The Return of the Youth, Chapter Twenty-Nine: Turmoil at the Inn

"Senior brother, we have arrived at the Sifang Inn."

Kong Yue and Shen Ling, dressed in cyan and white Taoist robes, arrived on horseback and came to a halt outside the Sifang Inn.

Shen Ling surveyed the bustling entrance of the inn. A sharp-eyed waiter hurried forward, greeting them with enthusiasm: "Welcome, honored guests! Please, come inside. Our establishment offers the finest spirits—would you like to come in and have a taste?"

Shen Ling dismounted and asked, "Waiter, have you seen a youth dressed in beggar's rags, a man who is obsessed with alcohol?"

The waiter flipped his towel over his shoulder and replied, "My good patrons, this inn does not accommodate beggars. If you are looking for a beggar, you should head to the City God Temple. There are plenty of them there; I hear Magistrate Li is even serving porridge to them."

Kong Yue dismounted as well and said, "We are not looking for a beggar."

The waiter asked, "Then, are you two here to drink or to stay the night?"

Kong Yue handed the reins to the waiter. "We are here to drink. Keep these two horses in your stable and take good care of them." With that, he tossed a few pieces of silver to the waiter.

The waiter caught the silver, his eyes lighting up with joy as he took the reins. "Leave these horses to me. I guarantee I will feed them the finest, softest hay."

Kong Yue nodded and looked at Shen Ling. "Junior sister, let us go inside. If fortune favors us, we should be able to find that scoundrel in this tavern."

Shen Ling tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and walked toward the entrance. "I hope we can find him."

The two wove through the crowd and stepped into the inn. They scanned the room—there were diners, boisterous men, and young women drinking and eating, but they saw no sign of the young thief. They shook their heads in disappointment.

Kong Yue pointed toward the staircase leading to the second floor and suggested, "Let’s go up and take a look."

"Agreed," Shen Ling replied.

They crossed the dining area, brushing past patrons, and ascended to the second floor.

The second floor was relatively sparse, with only a few diners scattered about: a burly man, an elderly and wealthy gentleman... and a figure in white sitting with their back to the stairs.

Shen Ling and Kong Yue exchanged a look and walked toward the window seats in silent agreement. Upon closer inspection, however, the man was a stranger with an unremarkable face.

Disappointed, they shook their heads and sat at an empty table nearby. The waiter responsible for the second floor approached and asked, "What can I get for you two?"

Kong Yue placed a piece of silver on the table and said, "Bring us whatever house specialties you have, along with a jar of your best wine."

"Right away! I shall prepare the meal and drinks for you two young heroes immediately."

The waiter picked up the silver, beaming. He loved serving these wandering heroes; whether they were foolish or simply pretending to be wealthy, they were always several times more generous with their tips than ordinary people.

They usually never even asked for change.

Shen Ling frowned and asked, "Senior brother, after this meal, where shall we look for that scoundrel?"

Kong Yue clearly had a plan. He looked up and said, "Once we finish eating, we will find the local underworld contacts and have them hunt him down for us."

"Very well, I suppose that is our only option."

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the waiter returned, quickly serving several meticulously prepared dishes.

The stir-fried dried beef was glossy and perfectly textured, every sliver coated in rich spices, emitting a mouth-watering aroma. The spicy crispy peanuts were plump and golden-brown, dotted with bits of chili; the mere scent of them made one’s mouth water.

In addition to these dishes, there was a steaming bucket of fluffy white rice and a jar of the Sifang Inn’s signature aged wine—"Drunken Sifang."

"The meal is served, honored guests. Please enjoy, and if you need anything else, just say the word!" The waiter called out enthusiastically before turning to leave.

Kong Yue handed Shen Ling a pair of bamboo chopsticks. "Junior sister, taste and see how this inn’s cooking is."

Shen Ling took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of dried beef, and placed it in her mouth. After a few chews, her eyes filled with surprise. She nodded in praise, "This dried beef is perfect in color, aroma, and taste, with a great chew and just the right amount of heat. Senior brother, the food here is truly excellent!"

Hearing this, Kong Yue impatiently picked up a piece of beef himself. After savoring it carefully, a look of delight appeared on his face. He nodded in agreement, "The kitchen’s craft is indeed superb. Out of our entire journey, their food is the most to my liking."

The two ate and drank, sharing anecdotes and curiosities from their travels.

Before long, the food and the jar of Drunken Sifang had been completely cleared. Perhaps because the wine was so potent, both their faces turned flushed, and their speech began to slur.

Shen Ling swayed her head, slurring, "Senior brother... this wine is strong... I... I am a bit drunk."

"If you cannot handle it, circulate your internal energy to force the alcohol out," Kong Yue said. Although he was intoxicated, he remained clear-headed, his speech coherent.

"No... I like the feeling of being drunk."

