Chapter 140: The Song Family in the Capital, Song Tiantian, A Night Encounter at the Ancient Temple

"Dear guest, our prices are set right here. Every penny gets you its worth, fair to young and old alike. If you don't believe me, just look at the sign!"

The innkeeper waved his hand, and a servant immediately brought the price board over. Sure enough, it was clearly written: eight taels for a standard room, two taels for breakfast.

"Isn't that only ten taels of silver in total? Why are you demanding one hundred taels of silver from me?"

The dark-skinned scholar channeled his vital energy, his face flushing with anger as he said, "Do not push people too far just because you see we are scholars heading to the imperial examinations, thinking we are easy to bully."

"My young friend, you must look closely at things. It would be bad if you missed a detail."

"If you don't believe me, take a look right here."

With that, the innkeeper pointed to a corner of the board and said, "Right here, all transactions are based on gold. Therefore, your total consumption was ten taels of gold, which equals one hundred taels of silver. That is completely correct, isn't it?"

"A scam! A robbery! This entire place is a den of thieves! Where on earth are prices this exorbitant?"

cried the dark-skinned scholar.

"Heh, life for a life, and silver for food and lodging—that is only natural and just. No matter what, you must pay the silver today. Once you pay, you are free to report us to the authorities. We can let the magistrate settle this dispute for us,"

said the head innkeeper.

"And what if I refuse to pay?"

"Then you can forget about walking out of here. You'll simply stay and work off your debt."

Just at that moment, an eighth-rank martial artist stepped out from the inner courtyard. Looking down at everyone in the inn with undisguised contempt, clad in pink robes and heavily painted with makeup, he turned out to be a man with the features of a woman. His face was caked thick with white powder, looking utterly grotesque.

"Of course, you could also keep Grandpa company for a few nights. Once the autumn examinations are over, I'll let you leave."

As this eighth-rank martial artist unleashed his vital energy, the dark-skinned scholar instantly lost his nerve and stammered, "I don't have that much silver on me! I only have fifteen taels left!"

The scholar knew that if he didn't pay the silver today, he probably wouldn't make it out alive, and missing the autumn examinations was a far greater disaster. Relying on his status as a ninth-rank martial artist, as long as he reached Jiangzhou, food wouldn't be a problem. Once he took the imperial examinations and earned the title of a provincial scholar, silver would be even less of an issue.

"Fifteen taels of silver?"

"Hand it over!"

"Go ahead, search him and see if he's hiding any more silver!"

A triumphant smile crossed the innkeeper's face. The waiter eagerly stepped forward and thoroughly searched the scholar, stripping him of every last coin—a total of eighteen taels.

"You there! Five hundred taels of silver!"

The innkeeper turned his gaze toward the tall and robust scholar.

"Ah? I... I don't have that much silver on me either. I only have one hundred and twenty...!"

"Hand it over!"

"Search him!"

Before the innkeeper's voice had even faded, the waiter impatiently pounced on the burly scholar and stripped him of all his silver.

"My lady, your total comes to one thousand taels. Let's give you a discount—nine hundred taels it is!"

The innkeeper looked at the only woman in the inn. A glimmer of cunning flashed in his eyes, though he quickly concealed it. Standing behind him, the eighth-rank martial artist placed his hands on his hips and spoke in a shrill, mocking tone, "Such a seductive little hussy, hmph...!"

"Nine hundred taels?"

"I don't have that much silver on me, only a single ingot of five taels of gold!"

Not wishing to stir up trouble, the woman took an ingot of gold from her belongings, placed it on the table, and said, "Take the gold, and I'll just consider myself unlucky today."

"Oh my, starting with gold right off the bat!"

Greed flickered in the innkeeper's eyes as he added, "But who knows if you have hidden silver on your person? I think we still need to conduct a thorough search. This time, I'll do it myself!"

With that, he rubbed his palms together and walked toward the woman with a wicked smirk.

"Have you people no respect for the law?"

"Aren't you afraid of the authorities coming after you?"

The woman's face turned pale as she cast a wary glance at the coquettish eighth-rank martial artist standing in the rear. Had she not been ambushed earlier, she would have torn this inn apart long ago.

"Stop right there!"

Just then, Gu Chen suddenly stepped forward and declared, "Isn't it just silver? My brother here has plenty of it. Brother, give these people their silver!"

With that, he cast a glance toward Su Yang.

"Don't be in such a hurry. The two of you also consumed a total of one thousand taels last night. You should settle your own tab before worrying about anyone else."

The innkeeper looked at Su Yang and Gu Chen, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Playing the hero saving the damsel in distress without knowing your own weight—clean up your own mess first."

"Brother, pay the bill."

Gu Chen looked at Su Yang and said, "Once I achieve greatness and wealth in the future, I will repay you tenfold!"

"Young master, thank you...!"

"Once we reach Jiangzhou, I will return every single coin of these two thousand taels to you, including the silver you were scammed out of today."

The young woman looked at Su Yang with hopeful eyes, praying that he truly possessed such a vast sum of wealth, especially since his attire looked quite expensive. Perhaps he really could produce two thousand taels.

