The group from Bu'an Zhou had barely left when Yuan Xiaoman swept over on a gust of fragrant fragrance and settled into the seat to Yang Kai's left, gazing at him with a playful smile.
Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned Bai Qi, pointing at the leftover dishes on the table. "Clear these away and bring a fresh spread!"
Bai Qi's eyes went wide! Just moments ago, this fellow had been sharing drinks with him in the back room, calling him brother, and now he was ordering him around like a servant. What kind of person was this... But he had no choice — this was literally his job. He dutifully cleared the table and headed to the kitchen to prepare the next course.
At the same moment, three others rose from their seats — a ruddy-faced elderly man with a fat head and large ears, a stern-faced man dressed in tight-fitting martial garb, and a scholarly figure holding a round fan. They walked straight to Yang Kai's table and sat down.
The table was instantly full.
Four mid-grade Open Heaven cultivators were all staring intently at Yang Kai. To be honest, the pressure was real, but Yang Kai wasn't intimidated. The proprietress was still watching from the second floor — who would dare cause a scene in here? Madam Lan had clearly realized this too, and her expression was thoroughly unpleasant, but with the doors of business open, the reputation of the First Inn could not be tarnished.
"Not bad, little brother," Yuan Xiaoman spoke first, her eyes filled with curiosity as she studied Yang Kai, as though she'd discovered some fascinating new toy. "You actually managed to escape and make it back here. Impressive."
Yang Kai tilted his head and glanced at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on her prominent chest before he flashed a grin. "And you are?"
"Yuan Xiaoman!"
After introducing herself, she pointed to the others one by one and gave Yang Kai their names. Only then did he learn where these people who had been chasing him for days came from, and what they were called.
"Little brother, any interest in joining our Mirror Flower Water Moon? From the look of you, you're probably a newcomer who just entered the Outside of Heaven and Earth, right? It's tough for newcomers to make a name for themselves in a place like this. Having connections versus having none is like night and day."
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was a newcomer?"
The First Inn could find out about him — that was literally their business. But there was no reason Yuan Xiaoman should know. And he was sure he hadn't given anything away.
Yuan Xiaoman covered her mouth and let out a delicate laugh, her whole body trembling with mirth for quite a while. "You don't even know about the Heaven and Earth Escape Technique, and you still came to the First Inn to walk right into the trap. You dare call yourself anything but a newcomer?"
Yang Kai's face darkened. This was an absolute humiliation — a stain on his cultivation journey. But back in a place like Qiqiao Ground, nobody had ever mentioned the Heaven and Earth Escape Technique to him. How was he supposed to know about its wonders? It had even made him think, when he first saw Madam Lan, that she was one of a pair of twin sisters.
"Boy, I'm only going to ask you one question. You'd better answer honestly, or you'll bear the consequences!" The fat, ruddy-faced elder suddenly huffed coldly.
Yang Kai shot him a sidelong look. "Then save your breath. No matter what you ask, I'm not saying a word."
"You're courting death!" The ruddy-faced elder flew into a rage.
Yang Kai slapped the table and shot to his feet, eyes wide. "Go ahead — try something!"
The ruddy-faced elder flinched, staring at Yang Kai in shock. He hadn't expected such a fierce reaction. For a moment he froze, leaving himself in an awkward position from which there was no easy retreat.
On the second floor, the proprietress — who had been cracking sunflower seeds — nearly cracked a tooth instead. She glared hatefully at Yang Kai's back, knowing full well that this brat was using her as a protective talisman.
Who in the First Inn would dare make a move? He was clearly counting on that fact to act this brazenly and challenge the ruddy-faced elder to his face. Otherwise, how would an Emperor Realm cultivator have the nerve?
Beside them, Yuan Xiaoman's lips parted slightly in surprise. Zhang Qi and Ji Tianxing both clicked their tongues in amazement. Down in the great hall, the numerous lower-grade Open Heaven cultivators regarded Yang Kai with utter astonishment.
"If you don't dare to do anything, then shut your mouth!" Yang Kai sat back down and shouted toward the kitchen. "Is the food ready yet? What's taking so long!"
Bai Qi's voice drifted back: "It's almost done, stop rushing me!"
The ruddy-faced elder's face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and steam seemed to rise from the top of his head. He took a deep breath and said in a chilling voice, "You've got nerve, boy. If you've got the guts, hide inside the First Inn for the rest of your life and never leave — otherwise, I'll tear you to pieces!"
He was truly furious. Yang Kai had made a fool of him in front of more than a dozen tables full of people in the main hall. The humiliation was unbearable.
Yang Kai was entirely unfazed. He'd already offended this old man anyway — as the saying went, more debts make no difference, and too many lice don't itch.
Zhang Qi frowned slightly, seeming to have sized up Yang Kai's character. He rubbed his fingers together, and a space ring appeared in his hand. He slid it slowly across the table toward Yang Kai. "Young brother, I also have a question I'd like to ask you."
Yang Kai glanced at him, slightly surprised. He didn't know what was inside the space ring, but there was a good chance it contained Open Heaven Pills.
Could he actually sell information now?
He was secretly delighted. He picked up the space ring and swept it with his spiritual sense, only to find a full ten thousand Open Heaven Pills inside. His face lit up. "Say no more — ask away!"
He secretly marveled at the generosity of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. Ten thousand Open Heaven Pills in one go — it was only enough to cover ten days of lodging, but it was still a hefty sum.
Zhang Qi smiled faintly and was about to speak, but Yang Kai raised a hand to cut him off. He turned to Yuan Xiaoman and Ji Tianxing. "Do you two have any questions? If so, speak up now. I'll lay it out plainly — whoever offers the most gets their question answered, and I'm only answering one. So think carefully."