Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3528: Hard To Find An Inn

Even from outside, Lin Mu could sense the dense spatial formations layered beneath the structure. This was not a hastily assembled teleportation hub. It was a relic of a time when the Butterfly Kingdom had stood whole and confident in its future.

Inside, the hall was busy but not chaotic.

Lines formed at several counters, most of them for intra world teleportation. Immortals moved with purpose, clerks shouted numbers, and formation masters coordinated schedules. The air buzzed with controlled urgency.

Lin Mu and Daoist Chu approached one of the only two counters designated for inter world travel.

The attendant was a middle aged Immortal with calm eyes and a tablet of formation light hovering before him. He listened patiently as Lin Mu explained their request.

”Destination?” the man asked.

”Fox Scion World,” Lin Mu replied.

The attendant froze for a fraction of a second.

Then he slowly looked up.

”Fox Scion World?” he repeated, clearly surprised.

”Yes,” Lin Mu said evenly. ”Is there a problem?”

The man shook his head, still staring. ”No... no problem. Just unexpected. You’re the first group I’ve processed for that destination in... nearly a thousand years.”

Meng Bai blinked. ”That long?”

The attendant nodded. ”Most inter world traffic from this world goes west or north. Fox Scion World lies far along an old route. It’s... rarely used.”

Lin Mu frowned slightly. ”Will that affect the preparation time?”

The attendant checked several formation screens, then shook his head again. ”No issues. The arrays are still maintained. It will take roughly one month to prepare a stable window. That’s standard for a long range inter world jump.”

Lin Mu exhaled quietly, relief washing through him.

”One month is acceptable,” he said. ”I’d like to book the earliest possible slot.”

The attendant hesitated. ”I can submit a priority request, but I can’t promise acceleration. Especially not right now.”

”Because of the weddings,” Daoist Chu guessed.

The man nodded. ”Yes. Ironically, inter world traffic is light. But intra world movement is overwhelming. Human resources are stretched thin.”

Lin Mu did not argue. He simply placed the required payment on the counter, adding extra to ensure there would be no complications.

The attendant raised an eyebrow, then gave a respectful nod. ”Your slot is booked. We’ll notify you if there’s any change. Expect departure in approximately one month.”

With that, Lin Mu and Daoist Chu stepped away.

The others were waiting near the entrance.

”Well?” Cattaleya asked immediately.

”One month,” Lin Mu replied.

A collective breath of relief was released.

”That’s not bad at all,” Meng Bai said. ”Honestly, I was expecting worse.”

Cattaleya rolled her shoulders. ”Then we’re fine. And hey, that means we get to see the wedding celebrations.”

Lin Mu looked at her. ”You sound excited.”

”I am,” she said plainly. ”I heard from some people outside that the weddings are happening about a week before our departure. Six ceremonies, parades, feasts, competitions. It’s going to be loud.”

Daoist Chu chuckled. ”You’re interested in the feasts.”

”And the competitions.” Meng Bai added.

”Obviously.” Catt replied with a smirk.

With their immediate concerns resolved, the group turned their attention to something far more pressing.

Finding a place to stay.

That turned out to be far harder than expected.

They tried inn after inn, moving outward from the city center. Each time, they were met with apologetic smiles or outright dismissals. Entire floors and courtyards had been booked months in advance by delegations from the three kingdoms or by sect representatives arriving early.

Some inns were even fully reserved for specific sects.

After four hours of searching, the city lights had begun to glow brighter as evening approached, and even Cattaleya’s patience was wearing thin.

”This is ridiculous,” she muttered. ”Are they marrying the entire continent?”

”Six alliances,” Daoist Chu said. ”That’s thousands of guests at minimum. Ten of thousands if you count entourages.”

Eventually, far from the bustling heart of the city, nearly fifty kilometers out, they found it.

The Monarch Wing Inn.

It was small. Almost modest. A two story structure with a wide courtyard and a signboard depicting a monarch butterfly in faded gold paint. The building itself looked old, though well maintained, and lacked the grandeur of the inns they were accustomed to.

But it had rooms.

Available rooms.

Lin Mu did not hesitate.

They secured several rooms immediately, ignoring the slightly raised prices. At this point, comfort was secondary to certainty.

Once inside, the difference in quality became immediately apparent.

The halls were narrow. The ceilings low.

And for Cattaleya, it was a nightmare.

She ducked sideways just to enter her room, the doorframe scraping lightly against her shoulders. Inside, the furniture looked fragile.

She sat on the bed.

CRACK.

The entire thing collapsed beneath her weight, splintering into several unfortunate pieces.

Silence filled the room.

Cattaleya stared down at the broken bed.

Then she sighed.

”...I didn’t even sit hard.”

Lin Mu pinched the bridge of his nose.

Daoist Chu coughed. ”I’ll speak to the owner. And perhaps look into renting a proper courtyard or mansion tomorrow.”

Meng Bai tried, and failed, to suppress his laughter. But when Cattaleya raised a fist, Meng Bai quickly jumped out of the window.

At least they had a place to rest.

For now, that was enough.

With the issue of lodging at least temporarily resolved, the group finally had the breathing room to settle into Three Union City.

After a brief discussion, they split up as planned.

Daoist Chu took Meng Bai with him, the two of them heading back toward the denser residential districts. Daoist Chu was confident that while inns might be fully booked, private courtyards, manor homes, or long term residences would still be available for rent.

Wealthy visitors often preferred privacy over noise, and such places were rarely advertised openly. Meng Bai followed eagerly. He trusted Daoist Chu’s judgment in these matters, and frankly, the idea of staying somewhere sturdier than the Monarch Wing Inn sounded appealing especially when Cattaleya was involved.

And even more so when the beasts were added to the mix.