Chapter 139: Overrun
The group reached the city just as the sun was setting in the distance. They hurried to ensure that they would make it into the city before the gates closed for the night.
The city was bustling with energy. Everyone was out and about, some looking for food, others selling wares. As soon as they reached the other side of the gate, Xu Min turned to look at the group of mercenaries. He bowed slightly to them, signaling his departure. They too bowed in return.
"Thank you for leading me out of the wilderness forest. Thank you for showing me the way to this city. Now I will be taking my leave since I have some things that I need to deal with," Xu Min said politely. He straightened his back after which he, Cao Cao and Ye Ling turned to leave.
The mercenaries did not try to stop him. All of them were aware of just how strong he was, and they had already benefitted from him. They could not expect to gain any more from him than they already had. .
"We pray for your safety," the leader of the mercenaries murmured before the group also started walking briskly towards the shops that would buy beast corpses and cores.
Whereas Xu Min was not in a rush to speed through the town. He felt a newfound relaxation he had not experienced in a long time, and he could not help but smile.
Every time they came across shops that sold food, he would buy a little and share with his companions which caused their advance to be rather slow.
The group of travelers greatly disturbed any passersby who looked at them.. Everyone was shocked when they saw Xu Min and his two magnificent beasts walking through the crowded streets. Whispers started spreading through the entire city within less than a quarter of an hour.
An unknown expert had appeared in the city. His strength was unknown because no one had been able to measure it just yet. By his side walked two outstanding beasts that anyone would covet.
This news soon reached the ears of the higher-ups of the city. All of them started thinking, questioning, worrying. Who was this expert that had appeared? To not have been able to see through his cultivation base he needed to be at least the sixth or seventh star. Although the five-star commoners were incredibly rare, they did exist in the city. If they could not see through his strength, then he had to be stronger than these rankings.
Recruiting such a person could determine whether or not one would become the top family within the city. Everyone started to send out their young masters and ladies to entertain and entice this expert.
"What do you want to eat tonight?" Xu Min asked Cao Cao and Ye Ling. The three of them found a large inn that seemed to have rooms big enough for all of them.
Xu Min was unaware of what was happening amongst the upper class within this city, but frankly, even if he knew, he would not have cared. This city was but a stop on his journey towards the Zhong family and his revenge. This was not a place where he was going to stay for long.
"I want a roast sheep." Ye Ling said with longing in his voice. While Cao Cao seemed to think about the question for a bit longer time, "I don't know," he finally answered disappointed with himself. "I cannot decide! I mean chickens are so tasty, but they are very small. Beef is great but roasting a whole cow takes forever. I could go with pork, but I don't feel like eating a pig just now. So, in the end, I think I will go with a sheep like Ye Ling. They are not too small, and they don't require as much time to cook."
Cao Cao obviously was thinking about food because his mouth started salivating when he spoke.Xu Min and Ye Ling both chuckled at the sight before the three of them all strode through the open gates to the inn.
The ground floor was a restaurant, and it was currently crowded with people. Xu Min and his friends had arrived in the city during dinner time. Consequently, most of the city was bustling with life, but no place was more lively than the restaurants.
This was an upper-class inn, and the restaurant inside of it was also for the richer portion of the city. When all of them saw the young man and his two beasts entering the inn, everyone became silent.
Many of the young women, even those who had arrived with other men, were looking at Xu Min with curiosity. His clothes were travel-worn, and he looked a little unkempt. However, there was an attractive aura around him which oozed of strength and power. seeing such a strong man, all these women swooned over him.
Xu Min did not even glance at the people inside the restaurant; instead, he went straight to the counter where he looked at the inn keeper.
"I would like your biggest room available." Xu Min requested while he placed some gold on the counter. "I also need you to roast two sheeps for my companions and bring some dishes and wine for me to eat."
The gold that Xu Min had placed on the table might not seem like much to a cultivator like Xu Min. However, the wealth was more than enough to pay for a full half year living in the inn with meals three times a day. In other terms, the wealth could feed a whole family for a full year and the inn keeper's eyes shone greedily as he accepted it.
Xu Min was not usually too wasteful with his money; nonetheless, he understood that when he came with two massive beasts, it was clear that there would be some inconvenience for the inn. The beasts ate quite a lot. Furthermore, they also needed their rooms to be cleared from excess furniture as there was only space for the bed if they wanted to fit into it.
