As they stepped out of the alchemy shop, the bustling streets of White Crane City greeted them once again.
Scarlet walked beside Raeshan, her storage pouch securely fastened around her waist.
She looked at the streets with renewed curiosity.
"Master, where are we going next?"
Raeshan thought for a moment.
"Let’s find a place to stay first. We’ve been walking around since morning."
Scarlet nodded.
"Yes, Master."
The two continued down the crowded street.
White Crane City was much larger than Scarlet had imagined.
The farther they walked from the main entrance, the more prosperous the streets became. Rows of luxurious buildings stood on both sides of the road.
Some were several stories tall and housed restaurants. Others were merchant houses protected by powerful formations.
Occasionally, Scarlet could even see cultivators riding spirit beasts through the streets.
After walking for another quarter of an hour, Raeshan stopped in front of a large inn. The building was five stories tall and decorated with white jade pillars.
A golden sign hung above the entrance.
Cloud Crane Inn.
Raeshan glanced at it.
"We’ll stay here."
Scarlet looked up at the building.
"It looks expensive."
Raeshan smiled.
"You worry too much about money. We have Spirit Stones. Why not use them?"
Scarlet could only nod helplessly.
The two entered the inn.
The interior was far more elegant than the outside suggested.
A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the hall with soft white light. Several cultivators sat at nearby tables, talking quietly while enjoying tea.
A female receptionist immediately approached them.
"Welcome to Cloud Crane Inn."
"How many rooms would you like?"
Raeshan replied calmly.
"Two rooms."
The receptionist smiled.
"Two rooms will cost ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones per night."
Scarlet instinctively looked toward Raeshan.
Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones...
After seeing the amount of wealth inside her storage pouch, she realized that this was practically nothing.
Raeshan casually took out the Spirit Stones and placed them on the counter.
"Book them for three days."
"Of course."
The receptionist accepted the Spirit Stones and handed him two room tokens.
"Your rooms are on the third floor."
Raeshan took the tokens.
"Thank you."
He handed one to Scarlet.
"This is yours."
Scarlet carefully accepted it.
"Thank you, Master."
Before they could leave, however, several loud voices suddenly came from outside.
"Move!"
"Make way!"
"The Young Master is coming!"
The conversations in the hall immediately quieted. Several cultivators turned toward the entrance.
A group of heavily armed guards entered the inn.
At the center of the group was a young man dressed in luxurious blue robes. He appeared to be around twenty years old. A jade crown held his long black hair in place, while a folding fan rested in his hand.
The guards surrounded him protectively.
The young man glanced around the hall with an arrogant expression.
"Prepare your best room."
The receptionist immediately stepped forward.
"Young Master, I’m sorry, but our best rooms are currently occupied."
The young man’s expression darkened.
"Occupied?"
The receptionist nodded nervously.
"Yes."
The young man slowly closed his folding fan.
"Then make them available."
The entire hall became silent.
Scarlet frowned slightly and looked toward Raeshan.
He merely stood there calmly.
The receptionist’s face became pale.
"Young Master, I’m afraid we cannot..."
"Can’t?"
The young man interrupted her.
"Do you know who I am?"
The receptionist lowered her head.
"Of course."
The young man smiled coldly.
"Then you should know better than to make me wait."
One of the guards stepped forward.
"Young Master, those two just checked in."
His gaze landed on Raeshan and Scarlet.
"They have two rooms."
The young man followed his gaze.
His eyes stopped on Scarlet.
A hint of interest appeared in them.
"Oh?"
He looked at Raeshan before turning his attention back to Scarlet.
"You."
Scarlet frowned.
The young man pointed toward her room token.
"Give me that room."
Scarlet’s expression immediately became cold.
"No."
The young man was stunned.
He clearly hadn’t expected such a direct refusal.
"What did you say?"
Scarlet calmly repeated herself.
"I said no."
The young man’s face darkened.
"Do you know who you’re speaking to?"
Scarlet tightened her grip on the room token.
"I don’t care."
Several guards immediately stepped forward. The atmosphere inside the inn became tense.
Raeshan finally turned his gaze toward the young man.
His expression remained calm.
"Scarlet."
"Yes, Master?"
"Let’s go upstairs."
"There’s no need to waste time."
Scarlet nodded.
"Yes, Master."
The two walked past the young man without giving him another glance.
The young man’s expression became ugly. He turned toward his guards.
"Stop them."
Several guards immediately moved forward.
Before they could reach Raeshan, however, a faint pressure suddenly spread through the hall.
The guards froze.
Their bodies became stiff.
Their faces turned pale.
They couldn’t move.
Raeshan didn’t even turn around. He simply continued walking toward the stairs.
The young man’s pupils contracted.
He immediately realized that he had encountered someone he couldn’t afford to provoke.
"Wait..."
His voice had lost its previous arrogance.
But Raeshan ignored him. He and Scarlet calmly disappeared up the stairs.
Only after they were gone did the pressure disappear.
The guards collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The young man’s expression became extremely ugly.
"Who exactly was that man?"
No one answered.
The receptionist lowered her head and remained silent.
The young man stared at the staircase for several seconds.
Then he slowly narrowed his eyes.
Meanwhile, on the third floor, Scarlet walked beside Raeshan.
She couldn’t help asking,
"Master, who was that person?"
Raeshan shrugged.
"I don’t know."
Scarlet blinked.
"You aren’t curious?"
Raeshan shook his head.
"Not particularly."
He looked toward the room at the end of the corridor.
"We’re here to travel. As long as someone doesn’t bother us, we don’t need to bother them."
Scarlet nodded.
"I understand."
Raeshan stopped before his room.
"Rest for a while."
"We’ll explore the city again tonight."
Scarlet smiled.
"Yes, Master."
She entered her room.
Raeshan entered his own room and closed the door behind him.
Several streets away, a pair of eyes was quietly watching the Cloud Crane Inn.
A figure dressed in black stood on a rooftop.
After observing the inn for a moment, the figure turned and disappeared into the darkness.
White Crane City was far from as peaceful as it appeared.
[Readers: This Chapter feels like unnecessary drama. And that spoiled rich young master is kinda cringe. (￢_￢)]
[Author: I know, but this encounter is necessary for the plot. : ]]