Chapter 425 - 231: Entering the Capital! The Situation Is Not Optimistic

The disciples, their faces etched with fatigue, instantly perked up at these words.

The journey had been long and arduous, forcing them to brave the elements, and now everyone reeked of sweat.

They were all eager to check into an inn as soon as possible, take a hot bath, change into clean clothes, and then eat a hot meal!

Soon, the group arrived at Feiyun Inn.

The inn was exquisitely decorated, and its patrons were all clad in luxurious clothing. It was clearly a high-end establishment.

However, when Yue Lingfeng led the group to the counter, announced his name, and prepared to check in...

The stout Shopkeeper gave them a pained smile and bowed repeatedly.

"Ah, it’s Dean Yue... I... I am so terribly sorry! The rooms you booked... they’re gone!"

Yue Lingfeng’s smile froze on his face. Frowning, he said in a heavy tone,

"Gone? Shopkeeper, what do you mean by that? I paid the deposit a long time ago!"

The Shopkeeper looked conflicted. He pulled a money pouch from under the counter and pushed it forward.

"Dean Yue, there’s truly nothing I can do. This is your deposit—I’ll refund you double! Please, could you... perhaps find lodging elsewhere?"

Yue Lingfeng’s expression darkened instantly.

With the Capital City’s inns already fully booked because of the Celestial Strategy Guard selection, where was he supposed to find lodging at a time like this?

If he had his disciples sleep on the streets or in some ruined temple outside the city, wouldn’t the Cangyun Sect become a laughingstock?

"No!" Yue Lingfeng slammed his hand on the desk, roaring, "Where could we possibly find a room at this late hour?! You must give us the rooms we booked!"

"But..." The Shopkeeper, sweating profusely, lowered his voice. "Sir, please don’t make this difficult for me. I... I was forced into it!"

"What? Do you take the Cangyun Sect for a pushover?!"

Just as Yue Lingfeng was about to erupt and argue his case,

At that moment, a sinister, icy voice suddenly drifted down from the top of the stairs.

"What’s with all the racket! Disturbing the quiet cultivation of my Divine Moon Sect—you have a lot of nerve!"

Startled, everyone looked toward the source of the voice.

They saw an old man in a green robe, his face withered and gaunt. He stood on the stairs, looking down on them from above.

Behind him followed several young disciples with arrogant expressions, each one of them wearing a hostile gaze.

BOOM!

The old man didn’t make a move; he just casually released a sliver of his aura.

A terrifying pressure, that of a cultivator at the Sixth Layer of the True Master Realm, instantly descended upon the main hall like a mountain crashing down!

’Sixth Layer of the True Master Realm... The Divine Moon Sect?!’

Yue Lingfeng’s pupils constricted. He couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, swallowing the angry words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He was merely at the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm; before this old man, he was no match at all!

Moreover, they were from the Divine Moon Sect!

The disciples below grew pale under the immense pressure. Shi Poyue and the others whispered curiously, "Dean, this Divine Moon Sect... who are they?"

With a dark expression, Yue Lingfeng explained in a low voice,

"It’s a Major Sect from Youzhou. While its foundations aren’t as deep as those of the Three Top Sects, it’s still far beyond what our Cangyun Sect can compare with..."

When the Shopkeeper saw the green-robed elder, he hurried over, bowing obsequiously.

"Elder Xuan Hui, please calm your anger! These guests had booked rooms previously. I was just in the process of convincing them to leave..."

The old man, addressed as Elder Xuan Hui, snorted coldly. His murky, cold eyes swept over the members of the Cangyun Sect, filled with disdain and contempt.

"Hmph, some backwater sect. Get lost! Utter another word, and don’t blame me for being merciless!"

"You!"

Hearing such a humiliation, hot-tempered disciples like Shi Poyue and Wang Zhenhai flushed crimson with rage, clenching their fists as they moved to confront him.

Even Gu Qingxuan’s expression was ice-cold.

"Stop!"

Xu Qingshan, who had been silent all this time, reached out and stopped them.

His expression was as dark as still water. He shook his head at the others and said in a heavy tone,

"Don’t be reckless! This is the Capital City, not Cangzhou! Moreover... they’re too strong. We’ll only be at a disadvantage if we clash with them head-on!"

Standing amidst the crowd, Jiang Che secretly glanced at Elder Xuan Hui.

His [True: All-Seeing Eye] quietly activated.

’Early-stage Sixth Layer of the True Master Realm. His aura is a bit unstable; he must have used external forces to advance... But his Realm is what it is. We definitely can’t beat him. Plus, they might have reinforcements!’

