Lei handed Long Xiao the tea.
Long Xiao took a sip, swirling the cup.
"Yes. The tea... and my storage pouch." He began.
"There's something big going on." Long Xiao wondered as he took another sip.
After a while, there was a knock on the door. Lei opened it, revealing the in keeper. He made way for her, closing the door.
"Please have a seat!" Lei gestured.
She sat, taking in a deep breath before beginning.
"Fellow Cultivator, my workers informed me that you've been in this room for three consecutive days.
You have neither paid nor accepted service. Is something wrong or you were planning on leaving without paying?" Her tone was sweet, but her eyes were daggers.
"Ah. So this is what mortals call 'the death stare.' It really does feel like being stabbed in the gut," Long Xiao thought, observing the lady.
Lei's eyes gleamed. "Straightforward beauty. Uh-oh, Master is in trouble."
"Uhm I'll be right back." Lei said quietly, not wanting to be involved in his master's issue with the lady.
With a dip of his head, he slipped out the door.
He passed through the front door for once.
"Unfaithful bird," Long Xiao muttered under his breath, turning his attention back to the innkeeper.
He straightened his back and gave her a serious look.
"Innkeeper… this might sound absurd… but my storage pouch has been stolen."
"Stolen?" she echoed, lips twitching.
"Yes. As soon as I entered the city, a small girl approached me and offered to show me an inn.
I believe she took it. If you could help me locate her, I will pay my dues with interest." He added.
After a while, there was a knock on the door. Lei opened it, revealing the in keeper. He made way for her, closing the door.
"Please have a seat!" Lei gestured.
She sat, taking in a deep breath before beginning.
"Fellow Cultivator, my workers informed me that you've been in this room for three consecutive days.
You have neither paid nor accepted service. Is something wrong or you were planning on leaving without paying?" Her tone was sweet, but her eyes were daggers.
"Ah. So this is what mortals call 'the death stare.' It really does feel like being stabbed in the gut," Long Xiao thought, observing the lady.
Lei's eyes gleamed. "Straightforward beauty. Uh-oh, Master is in trouble."
"Uhm I'll be right back." Lei said quietly, not wanting to be involved in his master's issue with the lady.
With a dip of his head, he slipped out the door.
He passed through the front door for once.
"Unfaithful bird," Long Xiao muttered under his breath, turning his attention back to the innkeeper.
He straightened his back and gave her a serious look.
"Innkeeper… this might sound absurd… but my storage pouch has been stolen."
"Stolen?" she echoed, lips twitching.
"Yes. As soon as I entered the city, a small girl approached me and offered to show me an inn.
I believe she took it. If you could help me locate her, I will pay my dues with interest." He added.
The room was quiet, save for the soft clink of porcelain as Long Xiao set down his tea. The innkeeper blinked as Long Xiao titled his head, her fingers circling the rim of her teacup which she poured herself earlier, the steam curling like secrets in the air.
After a while, she spoke, "I believe I know who you're looking for."
Long Xiao's brows lifted. "You do?"
"You might have encountered the legendary cursed flower of our Xundu City, Xiao Hua." She mentioned as she set her cup down, as if the name was a petal caught in memory.
"Xiao Hua…?" Long Xiao repeated in confusion.
She nodded, setting her tea cup down and rising from her seat.
The innkeeper stood by the window, her gaze distant, robes catching the morning light like silk dipped in flame.
She didn't answer. Instead, she raised her hand, and the air around her shifted. From the basin beside the bed, water rose slowly, gracefully forming a floating sphere that shimmered like moonlight.
"Oh what's she doing now?" Long Xiao wondered.
With a flick of her fingers, the sphere flattened into a translucent canvas, suspended mid-air. Her cultivation stirred the water into motion, and within seconds, it began to paint.
"What's with all this water drama?"
Ah...is she going to show me who Xiao Hua is?" Long Xiao folded his arms as he watched the scene unfold before him.
No brush. No ink. Just rippling water, dancing under her control.
A child with delicate features appeared, wide eyes, hair tied with a single crimson thread. Mist curled around her feet, and petals drifted across the image like memories.
"I knew it." Long Xiao wore a proud smile as he unfolded his arms.
"That's what the street children call her," the innkeeper murmured. "A strange girl… who always appears when you're new or lost, then vanishes into mist."
The water shimmered again, revealing the girl standing beneath a blooming tree whose petals glowed faintly red.
"They say she's the spirit of a flower that bloomed during the first Scarlet Eclipse."
Long Xiao leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"Yes that's her," he whispered. "The girl who led me to the inn."
The image faded, the water returning to the basin with a soft splash.
"Some say she's a ghost," the innkeeper said, turning to him. "Others think she's a fox spirit disguised as a child. But they all agree on one thincg…"
She paused, her eyes meeting his.
"If you see her, your life is about to change.
"Nonsense." Long Xiao thought, resisting the urge to laugh.
If this girl truly led you here… perhaps it is fate." She smiled like a blade sheathed in silk.
"Or perhaps… " She trailed off,
"You were simply meant to drink tea in this very room." She stared at him blankly.
"What kind of nonsense is that?
It sounds stupid and interesting at once." Long Xiao shook his head.
"Ahahaha" She laughed playfully, resuming her seat.
"You mean to say that this has been recurring?
If so, why has she not been pursued?" Long Xiao asked, getting up from the bed.
He walked to the window as he waited for an answer.
"She has been pursued a couple of times but..." She paused.
"Whoever pursued her... never came back alive." She stared blankly.
In the beginning, it was just a rumor until they were never heard from again".
She sighed, rising up from her feet as she walked over to Long Xiao's side.
"So fellow cultivator, do you still plan on locating her now?" She leaned in, smiling playfully.
"Yes. We have to put an end to this". He responded confidently, not pulling away.
"Well then.. I shall notify the Scarlet Star Sect to lend you some of their capable disciples for your desired mission.
Given that your stay is going to be elongated plus me offering you help, your final pay shall be thrice the original," She grinned, pulling back as she walked towards the door.