In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 500 Is this post station a shady business?

"Let's find a corner to eat first, and then ask for two adjacent superior rooms."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan raised his hand and tossed a small piece of gold weighing about an ounce to the waiter.

The waiter caught the broken pieces of gold with quick reflexes, took a bite, and then called out with a smile, "Alright! Two superior rooms right next door."

The waiter called out to the counter, then bowed and greeted Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue with a beaming smile.

After Gu Shaoan ordered the food and the waiter left, Mei Jiangxue used a secret telepathic communication method to inquire, "Senior Brother, don't you usually prefer a seat by the window? Why did you choose this corner today? Is something wrong?"

It must be said that Mei Jiangxue was indeed very perceptive.

Even on a simple matter like choosing a location, they can spot something amiss immediately.

Gu Shaoan, equally engrossed in the telepathic transmission, said, "The waiter smelled of human blood, and within that bloody smell was the scent of poison."

Upon hearing this, Mei Jiangxue's expression darkened slightly.

"Does Senior Brother mean that this post station is a shady business?"

"The poisonous aura on the waiter's body was not a sleeping potion, but the poison of the seven-colored datura, which is extremely potent. However, although the seven-colored datura is not rare, it still requires careful cultivation and is not cheap. If it were a black market business, this kind of poison would not be used."

"Does Senior Brother mean a feud between martial artists?"

Gu Shaoan nodded, indicating that he could not rule out that possibility.

Mei Jiangxue suddenly realized and said, "No wonder Senior Brother chose a corner seat."

Just as she finished speaking, Mei Jiangxue seemed to sense something and suddenly looked towards the door.

The next moment, the half-closed wooden door of the post station was gently pushed open. Before the creaking sound of the hinges turning had even faded, more than a dozen white figures filed in.

The dozen or so women were all dressed in white dresses that trailed on the ground. The hems of their dresses swayed gently with their steps, like plum blossoms swaying gracefully in the snow. Their faces were covered with snow-white veils, revealing only pairs of clear, cold eyes.

Each person held a long sword with a sheath, the sheath being pure white, matching the color of their clothing.

Just as these women entered the inn, a delicate fragrance, like that of camellias, wafted into the hall on the night breeze. The fragrance was light and refreshing, yet possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly filling the entire space.

This made the air inside the inn, which was originally filled with the mixed smells of food and sweat, seem to have been cleansed, leaving a cool and refreshing feeling.

The moment the fragrance reached his nose, Gu Shaoan paused slightly in his hand holding the teacup, raised his eyes, and swept his gaze like lightning over the women who had just entered the post station.

Immediately afterward, as if he had thought of something, Gu Shaoan's sword intent stirred slightly, and he focused his gaze on the leader among the dozen or so women. Then, he glanced in a certain direction outside the post station and chuckled softly.

"Interesting! I can't believe I ran into someone here."

Hearing the murmurs coming from Gu Shaoan's mouth, Mei Jiangxue immediately cast a questioning look at him.

"Senior brother, do you know these people?"

When Mei Jiangxue asked him a question via telepathy, Gu Shaoan shook his head: "I don't recognize the people, but their temperament, aura, and overall feeling are familiar."

"Ok?"

Although the voice transmitted through the secret was soft and gentle, Mei Jiangxue, who had spent many years with Gu Shaoan, could clearly sense the faint contempt in his words.

Based on Mei Jiangxue's understanding of Gu Shaoan, Gu Shaoan was always gentle and kind to people. Even when facing strangers, his demeanor was like a spring breeze, unlike now, where his tone clearly carried a hint of contempt.

Gu Shaoan's reaction made Mei Jiangxue turn her head again to look at the women who had just entered the post station, but her gaze was now filled with more inquiry and scrutiny.

The more Mei Jiangxue looked, the more familiar these women seemed to her.

Immediately afterward, a thought flashed through Mei Jiangxue's mind, and she suddenly understood why she felt a sense of familiarity towards these unfamiliar women.

"Senior brother, could these people be from the Cihang Jingzhai of the Great Sui Kingdom?"

In response to Mei Jiangxue's question, Gu Shaoan nodded slightly.

With Gu Shaoan's confirmation, Mei Jiangxue suddenly understood.

He then curled his lip, and his gaze toward the women held a hint of disdain.

Mei Jiangxue originally had a favorable impression of Cihang Jingzhai, a prestigious and upright sect.

However, as Mei Jiangxue schemed against Gu Shaoan one after another, and learned about the true nature of Cihang Jingzhai, this so-called prestigious sect, Mei Jiangxue became just like Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan.

They were filled with disdain for the Cihang Jingzhai faction.

At the entrance, the waiter saw the dozen or so women in white and quickly slung the rag he was using to wipe the table over his shoulder, greeting them with a beaming smile.

He bowed slightly, but his steps were very light, as if he was afraid of disturbing the group of uninvited guests. He greeted them attentively from a distance of about ten feet, and then bowed and scraped to find other guests in the hall to make room for three adjacent tables before welcoming the group of women to sit down.

"Our shop also has a few superior rooms, with newly changed bedding and ginseng chicken soup warming on the stove. May I ask who you fairies are?"

A slightly tall woman glanced at the waiter and said in a clear, melodious voice, "I'd like a few pots of tea and some light vegetarian dishes. Thank you for your help, waiter."

"Alright! Six pots of tea and some light vegetarian dishes." The waiter responded and then turned to call out to the back of the restaurant.

