CHAPTER 17: Doubted
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All of them felt their stomachs twist. When they saw the grin on the old man's face. They could see his full face. Because of the Chronicle straw hat. but the grin they could see.
Ren Tie's hand trembled. Wen Chong swallowed with a dry "kkh" sound. Tian Zuo looked down at his token like it was about to bite him.
Yin Zhe didn't move. Instead he stared at the elder, searching for his expressions and small details.
The elder finished his warning and stepped away from the table.
His body blurred for half a heartbeat.
fwip. and he vanished.
There was No light or sound. Not even a breath of energy was left behind. It was like he thoroughly vanished. "Creepy" they thought.
The boys froze. Their faces were drained of color. Their fingers gripped the tokens so tightly that the edges dug into their skin.
They did not dare to stand Or speak. Fear settled in the room like cold air.
*****
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A few hours later, Yin Zhe was already inside a small town called Frost-petal. It was the closest settlement to the iron vein spirit sect. The token from the old man. It had just teleported them to the town directly. The air here was cold and clean. Thin flakes of frost floated down from the roofs like tiny feathers. "Huuu…" he rubbed his arms. The weather felt like someone had put ice under his clothes.
He slowly walked on the stone road, dragging his boots a little. Step… step… His steps echoed because the night was getting quiet. People were closing shops. Street lamps made of glowing stones crackled lightly. Crackle… crackle…
Yin Zhe let out a tired breath.
"Hmmm… I need a place to sleep. I'm tired as hell," he muttered.
He had already parted ways with the others hours ago after they teleported here. Everyone wanted to move alone and think. He also wanted peace to plan his next move.
He muttered "the elder didn't want us to know exactly where the place or the mansion was. That's why he made us teleport to the dining and outside.. that way we wouldn't know the interior of the place and never saw the outside premises.. tsk... What a smart move for an old man.. not like we could do anything against him anyways."
The town had many inns, but he picked the one that looked normal. Not too flashy, or too dead. The sign said Frost-flake Rest Inn. The door creaked when he pushed it. Creak…
Warm air touched his face as soon as he stepped in. A soft perfume smell floated inside the hall. Lanterns glowed softly.
He walked straight to the long wooden counter where the attendant sat. She seems to be sorting papers and humming a small tune. When she noticed movement, she raised her head. then she froze a bit.
She stared at Yin Zhe's robe. The smooth cloth. The light golden patterns. And the fresh smell of shampoo and bath soap around him.
Her mouth opened a little. But she didn't say anything
[Praise reactive points +1]
"Oh praise?.. that's a first, this system might really come in addy"
She praised him inwardly without hiding it. Her eyes kept going up and down.
"This robe looks expensive… this one must be a rich young master…" she thought while her fingers rested a bit.
Yin Zhe smirked. His lips curved up slightly. He could see her reactions. He knew his robe was too flashy for this small inn. And his hair still smelled nice.
He smoothly leaned his elbow on the desk. Thud. And then tilted his head and gave her a light wink.
"Evening," he said in a calm, flirty tone. "I want a room. Something nice, and comfortable."
The attendant inhaled sharply.
"Hmmm…" she covered her mouth, trying not to react so much. "W-Welcome, dear sir. Y-You have come to the right place at the right time."
She was excited. Yin Zhe could see it in her eyes. Her smile stretched all the way to her ears.
"So," she said, while tapping the desk fast, "we have many rooms. The highest one is very nice. Very soft bed and Good view. Plus it's Very, very safe. The price is only 100 spirit crystals, dear sir. Very cheap for a cultivator like you."
She said the last part with confidence, like she was selling gold.
Yin Zhe blinked twice.
Blink... Blink..
His smile dropped. Thump. His heart hit his chest. "Wait… what?" he asked, leaning in with a twitch in his eye. "Did you say… 100 spirit crystals?" His voice cracked at the end.
The attendant nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. It's Only 100. That is the highest room we have. Perfect for rich cultivators like you."
Yin Zhe almost spat blood.
"Pffft" he slapped his chest lightly. "Ahhh— h-hold on," he whispered. "One… hundred?"
He nearly dropped to the ground. His legs shook slightly. Tremble… He grabbed the counter fast before he collapsed in shame.
He looked to the side and muttered under his breath:
"Back then, when I hadn't gotten back my Earthly memories… I wouldn't have cared about the prices since I'm from a rich clan. The old me with my family's backing would just pay nonchalantly. While acting noble. But now… pfft… now I care. Now my head hurts. One hundred crystals?. For one night?. Are they mad?"
He wiped his imaginary tears. He only had 100 crystals from that old fart Elder Han. He forced a smile and leaned forward a bit more. His voice dropped into a whisper.
"N-no need for the highest room. Just… just give me the cheapest one," he said softly to the attendant. "Even if it's for non cultivators… I don't care. Just give me something… cheap. As cheap as possible."
The attendant froze for a moment. She wasn't expecting those words from him.
[Doubted reactive points +1]
Her face had now changed. It dropped like a dead leaf.
She didn't say anything for a moment. Her eyes scanned him again from top to bottom. This time not with praise, but with doubt.
"Hmm… so he's not a rich young master?"
She hissed underneath her breath.
Yin Zhe noticed everything. But he didn't even care about her opinion.
"Judge me all you want," he thought. "I'm not spending all my crystals in one stupid room. Not today. Not ever."
The attendant finally spoke. Her voice was slower now.
"There… is a room for 100 gold coins," she said. "It's… small. A bit shabby. But… still a room."
Yin Zhe nodded fast. "Good. Perfect. Anything is fine."
She tilted her head. "But you said you only have spirit crystals, sir…"
Yin Zhe rubbed his forehead. "Yes. Only crystals."
She started counting with her fingers.
"One hundred gold coins is equal to ten spirit crystals," she said.