Translator: SoupHunter Editor: Milkbiscuit
There were so many houses around the area that Miao Yi couldn’t even see where they ended. They weren’t large in any way, and were mostly made out of mud and clay. If he hadn’t seen all these houses, he wouldn’t have known that Tempest Tavern was definitely considered one of the more luxurious buildings around. Moreover, these houses weren’t adjoined together at all. There was at least a few dozen meters between each one. They also didn’t face in the same direction; the front gate for each house was placed wherever the owner desired. The only commonality between them was that they were all built away from the lower terrain.
This city could be considered a poor, yet crowded one. There were no roads. All the buildings were built upon the desert. Perhaps it was better said that the gaps between the houses were the roads.
From time to time, dragon steeds could be seen galloping about. All the people in the city went silently about their own business. It was rare to find people walking together in groups. The whole city was very quiet. With the mist hovering about ten feet above the ground, it gave the city a serene vibe.
Miao Yi found it hard to believe that such a peaceful place was the same notorious danger zone known by everyone from the Six Nations—the same place that struck fear in cultivators from all across the realm.
Did the Netherdragon Ship really appear in a place like this? Where should he go to find more information about it? And where was the Celestial Nation’s Chamber of Commerce branch? Before he came here, the higher-ups had told him to report to the people from the Chamber of Commerce if he had any findings.
Miao Yi couldn’t decide if he should head outside and look around for a bit. There was no telling if the Hive Gang would really live up to their promise of not troubling him anymore, and there would definitely be people out there still trying to kill him. As long as he stepped outside of Tempest Tavern, he would be in serious danger.
After some contemplation, he figured he should wait for now. He could at least plan out his next step once the reply from Traversing Water Palace came. He estimated that their answer would probably arrive within ten days. Even though the prices here were indeed outrageously expensive, but with the wealth he possessed, he could still afford to stay a few years, no problem.
As Miao Yi looked around, his gaze soon fell upon the ‘third floor’ of the tavern. It was a small house constructed upon the roof of the second floor. Miao Yi wondered who was staying there. Was it the Lady Boss?
Miao Yi didn’t know and wasn’t interested to find out either. If that Lady Boss really was the owner of this place, then there was no guarantee someone with an exalted status like that would be concerned about him at all. He then jumped down towards the second floor’s corridor facing the courtyard, opened the door to his room and stepped inside. He returned to his bed and resumed his cultivation.
Not long after Miao Yi returned to his room, one of the tavern waiters carried two giant wooden buckets filled to the brim with warm water and walked up the wooden circular steps. He made his way to the small room up on the roof, then placed one bucket down, knocking on the door with his hand as he said, “Lady Boss!”
A lazy moan came from inside, then a tapping sound could be heard, followed by the sound of the door being unbolted. The waiter pushed open the door and walked in. Not long after, he walked back out empty-handed, closing the door behind him.
Soon, the sound of splashing water could be heard coming from the room. It seemed that the person inside was taking a bath.
About an hour later, the tightly shut windows of the room were pushed open. An exotic and voluptuous woman stood by the window with her hair loosely tied up behind her head, with several lush strands resting gently upon her shoulder. Although she wasn’t wearing any makeup, her beauty remained unquestionable, like that of a hibiscus flower.
Her slender arm reached out, grabbing two wooden stoppers from the window frame, then wedged them into the gaps at the bottom of the open window, preventing the wind from blowing her windows shut.
The room instantly brightened up. This woman sat in front of her dressing table and took up a brush, looking in the mirror as she gave her hair a brief combing through. A set of yellow shoes with beautiful cloud engravings soon made its way past the door as she slowly walked out onto the roof of the second floor, her beautiful eyes leisurely taking in her surroundings.
She wore a slightly translucent red leather top, the lines of her voluminous chest could be vaguely seen. Her slender bare shoulders donned a light green robe that gently swayed in the breeze. Underneath her green muslin robe, at the bottom of her leather top, was a seductively lean waist that any man would find difficult to resist. Her belly button was slightly out in the open, making it hard for anyone to take their eyes off her.
