Upper Cliff

Zhou Qiubai smiled faintly.

But if this burly man could go to Spirit City, he was presumably a Soul Master as well.

Good grief. Since entering the city, they had seen quite a few ordinary people, but Soul Masters seemed to be everywhere too.

The burly man laughed heartily and pointed to an inn across the street, its blue cloth banner fluttering overhead.

"The owner of that place is an old friend of mine. If you haven't found somewhere to stay, you can't go wrong there. Just give them my name. I'm Tie Laosan."

Zhou Qiubai looked in the direction he pointed.

The inn was small, only two storefronts wide. A wooden plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the words "Listening to the Waves Inn."

The two thanked Tie Laosan, crossed the street, and arrived at the entrance of Listening to the Waves Inn.

Before they could enter, a slightly plump middle-aged man came out to greet them.

"Oh, two honored guests, please come in, please come in." The middle-aged man tucked his palm-leaf fan behind his waist and reached out to push the door open for Zhou Qiubai. "My surname is Tong, and my given name is An. I'm the owner here. I heard Tie Laosan shouting from across the street just now. Young talents from the Soul Master Tournament—our little establishment has some important guests today."

Zhou Qiubai walked into the main hall and looked around.

The hall was not large, with six square tables set out inside.

There was not a single guest in the inn. It was quiet, with only the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore drifting in from the rear courtyard.

"Boss Tong, how is business here usually?" Zhou Qiubai sat at a table by the window and asked casually.

"Not bad,