NOVEL NEXT Chapter 211: Hot Springs?!
Three more weeks passed in a flash.
During the three years Feng Fan spent inside the Ice Domain, he not only advanced in cultivation but also improved his skills in the Array Dao. Now, he could already be considered a tier 5 Array Master.
Thanks to Feng Fan's arrays and spiritual qi vision, they had managed to stay hidden for the last three weeks.
Inside the same cave where they had first taken shelter upon arriving at the center of the Death Plains, a grill refined by Mao Shun sat in the middle of the group.
Xue Qiang kept the flames going, while Feng Fan had set up a small array around it to prevent any smoke from escaping.
Holding a grilled leg from a tier 4 demon beast, Feng Fan grinned. "Huang Xue's cooking is the best, as always!"
Huang Xue smiled at the praise, while Xue Qiang scoffed. "Next time, you can eat your food raw."
Feng Fan's smile faltered. "Ugh, Qinqin, no need to be so harsh. Your fire is the best!"
Su Xiaoli chuckled before cutting into the banter. "It's been three weeks already. Shouldn't we start heading toward the Dao Seeking School?"
Feng Fan's relaxed expression grew serious. "Yeah, it's time to move. I wonder if anything happened to the White Crow Sect while we were away… Not that we could do anything about it right now."
With no way to communicate with the outside world, they were completely in the dark.
They gathered their belongings and prepared to leave. Huang Xue wore a dragon-shaped mask, Mao Shun a turtle mask, and Feng Fan a fox mask.
Su Xiaoli and Xue Qiang didn't wear masks, but their faces were well hidden under their hoods.
They decided to use codenames when around others to avoid being recognized. Feng Fan would go by Fox, Mao Shun by Turtle, Huang Xue by Dragon, Su Xiaoli by Snow, and Xue Qiang by Fire.
This was especially important for Mao Shun, as they were heading to the Mao Empire's territory, and he would undoubtedly be a prime target there.
With Feng Fan leading the way, they left the Death Plains without trouble, avoiding both humans and demon beasts.
Ahead of them stood a towering cliff, the natural border between the Mao Empire's territory and the Death Plains.
Mao Shun gazed at it with a somber expression, his fingers brushing against the hammer on his back.
'This is where my cultivation journey began. This is where Uncle Qi died.'
His grip tightened.
'No matter how long it takes, I will avenge you—Mother, Father, Uncle Qi.'
After crossing the cliff, they came to a stop, and Feng Fan glanced at Xue Qiang.
"Qinqin, do you still have the map Elder Jiang gave you?"
Xue Qiang nodded before taking it out from her space ring. They hadn't been able to use it inside the Death Plains, but now that they were outside, Elder Jiang's map was their best guide.
She and Feng Fan studied the map carefully. The fastest route to the Dao Seeking School passed through the Mao Empire's capital, but since entering it was too dangerous, they needed to find another way.
"Let's head to the nearest city first," Feng Fan suggested. "After so long sleeping on the hard ground, I could use a real bed. Then, we'll go around the capital and reach the Dao Seeking School. It shouldn't take more than three days."
The others nodded in agreement, especially the girls, who missed having a proper bath and a comfortable place to sleep.
The nearest city was one Mao Shun knew well—Azure Sky City. It was where he had grown up after his parents were killed by his uncle.
Azure Sky City, located on the borders of the Mao Empire, was a mid-sized city with a population of nearly five million.
Entering the city again, after years spent inside the Death Plains, filled Mao Shun with a deep sense of nostalgia.
The first thing they noticed upon entering was the wanted posters. The face on it was all too familiar—Mao Shun.
Feng Fan grabbed one of the posters and chuckled. "Brother Turtle, look at this! The late emperor's son is only worth ten million mid-grade qi stones. The current emperor sure is stingy." Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire
A passing civilian overheard him and cast a wary glance.
"Hey, watch what you say. I've seen people die for far less when it comes to the Mao Emperor."
Feng Fan smiled but didn't take his words to heart. "Thanks for the warning, uncle."
After the civilian left, Mao Shun spoke up.
"I know a really good inn here. It's expensive, but considering the money we have, it shouldn't be an issue. What do you say? I think there's even a hot spring there."
At the mention of the hot spring, Su Xiaoli, Xue Qiang, and Huang Xue looked at Mao Shun with gleaming eyes.
"Hot Spring?!" they exclaimed in unison.
Feng Fan shook his head with a wry smile. "Well, I guess it's settled then. Lead the way, Brother Turtle."
Mao Shun nodded, and they quickly made their way to the inn. Though this wasn't a big city, the inn's splendor rivaled that of the finest inns in the Qian Empire's capital.
The entrance was grand, with a beautiful gate leading into a garden filled with red and blue flowers.
A few meters ahead, the main building came into view. Its size was comparable to Su Xiaoli's own house.
Feng Fan approached the counter where two concierges were located to assist customers. "Hello, we'd like to book two rooms. One for three people and another for two."
Feng Fan thought it would be better to split into two groups—if any problems arose, they'd be able to help each other.
"Which room would you prefer, sir? We have three types: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The prices are, respectively, one mid-grade qi stone, five mid-grade qi stones, and twenty-five mid-grade qi stones per night."
At the mention of the salty prices, Feng Fan's face twitched. However, since it had been a while since he'd stayed somewhere nice, he decided to go for the best.
What's more, all the money he had was gifted to him by his friends.
"I'll take the best rooms. I'll pay for the night," Feng Fan said, handing over fifty mid-grade qi stones to the clerk.
"Thank you, customer, an employee will take you to your rooms, these are the keys."
The concierge gave two keys to Feng Fan. One of them he placed inside his space ring, while the other he gave to Xue Qiang.
It didn't take long for another employee, dressed in a black outfit similar to the concierge, to appear.
The employee led them to their rooms, which were located right next to each other. The girls took the first room, while Feng Fan and Mao Shun took the second.
As soon as Feng Fan entered, he immediately noticed a few arrays in place. The one that caught his attention the most was a tier 3 qi-gathering array.
Though a tier 3 array was no longer impressive to him, he still appreciated the decent treatment. Not to mention the two large, comfortable beds in the center of the room—and even a private pool!