Nine-layer armor-breaking

Chapter 83 Debt
The afterglow fades and it is dusk.

The sunlight, with a hint of residual warmth and an orange-red color, was reflected through the gaps in the light-transmitting windows and doors, either in the form of thin lines or dots and blocks, in the elegant room that was neither too wide nor too narrow, but rather square.

The young man, wearing only his undershirt, sat cross-legged on a gray-brown cushion. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, his breathing was slightly heavy, and fine beads of sweat kept merging on his forehead, forming long lines that flowed down his cheeks, down his jaw, and onto his clothes.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his chest rose and fell more violently, and his breathing became more rapid.

He concentrated his mind and calmed his breath, as if he was struggling for some moment, unwilling to relax even a little bit of his strength.

His body shook slightly. At this moment, the handsome young man felt extremely hot and his posture became increasingly unstable as he made the final impact.

Finally, the strange juice was consumed in the body.

The young man's eyes moved slightly, he let out a long breath, and his body felt more and more relaxed.

"Seventh level of the Heavenly Stage!"

The young man's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but be surprised.

Only after he personally experienced the surprise brought by this muscle-strengthening powder did he truly feel the shock of a "shortcut".

The benefits this shortcut brought him also made him taste the sweetness. Jiang Xuan seemed to have made up his mind. A look of joy flashed across his face, and he nodded vigorously with an unusually determined expression.

……

"You already owe three days' rent, and it's almost evening. If you continue to stay in our inn, you'll need to pay for at least four days' rent. If you don't plan to stay any longer, please settle the rent for these few days and vacate the room as soon as possible."

"Your Yunchen Inn is one of the best in Qizhou City. Are you afraid that an old man like me will owe you room fees?"

The man continued, "I've already told you that my disciple is currently in seclusion in his room, so it's inconvenient to disturb him right now. When he wakes up, he'll naturally settle the room fee and won't default on your debt."

"It's not that I'm unkind, but if there's any shortfall in your monthly salary at the end of the month, I'll make up for it in full. You know, I don't have the money to cover your shortfall."

"Isn't it still a few days until the end of the month? I've told you several times, either today or tomorrow, I must let my disciple settle your account for the next few days."

"I see you drinking Xuan Ji's Peach Blossom every day. You don't seem to be a person short of money." The owner of the voice sounded a little timid.

"Eh? I say, you don't understand what I'm saying or..."

Jiang Xuan listened to the noisy sound downstairs and immediately distinguished Sha Lao's voice from the various noises.

Looking around, Jiang Xuan indeed could not find any trace of Old Sha. Even all the furnishings in the room were the same as when he was in seclusion, with no signs that Old Sha had moved them.

Jiang Xuan shook his head, thinking he was being foolish. When he chose a place to meditate, he deliberately left the only bed in the room for Sha Lao, but it seemed that Sha Lao had not returned to his room in the past few days.

He immediately got up, put on his coat, and prepared to go downstairs to find out what was going on, or rather, to solve the problem.

"Thum...thum...thum..."

Amid the argument between Mr. Sha and the waiter, Jiang Xuan went downstairs.

"Okay?" Old Sha was the first to hear Jiang Xuan's footsteps. He turned around and looked at the handsome young man who was slowly walking down the stairs.

"Yeah!" Jiang Xuan's eyes showed joy, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly, forming a perfect and beautiful arc.

"Mr. Sha, what is this?" Jiang Xuan asked with concern.

As the noise stopped, following Jiang Xuan's voice, he immediately came into the sight of all the people watching.

The triumphant young man stirred the hearts of all the women present. Young girls, in their prime, couldn't hide their true feelings, and even a few older women couldn't help but reveal their true feelings, though they were immediately restrained by the glances of the men they met. Among the younger generation in Yingzhou City, two were recognized as outstanding in appearance: one was Xing Yue, the son of the Xing family, and the other was Jiang, the son of the Jiang family. The difference was that Xing Yue was taller and more handsome, and with his greater martial arts aptitude, he was the more sought-after one in Yingzhou City.

However, as the "second most beautiful boy" in Yingzhou City, Jiang Xuan also has his own attractive qualities.

……

"That's right, sir."

Before Mr. Sha could answer, the waiter beside him spoke first.

Jiang Xuan looked at the waiter who was talking, then turned his head to look at Mr. Sha. Finally, at Mr. Sha's helpless look, Jiang Xuan met the waiter's somewhat anxious gaze.

Seeing the young man's chin rise slightly, the waiter, with a shrewd look on his face, immediately said, "Sir, the old man who was traveling with you hasn't paid for the room for the past few days. He said he would renew it after you come out of seclusion."

The waiter spoke lightly, but Jiang Xuan's temples tightened. He asked, "How much is it in total?"

"Please wait a moment!" The waiter's eyes flashed, as if he had hope. He immediately took out the account book and calculated quickly.

"A total of twelve taels... three hundred and fifty wen."

"How much?" Jiang Xuan was very surprised by the number proposed by the waiter. He raised his eyebrows and blurted out.

"The room fee for three days is only one or two hundred coins of silver, plus food and drink... is that possible?" Jiang Xuan thought to himself.

Turning around, Jiang Xuan looked at Old Sha in surprise. Looking at Old Sha's somewhat wry smile and the look as if he wanted to escape, Jiang Xuan understood what was going on.

"Mr. Sha, give it to him." Jiang Xuan sighed lightly, but there was no blame in his voice, just a little helpless.

"Give what?" Old Sha spread his hands.

Although Jiang Xuan felt a little pained, he remembered that the money in the purse was enough to pay the bill of Yunchen Inn, and said doubtfully: "Didn't you take the purse? Then..."

Before Jiang Xuan could finish his words, Sha Lao pulled him away from the crowd and said, "The money in the purse has been spent."

Jiang Xuan was about to say something when Old Sha interrupted him, "I'm not here for fun and games, old man. Anyway, don't ask any more questions and go pay the rent."

"Where can I find the money to pay for the rent?" Jiang Xuan was very confused about what Mr. Sha said, and said in a low and anxious voice.

And Sha Lao was even more shocked, and whispered hurriedly, "You don't have any private money?"

Jiang Xuan's heart was pounding, obviously shocked by Mr. Sha's shocking words.

As the two were looking at each other, Jiang Xuan seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly heaved a sigh of relief and walked up to the waiter.

"I'm sorry for the delay in paying the room fee, but my money isn't here. I need to go out for a while now, and I'll settle all the expenses when I return."

The waiter agreed to Jiang Xuan's proposal. Obviously, there was no better way to get them to pay their debts without damaging their relationship. After a moment's thought, he glanced at the shopkeeper and said, "Okay, I'll wait here for you, sir. Please take your time."

"Then I, the old man, will stay here so that others won't worry. You go and come back quickly." Old Sha said to Jiang Xuan in a somewhat deliberate tone, but he looked at the waiter from time to time.

The waiter felt a little embarrassed and forced a smile, then lowered his head and continued to cooperate with the shopkeeper to settle the bill, but in his heart he was relieved about Mr. Sha's behavior.

……

The sky was getting darker and darker. Jiang Xuan walked quickly towards the north gate in the last bit of daylight.

(End of this chapter)