Chapter 23: One Room at the Inn

A light drizzle fell over He Wushan.

Dusk had slowly faded into night.

One after another, travelers hurried into the nearby inn to escape the rain.

“Looks like it won’t stop anytime soon.”

“Yeah, better head inside.”

“Hope I can still make it to the capital in time for the exams.”

“Hey, look, another scholar coming.”

“Wait—are those two white cloths hanging from the tree?”

“No, not cloths. Two people in white robes.”

“It’s raining—why aren’t they in a hurry?”

The chatter filled the small inn.

Because of the rain, no one wanted to linger outside.

Several servers dashed between tables, pouring wine and serving dishes.

The innkeeper stood behind the counter, fingers clacking over his abacus, his face beaming with profit.

The travelers, unable to stand the quiet, filled the room with laughter and tall tales over warm wine and hot food.

Then, the door creaked open.

A young woman stepped inside.

All conversation ceased.

Even the servers froze mid-motion, not noticing the wine spilling over cups until it splashed across a customer’s robes.

Only then did they recover and hurriedly apologize.

The girl was dressed entirely in white.

Her black hair shimmered like silk and fell to her waist like flowing tassels.

Her deep blue eyes were clear as lake water, calm and fathomless.

Her skin was pale as snow, her expression cool and distant, yet her beauty was so striking it silenced the room.

A few men exchanged looks, tempted to strike up conversation—

But before they could move, a man stepped in from behind her.

He was tall and straight as a blade, his skin a healthy bronze.

His brows were sharp, his nose high, his lips thin and firmly pressed, and his dark eyes gleamed with restrained light.

A long blade rested in his arms, and with a single sweeping glance, the few bold travelers promptly sat back down.

Either she was already spoken for, or this was her bodyguard.

Either way, no one wanted trouble.

The man took a half-step back and spoke softly.

“Shijie.”

“Mm.”

Lin Lingshu gave a small nod, satisfied with how quickly the crowd learned to mind its place.

This was already their third day on the road.

Because of her own stubbornness, they’d missed the best timing to take the sect’s teleportation array and had been forced to rely on smaller waystations ever since.

At every inn, there were always a few men with more curiosity than sense who tried to talk to her.

Once or twice she tolerated it, but after several incidents, her patience had worn thin.

Finally, she made Wang Shuheng stand in front of her with his sword drawn—it reduced unwanted attention drastically.

And when a few rogues tried to use underhanded tricks, she simply told Wang Shuheng to disable one of their arms and toss them out.

By now, she thought with faint amusement, these travelers were at least civilized.

Still, Lin Lingshu couldn’t help her curiosity.
The body’s original owner had only been moderately pretty, yet trouble kept finding her.

She didn’t realize that when she came into this world, something subtle had changed—
The aura of this body had deepened, refined itself, and her features had slowly begun shifting toward something quietly enchanting.

From her storage ring, Lin Lingshu pulled out a small piece of silver and tossed it to the innkeeper.

“Two rooms. And bring your best wine and dishes.”

The innkeeper caught the silver and bowed with a smile.

“Esteemed guests, we only have one room left.”

“Then one room it is. Bring an extra mattress.”

“At once, honored guests! Xiao Liu, show them upstairs.”

A young server hurried over and led Lin Lingshu and Wang Shuheng up to the second floor.

“This is the one, honored guests,” the server said at the door.

Lin Lingshu tossed him a few coppers, which he caught eagerly.

Then she dangled another piece of silver before his eyes.

“Bring up some hot water.”

The boy bowed low.

“With pleasure, honored guest!”

Money truly made one a master.

Lin Lingshu pushed open the door.

The interior was simple, barely furnished.

She walked straight to the bed and flopped down.

“Shidi, you’ll have to make do on the floor tonight.”

Wang Shuheng stepped inside and looked at her relaxed posture.

“Yes, Shijie.”

Lin Lingshu rolled over lazily and stared at the ceiling.

“Shidi, how many more days of travel do we have?”

“Shijie, are you tired?”

He didn’t answer directly.

“Not really. Just sore all over from walking so much.”

“I know a bit of massage technique. Would you like me to try?”

Her first instinct was Yes!—after all, it was free service.

But her mind immediately conjured the image of him leaning over her while she sighed ‘so comfortable’—

Too suggestive! Damn it!

Lying back on the bed, Lin Lingshu waved him off.

“No need, Shidi. I’ll rest a bit and be fine.”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Honored guest, your wine, dishes, and hot water have arrived!”

“Come in.”

A server entered, carrying folded bedding, followed by several others with steaming dishes.

Two more came struggling with a large wooden tub filled with hot water.

The moment Lin Lingshu saw the food, her fatigue vanished.
She jumped off the bed, tossed the servers another piece of silver, which immediately sent them into a cheerful scramble.

“Split it among yourselves.”

Their grateful thanks echoed as they left.

Lin Lingshu picked up her chopsticks and tried a bite of stir-fried cabbage.

After so much meat on Shuiyue Peak, she’d gone numb to its taste.

A little plain food was a welcome change.

The cabbage was decent.

She reached over to dip her hand into the tub, testing the water’s heat.

Then she turned toward Wang Shuheng, who was unrolling his bedding on the floor.

“Shidi, out.”

“Eh? Shijie?”

He looked back at her in confusion.

Lin Lingshu’s fingers went to the ties of her robe.

“Your shijie is going to bathe. Do you think it’s appropriate for you to stay?”

“My apologies! Shijie, I was thoughtless.”

He immediately set down what he was holding and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Lin Lingshu turned the latch, slipped off her robe, and began untying her inner garments.

In the reflection of the water, a delicate silhouette shimmered back at her.

Her heart was calm—almost detached.

She sighed softly.

It had been two, almost three years since she’d come to this world.

She was long used to this body.

She wouldn’t call herself “well-versed in experience,” but she had seen her fair share of things.

This body was a good one—versatile, capable of sweetness or authority, innocence or allure.

But Lin Lingshu was a self-confessed lover of cat ears and white stockings; without the right outfit, there wasn’t much for her to admire.

And she certainly wasn’t perverse enough to lust after herself.

She slipped fully into the hot water, letting the warmth envelop her.

Yes, she could have used spiritual energy to cleanse herself instantly—

But she preferred baths.

The heat sinking into her skin, the weightlessness of the water—

It was bliss.

Outside, Wang Shuheng stood guard, sword in his arms.

The windows were papered, and the candlelight inside made faint shadows flicker.

The curve of a woman’s form in the water was just barely visible—enough to tempt the imagination.

With a quiet murmur, Wang Shuheng cast a barrier, blocking prying eyes from seeing through.

Then he turned his back and waited silently.

After two or three sticks of incense—

“Shidi, I’m done. You can come in.”

Her voice drifted out, soft and lazy, tinged with warmth.