Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 261 Peach Blossom Inn
After a short while, everyone saw a woman in a red dress running over excitedly, her steps long and unlike any ordinary young lady.

Behind her followed a maid in a pale yellow skirt, with her hair styled in two buns. She looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, not much younger than the woman in the red skirt.

"Where's the jewelry? Let me see it!"

Before she even entered the pavilion, she started shouting outside.

"Please take a look here, Miss."

Yang Muqing quickly stood up, and while speaking, he held up the pair of turquoise earrings again and held them out in front of the woman in the red dress.

"So beautiful! It's perfect for me to wear on my wedding day!"

The woman in the red dress happily picked up the earrings and held them up to her ears, casually asking, "How much do you want?"

Yang Muqing frankly said, "To be honest, we are new to Taoyuan Village and do not know the prices of grain and cloth here, so we do not know how much to sell them for."

"Oh, so you're here to find some kind of 'secret key' too, right?"

The woman in the red dress thought for a moment, then continued, "Then I'll give you two strings of cash! A meal at the Peach Blossom Inn only costs about a hundred coins, so these two strings should be enough to solve your immediate problem!"

Before Yang Muqing could speak, Zhu Ye said with a smile, "Miss Hu, isn't this a bit unfair of you? Regardless of the price of the gold and the fine turquoise, just considering the craftsmanship alone, these earrings would sell for ten strings of cash outside. How come you only gave two strings?"

"Can the money outside be compared to our Lingbao money?"

The maid behind Miss Hu rolled her eyes and said rudely, "Putting everything else aside, if you take these spirit coins outside, just one can sell for over a hundred coins! These are spirit coins that can ward off evil, suppress evil, subdue demons, and subdue monsters! Do you think they're just ordinary copper coins?"

"Exorcise evil, suppress wickedness, subdue demons, and vanquish monsters?" Zhu Ye snapped his folding fan shut, keenly sensing something amiss: "It sounds like things aren't going well in Peach Blossom Village."

Miss Hu replied, "There might be some issues, but if you don't meddle in other people's business and aren't overly curious, you'll generally be fine... Well, just don't leave the village between midnight and dawn!"

Zhu Ye said, "I would like to hear the details."

"What's there to hear! It's nothing but commonplace supernatural tales! If you're in any real danger, just go to the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple. The Peach Blossom Goddess will protect you!"

Miss Hu said impatiently, waving her hand: "Are you going to sell these earrings or not! I'm only offering two strings of cash because the craftsmanship is truly rare and there's nothing like it in Peach Blossom Village. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't even consider one string of cash too much! In Sister Liu's shop in the village, pearl earrings only cost two hundred and eighty coins!"

Yang Muqing hurriedly said, "Sell, of course I'll sell. Two strings of cash is already quite good. I should thank Miss Hu."

Seeing that Miss Hu had bought Yang Muqing's earrings, Zhu Ye then tried to sell her own fan pendants, but Miss Hu just rolled her eyes and refused with disdain.

Instead, Zuo Ting politely asked, "Miss Hu, the village head just told us that Taoyuan Inn is full. Does anyone know where else in the village we can stay besides the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple? We're willing to pay to stay somewhere else."

"In the village..." Miss Hu thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "There's no one left in the village, but I have a hot spring villa outside the village. For the sake of these earrings, you can stay here for a few days. However, it's outside the village after all, and there's no Peach Blossom Goddess to protect you. Before you move in, you'd better go to the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple to get some incense and buy some talismans to stick on the front and back doors. Otherwise, with your abilities, hmph, you might have some trouble!"

Yang Muqing pressed further, "As long as the talisman is affixed, will everything be alright?"

Miss Hu replied, "If you put up the talisman, don't wander around at night, and don't meddle in other people's business, there won't be any problems. Besides, the reason I asked you to go to the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple to get incense is just in case. If something strange comes knocking, the incense ash from the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple can protect you!"

Hearing what Miss Hu said, Yang Muqing felt a little uneasy.

This doesn't sound normal at all, does it?

