Chapter 134: The Inn

Heavy breathing.

On the rugged mountain road, Chen Ji wades through weeds and bushes, looking back three times for every step he takes.

Feng Huai, who was originally following behind, has disappeared without a trace. Even Feng Lie and that giant axe are nowhere to be seen.

He tightly grips the "Whale" in his hand, suddenly abandoning the mountain road and drilling into the forest. He hides himself under the dense shadows of the tree canopy.

However, just as Chen Ji turns his head to look around again, a flash of knife light suddenly bursts forth from within the trees in front of him. It's like a silk ribbon pulled from the Milky Way, chopping downwards.

The howling wind is accompanied by a sharp shriek.

Chen Ji subconsciously raises his knife to block, but just as the knife is halfway up, Feng Huai's knife tip is already stopped at the center of his brow.

In silence, the knife tip doesn't fall.

Chen Ji breathes heavily, recalling everything that just happened.

He doesn't know when Feng Huai hid in the trees. He also doesn't know why Feng Huai could guess he would take this road.

He only feels like a beginner at chess, every step calculated by someone else.

Feng Huai's face is smeared with grass juice, his body is tied with tree branches, and the tip of his knife is completely still, without the slightest tremor: "The King only allowed us to fight at the mountain top before to protect you, so we could only compare skills. But true combat is not just about skills."

Chen Ji says thoughtfully: "Combat?"

Feng Huai asks solemnly: "What is combat?"

Without waiting for Chen Ji to answer, he continues: "So-called combat means thinking the enemy's thoughts, anticipating the enemy first. Utilizing everything that can be utilized. Mountains, rivers, trees, human hearts. Ending the opponent's life."

Saying this, Feng Huai sheathes his knife and slowly retreats towards the forest behind. Before retreating into the shadows, he lightly says: "Teacher, this is all what you taught us in the past. Now, it's my turn to teach you."

Only at this moment does Chen Ji understand that Feng Huai's strength is not just his knife techniques, and the true combat has just begun.

From noon to evening, Chen Ji was assassinated by Feng Huai again and again on this green mountain.

His opponent, like a ghost, used all his might to display his lifetime of learning to the fullest.

If he walked in the forest, he would be killed. If he walked by the riverbank, he would be killed. If he walked in an open area, he would still be surrounded and killed by Feng Huai and Feng Lie.

Feng Huai was sometimes like tree bark stuck to a tree, sometimes like a piece of floating wood in the river water, acting like whatever he needed to. He forcefully turned the green mountain into a huge ghost mountain, terrifying to the extreme.

Only this time, Feng Huai no longer delivered the killing blow, but instead held back at the moment of about to kill, leaving Chen Ji alone in the original spot to recall all the details.

At a certain moment, Chen Ji walks into an empty space and turns back to look towards the mountain peak.

Xuanyuan is holding the King's flag with his hand, quietly overlooking him from the highest point. The expression on his face is unknown, whether it's sarcasm or pity.

"Chen Ji, wake up. Chen Ji!"

Someone slaps Chen Ji's shoulder, and he suddenly stands up, subconsciously swinging the "Whale" in his hand. He chops towards the left.

At this instant, when he swings his knife and raises his hand, he is still in the dense forest shadows of that green mountain.

When his arm falls, however, he has already returned to the sunset afterglow of Yichuan County city. His hand is empty.

Chen Ji hesitates and lowers his head to look around. Mister Wang, White Carp, World Son, and Chen Wen Zong are all sitting in the ox cart, staring up at him in astonishment.

White Carp's hand, which just patted his shoulder, is still hanging in mid-air.

The ox cart has already stopped, and beside it is the empty inn of "Xi Ying".

It's an old, two-story wooden building, and it seems to have some history.

Wang Dao Sheng carefully examines Chen Ji for a moment, then asks: "Had a nightmare?"

Chen Ji hurriedly follows up: "Yes, Mister, I just had a nightmare."

Wang Dao Sheng smiles: "It must be because you haven't rested well. Later, stay in this inn, and everyone get an early rest."

At this time, several waiters in the shop come out with smiling faces to welcome them: "Several honored guests, please come inside."

