"It's getting late. Let's find an inn to rest for the night first. There's no need to rush if there's anything urgent."
Chu Cheng suggested.
"Is there no inn?"
Gu Zhong suddenly spoke up.
"...Of course there are, but how can the living conditions of a post station compare to a good inn? Elder Gu may not feel uncomfortable because he is used to sleeping in the open, but we cannot make the two young masters feel uncomfortable."
Chu Cheng looked at Gu Zhong with disapproval, his words sharp. For some reason, he always found Gu Zhong disagreeable.
"We're not that delicate."
Upon hearing this, Lingyan couldn't help but retort, as these words made them sound like pampered rich kids who couldn't bear hardship.
Although exorcists from prestigious families do have a better upbringing than other freelancers, when it comes to exorcising demons in the outside world, there's no time to be so particular.
"Let's stay at the inn! The post station is still a long way off, and all I want to do right now is sleep."
Ling Ying grumbled twice in dissatisfaction, expressing extreme annoyance at how they had to argue about this issue for so long.
With a slight twitch of his brow, Gu Zhong remained silent. Ling Yan glared at Ling Ying, and the group ultimately decided to stay at the inn.
As the person most familiar with the capital, Chu Cheng led them directly to what appeared to be the most luxurious inn, which must have cost a considerable sum.
"Manager, open ten guest rooms."
Chu Cheng pulled out a few gold leaves from his purse, his words brimming with the extravagance of money.
"Well—sir, we don't have that many rooms available tonight."
Faced with such a generous customer, the boss quickly put on a smiling face. He really wanted to do this business, but he simply couldn't.
"No house?"
Chu Cheng frowned and asked with great suspicion. According to his understanding, a first-class inn should have more than half of its rooms empty every night, since even wealthy merchants don't have that many.
"Indeed, lately, for some reason, there have been many more people in the city. They all look aggressive and well-equipped, just like you. They are all long-term residents. Many inns in the city are full, but my place still has a few rooms available because of its high price."
Although the business couldn't be completed entirely, the shopkeeper still displayed his shrewd business acumen, trying to close a part of the deal by explaining the situation to them and preventing them from seeking other accommodations.
"Five rooms it is. At worst, two people can share a room. Everyone has been traveling a long way, so let's not make any unnecessary trouble."
Seeing that Chu Cheng was hesitating, Ling Yan quickly made the decision first, saying that apart from her and Gu Zhong, the rest of the people on their trip were all men, so they could pair up.
Once Miss Ling makes a decision, she brooks no argument. Despite the protesting looks from Chu Cheng and Ling Ying, she quickly assigned rooms.
“If you don’t want to stay in a double room, go find another inn to book a room! If that doesn’t work, Ling Ying, you can persuade Chu Cheng to go back to his Imperial Preceptor’s mansion, and the problem will be solved.”
After saying this last sentence, Lingyan immediately grabbed her luggage and Gu Zhong and headed straight for the room, completely ignoring the wails of the two men who didn't want to be in the same room.
After closing the door, Lingyan suddenly realized that she was holding someone's hand. She hurriedly let go and pretended to pack her bags seriously.
"Ayan, you've really given them a tough problem."
Gu Zhong's gaze slowly shifted from his wrist to Ling Yan's face, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"That way, no irrelevant people will bother us..."
Ling Yan mumbled a reply, her voice muffled and barely audible.
"Oh? So, I'm someone involved?"
Unconsciously, Gu Zhong felt like teasing her again. She leaned forward, got close to Ling Yan, and looked at her with a smile.
Staring intently into Gu Zhong's amorous, smiling eyes, Ling Yan's already turbulent heart began to flutter again, as if a gust of wind had swept through, stirring up turbulent waves.
However, she couldn't discern what kind of emotion it was, so she simply took a piece of cloth from her bag and placed it between the two of them to block the burning gaze, pretending to be angry as she shouted.
"Please take heed!"
"Would you like to take a shower first?"
With a soft chuckle, Gu Zhong took a half step back and then asked a question that made Ling Yan even more embarrassed and annoyed.
"Get out!"
Gu Zhong was immediately kicked out of the room and squatted pitifully at the door.
"Hmm? You've reached an agreement?"
After a short while, Gu Zhong saw Chu Cheng and Ling Ying walk up with dark faces. There were several more bruises on their faces than before, and the negotiation scene looked quite intense.
"snort!"
Chu Cheng snorted coldly, pushed open the door to the next room, strode in, and then slammed it shut with great speed.
Elder Gu, look at this person—
Ling Ying stopped in her tracks, put on a pitiful look and looked at Gu Zhong, as if seeking comfort.
"You lost?"
Gu Zhong had no maternal instincts or affection for Ling Ying. She raised an eyebrow slightly and asked impatiently.
"Uh...no."
Ling Ying clearly hadn't expected her to ask such a question.
