddess looked at the Eastern Emperor and said with a smile.

The next moment, the Mirage Music Box resting in her palm suddenly levitated, flying upward to land gently in the Eastern Emperor's hand.

"The celestial melody of ultimate bliss, ten thousand variations of demonic sound." He gently lifted the lid of the Mirage Music Box, and an exquisite, delicate pavilion resembling a miniature pagoda slowly rose from within. At the same time, a pure, resonant, and ethereal heavenly music flowed forth from the box, carrying across the entire grand hall.

"Such wondrous music—is it of demons, or of the Dao?"

"In this chaotic era, the boundary between demons and the Dao has long since been forgotten by the world," the Eastern Great Goddess said calmly.

"In this tumultuous and dying age, what kind of requiem will it play for all living beings under heaven?"

"The only one capable of playing this melody should be Your Excellency alone," the Eastern Great Goddess said respectfully.

Within the grand hall, the magnificent notes radiated outward in concentric circles, with the Mirage Music Box as their center.

"You may all withdraw!" Listening to the music emanating from the Mirage Music Box, the Eastern Emperor spoke indifferently.

With the Eastern Emperor's words, the Eastern Great Goddess turned and departed with Yue'er, leaving only the Eastern Emperor behind in the vast hall, quietly listening to the wondrous melodies.

...

Having donned disguises, the members of the Mohist School and Shaoyu’s group easily slipped into Songhai City.

The sunlight cast upon the gently rippling sea surface made the water look as though it were paved with a layer of shimmering, sparkling crystals. Several white-sailed ships drifted leisurely across the glittering sea like a few snow-white feathers.

The sea breeze, carrying a faint, refreshing scent of salt, continuously ruffled people's hair and tossed their locks. The morning light, the gentle breeze, and the ocean waves each brought an incomparable sense of ease, while the occasional cry of a gulls echoing lingeringly across the waters left one entranced and refreshed in spirit.

"Hey, this is amazing! It's just so huge and lively! Hehehe..." Having grown up, this was the first time Tianming had ever witnessed such a prosperous, peaceful, and tranquil seaside town. He craned his neck everywhere inside the carriage, brimming with boundless curiosity.

"This is the place." A low whisper from inside the carriage brought the moving vehicle to a halt. Unable to contain his excitement, Tianming was the first to leap down. Staring at an exceptionally wide wooden door and looking up at the four bold characters inscribed above it, he exclaimed excitedly, "Huh? Here? 'Youjian Inn'? Is this the secret Mohist base you guys were talking ab—"

Before Tianming could finish his sentence, a fair, slender, and delicate hand had already clamped over his unrestrained little mouth. Tianming struggled, but found he could put up no resistance whatsoever. Then, he heard the owner of that delicate hand speak: "Ming'er, your illness hasn't fully healed yet. Make sure to rest more. Don't let your mind wander about these adult matters."

Before Tianming could offer any retort, he felt a sudden dizzying spin as the woman's right hand applied a slight leverage to his right shoulder. After spinning him in place several times, she pinched the back of his neck. Ignoring his pained cries of protest, the woman covered her mouth and chuckled, "Hehehe, be a good baby now. Big sister loves you, let's go inside the inn and get some rest!"

"Ouch, it hurts, it hurts! Ah, go easy on me!" Crying out in misery, Tianming was shoved straight into the inn by the woman.

The man closest to them shook his head with a helpless expression. Seeing that the rest of the group behind him had also dismounted and readied themselves, he gave an affirmative nod, and one by one, they walked into the inn.

"Let go of me!" No sooner had they stepped inside the inn—while everyone else was marveling at its interior furnishings—than that familiar, helpless cry rang out in their ears once more.

"Be careful, baby, don't trip," the woman said with feigned concern, while simultaneously giving Tianming a firm push inward.

"Aargh! Who's your baby!" Tianming spun around, glaring resentfully at the woman.

"All right, you two really shouldn't keep bickering," a young nobleman dressed in white intervened.

"Brother Xiao, this big female demon Xue Nu only knows how to bully me! Aren't you going to do something about her, and you the Grand Master!" Hearing Xiao Xie speak up, Tianming quickly rushed over to lodge a complaint.