Zhang Xia asks: "Do you have hot water?"

The waiter hurriedly answers: "Yes, yes, it's boiling in the backyard. A pot of hot water costs two coins."

Zhang Xia doesn't care: "Do you have feed for the horses?"

The waiter says with a smile: "Yes, yes. Your esteemed horse is majestic and divine, it must eat the best feed."

Zhang Xia casually throws the horse whip to the waiter and says with a smile: "You know how to talk."

The waiter busy catches the horse whip, bows and nods, and leads them in the door.

Before entering the door, Chen Ji subconsciously examines the environment inside, sweeping every surrounding corner completely. He's afraid a Feng Huai will jump out from somewhere.

White Carp asks curiously: "Chen Ji, what are you looking at east and west?"

Chen Ji comes back to his senses, secretly laughing at himself for actually having a psychological shadow from being assassinated by Feng Huai.

On the first floor of the inn, several eight-immortals tables are casually placed. Several tables of guests are eating. The second floor is for guest rooms.

Perhaps it's because Chen Ji's nerves are overly tense, but as soon as he steps through the inn's threshold, he feels that all the diners are intentionally or unintentionally glancing at him.

Chen Ji rubs his brow. Is he too vigilant, leading to a misunderstanding?

While rubbing his brow, he lowers his head and examines all the diners with his peripheral vision.

Not a misunderstanding.

These people have wine on their tables, but none of them have taken a sip. Their eyes are clear, and their faces are normal.

The most crucial thing is that every one of these diners has short knives hidden in their sleeves.

Others may not be able to see, but Chen Ji can.

He takes a step forward and lightly pulls Wang Dao Sheng's arm: "Mister, this inn is a bit dirty, shall we change to another one?"

Wang Dao Sheng is startled: "Oh?"

The boss behind the counter hurriedly walks out with a smile to apologize: "This honored guest, you're joking. Within ten li and eight villages nearby, our Xi Ying Inn is absolutely the best. Big merchants coming from the south and going to the north who arrive at Yichuan County city all only stay here."

Chen Wen Xiao turns his head to look at Chen Ji, contemptuously: "No fate of a noble son, but got the illness of one. This inn is already very good. None of us dislike it, but you do?"

Chen Ji doesn't look at him, but looks at Wang Dao Sheng: "Mister?"

Wang Dao Sheng looks at him deeply for a moment, thinks for a while, and says: "Let's go and see another one."

Saying this, he turns around and goes out the door without the slightest hesitation.

They walked for two li along the long street, until the sunset sank in the west, and only found three inns. Without exception, all three inns were full, and even the horse stables were occupied by people. Most of them were going to Lu Hun Villa to watch the literary gathering.

Chen Wen Xiao complains: "Quickly go back to Xi Ying Inn, otherwise even there will be no place to stay. Chen Ji, if you want to be sick, don't drag everyone along, okay? You can't even endure this little hardship. I think Yao Tai Yi spoils you too much."

White Carp frowns: "Why are you speaking so unpleasantly? That inn was indeed not clean."

Just at this moment, Wang Dao Sheng suddenly turns around and asks Chen Ji: "You didn't just want to change inns because it was dirty. Tell me the reason."

Chen Ji hesitates for a moment, but finally speaks of his worries: "Just now in the inn, many of the guests were carrying short knives on their bodies, and their appearances were suspicious."

Chen Wen Xiao suddenly laughs out loud: "I see you've never been far from home, right? What's the problem with carrying knives?"

Jing Wang also smiles: "I thought what was the matter. When traveling far these days, carrying knives is a matter of course. Even if you don't encounter mountain bandits and robbers, you have to guard against local bullies' extortion."

Saying this, Jing Wang takes out a short knife from his sleeve.

Chen Wen Zong and Chen Wen Xiao also take out short knives from their cloth bundles.

Even Zhang Xia draws a dagger from his boot.

Chen Ji: ......

He had discovered Jing Wang carrying a knife. But he hadn't expected the others to be carrying them too.

Chen Ji is speechless for a moment, only cupping his hands: "My apologies, I made a fuss over nothing."

