Chapter Ninety-One: An Unexpected Encounter

In the cramped confines of the sedan chair, who knew how long had passed before Zhu Yu finally felt it come to a halt.

“Your Majesty, we have reached the town. Beside us is the town’s only inn.”

At those words, Zhu Yu lifted the front curtain slightly. Seeing the movement at the doorway of the sedan, the elite guards of the Western Depot, who had been shielding him from wind and rain, immediately and tactfully drew away the silk drape.

At once, enormous raindrops slammed into the chair. Zhu Yu squinted and tried to look ahead; though he could not see clearly, he could make out the vague outlines.

The houses within sight were low, none rising higher than two stories.

“Is there only one inn in this place? These buildings don’t look large enough. Can they really fit so many people?”

“Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. If the inn is sparsely occupied, it can accommodate us. If there are many guests, then my men can keep watch outside through the night.”

Yuhuatian’s voice came from the left.

Hearing this, Zhu Yu nodded to himself. There was no better way, and he had only murmured a passing remark.

“All right, then. We can only do it this way. Let them know that when we meet people in a moment, they are to address me as Young Master.”

After issuing the order, Zhu Yu stepped down from the sedan chair, and Yuhuatian seamlessly held an umbrella over him.

Unfortunately, in such fierce wind and rain, the umbrella was almost useless.

No, not quite. At least it kept his head dry.

That was Zhu Yu’s fate: the instant he stepped down, everything but his head was drenched, and he shivered hard.

Without much hesitation, he dashed toward the building Yuhuatian had indicated, with Yuhuatian and the others close behind.

Once under the eaves, the wind was no longer felt. The rainwater streaming down from above was also perfectly blocked by the umbrella overhead.

Zhu Yu straightened his clothes a little and was just about to push open the inn’s door when, from inside, there came a familiar yet unfamiliar wail:

“I was wrong, I was truly wrong. I should never have married into this place from the very beginning. If I had not married here, my husband would not have died. If my husband had not died, I would not have fallen into such a miserable place. If I had not fallen into such a miserable place, I would not have encountered such a thing...”

Hearing those familiar lines, Zhu Yu instinctively took a few steps back and looked up at the signboard overhead with focused attention.

Upon it were four large words: Fortune and Peace Inn.

Seeing the sign, Zhu Yu broke into a smile at once. He had never expected that even in such a place he would find a pleasant surprise. After all, he had watched this story several times and was about to meet characters he had once liked, so there was a touch of excitement in his heart.

He drew a deep breath, then strode inside and pushed the door open forcefully.

The moment he did, he saw a woman seated at the center of the main hall, lightly covering her face with her hand in an expression of grief.

The woman also saw Zhu Yu entering with the crowd behind him.

After a two-second pause, her expression changed in an instant. A broad, exaggerated smile spread across her face, her eyes practically shining, as though she wished she could swallow Zhu Yu and the others whole.

“Oh my, guests have arrived! Zhan Tang, hurry and receive them. Welcome, honored guests, come on in. Don’t get caught in the rain. Are you here for a quick meal or for lodging?”

Her first words were shouted toward the backyard; the latter were spoken to Zhu Yu and the others.

At first sight of this woman, Zhu Yu recognized her immediately. She was Tong Xiangyu from the story.

The light in her eyes was certainly not because she had spotted any flaw in Zhu Yu and the others. Zhu Yu suspected that Tong Xiangyu did not even see them as people, but rather as endless piles of silver.

As for Yuhuatian, he naturally understood nothing of this. Seeing Tong Xiangyu looking as though she meant to devour them, he assumed they had stumbled into a crooked inn and was even considering striking first.

“With rain this heavy, we naturally want rooms,” Zhu Yu answered Tong Xiangyu with a smile.

“Rooms are good, rooms are good. My beds are very comfortable, and the food is delicious too. Please, honored guests, have a seat.”

“Bai Zhan Tang, where have you died off to? Guests have arrived. Come out and receive them!”

Tong Xiangyu’s first sentence was gentle and coaxing; the second became a thunderous roar.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. What’s all the shouting for? Oh my, so many people. Honored guests, please come inside.”

A fair-faced man jogged in from the backyard. It was worth noting that he ran with astonishing speed; his upper body swayed considerably, yet in a rhythm that was remarkably controlled. His breathing was even, and though his lower body moved swiftly, it remained extremely stable.

This showed that he was skilled in martial arts, and not merely by a little.

Of course, only someone with a sharp eye would be able to tell.

Seeing this, Yuhuatian’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly. He thought to himself that this inn was indeed not simple. Then, with his hands behind his back, he secretly made a few gestures.

At his signal, the Western Depot elites behind him wordlessly filed into the inn one after another, forming two encirclements.

One was inward, protecting Zhu Yu at the center. The other was outward, fanning out to face the two people already visible inside the inn.

Tong Xiangyu reacted rather slowly, but Bai Zhan Tang responded at once. Seeing the formation of the Western Depot elites, he hurriedly backed up a few steps, raised his hands to his chest, and said,

“Honored guests, what are you doing? We’re a proper inn here. Business is bad enough as it is. We don’t have your money. If you’re worried, then leave. We absolutely won’t stop you.”

Only then did Tong Xiangyu react. First she snapped at Bai Zhan Tang, “Old Bai, what are you even saying? Shut your mouth.”

Then she turned with a bright smile toward Zhu Yu and said, “Honored guest, what do you mean by this? Is there some misunderstanding?”

“It’s nothing. Stand down.”

Only then could Zhu Yu speak. The latter words were naturally directed at Yuhuatian.

At this, Yuhuatian shot a glance at his subordinates. The perfectly formed formation loosened somewhat, though it still faintly held its shape.

Then came an awkward silence.

Just when neither side knew what else to say, Zhu Yu broke the silence.

“Shopkeeper, I’ll take every room in the inn today. Please lead us upstairs so we can choose our rooms. We’ll change clothes and then come down for dinner.”

“All right, all right, all right. Zhan Tang, hurry and take the guests upstairs.”

Tong Xiangyu brushed away Bai Zhan Tang’s hands, which had been signaling behind her back, and said with a smile.

Seeing her greed for money, Bai Zhan Tang sighed inwardly, but he still briskly led the others to claim their rooms.

As he led the way, he said, “Honored guests, your timing is truly perfect. Just a few days ago our inn was packed solid. Then this rain started, and everyone left. Now, aside from all of you, there isn’t a single guest in the whole inn.

“It’s fortunate there’s no one here, otherwise there wouldn’t even be enough rooms.”

Zhu Yu studied the legendary Thief Saint, marveling inwardly. If not for knowing his background, anyone would have taken him for nothing more than an ordinary inn servant. No one would ever believe that this man had once been hailed as a saint.