Chapter 3: CH 3

T/N: Please read the notes at the end of this chapter!

“You don’t know me?”

The man’s expression underwent a variety of changes, as if not knowing him was a ridiculous thought.

Am I supposed to know you? Xie Fei had a look of confusion on his face

The man emitted a displeased air around him. Coldly, he snorted and went to the door. He opened it half-way but suddenly stopped. He reluctantly turned around and said: “My name is Yu Li.”

“Bang-----”

The door slammed shut.

Xie Fei stared at the direction where Yu Li disappeared to. He couldn’t help but wonder: Did the handsome guy learn Sichuan opera? His facial expressions changed faster than someone flipping through a book.

His mind still couldn’t wrap itself around what just happened when he heard a knock on the door. This time, it was Manager Xiang and Ah Fu.

Seeing them, Xie Fei sighed in relief. At least he knew these two….wait, how come the two of them were acting strange? What’s wrong with these two? Both of them bowed their heads and said nothing. Even their movements were stiff, as if they were nervous and...afraid?

If they didn’t have the same face, Xie Fei would have thought they were impostors. He glanced at the two people with wary eyes. Who knew that the moment he did this, the two of them would simultaneously kneel with their foreheads on the ground. 

“This small Ah Fu / This slave Xiang Fei greets the master!”

“Cough, cough---”

Xie Fei almost choked and thumped his chest, hiding it. “What’s all this about?”

Ah Fu and Xiang Fei sat up half-way. The latter swallowed down their saliva and while trembling, said: “This slave and Ah Fu did not recognize Taishan1 and we disrespected you. We beg Master to punish these servants!”

Xie Fei was completely stunned. Didn’t the Qing dynasty end already?

“What are you talking about?”

Seeing Xie Fei’s bewildered face, Xiang Fei bit her lip. “Since it has come to this, I must tell Master the truth."

Xie Fei’s eyes jumped. Was the inn really a vampire’s nest?

But the truth was more absurd than he thought.

“Five thousand years ago, this inn used to be a cave, the Dongfu2…….”

“How many years?”

“Five--five thousand years."

“...”

After transmigrating, Xie Fei didn’t bother studying the history of the world. He simply thought that the novel was similar to his original world but it seemed that he got it wrong? He didn’t dare to reveal this though and chose to be quiet like a chicken. 

Xiang Fei waited. Seeing that Xie Fei remained quiet, she continued: “At the time, the former master found a spirit seed. Using the spirit seed, the former master used it to set up a spiritual array which refined the ordinary cave into a blessed land. The inn was full of spirit and the guests floated in and out like clouds. Until 3,000 years later, a mass calamity occurred. The spirit was gradually depleted and the cave was sealed.” 

She gauged Xie Fei’s reaction and carefully added: “A hundred years ago, the cave reappeared in the world but since the times have changed greatly, the cave needed to adapt and we transformed it into an inn.”

Although Xie Fei understood every word, it felt like he was listening to a heavenly book. He asked in a daze: “The former master, who is he?”

Xiang Fei and Ah Fu’s faces changed color and together they exclaimed: “We cannot / dare not speak of the master’s name!"

“......” Was this Voldemort? Another case of “You know who,” no need to explain?　

Xie Fei resisted the urge to curse and point out the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Then, he asked: “Since the Dongfu already has a master, why are you calling me master as well?”

Xiang Fei leaned closer slightly and said in an urgent tone. “The former master fell but the inn recognized you as the new master!”

The stunned Xie Fei: “Are you teasing me right now?”

“I’m not, no, no, this slave would never dare……” Xiang Fei shook her head in a hurry, her words ending in what sounded like a pitiful sob. Ah Fu’s face blanched and immediately shuddered. He said: “If the master wants to feel the inn, he may do so by meditation. Master can also do this because of the master's connection with it.”

The two people didn’t seem to be joking at all. Xie Fei murmured: “Then, I shall try it.”

Xie Fei calmed down and followed Ah Fu’s instructions, emptying his mind. Little by little, he seemed to enter a mysterious state--like the ones described in those cultivation novels. He felt his body gain an extra layer, as if he was wrapped in something deep and profound.

Xie Fei sensed the aura of the inn, its breath, and even thought that it was alive. Everything in this small world --the flowers, trees, fishes, insects, birds, even Xiang Fei and Ah Fu--were all under his control. If he wanted to erase a soul, he could easily do that.

