Chapter 5: The Young Master of the Dong Family

After entering the inn, Wu Rui’an discovered that it was built into the mountainside. The mountain itself was hollow in the middle, forming a large, deep pit—a natural circular atrium. The innkeeper had carved out rooms around this pit to serve as guest quarters. Although the inn was built within a cave, the presence of the atrium prevented any feeling of oppression.

The deep pit served as the inn’s only source of light, with ivy covering the stone walls. By late autumn, the leaves of the ivy would turn red and gradually fall off. By now, the leaves were gone, but the seeds had matured. Strings of fruit hung from the branches, looking unremarkable but serving as excellent food for birds during the winter.

Birds had conveniently built nests on the stone walls, so the inn was filled with many different kinds of birds flying around, chirping noisily. Their sounds were crisp and cheerful, not at all disturbing. Amidst the desolate depths of winter, they provided a festive touch.

“Come in, it’s beautiful here,” Wu Rui’an beckoned Di Jiang and Wen Yao to enter.

As soon as the three entered, the innkeeper, Wang, who had heard their voices, came forward with a smile and asked, “Are you stopping for a meal or staying overnight?”

“Staying overnight,” Wu Rui’an waved his hand and threw a silver ingot onto the table, asking for three premium rooms.

“Please follow me—” the innkeeper beamed, welcoming them inside. Perhaps because he lived long-term in the cave and rarely saw sunlight, his face was clean and fair, not resembling someone who did heavy manual labor in the mountains.

“How many years have you been in Yunmeng Marsh, Innkeeper?” Di Jiang asked.

“Ten years!” the innkeeper smiled, “I’m already in my forties! Can’t tell, right? It’s because the feng shui here in Yunmeng Marsh is good; it nurtures people!”

“You are truly well-preserved,” Di Jiang praised sincerely.

The three stayed in neighboring rooms. Upon entering, they found the rooms to be arched, appearing spacious, comfortable, dry, and warm. Di Jiang immediately noticed that the temperature here was much higher than outside. She eagerly took off her fox fur cloak and looked around the rooms. She discovered that each room was of different sizes and styles, with unique characteristics. From small items like kettles and tea trays to larger pieces like tables, chairs, and beds, no two items were the same. Yet, every room was tastefully decorated, avoiding vulgarity.

“This innkeeper is quite interesting,” Di Jiang smiled.

“Isn’t it? I don’t see anyone else in this inn. Managing such a large place by himself must be difficult!” Wen Yao’s eyes were full of curiosity, indicating that she had likely already inspected all the dozen or so rooms in the inn.

Yunmeng Marsh had numerous islands, rolling mountains, and crisscrossing ravines. Such a place was rarely inhabited, except for travelers passing through for rest and relaxation or those seeking seclusion for spiritual cultivation. In any case, ordinary civilians wouldn’t linger here. With the backdrop of heavy snow, Yunmeng Marsh appeared even more desolate and mysterious.

The next day, after the trio woke up, they saw that everything was white, with nothing else visible amidst the vast expanse of snow.

After the heavy snow blocked the mountain paths, Di Jiang and her companions were trapped in the inn. Every day, they huddled together with Mr. Wang in the largest cave, warming themselves by a fire. Buried in the ashes beneath the pile of firewood were eight roasted sweet potatoes—two for each person, serving as their entire day’s sustenance.

Wen Yao ate the roasted sweet potatoes one bite after another. Though fragrant, eating the same thing for two consecutive days made it less appetizing. She slumped, looking somewhat disheartened.

Di Jiang felt similarly. Her mind had already flown to Baiyun Temple. If it weren’t for Wu Rui’an’s mortal body being unable to withstand the cold outside, she would have already dragged Wen Yao out to investigate.

On the other hand, Wu Rui’an was glad he came along. Otherwise, in this remote area, no one would know if these two beautiful young girls were abducted.

