Ten minutes later…
"Is this it?" he muttered, eyeing a faded yellow sign.
He stepped closer and read the worn lettering: "Golden Lantern." So, he had arrived.
The building was small and unassuming, barely standing out from the others around it.
to he pushed the door open.
Inside, a handful of wooden tables were scattered across the room, some occupied by armed men quietly eating or speaking in low voices. The furniture was old but sturdy, marked by years of use.
The air carried the simple smells of cooked meat, warm stews, steamed buns, and alcohol.
Off to the side, a narrow staircase led upstairs, faint creaking echoing from above.
Wu Zhe stepped further in, his gaze settling on the counter at the center. The man behind it seemed to handle both drinks and guests alike.
"Hello, sir. What can we do for you today?" the male receptionist asked politely.
"Could I get a one-person room for a whole month?" Wu Zhe asked.
"Of course, sir!
"That'll cost approximately thirteen silver coins and I'll also need your name sir." the receptionist said.
Wu Zhe opened a pouch, took out two gold coins, and handed them over.
"Keep the change."
"My name is Huang Yan." The receptionist immediately wrote down Wu Zhe fake name and room number.
"Alright, your room number is twenty seven. Please Follow me, sir." the receptionist said, leading Wu Zhe upstairs to his room.
Wu Zhe followed the receptionist until they stopped at a room. He opened the door and saw a modest looking room with a bed and small drawer beside it.
In the other corner stood a large drawer and a sizable chest. A table with a single chair completed with two chairs.
"Here's your key, sir," the receptionist said, handing him a bronze key. "Just let us know if there's anything we can do, sir!" he added just before leaving the room.
"Hah…" Wu Zhe said, closing the door, sitting on the bed, and counting his coins.
As he counted the coins, he thought back on his journey in Yunluo. He had been hunted by everyone, he couldn't even enter cities without being attacked. But it wasn't like he didn't deserve it; after all, he used to go to cities to "liberate" lives.
But still it felt strange being able to enter towns without being feared or attacked. But he knew this feeling wouldn't last long, as he grew stronger, he would soon be capable of wiping out entire cities, and when that day came, he already knew exactly what he intended to do…
After finishing his reminiscing, he began considering his next moves.
Joining one of the many Monster Hunting Guilds didn't seem like a bad idea. It would provide both experience and income from hunting monsters, allowing him to grow stronger without raising suspicion or facing the consequences of killing people.
Eventually, when he was stronger, he could safely "liberate" lives again.
Joining one of the families, on the other hand, would limit his freedom. He would have to follow the orders of whoever was in charge, and there was no guarantee he'd even be allowed to kill. In a new world where every moment counted, time was far too precious to waste.
But before all of that, he wanted to sleep. Even as a cultivator, he had been awake for far too long, pushing the limits of his ability to stay conscious. The long journey had taken its toll on him, and exhaustion had finally caught up.
Wu Zhe placed the pouches in the drawer next to him, laid down on his bed, and closed his eyes, going to sleep at the break of day.
"Brother! Stop! Please… Stop! Stop! Stop!"
The words echoed in Wu Zhe mind, repeating over and over and over.
He saw a room drenched in blood, a massacre lay before him. An old man, perhaps in his fifties, laid lifeless on the floor, his body covered in wounds.
Blood streamed from his head, and multiple stab marks pierced his flesh. Nearby, a young old boy screaming, begging for it all to end.
"Sleeping so soon?" a shadowy voice whispered from behind.
Wu Zhe immediately spun around, as he did he saw nothing.
Only the wall met his eyes. He turned back, but the room had changed. The two bodies were gone, and now everything was drowned in blood, the roof, the table, the chest, the door. Every surface dripped with blood.
He looked down and saw his hands, dripping with blood as well.
Before him stood a figure, eerily similar to himself.
"Die you monster! Abomination! You cur-sed thing!" Suddenly, a shadowy figure lunged, grabbing his throat as if trying to kill him.
"Brother…" Wu Zhe whispered, his eyes fixed on the shadowy figure, not resisting, understanding it was only an illusion.
"Don't call me brother, you cur-sed creature…" the figure said in disdain before vanishing.
"Haa!" Wu Zhe jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
"Hah…" He pressed a hand to his face, peeking through the gaps between his fingers.
Everything in the room appeared normal.
Then he realized something.
He got out of bed, grabbed his pouch, and sat at the chair. From the pouch, he grabbed a vial, and opened it taking a single tablet from the vial, he stared at the tablet contemplating on whether he should shallow it or not.. Eventually he swallowed it dry.
For three long minutes, he stared at the table, still and unmoving, before he finally slumped forward, resting his head on his arms and closing his eyes.