After five trips, the porters eventually delivered all their luggage. Anji felt bad for them and told Gu Ying to give them a few extra silver nuggets as tips for their service. No carton was damaged, and the horses were cared for well.
Appearing again as the porters left, the manager bowed and asked if the ladies would like to rest first or et with the guest who had been staying with them for the last week. According to him, the guest did not seem to be in a hurry to et them, although he requested to have dinner with them.
Without Mingshen around, Gu Ying left the decision to Anji. It was obvious who the guest was. Anji missed the rowdy sect leader and promised to also deliver a personal letter from her third brother.
"I will see him now," she inford the manager. "Please prepare so good at jerky and strong wine for him."
Nodding, the manager asked if Anji would like any other snacks for herself and Gu Ying. Turning to Gu Ying, Anji wondered if she would join them for the eting. However, the bodyguard declined any snacks.
"After escorting you, I will return to sort out the luggage. You should not order heavy snacks because the young master will return early for dinner."
Heeding Gu Ying’s advice, Anji called for a pot of chrysanthemum tea and two green bean cakes. Without further delay, the inn manager led the way.
Moving two floors up to the floor closest to the sunning deck, the inn manager knocked on the door. Even from the outside, Anji could not hear anything from the inside. Her sound talismans were working. Unlike Bai Dajin, who was residing on the top floor to prevent any disturbance to others dining on the first-floor restaurant, Mingfeng reserved a suite along the middle floor, furthest from the stairs, for Anji so she could avoid the guests moving up and down the stairs during sunbathing hours.
"Mister Bai, your guests are here. Would you like to receive them now?"
It took less than five seconds before the doors were forcefully flung open with a strong gust of wind. Anji was very sure this was not the first ti these double doors had been on the receiving end of abuse. Thankfully, they were crafted from heavy wood and firmly fixed to the fras. Other doors would have fallen off their hinges by now. The inn manager did not seem all too surprised by the unusual way the guest opened the doors. His hair was ssed up in an instant, but the smile on his face remained flawless.
"Mister Bai is waiting inside," he turned to the little girl. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I will be back briefly with the snacks you ordered."
Thanking the manager for putting up with Bai Dajin’s unusual temperant, Anji entered the room. It was more spacious than the suite Mingshen reserved for them. However, the interior was looking worse for wear. It slled heavily of alcohol, and the windows were wide open. Sitting by the window sill was the man who taught her third brother how to cultivate with his Yang Body restrictions. Although Anji already knew that Bai Dajin was not a man who observed hygiene very well, his appearance shocked her. The man appeared like a barbarian who had not showered in a year. It had been about a year since Bai Dajin left the hospitality of the Celestial Dragon Sect. Did he really not take a single shower since leaving the mountain?
Holding her breath, Anji wondered if she should go closer to the man who stank badly. His eyes were bloodshot, and the circles around them were as dark as a panda’s. Was he having difficulty sleeping?
"Anji greets Sect Leader Bai," she greeted after much contemplation.
Hearing that the smart younger sister of his dumb disciple was here, Bai Dajin nodded grumpily with a frown at the movent. Anji noticed that and quickly wondered if there was sothing she could do to help him.
Gu Ying had left as soon as Anji entered. Unsure what to do with Bai Dajin looking so listless, Anji wondered what she could do.
"Is Sect Leader Bai suffering from headache and insomnia?" she asked out of curiosity to confirm her observation.
Grunting a little, the White Tiger Sect Leader finally moved from the window sill.
"It’s nothing serious," he growled. "The doctor said it was a side effect from not having enough sun."
Not having enough sun? Even without enough sunlight, it would take soone as healthy as Bai Dajin at least a year to develop yang deficiency. Sothing was off. Even if he was suffering from yang deficiency, he was still fit enough to climb to the top of the mountain for sunlight exposure therapy. Sothing wasn’t adding up. However, Anji recognised that complicated look in his eyes. It was a look her father had when there was sothing serious going on, but he did not want to let his children know out of fear that they might get involved.
Looking at the many bottles of heavy wine and the lack of spirit in his eyes, Anji guessed it might be sothing related to the reason why he had to suddenly leave the mountain even when Yihao’s training was still in progress. As a child, there was not much Anji could do. However, as a trained dical professional, she could not leave him unattended.
"The headache is from dehydration instead of a hangover. Alcohol might not affect powerful cultivators much. However, the lack of water would. Please allow to give you so acupuncture treatnt to relieve so of that pain."
Staring at Anji’s unwavering expression, Bai Dajin eventually softened and allowed the girl to do whatever she wanted. Anji bead at the permission and instructed him to take a hot shower first. Just in ti, the inn manager knocked on the door again. This ti, Anji opened it. The lack of a powerful wind surprised the inn manager, but the man smiled kindly as he delivered the snacks.
"Could you also prepare so drinking water and a bath for him? Please also tell my bodyguard to bring my acupuncture needle set when she has finished unpacking."
Even after working at the Golden Halo Inn for several years, it was the first ti the manager heard of a child requesting acupuncture needles. Yet, he only paused for three seconds before acceding to the request.
In less than five minutes, the other servants prepared the bath, and the inn manager returned with Anji’s acupuncture needle set. A batch of drinking water was brought upstairs, proving they had the most efficient custor service in Eternal Night Valley.
"Is there any other request?" the manager smiled at the unruly man and odd child.
Shaking her head, Anji thanked him for the quick response. Without additional requests, the inn manager shooed everyone else out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Bai Dajin drew the bamboo screen that separated the bathing area from the other side of the room. Normally, he wouldn’t care if anyone else barged into the room to see him buck naked. However, Anji was his student’s little sister and the youngest daughter of a close friend. He could not do that to Anji.
While Bai Dajin was soaking in the tub, Anji unwrapped her pouch of needles. Using an empty teacup and so alcohol, Anji carefully sterilised her needles and let them dry. As there were many needles, it took her the sa amount of ti it took the White Tiger Sect Leader to finish bathing.
After redressing himself with a set of new clothes, Bai Dajin realised Anji was actually serious about giving him treatnt. Truthfully, it wasn’t the lack of sunlight that caused him a headache. She was right about the lack of water. He had done nothing but drink and brood since he arrived at this inn a week ago. The lack of sunlight ssed up his circadian rhythm. However, soone of his cultivation level could easily go without more than a few hours of sleep in a day. The main reason for not sleeping at all was sothing else entirely. However, Mingfeng did not want Anji to know anything about what they were doing outside the sect. She was going to be secluded with Yan Ping for an unknown amount of ti, studying to beco the Mystical Qilin’s successor. There was no room for Anji to worry about other things.
"Kid, are you really sure you know what you’re doing? Those needles look like they could kill soone if you stick them in the wrong place."
Huffing with a frown on her face, Anji glared at Bai Dajin half-heartedly. He was there when they were in the sect. The man saw how she was studying under one of the world’s best physicians. How could he doubt her?
"Doctor He taught well," she reassured. "Lizi never complained about my treatnt, not even acupuncture. She was still alive and lively when I left the sect, although she was crying a little."
Chuckling a little, Bai Dajin felt a little lighter in his heart. Mingfeng was right. Having daughters like Anji was the biggest blessing in any man’s life. No matter how dark the world beca, she would always be the sun, giving them a reason to continue what they did.
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