Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Tao'er glanced at it and found it amusing.

The name is straightforward and has a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), making it more unique than those shops with names like "悦来" (yuelai, meaning "pleasant arrival") or "顺风" (shunfeng, meaning "smooth sailing").

The door was half-open, and a dim light shone from inside.

Tao'er pushed open the door and went in. A waiter was dozing off at the counter. Hearing the noise, he suddenly looked up and his face instantly lit up with a smile: "Sir, are you checking in?"

Tao nodded, her eyes quickly scanning the store.

The lobby was small, with four or five tables, all of which were empty; there wasn't a single customer in sight.

Behind the counter sat a thin, middle-aged man, presumably the shopkeeper, fiddling with the abacus beads without looking up.

"A superior room."

Tao'er took out a tael of loose silver and placed it on the counter.

One must not take silver ingots, and one must not flaunt wealth in public.

The shopkeeper then raised his eyelids, glanced at her, then at Ayan behind her who was rubbing his eyes, slowly took the silver, and tossed it under the counter: "Waiter, take the customer upstairs."

"Alright!" The waiter eagerly led the way, carrying an oil lamp.

Tao'er pulled Ayan along as they followed, the wooden planks creaking under their feet.

The stairs were narrow and steep, and the paper pasted on the walls was yellowed and in some places was torn and patched up with paper.

This inn looks quite old, with a dilapidated feel to it.

The waiter pushed open a door and said, "Sir, this is the room."

We're the only shop in town, so please bear with us as the conditions are basic.

"What would you like for dinner? I'll bring it to you."

Tao'er glanced inside the room.

A four-poster bed, covered with blue quilts, looked fairly clean.

A square table, two chairs, and a set of rough porcelain tea set on the table.

"Just two simple side dishes and a bowl of rice."

"That's what Peach said."

"Alright!" The waiter turned and went downstairs with light steps.

Tao'er closed the door and looked around the room again.

The windows were wooden lattice windows covered with paper, and outside was a pitch-black night.

The latch is made of wood and looks sturdy.

Fifteen minutes later, the waiter brought up the food, which was all ordinary home-style dishes.

One dish is stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with eggs, and the other is stir-fried cabbage.

Tao'er nodded, then said, "Waiter, could you please boil some water up here..."

"Okay!"

Please wait a moment, sir!

The waiter acknowledged and respectfully withdrew.

After the two finished their simple meal, the waiter quickly brought two buckets of hot water to their room.

Tao said thank you, then quietly bolted the door, moved the chair to the door, and placed it behind the door.

Ah Yan was exhausted. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "Sister Tao'er, can I go to sleep now?"

"Take a shower first."

Tao'er rummaged through her bundle and pulled out a set of clean clothes.

After taking a bath, Ayan climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

The little guy must be tired after walking so much today.

However, this was also a test for him.

Tao'er was also tired, so she carried the water to her space and took a long, hot bath, which made her feel much better.

But she didn't fall asleep immediately. She just lay down next to Ayan fully clothed, with her eyes closed, but her ears remained awake.

This inn is so quiet.

Since they entered the shop, they haven't seen a single customer except for the waiter and the shopkeeper.

Although it is a remote town, it is not so that no one can find lodging for a whole day.

Moreover...

Tao'er recalled the shopkeeper's eyes. That one glance revealed a shrewdness that was hard to describe, unlike that of an ordinary shopkeeper.

She didn't open her eyes, and her breathing was steady, as if she were fast asleep.

Late at night.

After an unknown amount of time, extremely light footsteps suddenly came from outside the window.

The footsteps were very low, as if they were deliberately tiptoeing, but in the still of the night, Tao'er still caught them.

She suddenly opened her eyes.

Immediately afterwards, a wisp of white smoke drifted in through the hole in the window paper.

Sleeping smoke!

Tao'er's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly snapped out of her daze. She cursed under her breath: "Damn it, it really is a rip-off!"

Without a second thought, she scooped up the sleeping Ayan and, with a thought, the two vanished from the bed.

The space was warm and bright, a stark contrast to the cold and dark outside.

Ayan stirred in her arms, mumbled something, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

Tao'er placed him on the soft couch in the space, covered him with a quilt, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

She steadied herself and focused her attention on sensing what was outside.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the door was gently pried open.

The door latch was against the chair, but the two men were prepared. By some unknown means, they quietly pushed the door open a crack and moved the chair away.

Two dark figures slipped in.

By the moonlight streaming in through the window, Tao'er could clearly see that it was the shopkeeper and the waiter.

At this moment, the two men's faces were no longer tinged with the politeness and courtesy they had displayed during the day; only greed and ferocity remained.

The shop assistant carried a gleaming, sharp knife, while the shopkeeper headed straight for the bedside.

"Where is he?!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in a low voice.

The bed was empty, the blankets were still warm, but there was no one in sight.

The waiter was also stunned: "It was clearly still there just now, and the sleeping powder was blown in, so how could it be...?"

"Search!" the shopkeeper gritted his teeth. "Two grown people, can't they fly away?"

This is a fat sheep!

When Tao'er heard about the fat sheep, she thought, "Where did she show off her wealth?"

It seems the shopkeeper has done this kind of thing a lot; he's good at judging people and has a lot of experience!

Just like Sun Wukong's fiery eyes, he could see it at a glance.

"Boss, I see a girl dressed plainly, she doesn't look like a rich girl, she looks more like a maid, she probably doesn't have much money on her."

Are you sure you're not mistaken?

The waiter couldn't help but ask.

"You don't know anything!"

Lao Tzu has a very sharp eye; he could never be wrong.

That young master doesn't look like a farmer's child at all.

The shopkeeper slapped the waiter hard on the head.

The waiter nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes..."

The boss is right!

The two searched the room thoroughly, turning everything upside down—under the bed, inside the closets, even turning the bedding upside down—but couldn't find a single person.

"That's strange..." The waiter scratched his head, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

The shopkeeper's face was gloomy as his gaze swept across the room inch by inch, finally landing on the window.

He walked quickly over, pushed open the window, and saw only pitch-black night outside, with nothing in sight.

"Did he escape through the window?" the waiter asked, leaning closer.

"The window is closed, and the latch is still on."

This is fucking weird!

The shopkeeper said through gritted teeth.

The two walked around the room twice more, but ultimately left empty-handed.

"Damn it, there's nothing here?"

Could it be that these two figured it out and ran away beforehand?

"It could be the boss, otherwise why isn't he here?"

"Fine, I guess I'm just unlucky!"

Let's go!

Go wait for the next fat sheep!

The door was slammed shut.

Tao'er waited in the space for a long time until there was no more noise outside before she came out carrying Ayan.

The room still smelled of sleeping pills, and the window was half open, letting in the night wind that made the oil lamp on the table flicker.

She closed the window, bolted the door back in place, and pushed the chair back into its original position.

Ah Yan slept soundly in her arms, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Tao'er sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the sleeping little face, and suddenly chuckled softly.

The Tollbooth Inn?

That's a really fitting name—it wants not only money, but also life.

Unfortunately, tonight they encountered her.

A sly glint flashed in Tao'er's eyes, and she revealed a meaningful smile.

Come to life!