Each of the three had their own thoughts. Compared to Di Jiang and Wen Yao’s boredom, Wu Rui’an seemed full of enthusiasm. Idle, he chatted with the innkeeper and asked, “Are there any interesting attractions nearby?”

Mr. Wang thought for a moment and shook his head, “In Yunmeng Marsh, what you see are the thousands of islands scattered across the lake surface. At sunrise and sunset, the dazzling golden light on the lake resembles pearls falling onto a jade plate. But if you’re asking about specific attractions, there really aren’t any.”

“Innkeeper Wang, you’ve been here for ten years. Have you ever heard of a Baiyun Temple nearby?” Di Jiang asked without much hope, casually.

“I’ve heard of it!” Mr. Wang nodded, “Baiyun Temple is a sacred Daoist site. Thanks to its protection, we rarely hear of strange occurrences in this area!”

“Where is Baiyun Temple?” Di Jiang asked urgently.

“Baiyun Temple has long been in ruins. A few years ago, it was bought by Daoist Yu Ling and turned into a Yue Lao Shrine.”

“What?!” Di Jiang and Wu Rui’an were shocked.

Wen Yao exaggerated even more, clutching her stomach and laughing loudly, “Baiyun Temple turned into a Yue Lao Shrine?! Hahahaha—Patriarch Zhong Xu must be so pathetic, utterly wretched hahaha—”

Seeing this, Mr. Wang expressed confusion. Di Jiang nudged Wen Yao several times, but she couldn’t stop laughing. Just as Wen Yao was laughing uncontrollably, an urgent knocking sound suddenly came from outside the inn—

“Is anyone there? Are there any vacant rooms?”

Hearing that business had arrived, Mr. Wang immediately perked up, smiling as he opened the door and welcomed a group of people in from the wind and snow.

Di Jiang and Wu Rui’an looked towards the sound and saw about a dozen people, all dressed impeccably. Especially the leading young master and two young ladies, whose every move exuded nobility, clearly indicating they were from wealthy families.

Dong Liancheng, Dong Yezhen, and Dong Biling were the eldest son, second daughter, and third daughter of the wealthiest family in Xianliang City, hundreds of miles away.

Di Jiang and Wu Rui’an hadn’t expected to see such affluent travelers in the wilderness during such a snowy day and were somewhat surprised.

Similarly, the Dong siblings felt the same way. Dong Liancheng looked at Wu Rui’an, slightly frowning, while the two young ladies beside him hadn’t taken their eyes off Wu Rui’an since entering.

Everyone in this room was extremely beautiful, and Wu Rui’an stood out among them, even making Di Jiang feel inferior.

Looking at the three young masters of the Dong family, Eldest Son Dong Liancheng had ordinary features, but under the luxurious fox fur, he exuded a strong presence.

Second Daughter Dong Yezhen wore a thin white silk dress, with only a translucent hairpin adorning her bun. As she walked, her white silk swayed gently, her steps delicate like golden lotuses. Her cheeks were slightly plump, her eyes clear and bright, exuding vitality.

Dong Biling’s attire appeared much younger. Her skirt was simple on top and voluminous below, with countless pleats, paired with a small white fox jacket, making her look graceful yet noble.

Both young ladies appeared to be at the tender age of budding youth, like two blossoming lotus flowers.

“The tip of the lotus just peeking out represents the best years for a woman,” Di Jiang said admiringly.

Upon hearing this, Wu Rui’an assumed Di Jiang was lamenting her lost youth. At twenty, she was considered an old maid by societal standards, so he immediately consoled her, “The best years for a woman come when she meets the man she loves. The time spent with a beloved is the best period of life. Having me by your side means you have the best man in the world. Why envy others?”

Di Jiang turned to look at Wu Rui’an. His eyes were fixed passionately on her, burning with fervor, as if willing to give her his heart and soul.

The two women of the Dong family were already mesmerized, and even Young Master Dong showed a slight surprise. Clearly, Wu Rui’an’s charm could infect everyone around him.

