Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 156 Dangerous Jianghu
Nanzhi Inn is located in the downtown area northwest of Mo City. Liuyu Academy is just 20 to 30 miles outside the city. The inn is less than three miles away from the city gate, making it convenient to report to the academy the next day.

Chen Xuan and his friends had traveled through almost half of Mo City and only arrived here when it was almost dark. The inn was average, so they could only stay for one night.

It’s not that there are no better inns in Mo City. They passed by more than ten or twenty inns, but either they were full or there were not enough rooms. They finally came to Nanzhi Inn and found a room available.

At the beginning of the school year, most students from all over the country flocked here with their families. Mo City already has a large population, so it is normal for the inns to be full.

Walking along the way into the city, Chen Xuan sensed auras similar to those of Mr. Yushan and the black-robed old man who was eliminated that day. He felt more than a dozen of them, and there were even more like Zhao Qingluan and Geng Hong. It can only be said that it is worthy of being a big city, and a city near a key place like Liuyu Academy.

It is very difficult for a martial artist to hide his aura if he does not have the skill to conceal his breath. For example, when Chen Xuan saw Geng Hong for the first time, he felt his heart wavering just by looking at his back.

Chen Xuan didn't feel the aura of a congenital master. He didn't know whether he was hiding or because the distance was too far. But Chen Xuan dared to guarantee that there were definitely congenital masters in Mo City and its surrounding areas.

After all, it would be unreasonable if there were no innate masters near Liuyu Academy. I guess there are some inside the academy, definitely more than one!
Coming to a big city from a small place like Yang County is like jumping from a small pond into a big river. It is naturally a completely different experience.

At the inn door, Zhao Qingluan had no intention of staying overnight. Instead, he bowed and said, "When we meet, we must part ways. Young Master Gao, Young Master Chen, and all of you, thank you for your care along the way, but I have to say goodbye to you now."

Gao Jingming asked in surprise: "Miss Zhao, it's getting dark. Where are you going? Why don't you stay here for one night?"

"No, Mo City is so big, I plan to go around it, I'm not afraid of not being able to find a place to stay," Zhao Qingluan said with a smile.

Gao Jingming did not insist. The two of them just met by chance and were traveling together. After all, they were not related. He bowed and said, "Okay, Miss Zhao, take care."

"Well, take care of yourselves too. Remember to leave your address at this inn when you settle down. I will come to visit you again when I have the chance to reminisce about the past," Zhao Qingluan instructed.

Xiao Cai and Xiao Ye were actually a little reluctant to leave. After all, Zhao Qingluan was their only friend besides the Gao family. However, they were not on the same path after all, so separation was inevitable. They could only say, "We will leave our address. Take care, Sister Zhao."

"Okay, I'm leaving. You guys go in." Zhao Qingluan nodded, then waved his hand, got on his horse and left, very casually and decisively.

This is how people in the world are. After meeting by chance, they go their separate ways without too many concerns and are free.

In fact, Zhao Qingluan was pretending to be nonchalant, but she was still reluctant in her heart. However, she was also worried that they would be reluctant to separate after being together for a long time. That was not the way of life in the underworld she had imagined.

After they really parted ways, she felt a little confused. Chen Xuan and the others had arranged everything along the way.

Never mind, I'll just go wherever I can. I just heard there's something fun somewhere, I'll go check it out...

Chen Xuan completed the check-in formalities and naturally heard their other conversations. After that, he turned around and looked in the direction where Zhao Qingluan left and said, "Miss Zhao is leaving?"

In this era, the procedures for staying in an inn when traveling abroad are more complicated than in Chen Xuan's hometown. You have to register detailed information so that if something happens, there will be a trace to follow. Of course, this is the case for regular inns, but it is another matter for black shops. Usually, people in the underworld don't like regular inns because it is not convenient for them to run away.

"Yes, he's leaving. Why, A Xuan, are you reluctant to let him go?" Gao Jingming joked.

Chen Xuan shook his head and smiled: "Why should I be reluctant to leave? Haven't I met enough people along the way?"

"That's true, but A Xuan, you said that you wanted to find a girl with strong martial arts skills in the future. I think Miss Zhao is a good choice. It's a pity that your ages are not suitable," Gao Jingming said regretfully.

Chen Xuan's face darkened. What the hell was going on? Not to mention the age mismatch, even if they were of the same age, Zhao Qingluan was not his type. Not only did her martial arts skills not meet his requirements, but her appearance also did not meet his expectations. It was far from enough.

Speechless, Chen Xuan changed the subject and said, "Master, let's go. Everything is done. Let's go back to the room first." Then he said to Geng Hong and the others, "Master Geng, please take the carriage to the stables behind the inn. Let's rest for a while and then we can discuss something."

"OK……"

I have arrived at my destination and there are no outsiders around, so it's time to restore my identity. Although the difference is not big, I still need to pay attention to it.

Of course it doesn’t matter to family members, but Gao Jingming is from a circle of scholars after all, so he wants to avoid giving people the impression that his Gao family has no rules.

Next, everyone went back to their rooms to rest, take a shower, change clothes, wash off the dust, and then gathered in a private room to ask the store to send some food. The inn also runs a catering business, which is still the bulk of the income.

Behind closed doors, there was no such formality. Everyone sat down, and Gao Jingming asked while eating, "Ah Xuan, you said you had something to discuss. What was it?"

"It's nothing serious. I just want to ask, young master, are you planning to find a place to stay around the academy, or in Mo City? This needs to be determined first, and then we can make arrangements later," Chen Xuan pondered.

Although he wanted to stay in the city, he still had to ask Gao Jingming's opinion on this matter.