After the waiter left, the tall woman's gaze swept around the lobby, then lingered briefly on Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue, who were wearing straw hats, before slowly withdrawing her gaze.

"The food is here, sir. Please enjoy your meal."

A moment later, as the food was served to Gu Shaoan, he raised his right hand and took off his bamboo hat. Mei Jiangxue, standing beside him, followed suit.

As the two removed their straw hats, their faces were revealed.

Some people in the lobby who were secretly watching the two of them paused for a moment when they saw their appearance and demeanor.

Even the dozen or so women were stunned by Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue's impeccable looks and unique temperament when their eyes fell on them.

A few moments later, the tall woman in white turned her gaze away from Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue, exchanged glances with the people at the next table, and their eyes showed a hint of wariness.

Despite the attention they received, Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue seemed oblivious to their surroundings, picking up their chopsticks and eating slowly and deliberately.

A moment later, the waiter brought tea and some vegetarian dishes to the women's table.

Just as the waiter left, the tall woman in Cihang Jingzhai suddenly glanced at the other person sitting opposite her.

Noticing the tall woman's gaze, the Cihang Jingzhai disciple first glanced discreetly at the waiter and the shopkeeper who was engrossed in calculating accounts not far away, then quietly slipped one hand into his sleeve.

The next moment, Gu Shaoan suddenly heard a faint sound, like a wax ball being crushed.

A few breaths later, a peculiar scent entered Gu Shaoan's nose.

Upon noticing this peculiar scent, Gu Shaoan paused slightly in the hand holding his chopsticks.

He then casually put down his chopsticks, picked up the celadon teapot on the table, and refilled the Mei Jiangxue teacup beside him with tea.

When the tea was about eight-tenths full, Mei Jiangxue subconsciously wanted to open her mouth to thank Gu Shaoan.

Before Mei Jiangxue could even utter a sound, Gu Shaoan lightly touched the tea in the teacup with one of his fingers.

Immediately afterward, in Mei Jiangxue's view, the tea, which had just been emerald green, turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It's like suddenly changing from green tea to black tea.

Upon seeing this, Mei Jiangxue's pupils contracted slightly.

But the next second, Mei Jiangxue seemed to realize something, and her expression darkened slightly.

After saying "Thank you, senior brother" again, Mei Jiangxue picked up her teacup and sipped the tea.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he unconsciously swept his gaze over Cihang Jingzhai and the waiters in the lobby, and a sense of vigilance crept into his heart.

Seeing Mei Jiangxue drink the tea, Gu Shaoan put down the teapot, but a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Before long, the waiter brought tea and vegetarian food to the table of the women of Cihang Jingzhai.

Once the food and tea were served, the waiter, still holding a wooden tray, smiled and said, "Please enjoy your meal, ladies. If you need anything, just call me."

The tall Cihang Jingzhai disciple nodded first, then said in a gentle tone, "I have a question I'd like to ask you, Brother Er."

The waiter smiled and said, "Please speak, fairy. I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability."

Upon hearing this, the tall disciple slightly raised his head, his eyes behind the snow-white veil looking directly at the waiter, and asked, "May I ask, waiter, where have the disciples and elders of my Cihang Jingzhai been imprisoned by your demonic sect?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter was stunned, a blank look appearing on his face, as if he had not understood the meaning behind the words.

But the next second after that bewildered expression appeared, a chilling killing intent suddenly erupted in his eyes. Before the fawning smile on his face had faded, his right hand flashed across the side of the tray like a venomous snake.

With a soft "click," a wooden-handled dagger was pulled from the tray's hidden compartment. The dark blue blade drew a cold arc in the candlelight, accompanied by a sharp, short whistling sound, and pierced straight at the tall woman's heart. The movement was so fast that it happened in the blink of an eye.

However, when the dagger's cold glint was still three inches from the woman's clothes, the waiter's body suddenly stiffened and he trembled violently, as if struck in the chest by an invisible giant hammer.

Immediately afterwards, the ferocious murderous intent on his face was replaced by astonishment, and the wooden-handled dagger in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Then, the waiter collapsed to the ground unconscious, as if all his bones had been removed.

Not only the waiters, but almost at the same moment, the customers in the lobby who were eating or whispering in the lobby also seemed to have their strings snapped by invisible threads, their bodies stiffening suddenly and then collapsing.

Some people slumped over the table, their foreheads hitting the edges of the dishes with a dull thud; others slumped off the bench and fell to the ground.

In just three breaths, the once lively lobby suddenly became deathly silent.

At this point, all the disciples of Cihang Jingzhai suddenly stood up.

The tall disciple at the head of the group drew her sword, and with a flick of her wrist, the tip of the sword slicing through the air and slicing directly across the neck of the waiter on the ground, drawing a spurt of blood.

After killing the waiter, the woman said in a deep voice, "According to the information, Elder Bai and the others are being held captive in this inn by the Demonic Sect. Go quickly."

She gave instructions in a very fast pace, and as she spoke, the woman's eyes habitually scanned her surroundings to confirm the situation.

But the moment her gaze swept over the corner, the rest of her sentence caught in her throat.

Noticing the woman's unusual behavior, the other disciples of Cihang Jingzhai also looked in the direction she was looking.

Immediately afterward, amidst the astonished expressions of the Cihang Jingzhai disciples, Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue continued eating their meal at the square table in the corner, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

He stood out starkly from the other unconscious people in the hall.

(End of this chapter)