Chapter 269: Guesthouse

"Woof woof~" Mantou wagged its tail continuously. Although it also smelled the two scents, as a dog, it didn't understand what Li Huowang was saying.

At this moment, the monk beside them spoke. "Daoist, what does the smell of blood and rust on her mean? Is she a bad person or a good person??"

Li Huowang shook his head and looked up at the sky. Just then, a drop of rain fell from above, landing in his eye.

"Let's go. It's going to rain. Let's find an inn to stay at first."

The rain started as light drops, but gradually intensified. Just as Li Huowang and his companions entered an inn, a torrential downpour began.

Shaking the rainwater from his clothes, Li Huowang called out to the empty room, "Waiter! We need a room!"

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder emerged from behind a curtain.

Upon seeing so many outsiders, the waiter's expression immediately changed. His face filled with fear, and his body instinctively recoiled.

Just then, Gouwa jumped forward and grabbed the waiter's arm, preventing him from retreating. "Why are you leaving! Can't you see we're customers? Go tell the cook to prepare food quickly; my wife and Senior Brother Li are starving!"

"Alright... alright, honored guests, please wait." The waiter's voice lacked confidence.

As he turned to walk towards the back kitchen, Li Huowang, who was seated in the main spot, already frowned. The waiter's behavior was very strange.

"Xiao Man, go and check. Make sure they don't add anything to our food." Chun Xiaoman nodded, gripping his sword with his single arm, and walked towards the backyard. Bai Lingmiao thought for a moment and also followed him.

"Young Daoist, why don't we wait for the rain to stop and then quickly leave this place?" Grand Scholar Lü evidently didn't know that Li Huowang had come specifically for this strangeness, but having traveled extensively, he had already sensed that something was amiss.

"Don't panic. They're afraid of us, not the other way around. This county town is quite large, and everyone is tired. Let's rest here before we continue."

Hearing Li Huowang's words, Grand Scholar Lü remained silent. The young Daoist was highly skilled and courageous, so it was best not to interfere. Even if there was something truly strange about this county town, the young Daoist could handle it.

Soon after, various aromatic dishes were brought to the table. A small portion from each plate was set aside and thrown under the table. Mantou, who had been waiting eagerly, immediately began to devour it.

Only after Mantou finished eating and a considerable time passed without any issues did the others begin to use their chopsticks.

Chewing on the crispy lotus root in his mouth, Li Huowang ate silently. He could feel two gazes piercing his back from behind the kitchen curtain.

The waiter and the cook were there, staring at them with fearful eyes.

Li Huowang didn't think his current appearance was frightening; everything that should have grown back had clearly done so.

Furthermore, after such a long period of gradual adjustment, everything had grown to its proper place.

"What exactly are they afraid of? Why is such a large county town so wary of outsiders? Did something happen to them before?" The hearty dinner concluded with Li Huowang's thoughts.

At night, the rain showed no signs of letting up. As if the heavens had broken open, it continuously washed over everything outside.

"Wah wah wah~" The sound of rain and wind frightened Scholar Lü's son, who cried incessantly. Scholar Lü carefully held and continuously comforted him, but to no avail.

"Ugh, you're not doing a good job as a father. Give him to me." With a look of disdain, Luo Juanhua reached out, took her son, pulled open her clothes, and began to breastfeed him.

"What are you doing? Xiucai is still here!" Scholar Lü used his body to block the view between his wife and his younger brother.

"What's there to be afraid of? Look at him; does he even care to look at me?"

Scholar Lü turned to look at his younger brother. At that moment, Xiucai Lü had taken off his shoes and was sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, muttering something intently, completely oblivious to his elder brother and sister-in-law discussing him.

Scholar Lü was not particularly pleased about Xiucai learning supernatural abilities from the young Daoist. He knew his younger brother wasn't cut out for such things.

What's more, merely holding the young Daoist's sword had resulted in his current state; heaven knew what he would become after further practice.

However, he wasn't the head of the household, so nothing he said mattered. The head of the household was still Grand Scholar Lü.

"By the way, where did our father go?" Hearing her husband ask this, Luo Juanhua immediately rolled her eyes at him. "Where did your father go? How should I know?"

After saying that, Luo Juanhua lowered her head and whispered to the infant in her arms, "Tongsheng, you must not live as muddled as your father when you grow up. You are going to be a high-ranking official!"

Speak of the devil, with a creak, the door opened, and Grand Scholar Lü entered with a stern expression.

"Father, where did you go?" Scholar Lü greeted him.

"Move aside. Do I need you, my son, to tell me what to do? Go to the backyard and fetch the cook for me."

Scholar Lü, looking hesitant, clearly had no right to refuse and turned to walk out of the room.

When Grand Scholar Lü saw his grandson nursing in his daughter-in-law's arms, his face first lit up with joy, then immediately twisted in anger. "Unseemly! Quickly cover him up with a cloth!"

It didn't take long to summon the cook. Soon, the cook with a hairy black mole on his chin stood before Grand Scholar Lü. His complexion was as poor as the waiter's, and his face looked greasy.

"Honored guest, did you call for me? What would you like for a late-night snack?" he asked, rubbing his hands awkwardly.

"Hehehe~" Grand Scholar Lü chuckled before speaking, pulling out some fragmented silver from his sleeve and handing them over.

"Little master, as you can see, my daughter-in-law has just given birth, but she's not producing enough milk. Please bother to make some stewed pig trotters and crucian carp soup to help her with lactation."

Hearing this, Luo Juanhua, who was actually breastfeeding the child, pursed her lips. Why would she need more milk? Tongsheng couldn't even finish all the milk she produced daily; she even had some left over for Xiuer.

However, she didn't object. After all, only a fool would refuse free pig trotters and crucian carp.

"Oh, I understand. I'll go make it right away. I remember there's half a pig trotter left in the kitchen." The cook turned to leave but was stopped by Grand Scholar Lü. "Hey, hey, hey~ Little master, don't walk so fast, hehehe, I haven't finished speaking yet."

Saying this, Grand Scholar Lü furtively pulled out a thumb-sized silver ingot from his embrace and slipped it into the cook's hand.

"Um, I want to ask you something: In the past, did something happen to the people in this area?"

The cook, who had initially been exceptionally reserved, immediately turned pale upon hearing this. As if the silver in his hand were a venomous snake, his fingers trembled violently, and in fear, he flung the silver away.

"Don't ask me! I don't know anything! I don't know anything!" With that, he fled the room as if his life depended on it.

Grand Scholar Lü sighed lightly, bent down to pick up the silver ingot, and holding it in both hands, said with a hint of regret to the empty space to his left, "Young Daoist, this cook won't take it."