Soon their attention was caught by
something again. Two fully dressed cultivators entered the inn. The peony
flowers embroidered on their clothes made them immediately recognizable as
disciples of the Yang of Jilin sect.
It wouldn't have been strange to meet them
sooner or later, since they had now crossed the borders of their territories.
The regions occupied by the Yangs were the
largest of all the other sects in the country.
Under their influence and administration
fell all the central and north-eastern territories of the country.
Even if the emperor still ruled, since the
central plains were infinitely vast, the intervention of various martial arts
sects was necessary to, at least, partially manage internal security.
That evening, in that humble inn, it was
still bizarre to see two figures so well dressed and full of composure in a
such rustic village on the border.
But it was not only their clothes that made
them recognizable. Their expressions conveyed a sense of superiority and
arrogance that left anyone who looked at them with a sensation of inadequacy.
As if they had been judged without even a
word having been spoke.
However, in contrast with their refined
presence, there was one detail that Shi ZhenXian's scrutinizing eye would never
have overlooked. Their boots were dirty with mud up to the ankle.
Yet the road that he and Lin JingYu had
traveled trough was made by very dry soil. Anyway, it wasn't too strange to
have mud on their boots. They could very well have come from other parts of the
village, so Shi ZhenXian didn't think too much about it.
The two illustrious disciplines sat at a
table not too far away and only ordered tea. They seemed accustomed to the
place, but from their attitude it was immediately clear that they did not
consider it worthy of their presence.
Even the grimaces that appeared on their
faces after tasting the tea, betrayed their true thoughts.
If they hate this place so much, why are
they here?
They spoke in a very low tone, so it was
not as easy to catch bits of their conversation as it had been for the two
woodcutters. Shi ZhenXian soon gave up.
"Can I do something else for you, gentlemen?"
the innkeeper said.
"Good man, tell me something. Do you know
the two cultivators who just arrived?"
"Oh them! They are two young martial
artists from the Jilin Yang Sect, they show up once a month or so. They stay
for just one night and leave at dawn. Why is the gentleman interested?"
"Oh nothing, I thought I knew them but I
was wrong. Please don't tell them. We would like to spend the night here, do
you have any free rooms?"
"We are quite full at the moment but there
should be one room left, if the gentlemen don't mind sharing it."
"Yes, no problem," Shi ZhenXian said,
giving a silver coin to the innkeeper. He accepted it and quickly secured it in
his robe.
"Please, my lords, follow me."
The innkeeper, happy as a clam at the
generous payment, led them up a flight of stairs. At the top of it stretched a
long corridor.
"This is the best inn in the area, I am
sure you'll be comfortable."
The innkeeper stopped at the third door and
took out a large bunch of keys, starting to look for the right one.
"Do not pay attention to the rumors you
hear around, there are many drunkards around here. Here you are, good rest."
Shi ZhenXian thanked him with a slight nod.
The two cultivators entered the room and
closed the door behind them. It was very simple, and the furniture was extremely
basic. A bed, a table with two chairs and a divider.
"What do you think?" Shi ZhenXian asked.
Lin JingYu felt taken aback.
"I think we should go check it out." Shi ZhenXian continued.
"I think so too," Lin JingYu finally spoke
up.
"Hmm? Why? Do you know anything more? I
know your sect often hangs out around here."
Shi ZhenXian teased him, approaching the
other with fluid, mocking movements. His lips curled into a thin smile and his
eyes trying to catch even the slightest reaction.
Shi ZhenXian was the type of person who got
bored very easily, and one of his favorite pastimes was definitely teasing
those around him.
"Some of ours were stationed a little
further north of here, but they were recalled." Lin JingYu replied in a neutral
tone, showing no sign of giving in to the provocation.
The reason why they had been called was
clear, there was no need to include further explanations.
"It's been more than a year since we knew
what was going on around here." the impassive cultivator concluded.
Shi ZhenXian raised an eyebrow as he
increasingly closed the distance between them. With his arms behind his back,
he leaned forward slightly to look him in the eyes better.
He tried to pick up possible signs of lies
or uncertainty, but despite the austere and rigid presence of his traveling
companion, his eyes always remained clear and round whenever they crossed
paths.
"Hmpf" Shi ZhenXian pulled away. Lin JingYu breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief.
The other readjusted the sword he had
previously placed on the table, on his back.
"Let's go."