A disguised Xue Nu produced a jade flute, twirled it around in her hand, and smiled sweetly. "Go on! Say it again!"

"I won't say it, I won't say it!" The moment Tianming saw Xue Nu pull out her jade flute, he threw his hands over his head and shook them frantically in surrender. During this period, Xue Nu had disciplined him plenty of times with that jade flute, and he had long since learned his lesson.

"Alright, Xue Nu, stop teasing him. If you flick him anymore, he'll actually turn foolish," Xiao Xie said with a helpless sigh. Although Xue Nu appeared gentle on the outside, she possessed a somewhat mischievous and dark sense of humor underneath. With Tianming running his loose mouth and calling her a female demon the moment he laid eyes on her, how could Xue Nu resist putting him in his place? Moreover, Tianming never learned his lesson despite enduring the pain, meaning he had been disciplined by Xue Nu countless times during this journey, always requiring Xiao Xie to step in and stop it.

"Ah, what rare guests! What truly rare guests!" A rough, booming voice echoed down, and the group watched as a tall, rather plump middle-aged man walked down the steps from the second floor one by one.

"Long time no see," Gao Jianli, now wearing a disguise, clasped his fists toward the newcomer.

"Ah, Boss Gao, you've finally arrived," the man said, sounding both overjoyed and reproachful as he looked at Xiao Xie and the others.

"Manager Ding, the road hasn't been peaceful all this way, so we couldn't travel fast," Gao Jianli explained with an apologetic cupped-fist salute.

"Oh, how I've been yearning for you! What's that saying again? Ah? Truly, to not see each other for a day is like enduring three autumns; my eyes were practically worn out from looking for you!" After catching his breath and pondering for a moment, the man laughed heartily.

"Hehehe, Manager Ding, you'd better drop the classical allusions and just speak in plain words!" Seeing the big man opposite them trying to quote Confucian idioms yet failing miserably, Xue Nu could not help but laugh.

"Hahahaha, ain't that the truth!" Realizing that as a rough-and-ready fellow he couldn't pull off scholarly airs, the big man rubbed the back of his head and chuckled with mild embarrassment.

"Aiyo, this great beauty right here, why do I find her looking so familiar?" The large man shifted the topic with a silly grin as he looked at the disguised Xue Nu.

"Manager Ding, you think everyone you see is a beauty; I'm not falling for your tricks," Xue Nu giggled softly, seeing the man start playing slick with her.

"Hahahaha... Honored guests have arrived! No outside business today! Lads, close the doors and throw the bolts!" Hearing this, the fat man roared with laughter, unbothered, and immediately barked orders at the attendants nearby.

"Understood!" replied a nearby waiter in a hurried voice.

"Hmm?" Xiao Xie shifted his gaze toward a corner of the room. Standing there was a waiter with delicate and refined features, but upon hearing Manager Ding's instructions, the figure turned and quickly departed.

"Shi Lan?" Xiao Xie murmured to himself, watching the waiter's retreating back.

"Master, I smell delicious food!" Xiaoxiao suddenly materialized right in front of Xiao Xie, her delicate nose twitching back and forth as she swallowed hard, looking up at him with an ingratiating expression.

Ever since entering the world of *The Legend of Qin*, Xiao Xie's abilities had been sealed, and Xiaoxiao could no longer enjoy life by watching television while snacking. Consequently, fine food had become her sole remaining hobby. After establishing the Ascending Heaven Tower, Xiao Xie had specifically recruited several top-tier chefs to manage his meals, and naturally, delicious treats for Xiaoxiao were never in short supply.

However, the chefs back at the Xiao Residence still fell somewhat short compared to Manager Ding's culinary skills. Manager Ding's cooking was likely second to none throughout the entire world of *The Legend of Qin*, so no sooner had she stepped into this inn than Xiaoxiao had flown out impatiently.

Aside from Xiao Xie, no one else could see Xiaoxiao. Therefore, to avoid causing any misunderstandings, Xiao Xie gave her a gentle nod of assent.

"Master is the best!" Cheering upon receiving Xiao Xie's approval, Xiaoxiao flitted away straight toward the inn's kitchen to sneak a taste.