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As one of the Four Great Empires, the Sky Abyss Empire boasts countless renowned cities, with millions, even tens of millions, of inhabitants scattered like stars across the southwestern part of this vast continent.
Ning Cang City, nestled against Langya Mountain, is traversed by the most famous river in the empire, the Cang River, which divides the large city into southern and northern parts.
One of the three most prestigious sects in the Sky Abyss Empire, the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, is located on Langya Mountain behind Ning Cang City. With the protection of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, the scale of Ning Cang City is evident; it has become the largest city in Nanling County, with a permanent population reaching ten million.
In recent months, Ning Cang City has been unusually lively. The streets are bustling with people and visitors. The Heavenly Mechanism Sect has opened its doors to recruit disciples, and young martial artists from all over the Sky Abyss Empire have gathered in Ning Cang City, eager for a chance to change their destinies.
After disguising himself, Ye Feng tucked Little Gold into his Spirit Beast Bag and blended into the crowd, wandering around to experience the local customs and culture.
Even though he had seen larger cities in his previous era, the scale of Ning Cang City still left him immensely shocked. After all, this is the Divine Martial Continent where buildings are typically only three or four stories high, limiting accommodation capacity. Despite tens of millions of people flowing through this city, it does not feel crowded at all; this indicates just how vast the area of this city truly is.
After some time exploring, Ye Feng arrived at the largest inn in the southern city.
Outside the inn, many pedestrians paused, but few could enter. Several young martial artists were arguing heatedly with a waiter at the entrance, their faces flushed with anger. The waiter appeared arrogant despite only being at the ninth level of Martial Realm; he held his ground against those young martial artists from Origin Martial Realm.
"They're being too unreasonable! Just to enter the inn, they demand ten taels of silver."
"After all, it's the largest inn in town. With the Heavenly Mechanism Sect recruiting disciples, these inns naturally won't miss out on this opportunity to make big money. It's not just large inns like Dragon Source Inn; even some medium-sized inns are openly charging entry fees."
"Look at those young martial artists! Their cultivation levels are clearly much higher than others', yet they still have to bargain so humbly. It's just ten taels of silver; can't these Origin Martial Realm experts afford that?"
"You might not know this, but the Heavenly Mechanism Sect has very strict recruitment standards. Especially after the initial tests, those two re-examination assessments are incredibly difficult. Even if these young people have some silver on hand, they wouldn't dare spend it recklessly. They need to buy recovery Vital Energy or healing pills to avoid injuries during re-examinations. Those pills can be as valuable as gold! Even Origin Martial Realm experts can't bear those prices. Naturally, they save wherever they can to buy a few pills for emergencies. Unfortunately, these young people can't bring themselves to stay in lower-tier inns."
As discussions buzzed around him, Ye Feng listened for a moment and quickly understood what was happening before smiling lightly and walking directly into the inn.
The Innkeeper's expression changed slightly at the entrance of the inn, and just as he was about to step forward to stop the person, a silver ingot was tossed at him from the other side.
"Please come in, young master!" The Innkeeper's face lit up with joy upon receiving the silver and quickly stepped aside to let Ye Feng enter the inn.
"Did you see that? No matter which young master you are or how strong you are, in our Dragon Source Inn, money talks. If you don't have money, don't block the way. Just go left at the front; there's another Azure Water Inn where the entry fee is only one or two silver coins." The Innkeeper sneered at a few young martial artists nearby.
The young martial artists dared not express their anger. Although the Innkeeper was only at the Eighth Level of Strength Realm and could easily be killed with a single slap, they knew very well that if they truly killed this insolent inn worker, they would not live long either. Under the protection of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, even Origin Martial Realm warriors, let alone Gangwu Realm experts, would not dare to act recklessly or kill indiscriminately in Ning Cang City.
Feeling disheartened, the young martial artists glared fiercely at the Innkeeper before leaving awkwardly. Despite their young age and being at the Origin Martial Realm, they were figures who could command respect in their own territory. However, in Ning Cang City, they couldn't even enter a slightly upscale inn. They had brought quite a bit of silver with them when they arrived, and many had stayed in this inn for some time. But as their initial trial period dragged on too long, even wealthy youths began to struggle with the high expenses here, leading them to this predicament.
…………
Upon stepping through the inn's door, Ye Feng's eyes brightened. This was indeed one of the top inns in Ning Cang City; its scale exceeded his expectations. The luxurious dome, bright crystal chandeliers, and spotless floors made it look less like an inn and more like a magnificent palace.
After taking just a few steps, a charming woman approached him with a sway of her hips. After smiling and asking a few questions, she led him to a quiet corner.
The tables and chairs made of Yellow Pear Wood exuded a delightful fragrance that whetted his appetite. After presenting an exquisite menu, the Seductive Woman stood quietly to one side, waiting patiently.
The menu featured an array of dishes that were diverse and exotic; many of them Ye Feng had never even heard of before. The prices listed were staggering numbers that even someone as wealthy as Ye Feng found shocking.
