Although she didn't expect to fall asleep, fatigue occasionally got the better of her. However, even if she did fall into a brief slumber for a few seconds, the wind quickly woke her up. Falling asleep was basically impossible.

  She consoled herself by thinking about the sleepless nights she had spent in college, studying until dawn for exams that she hadn't prepared for months in advance, but only the day before. She also remembered staying up all night to play games that had just been released.

  Boredom was also a problem. There wasn't much to do there. She got bored playing with the system again, had no one to talk to, and couldn't enjoy the view because of the darkness.

  It was only after many hours that it finally started to get brighter. The temperature also began to rise. May could finally enjoy the view.

  “Our journey will take a little longer,” said Ze Yun.

  “Elder, may I ask why?” asked May, wanting to take a break. She was increasingly in need of a bathroom break and a place to lie down. She just wanted to get to the border town.

  “The beast is moving slower than normal,” he said indifferently. “Bó lǎng is the only town we can stop at in the immediate vicinity. At this rate, we won't get there for another 5 or 6 hours.”

  May was slightly disappointed, as she had hoped to be able to rest soon. She even considered asking him for a toilet break, but decided she could hold on a little longer.

  Bó lǎng was the only city in that area. May had heard about this place; it had a rather bad reputation throughout Eastern Court. The city itself was not even that big, with only about twenty thousand inhabitants. But even May had heard rumors about the criminal underworld in this city.

  However, it was the only town in the area. Ze Yun was a high-ranking person, he couldn't, or perhaps rather didn't want to stay in an ordinary village.

  ───── ??☆?? ─────

  They landed just outside the city walls. May was tired, but she knew she would soon have time to rest.

  From above, the city looked small, with no tall buildings and mostly low-rise structures.

  They couldn't take the Golden Swan with them into the city, so Ze Yun left it in care outside the town.

  Entering the city was not difficult, even though there was a formidable line of people in front of the entrance gates. However, Ze Yun was allowed to pass without any problems; no one would dare to check a cultivator.

  Upon entering, May noticed an unpleasant smell in the town. Unfortunately, this seemed to be a common problem in all cities in this world. The appearance of the town was also unimpressive. The buildings seemed to be built chaotically and haphazardly, the streets were crooked and potholed, not to mention that there were people lying around the buildings, most likely homeless.

  Ze Yun didn't seem to be impressed with this town either. If it weren't for May, he probably wouldn't even have stopped on the way, but would have flown straight to the Inner Court.

  “Let's go to the Wild Lynx Inn,” he said. “It's nothing special, but at least it doesn't stink and there are no bedbugs.”

  Without saying a word, she followed him. He moved nimbly through the streets, clearly familiar with the place. This was not his first visit to this city.

  However, she didn't have the courage to ask him for details. She wasn't that interested in him either. He was a complete stranger to her. A powerful cultivator who could crush her in a second. But nothing more.

  They finally entered the Wild Lynx. The tavern was almost empty and downright deserted. This was not what she expected from a tavern in a fantasy world. She was slightly disappointed by this fact, but decided that maybe it was better this way.

  “Here.” He said, throwing her the keys. She barely managed to catch them. Fatigue clouded her senses. “Your room is 201, mine is 205. You have free time until tomorrow morning. Go get some sleep, because we're leaving tomorrow morning.”

  Immediately after saying his words, he disappeared, heading for his own room. May sighed and entered her room. It wasn't especially luxurious, but at least it had a clean, woody smell.

  As soon as she used the bathroom, she threw herself straight onto the bed, thinking of nothing else. She fell asleep immediately.

  She woke up from her sleep after some time. It was still light outside, and the sun had not yet set. She felt sluggish, but she knew that she would not be able to fall asleep again for one important reason - the extremely strong hunger she felt.

  Although she didn't like having to get out of bed, she knew that her hunger would not subside.

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  Besides, I have to eat well. Tomorrow, when we fly, I won't be eating anything.

  With some money on her, she decided to at least do some sightseeing. She had a little money, so her goal was to find a restaurant that had meat on its menu.

  When she went out onto the street, many people started looking at her. She guessed the reason very easily. A person's status was easily recognizable by their clothes. When she started attending the academy, she officially became a cultivator.

  She stood out from the crowd with the quality and cleanliness of her clothes. It was the first time she had worn this type of clothing outside the academy.

  However, she was not afraid of those looks. Being at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, she was stronger than most adults. Apart from her, there were not many cultivators in the city, and if there were, they were generally at a lower level than her.

  She was quite sure that she would be able to defeat up to five adult men in a fair fight.

