Closing the door behind him, Yang Kai took out the Seven-Faced Mask from the box and, by the dim candlelight, carefully pressed each piece onto his face in front of a mirror.
It felt like wearing nothing at all — no discomfort, hardly any sensation once it was on. His appearance hadn't changed much either, since he hadn't refined it yet.
He climbed onto the bed, sat cross-legged, calmed his mind, and silently channeled his power to begin the refinement.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye. While Yang Kai was still in the middle of refining the Seven-Faced Mask, he suddenly heard a rapid set of footsteps approaching, and then the door was shoved open. Bai Qi poked his head in and said, "Kid, time to work. Get to the front hall!"
Yang Kai acknowledged him, removed the Seven-Faced Mask from his face, stored it carefully, and strode out.
Several days of refinement had not been enough to fully complete the process — the Mask's true effects were still dormant. But this was not the sort of thing that could be rushed; it required patient, grinding effort. He would have to find time later to continue at a leisurely pace.
What Yang Kai found more intriguing, comparatively, was why the Proprietress had gone to all the trouble of coming to this Star Market. Logic dictated that after the First Inn was destroyed, she should have rebuilt on the old site. So what was she doing here?
Then again, that wasn't his concern. He was merely a shophand of the First Inn now — all he had to do was follow the Proprietress's orders.
When he arrived at the front hall, he found that nearly everyone from the First Inn had gathered. He was the last one. Yang Kai hurried to stand beside Bai Qi and took a quick look around. The furnishings in the front hall had all been replaced — the tables, chairs, and stools gleamed with fresh varnish, clearly swapped in over the past few days.
Once everyone was in place, the Proprietress delivered a short speech. Nothing especially remarkable — she simply said that the old First Inn had been destroyed, and from now on they would be based here. Though the location had changed, their work remained the same. She encouraged everyone to redouble their efforts and work together.
The crowd roared their assent.
After that, the Proprietress had Yang Kai and Bai Qi hang up the First Inn's signboard. That counted as their grand opening. Yang Kai found the whole affair a bit anticlimactic — the First Inn carried a legendary reputation, yet not a single person had shown up to offer congratulations. The scene was almost pitifully modest.
Then again, it was probably because the Proprietress hadn't invited anyone. They had only been here a few days and hadn't had time for such things. Besides, with the First Inn's signboard hanging out front, there would be no shortage of business. Its millennia-old reputation wasn't just empty talk. This was a Star Market, a gathering place for all manner of people, where word spread fast. Anyone looking for hidden or secretive information would inevitably come to the First Inn.
Sure enough, the moment the signboard went up, a middle-aged man with a weasel-like face and a gaunt frame — the sort who clearly wasn't up to anything good — slunk inside, looking around furtively.
He seemed unable to believe that the First Inn's signboard could actually be found in the midst of this bustling market. Once inside, he glanced left and right, deflecting every conversation with idle talk, until the Proprietress subtly released a hint of her Sixth-Order Open Heaven aura. Only then did the man finally feel at ease.
He requested a private room and spoke at length with the Proprietress.
For reasons Yang Kai couldn't quite fathom, the Proprietress brought both Bai Qi and himself along.
The man had come to purchase information. His inquiry was nothing terribly secret — he was after the whereabouts of a particular heavenly treasure. The Proprietress provided the answer, and the man was ecstatic, thanking her profusely. He left behind his payment and departed with a light step.
Yang Kai watched the whole thing with quiet amazement. He didn't know how much the man had paid, but it couldn't have been small. Simply selling information for a living — the First Inn's effortless, no-overhead business model was truly enviable.
After seeing the guest off, the Proprietress handed a jade slip each to Bai Qi and Yang Kai, and said in a soft voice, "Take a look." She lifted her teacup and took a delicate sip.
Yang Kai accepted his with a puzzled look and swept it with his spiritual sense. The jade slip contained rather unusual information — what appeared to be a list of shop names, along with their locations and the names and cultivation levels of their proprietors. He recalled the jade slip Yuan Ruide had given the Proprietress a few days ago — this must be what it contained.
Full of questions, Yang Kai looked up at the Proprietress. "Who are all these people?"
The Proprietress glanced at him. "Like you, they all owe us money."
Yang Kai was startled. "People actually dare to owe the First Inn money?" Besides, wasn't the First Inn in the business of selling intelligence? Such transactions were always paid upfront in full — how could anyone run up a debt?
Bai Qi kicked him from the side. Yang Kai turned his head. "What?"
Bai Qi's lips twitched, and he let out an awkward, hollow laugh.
The Proprietress said with some exasperation, "The destruction of the First Inn is connected to their backers. I told you — not a single one of those people is getting away!"
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught on. "You mean the forces behind these shops are the same ones those attackers belonged to — the ones who struck at the First Inn?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I have come all the way out here?"
Yang Kai frowned. "So what do we need to do?"
"Collect debts!" The Proprietress tapped her finger on the table, enunciating each word. "Ten million from each one. Go get our money back!"
Yang Kai's head immediately began to throb. The reason he himself owed the Proprietress ten million in the first place was that the destruction of the First Inn was partly his fault. Ten million per shop didn't seem unreasonable all things considered. But still — he was merely an Emperor Realm cultivator. The factions behind those attackers were either first-rate powers like the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands, or second-rate powers with Mid-Order Open Heaven experts presiding over them. If a lowly errand boy like him showed up to demand payment, would they even give him the time of day?