Huang Zihan led Bai Fanxian's party to one of the large hotels located in the city center. This hotel was called "Kienga Sunrise Hotel" and was considered the oldest and most famous hotel in this village. The entire hotel was built from wood, and its location was adjacent to hot springs, making it so almost every room could immediately soak in private hot spring pools attached to them.
"My lady, we've arrived."
Uncle Huang turned to speak to Bai Fanxian. Director Wang, who had followed, was surprised. Earlier he was so shocked he didn't have time to think, but wasn't the Tang Clan's butler calling her "my lady"?
Director Wang didn't know at all that this form of address was something Huang Zihan had carefully considered and was usually only used when with strangers.
Normally Huang Zihan would call Bai Fanxian "Grandmaster Bai."
But to avoid shock and commotion, when with others who didn't know, the old butler had to be more careful with his words.
At this Kienga Sunrise Hotel, being the largest and oldest hotel, its popularity was correspondingly high. Even a being like the Tang Clan could only book two adjacent rooms. But with the spaciousness of the rooms, even having 4-5 people per room was still comfortable.
Therefore, tonight's room division was: Huang Zihan would sleep with Tang Tianjie, while both little girls firmly insisted on sleeping with their lady.
Having sent his lady into the room properly, Huang Zihan turned sharply back to Director Wang and his two people, who were gulping.
"Let's go find a place to talk..."
Because it was during this time of year, the atmosphere of this village was almost like having a festival constantly. Almost every house along the main street was modified so the ground floor became shops to handle the number of tourists and cultivators.
Huang Zihan and Director Wang sat opposite each other in a tea shop. His two people sat deflated in the back, not daring to interrupt the conversation about to occur.
"What business do you have with my lady?"
It was Uncle Huang who opened the topic first. He revealed sharp eyes while staring at Director Wang without looking away.
"Uh... let me ask directly, Butler Huang. May I interview your lady?"
Director Wang asked hopefully.
"I've never seen any young woman smile so beautifully before. I'm certain she must be at least in the top three of this year's Goddess Rankings."
The more he spoke, the more his eyes sparkled. But Huang Zihan, who initially nodded with satisfaction, furrowed his brows at the last sentence.
"Top three?"
"...Not number one?" Uncle Huang's gaze emitted sharp sparks, because even though he was already quite elderly, his eyes still weren't so deteriorated that he couldn't distinguish who was beautiful or not.
And he was confident that compared to every woman he'd ever seen, Grandmaster Bai was definitely number one!
"Uh... about that..." Director Wang scratched his face with difficulty. He turned to nod at his male assistant to bring out a portable computer and place it on the table, then opened a photo to show.
"Butler Huang might not be interested, but this is the person who's gotten first place for all four years."
The photo he opened to show was of a young woman in a bright red outfit. She had a beautiful face and long, lustrous black hair. Her crimson lips curved in a smile so thin it created captivating beauty.
Huang Zihan looked at the image before him in surprise. "This woman is..."
"Yes... the Red Widow Queen, Grandmaster Xie Suyao."
Uncle Huang immediately understood why Director Wang didn't dare give Bai Fanxian first place.
Because this Grandmaster Xie Suyao's reputation... was extremely bad!
Even he knew her! Her beauty remained the same even after ten years!
She was a Grandmaster extremely skilled in poisons. Her poisons could kill cultivators below Grandmaster level in just moments. Her sublime qi power alone was enough for her to stand above others, but combined with hundreds and thousands of types of poisons, it made her a being that even Grandmaster level cultivators didn't want to trouble.
Moreover, she was famous for her confidence in her own beauty and liking to do whatever she pleased. If she learned the truth that someone ranked a young woman as more beautiful than her, she would definitely come after both that young woman and the person who made the ranking like Director Wang.
"Well, that's what I said." Director Wang sighed. His position was rather difficult. He had to follow orders from above while being careful not to displease any great being, until even Huang Zihan began to feel a bit sorry for this director.
"I can understand... but I recommend you don't mess with my lady at all." The old butler warned with good intentions.
The old man stood up and paid for the tea. "I still have business. Excuse me."
"Wa... wait! Today many people saw your lady's face. They'll definitely expect to see her in this year's Goddess Rankings!"
Huang Zihan paused. He turned back to speak to Director Wang and his people:
"That's your problem."
Before leaving the shop, Huang Zihan stopped to talk with the shop owner to negotiate buying some of the city's famous dried tea leaves. Actually, he agreed to come out to talk with Director Wang because he wanted to come out and scout for this tea to bring back to Grandmaster Bai anyway.
