Before noon had arrived, Yuelai Inn was already fully occupied.
However, the atmosphere inside the inn could hardly be described as lively...
Every customer, with a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear, either grouped in threes or twos at a table, or dominated a table solo. Each was willing to order dishes, and all the meat dishes available in the inn were served at every table. But none of them chatted or talked much, all bowing their heads to slowly savor their drink and meat, making the entire front hall eerily quiet.
The swords lying across the dining tables added to the oppressive atmosphere...
The regular local patrons who often frequented the inn to help with business, didn’t dare to visit upon seeing such a scene.
The wait staff of the inn were all trembling in fear, neither daring to call out orders nor to walk too heavily, lest they disturb these lords and be greeted with a blade to the head.
In the entire inn, only Zhao Miao behind the counter remained calm. She managed to sneak some pastries that the Imperial Guards secretly brought her while attending to the guests and accounting, munching on them like a squirrel with puffed cheeks.
In her eyes, this inn was quite perfect.
There were none of the complexities found in the palace, no one constantly telling her with a straight face "you must do this" or "you must curry favor with so and so." She didn’t have to worry every day for fear of making a mistake and offending somebody...
People say those born into the imperial family start life with wealth and honor, with no worries for food or clothing.
Yet only those inside the palace know how deep and suffocating the waters run there.
The imperial family is indeed the most ruthless!
For the first time in her life, she truly felt what warmth and an untroubled existence felt like... Even the air in the inn seemed particularly sweet to her!
The only downside was that the food was poorer, the accommodations were poorer, and the clothes were poorer...
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If only that grim-faced Yang Erlang didn’t return, that would be even better!
Every time she saw his face, her heart panicked, and her mind filled with eunuchs’ tales of his ruthlessness, how he killed Vassal Kings as if they were chickens!
If he could slay Vassal Kings, who held power and territories, as if slaying chickens, then for a powerless, pitiful, and weak princess like her, wouldn’t she be even less than a chicken?
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but shiver and quickly stuffed two more pieces of osmanthus cake into her mouth to steady her nerves.
"What are you eating?"
A voice, warm and slightly amused, suddenly sounded in her ear, "Let me try some?"
Zhao Miao’s body stiffened, and she turned her head slowly and incredulously, only to see a grinning, fierce face.
Her mouth puckered, and she almost cried out...
Yang Ge’s malicious smile grew thicker on his face, "Cry, but you’ll still have to work!"
Zhao Miao covered her mouth with a backhanded move, her eyes misting even as she struggled to swallow the osmanthus cakes, her little face turning purple as she rolled her eyes.
"Hahaha..."
Seeing her reaction, Yang Ge laughed uninhibitedly, feeling somewhat relieved of the viciousness in his chest, thinking that raising this little princess like a small cat or a dog wasn’t so annoying after all.
His laughter attracted the eyes of the martial artists in the front hall, their gazes a mix of shock and fervor, with many standing up, wanting to say something, yet feeling incredibly nervous...
Yang Ge turned and smiled affably at them, gesturing with a reassuring hand, "Why are you all standing up? Continue eating, is it that the food here doesn’t suit your taste?"
"Suits the taste, suits the taste!"
"Delicious, delicious!"
"We wouldn’t dare to trouble you, we wouldn’t dare..."
The guests, with stiff smiles on their faces, sat back down, contrary to their earlier slow and deliberate eating, and started shoveling rice into their mouths vigorously.
Those who managed to come to Yuelai Inn at this hour were generally martial artists with some status and well-informed about Jianghu affairs.
They had come to see "Yang Erlang, the Saintly True Man," whose mighty reputation extended to the south, the north, and parts of the southwest, and who was recently rumored to have single-handedly decimated hundreds of thousands of Dongying pirates.
But they had clearly overestimated their courage.
Actually meeting him face to face, they realized they weren’t much braver than Lord Ye, who is only fond of dragons in stories...
Zhang Erniu, who was busy in the back kitchen, was drawn to the front hall by Yang Ge’s laughter. Seeing him, Zhang Erniu’s face showed a mix of shock and joy.
He hurried forward, pushing Yang Ge towards the exit, "What chaos are you causing? Go back and rest; we can handle the inn..."
Yang Ge pressed him down with a smile, casually pulling off his apron and tying it around his waist, "I need to work for a living too, go on with your tasks; I’ll take care of the front hall."
Zhang Erniu hesitated, unsure of what to do, "This..."
Yang Ge gave him a nudge, "It’s alright, Yang Erlang is my sworn brother, these fine heroes certainly won’t make things difficult for me… Right, everyone?"
He looked towards the martial artists in the front hall who were sneaking glances at him.
Like waking from a dream, the martial artists nodded vigorously:
"Indeed, indeed!"
"Who dares to make trouble with the inn, is making trouble with the Shandong Five Demons!"
"Exactly, exactly, anyone looking for trouble with Yuelai Inn is looking for trouble with us, the Huainan Jindao Sect!"
"I, Zuo Yu of the Righteous Alliance, am putting my word here; anyone who dares to harm Yuelai Inn will not be spared by the Righteous Alliance, whether they hide in the highest heavens or the deepest underworld..."
Yang Ge silently "huh"ed, turned back to the dazed Zhang Erniu, and spread his hands, "See, I didn’t lie to you, did I?"
Zhang Er, scratching his head, felt something was off but couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.