"Then why aren't you going in? If Chu Cheng locks the door, are you going to sleep on the roof?"
The door that had been tightly closed in front of Gu Zhong creaked open, and Ling Yan poked her head out and asked two questions in quick succession. She then pulled Gu Zhong inside and slammed the door shut without any mercy, leaving Ling Ying alone.
Lingyan wore a loose, crescent-white undergarment. Her skin, which had just been bathed, was smooth and translucent, like white porcelain tinged with pale pink, making one want to lean closer to appreciate it.
Looking at the person in front of him, Gu Zhong seemed to be overwhelmed by the hot steam emanating from the hot spring bathroom behind the screen, his face flushed and his throat bobbed slightly.
"I'm going to take a shower."
Unable to suppress his feelings any longer, Gu Zhong chose to flee, earning Ling Yan a puzzled look in return.
When Gu Zhong had completely calmed down and finished washing up, the beauty was already lying on the inside of the bed, fast asleep.
After so many days of travel, finally finding a comfortable place to sleep peacefully can instantly overwhelm one's will with exhaustion.
He carefully sat on the edge of the bed, and Gu Zhong hesitated before reaching out his well-defined hand, as if he wanted to touch the face he had longed for day and night.
In the end, seemingly afraid of disturbing the beauty's sweet dream, he only vaguely traced the image a few inches away, then let out a soft sigh and called out softly.
“Ah Yan…”
——
The next day, perhaps because they were too tired, everyone didn't wake up until noon.
After lunch, led by Chu Cheng, the group strolled leisurely to the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
The Imperial Preceptor's Residence was built with the special permission of the King, and its specifications far exceed those of ordinary members of the royal family.
In the royal city, the Grand Preceptor's residence and the royal palace face each other from north to south, almost the same size as the royal palace, and are decorated in the same magnificent style.
An uninformed outsider might mistakenly believe that there are two royal palaces in the capital.
As soon as Fang arrived at the entrance, a disciple dressed in a black robe with gold thread came to greet him.
"Senior Brother Chu, you're finally back!"
His words and expressions revealed undisguised surprise.
"How is the household doing lately?"
Chu Cheng asked with concern.
"Nothing's wrong in the manor, but something has happened in the palace."
The disciple glanced at the group of people behind Chu Cheng, his expression hesitant.
"These are the two young masters of the Ling family."
Chu Cheng pointed at Ling Yan and Ling Ying and said.
"Then...please come inside and discuss this further."
The disciple bowed, making an inviting gesture.
--------------------
Author's Note:
I feel like things aren't going smoothly when I write about relationships lately...
Chapter 122 Swordsman and Exorcist (Part 8)
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Gu Zhong looked up at the gold-rimmed plaque of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion. Even though the plaque, approved a hundred years ago, was made of the finest sandalwood and meticulously maintained by a specialist, it was inevitably somewhat worn after so many years of wind and sun.
The gold powder applied to the calligraphy personally written by the king back then has peeled off quite a bit, making it look rather dull.
A barely noticeable crack appeared on the character "府" at some point.
Gu Zhong's originally straight shoulders relaxed a little, and he didn't look nearly as wary as before.
Between the main gate of the Imperial Preceptor's residence and the hall for receiving guests and discussing matters, there is a wide square paved with neat bricks and stones. At this moment, a group of disciples dressed in black are training under the scorching sun, displaying strict discipline.
"I never imagined that the training at the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion would be so arduous."
Ling Yan sighed, glancing at Chu Cheng, clearly feeling that his pampered and privileged demeanor was not what one would expect from someone trained by the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion.
"Naturally, slaying all demons in the world is the lifelong goal of everyone in the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion. Even if the road is long and arduous, we will never back down. We are not afraid of death for this cause, so what is mere training?"
When the Imperial Preceptor's residence was mentioned, the disciple proudly raised his chin, clearly taking pride in being able to enter the Imperial Preceptor's residence. His eyes shone with a different kind of brilliance, the kind of resoluteness that only someone with firm beliefs could possess.
"As for Senior Brother Chu, he has been exceptionally talented since childhood and was raised by the Imperial Preceptor. He has always been a standout among people, and his training methods are quite different from ours."
Noticing Ling Yan's gaze, the disciple offered an additional explanation for Chu Cheng, looking at him with reverence. It was unclear whether he genuinely acknowledged Chu Cheng's strength or was simply drawn to his status as the Grand Preceptor's disciple.
Chu Cheng coughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat flustered by the unnecessary explanation, and quickly turned his chair to change the subject.
"So, what exactly happened in the palace?"
"Let's wait until we reach the Demon Slaying Hall, and let Senior Brother Lu tell you."
Even when he was already inside the Imperial Preceptor's residence, in a deserted and open place, the disciple still did not easily reveal a single word.