Ning Cheng pointed to the rules behind him and said, “Article 61 of the Star Stepping Tower’s lease. The guest can use the room in any way they like before the guest checks out or defaults on the rent. No matter the circumstance, the guest has the first right to renew the lease. Article 75, if the inn is in any way rude to the guests, the guests can register their protest in their own way.”
“The concierge broke both rules in a row, so I’m just registering my complaint in my own way. My way is quite simple, you see, just slapping his face. By the way, these rules are what the concierge told me to read. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have known about it. I guess since he knowingly committed the crime, he should at least volunteer to be a punching bag.”
The middle-aged male cultivator frowned when he heard Ning Cheng’s words and stared at the concierge with an ice-cold gaze before asking, “What the hell is going on?”
Xin Xiu had seen this middle-aged male cultivator before and knew that this person was a deacon of the Star Stepping Tower. She already felt quite anxious, so before the concierge could answer, she took the initiative to speak. “I wanted to renew the lease for my suite, but he didn’t allow me to renew it, and it all led to this.”
This concierge was just a mid-level Eternal cultivator. However, he knew that Xin Xiu lived here with a wounded person for over half a year. He quickly understood that Xin Xiu was a rogue cultivator he could bully around. But he didn’t expect that Ning Cheng and Xin Xiu would come out together and dare to slap him and make matters worse.
Seeing the concierge hesitate, the middle-aged male cultivator quickly understood the crux of the matter. From the looks of it, what this cultivator couple spoke was the truth. But even if it was the truth, as long as they dared to attack the Star Stepping Tower’s concierge, he had to take some action.
“My Star Stepping Tower has been in Heaven Essence Sacred City for tens of thousands of years. It had always prided itself on its credibility. As long as you do not owe us the rent, there would be no problems renewing the lease. However, although the guests can use their own methods to settle complaints, it does not mean that they can beat people from my Star Stepping Tower.” The middle-aged male cultivator suddenly spoke out sharply and directed his intense killing desire towards Ning Cheng and Xin Xiu.
Xin Xiu didn’t have a high enough cultivation. Therefore, the moment this killing desire surrounded her, she felt as if she had plunged head-first into a bucket of ice-cold water.
On the other hand, Ning Cheng simply lifted his hand and flicked, dissipated the killing desire in just an instant and replied with an equally cold tone. “So, only your Star Stepping Tower’s concierge can slap us around while we’re not even allowed to fight back?”
“My Star Stepping Tower’s concierge slap you?” The middle-aged male cultivator frowned. He had a foreboding that this matter didn’t seem as simple as he predicted.
Xin Xiu quickly said, “Yes, I had come down to renew the lease. But this concierge not only did not allow me to renew the lease but also cursed at me and then slapped me in the face.”
Seeing the middle-aged male cultivator’s sharp gaze sweeping towards him, the concierge trembled. If he wanted to deny this thing, he could deny it. But with too many people in the hall who witnessed it, it wouldn’t be much of a problem to find witnesses.
“Deacon Huang, yes, yes…..” The concierge hesitated for a long time before finally sputtering out a response, but one without any reason.
“Haha, Deacon Huang, long time no see.” A young brown-robed man suddenly walked over and greeted the middle-aged male cultivator with cupped fists and a smile.
When the middle-aged male cultivator addressed as Deacon Huang saw the young man in brown robes, the frost on his face melted instantly and turned into a wide smile. “It turned out to be Sacred Child Ji who graced us with his presence. Welcome.”
Sacred Child Ji glanced at Ning Cheng and Xin Xiu before speaking to Deacon Huang. “Deacon Huang, if you are looking to blame someone, then you can blame me for this mess. This concierge only wanted to help me out, that’s it. I lived in the premier suite on the top floor for some time in the past and fell in love with it. This time around, when I came to Heaven Essence Sacred City, I wanted to stay there once again for some time.”
