Yang Kai hadn't expected that the first familiar face he'd run into at the Thousand Bird Star Market would be Pei Buwan.
More than a decade ago, when Yang Kai had gone to his Hundred Refinements Hall to collect a debt, he'd crossed paths with this fellow. The result? He'd been tricked into fighting someone at the Asura Arena. Thanks to that battle, Pei Buwan had raked in a small fortune—not only plugging the massive deficit of Hundred Refinements Hall and passing the inspection from above, but also paying back the debt as promised.
Yang Kai remembered this bear of a man all too clearly.
"Is it really Brother Yang?" Pei Buwan's face was a picture of surprise and delight, looking for all the world as though he'd just spotted a long-lost relative. In his eagerness, he took two steps forward without thinking.
Yue He stepped sideways to block Yang Kai's path, fixing Pei Buwan with a cold stare.
Pei Buwan froze in his tracks, his cheek twitching. He eyed Yue He with wariness and forced an awkward smile. Just as Yang Kai had expected— moments earlier, Pei Buwan had spotted a familiar silhouette in the crowd and wanted to give Yang Kai a pat on the shoulder to check. But before his hand could land, Yue He had stopped him cold.
That brush-off had looked effortless, but Pei Buwan himself was a Fourth-Grade Open Heaven cultivator with no small amount of strength. The fact that Yue He had deflected him so casually meant she was clearly more powerful than he was.
This woman had to be Fifth-Grade or even Sixth-Grade Open Heaven!
Who was she? Pei Buwan wondered, baffled.
"Young Master, who is this…?" Yue He asked quietly.
Yang Kai replied, "Shopkeeper Pei of the Hundred Refinements Hall. I've had some dealings with him before."
Yue He looked Pei Buwan up and down, then said in surprise, "Someone who looks this menacing can be a shopkeeper? How does the Hundred Refinements Hall ever turn a profit—wouldn't the customers all run away?"
Pei Buwan nearly coughed up blood. Yue He's remark was innocent enough, but it hit him right where it hurt. The reason he'd tricked Yang Kai into that Asura Arena fight all those years ago was precisely because Hundred Refinements Hall had been hemorrhaging losses under his management, and he'd desperately needed a large sum of Open Heaven Pills to cover the shortfall. If Yang Kai hadn't won that fight, Pei Buwan wouldn't still be here playing shopkeeper. He'd have been summoned back by the powers behind Hundred Refinements Hall and punished long ago.
He gave a light cough and said, "Miss, appearances are the gift of one's parents. I, Pei Buwan, may look a bit rough, but I have a kind heart."
Yue He offered no comment on that. But since he was an acquaintance of Yang Kai's, it had clearly been a misunderstanding. Besides, no one dared cause trouble in a Star Market under the jurisdiction of the Great Battle Heaven. She stepped back behind Yang Kai and watched with cool detachment.
Yang Kai grinned at Pei Buwan. "What can I do for you, Shopkeeper Pei?"
Pei Buwan chuckled. "Nothing, nothing—I just missed Brother Yang after not seeing him for over a decade. I actually went to the First Inn before to ask Madam Lan about you, but she only said you'd gone off on business and wouldn't elaborate. I wanted to look you up but had no idea where to start."
Yang Kai was taken aback. "Why were you looking for me?" Then a flicker of alarm crossed his face. "Don't tell me you want me to fight at the Asura Arena again?"
Pei Buwan denied it immediately. "Of course not! The Asura Arena gambling fights are fine once in a while, but I, Old Pei, wouldn't make a habit of it. If I did, the whole of Hundred Refinements Hall wouldn't be enough to cover my losses. It's just that Brother Yang did me a great favor back then, and I never properly thanked you. I've carried that guilt for a long time."
Yang Kai studied him warily and said flatly, "Back then, we each got what we needed. There's no need for you to dwell on it, Shopkeeper Pei."
Pei Buwan laughed. "Brother Yang is truly magnanimous. Now, are you heading back to the First Inn?"
Yang Kai nodded. "That's right. I'm on my way there now."
"Oh!" A look of understanding crossed Pei Buwan's face. "Then I won't keep you, Brother Yang. When you see Madam Lan, do pass along my regards. And if you ever have the time, come visit the Hundred Refinements Hall again—I'll roll out the red carpet for you."
"That can be arranged," Yang Kai said, clasping his fists.
After a few more pleasantries, Yang Kai took his leave. He had the nagging feeling that Pei Buwan's enthusiasm was a touch over the top, but he couldn't figure out why and couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. He tossed the thought aside and headed toward the First Inn with eager anticipation.
After weaving through several streets, Yang Kai finally arrived at the familiar storefront. He looked up, and the three grand characters of "First Inn" gleamed brilliantly. Inside the lobby, guests bustled in and out—packed to the rafters.
No matter where you went, wherever there was a First Inn, it was always this lively.
Setting his thoughts in order, Yang Kai strode through the doors and up to the front desk.
The accountant was bent over his abacus, the beads clacking away at a furious pace. Sensing someone approach without looking up, he said, "Rooms are three hundred. Food and drink are separate. Dining or lodging?"
Yang Kai cracked a grin and rapped his knuckles on the counter.
Only then did the accountant raise his head, tilting it to one side. Those dead-fish eyes of his regarded Yang Kai for a moment before he lowered his head again and went back to work, repeating, "Rooms are three hundred. Food and drink are separate!"
A vein throbbed at Yang Kai's temple. He slammed his palm down on the abacus and growled, "It's me!"
The accountant sighed and glanced sideways at him. "I know it's you. That's why I'm asking—dining or lodging?"
Yang Kai was speechless. He turned his head and asked, "Where are Old Bai and the proprietress?"
"Old Bai's busy in the kitchen. The proprietress is handling a deal." The accountant lifted Yang Kai's hand off the counter, placed it back on top, and fixed him with those dead-fish eyes again, staring straight at him.
Yang Kai wanted nothing more than to gouge out those eyes. He muttered through gritted teeth, "Dining!"
"This way, please." The accountant gestured inward.