She donned a slightly crinkled vibrant green dress over her alluring thighs. The edges of her dress weren’t completely even, adorned with tiny golden pearls that shimmered under the light of the lanterns. This added weight on her dress brought out the shape of her butt even more as she walked, making the beautiful lines of her thighs evident with every step she took.
Her figure was absolutely divine; there wasn’t a trace of unnecessary fat, nor were there any areas that were lacking in volume. Although her skin carried a healthy bronze tone, it was flawless beyond compare, which was further accentuated by her revealing choice of attire. There was a seductiveness about her that was tempered by a wild air; she was truly an exotic beauty.
This woman was none other than the Lady Boss whom Miao Yi had met back in the Mystic Arts Temple all those years ago. She was as beautiful now as she was then, but there was an added air of seductiveness to her in this barren desert.
The waiter that brought her water soon came back up, proceeding to enter her room to take the two buckets of bath water, then made his way back downstairs.
The Lady Boss stood quietly in the breeze for a while. When the sun had fully risen over the horizon, she finally turned around and walked downstairs. She started by walking full-circle around the corridors of the guest rooms on the second floor, then did the same thing in the courtyard on the first floor. After which, she took a look inside the kitchen.
This was her daily routine. As long as she was here and there was nothing else happening, she continued day after day in the exact same manner, never changing even once.
She could see a few chefs busy working in the kitchen, but there was no sight of the cook. The Lady Boss asked, “Where is the cook?”
“He’s in the front hall,” one of the chefs politely answered.
The Lady Boss gave a quick glance around, then turned to leave. She walked straight across the courtyard and into the front hall where there were plenty of tables.
As soon as she went outside, a number of guests immediately stopped in the middle of their meals to take a look. They had difficulty tearing their eyes off her figure. These people were all the tavern’s regulars, and they clearly knew about her daily routine. Even though they knew they couldn’t have such a beautiful woman for themselves, they were satisfied with just taking a look at her.
The Lady Boss had obviously grown accustomed to these gazes a long time ago. As she passed by one of the tables, she casually rubbed her finger across the surface to check if it was clean. She then turned to look at the four people gathered behind the receptionist’s desk, who were coincidentally looking back at her with weird expressions.
If Miao Yi was here right now, he would recognize this group. They were the ones he’d met in the Mystic Arts Temple—the scholar, the cook, and the two laborers.
The Lady Boss walked up to the reception desk and knocked on the counter. She asked curiously, “What are all of you doing here?”
The four of them shook their heads and replied in unison, “Nothing.”
The Lady Boss didn’t believe them at all. She made her way to the entrance at the side and gestured for them to come out, saying curtly, “All of you, get out here this instant!”
The four of them immediately walked out obediently. The Lady Boss proceeded to the back of the counter and looked around to try and figure out what devious deed these four men were secretly doing.
What she didn’t know was that they were communicating to one another telepathically.
“Do you think that kid will come out?”
“I don’t know. It sure as hell will be interesting if he bumps into the Lady Boss though.”
“Back then, the kid didn’t know the Lady Boss’s identity. If he finds out… Do you think the Lady Boss will try to kill him if she finds out he’s here?”
“Not likely. The Lady Boss wouldn’t hold such a tiny grudge. Not to mention, she was the one at fault at the time. Even if she was taken advantage of, who can she blame but herself? I’m more concerned that she’ll think we’re playing a prank on her when she sees the kid later on, and maybe even punish us.”
“That’s quite possible. I remember back then, Old Hou joked about this matter after we returned, and he ended up having to clean all the tavern’s toilets for a whole year.”
The four of them were getting ready to watch a good show. It was as though they had nothing better to do. Then again, they DID have nothing better to do. After staying here for so many years, they were already bored stiff. As soon as something remotely interesting came their way, they would immediately jump at it excitedly. Not to mention, this was a chance to see the Lady Boss in an awkward situation. It was no exaggeration to call it a once in a lifetime opportunity! They wouldn’t miss the chance even if it killed them.
