No, Is This Right?

"A bathhouse? Why is there something like this here?"

In the center of Cangyun City, Mo Shang stared at the bathhouse before him, his head full of question marks.

"Uh, aren't we here to find my master? What are we doing here? Taking a break first?" Gu Qingzhou was equally bewildered at the moment.

"Sword Uncle is inside. Every time he comes to Cangyun City, he runs here..."

Liu Ruyan shrugged helplessly, then walked straight inside without another word.

Mo Shang and the other two exchanged glances before ultimately following her.

Under Liu Ruyan's lead, they quickly arrived before a private room. Judging by her practiced ease, this clearly wasn't her first time coming here to find someone.

Pushing open the door, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted into their noses. The room was furnished with five reclining chairs, each paired with a bucket of warm water mixed with medicinal herbs.

At that moment, Sword Thirteen was lounging leisurely in one of the chairs, soaking his feet. Sensing their arrival, he lifted his eyelids slightly, then smiled and said, "You're all here. Sit down and rest a bit first."

Seeing this, Mo Shang's mouth twitched. If not for the fact that his cultivation was still intact, he would have suspected he'd time-traveled back to Blue Star...

"Yo, Old Deng, you sure know how to enjoy yourself. No wonder you ran off so fast last time..."

Gu Qingzhou showed no sign of restraint, finding a spot and lying down.

Liu Ruyan, equally unbothered, took a seat as if this were perfectly normal.

Mo Shang and Jiang Shuyu exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Mo Shang was baffled as to why a bathhouse existed in a cultivation world, while Jiang Shuyu was puzzled by what everyone was doing.

"Wait, is this right?" Mo Shang muttered a complaint.

Other sects' elders took their juniors to secret realms or such places to gain opportunities, but this guy? He arranged foot baths for them...

"Old Mo, Miss Jiang, aren't you coming?" Seeing the two still standing, Gu Qingzhou called out to them.

"Coming..."

Following the principle of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," Mo Shang pulled Jiang Shuyu over and sat down.

And so, soon enough, all five were lying in a neat row, the scene utterly relaxed and carefree.

Though, it was worth noting that the foot bath water was infused with plenty of precious herbs, making it quite comfortable...

Seeing everyone seated, Sword Thirteen spoke up again in a leisurely tone: "Tomorrow's grand competition will gather all the prodigies, but there are only two you need to watch out for: the Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Sect and the Holy Maiden of the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect."

"Holy Maiden of the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect? Guo Jingjing?" At the familiar name of the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect, Gu Qingzhou recalled the Guo Jingjing they'd run into on the street earlier.

"Looks like you've met her. What do you think? Pretty, isn't she?" Sword Thirteen nodded slightly, raising an eyebrow at Gu Qingzhou.

"Uh, she is indeed quite pretty..." Gu Qingzhou's mouth twitched. Pretty, yes, but her voice gave off a full sense of ascetic restraint.

"Not only did we meet her, but Old Gu also caught her eye..." From the side, Mo Shang added with a grin.

"Oh, didn't expect you to be so popular, kid. Not bad for my disciple..." Hearing this, Sword Thirteen raised an eyebrow, looking at Gu Qingzhou with surprise.

"Oh, my dear master, let's change the subject. How about we talk about that Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Sect?" Gu Qingzhou's mouth twitched again as he spoke.

"Oh, no problem, my dear disciple. Let's talk about the Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Sect then..."

Sword Thirteen responded with a nod, but soon noticed something off and added, "Wait, why are we talking like this?"

"Don't sweat the details, Old Deng. Just get on with it."

"The current Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Sect is hailed as a once-in-ten-thousand-years unparalleled genius. After cultivating for two and a half years, his strength has already reached the Spirit Condensation Realm..."

If you find this book enjoyable, to avoid losing it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf.

As he spoke, Sword Thirteen thought of something and glanced at Jiang Shuyu beside him, adding, "Wait, we've got one too..."

"An unparalleled genius? Just a threshold for meeting me." Gu Qingzhou paid no heed to Sword Thirteen's words.

"Agreed." Mo Shang nodded in strong agreement.

A once-in-ten-thousand-years unparalleled genius? Still within the realm of genius, but Gu Qingzhou was a straight-up cheater!

On the grand stage of the heavens, no cheat means no entry, and a small cheat means no entry either!

"Heh, youth is something else..." Sword Thirteen chuckled and said no more.

After washing their feet, Sword Thirteen led the group out of the bathhouse and into an inn.

The innkeeper, seeing them, immediately greeted them with a smile: "Honored guests, dining or lodging?"

"Five rooms." Sword Thirteen said flatly, placing a pouch of spirit stones on the counter.

"Apologies, honored guest, we only have four rooms left. Would that be alright..." Hearing Sword Thirteen's words, the innkeeper's face showed a hint of apology as he spoke.

"Four will do." Sword Thirteen didn't mind and nodded.

"Right away." The innkeeper didn't hesitate, taking out four stone tokens and placing them on the counter.

"Sort it out among yourselves."

Sword Thirteen picked up one token and headed straight upstairs, leaving the others exchanging glances.

"I'll take a room for myself." Gu Qingzhou was quick, snatching one key and vanishing on the spot.

"Uh, Senior Sister Liu, you and Shuyu..." Mo Shang was taken aback, turning his gaze to Liu Ruyan.

"I'm used to being alone."

Before the words were finished, Liu Ruyan shot Mo Shang a playful smile, picked up another key, and vanished from the spot just as Gu Qingzhou had.

"Let's go."

As the two left, Jiang Shuyu raised her hand and took the remaining key, glancing at Mo Shang with a gentle smile. She reached out and linked her arm through his.

"Ah... is this right?"

Mo Shang seemed not to have recovered yet. Dazedly, he followed her upstairs until they arrived before a guest room.

Jiang Shuyu's fingertips twisted lightly. A faint glimmer of spiritual light flickered on the key, the barrier array before the door dissolved, and the door swung slowly open on its own.

The room's furnishings were simple and elegant. A large bed sat against the window, a celadon oil lamp rested on the table, and moonlight spilled in through the window, adding a touch of tranquility.

Entering the room, she closed the door behind them. The two stood in silence, the only sound the soft rhythm of their breathing.

After a moment, Mo Shang snapped out of it and cleared his throat. "Ahem... well, get some rest early..."

"Alright."

Jiang Shuyu nodded lightly, rose, and walked behind the folding screen. A moment later, only the faint rustle of fabric could be heard.

When she emerged again, she had changed into a light white underrobe, her long hair loosely pinned up...

At this moment, Jiang Shuyu had shed some of her usual coldness. A faint blush tinted her exquisite cheeks, adding a different kind of charm.

This sight left Mo Shang completely stunned, frozen in place.

"Do I look good?" Jiang Shuyu brushed a strand of hair that hung by her cheek, asking softly, her expression betraying a hint of nervousness.

"Ah... good, you look good." As Jiang Shuyu spoke, Mo Shang snapped out of it and answered with a flustered tone.

He had never seen Jiang Shuyu like this before.