The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

The corner of Luo Linlang’s mouth twitched. She tried to persuade her with a sigh, ”Little Junior Sister, we’re what you’d call rich now. Sure, this is a little pricey, but it’s not like we can’t afford it. Loosen up the purse strings a bit!”

With that, Luo Linlang turned and, with a grand flourish, slapped a top-grade Spirit Stone onto the counter. ”Two superior rooms. Cover all our expenses for our stay from this. If it’s not enough, come find me.”

The attendant’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the top-grade Spirit Stone. The rich Spiritual Energy it emanated was so potent that just having it nearby made him feel refreshed all over.

He was an outer disciple of the Gold and Silver Gate in the Qi Refinement Realm, temporarily assigned by the sect to help run the inn during the Sword Seizing Conference.

He had been here for nearly a month and thought he had seen it all, but he still couldn’t hide the astonishment on his face. After all, this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on a top-grade Spirit Stone!

Top-grade Spirit Stones were something else entirely.

In terms of value, one top-grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and one Mid-grade Spirit Stone was worth a thousand low-grade spirit stones.

In practice, however, few people were willing to spend top-grade Spirit Stones on mere purchases. Using them to replenish Spiritual Energy in the heat of battle or for cultivation offered benefits that a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones simply couldn’t match.

Most Cultivators who came here were at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core realms. It was considered impressive if they had a net worth of a few thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones; almost no one could casually produce a top-grade one.

Precisely because the inn understood their clientele’s finances, their prices were set to be painfully expensive but not completely out of reach.

Now, with Luo Linlang casually tossing out a top-grade Spirit Stone, it wasn’t just the attendant who was stunned—everyone else in the inn was left speechless too.

All eyes turned toward them, filled with astonishment. Probing gazes fell upon Lu Sangjiu and Luo Linlang as people began to speculate about their identities.

Lu Sangjiu felt the stares and was completely exasperated. ’Senior Sister, can you please use your head? Don’t you know you’re not supposed to flaunt your wealth?’

’Especially in a money pit like the Gold and Silver Gate’s territory! By flashing your riches, you’re practically painting a target on our backs and begging to be ripped off, aren’t you???’

Sure enough, while the attendant was still dazed, a figure rushed over, beaming at the two of them with a smile as warm as a spring breeze.

”My esteemed guests, two superior rooms, is it? I, your loyal servant, will get you registered right away!”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’Well, damn. He’s a ’loyal servant’ just like that?’

’I’ve really seen it all now. The people of the Gold and Silver Gate will call anyone master as long as they’re fed.’

’They might not bow for a meager wage, but for Spirit Stones? They’d bend over so far they’d never stand straight again!’

Luo Linlang, however, seemed to be lapping it up. She nodded in satisfaction. ”You’re the shopkeeper here?”

”That I am.” The middle-aged male cultivator wore a practiced smile. ”My surname is Hu. My esteemed guests, you may call me Manager Hu or Little Hu, whichever you prefer.”

”For the duration of your stay, I will act as your most loyal servant, at your beck and call!”

The middle-aged male cultivator, his face full of wrinkles, was actually telling Luo Linlang to call him *Little* Hu... He was truly shameless when it came to making money.

But Luo Linlang was in high spirits. She gave Lu Sangjiu a smug wink.

”Alright, Little Hu. In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony. I’ll be sure to find you if I need anything.”

Manager Hu nodded eagerly. ”Of course! Anything you need!”

Lu Sangjiu pressed a hand to her forehead with a sigh. But what was done was done; there was no point in saying anything more.

After a moment’s thought, however, she suddenly spoke up. ”Shopkeeper, wasn’t there one more superior room available? We’ll take that one, too.”

Manager Hu agreed at once. ”Of course, no problem at all!”

Luo Linlang accepted the three room keys but gave Lu Sangjiu a strange look. ”There are only two of us. Why do we need three keys?”

Lu Sangjiu gave her a cryptic smile. ”It’s nothing. I just thought... we could do as the locals do.”

Luo Linlang: ...?

Afterward, instead of heading upstairs, Lu Sangjiu sat down at the table closest to the counter.

Seeing this, Manager Hu immediately scurried over. ”My esteemed guest, it’s crowded and noisy here. If you wish to dine, we can deliver your meal to your room or find you a much better table.”

Lu Sangjiu just waved him off. ”No need. I like it right here.”

Manager Hu didn’t press the issue. He simply brought over a menu for them to order from.

Lu Sangjiu glanced at the menu and was once again left speechless by the outrageously expensive dishes.

Even though it was all food infused with Spiritual Energy, weren’t the prices a bit too steep? The most ordinary dish cost three hundred low-grade spirit stones!

A single, casual meal would cost at least one or two Mid-grade Spirit Stones. ’These people really have some nerve,’ she thought.

However, food wasn’t a necessity; those without money could just take Fasting Pills. So, splurging once in a while was acceptable.

So, Lu Sangjiu and Luo Linlang each ordered two dishes and a pot of Spirit Fruit Wine, then began to eat at a leisurely pace.

Luo Linlang had a feeling Lu Sangjiu was plotting something, but her junior sister wouldn’t say a word when asked, so she could only eat while pouting.

They hadn’t been sitting long when a few more Cultivators trickled into the inn. Upon learning that all the rooms were full, they could only leave in disappointment.

Luo Linlang felt a pang of guilt, since there were only two of them, yet they were occupying three rooms.

But figuring Lu Sangjiu must have her reasons, she kept quiet.

After a few more groups had come and gone, two Female Cultivators arrived.

One of them was dressed in opulent attire, exuding a single word from head to toe: Rich!

The other, however, was dressed simply and elegantly in white. Her disposition... how to put it? For some reason, Lu Sangjiu found her a bit reminiscent of Ye Zhiyao.

The wealthy Female Cultivator strode to the front and rapped on the counter. ”I want two superior rooms.”

The attendant immediately spoke up, abashed. ”My apologies, valued guest, but all our rooms are currently full. Perhaps you could try looking somewhere else?”

The Female Cultivator’s brows shot up in anger. ”Full again? What kind of dump is this? I’ve already been to three other inns, and they were all full! Do you expect me to sleep on the street?”

Her companion quickly tried to pull her back. ”Senior Sister Zhou, let it go. Let’s not cause trouble. We can just check somewhere else.”

But this Senior Sister Zhou was having none of it. She shook her companion’s hand off. ”Du Xing’er, you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Since when do you dare tell me what to do? Get out of my way!”

With that, she slammed her hand on the counter belligerently and glared at the attendant. ”Do you have any idea who I am? I am Zhou Yun, the only daughter of the Sect Leader of Lingyin Pavilion.”

”I don’t care how you do it, but you *will* find two rooms for me today. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!”

Luo Linlang, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines, was a bit surprised. She sent a voice transmission to Lu Sangjiu, ’I’d heard the Lingyin Pavilion Sect Leader’s only daughter was arrogant and domineering, but seeing her in person... she really lives up to the reputation.’

’Lingyin Pavilion is only one of the Four Small Sects, yet she’s putting on more airs than someone from the Four Great Sects.’

Lu Sangjiu rubbed her chin. ’The daughter of Lingyin Pavilion’s Sect Leader... she’s probably not just bluffing. She must be genuinely rich.’

’Excellent... I’ve found my fat sheep!’