The head waiter took a broom and swept away the dust on the floor before gesturing respectfully to Master Chen.
"Master Chen, please come inside. What would you like today? Our manager just opened a fresh jar of osmanthus wine..."
Just as the head waiter was about to continue his introduction, Master Chen waved his hand dismissively.
"No drinks today. I came to ask you something."
"Ah! Master Chen, please speak. This humble one will tell you everything I know."
"First, find me a private room where no one can hear us."
"Right away! Please follow me."
Leading Master Chen to the finest Heaven-class private room in the inn, the head waiter casually wiped the table and asked, "Master Chen, is this to your satisfaction?" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Master Chen drew the blade at his waist and pressed it against the waiter's neck.
Terrified, the head waiter immediately cried out, "Spare me, Master Chen!
Spare me!
This lowly one has elderly parents to sup—" "Shut up!" Master Chen roared impatiently. The head waiter instantly clamped his mouth shut, though his legs continued trembling uncontrollably.
"What I ask you next must not leave this room. If a third person hears of it... you understand the consequences?"
"I understand! I understand!"
The head waiter nodded frantically.
"Good. Tell me, have any particularly remarkable sect disciples stayed at your inn recently?"
The head waiter thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"There haven’t been many guests these past few days. As for sect disciples... I don’t think so."
"'Don’t think so'!? Are you mocking me?"
Master Chen’s eyes narrowed, and the blade pressed closer to the waiter’s throat. Terrified out of his wits, the head waiter stammered, "There really haven’t been any!
Truly!
Aside from a few young masters from the East Manor, the only guests these past two days have been common folk dressed in coarse hemp clothing."
"Fine. Now go call all the other waiters under you. I have questions for them."
"Y-yes, right away!"
The head waiter scurried out of the private room and into the main hall, shouting, "Pockmarks, Little Six, Stone—come here, all of you!
Hurry!"
The other waiters, busy serving customers, first apologized to their guests before rushing over.
"What’s the matter, Big Liu?"
"Drop whatever you’re doing and follow me."
"Huh? All of us? What about the inn’s business?"
"Damn it, no time for that! Move!"
Though confused, the three waiters followed the head waiter. Upon entering the Heaven-class private room and seeing Master Chen, they immediately understood the gravity of the situation and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Master Chen."
"Line up in front of me," Master Chen growled, glaring at them.
Seeing the long saber in Master Chen’s hand, the three waiters trembled in fear, their legs nearly giving out beneath them.
"What? Do I need to repeat myself?"
Master Chen’s glare intensified. The head waiter promptly kicked each of them.
"Hurry up!"
Stumbling forward, the three waiters barely stood before Master Chen when they suddenly dropped to their knees, kowtowing desperately.
"Spare us, Master Chen! Spare us! We truly haven’t done anything wrong..."
"Shut your mouths! Stand up!"
The three scrambled to their feet. After threatening them in the same manner, Master Chen demanded, "Describe to me, one by one, the appearances of every guest you’ve served these past few days." The waiters began recounting the guests they had attended to.
Whenever one mentioned a woman wearing a straw hat, Master Chen pressed for details. As soon as Pockmarks finished, Stone hastily added, "I—I only served six guests yesterday. They were all wearing straw hats."
Master Chen’s eyes sharpened.
"Tell me everything about their appearances."
"Y-yes."
Stone tried to recall but found the memory of those six guests frustratingly vague. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember what they had been wearing.
"What are you dawdling for? Speak!"
At Master Chen’s roar, Stone dropped to his knees again.
"I—I really can’t remember what they looked like."
Bracing himself for a beating, Stone was surprised when Master Chen didn’t strike him but instead frowned.
"You served them just yesterday, and today you can’t recall their faces?"
Stone slapped himself hard.
"This lowly one is useless! I deserve death! But I truly can’t remember what those guests looked like."
Sensing he was onto something, Master Chen suddenly kicked Stone in the stomach and bellowed, "Think harder! Tell me anything that comes to mind, or I’ll beat you to death!" Agonized and frantic, Stone broke into a cold sweat as he strained to remember.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Th-that master tipped me five coins!"
Master Chen extended his hand.
"Where are they?"
"Here, right here!"
Wincing in pain, Stone fished out five copper coins from the innermost pocket of his robe and handed them over.
"Are you sure these are the ones?"
Master Chen inspected the coins.
"Absolutely. Tips are rare, so I meant to keep them as lucky charms. I hid them deep inside."
Nodding, Master Chen took the coins and examined them closely. Duan Ping Rui Xiang... Reading the four characters engraved on the coins and weighing them in his palm, Master Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Three Treasures coins from the Huainan region..."
The value of currency lay in its credibility. In modern times, a hundred-yuan bill might cost mere cents to produce, but because of the trust in its issuing authority, that slip of paper could buy goods worth a hundred yuan. But on the Mysterious Dragon Continent, there was no unified monetary system.
The purchasing power of coins was unreliable—their credibility practically nonexistent. Thus, the face value of a coin was almost equivalent to the worth of its materials. Precious metals were scarce on the continent, including copper.
Pure copper coins were virtually unheard of; most were alloyed with lead—a cheap, heavy metal that dulled the coins’ luster. Moreover, coins weren’t minted solely by official authorities. Privately minted coins were rampant, and their composition often revealed their region of circulation—sometimes even their exact origin.
After turning the five coins over in his fingers, Master Chen tried recalling if any notable experts from sects in the Huainan region had been spotted nearby recently. Finally, he stopped his musings and asked Stone, "Are those six guests still staying here?"
"They checked out this morning."
"Anything else you haven’t remembered yet?"
Master Chen barked.
"Nothing at all, Master Chen! I truly can’t recall what those guests looked like. I wouldn’t dare lie to you—I really don’t remember!"
"You’d better not be lying to me!"
Master Chen tossed the five coins back at Stone and strode toward the door. Before leaving, he turned and glared at the waiters.
"If I find out any of you breathed a word of today’s events..."
"Wouldn’t dare! Wouldn’t dare!" the three chorused.
"See that you don’t!"
With that, Master Chen yanked the door open and left. Only when his footsteps faded into the distance did the four waiters finally exhale in relief, thinking bitterly, What in the world was that about!?
(End of Chapter)