Chapter 44
The Supreme Beings
Huang Zihuan 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 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 soak in private hot spring pools attached to them right away.
"My lady, we've arrived."
Uncle Huang turned to speak to Bai Fanxian. Director Wang, who'd followed along, was surprised. Earlier he'd been too shocked to think, but wasn't the Tang Clan butler calling her "my lady"?
Director Wang didn't know at all that this form of address was something Huang Zihuan had carefully considered and was usually only used when with strangers.
Normally Huang Zihuan would call Bai Fanxian "Grandmaster Bai."
To avoid shock and chaos, when with other people who didn't know the situation, the elderly 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 reserve two adjacent rooms. With the spaciousness of the rooms, though, even having 4-5 people per room would still be comfortable.
Therefore, tonight's room division was: Huang Zihuan 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 Zihuan turned sharply back to Director Wang and his two people, who were gulping.
"Let's go find a place to talk..."
Since it was this period of the year, the atmosphere of this village seemed like a festival at all times. Houses along the main road had almost all been modified so the ground floor became shops, to handle the number of tourists and cultivators.
Huang Zihuan 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 showed sharp eyes while staring at Director Wang without looking away.
"Er... let me ask directly. Butler Huang, may I interview your lady?"
Director Wang asked with hope.
"I've never seen a young woman so beautiful when she smiles. I'm sure at least she must be in the top three in this year's Goddess Rankings."
The more he spoke, the more his eyes sparkled. Uncle Huang, who at first nodded with satisfaction, furrowed his brows at the last sentence.
"Top three?"
"...Not first place?" Uncle Huang's eyes flashed sharp light. Even at his considerable age, his eyes weren't so deteriorated he couldn't tell who was beautiful or not.
He was confident that compared to every woman he'd ever seen, Grandmaster Bai was definitely number one!
"Er... about that." Director Wang scratched his face awkwardly. He turned to nod at his male assistant to bring out the portable computer and place it on the table, then opened a certain picture.
"Butler Huang might not be interested, but this is the person who's been ranked first for all four years."
The picture he opened was of a young woman in a bright red outfit. She had a beautiful face and long jet-black hair. The crimson lips raised in a slight smile created a captivating beauty.
Huang Zihuan looked at the image in front of him with surprise. "This woman is..."
"Yes... the Red Widow Queen, Grandmaster Xie Suyao."
Uncle Huang immediately understood why Director Wang didn't dare make Bai Fanxian first place.
Because this Grandmaster Xie Suyao's reputation... was quite bad!
Even he knew her! Her beauty remained the same even after ten years!
She was a Grandmaster who excelled greatly in poison. Her poison could kill cultivators below Grandmaster level in just a few breaths. Her supremely high qi power alone was enough for her to stand above anyone. Combined with hundreds and thousands of poison types, she became a being that even Grandmaster-level cultivators didn't want to bother with.
She also had a reputation for believing in her own beauty and liking to do whatever she pleased. If she learned the truth that someone ranked a young woman more beautiful than her, she'd definitely come after both that young woman and the ranker 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 Zihuan began to feel a bit sorry for this director.
"I understand... but I suggest not bothering my lady at all." The elderly butler warned with good intentions.
The old man stood up and paid for the tea. "I still have business. I'll excuse myself."
"Wa...wait! Today many people saw your lady's face. Of course they'll expect to see her enter this year's Goddess Rankings!"
Huang Zihuan stopped. He turned back to speak to Director Wang and his people:
"That's your problem."
Before leaving the shop, Huang Zihuan stopped to talk with the shop owner to negotiate buying some of the city's famous dried tea leaves. Actually, he'd agreed to come out and talk with Director Wang since he wanted to scout for this tea to bring back to Grandmaster Bai anyway.
On the way, he also stopped to buy snacks sold only during the festival period to bring back to the children.
While selecting snacks and souvenirs, due to his cautious nature as a habit, he overheard rumors that cultivators sitting nearby were discussing unintentionally.
