Less than a minute after Alex rang the bell, the door opened and someone entered the room. However, it wasn't the same attendant who had guided him earlier through the clothing store.
Alex immediately picked up the clothes he had selected and held them out toward the newcomer.
"I'll take these," Alex said simply, having already made his decision after trying on each set.
"Certainly. That will be twenty-eight silver coins," the man replied politely as he prepared to complete the purchase.
Alex handed over the required payment without hesitation. The attendant carefully folded each robe, wrapped the clothes neatly together, and finally passed the bundle into Alex's hands.
Alex accepted the bundle and turned toward the exit, but just before leaving the shop, he suddenly remembered something important.
"Do you know a place where I can stay for the night?" Alex asked, turning back toward the attendant.
The attendant nodded immediately, as though he had been asked the same question many times before.
"Yes. Walk straight down this road, and you'll see a banner that reads 'Heaven Palace.' You can't miss it," the man explained while pointing toward the street outside.
"Thank you, brother," Alex replied with a grateful nod before leaving the clothing store.
Following the directions he had been given, Alex walked straight down the road for several minutes. The streets had become slightly darker as evening approached, and the number of lanterns gradually increased.
After walking for a short while, a massive building finally came into view.
Alex stopped.
It was enormous.
No.
Calling it enormous almost felt like an understatement.
The structure stood several floors above the street, with wide balconies extending across each level. Polished wooden pillars supported the balconies, while intricate carvings decorated their surfaces.
Large lanterns hung near the entrance, already glowing softly as evening settled over the city. Above the doorway, a large banner fluttered gently in the evening breeze.
Heaven Palace.
Alex stared at the building for several seconds.
'This looks more like a grand inn reserved for nobles than an ordinary place to stay,' he thought, slightly surprised by the scale of the establishment.
Still, he had already been directed here, so there was no reason to stand outside.
Alex stepped through the entrance.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the conversations inside suddenly became quieter.
Alex's footsteps slowed slightly as he noticed several people looking toward him.
Again.
At first, he assumed they were staring because he still hadn't changed into the clothes he had purchased earlier. However, after carefully observing their expressions, Alex realized that wasn't the reason.
Their gazes felt different.
They weren't simply curious about his strange clothes.
They were probing him.
Measuring him.
It was almost as though they were trying to see through him and determine something about his identity or strength.
'Weird…' Alex thought, slightly uncomfortable under their attention.
However, just as suddenly as the attention had appeared, it disappeared.
The conversations resumed.
People returned to whatever they had been doing before, and the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.
A young woman soon approached Alex and stopped in front of him.
"Are you here to rent a room or to eat?" she asked directly, without wasting time with unnecessary conversation.
Alex wasn't surprised by her straightforward manner. What did surprise him was the question itself.
'This place is both an inn and a restaurant?' he wondered.
"Both," Alex answered quickly, realizing that he was actually quite hungry after everything that had happened.
He had been without proper food for a long time, and at this point, he wasn't in any position to be picky about where he ate.
The young woman gestured for him to follow.
Alex silently walked behind her as she led him deeper into the enormous building. The interior was far larger than it had appeared from the entrance.
There were multiple rooms, corridors, tables, and various areas filled with customers, making the building feel more like a small establishment of its own rather than an ordinary inn.
It took nearly two minutes before they finally reached the reception area.
Behind a large wooden desk sat a man who was carefully reviewing several stacks of papers. He looked up the moment Alex and the young woman approached.
His eyes first moved toward Alex.
Then toward the girl standing beside him.
Their eyes met briefly.
Something unspoken seemed to pass between them during that short moment, like a silent understanding that Alex couldn't quite notice or interpret.
Then both of them looked back toward him.
Alex didn't notice anything unusual about their expressions.
The man stood slightly and offered him a polite smile.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Li Wei, and this is my assistant, Mei Lin," he said while gesturing gracefully toward the young woman beside him.
Li Wei then looked directly at Alex.
"May we know our dear customer's name?" he asked courteously.
"Alex," he replied calmly.
"I see. So, Sir Alex, it appears you are here to rent a room?" Li Wei asked, seemingly confirming what he had already assumed from their conversation.
