Seeing Yang Kai’s calm expression, Gongsun Hong secretly nodded.
After tasting a few mouthfuls of tea, Gongsun Hong said, “This old master has seen Little Friend’s letter and knows why you have come here. However, Little Friend said that it is from the First Inn. Do you have a token with you?”
“Naturally.” Yang Kai smiled and took out the jade token the Proprietress had given him before handing it over to Gongsun Hong.
Gongsun Hong took it and poured his strength into the jade token, causing it to suddenly light up.
Gongsun Hong’s expression changed slightly as he turned to look at Yang Kai, his expression twitching slightly, “Your shopkeeper is Madam Lan?”
“That’s right!” Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of mystery was hidden in the jade token, but Gongsun Hong immediately recognized her. However, from Gongsun Hong’s expression, it seemed he was somewhat afraid of the Proprietress…
This was easy to handle. Yang Kai secretly rejoiced, not fearing that he won't be afraid. As long as he had some scruples, he would be able to collect the ten million debt.
“Has Madam Lan arrived here?” Gongsun Hong asked again.
“Yes!”
“When did she arrive? Why didn’t this old master receive any news?”
“A few days ago,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, “The Proprietress has always kept a low profile. Even when the First Inn reopens, it only has a plaque hanging on it. There’s no great events!”
Gongsun Hong’s expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural as he lightly coughed, “Madam Lan’s actions… mm, are indeed quite low-key.” It was unknown what he was thinking, but his eyes twitched.
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “The opening of the First Inn is a major event, so this old master should attend it. However, since Madam Lan doesn’t want everyone to know about it, she should have her reasons.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “It’s not convenient for this Junior to inquire about Proprietress’ matters as a shop assistant.”
Gongsun Hong nodded slightly, his fingers lightly tapping the table as if he was considering something. After a while, he said, “This old master doesn’t know anything about what Little Friend said in this letter. Little Friend, can you tell me why the person from Nine Stars Paradise attacked the First Inn? They even destroyed the First Inn.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s not convenient for me to reveal this information. If Shopkeeper Gongsun wants to know, you can just ask the Proprietress.”
Gongsun Hong smiled and raised his hand, “Drink some tea…”
Yang Kai took a sip before turning to look at him and saying, “Shopkeeper Gongsun, this Junior has come here under orders to ask for compensation. My family’s Proprietress has said that Nine Stars Paradise's reputation is widespread, and the accumulation of Jude Yuan is a constant source of income. This small amount of compensation isn’t a problem, this Junior still needs to go to other places to collect debts. Time is tight and the mission is heavy. Shopkeeper Gongsun, do you think we should settle the bill first?”
Gongsun Hong asked curiously, “Are you going somewhere else?”
Yang Kai replied, “Of course…” Opening his mouth, he listed the names of several shops.
Gongsun Hong was surprised, “Could it be that there were many people who took action in the First Inn?” Behind these shops were forces like the Paradise level.
“It is indeed a lot,” Yang Kai nodded, “I won’t hide it from you, Shopkeeper Gong. The reason our Proprietress brought us to this Star City is to collect debts. The Proprietress said that no one can escape, so we have to receive the compensation. If we can’t obtain them, she can go to their respective headquarters and discuss them. The Proprietress also said that all the Cave Heaven and Paradise share the same roots, so there is no need to make everyone unhappy over such a small matter.”
Gongsun Hong frowned slightly, but it's unknown what he was feeling.
Yang Kai looked around and said, “A shop as big as Jude Yuan should have a lot of income every year. Shopkeeper Gongsun, although ten million isn’t a small amount, it shouldn’t be a problem for Jude Source. If it’s convenient, can you help me? So this Junior can return to the Proprietress as soon as possible.”
Gongsun Hong nodded and said, “Since little friend is a member of the First Inn and has also taken Madam Lan’s token, this matter should not be false, this old master should also compensate you. However…” Changing the subject, he continued, “This is your family’s word after all, this old master will have to send a message to the headquarter to inquire about the situation. If it is really as you say, my Nine Stars Paradise will definitely not deny it.”
He knew it wouldn’t be so simple. If he could really collect ten million debt with just a few words, it would show that Nine Stars Paradise was too afraid of the First Inn. However, this was also within his expectations, so Yang Kai didn’t feel disappointed and nodded, “It’s only right, but I wonder how long it will take for Shopkeeper Gongsun to send a message back?”
“One month!” Gongsun Hong said, “I’ll give you an answer in one month!”
Yang Kai stood up and cupped his fists, “Then I’ll have to trouble Shopkeeper Gong!”
“See you later!” Gongsun Hong extended his hand.
Walking out from Jude Yuan, he immediately saw Luo Haiyi standing not far from the street and beckoned to her. Luo Haiyi immediately came up to her and asked in a low voice, “Has sir’s matter been settled?”
“It’s alright,” Yang Kai nodded, having achieved his goal, “Let’s go to the next shop!”
After running one shop after another and spending an entire afternoon, only three had managed to escape. Among the three families, besides the Jude Yuan, one of them was from a Paradise background, so the answer he received was similar to Gongsun Hong’s. They also needed to send a message back to the headquarter to inquire about the situation before they could give an answer.
