Chapter 53: New Waves Rising

  The group walked farther along the long street, nearing the edge of Guanhukou Town.

  Suddenly, a stout middle-aged man came puffing toward them, blocking their path. He stood in the middle of the road with his arms wide, adopting a stance that clearly indicated he wasn’t letting them pass.

  "You burned down my inn and now you think you can just walk away?" he sneered, gring at them and extending his hand. "Pay for the damage to my rooms and all the furniture inside!"

  Tang Ping, who was riding a horse, frowned impatiently. "We left plenty of gold under the counter for you, enough to open a few more inns like yours. Besides, we only burned one of your many rooms. You can rebuild it."

  Hearing the commotion, Sanbao pushed open the carriage door and jumped down, with Tang Mingli following right behind her.

  "What’s going on?" Sanbao asked.

  The innkeeper seemed to soften his tone a little when he saw their fine clothes. "This young dy and young master, please judge for yourselves! You rented my inn, sent all the workers away, and promised to stay for just one night. Who knew that in the middle of the night, you set fire to the best room of my inn! Now tell me, shouldn’t you compensate me for my losses?"

  Tang Mingli waved his hand. "Tang Ping, come here."

  Tang Ping dismounted and walked over quickly, speaking in a low voice. "When we left, we already left enough money. It’s more than enough to cover rebuilding and even opening more inns. Yet here he is asking for more."

  Tang Mingli whispered, "Are you sure the money was left?"

  "I personally put it under the counter," Tang Ping replied, looking aggrieved.

  "Then go and expin it to him," Sanbao said from the side.

  "I did expin, Miss Sanbao, but he refuses to listen!" Tang Ping responded.

  Sanbao looked at the innkeeper blocking the road, her gaze suddenly caught by the pendant hanging around his neck. It was a blood-red agate, with a faint green aura surrounding it.

  Sanbao seemed to have realized something. She whispered to Tang Ping and Tang Mingli, "You continue pretending to argue with him. Get the guards ready for battle. The real fight is coming tonight."

  Tang Ping nodded as instructed, turning and slowly walking toward the front of the group. He casually spoke with a few of the guards, quickly reying the command. The guards dismounted, weapons drawn, and silently formed a defensive stance.

  The innkeeper’s sharp eyes caught the change in the air. The pitiful expression on his face quickly faded, repced by a cold sneer.

  "Just as expected from the genius girl, Xu Sanbao," he slowly said, "You saw through my little act right away. But unfortunately, my goal today isn’t you."

  His gaze shifted past Sanbao to the coffin on the cart behind the group.

  "All you need to do is hand over those siblings," his voice turned icy, "and I’ll guarantee your safe departure from Guanhukou."

  Tang Ping took a few steps back, unsheathing his weapon and shouting in a deep voice, "In your dreams!" At the same time, the guards around the group drew their weapons in unison, the air thick with bloodlust.

  Sanbao took a slow step forward, her expression calm but with a hint of mockery in her voice. "Tonight, you’re the fifth person I’ve met with such a big mouth. I wonder if you’re any better than the previous four?"

  Tang Mingli stood closely behind her, tightly gripping the Longyuan Sword, keeping a protective stance as his sharp gaze remained locked on the innkeeper.

  The innkeeper looked at Tang Mingli and smiled. "Master Tang, you’ve just assumed the head of the family. Instead of dealing with all the family matters, you rush here to py the protector of flowers. I wonder what your ancestors would think if they knew?"

  Tang Mingli didn’t respond, simply sneering coldly, his lips curling in disdain.

  Sanbao’s face flushed for a moment before she raised her hand, and with a surge of spiritual energy, several ice-blue ice spikes appeared above her head.

  "Do I look like the kind of woman who needs protecting?" she asked.

  Before her words even finished, the ice spikes shot out, speeding toward the innkeeper!

  The innkeeper turned quickly, dodging all the ice spikes with ease. Even so, the spikes still grazed his cheek and tore through parts of his clothes, causing blood to seep out, leaving several cuts on his face and body.

  "Xuan Ice Spikes?" The innkeeper’s voice was tinged with surprise. "You’re already a mid-level fifth-rank water element ability user? Just a few days ago, weren’t you only second-rank?"

  "Your intelligence is outdated," Sanbao replied coldly. "Prepare to die."

  She raised both hands, and a water orb quickly formed in front of her chest. The orb glowed brightly with clear water, and the energy waves around it became increasingly intense. If this orb were to fly out, there would be no way for the innkeeper to avoid it.

  The innkeeper’s eyes darkened. With a swift motion, he tore the blood-red agate pendant from his neck and crushed it in his hand.

  "Crack!"

  The pendant shattered into powder, scattering in the wind. The air was instantly filled with a strange fragrance, a mixture of sweetness and a sticky, unpleasant scent.

  "Get back!" Tang Mingli shouted immediately.

  But it was too te. The guards in the front row couldn’t avoid the powder and inhaled it...