She couldn't help but ask again, "Are there really so many strange things in this Peach Blossom Village?"

Since Yang Muqing had sold her the earrings, Miss Hu naturally had more patience with him and replied, "Actually, it's alright. It's all normal. With Lady Peach Blossom here, nothing will happen. You don't need to worry too much..."

After saying that, Miss Hu thought for a moment and added, "Well, if you're really scared, I can stay with you for a few days, but I'm getting married in three days, and then I won't be able to stay with you anymore!"

Yang Muqing was naturally more than happy to accept this offer—she had long since realized that since Peach Blossom Village was described as so terrifying, the people who could settle there must not be ordinary people. They might even be cultivators like her husband. Living with this Miss Hu would surely be much safer.

So she quickly replied, "Thank you very much, Miss Hu!"

"Alright then! I'll take you there!"

Miss Hu seemed to be a decisive person. As she spoke, she waved to everyone and walked into the courtyard. As she walked, she said to the little maid beside her, "Xiangcai, go and tell my father that I'm staying at the Tangquan Villa and will be back in a couple of days!"

"Hey! Miss!"

The maid wanted to offer some advice, but in the end she could only sigh and say, "I understand!"

The hot spring villa that Miss Hu mentioned was indeed not far from Taoyuan Village. Less than a quarter of an hour after leaving the village and walking west, a courtyard came into view in the distance. From the outside, it looked exactly like the Hu family's house in the village. Once inside...

They're exactly the same!
Zhu Ye looked at every plant and tree in the courtyard with some shock. He really didn't expect that there would be anyone in the world who would go to such great lengths to build two identical gardens! If he remembered correctly, even the bamboo on the right side as soon as you entered the gate was facing the same direction!
Zhu Ye snapped her folding fan shut and chuckled as she tentatively asked, "Hehehe, this hot spring villa is exactly the same as your Hu family's place just now. It seems that Master Hu is a man who cherishes the past and is full of affection!"

Miss Hu didn't catch Zhu Ye's probing at all, and simply said, "It's alright, I'm more used to living here."

Crossing the front yard, we arrived at the back yard, where several houses stood facing each other. The structure was completely different from that of an ordinary mansion. There were no covered corridors or halls; it was as if a few houses were simply scattered in a lush garden, which was quite strange.

Zhu Ye then inquired further, "The layout of this courtyard doesn't seem ordinary either. Could there be some special reason behind it?"

Miss Hu remained unsuspecting, believing Zhu Ye was genuinely curious, and replied, "There's no particular reason; it's just built this way!"

After answering, she pointed to two houses facing each other in the courtyard and said, "There are two houses here. You two and three can each have one room. This Sister Yang and I will stay next door. If you need anything, just call me!"

Hearing Miss Hu say something like "Just shout for her if you need anything," Jiang Wanli felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but ask, "Uh... should we go to the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple to get incense and buy talismans?"

Miss Hu said, "With me here, it's not really necessary. But if you're really worried, you can go and put it on your own door!"

Although Miss Hu said that, after discussing it, everyone decided to go to Taoyuan Inn to eat something first, and then go to the Peach Blossom Goddess Temple.

After bidding farewell to Miss Hu, Zhu Ye stopped fanning himself with his folding fan and said with a serious expression, "Better safe than sorry. This place is really strange, so it's best to be cautious."

Jiang Wanli nodded in agreement: "Brother Zhu is absolutely right. This Peach Blossom Village is so strange that the 'key to passage' is probably not so easy to obtain. It's best not to take any risks."

Yang Muqing then placed the two strings of coins he had just received, which he hadn't even had a chance to warm up, on the stone table in the courtyard with a thud, and said, "Gentlemen, you should all come and share some money. No matter what, you must stay here for seven days and take some with you in case of emergency."

“Since things have come to this, I won’t stand on ceremony,” Zhu Ye stepped forward first, counted out 200 copper coins, and said, “You shamelessly took 200 coins from Miss Yang. Once I find a way to make money in the next few days, I will definitely repay you!”