Deacon Huang realised in an instant that this man and woman who created all this trouble must have come from the premier suite on the sixth floor. Since the concierge did not allow this female cultivator to renew the lease, it should be because her lease term had expired. The concierge, most likely, wanted to withdraw it from them and give it to Ji Pingzhong, the fourth-strongest among the Grand Essence’s 12 Sacred Children. Not only was he powerful by himself, but he also had a powerful force supporting him. As just a Deacon, he truly couldn’t afford to offend such a person.
Thinking of this, Deacon Huang turned his attention to Ning Cheng. “This guest, if you’re willing to move out of the Premier Suite on the sixth floor, I will refund you double of what you paid for your room previously.”
Ning Cheng sighed internally. He understood that it would be an impossible matter for him to live here in peace. He could put up an act and play around with a concierge, but if he picked a fight with the deacon here, he wouldn’t even get the option to leave. Besides, this Deacon Huang most likely didn’t know that Xin Xiu had lived there for more than half a year. If he had to pay back double the rate, I wonder what kind of face he would make.
Ning Cheng didn’t continue to talk about renewing the lease and directly said, “Yes, we can withdraw, but we can only move out tomorrow.”
“Give them back double the spirit crystals they paid. Don’t let me count it by myself, or I’ll have your head.” Deacon Huang shouted to the concierge.
The concierge trembled and said, “She has lived here for more than half a year, and double the spirit crystals would mean more than five million….”
“What?” Deacon Huang almost vomited blood. More than five million spirit crystals! Even he couldn’t take it out if he sold everything on him right now. What’s more, the Grand Essence Great Meet was also about to start, which meant that all kinds of good things would be pouring into the sacred city. He needed many spirit crystals to purchase the necessary items, so how could he take out so much at once.
Deacon Huang felt quite desperate and wanted Ji Pingzhong to come forward and say that he could take care of the spirit crystals. However, Ji Pingzhong didn’t even bother to move. Rather, he pretended otherwise. Either that, or he didn’t put him, Deacon Huang, in his eyes at all.
“This dao friend, you’ve lived here for too long. I can only refund you ten days’ worth of rent. What do you think?” Deacon Huang wouldn’t agree to shell out five million spirit crystals to Ning Cheng even if Ning Cheng slapped him publicly.
Ning Cheng sneered, “It seems that Star Stepping Tower likes to act only as a bully. Not only do they bully their guests, they even make promises like clouds of farts. Stop with all this pretend acting; if you can’t back your words, then state it openly. Don’t make things on the spot only to disgust people.”
Although he technically didn’t suffer any loss right now, Ning Cheng had already decided to leave this place with Xin Xiu and Wu Qihong. One day, he will come back to get some old fashioned revenge.
Deacon Huang already felt disgruntled with Ning Cheng. Now that Ning Cheng retorted with such rude words, he immediately made up his mind to teach Ning Cheng a lesson.
But before he could even speak a word against Ning Cheng, a cold voice suddenly appeared in the hall. “My Star Stepping Tower has always put the customer first, aiming to make them feel at home. We never indulge in bullying customers or make random promises. Since the Star Stepping Tower has laid down its rules, it’s the same as a country’s laws. As long as the guests fulfil the rent obligations, any and every customer will enjoy the laid down rules.”
Ning Cheng felt distracted for a while. Why did those words feel so familiar? He even felt as if these words came from a person from Earth. Except for Earth, every place he had visited used the word ‘law[1]’ instead of ‘law[2]’. Not only that, but even the words ‘customers’, ‘obligations’, ‘rights’, and others also sounded familiar yet unfamiliar.
But these thoughts quickly disappeared from Ning Cheng’s mind. He saw a black-robed woman with a veil on her face suddenly appear in the hall. To Ning Cheng’s surprise, he couldn’t see this black-robed woman’s cultivation at all. However, this woman’s aura felt more powerful and terrifying than Man Jiuren. Only the words ‘vast as a sea of smoke’ could describe it.
An inn with such a terrifying master, Ning Cheng felt sure that this woman could kill him with just a finger.
“Pardon me, but who is this senior?” Ning Cheng couldn’t afford to offend such an expert but also felt a bit curious and used Earth’s way of speaking with respect.