"This afternoon someone saw Sword Master, Grandmaster Zheng Renyi walking in the city."
"I heard that too. Heard he came with a young girl."
"This year's really interesting. Besides the Divine Doctor emerging on the same day as the Association seminar, there are also Grandmasters appearing here!"
While they were chatting enjoyably, a man who seemed to be their friend came running in looking excited.
"Did you guys hear the news! Grandmaster Han Junpo himself just arrived a moment ago too!"
"What!? What's happening here this year? Usually supreme beings at Grandmaster level don't appear this often!"
Huang Zihuan narrowed his eyes. He could guess why Han Junpo traveled here!
He was confident that the wounds Grandmaster Bai delivered that day couldn't be healed in just a few days!
Maybe not just Han Junpo alone. Maybe his granddaughter, Han Xiaoyi, still hadn't recovered either. So they must be interested in news that the Divine Doctor would emerge from closed-door training—that was natural!
As for Sword Master Zheng Renyi, the elderly butler could only guess in his heart about the reason even an independent being like him came here.
"That means there are up to two Grandmasters in this city?"
"Besides that, you guys haven't forgotten about Alchemy Empress, right?"
"That mysterious Empress who demolished the Association instructors until they were completely devastated? Some people speculate she might be Grandmaster level too."
"Right. The knowledge she displayed, alchemists say it's already beyond Tier 4 alchemists. Maybe she's a great being who just emerged from training."
"She typed that she's on her way, right?"
"Yes! I'm a fan club member of hers. Just getting to see her up close would make me happy!"
"But you don't know what she looks like..."
"...That's true."
For cultivators at Martial Artist level like them, beings at Grandmaster level were naturally lofty like celebrities seen only in pictures and television. It was like when ordinary people travel and hear that a famous celebrity of the country is staying at a nearby hotel.
Huang Zihuan paid and was about to leave quietly, but their discussion topic changed first.
"By the way, did you guys see 'Goddess's Smile' this afternoon?"
"Shame I wasn't in that area. But someone took pictures. Very beautiful!"
"Right? Same quality as the previous picture! Never thought Goddess's Smile would be a cultivator like us."
"When I first saw that picture I thought she was a celebrity! But when I saw her in person I was stunned!"
"Do you think she'll enter the Goddess Rankings this year?"
"She must! If she's not in it this year, I'll protest the Cultivator Community myself!"
"Me too!"
Uncle Huang sighed. It seemed even if he refused Director Wang, it wouldn't do much good. He had to blame Grandmaster Bai's beauty for being too excessive.
At least right now people would only know her name or have seen her face through those secretly taken pictures. Few people knew what Bai Fanxian looked like, and that the woman in the Goddess's Smile picture was named Bai Fanxian!
If they knew that the Goddess's Smile they loved was actually a being at Grandmaster level, who knew what faces they'd make!
He could only hope it wouldn't bring problems.
Otherwise, if she got annoyed enough to take action, he feared even this City Beneath the Clouds might disappear entirely.
Besides this, Huang Zihuan 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 Zihuan didn't know what would happen.
The elderly butler sighed again.
He could only hope it wouldn't occur.
Uncle Huang returned to the lodging with a smile. He walked into the hotel entrance with items filling both hands. The instant he stepped inside, though, he sensed a chilling atmosphere that even a 5th-stage Martial Master would find bone-chilling!
Uncle Huang quickly turned to find the cause. When he saw two young women standing opposite each other, it almost made his heart stop beating!
Heaven was playing a joke! Because the thing he prayed most wouldn't happen had happened right before him!
One side was his lady, Grandmaster Bai Fanxian, holding a canned tea from the automatic beverage machine beside the walkway. He guessed she was just interested enough to try pressing one out for fun.
The other side was a beautiful-faced young woman in a bright red outfit as her signature. Her jet-black hair fluttered all over her back as she was staring at Bai Fanxian's face!
The Red Widow Queen, Grandmaster Xie Suyao.