  Unfortunately, the town didn't have much to offer apart from widespread dirt and poverty. Although she didn't want to act superior to the locals, the situation there really wasn't very good.

  None of the places serving food seemed particularly appealing either. Most of the roadside establishments gave the impression that eating their dishes would give her stomach ache.

  Having no other choice, she decided to return to Wild Lynx. Although she didn't consider it particularly better, at least it seemed clean and tidy.

  She entered the lower part of the inn. This time, however, there were quite a lot of people there. It was not difficult to notice that only those who were wealthier were allowed inside. There was no one there dressed modestly. It was a kind of inn for the more wealthy.

  The inn had a set menu every day. Soup, main course, and dessert. What was served changed every day. She paid only 29 [mu] for three courses. Although it didn't seem like a high price for three full courses, for most people, eating in such a place would be a luxury.

  The dishes were also very large portions. The soup was rich, but unfortunately without meat. It had a fairly intense red color and was also extremely thick. The main course consisted of a puree of some green vegetable she didn't know, as well as a chicken leg in mushroom sauce. The dessert was a simple cake with fruit. The dishes did not taste bad, although this could have been due to her hunger rather than their actual good taste.

  After eating, she sighed. She was full, but she thought about the fact that these dishes were considered luxurious here. They were good, but if this was the highest level this town had to offer, it said a lot about the state of this town.

  Finally, she relaxed and leaned back in her chair. The tavern was almost full. A small orchestra appeared and began playing traditional melodies on their instruments. One of the women began to sing, and May listened carefully to her voice.

  It was very peaceful here.

  She listened to the woman's song for a while longer. The song was an interpretation of one of the well-known legends.

  When she finished, everyone began to clap, including May. She had to admit that she had a nice voice, even though she wasn't a big fan of traditional songs.

  Suddenly, she heard a loud voice. It was a conversation between two men, or rather an argument. Many people, including May, looked at their table. One of them, a short man, stood up and slammed his fist on the table. The atmosphere between them was tense.

  May was sitting a few tables away, so she couldn't hear their entire conversation, especially since she was busy listening to the songs. Now, however, she could hear their shouting. She wasn't sure what they were talking about, but it seemed to her that the subject of the argument was some kind of murder.

  Finally, one of the tavern employees reacted and tried to calm things down. He approached their table and asked them to be quiet, as they were disturbing other guests. May watched the whole situation with curiosity. In a fit of anger, the shorter of the two men hit the employee!

  A row broke out and many people joined in the argument. The tavern was in turmoil, and May, unsure of what to do, stood up and moved away, not wanting to get involved in the brawl. However, she did not go to her room, as she was curious to see what would happen.

  The altercation ended sooner than she expected. The shorter of the two men was severely beaten and thrown out of the tavern. The owner of the inn was not going to tolerate such behavior. The taller man also left the place in anger shortly thereafter. It seemed that it was all over.

  May returned to her seat, slightly disappointed that everything had ended so simply. However, she began to listen in on other people's conversations. The table next to her had heard the whole topic of their conversation and was now discussing it.

  May listened in with curiosity, as she was intrigued as to why the two had argued so much.

  “So they were talking about that accident that happened last Wednesday?”

  “Yes, apparently the victim was the short guy's daughter! And the other one was supposedly taking care of her at the time,” said the older woman with long hair, giggling. “I overheard their entire conversation!”

  “Hmm, but why did he invite the person he suspected of murdering his daughter to the tavern?”

  "Apparently, no one believes him and everyone thinks it was an accident. The tall one is a well-known drunk, so the victim's father thought he would spill the beans when he was drunk. When his plan didn't work, he got angry and started yelling."

  “Huh, what a stupid plan. Anyway, why does he think this was murder?” the man asked the woman. “Didn't everyone see her fall from the roof? Wasn't she playing there? My friend's wife from the laundry said she saw it herself.”

  “It was probably his sorrow that caused him to cause hallucinations. His explanation was beyond reason.”

  “Yes? And how did he try to explain it?”

  “Well, I didn't hear it very clearly, but I heard him accuse him of poisoning, I think.” She said, thinking for a moment. “Apparently, he became suspicious because his wife fell into a coma shortly afterwards... Although I don't really understand what he meant.”

  As soon as May heard the word “coma,” her pupils dilated. Could it really be a coincidence? Or could it be...

  She decided she had to investigate. With a Golden Core cultivator at her side to help her, she had nothing to worry about.

  Besides, Senlin and Wang Wang... They're transformed, but maybe there's a chance for them? I can't just leave it like this!

  She didn't know if the coma had anything to do with the parasites, but she decided it wouldn't hurt to ask for more details.