Chapter 209: Midnight Yin Wind

“Hey, why are you crying? If you want to cry, take the body to the wilderness and cry there. Don’t disturb our business here.”

Hearing the crying, the innkeeper lifted his head to look, then shook his head and continued dozing. But the Old Woman, who was busy running around, started scolding loudly, her face full of displeasure.

Because passing merchants disliked this place, business was already difficult. With someone holding a corpse and crying nearby in the middle of the night, who would dare to stay here? Even those who reluctantly checked in, who would have the mind to eat?

Hearing the Old Woman’s scolding, the middle-aged woman outside quickly shut her mouth. The crying stopped, but tears kept flowing as she wept silently, utterly heartbroken.

“Innkeeper, what exactly is going on here?” Mu Feng put down his bowl and chopsticks and asked the Old Woman who was passing by.

“Well, it’s a tragedy, a long story.”

The Old Woman shook her head. Perhaps she was tired, so she simply sat down to rest. “To tell the truth, this mother and daughter are pitiful. The husband died early. The daughter married into a wealthy family in Jiangling as a concubine, and the mother followed as a servant. In the end, because the daughter couldn’t bear a son, both were driven out. With no way out, they had to go to Jianning City to seek refuge with distant relatives. They depended on each other and traveled all the way here. Perhaps from depression, or perhaps from exhaustion, the daughter stayed here one night, and the next morning, she was gone. Poor thing, she even went to Zhushan Temple to burn incense and make a wish the night before. But when death comes, you can’t escape it. That’s fate, alas…”

“Sudden death? Didn’t they call for a doctor?” Mu Feng pressed.

“Alas, in these wild mountains, there’s not even a trace of people. Where would you find a doctor?”

The Old Woman shook her head and continued, “When you’re away from home, with no money, no power, and no relatives, if you die, you die. Even the officials don’t care. Ah, it’s truly pitiful. Seeing how pitiful the mother and daughter were, I even waived their food and lodging costs. But this mother keeps holding her daughter’s corpse and crying outside the inn. This isn’t a solution. If this goes on, how can we open for business?”

“Here are five taels of silver, covering expenses for both of them. With the rest, innkeeper, please buy a coffin for them and find a place to bury her!”

Mu Feng took a few pieces of broken silver from his robe and placed them on the table. He glanced briefly at the pitiful mother and daughter outside, then turned back and lowered his head to eat.

With one distant look, he had already determined that the woman lying on the ground had long stopped breathing and was beyond saving. Whether from a lifetime of depression or something else, there was still a trace of resentment lingering in her body. If she wasn’t buried soon, she might turn into a zombie. Then, the first to suffer would probably be the mother crying over her.

“Good, young master, with your noble features, you are destined for great wealth and honor. I’ll thank you on behalf of the mother and daughter first.” The Old Woman beamed and reached to collect the silver from the table.

“Eh, old woman, has the innkeeper of this inn changed again? I often travel this road, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of you.” Uncle Fu, after eating two bowls of rice, looked up at the smiling Old Woman and suddenly furrowed his brow in confusion.

Hearing this, the Old Woman’s steps paused slightly. She said, “Yes, we two old folks just returned from Jiangling. We have little farmland left at home, so we had to take over this inn, hoping to earn some meager silver to spend our later years. Business here is too difficult. It’s been several days since we took over, and every day we can’t make ends meet. Alas…”

The Old Woman sighed, reaching for the silver on the table. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to take it, Mu Feng called out again. Instantly, the Old Woman’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and her smile seemed stiff.

“Innkeeper, wait a moment!”

Mu Feng paused, looking at the Old Woman with her frozen smile, and slowly continued, “Besides lodging, there’s food and feeding the horses, and such. Old woman, even a simple coffin costs quite a bit these days. Is five taels of silver enough?”

“Enough, enough, young master, don’t you worry. We have some old trees on our Back Mountain. Hiring someone to cut them down and make a coffin won’t cost much.”

The Old Woman hurriedly said it was enough, grabbed the broken silver from the table, turned, and left, busying herself in the kitchen.

Watching her retreating back, Mu Feng quickly ate a bowl of rice. After Uncle Fu put down his bowl and chopsticks, Mu Feng said, “Uncle Fu, are you full? Would you like another portion of cooked beef, or a plate of fried chicken?”

“Enough, I’m full. Thank you, Young Master Mu.” Uncle Fu let out a burp and smiled sheepishly.

“Alright then, let’s go. You’ve worked hard all day, rest early!”

Mu Feng turned and left without showing any expression. After closing his door, his face turned serious. He first carefully inspected the guest room, confirming nothing was amiss, then spread out the quilt, pretending to be curled up asleep inside. Then he walked to a dark corner, sat down cross-legged, and waited to see what would happen.

For some reason, he felt more and more that this inn was not right.

Uncle Fu’s unintentional remark had deepened his suspicion. When the Old Woman reached for the silver on the table, he inadvertently noticed that her hands showed no traces of calluses, unlike someone who had long done rough work. Although her words seemed flawless, they gave an uneasy feeling. The innkeeper, who had been dozing at the counter, seemed drowsy, but he lifted his head at the slightest sound, which also seemed unusual!

Details were key!

After his time with the Poison Sect, Mu Feng had become much more cautious and increasingly skilled at observing details. From an offhand remark or a fleeting expression of the other party, he could sometimes deduce much. These abilities couldn’t be learned from books; he had to comprehend and ponder them in daily life.

Earlier, he remained calm only to avoid alerting the enemy and frightening the already anxious Uncle Fu.

Now, sitting cross-legged, he calmed his mind. He wanted to see what was strange about this inn!

“Innkeeper, innkeeper, take care of the horses.”

“Not now, bring the good wine and food first. I’m almost starving to death. Damn it, why are there so many dead snakes on the mountain? It scared me half to death. Bring a jar of wine to calm my nerves!”

“Madam, this way please!”

…

Outside the inn, a few more people arrived to stay. Several burly men, like guards, escorted a Carriage that stopped outside. A Black-clad Woman wearing a veil stepped down from the Carriage. Her steps were light, her waist slender. She seemed to be a graceful young woman in her prime.

Perhaps truly starving, the guards shouted noisily as soon as they entered. After bustling about for nearly an hour, the inn gradually quieted down.

Mu Feng sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed and motionless, but secretly he paid attention to the movements outside, waiting patiently.

One hour, two hours…

Slowly, the night grew darker, and the inn became quieter as people fell asleep. Only the occasional sound of the Old Woman washing dishes and the footsteps of the old innkeeper making his rounds with a lantern could be heard. Gradually, by midnight, even the innkeeper’s footsteps disappeared, as if he too had gone to sleep. Nothing unusual happened.

“Could it all be my suspicion?”

Mu Feng frowned. He was just about to get up and open the window to breathe some fresh air. Suddenly, from the bamboo grove behind the inn, came a gust of Yin Wind, making the clothes hanging in the yard flutter noisily. In the cold Yin Wind, there was a faint, strange fragrance. Inhaling just a bit of it made him drowsy and his mind fuzzy.

Soul-dazing Incense?

Mu Feng was startled. He quickly held his breath, restrained the fluctuations of energy and aura within his body, and focused on sensing the surroundings.

After waiting quietly for so long, something unusual had finally happened.