“How so?” Qiao Mu sat up, casually tossing the peach pit she’d finished eating, landing it precisely in a small basket not far away.

“The inn is huge. It’s not just one big building — it also includes a large stretch of mountainous terrain with many different structures.” Xiao Yingtao continued.

“Xing Zizhou said the inn looks quite magnificent from the outside, but passersby can only view it from a distance — they can’t enter.”

“The ground floor of the inn is very spacious and doesn’t even have a single door, yet there are still quite a few guards stationed there.”

“If there’s no door, how do you get in?” Qiao Mu seemed quite interested in this unusual inn.

“You enter from the back mountain.” Xiao Yingtao looked at Qiao Mu, then at Feng Jiu’er, raising an eyebrow.

She bit into her favorite peach flesh and continued, “Xing Zizhou said the inn is divided into five zones in total.”

“First,” she held up a finger, “is the back mountain zone.”

“Those who pass the outer guards’ trials can enter the back mountain zone.”

“There are no buildings in the back mountain zone, just wild forest. If you have money, you can buy one of their tents, a hundred taels of silver each.”

“A hundred taels of silver for one cloth tent? Why don’t they just go rob someone?” Qiao Mu narrowed her eyes halfway and lay back down.

She had thought Lei Shenbao valued and cherished true talent, but in the end, was it really all just about making money?

It wasn’t that Qiao Mu couldn’t afford a hundred-tael tent — it just killed whatever excitement she’d just worked up.

“I wouldn’t know about that.” Xiao Yingtao shook her head. “But it’s not quite that simple.”

“Go on.” Feng Jiu’er, too, casually tossed her peach pit into the small basket.

That basket was a trash bin she herself had designed.

Xiao Yingtao nodded and continued, “In the wild forest, getting through all the challenges takes quite a while — I heard it averages over five days.”

“Those with money stay in tents; those without sleep on leaves. The guards only provide three days of free buns and wild vegetables.”

“Those who can’t hold out leave early — no one stops you.”

“Those who endure and pass all the trials can then move on to the next zone.”

“The second zone is much better than the first — at the very least there are wooden cabins to shelter you from wind and rain, and even the food improves.”

“However, statistics show that the first zone alone weeds out a large portion of people.”

Xiao Yingtao tossed away her peach pit and pulled out another one.

“Do you two want another?”

Qiao Mu and Feng Jiu’er shook their heads at the same time.

Xiao Yingtao smiled faintly and took another bite of peach flesh.

“After the wooden cabins comes the inn’s back courtyard. Those who stand out in the back courtyard can then formally enter the inn proper.”

“Those who make it into the inn are treated to fine food and drink, and even beautiful women are provided — but such a good life only lasts for one month.”

“After a month, it’s time to challenge a Thunder King. Anyone with the guts can accept the challenge.”

“If you succeed, you earn the title of Thunder King yourself, replacing one of the Thunder Kings on the second floor and taking over their chambers.”

“Xing Zizhou said that as large as the inn is, there are only six rooms on the second floor — meaning there are only six Thunder Kings.”

“Which Thunder King you challenge is decided by drawing lots.”

“Of course, you can also back out. If after a month you’re too afraid of death to challenge a Thunder King, you can only sign yourself under Lei Shenbao, becoming his person, for life or death.”

“Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, do you understand what I mean?” Xiao Yingtao looked at the two of them, blinking as she asked.

“What a twisted inn.” Qiao Mu raised a hand to pat her mouth as she yawned.

“That’s right, it really is twisted!” Xiao Yingtao nodded.

“I heard that quite a few people are beaten to death inside every day, and they’re carried straight out and dumped on the other side of the mountain.”

“And your Xing Zizhou is willing to let you go suffer in a place like that?” Feng Jiu’er looked at Xiao Yingtao with some suspicion.

“Of course not.” Xiao Yingtao shook her head.

“Xing Zizhou wants us to go into Leiteng mainly to conceal our identities, and also to make it easier for Jiu’er to get acquainted with Lei Shenbao.”

“I heard that a few months ago, a man defeated all the Thunder Kings and became the foremost Thunder King. Now Lei Shenbao treats him like a worshipped deity.”

“Gold, fertile land, a great mansion — he has everything. I heard Lei Shenbao even found him three beautiful unmarried maidens. His life is quite luxurious now.”

“Because of this favored foremost Thunder King, more and more people want to get into Leiteng, and the back mountain has become almost impossible to control.”

“As long as you can pass the trials, you can make it into the fourth zone.”

“You could almost say that, apart from the inn proper, the other three zones aren’t strictly controlled at all, which makes it easy for us to come and go.”

“Xing Zizhou said there’s another important reason for choosing this place.”

“First, the use of poison is strictly forbidden anywhere within Leiteng. Even in a place as hard to control as the back mountain, there are strict rules about it.”

“Fighting and killing, coming and going — those aren’t so strictly enforced. But if anyone is caught using poison, death alone won’t be the end of it.”

“Death is unavoidable, but Lei Shenbao will make you taste every kind of hell imaginable before finally ending your life.”

“Second.” Xiao Yingtao’s gaze shifted to Feng Jiu’er, her expression growing somewhat more serious.

“The inn we mentioned earlier, where traces of Prince Ye were found — that’s Leiteng.”

Xiao Yingtao’s words made both of the others in the carriage frown.

With so many matters to handle during this period, Feng Jiu’er hadn’t dug deeply into the affairs of Li City.

She had basically entrusted everything regarding Li City to Xing Zizhou.

“Prince Ye wouldn’t be forced to fight in the arena, would he?” Qiao Mu thought about it and felt a pang of sympathy.

After all, he was still a prince, yet now—

“Right, the Prince lost all his martial arts ability long ago.” Realizing she’d said something she shouldn’t have, Qiao Mu coughed lightly and looked away.

“As long as it’s not arena fighting, it’ll be fine!”

“Jiu’er, don’t worry too much! As long as Prince Ye is still out there, we’ll definitely find a way to locate him.” Xiao Yingtao reassured her.

“Tonight, we’ll go straight to the back mountain zone.” Feng Jiu’er couldn’t wait another moment.

If it weren’t for needing to first consolidate her standing within the Feng Clan, she would have set out long ago.

“Jiu’er, I’m afraid tonight won’t work.” Xiao Yingtao pressed her lips together. “By the time we arrive, it will already be midnight.”

“What Xing Zizhou means is that we should first go rest for a night at another inn, then early tomorrow morning—”

“Have him figure something out.” Feng Jiu’er cut Xiao Yingtao off. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway. I’ll go in first, and the rest of you can enter at the agreed time afterward.”

“I’ll go with you.” Qiao Mu patted her chest.

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er nodded slightly. “Qiao Mu, Jian Yi, and I will go in first. Everyone else can stand by outside.”

Xiao Yingtao looked at the two of them and finally nodded.

…

Deep in the night, at the back mountain of the great Leiteng Inn.

Three figures in black clothing crossed over mountains and ridges, entering the back mountain zone of Leiteng.

Silently and without a trace, they slipped into a fairly remote tent.

The back mountain zone was no different from wild forest — once inside, aside from sensing the presence of people, there was almost nothing to see.

All around was quiet, and it wasn’t until daybreak that the noise began.