No wonder they were afraid of him.

After spending an eternity thinking of various things, Xie Fei broke away from the mysterious state and opened his eyes. He was met with two faces full of fear and anticipation.

“Is it because of the dragon I saw earlier?” After spending some time with them, Xie Fei trusted them a little more. After getting a positive answer, he became more confused. 

“But why choose me?”

Xiang Fei and Ah Fu shared a look but couldn’t answer.

Xie Fei didn’t question it anymore and thoughtfully asked: “So…..the two of you aren’t human?”

The two of them shook their heads at the same time. Xiang Fei said in a small and humble voice: “This servant and Ah Fu are demons3. Because this servant made a mistake, the former master took us in. This servant has served this house for thousands of years.”

Xiang Fei added earnestly: “Now, the Dongfu is under Master’s care. From now on, this servant is Master’s little demon, ready to do Master’s bidding…..”

Xiang Fei4 timidly assumed a more modest nature, like a woman who grew up under the stern gaze of a father and married a disciplined young man as seen in the neo-confucianist times. Gone was the frivolous and flamboyant shadow Xiang Fei developed in Xie Fei’s heart. Even Ah Fu shrank back, his previous lazy demeanor nowhere to be seen. He lowered his head and bowed to Xie Fei, showing his loyalty. “This little servant is also here for Master.”

"Ah first, stand up. It’s been 9,102 years we don’t follow feudalistic…” Xie Fei trailed off and swallowed down whatever he was going to say next. He awkwardly laughed and said: “Anyway don’t kneel. Also, don’t call yourself slave or little. This is just too strange and I’m not used to it.”

The two didn’t dare disobey their master’s words and helped each other stand up. As they straightened, they heard Xie Fei ask: “Then the bat yesterday was…”

Ah Fu’s legs softened and he fell to his knees once again, landing with a loud thump. On his knees, Ah Fu confessed, voice small and miserable. “This little--little one was the bat demon. But based on the current scientific classification, this little one is called the Malay flying fox.”

“......”

Seeing the two kneel made Xie Fei feel as if something was also kneeling down on his poor brain. Feeling sorry for his brain, he decided not to question why a Southeast Asian bat ran all the way over to China. He no longer had to play the “well-behaved and docile new recruit” act. Tactfully, he asked: “Is there anything else I should know?”

Xiang Fei hurriedly shook her head and answered in a pleasant voice: “The room Master is currently staying in is found in the backyard. This slave, Xiang Fei, specially prepared it for you to live in peace. If the Master is hungry, delicious soup can be found in the kitchen....”

“I’m not hungry.” After hearing all of that, Xie Fei lost his appetite. Instead, exhaustion took over. He needed to rest. He was about to go and do just that when he remembered the person from a while ago. “Oh yeah, who’s Yu Li?”

“Yu Li...is a valued guest of the former master.”

“He’s a demon too?”

Xiang Fei placed her hands on her stomach, folding them respectfully. “He is a policeman, watching over the demons.” She said this in a courteous manner but Xie Fei noticed a trace of sarcasm underlying the words. 　

What does that even mean?

Seeing Xie Fei confused, Ah Fu was worried and hurriedly exclaimed, wanting to seize the opportunity to atone and get back on his good side. “Master must be careful of him!”

“Oh?”

“Yes, really!” Ah Fu crossed his heart and sincerely and diligently said: “If humans have school bullies, street gangsters then he….he’s a demon bully!”

Xie Fei: “......”

Soon after, Xiang Fei and Ah Fu left the room feeling drained and dead tired. Before the two of them could even comfort each other, they saw Yu Li leaning against the railing in the corridor. 

“Have you made it clear?”　　

The two of them only explained a little to Xie Fei. Ah Fu’s eyes flickered and Xiang Fei stiffened, her back straight. “Of course.”

Her red lips curved up slightly, once again going back to her charming and pleasant style. “I didn’t expect the boss to come back so early. Isn’t the group shooting you’re in supposed to last for three months?”

Yu Li shot her a cold smile, closely resembling a sneer. He narrowed his eyes, the black orbs carrying a touch of anger within them. 

“If I didn’t return, how would I have known that two of you were courting death once again?”

Xiang Fei choked: “I just wanted to fall in love.”