"Why should I give them silver?"

"If I give it to them, do you think they can hold onto it?" Su Yang asked with a cold laugh.

"Kid, are you planning to refuse to pay?"

"In that case, let's break your legs first."

With a wave of the innkeeper's hand, two waiters charged toward Su Yang. Before they even came close, a residual image was left in place. In the blink of an eye, Su Yang reappeared right in front of the eighth-rank martial artist, his hand firmly locked around the man's throat.

"Crack!"

A crisp snap echoed through the air.

The eighth-rank martial artist!

Dead!

The coquettish martial artist was tossed aside onto the floor like a piece of garbage. Everything happened in the flash of a spark, ending before anyone could even process what had happened.

Silence!

The entire inn plunged into a dead, suffocating silence. Everyone stared at Su Yang with wide, horrified eyes, paralyzed by terror and dread.

"Gulp...!"

The innkeeper swallowed heavily, his body trembling as he backed away step by step.

"Indeed, a den of thieves."

Su Yang said in an icy tone.

These scoundrels built their inn right along the path of traveling scholars. Once scholars passed by, they would use such extortion tactics to fleece them clean. Even if victims went to report the crime stripped of everything, the gang would have already packed up and moved elsewhere—how could anyone ever track them down?

"Gr-Great... Great Hero... We'll never dare do it again, never again...!"

The innkeeper's face was completely drained of color, his voice choked with sobs.

"Kill your innkeeper, and I'll let you walk away." Su Yang said with a faint smile, glancing at the surrounding waiters.

"Swish, swish, swish...!"

In an instant, the innkeeper looked up and saw the savage, feral gleam in the waiters' eyes. Before he could react, he was pounced upon and pinned to the ground in a flurry of brutal punches and kicks, heavy chairs smashing mercilessly into his body.

The innkeeper was nothing more than an ordinary mortal; how could he possibly withstand such a violent beating? His desperate pleas for mercy echoed for a few moments before abruptly falling silent.

"Hero... can... can you let us leave now?"

"What do you think?"

...

A few more corpses were added to the inn. Su Yang returned the stolen silver to the dark-skinned scholar and the tall scholar, who showered him with grateful bows, before he walked outside to fetch his horse.

"My lady, have no fear; everything has been resolved."

"My brother has gone to get my horse. Judging by what you just said, it seems you are also heading to Jiangzhou. My name is Gu Chen, a scholar bound for the imperial exams in Jiangcheng. Would you like to travel together along the way? It would make for good company!"

"Rest assured, with me around, no danger will ever threaten you."

Gu Chen looked at the elegantly dressed young woman before him, thinking to himself, *Her clothes are exceptionally luxurious, and her bearing is precisely that of a noble lady. She must be the daughter of a prominent aristocratic family in Jiangzhou. If I can seize this opportunity to win her heart, she might just become my stepping stone to high office!*

*Besides, she is remarkably beautiful. Even if I take her as a wife, I wouldn't lose out in the least. I must find a way to win her over.*

*With my literary talent and appearance, it shouldn't be too difficult.*

"May I?" asked Song Tiantian, who still looked somewhat disheveled.

"Of course! Let's hurry outside; my brother has been waiting for a while."

A surge of ecstasy rushed through Gu Chen's heart. As long as they traveled together, he would have countless ways to win this woman over.

Outside the door.

Su Yang was untying the reins when he saw Gu Chen and the stranger emerge. He spoke up, "Brother Gu, let us part ways here and meet again in Jiangcheng!"

"What?"

Gu Chen froze for a second before snapping back to reality. He hurriedly lunged forward to block Su Yang's path and blurted out, "Brother, what do you mean by this? What do you mean by parting ways here?"

"I plan to travel alone."

"Brother Su, we are as close as brothers! How can you abandon me and set off by yourself? If we split up, I won't have any protection along the road."

Although Gu Chen wanted to travel alongside the young lady, without Su Yang's protection—and having lost his own belongings—he feared he might be devoured by monsters halfway there.

A heavy wave of panic welled up in his chest.

"You want to come along?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Very well, but you'll have to walk on foot."

"Brother Su, can't you just go catch another tiger?"

"Are you joking? Tigers aren't that easy to catch. There's no way I'm catching one today."

"Stop talking nonsense. Are you coming with me or not?"

"I'm coming!"

In the end, Gu Chen gritted his teeth and decided to follow Su Yang anyway, as at least his life would be guaranteed.

A faint smile of amusement crossed Su Yang's heart.

*Kid, your days of suffering have just begun...*

"Um... Young master, could you take me along as well? Once we return to Jiangzhou, I promise to reward you with some precious aged medicinal herbs."

Song Tiantian was not as blind as Gu Chen; ordinary silver could no longer capture the eye of someone like Su Yang. Only rare, aged herbs would suffice.

*This person must possess the strength of at least the fifth rank.*

She guessed this purely based on the vital energy Su Yang had just displayed.

