Chapter 225

Chapter 225

The guest residing in Room 22, marked with the character 'Earth', was an elderly woman, past her prime. Her figure was frail, her hair white and skin wrinkled. Despite her aged appearance, her eyes sparkled with an intensity that belied her years, as if her elderly facade was but a meticulous disguise. So, when she stood by her window, looking down from the second floor, Xin Tianhao instantly felt her piercing gaze, as tangible as a beam of light.

Even though they were no longer in the back garden, the cold, clammy, seemingly malicious gaze of the old woman from Room 22 still clung to them. It felt as if someone had spat a thick glob of phlegm on them, inducing a revolting nausea.

Chu Yiyang leaned forward slightly and asked, "Was it raining in the back garden when she was watching you?"

Man and Xiao Man, the pair of dancers, were like lovebirds. When seen, they brought torrential downpours. Every time they danced, it would rain outside the inn. The Moon Drinking Hall, despite its open design, seemed to be under some spell. Its inner pond could only reflect sunlight and moonlight, and not a single raindrop would enter. If the guests inside didn't go out or look out the window, they wouldn't notice the change in weather due to the gentle sound of the rain.

Wu Yu shook his head in response, "No."

After hearing his answer, Chu Yiyang leaned back in his seat, "Then she's probably not the beast we're looking for."

The hints provided by Hui Zhu and Bai E were clear enough. The beast they were currently seeking should, like Man and Xiao Man, herald the omen of "bringing floods upon sight." The most direct precursor to this omen was rainfall.

However, Tan Fanyi disagreed, "I don't think your deduction is reliable. When we were in the back garden, there were more rooms with open windows than just hers."

Xuan Ting, not one to tolerate anyone contradicting his younger brother, slammed the table and demanded, "Then tell me, which other rooms had open windows?"

Tan Fanyi, slightly exasperated, answered, "All four of their windows were open."

Due to his professional habits, Tan Fanyi was very sensitive to certain numbers and sequences. Therefore, when he noticed the guest in Room 22 watching them, he immediately took count and checked the windows of Rooms 10, 11, and 14 as well. All these rooms had their windows open. The only difference was that the guest in Room 22 was standing by her window watching them, while the others were absent.

Another key point: "Even if one of them didn't have their window open, assuming that one of the four is the beast, there should be rain outside once they all leave their rooms. But it's not raining outside now."

"Then..." Chu Yiyang, caught off-guard, faltered and couldn't find words to refute Tan Fanyi.

Xie Yinxue, observing him, felt a tad disappointed. She had initially thought of him as the most astute strategist among the team of Gan Hongchang, Qing Ping, and Xuan Ting. She didn't expect him to be outwitted by an IT guy like Tan Fanyi, whose considerations appeared to be more thorough.

"Do you all really believe that to find the hidden beast in the inn, just observing whether its presence brings about an omen is sufficient?"

Amidst the conversations of the participants, Xie Yin Xue and Liu Bu Hua kept their heads down, focused on their food. Xie Yin Xue's appetite seemed lackluster, and he only took a few bites before feeling full. Seeing the group's fruitless discussion, he candidly remarked, "If it were that simple, Manager Qin wouldn't have summoned us cultivators here."

As the young man spoke, he didn’t look up, keeping his gaze downcast. He used a handkerchief, provided by the mushroom servant for each guest, to wipe off any lingering traces of food from his fingers. The pure white cloth, paired with his pale, snow-like fingertips, seemed to merge in a delicate dance of clarity and purity. His every move exuded an aristocratic grace, setting him apart from everyone else.

Lured in, Bai He Zi paid no attention to her lady guest or the Chief Swordsman from Wan Jian Palace, whom she had previously found handsome. She was entirely fixated on the young man's cheeks, which looked as though they were carved from ice, and his soft lips with a hint of crimson. She thought to herself: If he were an NPC in a game, she would find every way to take advantage of him. Alas, he was not.

Bai He Zi would never lay a hand on any participant, no matter how attractive. After all, they were living beings, and living beings could die — especially in the Lock of Eternal Life, where death was all too common. She couldn’t bear the thought of someone she cared about dying.

Therefore, she didn't plan to tease Xie Yin Xue. Clearing her throat, she sweetly asked, "Junior Brother Xie, any insights you'd like to share?"

The young man glanced at her and softly replied, "Would Sister Bai He Zi please invite Miss Hui Zhu and Miss Bai E for some questions?"

Bai He Zi's heart raced, and she hurried off to find Bai E and Hui Zhu. Both Bai E and Hui Zhu held Bai He Zi in high regard, and they came immediately upon her call.

Addressing the two fox spirits, Xie Yin Xue inquired in a calm tone, "Miss Hui Zhu, Miss Bai E, do you know when it starts to rain outside the inn, when the two ladies, Man and Xiao Man, aren't dancing?"

Bai E, a red-furred fox with a single white strand on her forehead (likely the reason behind her name, which sounds like "White Forehead"), pondered seriously for a moment before responding, "The timing is uncertain. Sometimes it's during the night, sometimes during the day. But after every rainfall, we find the body of a mushroom servant in the inn."