All in all, Xu Min wanted to stay in peace and comfort. He did not want to make the innkeeper work extra for no benefits because he knew the innkeeper would not really work. Thus he decided to do what he could to make him satisfied, and these gold pieces definitely satisfied him.
Just as Xu Min was about to go up the stairs to his, room a young lady entered into the inn. Her eyes scanned across the floor. When they landed on Xu Min first a brief shock appeared which was quickly replaced by pleasure.
It looked as if she had just seen an old friend again, but Xu Min was certain that he had never met her before.
"Esteemed expert!" she called out with a melodious voice that flowed like a gentle river which soothed the minds of those who heard it. "I am surely lucky to meet with the esteemed expert this soon," she continued as she moved closer to Xu Min who had stood up and was frowning.
"Do I know you?" Xu Min asked while Cao Cao and Ye Ling took a closer look at the woman
"Hey she is pretty good looking," Ye Ling said with a toothy smile as he stared at the woman with interest.
Being stared at by such a ferocious looking beast, the woman could not help but shiver slightly. Nonetheless, she quickly got a hold of herself and cleared her throat.
"We have not had the pleasure of meeting before," She said while shaking her head apologetically.
In accordance with the lion, she was indeed good looking. Known as the fairy of the city, every young master would jump at her very call. This was the very reason that her father had sent her to deal with this young man; however, when she arrived in front of him, he did not even give her a proper glance. It was clear that he did not her attractive.
"And what do you want from me?" Xu Min asked impatiently. He was clearly eager to leave and go to the room that was being prepared for him.
"Can I have a talk with you, just the two of us?" she asked politely. She was not at all fazed by his rude behavior. Xu Min looked around them and noticed that the entire restaurant was silent;everyone was looking at them. When his eyes glanced across the entire room, no one dared to meet his eyes.
Sighing heavily, Xu Min could guess what the woman was here for. He was not willing to waste any time, so he just looked her straight in the eyes, not even bothering to check out her body, "I am only in this city temporarily," he said straight forwardly, "I will be here for a few days. Then I will leave to some other place. I have no interest in staying here longer than what is necessary; I have things which I must attend to."
Having said this, Xu Min turned back to the staircase and started walking up. He did not care at all for this girl he left behind at the bottom.
"How domineering!" This was the sentence mostly said afterward by everyone within the entire restaurant. The young man who did not even seem to be twenty years of age was so strong that even this girl who was famed for her talent in the city was incapable of seeing through it. She could not even see through the strength of his beast companions!
Feeling wronged and embarrassed, the young girl's face alternated between red and pale until she finally came to her senses again. Humbly she turned to leave. She was not going to stay in this inn and cause even more to chat about her; instead, she moved straight back to her father's mansion to hand over the message she had been given.
"Will I become as strong and imposing one day?" the girl asked herself as she reached the mansion, but she could only shake her head. She was incapable of even telling how strong he was, how would she be able to tell if she could reach his rank?
Xu Min gave not even a second thought about the girl. When he started moving up the stairs, but just as he reached the room, he was stopped once more.
"Young expert, I am Feng Ling, the young master of the Feng Family, I have heard that an expert unlike any had reached the city and was wondering..."
This time the man didn't even get to finish his sentence before Xu Min glared at him with a sharp glance. The young master stepped backward in fear. The sharp gaze was so penetrating that he felt as if Xu Min saw his innermost thoughts.
"I am only stopping by for a moment," Xu Min said with a flat and annoyed voice, "I will not be here for long, so do not bother with trying to curry favor with me."
Without saying any more, Xu Min entered the room and shut the door behind him, right in the face of this Feng Ling.
Feng Ling was renowned within the city as an arrogant young master who would do anything in his power to get what he wanted. He was someone who wanted respect more than anything else.
This young master was not insulted by Xu Min's actions if anything he felt relieved. Whenever Xu Min was looking at him, he had a feeling that he was speaking to a wild beast which could kill him at any moment.
Feeling as if he had just escaped death, Feng Ling left the inn with shaking legs. Nevertheless, he was not the only person who arrived. One after another showed up at the inn and went to the room in which Xu Min was located. There were so many that Xu Min eventually was forced to talk to the innkeeper and have him leave the message that he would be here only for a few days.