Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Arriving at Blackwater City
Chen Tian Dong sat on the front of the wagon, smiling as he called back: “Senior Yu, we’ll reach Blackwater City in about two hours.”

Yu Zhao gave a soft “mm” in reply. By her calculations, it was about time to reach Blackwater City.

Chen Tian Dong asked with a grin: “Senior Yu, do you have a place to stay in Blackwater City? There will be a large Auction Gathering in seven days. Many cultivators who want to take part will set out early. I’m afraid the inns in the city don’t have any empty rooms left.”

Yu Zhao was slightly taken aback.

She really had not thought of this problem.

Seeing her fall silent, Chen Tian Dong hurried to be helpful: “Our Chen Clan has already booked rooms in Blackwater City. We happen to have one extra room. If Senior Yu doesn’t mind, you can stay at the same inn as us.”

Yu Zhao could not help but smile.

Because Blackwater City was holding an Auction Gathering, rooms would be tight, and the prices would not be low either. There was no reason for the Chen Clan to book an extra room for no one. Clearly, this room had been squeezed out for her on purpose.

She said: “Thank you.”

Chen Tian Dong answered at once: “Senior Yu, there’s no need to be so polite. All of our lives were saved by you. One room is nothing.”

Senior Yu had not only saved them, she also had not tried to rob them even though she knew they were carrying a Bottleneck-Breaking Pill. In his eyes, she was an upright and generous senior with deep virtue.

Being able to build a connection with such a senior was a blessing for him, Chen Tian Dong, and for the entire Chen Clan.

An hour or so later, the caravan stopped at the city gate of Blackwater City and everyone jumped down from the wagons.

Chen Tian Dong ordered six guards to lead the Blood-Sweat Steeds to a special open space outside the gate where carriages were kept. The rest lined up to enter the city.

Standing in the line, Yu Zhao looked at the crowded city gate and could not help feeling glad that she had met the Chen Family Caravan. Otherwise, she really might have ended up sleeping on the streets.

There were many people in the line, but the speed of entering the city was not slow.

In less than the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Yu Zhao and the Chen Family Caravan had passed through the gate and entered Blackwater City.

Blackwater City was more or less the same as the other cultivation cities Yu Zhao had visited. Maybe because the Auction Gathering was coming up soon, the streets were packed shoulder to shoulder and especially busy and lively.

Chen Tian Dong had probably come to Blackwater City before. He led the group down the streets with practiced ease.

After they crossed three streets and turned several corners in a row, they finally arrived at a four-story inn.

Chen Tian Dong said happily: “Senior Yu, please.”

Yu Zhao smiled and stepped into the inn first.

Chen Tian Dong followed right behind her.

As soon as they walked in, several gazes landed on them.

The inn’s shopkeeper, a man with a merchant’s look, pointed in their direction and shook his head with a troubled face: “These three customers are the ones who booked the rooms. Our small inn really has no empty rooms left.”

The three men he was speaking to also turned to look where he pointed.

The one in the lead had an average face and an average air about him, but everything he wore from head to toe was fine and expensive. It made him look exactly like some upstart who had suddenly gotten rich.

The other two were clearly his servants or guards. They were looking at Yu Zhao and the others with arrogant eyes.

Chen Tian Dong had long been used to traveling all over the place. With one glance he understood what had just happened. He was very unhappy that the inn’s shopkeeper was trying to push the trouble onto them.

He walked up with a cold face and said: “Give us our rooms.”

The shopkeeper gave an awkward smile and was about to come forward to check them in when the nouveau riche suddenly cleared his throat.

One of his guards immediately stepped out and said to Chen Tian Dong: “Our Young Master has taken a liking to the room you booked. Name your price.”

Chen Tian Dong did not even look at them. He kept his eyes on the shopkeeper and said: “Shopkeeper, hurry it up. My brothers are all waiting to rest.”

All three of the nouveau riche group darkened their faces at the same time.

One guard barked: “Hey! Do you know who our Young Master is? You dare ignore us? Be careful, or you won’t be able to bear the consequences!”

The other added: “That’s right, hand over the room right now, and our Young Master won’t bother with you lot. Otherwise… humph!”

The two guards took turns speaking, and the arrogance in their words was almost overflowing.

Yu Zhao watched them and found it funny.

Those two guards did not even have cultivation levels as high as Chen Tian Dong’s, yet they dared to shout in front of them.

Besides, if they were really as powerful as they sounded, why would they be here fighting over rooms at an inn that was not even on the main street? Plenty of people would be eager to serve them if their backing was that strong.

It was probably some small family clan with shallow foundations that would raise such a spoiled junior.

There was no need for her to step in. Chen Tian Dong alone was enough to deal with them.

He laughed coldly and said: “We’re just not giving it up. What are you going to do about it? Draw a line, and our Chen Clan will stay with you to the end!”

Then he clapped his hands.

The Chen Clan clansmen who had been waiting outside streamed in one after another, filling the spacious first floor of the inn until it was packed.

Everyone who could join the Chen Family Caravan was an elite carefully chosen from the Chen Clan. Each one had a strong, sturdy body and stood tall and fierce. Standing together like this, their presence was overwhelming.

In front of the Chen Clan, the once high-and-mighty trio looked like three weak little chicks.

The nouveau riche wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, bent his back, and gave a fawning laugh: “Misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding, hahaha.”

“Misunderstanding?” Chen Tian Dong pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile that was not a smile. “You think one word ‘misunderstanding’ is enough to brush off my brothers? You’re looking down on us.”

The Chen Clan clansmen glared at the three men at just the right moment. Someone even licked his lips in a not-so-good way.

The nouveau riche’s backside clenched in fear, and he cursed his own bad luck in his heart.

Damn it, he had run into a pack of lunatics.

He had just wanted to find a quiet little inn, put on a show, and scare someone into giving up two rooms. He had never thought his first attempt would fail so badly.

Looking at this group of men, it even seemed like they were eyeing his tender flesh. He shivered and shouted loudly: “I’ll pay! I’ll pay!”

Chen Tian Dong laughed and slapped his shoulder hard: “Now you’re talking.”

The nouveau riche was on the verge of tears.

…

The small scene caused by the nouveau riche soon passed.

The shopkeeper personally led Yu Zhao and the others upstairs to their rooms.

Under Chen Tian Dong’s strong insistence, Yu Zhao moved into the best room among all the ones they had booked.

After resting in the room for a short while, she left the inn and headed to the place where the Auction Gathering would be held.

There were certain requirements to take part in the Auction Gathering.

First, one had to pay a large enough deposit to get the right to enter.

Next, the seats at the Auction Gathering had different prices, and each level came with its own benefits.

Last, anything one won in the bidding had to be paid for right after the Auction Gathering ended. If someone won an item but could not pay, the Auction Gathering would use its own methods to get what it was owed.

Yu Zhao rarely went to auction events, but Su Ming was a regular at such gatherings. He often bragged to Yu Zhao, describing different auction scenes in great detail.

After hearing him talk so many times, Yu Zhao had a pretty good idea of how an Auction Gathering was run.

The place hosting the Auction Gathering in Blackwater City was inside a Market District.

Yu Zhao did not even need to ask for directions. She simply followed the biggest flow of people and soon arrived outside the auction hall.

She heard someone shouting: “What! They’re gone? They’re gone already?”

Another voice yelled: “I hurried on the road for a whole month just to get to Blackwater City, and now you’re telling me there are no tickets! What kind of Auction Gathering is this?!”

A third voice roared: “I don’t care! Since you’re holding a large Auction Gathering, you should have prepared enough tickets! You’d better find me one more ticket!”