Jiang Che weighed the situation and ultimately chose to remain silent.

Though deeply frustrated, Yue Lingfeng knew he had to yield to a superior force. Gritting his teeth, he shot the Shopkeeper a cold glare and snatched up the refunded deposit.

"Let’s go!"

Under the mocking gazes of the Divine Moon Sect disciples, the members of the Cangyun Sect left Feiyun Inn in humiliation.

However, reality was even crueler than they had imagined.

In the following hour, they asked at seven or eight inns in a row, only to receive the same reply every time: "We’re full!"

As evening fell, they were still wandering the streets. A sense of frustration and anxiety began to spread through the group.

"Are we... really going to have to find a ruined temple outside the city to sleep in?" a female disciple muttered, her voice full of grievance.

Just as Deans Yue Lingfeng and Xu Qingshan were at their wits’ end, preparing to swallow their pride and ask for help from old acquaintances in the Capital City,

"Hm? Brother Jiang? The two Deans?"

A pleasantly surprised voice, as smooth and warm as jade, suddenly came from up ahead.

Everyone looked up.

They saw a dashing Young Master dressed in fine silks, waving a White Jade Folding Fan. He was standing beside a luxuriously decorated carriage, staring at them in surprise.

It was none other than the young master of the Chen Family, Chen Jiayu!

"Brother Chen?" Jiang Che was also slightly taken aback.

Chen Jiayu strode forward, bowing first to the two deans. He then turned to Jiang Che, a puzzled look on his face.

"Brother Jiang, what are you all...?"

Seeing the luggage on their backs and the travel-worn exhaustion on their faces, the ever-astute Chen Jiayu instantly pieced together the situation.

"Don’t tell me... you couldn’t find lodging because all the inns are full?"

Yue Lingfeng’s face flushed in embarrassment as he nodded.

"Ha! Is that all?"

Chen Jiayu laughed heartily at his words and snapped his fan shut. "What a coincidence! My Chen Family bought a residence in the western part of the Capital City some years ago. It may not be massive, but it’s more than enough to house all of you!"

"If you wouldn’t mind, how about you all come and stay at my humble residence for a while?"

At these words, everyone was overjoyed!

"Really?! That would be amazing!"

"We wouldn’t mind! Not at all!"

The disciples, who had already resigned themselves to sleeping on the streets, now looked at Chen Jiayu with eyes full of gratitude.

Even Xu Qingshan and Yue Lingfeng heaved a great sigh of relief. They cupped their fists toward Chen Jiayu in thanks, "Nephew Chen, we truly owe you for this! The Cangyun Sect is in your debt!"

"You are too kind, Deans! We are all from Cangzhou, so it’s only right that we look after one another!" Chen Jiayu replied, waving his hand humbly.

Following Chen Jiayu, the group soon arrived at a quiet estate in the western part of the city.

The residence had vermilion gates and high walls. Inside, pavilions and towers were tastefully arranged, complete with rockeries and streams. It even had a dedicated martial arts training ground. The environment was several times better than even the Feiyun Inn!

The disciples couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of the magnificent estate.

"Good heavens... This is his ’humble residence’?"

"As expected of the number one Noble Family in Cangzhou! To have such a massive property in a place like the Capital City, where land is worth its weight in gold!"

"Following Young Master Chen was the right move!"

Watching Chen Jiayu bustle about and arrange lodging for everyone, Jiang Che nodded to himself in approval.

’The Chen Family’s foundations really are profound.’

With a place to stay, everyone’s hearts were finally at ease.

...

Night fell, and the city’s lanterns began to glow.

In the main hall of the Chen Mansion, a lavish welcome banquet was laid out.

Although they were only staying as guests, Chen Jiayu’s etiquette was impeccable. The table was laden with delicacies from the mountains and seas—a feast that would be hard to come by in Cangzhou Prefecture, even for a thousand pieces of gold.

After several rounds of drinks, the conversation grew lively.

Suddenly, Chen Jiayu put down his wine cup and sighed.

"Nephew Chen, what’s the matter? Why the sigh?" Yue Lingfeng asked from beside him.

Chen Jiayu shook his head, a rare look of seriousness on his face.

"Everyone, to tell you the truth, I actually arrived half a month ahead of you all."

He looked around at everyone and said in a heavy voice:

"Over the past half-month, I have used all of the Chen Family’s connections in the Capital City to gather information about the upcoming selection. The results..."

He paused.

"The situation is not looking good."