People Arrive

Li Fan found a seat in a corner of the lobby and poured himself a bowl of Thunder Wine. The wine was slightly cloudy, with a faint yellow residue, and smelled quite strong. It looked more like a strong spirit than the usual fare at Ink Bamboo Mountain.

He took a shallow sip and felt a burning, tingling sensation, like being struck by lightning. The wine was thick and bitter on his tongue. Swallowing it down, a fiery surge rushed up his throat, making his nose water.

'Li Fan's mood increased by 1 point.'

"Seriously? It tastes this bad, and the system still adds points? Kun, you try it."

Li Fan casually grabbed Kun and poured the remaining wine into its mouth.

Kun's eyes bulged, and it flapped its fins, spitting the wine out.

"See? Even Kun thinks it's undrinkable."

Then, Li Fan peered into the wine jar. He saw a three-inch sharp edge, shimmering silver, thin as a cicada's wing, like a broken sword tip or a lone swan's feather, like silver fish, like bamboo leaves, slowly swimming and weaving within the wine.

Profound Heaven Sword Intent seemed truly drunk, reveling freely in this small space, swimming in the murky wine dregs like the Human Dao.

Perhaps it was thinking how a sword immortal with superior talent, a clear sword heart, and unparalleled might had fallen to such a state of a destroyed sect, a shattered body, and reliance on others. Or perhaps it had forgotten all about the Great Dao, sect legacies, grudges, and vengeance.

It was simply reminiscing, recalling the days of youth galloping on horseback under the setting sun, recalling the years of wandering the world with a sword, and the lost youth along the way.

The wine doesn't intoxicate people; people intoxicate themselves...

Li Fan retracted his head, not disturbing Profound Heaven Sword Intent's wine spa.

He now understood more than ever how important mental health truly was, especially for these antisocial, mentally ill sword immortals. Spending a month's salary to boost Profound Heaven Sword Intent's mood wasn't a loss.

Feeling the half-string of coins left by Xuan Bao in his pocket, Li Fan beckoned and asked the waiter for another bowl of rice wine and a plate of peanuts, munching on them and casually tossing some to Kun to catch. Bored, he practiced the Crimson Vein Boy's method, concentrating his vision on the travelers coming and going at the inn.

There were merchants, martial artists, Qi cultivators, ordinary folk, people from the Central Plains, and natives from the outer territories. All sorts of people, but they all had something in common: they were all human.

Human.

What exactly was a human? Was the materialized Profound Heaven Sword Intent still human? Was the non-materialized fairy Wangshu human? Was Li Fan, who had transmigrated into this body, human? How much change was required to be considered 'non-human'?

Li Fan didn't understand these profound and mysterious principles himself. He hadn't even thought about them. In his past life, he had rarely engaged in deep philosophical contemplation, only agreeing with a certain statement by Professor Ji Xianlin.

Therefore, this contemplation of human versus non-human flashed through his mind, barely lingering. Li Fan's brain was instantly drawn back by his sight to more interesting matters.

"I need two rooms, some sliced mutton, two large flatbreads, no wine, but do you have Eight Treasure Tea?"

Before seeing the person, he heard the voice. Li Fan looked and saw a foreign girl in a yellow shirt and felt hat, dressed like a soldier, with a feather tucked into her hat. A long braid hung down her shoulder, and a golden saber was strapped to her waist. Two guards in white robes with headscarves followed her, conversing with the innkeeper in slightly accented Central Plains dialect.

"We don't have Eight Treasure Tea, but we have barley tea," the innkeeper, who was quite knowledgeable, recognized their attire and knew roughly where they were from.

"Then bring two pots. You two go put down your luggage, and then come down to eat."

The girl took out a few blood-red coins to pay and instructed her attendants before turning around and removing the blue veil that protected her from dust.

This is what they call... "Beyond the jade-green gauze window, orioles sing, each sound like the sorrow of late spring. Her bright eyes and pearly teeth are as white as snow, her autumn-like gaze as clear as starlight and frost. Graceful, she reflects the clouds and rosy hues, her charm surpassing spring's light, resplendent beyond compare, her dignified bearing even more captivating."

