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Chapter 3925 – Gradual Oppression
Translator: Silavin & Jon
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
In his room, Yang Kai was sitting across from Wei Que. Tao Rong Fang was standing behind Wei Que as she stared at the battered Yang Kai with a sympathetic look on her face.
Normally, if she saw a man in such a state, she would’ve burst out laughing. That was because the large dark circles around Yang Kai’s eyes looked quite amusing, obviously caused by fists. The symmetrical dark circles around his eyes suggested that his attacker was also quite powerful.
However, she wasn’t in the mood to laugh now; after all, Yang Kai had saved their lives before. At the thought of Yang Kai’s future and the possible blaming from Ah Sun, she felt dejected.
An embarrassed Wei Que spoke for a long time before he was able to make things clear to Yang Kai. Scratching his head, he said, “Yang Kai, this is how things are now. Initially, we intended to bring you to Great Moon Province so that you could join us; however, it seems that we can’t do that now. Leader has rejected the idea, so there’s nothing this Wei can do. I’m sorry!” After he finished speaking, he cupped his fists and looked away as he was too ashamed to face him.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Many thanks for your kindness, Senior Wei. I’m fully aware of the situation I’m in, so it’s understandable that your leader has rejected the idea. Even if he had agreed to it, I couldn’t have followed you to Great Moon Province as I can’t leave First Inn or I’d be ripped into pieces. There’s still a chance for me to survive if I stay here.”
Tao Rong Fang said, “You’re right to say that, but it’s not like you can stay in this inn forever. What’s your plan?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and fell into his thoughts for a moment, then he shook his head, “I’ll see how things go. I don’t have any plans in mind now.”
“Hai!” Wei Que sighed, “You’re just too reckless. Why did you even decide to snatch the Golden Crow carcass at that time?”
It was said that men die for wealth just as birds die for food. What Yang Kai had done in the Golden Crow Divine Palace was no different from digging his own grave. Without First Inn, he would’ve lost his life a long time ago.
An embarrassed Yang Kai replied, “I didn’t have much time to think about it. I just did it on impulse, and it’s pointless to talk about why now.” He waved his hand as he wasn’t willing to dwell on this topic.
Seeing that, Wei Que decided to change the topic, “We’ll be leaving First Inn and returning to Great Moon Province soon. Is there anything we can help you with?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “There’s indeed one thing that I need you to help me with.”
“Name it,” Wei Que replied.
Yang Kai said, “Old Fang, DiĂ© You, Ah Sun, and I fled from Seven Wonders Land and went through a lot of hardships. Now that Ah Sun has been taken on as a Disciple by Senior Tao, I don’t have to worry about her anymore. However, Old Fang and DiĂ© You have nowhere else to go. Given the situation I’m in, they shouldn’t have anything to do with me anymore, so I hope that you’ll accept them into your force so that they’ll have a place to live and grow.”
Wei Que replied, “Even if you didn’t mention it, we’d still do so. Don’t worry. We’ll bring Fang Bi Qi and DiĂ© You back to Great Moon Province and take care of them. As long as this Wei is still alive, I won’t let anyone oppress them.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
An abashed Wei Que waved his hand, “Don’t thank me. Otherwise, I’ll be too embarrassed to face you.”
“What about you?” Tao Rong Fang asked, “Is there anything we can help you with?”
Yang Kai shook his head as they were truly unable to help him solve the problem he was facing. Now that Old Fang and Dié You finally had a place to call home, he could at least set his mind at ease about that issue.
After a sigh, Wei Que fished out a Space Ring and put it in front of Yang Kai, “It’s just a small gift from me, so please don’t refuse it. You’ll need money to stay in First Inn after all.”
After deliberating on it for a moment, Yang Kai decided to keep the ring. Wei Que was a straightforward man, so he would only make it difficult for him if he turned him down.
They went on to chat for a bit before the pair rose from the chairs. Before leaving, Wei Que said, “Do you want to see Fang Bi Qi and the others? After all of you part ways this time, you won’t be able to meet up again for a long time.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “We’ll certainly meet again in the future. Senior Wei, please leave with them now.” It would be sorrowful to part ways with them, so he’d rather not see them now.
Wei Que stared at him for a moment and patted his shoulder, “Take care.” Then, he turned around and left.
Tao Rong Fang nodded at Yang Kai and shuffled out of the room.
A short while later, footsteps could be heard coming from the corridor. Yang Kai knew that those from Great Moon Province must be leaving.
After all the sound of feet died down, Yang Kai returned to his bed and meditated to recuperate. Recalling his experiences since he left the Star Boundary, he felt crestfallen. After separating with Zhang Ruo Xi, he ended up becoming a worker in Seven Wonders Land. He went through countless difficulties to escape from that place, but he was then dragged into a mess because of the Golden Crow carcass soon after. As an Emperor Realm cultivator, he was caught in the middle of a great storm in the Outer Universe. If he wasn’t careful enough, he would be ripped into pieces at any moment.
He had to ponder over how to handle the carcass. Not only did he have to deal with the situation swiftly and to his benefit, he also had to ensure he would not leave behind any hidden dangers for himself. This thorny issue gave him a severe headache.