"Yes," Alex answered with a simple nod.
Li Wei smiled and began asking several questions about Alex's preferences. His manner was professional and polite, making the entire process surprisingly smooth.
"Would you prefer a quiet room or one closer to the dining hall?" Li Wei asked before continuing with the available choices. "A single bed or a larger chamber? We also have rooms with minor spirit-gathering formations, though those come at a higher price."
Alex considered the options briefly.
He didn't need anything luxurious, and he certainly didn't want to spend unnecessary money simply for a better room.
"I'll take a quiet room," Alex answered. "Something simple but comfortable is enough for me."
Li Wei nodded and continued arranging everything according to Alex's request. After the room was selected and the other details were settled, he finally mentioned the total price.
Alex paid the required amount without hesitation.
Once the payment had been confirmed, Li Wei picked up a key and handed it to Mei Lin.
"Ms. Mei Lin will lead you to your room," Li Wei said politely while returning his attention to the papers on his desk.
"Yes, please follow me," Mei Lin added as she turned around and began walking.
Alex followed her through the spacious corridor, quietly observing the interior as they moved farther away from the reception area.
The building was even larger inside than he had originally expected, and Alex couldn't help but wonder how much effort had been required to construct such a place.
As they walked, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a wide staircase leading upward toward the higher floors.
The railing was polished smoothly, while faint carvings decorated its sides. The staircase looked sturdy but elegant, clearly designed to match the overall appearance of the building.
"Ms. Mei Lin, what's on the upper floors?" Alex asked casually, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"The same as here," Mei Lin replied calmly without stopping. "Rooms. However, they offer more facilities and are accessible only to influential individuals or those with higher cultivation."
Her expression remained completely composed as she explained, showing no particular emotion toward the subject.
Alex nodded thoughtfully before asking another question.
"How many floors does this building have?"
"There are nine floors in total," Mei Lin answered simply.
She glanced at Alex briefly and seemed to notice the curiosity written across his face.
"It appears you are new to the city," she remarked.
"Yes. I arrived today," Alex answered honestly, seeing no reason to hide something so obvious.
"That explains why you are unfamiliar with this place," Mei Lin replied as she continued walking.
"As I mentioned, the building has nine floors. The first floor is for commoners and those with low cultivation. As you go higher, access requires either greater influence or stronger cultivation."
Alex listened carefully, memorizing the information as Mei Lin continued explaining the structure of Heaven Palace.
"The top two floors are reserved for individuals with immense authority, such as the king or those of similar standing," she finished, her tone remaining professional throughout the explanation.
Alex silently nodded.
'So cultivation and influence both determine where someone is allowed to stay,' he thought, finding the system of the inn rather interesting.
After another short walk, Mei Lin finally stopped in front of a wooden door.
She took out the key Li Wei had given her and unlocked the door before stepping slightly aside.
"Sir Alex, this will be your room for the next seven days," she said politely.
Alex stepped inside and briefly looked around the room.
It was simple, clean, and comfortable, exactly what he had asked for. There was nothing unnecessarily luxurious about it, but there was also nothing that made the room feel cheap or unpleasant.
Alex turned back toward Mei Lin.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
"No worries," Mei Lin replied with a slight smile before pointing toward a small object placed neatly on a nearby table. "If you need anything, please use that talisman to contact us."
Alex's gaze immediately settled on the small object.
Talisman…
The word immediately reminded him of the cultivation novels he had read during his previous life.
He had encountered talismans countless times in those stories. They were special objects engraved with mysterious runes and symbols, often designed to store or channel spiritual power.
Depending on their purpose, talismans could be used for communication, protection, movement, and even combat.
Using one was generally simple.
All he needed to do was imbue it with a small amount of Qi, and the talisman would activate automatically.
'So even communication can be done with Qi here,' Alex thought, becoming increasingly curious about how advanced this world really was.
"Alright," Alex replied while nodding toward Mei Lin.
Mei Lin gave a slight nod in return before stepping out of the room.
Alex waited until she had completely left before closing the door behind her.
For the first time since entering Heaven Palace, Alex was finally alone in his own room.