Li Fan's eyes widened like Kun's.

'Li Fan's mood increased by 1 point.'

"Oh my~ this one is really good." Li Fan's gaze swept over her, impartially giving this contestant an 85. His critique: this girl has a high nose and deep-set eyes. Her bone structure is larger than that of Central Plains girls her age, clearly a mixed-race individual. Her figure is still a bit slender, not yet fully developed. Calling her a great beauty now would be excessive; she's just a pretty and intelligent young girl. She's probably a few years away from her peak beauty. But as long as she doesn't develop poorly, she'll at least be a 95+.

"What? You want me to rate fairies Fuling and Wangshu too?"

"Hmm... to be honest, Fuling's natural look is a 78 at best. If she puts on makeup and squeezes a bit, she can barely reach the 90 threshold."

"Wangshu herself has a beauty score of 80+, and her long legs add 5 points. It's a shame that when she transforms, she can drop to negative numbers..."

"No help for it, Teacher Li Fan's standards are just that strict!"

"Ahem, ahem, just kidding, just kidding. Li Fan is purely appreciating beauty. I hereby declare that I have absolutely no vulgar intention of objectifying women."

So, he looked and then looked away. Li Fan was just enjoying the view and had no intention of hitting on any girls. He took out a Zhu Fruit, split it in half, and shared it with Kun.

Perhaps today was truly Li Fan's lucky day. Before he had even finished half the Zhu Fruit, another commotion erupted from the inn's entrance.

He turned his head and saw two men and a woman rush into the inn, nearly knocking over the merchant caravan queuing at the front. The merchants wanted to argue, but upon seeing that one of the men was heavily injured, the bandages on his waist stained with blood and his wounds cracked open, while the man and woman supporting him had red eyes and carried swords and sabers, looking like they were skilled in martial arts and not to be trifled with, they immediately dispersed, letting them pass first.

"Innkeeper! We need a room! Wound-healing powder and blood-replenishing pills! And a basin of hot water!"

The woman's face was pale, completely panicked, yet she still half-supported the injured man. The man with a large saber strapped to his back spoke.

"Esteemed heroes, this is a small business. Perhaps you should send your friend to a doctor..." the innkeeper said, trying to persuade them.

"What did you say!" The man with the saber glared, his arm flexing, his pectoral muscles bulging, looking like he was about to explode.

The injured man, however, forced a smile, "Fifth Brother, don't be anxious. I'm tough. Innkeeper, I just fell off my horse and scraped myself, it's nothing serious. Just give us a stable to rest in. And another jar of good wine to relieve my fatigue. Xuan Niang, Xuan Niang! Pay up!"

"Ah, okay, Fourth Young Master, how are you feeling? Are you really alright?"

The Xuan Niang, called upon, finally snapped back to attention. In her haste, she flipped her hand and produced a palm-sized horseshoe gold coin.

The innkeeper's eyes widened, and he immediately clasped his hands. "You jest, honored guest. Travelers are all guests. Why would we put you in a stable? Your rooms are this way, please follow me. Waiter, bring the wine!"

It seemed such incidents were not uncommon in a place like Dragon Gate Inn. However, many people in the inn, including Li Fan, followed the three behind the innkeeper with their eyes darting.

Of course, most were looking at the young woman called Xuan Niang. It's also possible some were looking at Fifth Brother's pectoral muscles, cough cough...

Purely in terms of looks, this Xuan Niang wasn't much prettier than the mixed-race girl from before. If Li Fan were to rate her, she'd be around 80 points. A classical oval face, balanced features, dignified appearance, young and beautiful hair, arched brows, fair and tender skin. Moreover, at this moment, she was worried about Fourth Young Master, her eyes filled with despair, biting her cherry lips, her sorrowful expression evoking pity. Perhaps, depending on the person, her score could be slightly higher.

But what was rare was that this young lady's figure was amazing.

