Sunlight streamed through the window, carrying the faint, rhythmic murmurs of the morning crowd from the ground floor. The innkeeper stared at Long Xiao intently, her sharp gaze internally weighing the credibility of his words. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "I believe I know who it might be.
"Long Xiao's brows lifted in surprise. "You do?"
"You likely encountered the legendary cursed flower of our Xundu City—Xiao Hua." She murmured the name softly, as if it were a stray petal caught in an old memory.
"Xiao Hua? Who is she?" Long Xiao repeated, thoroughly confused.
The innkeeper didn't answer right away. Rising gracefully from her seat, she walked over to the window. Her gaze drifted out toward the bustling streets below, her rouge and white robes catching the morning light like silk dipped in fresh flame.
Turning back to face him, she raised a single slender hand. The air in the room shifted subtly, a quiet hum of spiritual energy rippling through the space. From the porcelain basin beside the bed, the water rose slowly, defying gravity as it coalesced into a floating sphere that shimmered like captured moonlight.
"Oh, what is she doing now?" Long Xiao wondered, watching closely.
With a swift flick of her fingers, the sphere flattened into a translucent canvas suspended mid-air. Her cultivation stirred the water into motion. Within seconds, the liquid began to shift and paint a vivid portrait. There was no brush and no ink—just rippling, dancing water under her absolute control.
Long Xiao folded his arms, his cynicism momentarily giving way to deep curiosity.
A child with delicate features emerged within the fluid canvas. She had wide, solemn eyes, and her hair was tied loosely with a single crimson thread. Intricate mist curled around her feet, and faint petals drifted across the watery image like fading memories.
"That's her," Long Xiao said, leaning forward as his eyes narrowed. "The girl who led me to this inn."
The innkeeper nodded solemnly.
"The cursed flower. That is what the street urchins call her. She is a strange entity… always appearing precisely when a traveler is new or hopelessly lost, only to vanish into thin air like morning mist."
The water canvas shimmered again, altering the scenery.
It now revealed the young girl standing beneath a blooming, ancient tree whose petals pulsed with a faint, ominous red glow.
"Some say she is the spirit of a flower that bloomed during the catastrophic first Scarlet Eclipse," the innkeeper continued, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper.
"Others claim she is a rogue fox spirit, or a vengeful ghost disguised as an innocent child. But the locals all agree on one thing…" She paused, her dagger-like gaze locking dead onto his.
"If you see her, your life is about to change forever."
The image dissolved. With a soft splash, the water dropped harmlessly back into the porcelain basin.
"Nonsense", Long Xiao thought, resisting the urge to scoff out loud.
"If the girl truly led you straight to my establishment… perhaps it is fate." The innkeeper smiled—a look that felt entirely like a blade sheathed in soft silk.
"Or perhaps… you were simply meant to stay in this very room. Who knows?" She let out a soft chuckle, covering her mouth lightly with the edge of her wide sleeve.
"This sounds simultaneously stupid and interesting," Long Xiao muttered, shaking his head. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, walking toward the window to match her posture.
"Are you saying this is a regular occurrence? If she keeps stealing from travelers, why hasn't anyone pursued her?"
"Oh, she has been pursued a couple of times," the innkeeper said flatly, her playful demeanor vanishing for a split second. "But whoever went after her… never came back alive. In the beginning, people thought it was just a rumor. Until, one by one, those cultivators were simply never heard from again."She glided back toward the edge of his bed, her lips curving into a teasing, provocative smirk.
"So, my esteemed guest, do you still plan on looking for this little thief?"
"Yes," Long Xiao responded, his posture shifting into the effortless, confident stance of a true celestial.
"We have to put an end to this." The innkeeper's gaze sharpened. For a brief moment, her eyes locked onto his flawless, unbothered composure. He is certainly no ordinary cultivator, she thought.
"Well then," she purred, pulling back and smoothing her robes as she walked toward the door.
"Given that your stay is going to be heavily extended, your final bill shall be thrice the original rate. Consider it a necessary guarantee that you will actually keep your word and return to pay me."
"What?! Three times the price!?" Long Xiao shrieked, his confident aura instantly evaporating into pure financial panic.
"If you truly cannot afford it, I do accept divine treasures as collateral," the innkeeper winked. She let out a melodic, mocking laugh as she effortlessly slid through the doorway, sliding the panel shut.
"Hey! Come back here!" Long Xiao yelled after her, his hands flying up to protectively clutch his celestial earrings—which were worth more than the entire city, let alone a three-day room tab.
The only reply he received was the decisive clack of the wooden door sealing him inside. Just outside in the hallway, the innkeeper smirked to herself, her light footsteps echoing softly as she walked away. "He's quite interesting."