Chapter 131: The Popular Lady Ye
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
The young woman speaking had delicate features, with a guarded expression that softened immediately when Yu Zhao mentioned Ye Cong Xin. Her icy demeanor melted away, replaced by a bright smile.
Yu Zhao nodded. “If the Lady Ye you’re talking about is Ye Cong Xin, then yes, I do know her.”
“That’s her!” The woman’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“I’ve crossed paths with her a few times, though it’s been a while. From what you said, she used to stay at this inn?”
“Yes, but you just missed her. She left about two weeks ago,” the woman sighed, clearly disappointed. “I was even more unlucky, though. I only met her once before something else came up, and when I tried to see her again, she was already gone.”
A flicker of suspicion crossed Yu Zhao’s mind. The woman in front of her, so cautious with strangers, seemed unusually fond of Ye Cong Xin after just one meeting. Moreover, strange incidents had been occurring at this inn ever since Ye Cong Xin left. Could it really be just a coincidence?
Yu Zhao quickly made up her mind. She would stay at this inn tonight.
She called over Ji Han Zhou and informed him of her decision. Ji Han Zhou didn’t hesitate for a moment before agreeing.
After everything they’d been through together, Ji Han Zhou had adopted a simple philosophy: Whatever Senior Sister Yu Zhao decided to do, there was always a reason. His role was to follow her lead without question, speak less, and learn more. He knew that Yu Zhao would never steer him wrong.
As the crowd, satisfied with their curiosity, began to disperse, they noticed a young man and woman making their way toward the inn. Their departure halted as they watched the pair closely.
The innkeeper, sitting on the doorstep, felt the shadow of their approach and lazily lifted his head to glance at Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou before sighing and looking away, shaking his head in resignation. Just more naive youngsters come to gawk, he thought.
“Two upper rooms, please,” Ji Han Zhou requested.
The innkeeper’s sigh caught in his throat, and he started choking on his own saliva, coughing violently. Even as he struggled to breathe, he reached out with difficulty, grabbing Ji Han Zhou’s sleeve. “Cough, cough, s-sir, p-please…”
Ji Han Zhou frowned, his irritation evident, and he wanted to shake off the innkeeper’s hand. But the innkeeper, as if fearing Ji Han Zhou might escape, clung to his sleeve desperately, tears streaming from the force of his coughing, yet refusing to let go.
Seeing how close Ji Han Zhou was to rolling his eyes skyward, Yu Zhao stepped in to help. “Innkeeper, we really are here to stay. We’re not going anywhere. But don’t you think you should give us a discount?”
The innkeeper, finally catching his breath, nodded vigorously. “A discount, yes, of course! Anything you want!”
He was so relieved to have two customers willing to stay that he would have paid them to take the rooms, let alone offer a discount. He couldn’t afford to lose them now.
Under the watchful eyes of the curious onlookers, the innkeeper and his assistants eagerly ushered Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou into the inn.
“Dear guests, all our upper rooms are vacant. Feel free to choose whichever one you like,” the innkeeper said, bowing slightly, his tone dripping with flattery.
Yu Zhao’s voice turned serious. “Innkeeper, we’ve heard that some guests have died in this inn. Could you tell us which rooms they stayed in?”
The innkeeper’s face instantly turned sour. However, he understood why Yu Zhao was asking. After all, who would want to stay in a room where someone had died?
“There’s no need to worry. The guests who died all stayed in the lower and middle rooms. We’ve sealed those rooms with special talismans, and they won’t be reopened until the monks from Harmony Temple come to perform the rites for the deceased.”
As he spoke, the innkeeper led Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou on a quick tour of the rooms, pointing out the sealed ones. Just as he said, the rooms with talismans were on the first and second floors.
Yu Zhao observed the layout of the rooms carefully, noting that aside from two rooms directly above and below each other, there were no unusual connections between them. It seemed likely that the problem wasn’t with the inn itself but with someone who had stayed there.
“Innkeeper, I heard that Lady Ye was staying here about two weeks ago. Do you remember her?”
The innkeeper’s sour expression brightened immediately. “You know Lady Ye? Of course, I remember her! In all my years of running this inn, I’ve never seen a female cultivator more popular than Lady Ye! She stayed here for several months, and during that time, our inn was packed every single day!”
Suddenly, the innkeeper’s expression darkened as if a thought had just struck him. “Could someone have cursed the inn out of jealousy? That would be truly wicked!”
Yu Zhao’s mind focused on what the innkeeper had just said. Ye Cong Xin had stayed at this inn for several months, which meant that Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming had also remained in Black Armor City for months. What were they doing here all this time?
Yu Zhao’s gaze grew cold as she recalled that the swampy marshland was just outside Black Armor City. She hoped her suspicions were wrong. Otherwise, she might just want to dig out Lan Zi Yu and Su Ming’s brains to see what on earth they were thinking.
“Who is Lady Ye? Is she really that beautiful?” Ji Han Zhou asked, seeing Yu Zhao deep in thought and taking the opportunity to ask questions.
The innkeeper’s mood improved even more at the mention of Ye Cong Xin. “Well, she’s not the kind of beauty that would make nations fall, but she’s the kind of person you just can’t help but like. The moment you see her, all your worries seem to disappear.”
As he spoke, the innkeeper’s face lit up, and he animatedly described how much everyone adored Ye Cong Xin and how people went out of their way to please her.
Ji Han Zhou raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Is there really someone like that in the cultivation world?”
“I didn’t believe it either until I saw her with my own eyes. But after that, I had no choice but to believe.”
The innkeeper’s enthusiasm was evident, bordering on obsession, as he spoke about Ye Cong Xin. To Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou, his attitude toward her could only be described as fanatical.
“Innkeeper, let me ask you one more thing: did the guests who died have any close contact with Ye Cong Xin?”
The moment the question left Yu Zhao’s lips, both the innkeeper and his assistant’s faces turned grim. The innkeeper’s previous friendliness vanished, replaced by a defensive tone. “What are you implying? That Lady Ye had something to do with those deaths? Let me tell you, that’s impossible! Those guests were perfectly fine when she left, and there was no bad blood between them. There’s no way Lady Ye could have harmed them.”
His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Yu Zhao, his voice becoming sharp. “Are you here to stay or to cause trouble?”
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao remained unfazed. She smiled slightly. “Of course, we’re here to stay. I was just curious, that’s all. If my question offended you, I apologize. Now, can you please show us to our rooms?”
Still skeptical, the innkeeper led them to their upper rooms, his attitude far less welcoming than when they first arrived.
After he left, Ji Han Zhou immediately went to Yu Zhao’s room, his voice firm. “That Ye Cong Xin is definitely hiding something!”
Yu Zhao looked at him with an amused expression. “Oh? What makes you say that?”
“Think about it. Why would a shrewd innkeeper risk offending customers just to defend someone he’s not even related to? Isn’t that strange?”
Yes, it was very strange. But then again, those caught up in the situation often couldn’t see things clearly. How many people could really understand what was going on around them?