Chapter 309 Black Shop
Seeing that Chu Ci had no objection, the Crown Prince's expression relaxed slightly. He then waved his hand and shouted, "Since that's the case, don't waste time and set off immediately!"
At the command, everyone whipped their horses, and the sound of hooves echoed like rolling thunder as they galloped towards the northern border. Dust and smoke billowed, obscuring the sky and the sun. The team was like a surging torrent, moving forward without hesitation.
Because the journey was extremely urgent, except for the places where Chu Ci had to collect food, the rest of the people even ate immediately. They hurriedly took a few bites of dry food, swallowed it whole without chewing, and continued on their way.
The entire journey was at full speed without stopping for a moment.
Therefore, when night slowly fell like a thick black curtain and the surroundings were gradually swallowed by darkness, everyone realized that they had missed their destination.
"Just look for one nearby. If that doesn't work, just find a dilapidated temple to stay for the night." The prince frowned, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes, but he quickly calmed himself down and gave the order in a firm tone.
"Yes." Everyone obeyed the order and responded in unison.
Soon, four people went to explore in different directions.
"Prince, there is a light in the southeast direction. It should be the Jiaye Inn." Soon, one of them came back quickly.
After a tiring day, the prince didn't care whether it was a wild inn or not. Now he just wanted to find a place to have a good sleep.
But I didn't expect that this shop in the middle of nowhere was so dilapidated, with the wood of the doors and windows rotten and shaky, as if it would fall apart at any moment.
The paper on the window was also extremely torn. When the wind blew gently, it made a "whooshing" sound, like the sobbing of a ghost.
But it was from such a store that the aroma of meat wafted out. The aroma was rich and mellow, and seemed out of place in this desolate place.
All these signs make people suspicious.
Lieutenant General Luo, upon seeing this, looked solemn, his brows furrowed. He approached the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, this place is quite strange. I'm afraid something is wrong. Why don't we find another place?"
His tone was full of worry and caution.
But as soon as he finished speaking, the shop owner came out with a smile on his face.
Especially when he saw the group of more than ten of them, all riding tall horses, dressed in fine clothes and with a majestic demeanor, his smile instantly turned into an extremely fawning one. "Dear guests, please come in! Our inn may be simple, but we are sure to satisfy you!"
That flattering attitude was almost servile.
Although the prince took Deputy General Luo's words to heart and became somewhat cautious, he was absolutely confident in the fighting power of their group.
After all, the people accompanying them are all experienced masters who have been on the battlefield for a long time and have experienced countless bloody storms. I think they are not afraid of any trouble that this small wild inn can cause.
So, the prince casually threw his whip to the innkeeper. The eunuch accompanying the prince immediately threw over a piece of silver weighing about three taels and shouted, "Clean up the inn immediately. Don't be careless!"
"Also, all of our horses here are fed with the best fodder. If there's any mistake, you'll be in trouble!"
The prince added proudly, "If you have any fine wine or food in the restaurant, bring it up quickly!"
The innkeeper nodded and bowed in agreement, his face filled with an ingratiating smile that seemed to contain endless flattery. He shouted, "Don't dawdle, hurry up and clean the inn, prepare the food and drinks, and make sure to serve our distinguished guests well!"
Following the boss's shout, three waiters rushed out from the kitchen in a short while.
A remote inn with three waiters? This is really unusual and makes people suspicious.
Chu Ci frowned slightly when he saw this, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.
Then, she calmly asked "Xing'er" to turn on all functions, quietly preparing to deal with all unknown situations, with a firm and alert look in her eyes.
Turning his head to look at the prince, he saw that although the people around him were sitting around the table, their bodies were tense, like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to shoot.
This was especially true when the waiter came forward to serve the dishes. The guards' eyes were as sharp as hawks, watching the waiter's every move, as if they would suddenly attack and hurt him if the waiter made the slightest movement, nipping the danger in the bud in an instant, showing a terrifying momentum.
However, faced with such a powerful presence, the waiter showed no fear at all. Instead, he showed a hint of disdain. He then threw a few plates of vegetables heavily onto the table and retreated without looking back.
The aroma of meat filled the air, but only a few plates of vegetables were left. Even though everyone already knew that this restaurant was not good, they couldn't help but eat it.
The young eunuch beside the crown prince was particularly angry. His thin face was filled with anger. He immediately stood up and shouted at the shop owner in a shrill voice: "Shopkeeper, are you looking down on our master? We are all honored guests, and you are just giving us a few plates of vegetables?"
The shop owner seemed to have expected this and quickly explained with a smile, "It's a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding. Please don't be angry, my dear guests. This meat doesn't come from our shop, so we really can't use it to treat you."
"Oh, it's not yours, could it be from another customer?" Chu Ci's eyes lit up slightly when he heard this, and he pretended to be interested. "Shopkeeper, do you allow customers to use the kitchen privately? How much is it per use? Can we use it too?"
As soon as Chu Ci finished speaking, Qianxue took out a piece of silver worth about five cents from her purse and threw it in front of the shopkeeper with a clang. "Excuse me, shopkeeper, please lead the way."
It was just a simple statement, but the shopkeeper understood that it was a request that could not be refused.
At that moment, the shop owner even felt a little regretful. He shouldn't have welcomed them in just to see how rich they were.
Unfortunately, there is everything in this world except regret.
In desperation, the shop owner could only call out another waiter, "Take this young... young man to the kitchen. He can use the ingredients and vegetables as he pleases. Just register."
Although the shop owner changed his words quickly, Qianxue still keenly caught the strangeness at that moment. She knew in her heart that her identity as a woman had been discovered.
She simply gave up and said in a sweet voice, "Shopkeeper, you have a good eye. Since you've noticed it, I'm sure you understand that I can't handle it alone."
"So it's not just me, but three of us. Is that okay with the store?"
If the shopkeeper had not seen the tense expressions of the people at the table, he might have really thought that they were three ignorant young ladies out for a trip.
Now, he only heard full of threats, and could only squeeze out a fake smile, his mouth twitching as he said, "No problem, no problem. Liu Saner, why don't you quickly lead the way for these ladies——"
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