“By sucking out all his Yang energy? A kind of love where they’ll never get up again?”

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“I, that--I don’t dare! Don’t, don’t talk nonsense!” Xiang Fei defended herself. She was ready to argue some more but her shoulders deflated. “Boss, please don’t tell the master….”

Yu Li glanced at her, eyes void of emotion, then turned and went down the stairs. 

Xiang Fei quickly chased after Yu Li and asked in an insistent voice: “Boss, could he be the reincarnation of the previous master?”

Everyone within the vicinity knew that  “he” referred to Xie Fei and “master” naturally referred to the original owner of the Dongfu.

“How is that possible? Without a body, no one can enter the reincarnation cycle. How could the master reincarnate?” Ah Fu rolled his eyes and thoughtfully said: “Perhaps it’s his blood. A descendant from the master’s bloodline?”

“Are you an idiot? The master stayed in that place for thousands of years! How could there be a descendant?” Xiang Fei immediately looked to Yu Li for answers. “Boss, what do you think?”

However, Yu Li only gave her a cold look. 

Xiang Fei thought Yu Li wouldn't answer but after walking a few steps, he paused, not bothering to look back. “His scent. He’s not a demon spirit.”

After a long while, he heard the two sigh at the same time behind him. He could hear the endless loss in their sighs, reflecting his mood.

Meanwhile Xie Fei, the topic of their discussion, was lying down on his bed. He slowly went over the day’s bizarre events--he actually became the owner of the inn? And he had two demons as attendants?

It seemed that there’s more to this book than what the app had. From transmigrating to this world, to staying in this inn, it all felt like he was drawn here by some unknown force.

Like a chess piece dangling between a player’s fingers, it will eventually land on the place where it should be. 

But on the bright side, he no longer had to find a job and he could finally be at ease while staying in the inn. Xie Fei smiled mockingly at himself. He closed his eyes, tired, and bit by bit drifted off into dreamland.

When Xie Fei woke up, it was already the next day. He woke up, finding himself to be in the mood, and explored his new living space. Surprised, he was pleased to find out he had his own bathroom this time. 

He took a shower, feeling relaxed while doing so. After finishing, he went out of his room and saw that there was a room next door. But he wasn’t sure if there was anyone in it. Xie Fei looked around and found himself on the second floor. He looked down the railings and saw the man from yesterday, Yu Li, wearing a bright green T-shirt, sitting on the table while playing with his mobile phone. 

Huh, handsome guys sure do have strange tastes.

Yu Li seemed to sense his gaze, looked up, and said, “Come down and eat.”

Though the tone he used wasn’t welcoming or good, Xie Fei didn’t reject him. After all, he hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. With both hands on the railing, he leaned out a little and thanked him. “Thanks, I’ll come down right away.”

Reaching the man, Xie Fei saw several bags of KFC on the table. Curious, he asked: “Is there also KFC in the village?”

Yu Li furrowed his brows. “Obviously I drove to town to buy it.”

That’s unexpected. Xie Fei glanced at him and smiled gratefully. 

The breakfast still tasted like how KFC would usually taste but Xie Fei was content. It’s just that during his meal, he would always feel Yu Li sneaking looks at him but the moment he looked up, the other party would brush it off and seriously scroll through his phone.

After repeating this several times, Xie Fei couldn’t stand it anymore and asked: “Yu---”

“Why do you keep staring at me?” Yu Li beat him to it and asked first.

Xie Fei choked. “I wasn’t staring, ah.”

“Oh.”

At his response, Xie Fei couldn’t help the satisfaction swell in him for having seen right through the man’s antics. 

“Go eat by yourself ba,” Yu Li stood up and raised his chin. “I still have work to do.” He grabbed his car keys on the table and briskly walked away,

The left-behind Xie Fei happily enjoyed his breakfast. After eating, he cleared the table and decided to inspect the inn once again. It’s his territory now and he had already adapted to his new identity. At the very least, he was good at this job. In a way, he’s already back in business. 

As he made his way to the inn’s lobby, he was faced with Ah Fu unabashedly yawning and scratching his butt. Ah Fu saw Xie Fei and froze, his mouth wide open. Immediately, he stood at attention and bowed in a perfect 90 degree angle.

“Master! Good morning!”

Xie Fei’s head throbbed a little. Slowly, he asked: “Can we change the way you guys call me?”