It was all calm for the next few days. Yang Kai had been worried that the Proprietress might find fault with him again, but he hadn’t seen her for days now. On the other hand, most of his injuries had healed; however, after the previous incident, he wouldn’t dare to leave his room as he pleased. If there were any reckless people who ignored the inn’s rules and made a move against him, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Ten days later, Yang Kai and Bai Qi were having a drink in his room. While Bai Qi was talking about what had been going on outside, the door was suddenly kicked open.
A shocked Yang Kai raised his head before shrinking his neck. Turning to look at Bai Qi, he asked mournfully, “Are there any privacy measures in place in your inn at all? Do you allow your customer’s doors to be kicked open at any moment?”
Bai Qi simply gave a hollow laugh, “Well, she’s the Proprietress.”
With a gaze filled with coldness, Madam Lan shot Bai Qi a glare, “It’s no wonder I didn’t see you at all, it turns out you’ve been lazing around here! Don’t you need to serve the customers? How dare you slack off here!? I’ll deduct a year’s worth of your salary!”
Bai Qi turned pale in an instant and pleaded, “Proprietress, please calm your anger! I’ll start working now! Please don’t deduct my salary!”
Upon finishing his words, he dashed out of the room.
With his back leaning against the wall, Yang Kai wanted to flee as well, but when the Proprietress shot him a glare, a chill shot up his spine and he became rooted to the spot.
Then, she slightly extended her foot backwards to close the door and took Bai Qi’s previous seat. With a gaze filled with gloom, she stared fixedly at him.
Yang Kai forced a wry smile at her as he curled up in the corner. Then, he covered his head with his hands and said, “Just don’t hit my face.” It took a few days before the dark circles around his eyes caused by her faded. This woman was ruthless, so he had to be careful.
The Proprietress said grimly, “Sit.”
Yang Kai stole a glance at her before sitting on the ground.
The Proprietress bellowed, “Smelly brat, stop playing meek! I told you to sit so sit!”
After batting his eyes, Yang Kai got to his feet and inched closer to the chair in a vigilant manner. Then, he slowly took a seat, his eyes darting around as he was apprehensive.
Seeing how alert he was, an incensed Madam Lan landed a palm on the table, “Brat, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?”
Yang Kai scratched his nose as he muttered, “Not really. I’ve only heard a little about it.”
Recently, he had been hearing from Bai Qi about what had been going on outside his room as he hadn’t dared to leave it. He only knew that most people from the neighbouring great forces had left. After all, the people who had checked in previously were mostly from Third Class forces, so they had no right to compete for the Golden Crow’s corpse. Just like Great Moon Province, they knew their place, so they had left as quickly as they could. Of course, there were still some of them who had stayed here to watch the show.
After they left, those from Second Class great forces subsequently arrived. Even some from the First Class Cave Heavens and Paradises had come to this place.
Presently, over twenty Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in First Inn along with three or four High-Ranks. It could be said that this was the first time they had received so many top cultivators since First Inn’s opening. They were all attracted by the Golden Crow carcass.
Madam Lan sneered, “Did you seriously think you’d be fine by just shifting all the attention to this Queen in the hall the other day? Do you think they’re all fools? Both of us are fully aware whether the carcass is in my hands or not.”
Yang Kai replied, “I was left with no other choice
”
Madam Lan landed another palm on the table, “Do you think you could lie to everyone else just because you were left with no choice? Do you think I can’t kick you out of the inn right now? You don’t need me to tell you what will happen then!”
A stunned Yang Kai questioned, “Madam Lan, do you want me dead?”
Madam Lan fiddled with her own fingers and replied dispassionately, “I have a right to get my revenge. You were the one who framed me first.”
Yang Kai became truly flustered. If he were chased out of the inn, he would lose his life the next moment. With widened eyes, he rebuked, “Your inn is open for business, and I’ve fully paid for my lodging, how can you just chase me out?”
Madam Lan lifted her head to give him a look, “You’re right. We have never mistreated a customer before. If I kick you out, our reputation will be tarnished.”
With his heart pounding against his chest, Yang Kai let out a long breath. Then, Madam Lan said, “But there are exceptions for those who can’t pay their fees and refuse to leave.”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he had a premonition.
As expected, Madam Lan went on to say smilingly, “This Queen has decided that from today onwards, the fee for your room will be a 100,000 Open Heaven Pills per night.”
“100,000?” Yang Kai’s expression cramped drastically. After calculating for a bit, he realised that the pills he had could only last him three to four days, enraging him, “Proprietress, you’re oppressing me!”
Madam Lan replied, “You have no right to interfere in my decision. It’s up to me whether I want to raise the fee, and it’s up to you whether you want to continue staying here. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
Yang Kai demanded, “I want a different room!”
Madam Lan scoffed, “There are no other rooms. Our inn is packed to the brim right now, so you can’t get a new one.”
Yang Kai gnashed his teeth together and glared at her; however, an unfazed Madam Lan kept a charming smile on her face as she fiddled with her own fingers. She didn’t even spare him a glance.
Suppressing his urge to land a fist on her face, Yang Kai asked, “What do you want? Just say it!”
Madam Lan replied impassively, “Smelly brat, an ordinary man is innocent, but treasures make him guilty. Haven’t you heard of that before?”