The black-robed woman replied with a quiet voice, “My surname is Nei. I opened this inn, and you’re going to explain to me about this conflict.”
Ning Cheng didn’t exaggerate or take back his words and said what had happened just now.
After listening to Ning Cheng’s words, the black-robed woman coldly glanced at Deacon Huang and the concierge. She said with an ice-cold tone, “Both of you, get out of my Star Stepping Tower. Don’t even dare to step into my Star Stepping Tower from now on or ever in the future.”
After speaking, she turned to another concierge and said, “Help these two customers with the lease renewal procedures. Make sure it’s per the rules.”
Ning Cheng never thought that things would be that simple. Deacon Huang and the injured concierge didn’t dare say a word and left the inn’s hall with their heads held down.
Sacred Child Ji frowned slightly. He cupped his fists and stepped forward, “Desolate Spirit Palace’s Ji Pingzhong greets Senior Nei.”
“What do you want?” The black-robed woman’s tone didn’t ease even a bit.
Ji Pingzhong felt a little unhappy. Facing one of the Grand Essence’s 12 Sacred Children, an inn master would never use such a tone. Let alone after hearing that he came from the Desolate Spirit Palace.
“I want to stay in the premier suite of Star Stepping Tower’s sixth floor….”
Without waiting for Ji Pingzhong to finish speaking, the black-robed woman spoke up with a cold voice, “If you want to check-in, then go to the counter and check-in like everybody else. You don’t need to tell me about this kind of thing.”
Ji Pingzhong took in a deep breath then looked at Ning Cheng before speaking up with a slightly stiff tone, “The premier suite is what they want to renew….”
Ning Cheng didn’t drag Ji Pingzhong into the issue when he explained things. He knew that the smaller the forces involved in such a situation, the more beneficial it would be. Now that Ji Pingzhong spoke those words, the black-robed woman instantly understood why Deacon Huang wanted Ning Cheng to check out.
She looked at Ji Pingzhong, and the chillness in her eyes intensified even more. Her tone turned even colder, and she said, “Get lost. No one can drive the guests of my Star Stepping Tower away.”
Ji Pingzhong’s face changed. No one had ever dared to tell him to get lost. His face turned pale, but he still managed to pass on some words to the black-robed woman, “I will bring the senior’s words back to my Desolate Spirit Palace without any changes.”
The black-robed woman stared at Ji Pingzhong and spoke with the same ice-cold tone, “If you don’t get the hell out right now, I will make sure that you no longer have any legs to return to your Desolate Spirit Palace.”
Ji Pingzhong didn’t dare to continue spouting nonsense and ran out of the Star Stepping Tower with a cold face.
Ning Cheng was just about to thank the black-robed woman but found that she had already disappeared without a trace. It was in the same manner as when she had first appeared. Ning Cheng couldn’t figure out how this veiled black-robed woman appeared and disappeared from the start to the end. Moreover, he could even sense the slightest disturbance in the surrounding space, as if she melted away into the air.
At this point, Ning Cheng no longer wanted to live here anymore. The black-robed woman was just too terrifying. If he did something in the room, could he even hide from this woman? But by the time he looked back, he saw that Xin Xiu had already renewed the lease for two more months. It meant that he had no choice but to stay. “Let’s go back up. Unless something happens, try not to come out.”
……
After returning to the room, Ning Cheng sat quietly for a long time. He started to wonder if this woman surnamed Nei had come from Earth just like him. However, the terrifying power of that female cultivator forcibly erased such thoughts.
But just in case, Ning Cheng cast dozens of restrictions all around the suite and even arranged a dozen array formations. Only after doing all this did he feel a bit calmer.
Nevertheless, he didn’t intend to expose any information about the Mysterious Yellow Bead in the room. With the great meet only a month away from now, he still had many things to do. In addition to cracking Pill Sage Min Kong’s bracelet, there was that strand of foreign spiritual consciousness in his Sea of Consciousness. He wanted to eliminate that strand of spiritual consciousness as quickly as possible to avoid any further complications.
[1] Law – 律法
[2] Law – 法律
