"Hmm?"
Mu Jinyu stopped and looked at Jian Ruyan with surprise, asking, "How do you know?"
Jian Ruyan explained, "Because I've been here a few times before."
"Oh."
Hearing this, Mu Jinyu remembered that Jian Ruyan originally came from the Kunlun Ruins.
"Alright then, you lead the way." Mu Jinyu nodded.
Jian Ruyan then took the lead, guiding Mu Jinyu and Wen Rou around the Dayan Imperial Capital, eventually arriving in front of a building that resembled an inn.
However, this building was much larger than a typical inn, clearly containing many more rooms inside.
The cultivators coming and going at the front door were endless, making the place seem very lively.
"This is one of the better inns in the imperial capital. There are no ordinary rooms inside, only cultivation chambers where the spiritual energy is several times denser than the outside." Jian Ruyan explained to Mu Jinyu and Wen Rou.
Wen Rou saw the cultivators coming and going in the inn, mostly at the Late Divine Transformation Realm, with even more at the Fanxu Realm, and couldn't help but feel intimidated. She asked, "So how many spirit stones does it cost to stay here for a day?"
"How many spirit stones for a day?"
Jian Ruyan was momentarily stunned by Wen Rou's question, then smiled wryly and explained, "This place doesn't charge by the day; it charges by the shichen. For instance, the cheapest Yellow-Grade Cultivation Chamber, where the spiritual energy is only one or two times stronger than the outside, costs ten low-grade spirit stones per shichen, which is equivalent to one medium-grade spirit stone."
"And the better Profound Rank Chamber, where the spiritual energy is about five or six times stronger than outside, charges five medium-grade spirit stones per shichen!"
"The Earth-Level Cultivation Chamber, reportedly about ten times stronger than outside, charges thirty medium-grade spirit stones per shichen, which is three superior-grade spirit stones!"
"The top-tier Heavenly Rank Cultivation Chamber costs ten superior-grade spirit stones per shichen!"
After listening to Jian Ruyan's introduction, Wen Rou was dumbfounded, "So expensive..."
Not only was Wen Rou dumbfounded, but even Mu Jinyu couldn't help but click his tongue, saying, "My goodness, three superior-grade spirit stones for the Earth-Level Chamber per shichen, now I somewhat understand why the city entrance fee is one superior-grade spirit stone."
After speaking, Mu Jinyu looked up at Jian Ruyan and joked, "If it weren't for knowing you, I would really doubt if you're a cultivation tout if I were to find a random guide to introduce this place to me..."
A cultivation tout, just like a drinking or dining tout, Jian Ruyan bringing them here really did feel like it.
But Mu Jinyu knew she wouldn't do such things, which also meant that the expenses in the Dayan Dynasty truly were exorbitant...
Still, to advance his cultivation before the Hidden Dragon Conference, Mu Jinyu finally gritted his teeth and went inside with Wen Rou and Jian Ruyan.
"Welcome, what can I do for you three?"
As soon as they entered the inn, an observant servant rushed over to greet them.
Mu Jinyu said, "Rent a few rooms, and you..."
The servant, hearing Mu Jinyu's words, immediately began to introduce, "You've come to the right place, our inn, has a Spirit Gathering Array underground second only to the imperial palace in the Dayan Dynasty. No one nearby can compare with us, here we..."
"Stop, stop!" Mu Jinyu frowned and waved his hand, "I don't need you to introduce all that; I just want to know if you have any available cultivation chambers?"
Hearing Mu Jinyu's words, instead of showing any displeasure at being interrupted, the servant looked at Mu Jinyu with admiration and respect, laughing, "You truly are magnanimous! We have four levels of cultivation chambers here, and just now two people left the Earth-Level Chambers, so there are two left, as for the Heavenly Rank Chambers, there are still three rooms left. Which one would you like?"
He absolutely ignored the Yellow and Profound Rank chambers.
The servant, having worked at this cultivation inn for years, was very perceptive and could tell at a glance that Mu Jinyu was not an ordinary cultivator at the Divine Transformation Realm but rather a strong contender preparing for the Hidden Dragon Conference, someone who was generally generous and would not choose the Yellow or Profound Rank chambers.
Thus, he didn't bother introducing the Yellow and Profound Rank chambers.
Upon hearing that there were three rooms left in the Heavenly Rank Chambers, Mu Jinyu didn't hesitate, immediately saying, "Then just book all three Heavenly Rank Chambers for me!"
"Alright!" The servant, upon hearing Mu Jinyu's words, was so delighted it was as if his eyes had turned into copper coins, quickly agreed.
He then was slightly worried that Mu Jinyu might not be aware of the cost of the Heavenly Rank Chambers, so he hesitated before saying, "By the way, let me remind you that the cost of the Heavenly Rank Cultivation Chamber is ten superior-grade spirit stones per shichen..."
"Yes, I understand."
Mu Jinyu looked at the servant in surprise and responded blandly.
If it were a typical unscrupulous servant, they surely wouldn't explain this much; they would rather the guests be unaware of the cultivation chamber prices, so they would stay longer and be charged extra when they leave!
No spirit stones to pay the bill? Then sell your life-bound magic treasure!
Yet this servant actually took the initiative to explain, which surprised Mu Jinyu.
Unless this servant had too much conscience, it was probably the inn's policy. If that were the case, it wouldn't be surprising why the inn's business was thriving.
After all, profiting once might indeed earn a great deal, but over time, everyone would avoid them, and they'd only manage to occasionally swindle some outsiders.
Still, even though people understand, there are still too many shops that can't resist cutting corners!
"Then please follow me!"
The servant was relieved to see that Mu Jinyu knew the price of the cultivation chambers and also felt a lot of admiration, then smiled and gestured for them to follow.
"Okay." Mu Jinyu nodded and followed the servant upstairs to the cultivation chambers!
Wen Rou walked by his side, tugging his sleeve gently with a puzzled expression, whispering, "Little Mu, why did you book rooms for us too? We're currently limited by our aptitude, and our cultivation progress has slowed. We don't need Heavenly Rank Chambers..."
"It's fine, I can't just let you stay in a regular inn, right?" Mu Jinyu shook his head and said, "Besides, you've been stuck at the Fourth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm for a while, it's a good chance to push yourselves to the Fifth Layer!"
Wen Rou felt warmth spread through her heart hearing Mu Jinyu's words.
Though Mu Jinyu could be quite stingy, especially towards himself, he was never stingy with those around him.
Just like earlier, when entering the imperial capital, the city entrance fee of one superior-grade spirit stone made Mu Jinyu half mad, but when opening rooms for them, even though it cost ten superior-grade spirit stones per shichen - far more than the entrance fee - he didn't hesitate in helping them reach the Fifth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm!
Had it been some other man, they would likely choose to have them stay in a regular inn or perhaps a Yellow-Grade Cultivation Chamber, rarely opting for the Heavenly Rank Chambers!
It's obviously wasteful, like throwing spirit stones into the sea!
But this miser, Mu Jinyu, just did it, letting them use the same Heavenly Rank Chamber.
It seemed a bit foolish.
Yet, this was precisely why she liked him.