Yang Muqing said generously, "As Brother Jiang said, meeting is fate. We have all gone through the 'ascension to immortality' process, and we may even become fellow disciples in the future. There's no need for any outside talk about whether to return it or not. Just take it!"

Zuo Ting, who hadn't said much until now, also cupped his hands slightly and said, "With these words from Sister Yang, Zuo Ting of Wolong Manor will remember this kindness!"

After saying that, he stepped forward and grabbed a handful of copper coins, which looked to be no more than a hundred. He didn't count them and just stuffed them into the hidden pocket in his pocket.

Afterwards, Shi Yizhi, Jiang Wanli, and Li Heng each took two hundred coins and put them away. Then, the group left Tangquan Villa together and headed to Taoyuan Inn.

Upon entering the Peach Blossom Inn, one sees a table of outsiders sitting in the lobby. Judging from their attire, they are clearly participants in the Immortal Destiny Conference.

Jiang Wanli quickly walked a few steps, cupped his hands towards the group at that table, and said, "Brothers over there, may I ask when you arrived?"

There were three people sitting at the table: two women and one man. The two women were wearing the same style of clothing, so they were probably from the same school. The only man was not very old. He didn't even have a beard, but his hair was tied up high with a wooden hairpin in his hair. He had a simple and unassuming demeanor.

One of the older women returned the greeting from afar and said loudly, "We've only been here for less than two hours. How many of you are there?"

Jiang Wanli replied, "Less than an hour!"

The woman took the initiative to show goodwill, saying, "Those of you are quite lucky! We spent two hours catching fish and only made a little over a hundred coins, so we can come over for a meal!"

Jiang Wanli explained embarrassedly, "Please forgive our embarrassment, young lady. We only had some money because we sold some jewelry for the Hu family in the village."

The woman's eyes widened: "Huh? The Hu family sells things? I thought only general stores in this village bought everything!"

"We can only sell jewelry. I wanted to sell this pendant for money, but no one would buy it," Zhu Ye said with a wry smile, adding, "In the end, it was only with the help of the female warriors from the Taiyue Sword Sect that the five of us men were able to afford a meal."

"So you're a female knight from the Taiyue Sword Sect!" The woman cupped her hands and said, "I am Yu Shang, a disciple of the Longtan Sect in Huining Prefecture, and this is my junior sister, Shi Liu'er."

The man beside the two Longtan Sect disciples also spoke up, saying, "I am Che Lin, a disciple of the Yuxu Sect."

Jiang Wanli pulled Shi Yizhi aside in surprise and said, "Oh? This brother is also from the Jade Void Sect? Our senior brothers here are also from the Jade Void Sect!"

Che Lin took a closer look at Shi Yizhi, then frowned and said, "Hmm? This senior brother looks unfamiliar. May I ask which elder he is under?"

Shi Yizhi awkwardly cupped his hands and said, "I am ashamed. I am Shi Yizhi. I only stayed in the Jade Void Sect for two years and became a disciple of Elder Ziyang. Junior brother, you must have joined the sect late. You only joined after I left, which is why you haven't seen me."

Upon hearing this, Che Lin's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain. He gave a perfunctory bow and said, "Oh, you're General Shi's sixth son! I've heard of you, I've heard of you! Greetings, Senior Brother!"

Afterwards, Zhu Ye and the others introduced themselves to Yu Shang and the other two, exchanged some information, and then took the time to find the waiter to order food.

The food at Peach Blossom Inn wasn't expensive at all. Because they were short of money, everyone ordered only the cheapest items, such as vegetarian noodles for six coins a bowl, vegetarian buns for three coins each, and flatbreads for two coins each. Even Yang Muqing, who was the most well-off, only ordered a bowl of mushroom and vegetable noodles.

To everyone's surprise, the food at Peach Blossom Inn was actually "celestial food"!
Even the cheapest flatbread, once it entered his stomach, sent a warm sensation through Zuo Ting's abdomen, something that could not be compared to the "immortal food" such as "immortal tea" and "spiritual rice" he had tasted before!

(End of this chapter)