Ah Fu humbly responded: “How should we address you?”

Xie Fei wanted to tell him that using “Xiao Xie” was fine but seeing Ah Fu’s eager eyes, he changed his line of thought and said: “Boss?”

“Okay, boss!”

Xie Fei gave a small smile and said: “Didn’t Brother Ah Fu say that he’ll show me around the inn? Would now be a good time?”

Ah Fu shuddered a little at the word “Brother” but he felt that the new master wasn’t fond of them grovelling. He pointed over at the reception desk, still scared out of his wits and said: “Then, then can the boss wait for a while? I have to throw out some trash.”

Xie Fei’s eyes followed his finger and saw a cup of instant noodles and a blood bag on the desk.

Huh? A blood bag?

Xie Fei took a closer look. One could still see the remnants of a dark red liquid inside the bag. Thinking back on Ah Fu’s original form, it was somewhat bad. The corners of his mouth twitched subtly. In a way that somehow mixed a truth and a lie, Xie Fei probed the demon a little and asked: “That bag, was it human blood inside ba?”

“No, not at all! We’ve long had these human forms for thousands of years and we have long stopped eating humans.”

“......”

When he saw that Xie Fei’s face wasn’t right, Ah Fu noticed how ambiguous his words sounded. He quickly tried to defend himself and said: “No, no, I’ve never eaten anyone before, really! I am a good demon and a good demon is a friend of mankind! If I dare hurt a human, the boss can strike me dead!”

“Yu Li…” Xie Fei’s mind wandered back to the other “demon” he met last night. He couldn’t but wonder.  “What’s his original form? Is he a bat too?”

Suddenly, Ah Fu burst out laughing. He was just about to open his mouth when he saw a bunch of a white feathers near the gate. He winked at Xie Fei and said: “I dare not say. If I do, the boss will definitely beat me to death.”

Xie Fei followed Ah Fu’s gaze and saw a snooping snowy owl peering at them. At first, Xie Fei thought he saw it wrong. How could there be a snowy owl here? Then, he immediately thought of the night before and suddenly exclaimed: “So it’s you!”

The snowy owl paused. Slowly, he reached out a claw and stared cautiously at Xie Fei. Xie Fei smiled and waved his hand. With caution gone with the wind, the snowy owl flew to his side, flapping his wings. He stayed there and raised his head, looking up at Xie Fei.

Xie Fei crouched down and gently touched the owl’s head. He turned to Ah Fu and asked: “Is it yours?”

“The boss raised it,” Ah Fu angrily muttered. “It’s a spy. The boss sent a spy to monitor us.”

“......” Xie Fei thought of the owl’s suspicious behavior earlier and chuckled. “Is it so powerful?”

The snowy owl immediately raised his chest and “hooted,” as if affirming Xie Fei’s thoughts.

Shocked, Xie Fei asked, “Can you understand what I’m saying?” Seeing the owl nod, Xie Fei felt even more amazed.

“What’s your name? Xiao Bai5?”

The owl’s face immediately morphed to show disgust. It flew over to the reception desk and with his claws, reached for Ah Fu’s iPad and typed down two words--Yin Su.

“Your name is Yin Su?” Xie Fei asked, doubt clear on his face.

The snowy owl held out its chest and lowered his head, giving the impression of a reserved nod. 

“It sounds really nice, ah.” Xie Fei said, surprise evident in his features. “Can you type?”

The snowy owl looked up at Xie Fei with its round face saying, not for a long time.

“That’s great!” Xie Fei hit the palm of his hand with his fist. “I plan to hold a morning meeting later to discuss the rectifications of the inn. You take down the meeting’s minutes, okay?”

Snowy owl: “.......hoo?”

The author has something to say:

Yu: I love green, green is health.

T/N:

1. Mt. Tai = symbol of great importance. In this case, Xie Fei is a very important person.

2. Abode of fairies and immortals. Will be keeping the pinyin.

3. Yao (妖) - a type of supernatural being that has evolved into a human form and consciousness is from plants, animals, or inanimate objects. Typically can shape-shift into their original form. However, I used demon because it sounds nicer. In MTL, it could also mean monster hence, the title of this novel.

4. Forgot to mention but Xiang actually means Concubine but I'll keep her name as Xiang Fei

5. Little white

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