The inn was dead silent, the air thick with a stillness that had nothing to do with a lack of wind. It felt as if a single wrong sound could shatter the world. Long Xiao's gaze fell on Xu Lianhua before shifting to the workers, their heads bowed so low they almost seemed to be bowing to the dust on the floor.
"Well," Long Xiao muttered to himself, the words barely a whisper.
"I now understand why these people look like they are going to receive a death sentence. Lianhua is too scary." He shook his head slowly, a shiver running down his spine.
There were fifteen of them, eight women and seven men, all lined up like offerings. Long Xiao walked slowly, his steps echoing loudly in the sudden quiet. He passed by each of them, his divine senses scrutinizing their faces until he came to worker number eight. Her bangs were a curtain over her eyes, and her face glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. There was no doubt in his mind.
"It was her." Long Xiao pointed a finger, and the others flinched, retreating immediately to leave her isolated in the center.
The innkeeper's voice, usually as smooth as silk, was now laced with a steely edge. "Senior Xiao Long, are you sure it was Lina?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the dagger she twirled.
"I never forget a face," Long Xiao affirmed, a proud smile blooming on his lips as he flipped his long black hair with a flourish.
"Good, because as discussed, her fate will be sealed," Xu Lianhua began, a chilling finality in her voice. But she was cut short. Her eyes widened, her twirling of the dagger coming to a sudden end.
The maid, Lina, had fallen to her knees, her voice raspy as she pleaded, "Madam, please spare me. I… but you—" Her words were sadly cut off as the dagger Lianhua was twirling circled her neck with deadly precision guided by Lianhua's cultivation.
"Oh my drama." Long Xiao covered his mouth with his right hand dramatically.
"You know, I was expecting drama, however, this is definitely not what I had in mind." His almost clapped in awe.
"Zhaoge, the inn's… dirty. Please tidy up," Lianhua suggested calmly, rising from her seat to wipe the imaginary filth from her dagger.
"On it, Madam." Zhaoge nodded, his movements quick and efficient as he lifted Lina's limp body from the ground. The other workers immediately scattered, their scrubbing filling the silence as if nothing had happened at all.
"So this is the Art of Insanity..." Long Xiao muttered as realization dawned on him.
The scene had unfolded so quickly, with such a chilling lack of emotion, that he felt a sudden, profound discomfort and intrigue.
Xu Lianhua walked towards him, her steps calculated and graceful. She stopped directly in front of him and bowed slightly.
"I hope you can forgive us now for the tea incident. Welcome to the family, Brother Long." She grinned, a cold, empty gesture that didn't reach her eyes, before she floated gracefully upstairs, leaving them alone with their thoughts.
The silence that followed was suffocating. The only sounds were the furious scrubbing of the workers and the rapid beat of Long Xiao's heart.
"Brother," a warm voice cut through the stillness.
Long Xiao turned slowly to see a young woman smiling at him.
"Brother Long, Madam assigned me to be your temporary guide. She said I should show you the ropes." She walked toward him, maintaining a few meters of distance, a strange, nervous energy in her movements.
"My name is Qingling. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions."
She handed him a scroll. "Per Madam's orders, this contains your daily tasks. Don't worry, Brother Long, I'll walk you through it calmly." She gave a thumbs up, her smile proud.
"Excuse me," Long Xiao said, his voice flat with disbelief. "Are we all just going to pretend that nothing just happened?"
The rest of the workers stopped scrubbing, their heads turning as one to stare at him blankly before they immediately resumed their work.
"Nothing happened, Brother Long," Zhaoge said, returning from disposing of Lina's body, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Nothing happened!?" Long Xiao exclaimed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Wait... you guys look like you've seen this dance before."
"Brother Long..." Qinling's voice was a hesitant whisper. "I think we should get to work." She forced a smile, her eyes wide with fear. "Follow me," she said, gesturing toward the kitchen.
As they walked, she spoke quickly, her voice hushed. "As I said, the scroll contains your daily tasks."
In The Kitchen
---
They sat in a meditative pose on the floor, the spiritual energy of the kitchen humming around them.
"I'm so excited to help you, Brother Long," Qinling said cheerfully. "The inn is closed for today, which is perfect for your first lesson." She adjusted her nonexistent glasses. "So, lesson number one..."
Long Xiao raised his hand like a diligent student with a question. "Teacher, are we still going to ignore the fact that the innkeeper could have utilized literally any other punishment?" he scowled, folding his arms.
Qinling moved closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Brother Long, please forget what happened or else we'll all be in big trouble. We should not offend the Madam or we'll end up like Lina." She pulled back, her eyes filled with a terror that made the cheerfulness in her smile look like a thin, fragile mask.
She cleared her throat. "So, lesson number one: The customer is always right. No matter whatever nonsense they say. Remember, they are always right." Qinling's smile returned, forced and bright.
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Long Xiao scoffed. "Of course the customer cannot always be right."
"That's it for today, student Long," Qinling said, standing up abruptly. "It's evening. We'll apply today's lesson tomorrow when the inn opens." She was already at the door.
"See you tomorrow, Brother Long. We rise at dawn." She smiled warmly, a flicker of genuine hope in her eyes before she left.
Long Xiao sighed, standing up from his spot.
In Long Xiao's Room
---
After the lesson, Long Xiao returned to his room, where Lei lay on the floor in his celestial form, wings tucked tightly against his body.
"Welcome back, Master," Lei greeted, bowing his head in deference.
Long Xiao ignored the bird. With a snap of his fingers, the work robes vanished, and his heavenly robes appeared in their place.
"That's more like it," he muttered, a smile of pure satisfaction on his face as he watched the work robes assume their position in the drawer.
He sat on the bed in a meditative pose, a million thoughts swirling in his mind. He couldn't spare a minute; he had to activate the Divine Rant. After all, a lot had happened in just one day.