After fumbling her way through the back of the counter to no avail, the Lady Boss walked back out. She circled around the four of them, then said coldly, “Tell me honestly: what are you plotting? If you don’t tell me now, and I find out about it on my own, there will be hell to pay.”
The four of them smiled wryly. “We’re not plotting anything!”
The Lady Boss raised an eyebrow. “This is the receptionist’s desk. What’s a cook like you doing all the way here instead of the kitchen? And you two, a stonemason and a carpenter, what are you doing here in the reception? What exactly are you plotting?”
The cook explained, “The Sixth Young Lady of the Hive Gang failed in her mission and was captured by the enemy. Last night, Cheng Yaowei and his whole family rushed here to talk to the guy. We’ve just been discussing this matter.”
“Is that so?” Even though the Lady Boss still had her doubts, she realized that she wouldn’t be able to get anything out of these guys, so she stopped wasting her time. She then walked out the front gate and began her patrol of the tavern.
As soon as she left, the four of them immediately hustled together and traded whispers. After coming to a conclusion, two of them hastily made their way into the rear courtyard.
The cook returned to the kitchen, while the scholar headed to Miao Yi’s room and knocked on his door.
Miao Yi opened the door. When he saw that it was the scholar, he asked, “Innkeeper, is something the matter?”
“Dear customer, I hope your stay has been satisfactory so far?”
“It’s alright.”
“It’s like this. The money you paid for covers all your expenses for the whole day, meaning you won’t have to spend extra for food. Right now is our tavern’s breakfast time. I noticed you didn’t come, and I was worried that you might not have known about it, so I came here to give you a reminder.”
‘So that’s why!’ Miao Yi thought. It seemed that those ten thousand Gold Crystals were indeed well spent. He nodded. “Got it. I’m not hungry though. Thanks for the reminder, innkeeper.”
He then turned around, took up the wine flask and plate that the cook had brought over the night before, and passed them to the scholar. He then extended his arm and gestured for the scholar to excuse himself.
As he looked at the things in his hands, the scholar was a little lost for words. However, he lifted his head with a smile and said, “Dear customer, I can’t help finding you rather familiar. Have we met before?”
Miao Yi feigned ignorance and replied, “Maybe. If there’s nothing else…” He gestured for the scholar to leave once more.
“Oh! It’s like this.” The scholar quickly found another excuse. “I was wondering if you’ll be leaving after today, or would you like to stay for a few more days? If you plan on staying, then can I trouble you to come with me to the counter and settle the payment first? That way, I can help keep the room for you. You won’t have to worry about the room being accidentally assigned to someone else.”
Miao Yi thought for a bit. He still needed to wait for Traversing Water Palace’s reply either way. He quickly nodded. “I’ll be staying for a few more days.”
“Then please follow me!” The scholar cheerfully turned around and led Miao Yi into the front hall.
He quickly handed the dirty dishes in his hands over to one of the employees, then made his way to the back of the counter. He asked Miao Yi, “How many more days will you be staying? You can just give me a rough estimate.”
Miao Yi thought about it for a while, then answered, “Ten days!”
‘Ten days? Looks like I’ll get to see the Lady Boss’s awkward face then.’ The scholar immediately smiled. “Alright. Niu Er. Ten days. That’ll be a hundred thousand Gold Crystals. You can use items of a similar value as a deposit for the time being if you want.”
Miao Yi immediately handed over a large pile of Gold Crystals. The scholar gave them a quick tally, then tucked them away with a flick of his sleeve.
Now that there was nothing else for him to do, Miao Yi was about to retreat into his room. However, as he turned around, one of the waiters came up to him with a bowl of noodles, smiling as he said, “Dear customer, this is our tavern’s breakfast special. You can’t say that you’ve been to our Tempest Tavern if you haven’t tried it. This is a must-eat dish for anyone who visits our tavern. I was about to call you over to sample it. I never thought you would be down here already. Anyway, this way please!”
The waiter placed the noodles down on one of the tables next to the walkway. He then took the white towel off his shoulder and wiped down the chair, before gesturing for Miao Yi to take a seat.