Xie Yin Xue continued, "Do you know the creatures occupying rooms numbered ten, eleven, fourteen, and twenty-two?"

After a slight hesitation and a subtle glance at the purple-haired young man beside Xie Yin Xue, Bai E whispered, "I see no reason to withhold this information. The lady in room ten is a Red Feathered Sparrow demon; the gentleman in room eleven is a Pig demon; the guest in room fourteen is a Black Panther demon; and the elderly lady in room twenty-two, like Sister Hui Zhu and myself, is a Fox spirit."

Xin Tian Hao exclaimed in disbelief, "She's a Fox spirit too?"

Bai E nodded solemnly in affirmation.

"Fox spirits... Why are their human forms either absent or not attractive?" Xin Tian Hao murmured, feeling his worldview being challenged, "That's illogical..."

Hui Zhu corrected him, "Not true. Our Master Mo Chen has a very handsome human form."

"Master Mo Chen is also a Fox spirit?" Xin Tian Hao asked rhetorically, then added, "Nevermind, I'm not interested in male fox spirits."

Xie Yin Xue smiled at them, expressing gratitude, "Thank you both for your assistance."

Hui Zhu waved her fox paw and replied shyly, "Oh, Master Xie is too kind."

After expressing their gratitude, both Hui Zhu and Bai E left, casting lingering glances not at Xie Yin Xue or Bai He Zi but at Liu Bu Hua, who was engrossed in his meal, seemingly oblivious to their gazes.

Qing Ping, although not as impulsive as Xuan Ting, was getting impatient. Seeing that Xie Yin Xue remained silent after letting the two fox spirits go, he urgently asked, referring to his purple-haired son, "What did you find out?"

"Haven't you grasped it yet?" Xin Tian Hao asked in surprise, "I understood everything."

Xuan Ting asked in confusion, "Understood what?"

Chu Yiyang, not wanting the two to further expose their lack of intelligence, clarified, "The beast's true nature is revealed when it wants to kill or is in the process of killing, that's when the ominous sign will appear. If they have no murderous intent, the sign won't manifest, no matter where they appear."

Wu Yu inquired, "So how do we find them? Force them into a murderous rage?"

"I think it's worth a shot," Gan Hong Chang squinted his narrow eyes, "Qin He said, as long as we don't encounter ancient beasts, other common creatures won't stand a chance against us."

Liu Fei, with her twin braids, timidly replied, "But Qin He isn't a guide NPC, can we fully trust him?"

After hearing her, Tan Fan Yi turned to look at the aloof man with tied-up black hair sitting next to Xie Yin Xue: "Brother Bu..."

Before he could utter another word, the man calmly said, "Master Qin wouldn't lie to us."

"Alright, let's go. Let's form our teams—"

Xuan Ting stood up, pointing out, "I, Boss Gan, Little Yang, and Qing Ping will handle the female guest in Room 10; the ladies will take on the 'pig' in Room 11; Xie Yin Xue and Liu Bu Hua, you both tackle Room 14; Wu Yu, Tan Fan Yi, and Xin Tian Hao will confront the old lady."

"Why is it this way?" Bai He Zi tossed her chopsticks down, "I've been keeping an eye on the guest in Room 10."

Yu Jia Yi chimed in, "This arrangement isn't fair."

Leaving aside their assignment of the portly male demon, Xuan Ting's allocation for others was also biased. Four of the strongest men were chosen for the seemingly harmless bird demon, while Xie Yin Xue and Liu Bu Hua were assigned to deal with the powerful leopard demon guest in Room 14, armed with a sword. The levels of cultivation and numbers were mismatched. Where's the fairness in this?

Yu Jia Yi pointed out, "There are only two of them. They might not be able to overpower the guest in Room 14."

"No matter, I will accompany the two juniors."

Bu Jiu Zhao interjected in a timely manner. With a cold demeanor and steady voice, he embodied the persona of the 'Senior Brother of the Thousand Sword Sect' perfectly. With his participation, the leopard demon swordsman in Room 14 posed no threat.

"Fine, they're definitely capable now," Xuan Ting glared at Yu Jia Yi, "Anything else to add?"

Yu Jia Yi hesitated, glancing at the rotund male pig demon in Room 11, then looking back at Xie Yin Xue and Liu Bu Hua, struggling to find the words.

"Don't you want to deal with the guest in Room 11?" Xie Yin Xue discerned her intention instantly, "How about we swap?"

Yu Jia Yi remained silent.

Liu Fei whispered, "...Maybe we should just let it be."

Yu Jia Yi didn't object, seemingly agreeing with Liu Fei's sentiment. Even the keen observer Bai He Zi didn't utter a word.

Their silence was quite understandable—out of fear for their lives.

The guest in Room 14 was a leopard demon, inherently a fierce beast. Clutching a sword and dressed in tight black clothes that revealed a robust physique, he constantly looked in the direction of Long Snow Continent. Even if he wasn't the menacing creature they were seeking, he'd surely be a formidable opponent. It's wiser to pick on the weaker ones. Compared to him, the guest who appeared like an over-pampered, chubby pig demon seemed easier to deal with, hence the reluctance to switch.