Along the way he also stopped to buy snacks sold only during festival season for the children.
But while selecting snacks and souvenirs, because of his habitual caution, he unintentionally overheard rumors that cultivators sitting by the roadside were discussing.
"This afternoon someone saw Sword Saint, Grandmaster Zheng Renyi walking in town."
"I heard that too. I heard he came with a young girl."
"This year is really interesting. Besides the Divine Doctor emerging exactly when the Association seminar is happening, there are also Grandmasters appearing here!"
While they were talking with relish, another man who seemed to be their friend came running in with an excited expression.
"Did you guys hear the news! Grandmaster Han Junpo himself just arrived a moment ago too!"
"What!? What's happening here this year? Normally Grandmaster level beings appear this often?"
Huang Zihan narrowed his eyes. He could guess why Han Junpo traveled here!
He was confident the wounds Grandmaster Bai gave that day couldn't be healed in just a few days!
Besides this, perhaps it wasn't just Han Junpo alone. Perhaps his granddaughter, Han Xiaoyi, also still wasn't healed. Therefore, they had to be interested in news that the Divine Doctor would emerge from closed-door cultivation naturally!
But as for Sword Saint Zheng Renyi, the old butler could only guess in his heart about the reason even a free being like him came here.
"So there are two Grandmasters in this city?"
"Besides this, you guys haven't forgotten Alchemy Empress, right?"
"That mysterious Empress who smacked down the Association's masters until they fell flat? People speculate she might also be Grandmaster level."
"Yeah. Because the knowledge she displayed, alchemists say it surpasses Tier 4 alchemists already. Maybe she's a great being who just emerged from cultivation."
"She typed that she's coming, right?"
"That's right! I'm a fan of hers. Just getting to see her closely would make me happy!"
"But you don't know what she looks like..."
"...Right."
For Martial Practitioner level cultivators like them, Grandmaster level beings were naturally as sublime as celebrities seen only in pictures and television screens. It was like when ordinary people go traveling and hear that the country's famous stars are staying at the hotel next door.
Huang Zihan paid and was about to leave quietly, but their discussion topic changed first.
"Speaking of which, did you guys see 'Goddess's Smile' this afternoon?"
"Too bad I wasn't in that area. But someone photographed it. So beautiful!"
"Right? Same quality as the photo before! Never thought Goddess's Smile would be a cultivator like us."
"When I saw that photo the first time, I thought it was a celebrity! But when I saw her in person, I was stunned!"
"Do you think she'll get into this year's Goddess Rankings?"
"She must! If this year doesn't have her, I'll protest the cultivators' community myself!"
"Me too!"
Uncle Huang sighed. It seemed even if he refused Director Wang, it probably wouldn't matter much. Had to blame Grandmaster Bai's excessive beauty.
Fortunately, right now people only knew her name or had seen her face through those secretly taken photos. Few people knew what Bai Fanxian looked like and that the young woman in the Goddess's Smile photo was named Bai Fanxian!
If they knew that the Goddess's Smile they loved was a Grandmaster level being, who knew how they'd react!
Could only hope it wouldn't bring problems.
Otherwise, if she got so annoyed she took action, he feared even this Village Beneath the Clouds might disappear entirely.
Besides this, Huang Zihan thought there was one more person Grandmaster Bai absolutely shouldn't meet.
Grandmaster Xie Suyao!
Both were people who liked to do as they pleased. If Grandmaster Xie Suyao heard rumors of a young woman more beautiful than her and went to trouble Grandmaster Bai until she got annoyed, Huang Zihan didn't know what would happen.
The old butler sighed again.
Could only hope it wouldn't occur.
Uncle Huang returned to the lodging with a smile. He walked into the hotel entrance with hands full of packages. But the moment he stepped in, he sensed a freezing atmosphere that made even a 5th-stage Martial Master's hair stand on end!
Uncle Huang quickly turned to find the cause. But when he saw two young women standing opposite each other, it almost made his heart truly stop!
Like heaven was playing a joke! Because the matter he prayed most wouldn't happen had already occurred right before him!
One side was his lady, Grandmaster Bai Fanxian, holding a canned tea from the automatic beverage machine by the hallway. Guessing she was just curious enough to try pressing out one can to play with.
But the other side was a beautiful young woman in a bright red outfit as her signature. Black hair flowing and swaying all across her back as she was staring at Bai Fanxian's face!
The Red Widow Queen, Grandmaster Xie Suyao.