It was truly amazing. Even though she was wrapped up tightly, revealing nothing, she was a martial artist, wearing tight-fitting training clothes without skirts or robes. This further highlighted her tall stature, slender waist, long legs, and exquisite curves. She had a supermodel-like nine-head body proportion. When she walked, it was like a goddess strolling, leaving behind a scent of sweat and fragrance, making passersby crane their necks.

Her charm lay in her mature beauty, like a newlywed, still budding yet full and alluringly plump. And her weight was distributed perfectly, without an ounce of excess or bulk.

'Li Fan's mood increased by 1 point.'

Kun patted him.

'Kun wants to throw more peanuts to eat.'

Ugh, so annoying! Eat, eat!

Li Fan threw the plates and sent Kun off to chase the peanuts himself. Turning back, he saw that Xuan Niang had already gone upstairs to a private room with some Fourth Young Master and Fifth Brother.

What a shame... but that cat-like walk on the stairs just now, those hips, tsk tsk, an extra 10 points for that figure would be perfectly acceptable...

Cough cough cough! Don't misunderstand! Li Fan wasn't focusing his gaze on the married woman's figure! He purely wanted to observe the strength of these martial artists. After all, Xuan Niang had her flesh so tightly wrapped, and the gold coins must have come from a storage jade pendant. That's why he stared at the spot three inches below her navel, wanting to see what level of Qi cultivation she had...

Of course, you can't tell just by looking, you have to touch... Cough cough cough! Just thinking about it, just thinking...

After drinking some rice wine and savoring the taste, just as he was still wanting more, the inn entrance suddenly became noisy again.

Hmm? Another beauty this time! Let this Daoist priest have a look!

Li Fan eagerly turned his head, and then his eyes landed on a man with skin as white as snow, rosy cheeks, painted eyebrows, and eyes that sparkled like flowing water... a man!

"Pfft--! Cough cough cough cough cough!" Li Fan almost choked to death.

"Hmph? Hmph!" The heavily made-up 'man' swept his gaze over them, and the diners in the hall immediately fell silent, lowering their heads and not daring to meet his eyes. He didn't pay much attention, slapped his hand on the counter, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Innkeeper! I need a room!"

"Coming, coming, sir, please don't wait." The innkeeper hurried out from the back. Upon seeing this 'man' and the eight guards behind him, all wearing bamboo hats, cloaks, and standing silently like wolves with swords at their sides, he knew who this person was. "Your Excellency, what are your orders..."

The eunuch didn't stand on ceremony. "Clear out the second floor! I'll take all the rooms!"

"Ah, this... Yes, yes! I'll clear it out immediately! Please wait a moment, sir. Waiter! Bring good tea! Bring good wine!" The innkeeper, glared at by the eunuch, quickly scurried upstairs.

The waiter also bowed and apologized to the diners in the hall. Those merchants had just been preempted by the two men and one woman warriors, and now they had to move tables again before they had even settled in. They were truly unlucky.

But businessmen naturally didn't want to cause trouble, so they voluntarily gave up their seats, making space for the eunuch and his guards to dine.

Li Fan, still coughing, observed the group from the perspective of someone seeking novelty.

The guards were unremarkable, burly and strong. Beneath their cloaks were fitted martial arts uniforms, and their movements revealed chainmail under their sleeves. Their finger joints were thick and calloused, clearly indicating they were proper soldiers, possibly even masters of military body-refining techniques.

The eunuch was also not simple. His waist was adorned with storage jade pendants. Perhaps they had been traveling, as a faint white mist emanated from his skin and hair, swirling around his head before being inhaled back into his abdomen through his mouth and nose. It was clear he had cultivated Qi.

Li Fan glanced again. He had never seen a living eunuch before. Although such characters were always villains in movies and TV shows, to be honest, the eunuch before him had good bone structure. His features were regular, and he could even be considered quite handsome, not the type you'd immediately identify as an "eunuch." He had simply applied feminine makeup, and at first glance, he looked similar to the celebrities Li Fan had seen in advertisements in his previous life, so much so that Li Fan hadn't realized it at first... After all, what normal man wears lipstick...