However, silver and gold were merely external possessions to him; he wouldn't dwell on them too much. Moreover, his current wealth was indeed astonishing beyond imagination. Not to mention the treasures stored in Tianyi Daoist's storage bag, just the silver left to him by his grandfather Ye Zhentian amounted to an incredible sum.
After casually ordering several lavish dishes, Ye Feng felt a slight stir in his Soul Thought and couldn't help but smile. Little Gold seemed to be protesting about something in secret.
Little Gold had been running alongside him all this time and was already starving. Naturally, Ye Feng wouldn't neglect it; with a thought, he continued to order dozens of dishes.
The Seductive Woman beside him was initially taken aback, and then a hint of confusion appeared on her face as her gaze toward Ye Feng subtly changed.
"That's all, no need to rush, just take your time," Ye Feng said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.
After quickly jotting down the names of the dishes, the Seductive Woman showed no intention of leaving immediately. She scrutinized Ye Feng from head to toe and noticed that although he exuded an air that kept people at a distance, his attire was rather plain, making him look nothing like a wealthy heir. Moreover, the quantity and prices of the dishes he ordered added up to an astonishing amount.
Furrowing her brows slightly, the Seductive Woman hesitated to speak. Just recently, a flamboyantly dressed young man had done something similar to what Ye Feng was doing at the Dragon Source Inn, ordering an extravagant array of expensive dishes only to later admit he couldn't produce even a single tael of silver and was there to dine and dash.
"Young Master, the total for these dishes comes to nearly a thousand taels of silver," the Seductive Woman said, seeing that Ye Feng remained unfazed and was leisurely examining the surroundings. Her wariness grew stronger, further convincing her that Ye Feng was there to eat without paying.
"Oh, I see. You go ahead and be busy; don't worry, I won't waste food!" Ye Feng flashed a bright smile as he spoke.
Although the Seductive Woman found Ye Feng's smile quite charming—especially his deep-set eyes that made her hesitant to meet his gaze—her caution did not diminish; in fact, it intensified.
"Young Master, one thousand taels of silver is not something just anyone can afford," she said seriously after putting away her flirtation and smiling demeanor.
Ye Feng was momentarily stunned, realizing clearly that this woman was worried he wouldn't be able to pay.
He had encountered such condescension before and didn't care much for it. Casually pulling out a large gold ingot from his storage bag, he placed it on the table and continued to smile brightly as he asked, "Is this enough?"
Seeing the young man produce a fist-sized gold ingot from that drab bag as if by magic, the Seductive Woman's expression changed dramatically. Working in such an upscale inn, she knew well the value of storage bags; they were items only martial artists from the Gangwu Realm could possess. To her surprise, this young man from the Origin Martial Realm carried one—no, two—with him.
"I'm sorry, Young Master. I misjudged you and offended you; please forgive me," the inn girl apologized repeatedly. She understood well what kind of terrifying identity and background a young martial artist capable of using a storage bag would have—far beyond what someone like her could provoke.
Although the Dragon Source Inn had a powerful background as well, she was merely the lowest-ranking welcoming maid in the establishment. The inn would certainly not offend a member of a mysterious family for her sake.
"It's fine, go prepare the meal quickly. I'm almost starving," Ye Feng sighed lightly. He certainly wouldn't blame a weak woman for such a trivial matter, waving his hand dismissively.
The inn's waitress repeatedly thanked him, picked up the menu, and hurried away. A manager of the inn seemed to have noticed the situation and stopped the waitress midway to inquire further. During the inquiry, his gaze occasionally shifted toward Ye Feng.
Clearly, this inn manager also underestimated Ye Feng's identity. After learning the details from the waitress, the manager's expression changed slightly. He whispered a few instructions and hurried over to Ye Feng.
"This young master, our establishment has not treated you well; please forgive us. You must be visiting our Dragon Source Inn for the first time," said the manager, a middle-aged man in his forties who appeared honest and approachable. However, there was a glint of intelligence in his eyes that suggested he was not as simple as he seemed.
"You don't need to speculate about my background; just bring the food quickly. As for that waitress, don't make it too difficult for her; after all, I did order quite a bit," Ye Feng replied, feeling somewhat frustrated. He had intended to keep a low profile but had inadvertently caused quite a stir.
The manager's cultivation had already reached the Yuanwu Realm Ninth Level, significantly higher than Ye Feng's. Yet at this moment, he was extremely respectful and deferential in front of him.
Surprised, Ye Feng couldn't help but think: "It seems that customs between the Eastern Continent and Western Continent are quite different. In the Northern Jin Kingdom, a martial artist of this caliber would be a prominent figure anywhere, respected by all. I didn't expect that in the Eastern Continent, he would willingly serve as an inn manager and lower himself to bow before a lower-ranked martial artist."
The manager continued to express his apologies and even promised an 80% discount on the meal as compensation before bowing and leaving at Ye Feng's slightly impatient dismissal.
Although the manager had left, Ye Feng's actions drew the attention of many dining martial artists in the inn, and soon dozens of gazes were focused on him.
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