"Good afternoon fellow daoist, my na is Bao Wen and I was looking to book a courtyard. I hope there are so available," Yao De said, as he prid his body for swift reaction if needed. His body was strung like a bow knocking an arrow, ready to deploy at a mont’s notice, especially when the middle-aged man who had been closing his eyes, finally opened them.
Yao De felt his soul stir for a second like he had seen so primordial beast before the sensation passed away.
"Sorry for that, I was ditating. It’s a troubleso art that I don’t quite have a solid grasp of, but despite the troubles it offers I still find it worthwhile.." the middle-aged man said as his gaze fell on the mushrooms and flowers growing on his beard before it went to the potted plants, and the moss on the floor.
"You said you wanted a courtyard?" he added with a gentle welco smile and tone that seed to put Yao De at ease. It reminded him of the old caretaker he had at ho who was always so attentive to his care from when he was little.
"Yes, I do.."
"Mmh, currently we have three courtyards available.. Oh, sorry I forgot to introduce myself, my na is Shang Muli, and I am the proprietor of this inn.
I am the only person here, but in terms of service, I don’t lose out to the rest. I can promise you will have the best experience, especially for soone with your condition," Shang Muli said with a compassionate glance.
Yao De’s qi rumbled as he tightly held the talismans in his hands ready to detonate them.
"What condition is that?" he asked with a subtle heaviness to his tone.
"Sorry, I didn’t an to startle you," Shang Muli said as he rubbed his beard which glead with a purple-gold glow that seed to energize the flowers and mushrooms growing in his beard as they radiated with vibrancy.
"I was born with a certain sensitivity to things. I can tell when sothing is lacking. Your soul.." Shang Muli said as he casually pointed at Yao De’s chest prompting the latter to step back in caution.
"It’s injured, isn’t it? If so, you’ve co to the best place. I can’t promise the injury will be healed completely, but if there is one thing this little inn of mine prides itself on , it is promoting longevity," Shen Mu said as he smiled, revealing teeth that had a few moss and petals forming on them.
Despite being skeptical, Yao De couldn’t help but ask,
"You’re sure?" his eyes flickering with weak hope.
"I am.." Shang Muli said with gusto.
"This is the Green Mulberry Inn of Longevity after all," he added with unmasked pride before taking out three wooden tokens that had three drawings on them. One had a tortoise, the other had a dragon, and the other had a white tiger.
"These are the tokens for the three courtyards..." Shang Muli said as he pointed to three tokens.
"Say, Daoist Bao Wen, care to humor an old man?" added Shang Muli as a strange gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Sure," Yao De, answered, his hands still hidden within the sleeves of his robes, tightly clutching onto the talisman and artifact he had for protection.
"If soone offered you a choice. Choose between longevity.." he paused as his index finger pointed at the rectangular token with the image of the tortoise."
"Wealth.." he said as he moved his hand to the next token that had the drawing of a dragon.
"Or power," he said as he moved to the last token with the white tiger drawing.
"What would you choose, if you could only choose one?" he asked as his eyes shined with interest.
Without hesitation, Yao De answered,
"Longevity,"
As soone so close to the end of his lifespan, wealth and power though appealing were as precious as farts to him, what he truly cared for at the mont was longevity.
If he was given an offer to get a treasure that would add 10,000 years to his life, or dragon vein spiritual mine or an ascendant grade treasure, he would pick the treasure that gave him 10,000 years right now, without a second thought.
As long as you were alive, you could get the other two, but if you were dying no matter how much power and wealth you had, it would beco inconsequential in the face of death.
"If only there was such an offer," he thought with a sigh as he turned his attention to Shen Mu whose hand moved to the tortoise.
"Longevity huh.." he said with an amused smile as a golden purple glow flowed into the token.
"I can see why. As the first ever custor of the green mulberry inn, I will offer you just that, longevity. You are my first custor, after all, and i feel the need to award you sohow. It’s only right and proper, isn’t that right, Yao De..." Shen Mu paused as his eyes radiated with a gentle white green glow that had the aura of longevity
Yao De’s heart instantly scread in warning, however he found himself unable to speak, or move.
The wooden token transford into a white green caterpillar that swallowed Yao De whole.
"You can guard the halls of my catacombs forever. That can be considered fulfilling my promise, can’t it," Shen Mu said with an amused smile on his face, as he rubbed his beard.
An instant later he clicked his tongue as his gaze turned cold.
"Pesky hounds, just you wait, I will collect on the sha you gave .." Shen Mu coldly said with his eyes facing a particular direction.
Shen Mu and the whole inn dissapeared like a formless fog clearing out from being hit by the rays of the sun.
The instant he disappeared, two figures instantly appeared where the inn had been. It was now just a small alleyway.
"That strange fluctuation is gone. Do we report it?"
"No, there’s no need. The administrator likely already knows.."
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