If this were any ordinary woman, she might have already fainted from happiness and excitement due to his gaze. But she was Di Jiang, how could she be like an ordinary woman? Moreover, knowing Wu Rui’an’s ulterior motives, she absolutely couldn’t let him have his way.

“So... after falling in love with me, you’ve reached the best years of your life?” Di Jiang asked with a smile.

“Exactly,” Wu Rui’an nodded confidently, his eyes still fixed on Di Jiang without wavering.

Di Jiang smiled gracefully, covering her mouth and saying, “No wonder I always feel unhappy. It seems I haven’t met the person who can make me happy.”

“Isn’t that me?” Wu Rui’an was taken aback.

“You fell in love with me, but I didn’t fall in love with you,” Di Jiang corrected, “You illuminated your life, but my days haven’t been lit by the right person yet.”

“...” Wu Rui’an’s face fell, visibly embarrassed.

At this moment, the women of the Dong family were somewhat surprised, unable to understand why Di Jiang didn’t fancy such a handsome young man. Meanwhile, Dong Liancheng, also a man, chuckled audibly, clearly amused by Wu Rui’an’s misfortune.

“How many rooms would you like?” Mr. Wang intervened to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Ten premium rooms!” Dong Liancheng said.

“Oh no! What to do! Yesterday, these three guests took three rooms. Now there are only nine vacant rooms left in the inn.”

“Then let those two squeeze together and free up a room for us. I’ll pay for their room fee!” Dong Liancheng waved his hand, even more casually pulling out two silver ingots and placing them in Mr. Wang’s hand.

“This...” Mr. Wang hesitated.

“Not enough?” Dong Liancheng added another silver ingot, placing it in his hand, “Is this enough now?”

Mr. Wang looked helpless and turned to Wu Rui’an, “Master, what do you think...”

Wu Rui’an was not having it. Having never lacked money from childhood, he had never lost in financial matters.

Knowing he must be furious, Di Jiang tried to restrain him but failed. Wu Rui’an abruptly stood up, stormed forward, and stared intently at Dong Liancheng, forcing a smile, “Young Master, you have a lot of money, huh? Why don’t you just buy this inn and kick us out? Why bother asking for my opinion?”

“You!” Dong Liancheng, naturally angered by his shout, managed to suppress his anger and spoke politely, “Young Master, I was merely trying to discuss this with you. Why get so upset?”

“I’m not upset; I’ve just never been hit with money before. Go ahead and show me how it’s done,” Wu Rui’an sneered, seemingly determined to argue till the end.

“Why are you so unreasonable?” Dong Liancheng, pale with anger, was about to argue when Dong Yezhen interrupted, “Stop arguing.”

With a gentle smile, Dong Yezhen said softly, “Sister Biling said she would share a room with me. Since there are nine rooms available, there’s no need to trouble this young master and the two sisters.” She nodded apologetically to Di Jiang.

“This...” Dong Liancheng hesitated.

“Brother, no need to say more. We are the later arrivals,” Dong Yezhen concluded, then pulled Dong Biling’s hand and walked in.

“This is good, this is good!” Mr. Wang immediately beamed, leading the group into their rooms. Seeing this, Dong Liancheng ignored Wu Rui’an and helped the servants carry the luggage into their respective rooms.

“Country bumpkins dare to show off in front of me, how presumptuous!” Wu Rui’an rolled his eyes, snorted, and grumbled as he sat back down next to Di Jiang.

“Your Highness shouldn’t hold a grudge against them, right?” Di Jiang smiled, personally peeled half a roasted sweet potato, and fed it to Wu Rui’an.

Seeing this perk, Wu Rui’an stopped holding a grudge and temporarily forgot this unpleasant incident. Meanwhile, Wen Yao was still immersed in the fact that Baiyun Temple had become a Yue Lao Shrine, seemingly unaware of this minor episode. Her shoulders still trembled slightly, struggling to stifle her laughter.

Di Jiang sighed inwardly, thinking that once the weather cleared, she should visit the Yue Lao Shrine. There should be some clues there...