The two walked through the mountains all morning before reaching the gates of Tai’an City.
On their journey from Yangshan to Tai’an over the past few days, they had eaten and slept outdoors, spending every night in the wilderness. Master Tiger was used to it, but Cui Jiuyang felt grimy all over.
So they found a rather grand-looking inn and took a room, planning to rest up properly before going to Mount Tai to ask the Prefect of Mount Tai to resolve Master Tiger's problem.
Gui Suishou had said Soul Stabilization would hold for three to five months, but the sooner they resolved it, the sooner they could rest easy.
The inn was called the Fulai Inn. Its two small street-facing buildings housed the guest rooms, and it had a sizable rear courtyard with a stable, a woodshed, and a kitchen.
After entering, Cui Jiuyang first told the waiter to heat some water, then went to bathe.
Master Tiger wandered around the front hall, intending to see what food the inn offered.
He had just taken a fancy to the braised pork hock listed on a plaque on the wall when his ears twitched. He heard several people chatting at a table in the hall.
"What on earth was that last night? Why did it sound so creepy?"
"Come to think of it, why have there been so many strange things happening in Tai’an City over the past six months?"
"Before, we only heard about those strange things. This time we actually ran into one."
"Did the inn refund your room money?"
"Heh, they refunded it twice over! Double! Begged me not to spread the story."
"Right? I got double back too."
Master Tiger paid this no mind. He called the waiter over and jerked his chin toward the wall.