To have reached ranked status at such a young age meant his future prospects were bound to be extraordinary. If the opportunity arose, she might even introduce him to her family.

"What rank of medicinal herb?"

"Fifth rank?"

Seeing that Su Yang remained unmoved, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fourth rank?"

Still, Su Yang did not budge, gazing at her with a calm, indifferent expression. Song Tiantian had no choice but to offer, "Third rank?"

Su Yang remained completely indifferent.

With this man protecting her along the way, the journey would be infinitely safer. She had suffered severe injuries and could currently only muster the strength of a ninth-rank martial artist. If she encountered even a slightly powerful monster on the road, she would surely perish before ever returning to Jiangcheng, let alone the imperial capital.

"First rank!"

Song Tiantian declared, "Three stalks of first-rank herbs!"

Three stalks of first-rank herbs!

Sure enough, this young woman possessed an extraordinary background. To test the depth of her resources, Su Yang decided to drag it out a little longer, pressing her further to squeeze out every last benefit.

Seeing that Su Yang still showed no reaction, Song Tiantian silently guessed that he was merely probing her background. Since she had already decided to entrust her life to him, there was no need to keep up the charade. She straightened up and said, "I am from the Song family of the imperial capital. My grandfather is a high-ranking court official serving in the Ministry of Revenue."

"I need to go to Jiangzhou first to seek help from the Governor of Jiangzhou. He is a former student and protégé of my grandfather. With his assistance, I can safely return to the capital."

"Whatever you want, I can give it to you."

"My lady, please mount the horse...!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Su Yang's heart. He hadn't expected this young woman to have such a formidable background—she truly was a scion of a prominent capital family.

Song Tiantian felt a wave of relief, the heavy stone in her chest finally dropping. She was immediately helped onto the steed by Su Yang, who chose to dismount and walk instead, making no attempt to take advantage of her. This earned him a deep sense of respect and gratitude from her.

*This man is worthy of trust. I haven't gambled wrong.*

*If only the rest of the journey goes smoothly.*

"The capital? The Song family?"

"Serving in the Ministry of Revenue?"

"A high official?"

Watching Su Yang and Song Tiantian slowly pull away, Gu Chen snapped out of his daze and clenched his fists, thinking, *I must win this woman over!*

Hurrying to catch up, he panted, "Wait for me! Wait for me...!"

*Women from great aristocratic families surely love cultured scholars, like myself—elegant and peerless.* Gu Chen's mind raced, plotting how he could constantly fawn over Song Tiantian along the way to win her favor.

Not long after.

Su Yang captured an eighth-rank wolf demon deep within the dense forest and rode it forward.

As for Gu Chen, he could only miserably sprint along behind them on foot. Su Yang maintained the speed at a precise balance—just fast enough for Gu Chen to keep up, yet agonizingly out of reach.

Driven by his desire to win over Song Tiantian, Gu Chen pushed himself to the absolute brink, sweating profusely, looking utterly wretched and pitiful. He threw up from sheer exhaustion several times along the way; every time he did, Su Yang would pause briefly before resuming the torture.

*If I don't strip a layer of skin off this fellow before this journey ends, my surname isn't Su!*

Time flew by.

Because of Gu Chen acting as dead weight, night fell before they encountered any more inns. They had passed two during the day, but one obviously couldn't check into an inn in broad daylight.

"There are two paths ahead. Let's take this one," Su Yang said, pointing to a wide road on the right.

"I think... I think we should take this path instead. This one looks much more welcoming!"

Gu Chen pointed to the path on the left. It was rugged, narrow, and difficult for horses to traverse, forcing travelers to move at a slow crawl. At least he would get a chance to rest his legs.

"Have it your way."

How could Su Yang not see through Gu Chen's petty scheme? Yet he raised no objections. The group proceeded down the left-hand path. They hadn't walked far when rustling sounds echoed from the side. Su Yang burst forth with vital energy, beating a leopard demon black and blue while carrying Song Tiantian on his back.

With that threat eliminated, the path became much easier to walk.

As for the horse, Su Yang ended its misery with a single slap, saying, "This horse can't handle mountain paths like this; it's wasting too much time. Let's just kill it...!"

The horse lacked survival instincts in the wild; even if released, it would eventually be targeted by monsters and suffer a far more agonizing death. Imagining the beast still alive while watching monsters tear open its belly and devour its intestines, granting it a swift end was far kinder.

"Wait... this...!"

Gu Chen stared at the fallen steed, his heart aching as if pierced by a knife. *Even if it couldn't handle the rugged mountain trail, you could have let me ride it! At least it would have saved me some strength! Besides, battle-steeds can handle mountain paths; they just move a bit slower.*

At that moment, utter despair washed over Gu Chen.

Song Tiantian stood by, watching with a silent smile. Before long, the rugged mountain trail came to an end, seemingly leading up to a peak. In the distance, beneath the pale moonlight, an ancient temple loomed into view.

Before the temple gates stood two stone qilin, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.

With vermilion lacquer doors, towering walls, and dark tiles, it carried the forbidding aura of a grand temple deep in the mountains.