Then he briefly discussed the pros and cons of being inside and outside the city. Being close to Liuyu Academy was convenient for studying, but it was a bit of a drawback in terms of living. Living inside the city was convenient, but getting to and from the academy was quite troublesome. Gao Jingming pondered this for a moment, but didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, he asked Chen Xuan, "Xuan, what do you think?"

"Young Master, this is up to you to decide," Chen Xuan said with a helpless smile.

Gao Jingming pondered for a moment and said, "In the short term, it's naturally better to be closer to the academy, but we won't be here for just one or two days. In the future, it will be more convenient to interact with people and get together with classmates in the city, so let's go inside the city."

Xiao Ye also agreed, "Let's do as the young master said. Before we set off, Butler He said that after the young master enters the academy, he will have to study there 25 days a month and live in the dormitory. The only time he can relax is during the five-day holiday at the end of the month. Naturally, it would be better to stay in the city."

"Well, Madam also said that when you are studying, you should study hard and focus on it. When you are relaxing, you can also relax appropriately and combine work and rest," Xiao Cai also nodded.

It is indeed like this. Although Liuyu Academy is not a closed-off school with walls, everyone is busy studying at school. Who would have the mood to have fun in such a busy atmosphere? Scholars of this era read books for themselves, not to please their families and teachers. Of course, those who do not consider their future are another matter.

In fact, the food and accommodation in the academy had been determined long before the New Year. After admission, food and accommodation are all within the academy. You can bring maids and servants to take care of your life, and you can concentrate on studying.

But apart from that, you always need a private space to stay, so it is necessary to prepare additional accommodation.

You can't just enter Liuyu Academy if you want to. You either have to pay a large amount of tuition every year, or you have to be outstanding in academics. In short, the threshold is very high.

For those with outstanding academic achievements, the academy will reduce or waive tuition fees as appropriate, and even provide extra bonuses if they rank at the top in the semi-annual assessments. If their grades are average, they can only pay the money or use connections.

The tuition fee of this academy seemed outrageous to Chen Xuan. It was three thousand taels of silver per year. If you were to fail after a period of time, you would be at risk of being dismissed no matter how much you paid!
The tuition fee of three thousand taels of silver a year is a terrifying astronomical figure for most people in the world.

The waiter at Deweilou in Yang County could work hard for a thousand years but only earn enough for one year's tuition!

This is also why the Gao family only arranged for Gao Jingming to enroll in school, but did not give the same admission qualifications to Chen Xuan, the servant, even though he also had meritorious service.

It's too expensive. Before this, Chen Xuan was not worth such a large investment from the Gao family. Maybe they will consider it in a few years when he grows up a little.

Although Chen Xuan could not study in the classroom with Gao Jingming, he could move around in the academy, read Gao Jingming's books, and pay to go to the academy's library to read books. Even because Gao Jingming himself paid a large amount of tuition, as a book boy, the academy did not prohibit him from attending classes outside the classroom and turned a blind eye.

Anyway, the academy is very humane in this regard. As long as you don't cause trouble and behave well, you may be noticed by a teacher and accepted into his school. This is why countless students will try their luck at Liuyu Academy.

Since Gao Jingming wanted to set up a private space in the city, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Then it's settled."

As he said this, he looked at Geng Hong and the others and made arrangements: "Master Geng, you guys will have to work hard tomorrow. Master Geng will accompany me and the young master to report to the academy. Master Zhao, you sold the carriage and horses to get your money back. There's no need to keep them. They're troublesome to feed. Master Jiang, please ask around in the city for houses for sale or long-term rental. Keep an eye out for a few, and I'll determine the price when the time comes. Try to sell them for less than 500 taels, and rent them for no more than 100 taels a year. They should be good, so as not to let the young master down. It's best to stay close to the academy. Finally, Master Luo, you should learn about the layout of the entire Mo City. It would be best if you could buy a relatively detailed map so that the young master can live and play in the city in the future."

"Okay, we'll remember that," Geng Hong and the others nodded seriously, thinking that Xuan Ge'er was becoming more and more like a qualified housekeeper.

It was necessary to sell the carriage, and there was no point in keeping it, because there were many carriage and horse shops doing passenger business between Mocheng and the academy, and even many sedan chair bearers. Almost everyone in the academy was well-off, and some people would rack their brains to provide them with enjoyment and earn money from their pockets.

Gao Jingming looked at Chen Xuan and said sincerely: "It's so worry-free to have you accompany me, Xuan. You help me arrange everything in an orderly manner."

"It's my duty," Chen Xuan said with a smile. Since I'm taking your family's salary, of course I have to do my job well.

After the discussion, everyone went back to their rooms to rest after eating and drinking.

Once everything here is back on track, at least half of Geng Hong and his four guards will return to the Gao family in Yang County.

The next morning, after breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Chen Xuan, Gao Jingming, Xiao Cai and the others went to the academy to report with all kinds of credentials.

Somewhere in Mo City, after one night, poor Miss Zhao was cheated out of all her money. She was completely confused. How could so much money be lost to her?

But she felt it was reasonable and could not find an excuse to turn against him. She could only blame herself for being too unlucky.

She looked at the steaming food on the street early in the morning and swallowed her saliva secretly.

She had just arrived in Mo City and left yesterday full of energy and energy, only to find herself in the treacherous world of Jianghu, learning a lesson. She was as innocent as a flower, who else could she deceive? Fortunately, Zhao Qingluan possessed impressive martial arts skills, so they only cheated her out of money. Otherwise, she might have been sold to a brothel!
She was penniless and wanted to ask Chen Xuan and the others for help, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. After a walk around, she had no other choice but to pawn her snake tendon, otherwise she would not even have money to eat.

However, what confused her was where to get the money next?

The world is too difficult, I want to go home...

(End of this chapter)