Chapter 1291: Chapter 118: The Strange Inn
Youdu, itâs actually Youdu.
"I didnât notice earlier, but I didnât expect to end up at Yu Shangâs headquarters." Yun Sheng glanced at the two tiny words on the map. "However, Yu Shang isnât the real Yu Shang, so even if we go to Youdu, it shouldnât have much impact."
Yu Shang isnât the real Yu Shang, so itâs unlikely she has any influence in Youdu.
"Yun Sheng, youâre oversimplifying things. Donât forget that the Great Witch Doctor and Yu Shang are in cahoots, and it was the Great Witch Doctor who drew lots. Although Youdu isnât Yu Shangâs headquarters, itâs the northernmost and poorest of all the Sky Fox capitals. The people there are quite cunning. If you want to gather the Power of Faith there, itâs going to be difficult." Lu Yunshuangâs face showed urgency.
To gather the Power of Faith, the best method is to go directly to the local Heavenly Fox Temple and place the Faith Statue there for seven days and nights, absorbing the local peopleâs faith.
If a place is wealthy, the incense offerings at the Heavenly Fox Temple will be ample, making it easier to gather the Power of Faith.
But in a place like Youdu, where even basic living needs are hard to meet, the locals are unlikely to have the time for worship at the Heavenly Fox Temple, let alone providing incense and faith.
"Take it one step at a time. Iâll go see the place first and also gather information about Yu Shang and the Great Witch Doctor." Yun Sheng was always doubtful about Hu Yushangâs resurrection, and this trip to Youdu presented an opportunity to investigate further.
Yun Sheng had already inquired and found out that Yu Shangâs hometown was a small town in Youdu called Wu City.
Traveling by air from Wu City to Youdu takes about five or six days.
After bidding farewell, Yun Sheng, along with Boss Peng Yu, Bo Bo, and Yingying, set off for Wu City.
With Boss Peng Yu transformed into the Golden-Backed Roc, the journey for Yun Sheng and the others became much easier.
After flying for about five or six days, they finally reached the vicinity of Wu City.
Wu City is part of Youdu, one of the top ten capitals within the Sky Fox Tribe Country. Still, compared to Cangdu and Hu Capital, the closer they got to Youduâs borders, the more desolate the landscapes and cities appeared.
Because this timeâs Heavenly Fox Saintess competition wasnât officially announced, the locals were unaware of Yun Sheng and her teamâs arrival.
"Master, ahead is Wu City." Yun Sheng and her companions, along with Boss Peng Yu, all transformed back into human forms.
Wu City appeared quite desolate, with even its city walls made of piled yellow earth, and the city gate bore only a plaque reading Wu City with no guards in sight.
"Letâs enter the city. We havenât had a proper rest in days. Letâs eat first and then inquire if we can get any news about Yu Shang." Yun Sheng noticed Bo Bo and Little Yingying looking exhausted and knew that days on the road had worn them out.
After wandering around Wu City for a while, they found an inn that could barely qualify as an inn. According to the locals, this was already the best dining place in Wu City.
The inn was rather bleak, with just a few patrons scattered at different tables.
The four ordered food and drinks, waiting for their meal to be served.
"Wait a moment." Boss Peng Yu cautiously stopped everyone and produced four sets of tableware from his storage belt, distributing them to the group.
"Big bird, youâre not a germophobe, are you? Bringing your own tableware while traveling?" Bo Bo, the smallest among them, except for respecting her master, spoke to everyone else with a big-sister tone.
Boss Peng Yu was unfazed.
"Bo Bo, donât be rude. Boss Peng Yu, is there something wrong with this inn?" Yun Sheng said as she glanced around. The shopkeeper and the waiter were indeed sneaking glances at them.
Something was definitely amiss.
"Master, in terms of skills, I canât compare to you. However, when it comes to traveling, I have much more experience than you all. Whether thereâs a problem with the inn depends on the people." Boss Peng You laughed; being a fugitive for many years had taught him to be cautious. "This inn is a grey shop."
"A grey shop? Iâve heard of black shops, but never grey ones." Yun Sheng was baffled.
"So-called grey shops, put simply, are also black shops. However, unlike black shops, grey shops target people slowly. If today we had foolishly used their utensils and eaten, something would definitely happen tonight. But if the shop sees weâre seasoned travelers, tonight will pass peacefully." Boss Peng Yuâs words left the other three enlightened.
This time, bringing Boss Peng Yu along had proven correct.
Soon, the shopkeeper came over to personally serve a generous spread of food and drink.
"Ladies and gentlemen, youâre all people of the road, so Iâll be upfront. This is the only decent inn in Wu City. There are a few clean rooms upstairs where you can stay the night. But a word of caution from this old one: itâs not safe outside when itâs dark, so if you hear any sounds, donât be surprised and definitely donât go out." The shopkeeper bowed and backed away after speaking.
"There seems to be something strange about this Wu City. Master, letâs eat, but remember the shopkeeperâs words; no one should go out tonight," Boss Peng Yu instructed, and the four had some food.
Yun Sheng requested three rooms: Boss Peng Yu had one room, Bo Bo and Little Yingying shared another, and Yun Sheng took one for herself.
After night fell, the four each retired to their rooms.
Back in her room, Yun Sheng sat cross-legged and meditated for a while.
Then she took out the Eight-tailed Heavenly Fox Inheritance Pillar.
The Eight-tailed Inheritance Pillar, which Yun Sheng obtained from the Ancient Sealingâs Seal Eye, had already been studied for over a month. However, compared to the Seven-tailed Inheritance Pillar, this pillarâs understanding proved much more challenging.
Yun Sheng placed the inheritance pillar before her and slowly let her consciousness seep into it.
In the dead of night, Bo Bo and Little Yingying didnât feel sleepy.
The two little girls, with big eyes wide open, suddenly heard a strange sound, like someone talking or crying.
"Bo Bo, did you hear anything?" Little Yingying felt a bit scared. After all, she was still a child and couldnât help but nudge Bo Bo.
"Sounds like itâs coming from the street," Bo Bo also heard a peculiar sound from the street.
"Should we check it out?" Bo Bo encouraged Little Yingying.
"Probably not a good idea, the innkeeper said not to go out at night," Little Yingying, being more obedient, shook her head, though she was also curious about the strange sound coming from the streets.
"Dummy, weâre not going out. Weâre just going to open the window for a look." Saying this, Bo Bo jumped off the bed and ran to the window.
"Alright, but just a peek, we absolutely mustnât go out." Little Yingying joined Bo Bo at the window, and they cautiously opened a crack in the window.