Without warning, a figure burst out from the backyard, stirring up a violent gust of wind before vanishing into the distance in an instant.
The young attendant was so startled he tumbled off his stool, eyes wide as he peered outside, but saw nothing at all.
Behind the counter, the accountant looked up drowsily. "Was that just the proprietress?"
The attendant blinked. "Couldn't tell — didn't get a good look. Isn't our proprietress supposed to be over at the Sun Star?"
The accountant thought for a moment, nodded, then slumped back over his desk and fell sound asleep.
……
In the void, Yang Kai hurtled onward. It had been roughly a day since he'd shaken off those mid-grade Open Heaven cultivators, and the First Inn was drawing ever closer. Yet for reasons he couldn't quite place, a persistent sense of unease gnawed at him — as though something terrible was about to happen.
He dared not ignore such a premonition. Throughout the journey, he remained extraordinarily vigilant, scanning the void in every direction, ready to react at a moment's notice.
But no matter how carefully he looked, there was no sign of danger. Not only were the mid-grade Open Heaven cultivators he'd left far behind nowhere to be seen, even the low-grade ones had vanished without a trace.
He began to wonder if he was simply being paranoid. After all, what he'd done this time around felt rather like poking a hornet's nest — he'd offended quite a few powers. The question of what to do going forward genuinely worried him.
After flying for some time longer, Yang Kai's spirits suddenly lifted. In the distance, standing tall in the void, was the First Inn.
Finally here! Yang Kai let out a long breath and silently resolved that the moment he arrived, he would take a bath, change into clean clothes, and get a proper rest. Let the outside world descend into chaos and upheaval — as long as the Golden Crow corpse was in his possession, he could bide his time, sell it at the right price, and make a fortune first.
No sooner had he relaxed than every hair on his body stood on end. He whipped his head toward a spot in the void and bellowed, "Who's there?!"
As he spoke, his palms came together and then pulled apart, sending a massive Moon Blade slicing toward that location.
A slender, porcelain-white hand materialized out of thin air, catching the Moon Blade with pinpoint precision. The Spatial Laws rippled between those fingers like slender green onions, yet they failed to leave so much as a scratch. The hand applied the faintest pressure, and the Moon Blade shattered into nothing.
Yang Kai's blood ran cold. This was the first time anyone had ever caught his Moon Blade barehanded. Whoever this person was, their strength was utterly unfathomable.
He couldn't win in a fight! He was about to cast a technique and flee when the space around him suddenly solidified — the Spatial Laws in his vicinity turned thick and sluggish.
No escape!
Sweat slid down Yang Kai's forehead as he watched a graceful figure coalesce from nothing into substance before his eyes, gradually taking form within his line of sight.
When he finally made out the newcomer's appearance, his jaw dropped wide enough to fit a fist, and he could scarcely believe what he was seeing.
The woman stood smiling sweetly, a blue dress accentuating the elegant curves of her figure. She seemed quite pleased by Yang Kai's reaction, her smile sweet enough to rot one's teeth.
"You…" Yang Kai stared at her hesitantly, frowning. "Are you Madam Lan's twin sister?"
There was no other explanation for why Madam Lan would be here blocking his path. Even as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, it was impossible for her to have returned to the First Inn ahead of him, concealed her presence, and set up an ambush — all without him noticing.
The proprietress's smile grew even brighter. "I *am* Madam Lan. Madam Lan is me. I don't have a twin sister!"
"Impossible!" Yang Kai flatly refused to believe such nonsense, his eyes darting warily around his surroundings in a last desperate effort. "What are you doing here? I'm heading back to the First Inn. Kindly step aside."
Madam Lan smiled faintly. "You know better than I what I'm doing here, boy. Hand it over. My previous offer still stands, and I'll provide ample compensation on top of it!"
Yang Kai really did feel as though he were staring at a ghost. He looked her up and down. "You're truly Madam Lan?"
Madam Lan's expression soured. "Could I be anyone else?"
"But you—"
"Why worry about all that? I'm here now, and you're not getting back to the First Inn. I'd rather not bully someone weaker than me, so you'd best cooperate quietly."
Yang Kai gritted his teeth, torn between grief and indignation. "You're blocking my path and then claiming you don't want to bully someone weaker? Have you no shame, Madam Lan?!"
The proprietress's lovely face darkened. "You insolent brat — who are you calling shameless? If I truly had no shame, I wouldn't bother with all this talk. I'd have simply killed you already." She paused, then softened her tone. "Yang Kai, keeping that Golden Crow corpse isn't doing you any favors. You saw what happened back there. Even if you make it into the First Inn, do you think you can hide inside forever? A treasure like that can only be protected by true strength. Without it, it's nothing but a death warrant. What you encountered before were merely a few mid-grade Open Heaven cultivators. Once word gets out about the Sun Star and the Golden Crow Divine Palace, it won't just be mid-grade cultivators who come looking — there will be upper-grade Open Heaven cultivators as well. And they may not be as reasonable as I am."
Yang Kai's frown deepened. How could he not know she was right? Moreover, as she herself had pointed out, if she truly intended to take it by force, she could have attacked him right here. With her Sixth-Order Open Heaven strength, he would stand absolutely no chance. Yet she hadn't resorted to violence — she was reasoning with him instead. In that regard, at least, the proprietress's character seemed decent enough.
"Think it over carefully. But I should warn you — the time for deliberation is short. I'll wait right here. Give me your answer when you've decided." Madam Lan sighed, regarding Yang Kai with a measure of pity. This was the tragedy of insufficient strength — even when you obtained something remarkable, you might not be able to keep it.
Yang Kai shook his head. "There's nothing to think about."