Wang Dao Sheng shakes his head: "No harm, when traveling outside, it's never wrong to be careful. This time, the literary gathering at Lu Hun Villa has attracted too many outsiders. If we don't stay at Xi Ying Inn, we will really have to sleep on the streets tonight."

Chen Ji says "Um," "Then let's stay at Xi Ying Inn."

Everyone returns to the inn, and the boss still welcomes them with a smiling face.

Chen Ji looks around, and those diners are nowhere to be seen.

He cups his hands towards the boss: "I offended you earlier. I still hope the boss doesn't mind."

The boss smiles and squints his eyes, saying: "Look at what you're saying. We open our doors for business, how can we be afraid of guests picking faults? You can rest assured and stay. Our Xi Ying Inn is very clean."

Wang Dao Sheng asks: "Boss, how many guest rooms are left?"

The boss points towards the second floor and says: "Only one 'Heaven' character superior room and one 'Yellow' character common bunk are left."

Chen Wen Xiao raises his voice: "Common bunk? When have we ever stayed in a common bunk? Boss... do we look like people who would stay in a common bunk? We have... but there is..."

He was about to say that the honorable Jing Wang was also among them, but Chen Wen Zong stopped him in time and politely asked: "Boss, I remember when we first entered the door, you said there were many guest rooms?"

The boss says awkwardly: "If you had just stayed directly, there were still three 'Heaven' character rooms then. But during the time you went out, more merchants came to stay."

Chen Wen Xiao frowns: "I'll go find them. Since they are going to Lu City to do business, presumably they will give us some face."

However, Wang Dao Sheng faintly raises his hand to stop him: "It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. A common bunk is a common bunk. Having a place to sleep is enough. White Carp and Zhang Xia go stay in the 'Heaven' character room. We will go to the common bunk."

Inns in this era are all like large mixed courtyards. The front building is for lodging, and the backyard has horse stakes, a horse drinking pool, and piles of goods belonging to unknown numbers of merchants.

Inns also rarely have single rooms, mostly common bunks prepared for merchants and horse teams.

One room can accommodate twenty or more people.

Inns habitually use 'heaven, earth, mysterious, yellow' to name their guest rooms.

'Heaven' character is the best room, and 'Yellow' character rooms are the most chaotic common bunks.

Chen Ji looks towards the boss: "Boss, is it really impossible to find another 'Heaven' character room?"

The boss shakes his head: "Honored guest, it's really impossible."

Chen Ji's heart sinks. The inns in the entire Yichuan County city are full of people. Only Xi Ying Inn still has rooms. This is likely waiting for someone.

Then, if they are the last batch of guests, it means that their opponents are waiting for them.

But why wouldn't Jing Wang and Wang Dao Sheng see it?

The boss leads everyone upstairs and comes to the door of the 'Yellow' character common bunk, lightly pushing open the guest room door.

The room inside is dark. On the large common bunk, which is big enough for twenty or more people, several guests are already covered with quilts and sleeping. The sound of snoring is one after another, and the smell of foot odor hits them in the face.

Chen Ji softly says: "Apologies, Mister, I delayed the time, and now you all can only stay in a place like this."

Before he finishes speaking, he sees that Wang Dao Sheng and Jing Wang both walk in as if nothing happened.

Wang Dao Sheng answers with a smile: "When leading soldiers outside, the biggest wish is to have a bed mattress and a quilt. The smell of those soldiers is countless times worse than here. No harm."

Jing Wang also laughs heartily: "I also led soldiers, not worse than Mister Wang."

The night is deep and quiet.

Chen Ji lies on the common bunk and sleeps with his clothes on, not even covering himself with the quilt.

He closes his eyes but is unwilling to sleep, only silently listening to the sounds of snoring one after another.

Outside the window, a watchman passes by, shouting, "Heaven is dry, things are dry, be careful with candles."

At this time, there is a rustling sound in the room, as if someone is getting up.

Chen Ji slightly opens his eyes and sees Jing Wang quietly and silently leaving the door.

Someone outside the door softly says: "Please come this way, the adult is already waiting for you in the backyard."

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