Chapter 199: The Entry Tokens for Guests
Meanwhile, Yu Luo didn’t forget to observe Tao Ming. Seeing him walking at the back, his face turning red and ears burning as a group of women teased him, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“If you two want to have some fun tonight, just let me know. I’ll cover the expenses,” Yu Luo teased deliberately. After all, these two men had spent five years in the wilderness without any contact with women.
Remembering Wang Ying and Shu Suhua’s request to help find a husband for Yu Qiao’er, she thought this would be a good chance to test whether Tao Ming was a man of loose morals.
However, before Zhang Hu could even speak, Tao Ming was already shaking his head frantically like a rattling drum.
“No way, no way! In places like that, even if we had ten lives, we’d come out with only one. Young master, please don’t joke with us. We were just country boys back home, and those places were never for us.”
“Staying away from wine and women is the way to achieve success. Besides, we are here to protect you, young master. Moreover, I am already married. If nothing had happened, my child would be seven years old by now.”
Hearing Zhang Hu’s words, Yu Luo was slightly surprised and gave him a once-over.
“If we ever get the chance to leave this desolate place, you should go back and see your wife and child.”
However, Zhang Hu’s face showed no joy—only a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
“Without a travel permit, how can I return? I wouldn’t even be able to enter the village. I’d only end up bringing trouble to my family and the villagers.”
Seeing him like this, Yu Luo took a deep breath. “Going back to the village would indeed cause a stir. But if needed, we can have someone bring your wife and child out to meet you. And once things settle down here, perhaps we can even bring them to live with us. But it’s too early to discuss that now.”
Hearing Yu Luo’s words, Zhang Hu’s usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of emotion and anticipation.
He dreamed of reuniting with his wife and child, and of seeing his parents again.
More than anything, he hoped that their young lady’s city could truly be established and defended—so that they could build a new life in that land, without fear of being taken away.
“We need two rooms, side by side,” Yu Luo said as they arrived at the inn.
The innkeeper, who had been lazily looking down, barely lifted his eyelids before spreading his palm. “Only one room left—Tianzi No. 1. Five hundred taels.”
Yu Luo was speechless.
“That’s too expensive, young master. Let’s check the inn next door,” Tao Ming suggested.
“Hah, don’t you know what day it is? It’s the 20th of March—auction day! Every 20th of the month, this city becomes lively, and the inns fill up fast. If you go next door, you’ll find the same thing—no rooms left.”
The innkeeper spoke with a tone of amusement, making it clear he knew they had no other choice.
Yu Luo had already gotten used to such attitudes in this city. But Zhang Hu wasn’t willing to let her spend so much money just for one night.
“Young master, let me check the other inns. Please wait here.”
Yu Luo agreed, thinking that five hundred taels for one night—and for the three of them to share one room—was indeed excessive and inconvenient.
But when Zhang Hu returned, his expression was dark. Every inn he had checked was even more expensive, with only “Tianzi No. 1” rooms left. One inn was even charging three thousand taels for a single night!
Shaking his head in disappointment, Zhang Hu walked back to Yu Luo.
“Fine, we’ll take the room,” Yu Luo said reluctantly.
“Sorry, the price has just gone up. Now it’s one thousand taels. Take it or leave it. If you don’t want it, go sleep outside and see if you freeze to death by morning!”
Yu Luo was stunned.
If this had been her past life, she would have already lashed out at the innkeeper.
But now, she was in someone else’s territory. Every person here seemed to be a martial arts expert, and if she dared to cause trouble, one shout from the innkeeper would have them surrounded.
That was the least of her worries—escaping wasn’t the problem. The real danger was that once the city labeled them as enemies, they would be hunted down endlessly. It wouldn’t just be a chase for a hundred miles—it would be a fight to the death.
If Zhang Hu hadn’t explained all of this to her earlier, she probably wouldn’t have held back her temper.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Luo slapped a one-thousand-tael silver note onto the counter. Once again, she had to endure it.
A saying crossed her mind: “When under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.” Today, she truly understood the meaning of those words.
At that moment, she swore—she would build her own city, and once it was complete, she would never set foot in this wretched place again!
“Congratulations, esteemed guests! Since you have spent over one thousand taels at our establishment, the city lord has ordered that all high-spending customers receive a complimentary entry token worth one hundred taels for tonight’s auction. Don’t forget to attend the event at the Xu hour!”
The innkeeper, who had just been cold and dismissive, suddenly transformed into a warm and enthusiastic host. Smiling broadly, he took out three wooden tokens from behind the counter and placed them in front of Yu Luo.
Still fuming, Yu Luo glanced at the innkeeper, who had changed his attitude faster than flipping a book. Her lips twitched as she grabbed the wooden tokens and headed upstairs to find her room.
Since there was an auction, and she was already here, she might as well check it out.
Holding the entry tokens—each worth three hundred taels—eased her frustration a little after being extorted by the city.
“Take care, esteemed guests! Don’t forget to attend tonight’s auction! There will be beauties—lots of stunning beauties!”
The innkeeper’s eager voice rang out behind her, making Yu Luo’s mouth twitch uncontrollably.
“Young master, why did that innkeeper suddenly become so friendly? It feels so strange. All day long in this city, everyone has been looking down on us,” Tao Ming said in confusion.
Yu Luo chuckled. “He saw that we could casually throw down a thousand taels for one night. Do you think he wouldn’t be enthusiastic? He probably hopes we’ll go to the auction and spend even more money—another big payday for this city. The moment he recognized us as wealthy customers, of course, he had to treat us differently.”
Tao Ming hesitated…
“This is what it means to treat people differently based on their wealth. You need to be sharper. Don’t assume someone is a good person just because they’re nice to you. Without a vested interest, why would a stranger go out of their way to please you?” Zhang Hu added seriously.
Pushing open the door to their room, they were greeted with an incredibly simple setup—plain cypress wood furniture, a single table, and a bed. Yu Luo sighed deeply.
At least this “Tianzi No. 1” room, despite being far from luxurious, was a suite.
The first room contained a bed, an Eight Immortals table, and a few stools. Further inside, there was a washing area and the main bedroom.
