Chapter 430: Thorny Back
Within the Eastern Province,
In the Mortal Realm, under the Great Zhou Dynasty, lies Silver Moon City.
Xianzui Inn.
At this moment, the entire Xianzui Inn was bustling with activity, with waiters moving things around.
It seemed there weren't enough hands on deck.
The innkeeper had even hired extra laborers to help out.
Outside Xianzui Inn, many regulars gathered around, curious about what was happening.
Some customers, who were familiar with the innkeeper, caught sight of him and pulled him aside to inquire.
"Shopkeeper, what's going on here? Why is everyone moving stuff around? Your business should be doing well, right? It's not going to close down, is it?"
That customer asked.
Once this question was raised,
Other regulars also started chiming in.
"Yeah, Shopkeeper, what exactly is going on? Your inn is one of the landmarks of Silver Moon City. If you close down, where will we go to eat?"
"If you're short on money, Shopkeeper, just tell us. We can all chip in and help you get through the tough times."
"Yeah, and have you guys noticed? The Shopkeeper seems to have been smiling all day. That's very unusual; he doesn't usually smile that much."
"Shopkeeper, if you've been kidnapped, just blink, so we know to make a run for it."
The regulars exchanged these comments among themselves.
Hearing the crowd,
The Shopkeeper didn't seem too bothered, still wearing a smile on his face. He glanced briefly at the third floor, then turned his gaze back to the regulars surrounding him.
"Alright, I won't keep you in the dark. I've been offered an opportunity to become immortal and will be accompanying that noble person. Don't worry about me."
The Shopkeeper said with a smile.
His spirit was clearly vibrant.
As the saying goes, nothing makes one feel more spirited than happy events - and this was one of them.
"Opportunity to become immortal? Holy shit, Shopkeeper, have you struck it rich? Which rank of immortals does that person belong to?"
The regulars were all stunned, shivering with the shock of it.
An opportunity to become immortal – that was indeed an immortal chance.
To distinguish between mortal and immortal.
Once you enter the ranks of immortals, it symbolizes that you're no longer a mere mortal.
This was an opportunity of a lifetime.
"Unranked."
The Shopkeeper appeared nonchalant.
Upon hearing this,
The regulars let out a sigh of relief.
Unranked, so it meant it had no rank.
That made sense.
No rank was what one would expect.
They'd feared the Shopkeeper had suddenly ascended to the heavens.
But it turned out he was just affiliating himself with an unranked Immortal Sect.
It was only that, merely that.
"Oh, unranked. Well, that's not very impressive. Shopkeeper, you might as well stay here in Silver Moon City. Affiliating yourself with an unranked Immortal Sect isn't going to be of much use."
One of the regulars said this.
"Hmm? Indeed, it's not very impressive, just above the first rank, with no rank able to describe its grandeur. Certainly, not very impressive."
The Shopkeeper continued to speak with a cheery smile. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire
"Right, an unranked Immortal Sect is definitely not... Huh??? Shopkeeper, what did you just say? Above the first rank, no rank able to describe? Are you serious? You call that unranked?"
The regulars were in an uproar.
They had initially thought the Shopkeeper had simply been taken in by a minor Immortal Sect. An unranked minor Immortal Sect was something they obviously looked down on.
But then it turned out, he was talking about an Immortal Sect that was above the first rank?
Because it had no rank, it was called unranked???
As far as they knew,
Traditionally, calling something unranked referred to two types of sects, didn't it?
One was the minor Immortal Sects that belonged to no rank.
The other was the Holy Lands that transcended all ranks.
But the way the Shopkeeper spoke of it, it seemed to transcend ranks...
Could it mean...
The Holy Land?
The Holy Land of the Eastern State?
This Shopkeeper was actually going to join the Holy Land of the Eastern State!!
The many regulars were all shocked.
The next moment, they were all trying to curry favor with the Shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper had aligned himself with the Holy Land of the Eastern State, so it was important for them to establish a good relationship. If an issue arose in the future, this connection might play a significant role.
Misunderstandings did not bother the shopkeeper, nor did he take them seriously.
He did not intend to disclose the name of the Wayless Sect, fearing it would frighten these people.
For ordinary mortals, the name of the Wayless Sect was akin to legend.
Mentioning it rashly might scare them away.
...
Elsewhere, at the Xianzui Inn on the third floor.
Chu Yuan did not bother with what the shopkeeper on the first floor was saying.
He looked at the large spread of wine and dishes before him and found them bland and tasteless.
For some unexplainable reason, he suddenly felt an uneasy premonition.
He did not know where this feeling was coming from.
Initially, Chu Yuan did not pay much attention to this sensation.
But he just felt uncomfortable.
Wrapped with this feeling, he truly couldn't calm his mind and heart.
"What on earth is happening? Why do I have this inexplicable feeling?"
Chu Yuan's brows furrowed tightly, unable to understand the cause.
After a long hesitation,
he somehow ended up taking out a divination tube from his storage bag, which he had acquired before.
Perhaps... try divining for answers?
Just give it a shot.
After all, there would be no loss.
Muttering to himself, Chu Yuan stood up and pointed the divination tube towards the firmament above.
He silently chanted his question.
The question he asked was naturally about why he felt this unease.
After repeating the question silently to himself three times,
Chu Yuan began to shake the divination tube.
A miraculous scene unfolded.
Chu Yuan had only shaken it once when a single divination slip flew out of the tube, landing on the floor with a clatter.
Chu Yuan stooped down to pick up the slip and examined it closely.
There were only four words on the slip.
'Thorns grow on back.'
What does this mean...
Chu Yuan slightly arched an eyebrow.
Thorns grow on back?
Does it suggest he's been stabbed in the back?
Has he not been betrayed enough?
Ye Luo, Zhang Han, Su Qian Yuan, Dantai Luo Xue, Su Xi, Divine Doctor Hua.
A full six individuals.
But he already knew about these, right?
Could it be that Tu Xuexi, Tu Yelin, or Si Yue had encountered something unforeseen?
Could those three betray him?
Is this some kind of joke? Could those three possibly betray him?
They were personally appointed by the System, destined to be abolished.
If those three could betray him, wouldn't that imply the System was flawed?
Could the System make mistakes?
Chu Yuan laughed.
If the System could make mistakes, he would tear down the entire Xianzui Inn and eat it on the spot.
The System cannot make mistakes.
The only mistake could be with the divination tube!
Upon coming to this conclusion, Chu Yuan's gaze toward the divination tube grew disdainful.
Ptui, did he, someone named Chu, believe in such mysticism?
Sorry, someone named Chu only believed in the System; as for divination and all that jazz, he could do without it—he didn't buy into it!
Even if someone named Chu were to die, jumping from here, he still wouldn't believe in mysticism!
"I don't believe in mysticism, but I still need to hurry back as soon as possible,"
"What if something unexpected really happens? After all, the disciples are still up on the mountain."
Chu Yuan murmured softly, still harboring some minor worries in his heart.
He put away the divination tube, which represented mysticism, and glanced down toward the first floor.
He did not have much time to wait around here.
He must hasten the shopkeeper, urging him to speed things up...