The most eye-catching feature was the large bed in the center of the room, covered with pink sheets.
Fresh roses were arranged into a large heart shape on the headboard, and the air was filled with a sweet, cloying floral fragrance, creating an atmosphere of intimacy everywhere.
"Ah!"
Ning Rongrong and Xue Na's cheeks flushed bright red instantly. This was no ordinary guest room—it was clearly decorated like a love hotel!
They exchanged a glance, both seeing the embarrassment in each other's eyes, and turned to leave in tacit understanding.
But after taking just two steps back, their backs bumped solidly into a firm chest.
"Mm!"
They gasped in surprise, their bodies tilting backward uncontrollably.
Su Yu reacted swiftly, reaching out to catch them, just wrapping one arm around each of their waists and steadying them.
Their soft bodies collided against his chest, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance. Ning Rongrong and Xue Na's faces grew even redder, like ripe apples.
They buried their heads, not daring to look at Su Yu, their ears tinged pink, and their voices as faint as mosquitoes:
"S-sorry...Su Yu looked down at the two shy girls in his arms, then glanced around the room's arrangement, a trace of helpless amusement flashing in his eyes.
He released them and said gently, "It seems the hotel made a mistake. I'll go ask if we can change rooms."
Ning Rongrong quickly looked up, tugging at his sleeve:
"N-no, don't go... Maybe this is the only room left. W-we can manage for one night..."
Despite her words, her cheeks were burning hot enough to fry an egg. Xue Na also murmured agreement beside her, her head lowered even further.
Seeing their flustered yet adorable expressions, Su Yu's smile deepened. He raised a hand to ruffle their hair:
"Alright, we'll stay here for now."
The three put down their luggage, locked the door, and decided to take a stroll around Suotuo City.
The streets of Suotuo City were fairly lively, with shops lining both sides and vendors calling out their wares, indicating decent commercial development.
However, after wandering for a while, Ning Rongrong and Xue Na's initial enthusiasm faded.
Compared to the grandeur of Heaven Dou City or the solemn majesty of the Martial Soul Holy City, the scenery here was somewhat lacking.
Just as the three were about to head back to the hotel, Ning Rongrong suddenly stopped, tugged Su Yu's sleeve, and pointed diagonally ahead:
"Husband, Nana, look at that shop!"
Su Yu and Xue Na followed her gaze to a rather peculiar shop at the street corner.
It lacked a conventional signboard, but carved above the lintel were three ancient patterns:
A sharp, gleaming longsword, a ferocious, clawed dragon, and a heavy, massive hammer.
These patterns were almost identical to those on the Spirit Hall's token.
The combination of these three symbols closely resembled the emblem on the Spirit Hall's token, though the sign lacked the encircling vine motif, giving off an indescribable air of mystery.
Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled with curiosity: "Husband, Nana, let's go take a look! This shop seems really special!"
Xue Na also nodded, her gaze falling thoughtfully on the three symbols:
"It is rather strange. Why would a shop like this exist in Suotuo City?"
Su Yu looked at the shop, a faint glimmer of curiosity flashing in his eyes as he nodded. "Let's go take a look."
The three of them walked side by side toward the unnamed shop. The closer they got, the more they could sense a faint wave of Soul Power emanating from within.
Unlike the atmosphere of ordinary shops, the entrance was a heavy wooden door left slightly ajar, as if silently inviting passersby to explore.
The door creaked softly as it was pushed open. Once inside, they found the interior even more dilapidated than it appeared from outside.
There were no conventional counters or shelves—only various objects haphazardly hung on three walls.
There were rusted iron rings, worn leather armor, and a few old weapons wrapped in cloth strips.
Everything was covered in a layer of dust, exuding an air of age, hardly seeming like anything of value.
The only person in the shop was lying on a wooden recliner, gently swaying with its motion.
He appeared to be around fifty years old, yet his build was exceptionally burly. The recliner, which looked fairly sturdy, groaned under his weight, creaking as if it might fall apart at any moment.
His features were particularly distinctive:
His chin jutted forward slightly, his cheekbones were unusually broad, his face was flat, and his nose hooked sharply, resembling an eagle's beak.
If one had to compare it to something, only a "shoe insole" could roughly capture that square yet slightly distorted outline.
Though his eyes were closed, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, and the wrinkles around his eyes gathered together, giving off a shrewd and worldly vibe.
Even without speaking, he gave the impression of a cunning, calculating merchant.
Hearing the newcomers, he didn't open his eyes but lazily spoke in a hoarse, languid voice:
"If you want to buy something, feel free to look around. Everything in this shop is fixed price—no bargaining!"
Ning Rongrong felt a bit puzzled by his lazy demeanor.
They had come to make a purchase, yet the shopkeeper seemed impatient, as if they had disturbed his rest.
Su Yu, however, paid no mind to Flender's attitude. His gaze swept slowly across the shop.
After a moment, his eyes settled on a stone about the size of a human head in the corner.
The stone was dull gray, covered with large yellow impurities, and looked no different from any ordinary discarded rock—completely unremarkable.
Su Yu's heart stirred slightly—he couldn't let Tang San get his hands on the Dragon Whisker Needle inside this thing.
He stepped forward, pointed at the stone, and asked, "Boss, how much for this stone?"
Hearing the question, the man on the recliner slowly opened his eyes, his murky gaze sweeping over Su Yu, Ning Rongrong, and Xue Na.
Noting their luxurious, finely tailored clothing—clearly not from ordinary families—he swallowed the "one hundred Gold Soul Coins" he had been about to say and leisurely uttered three words instead:
"Two hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Ning Rongrong's delicate brows instantly furrowed, her tone laced with unconcealed displeasure:
"Hey! What's the deal with you, shopkeeper? Do you think we're fools who are easy to fool?"
"This shoddy stone, covered in yellowish impurities, doesn't look like it's worth two hundred Gold Soul Coins at all!"
She pointed at the stone again, emphasizing her words:
"Not to mention two hundred Gold Soul Coins, even a random stone I pick up by the roadside looks better than this thing of yours!"
But the man acted as if he hadn't heard her, not even lifting an eyelid.
He lazily yawned, squeezing out some reflexive tears at the corners of his eyes, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather:
"Store policy—no haggling. If you don't want to buy it, put the stone back. Turn left or right outside, there are plenty of roadside stones to pick up, as many as you want."
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "QueenTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!