The other family’s background was a Second Class Force, so they weren’t as unyielding as the Paradise. When they learned that the First Inn’s people had come to collect their debts, they were somewhat fearful and polite to Yang Kai, but in the end, the result was the same.
As night fell, the Star City was still bustling with activity. Yang Kai had been running for the entire afternoon and had been pretending to be polite to others, so he was a little tired, so he told Luo Haiyi to go back and rest before returning to find her tomorrow.
Before leaving, the two of them exchanged contact methods and agreed to continue tomorrow. Luo Haiyi naturally agreed.
Returning to the First Inn, Yang Kai saw that it was quite lively inside, with people coming and going. The main hall was filled with guests, all of whom were toasting each other, causing Yang Kai to stare blankly…
The Proprietress was shuttling back and forth in the main hall, chatting and laughing with the guests at the tables. Yang Kai suddenly felt like he had returned to the First Inn in the void.
It had only been a day, but the business here had already become so hot. It seemed that the First Inn really was famous.
The Proprietress also looked up and saw Yang Kai. She waved at him and Yang Kai quickly walked over.
Following the Proprietress into the inner room, the Proprietress sat down and asked Yang Kai, “How is it?”
“Not bad!” Yang Kai walked over, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of water, and drank a few mouthfuls before saying, “With the reputation of the First Inn, no one dares to make things difficult for us.”
“Who asked you that?” The Proprietress glared at him, “Did you ask for the money?”
Yang Kai put down his teacup and couldn’t help laughing, “How could it be so fast? Everyone has to first send a message back to the headquarter to inquire about it, and only after confirming it will they decide whether to pay or not.”
“How many?”
“The three families all say so.”
The Proprietress nodded, “Naturally, but the deadline cannot be too long.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve already agreed that one month isn’t too long!”
“One month… that’s fine, you can go now.” The Proprietress waved her hand.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai looked at her in surprise.
The Proprietress blinked and said, “You’re the inn’s valet, don’t you need to run to the inn? The inn’s business is quite good right now, so we don’t have enough manpower. Hurry up and help!”
“I…” Yang Kai didn’t know what to say. In all his life, he had never run a shop.
“What are you talking about? Why aren’t you going? Do you want me, the Proprietress, to personally take action?”
Yang Kai glared hatefully at her for a long time before finally giving up. The other party’s eyes widened, but he couldn’t help gritting his teeth, “Fine, you’re ruthless!” Turning around, he slammed the door and left.
Behind him, the Proprietress crossed her legs and smiled.
When he arrived at the main hall, Yang Kai looked around before snatching a piece of white cloth from a servant and placing it on his shoulder before entering the kitchen to serve the dishes.
All of them were cultivators and were full of energy, so there was no need to close the shop. Yang Kai was busy all the way until dawn before he had time to rest. What made him resentful was that even now, he had yet to see Old Bai’s figure. It was likely that this guy knew he had to return to the hall, so he spent the night outside.
He secretly made up his mind to not return tomorrow.
Not long after, Yang Kai went out again and sent a message to Luo Haiyi in advance to the teahouse where he had met her yesterday.
When Yang Kai arrived, Luo Haiyi was already standing there.
“Did Sir not rest well last night?” Luo Haiyi saw that Yang Kai’s complexion was not right and asked.
“Don’t mention it,” Yang Kai was depressed. It wasn’t that he hadn’t rested well, it was just that he hadn’t rested at all. Although it wasn’t a big deal, he was still quite tired.
Yang Kai didn’t say anything, and Luo Haiyi didn’t dare ask any more questions, so the two of them immediately set out.
Today’s situation was similar to yesterday’s. After visiting each and every house, the replies he received were almost the same. Thinking about it, it wasn’t strange. If he had encountered such a situation, he definitely wouldn’t have only listened to one side of the story, even if it was the First Inn.
Each family sat down and chatted with the shopkeepers of their respective families. Over the course of the day, only six or seven of them had come, so it would take them two or three days to finish all of them. He wondered how Bai Qi was doing.
He took out his communication device and contacted Bai Qi, but there was no response, so he didn’t know what he was busy with.
In the evening, Yang Kai brought Luo Haiyi to a restaurant and ordered some food and wine to thank her. She had been taking him around all day, so it was quite tiring.
Luo Haiyi didn’t want to waste Yang Kai’s time and money, but since Yang Kai insisted, she could only comply.
Naturally, Yang Kai was not used to this kind of treatment of respect and toast. No matter what, Luo Haiyi was still an Emperor Realm cultivator, so she wasn’t much different from him. Her calling him “Sir” made Yang Kai feel somewhat guilty.
After three rounds of drinking, Luo Haiyi’s complexion became somewhat rosy, and her eyes also became hazy. It seemed she was not very good at drinking.
Yang Kai was curious about this matter and asked, “How does the Emperor Realm in the Outer Universe comprehend the Martial Dao?”
He had condensed his own Dao Seal in the Profound Heaven Temple, and every Great Emperor in the Star Boundary had experienced this before. Presumably, the other Great Emperors in the Outer Universe also had similar experiences. However, the capacity of those small Universe World was limited, so there weren’t many people who could condense a Dao Seal, but how could the Outer Universe people do so? Encountering Luo Haiyi, Yang Kai asked casually.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Martial Peak