"As you wish."

Kong Yue set down his chopsticks, his ears suddenly catching a familiar voice from afar.

"Waiter! Bring me a jar of Drunken Sifang and a plate of stir-fried dried beef—extra spicy!"

Kong Yue looked up, peering through his disheveled hair to see a handsome young man dressed in white.

He had a wine gourd hanging from his waist and was walking toward them from the staircase, followed by a waiter.

The waiter greeted him warmly, "Young master! You’ve come to drink again! I’ll go prepare that for you; please, take a seat."

Kong Yue tapped his junior sister on the shoulder and whispered, "Junior sister, the scoundrel has finally appeared."

As soon as he spoke, Kong Yue vaulted over the table, his hand clawing toward the young man in white like an iron vice. He roared, "Scoundrel! Let’s see where you can run this time!"

Jiang Bai reacted with lightning speed. He spun around and instinctively leaped backward, narrowly dodging the sudden strike.

As he continued to retreat, he looked at the pursuing Kong Yue with a playful, mocking gaze. He chuckled, "Oh, what a small world. It’s you two again."

"Scoundrel, don't think you'll escape this time! Hand over the item!"

Shen Ling immediately circulated her internal energy, forcing out the alcohol. The vapor condensed into liquid and dripped onto the floor. She then performed a Taoist incantation, conjuring two blades of wind in her hands, and flashed behind Jiang Bai to cut off his escape route.

Kong Yue closed in step by step. "If you are sensible and hand it over, we might spare your life."

"Do you take me for a three-year-old child? You think you can trick me?"

Jiang Bai pulled a yellow talisman from his collar. He retreated slowly toward the side, watching them warily. However, he was backing against a wooden wall; there was nowhere left to run.

Kong Yue frowned, keeping his eyes locked on Jiang Bai, but he did not dare attack recklessly. He had fought this handsome youth before; though the man did not seem like a practitioner, he could wield powerful talismans and terrifying thunder-beads.

During their first encounter, he and Shen Ling had suffered greatly and nearly lost their lives.

It was evident that the talismans Jiang Bai possessed were no trivial matter, and his identity was surely not simple.

After all, how could an ordinary mortal possess talismans capable of killing mortal-realm cultivators?

"Oh! Master, why have you come?"

Jiang Bai’s expression shifted, and he looked toward the top of the stairs with feigned surprise.

Shen Ling and Kong Yue instinctively turned to look, but there was no master—only a waiter carrying a tray of food, walking slowly toward them.

The two were shocked, thinking: *We've been tricked again.*

"Goodbye, you two!"

Standing by the window, a flash of cunning crossed Jiang Bai’s eyes. He suddenly produced a massive thunder-bead and hurled it directly at Shen Ling and Kong Yue.

"Junior sister, watch out!"

Kong Yue was frantic. He lunged toward Shen Ling and, with a wave of his hand, conjured a golden light barrier to shield them both.

They had suffered a major defeat from this thunder-bead during their first fight, knowing well that its explosive power could level a small hill.

However, the bead did not explode. Instead, it released a massive cloud of smoke, instantly engulfing the inn. The smoke was so thick one could not see their own hand, and it carried a nauseating stench, like a pile of rats that had been rotting for half a month.

The inn fell into chaos. Guests and waiters covered their mouths and noses, fleeing in every direction. The sounds of collisions, curses, and wails mingled together.

"Ugh, what is that smell? It's stifling!"

"Why is the smoke so thick? It stinks so bad I can't breathe!"

...

One diner fainted from the stench, foaming at the mouth. Others were vomiting uncontrollably. Everyone was disoriented by the foul odor, stumbling into one another.

"Blegh..."

Shen Ling leaned against the windowsill, her stomach churning. She vomited everything she had just eaten, and it landed squarely on the head of a diner who was scrambling out the front door.

The diner instinctively reached up, felt the sticky mess, and the stench hit his nose. Being a man with a penchant for cleanliness, he rolled his eyes, kicked his legs, and collapsed to the ground, fainting on the spot.

Shen Ling could not stop retching. Kong Yue asked, filled with worry, "Junior sister, are you alright?"

"Blegh... Senior brother... don't worry about me... go after that thief... I will tear him to pieces... blegh..."

As she spoke, Shen Ling could not stop vomiting. With saliva and bile dripping from her mouth, she looked nothing like a practitioner, appearing more like a drunken woman retching on the side of the street.

A flicker of disgust crossed Kong Yue’s eyes, but he quickly took off his outer robe and handed it to her, then grabbed her by the shoulder and leaped out to the main street.

He settled Shen Ling outside a general store and urged, "Junior sister, rest here. I shall catch that scoundrel; only by tearing him limb from limb will I be able to vent this hatred!"

With that, Kong Yue stood up and wove through the crowded street, chasing toward the north.