Tiger Master could tell that this young lady had a story to tell.

Therefore, he didn’t press her for details.

Ji Yunshu didn’t bring up the matter again either.

Under the scorching sun, each grain of sand gleamed with dazzling golden light, painfully harsh on the eyes.

The sand was like boiling water in a pot, terrifyingly hot.

Under Tiger Master’s guidance, everyone avoided several sandstorms that rolled their way.

They weathered each danger safely!

It must be said that the sand in this Nansai Desert was not only scalding hot but also sharp as knives. Once it scraped against a person’s body, if one wasn’t careful, it could scrape off a layer of skin.

Clearly, it was far fiercer than the Beisai Desert!

Several days later, they arrived at an inn in the desert—the Tiansha Inn.

The name itself sounded quite peculiar.

According to Tiger Master, the Tiansha Inn had a history of over a hundred years in the Nansai Desert. Almost everyone passing through this desert would stop here for the night.

Both wine and meat were available.

When Luoyang saw the inn standing prominently before his eyes, it felt like a dream.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously!

These past days, he had nearly been swallowed by the sand.

Finally, there was a place to rest properly.

However—

Looking at the plaque above the entrance, he stroked his chin and muttered with a frown, “Tiansha Inn? What a strange name. Could there be evil spirits here?”

Tiger Master had people unload the goods and lead the camels to the back courtyard before leading everyone inside.

To block the wind and sand, the doors of Tiansha Inn were kept closed.

When the door opened, wind and sand rolled inside, immediately causing an uproar among the people sitting inside drinking wine.

“Hurry and close the door! The wine is full of sand—how can we drink it?”

“Quickly change the wine, change the wine.”

……

Unexpectedly, the inn was quite spacious inside, accommodating nearly seventy or eighty people. All the tables and chairs were fully occupied.

They were all merchants passing through.

There were also many rough-looking men drinking bare-chested and playing finger-guessing games, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Some people recognized Tiger Master and greeted him across several tables.

Tiger Master merely nodded in response.

Luoyang said with sudden realization, “So that’s why I didn’t see any other merchant caravans along the way—they’re all hiding here drinking!”

A waiter from the inn came over to greet them: “So Tiger Master has arrived! Come, come, I’ll clear a table for you right away. Please take your seats.”

Tiger Master had traveled the desert for years, so naturally he was familiar with the people at Tiansha Inn.

The waiter cleared two large tables for them and invited them to sit.

Uncle Jing said, “Bring us your best wine and dishes.”

“Right away!”

He responded and left.

Ji Yunshu observed her surroundings. This inn was extraordinarily large. The wooden construction also appeared very solid, with no problem withstanding wind and sand. No wonder it was a century-old establishment in this Nansai Desert!

Soon, several waiters brought out excellent wine and dishes.

Everything was piping hot!

Luoyang was already starving, his front pressed against his back. He quickly downed a cup of wine and began eating without any concern for appearance.

He ate with great relish!

Xiao Ba swallowed his saliva, staring at the delicious delicacies before him: “Brother, there’s meat!”

“Hurry and eat.”

“Oh, oh.” Xiao Ba grabbed the meat and started eating.

Just then—

“Oh my, when did Tiger Master arrive? These people downstairs really have no sense—seeing you arrive without notifying me.” A soft, feminine voice came from the second floor.

Looking toward the sound, they saw a woman in an off-shoulder red shirt standing on the staircase, holding a fan in her hand. Twisting her waist, she walked down with a smile.

Then she leaned her body softly against Tiger Master’s shoulder.

Lightly waving her fan, she said, “The last time we met was half a year ago, wasn’t it? I thought Tiger Master had found better prospects and looked down on my Tiansha Inn.”

This woman was the proprietress of Tiansha Inn, called Yao Niang. Though in her thirties, she was still alluring and charming, full of feminine wiles.

Tiger Master glanced at her and said, “Yao Niang, what are you saying? Transporting goods once isn’t easy for me! Making a trip through the Nansai Desert every six months already means rolling on the knife’s edge. Do you want me to come every day?”

“Who are you? You’re the renowned Tiger Master! No matter how fiercely the sandstorms roll in this Nansai Desert, they can’t touch you! I think you simply disdain me, Yao Niang, and insist on waiting half a year before coming once.”

“You woman, you certainly have a way with words.” Tiger Master pinched her chin firmly.

Yao Niang smiled, then ran her hands over Tiger Master’s muscular chest several times.

That gesture could only be described as sensual and provocative. In a flash, she noticed Luoyang. With fire in her eyes, she walked over and sat directly beside him. Naturally placing her hands on Luoyang’s shoulders, she said seductively, “Oh my, which young master is this? I’ve never seen him before. Look at that face, look at those features—so handsome.”

Luoyang was indeed handsome, just a bit too roguish.

Regarding the woman beside him, Luoyang couldn’t muster even the slightest interest.

Instead, he pushed her away with great disgust.

“You flatter me, you flatter me. This young master has been handsome for more than just a day or two.”

How shameless!

Yao Niang covered her mouth, her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows raising: “Oh my, are you shy?”

“Nonsense!” Luoyang retorted.

However thick the sand beneath the Nansai Desert was, that’s how thick his skin was.

How could he possibly be shy?

He poured wine into his mouth: “I, Luoyang, was born with no interest in women. You won’t gain any advantage from me.”

“Young master, you’re quite humorous.” Yao Niang laughed until she couldn’t close her mouth. But seeing that this young master’s body truly had no reaction to her, she sensibly moved to sit beside Xiao Ba. Seeing this young fellow with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and dark complexion, her heart leaped with joy. She couldn’t help but pinch Xiao Ba’s dirty little face and said, “Look, look, this little brother eats so adorably. Eat slowly, don’t choke. My Tiansha Inn has plenty of food.”

Xiao Ba stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he nodded, his face full of smiles.

Watching him, Yao Niang’s maternal instincts overflowed!

She couldn’t help but pat his head.

Ji Yunshu, who hadn’t spoken all along, was naturally caught by Yao Niang’s sharp eyes as well.

Yao Niang looked at Ji Yunshu with the black cloth covering her face, her curiosity immediately piqued. Walking to her side, she said, “Why doesn’t this young lady remove her cloth to eat? It’s so troublesome having it in the way like that. How about I help you remove it?”

Just as she reached out, Ji Yunshu blocked her with her chopsticks: “That’s not necessary.”

Yao Niang felt awkward: “Miss, you must be so beautifully born—why won’t you show your face?”

Luoyang across the table quickly said, “You’ve got it wrong. She must be ugly.”

“Oh? Have you seen, young master?”

“Who covers their face with cloth if they’re beautiful?”

Yao Niang said, “Young master, you’re truly lacking in worldly knowledge.”

Luoyang protested anxiously, “Who are you calling lacking in knowledge?”

“Don’t you know that most people traveling in the desert are bandits and roughnecks? If a beautiful young lady tried to cross the desert, she’d probably be snatched before even leaving it. Being ugly is safe. Only those born beautiful would think of every method to cover themselves with things.” Yao Niang looked at Ji Yunshu with a radiant smile, “Just like this young lady here.”