"Are they from Liqiu Palace? Why are they showing off in such a remote place..."

"Quiet, don't cause trouble at a time like this."

The unlucky merchants, having moved to a neighboring table, were whispering. Li Fan subconsciously glanced at them and suddenly felt something was off. He couldn't quite figure it out, so he couldn't help but look back at them.

The sudden movement was too large and was noticed by the leader of the group. The leader, a bearded man wearing a square cap and a long robe, smiled and nodded at Li Fan, tapping his table. The other merchants also fell silent and stopped their idle chatter.

Li Fan withdrew his gaze, pretending nothing was wrong, but sweat had already soaked his back.

Damn it, I knew the name Dragon Gate Inn was unlucky. These people don't seem right either!

Although he couldn't be sure, Li Fan clearly saw calluses on the leader's tiger mouth and the left side of his index finger when he tapped the table. He probably used a sword frequently. And that bearded man was clearly fake! There were five or six people in this group, and they were probably not here for anything good!

Kun! Kun! The situation is not good, we need to retreat! Damn it, where did you run off to again!

Li Fan ducked under the table to peek, but he couldn't find Kun. However, the waiter was leading a few people over.

"Little master, I apologize, it's very crowded today. Some patrolling guards will be dining here later. Would it be alright if these guests shared a table with you?"

The ones the waiter led over were the mixed-race girl and her two attendants.

Li Fan picked up the wine jar and said, "No problem, no problem. I was just finishing up, I'm leaving now."

"Thank you." The mixed-race girl put on her veil again and nodded to Li Fan in thanks.

Li Fan just smiled at her and didn't say much. If you told him that this foreign girl, with her two guards, had crossed the Buzhou Mountains just for sightseeing, he wouldn't believe it. Beautiful women are trouble; it's best to just look and not get entangled.

He still hadn't found Kun, but Li Fan saw that the two men and one woman from earlier had also come downstairs with the innkeeper. People of the martial world like them apparently didn't want to provoke people from the palace. They were about to move to a private room downstairs.

Just then, the inn's main door was kicked open with a "BANG!"

"Damn it! Lou Guan demon! You're even herding dragons to Buzhou Mountain! You almost scared me to death!"

"Hahaha, Ji Chang, you were shouting pretty loudly just now!"

"Nonsense! Wouldn't you shout if it were you! Innkeeper! Bring wine and meat! To calm our nerves!"

About twenty soldiers in armor and helmets, with voices as loud as gongs, barged in noisily, holding their halberds upright and their scabbards clanking against their skirts, as if to show off their martial prowess.

A bald man with a full beard at the front, holding an iron helmet with pheasant feathers tucked into it, wiped the sweat from his bald head and roared, "Innkeeper, bring some iced rice wine to quench my thirst..."

Ji Chang suddenly looked up and saw Xuan Niang walking down the stairs. She had probably been helping Fourth Young Master change his dressing, and her clothes were wet from the hot water, revealing her tightly wrapped, shapely figure. The color of her thighs was clearly visible.

Even the bald man couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his hands onto his full beard. "Wow~~"

The soldiers also crowded around to look, exhaling through their nostrils.

See, what did I tell you? In this day and age, beauty is indeed trouble...

Xuan Niang blushed and turned sideways, covering her chest. Fifth Brother stepped forward to shield her, puffing out his chest muscles and roaring.

"What are you looking at, you dog official!"

"Hmph?" The eunuch turned and glared at Fifth Brother... swallowed his saliva...

Li Fan, "..."

"Ji Chang! Great Ji Chang!" The innkeeper awkwardly stepped forward to stop the bald man. "This guest was injured falling off his horse. Give me some face..."

"Fell off his horse?" The bald man directly withdrew his gaze from Xuan Niang's thighs and glanced at Fourth Young Master's wound. "Bullshit! That was clearly inflicted by a blade! I think you're bandits! Cuff them all and take them back!"