Chapter 326: The Truth

Perhaps it was out of habit to tell the truth, or perhaps he believed that at this point, hiding anything was meaningless. After a long silence, the dark-skinned man finally lifted his head, meeting his wife’s reddened eyes with a bitter smile.

“Wife, we didn’t come here for nothing…”

“Being able to get a job as a sweeper, not being treated too harshly upon arrival, and even receiving information about the Taste of Freshness Inn from Lord Mi’s mouth… None of this was because your husband is particularly capable. It was because your heartless husband traded Third Aunt’s family’s lives for it…”

Seeing his wife remain silent, the dark-skinned man continued, as if talking to himself, “The Hunting Arena… The Hunting Arena… As the name suggests, it’s a place for hunting and fighting. When people are sent there, they’re either hunters… or prey.”

“And most of the time, people—common folk like us—are nothing but prey to those demons…”

“That’s why, even knowing it was a death trap, I still told Third Aunt and her family that there was a way out here. I told them they could survive here… I lied to them…”

Plop. Plop.

Large teardrops rolled down the woman’s rough, yellowed cheeks, quickly soaking a small patch of sand in front of her.

“Husband… do you remember how Third Aunt’s family once helped us?”

“They saved our lives…”

At his wife’s words, the dark-skinned man stiffened for a moment before nodding. “Wife, I remember. I have a good memory. How could I forget the kindness Third Aunt’s family showed us?”

“But… I had to make sure you and Little Lian could survive…”

“So I became an ungrateful wretch, the kind who deserves to be cut a thousand times over…”

On one side was her husband, on the other was Third Aunt’s family. At this moment, the woman could no longer distinguish right from wrong, whether by reason or emotion.

She even put herself in his shoes for a moment—if it had been her, perhaps she too would have betrayed others to save her husband and daughter…

Looking at the bitter smile on her husband’s face and the loneliness in his eyes, the woman had the urge to hold him close.

Husband must be feeling awful too…

Even so, no matter how much she wanted to console him, she simply couldn’t bring herself to say, “You did nothing wrong.”

“Innkeeper Hua, do you have any more questions?” The dark-skinned man turned to the beautiful woman before him and asked solemnly.

Innkeeper Hua shook her head. “No. You saved me the trouble. You’ve already answered everything I wanted to ask, so there’s no need for me to question you further.”

“Sigh… Then about my daughter…” The dark-skinned man asked cautiously.

“Let her stay. She can work as a servant and do odd jobs.”

The moment Innkeeper Hua finished speaking, the dark-skinned man dropped to his knees in gratitude, repeatedly bowing his head as he muttered, “Thank you, Innkeeper Hua!”

Beside him, the tear-stricken woman snapped out of her daze. Just like her husband, she too fell to her knees, bowing and expressing her thanks.

“Enough, stop bowing.” Innkeeper Hua halted them with a firm voice. Then, she stepped out and took the hand of Little Lian, whose face was already streaked with tears like a crying kitten, and led her into the inn.

The child was sensible—she didn’t cry or fuss to stay with her parents. She simply let Innkeeper Hua hold her hand and lead her away. Yet, through her blurry vision, her gaze never left her parents’ figures.

“Little Lian, be obedient in the inn. If Innkeeper Hua tells you to go east, you mustn’t go west!”

“Little Lian, if you need to get up at night, be brave and go alone. Don’t hold it in!”

“Little Lian, listen well. Your father and I will come see you from time to time…”

Her parents’ voices echoed in her ears, making Little Lian’s vision even blurrier. No matter how hard she blinked, she couldn’t stop the tears that filled her eyes.

“Father…”

“Mother…”

“Let’s live on… together, slowly…”

With those final words, Little Lian’s small figure disappeared from her parents’ sight.

They didn’t linger for long. As if by silent agreement, they responded to their daughter’s words—”Let’s live on together, slowly.”—before picking up their brooms and fading into the distance at the end of the long street.

On the other side, as Little Lian passed by Gu Ning’an’s table, she suddenly recognized him. Instinctively, her voice trembled as she called out, “Sir.”

Since she had addressed him as “sir,” Gu Ning’an naturally wouldn’t ignore her. He gestured toward Innkeeper Hua, saying, “Wait a moment,” before wrapping a thin pancake around some sea buckthorn and handing it to Little Lian.

“Here, eat up. You’ll need strength to work for Innkeeper Hua.”

The moment she heard the words “strength to work,” Little Lian accepted the pancake without hesitation. She thanked Gu Ning’an, then glanced at Innkeeper Hua, who was holding her hand.

Seeing the girl staring at her, Innkeeper Hua couldn’t help but laugh. “Mr. Gu gave it to you, so just eat. Why are you looking at me like that…? You’re making me feel like one of those ruthless landlords who exploit people without remorse.”

“Sister Hua isn’t a greedy landlord. Sister Hua is beautiful and kind-hearted.” Saying this, Little Lian eagerly took a big bite of the thin pancake.

Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, Innkeeper Hua chuckled and said, “You really are a clever little one…”

“Mr. Gu, I’ll go settle this child in first. Take your time eating. If you need anything, just ask one of the staff.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an raised a hand slightly. “No need to rush, Innkeeper Hua.”

Just as she was about to step away, Innkeeper Hua paused, looking puzzled. “Mr. Gu, is there something else?”

Gu Ning’an pointed toward the door and smiled. “Earlier, when Little Lian and the others were outside, I kept feeling that someone was watching the inn. But as soon as they left, that feeling disappeared.”

“It seems that someone in the shadows might be planning something against the inn. It would be best for Innkeeper Hua to stay alert and be cautious.”

Someone was watching the inn? Why didn’t I notice anything?

Innkeeper Hua glanced toward the entrance, her sharp phoenix eyes gleaming slightly.

She observed for a while but found nothing. Turning her gaze back to Gu Ning’an, she smiled and said, “Thank you for the warning, sir. I will keep it in mind… Is there anything else?”

Gu Ning’an waved his hand. “That’s all. Go ahead, Innkeeper Hua.”

“Until next time, sir.”

With that, Innkeeper Hua led Little Lian a few steps away but then turned back to glance at Gu Ning’an once more.

At that moment, her round pupils suddenly contracted into vertical slits, and her black irises transformed into a gleaming amber hue.

After a brief pause, she turned away, lifted the curtain separating the main hall from the backyard, and softly murmured, “By all appearances, he has no cultivation at all… If even I couldn’t sense the presence of someone watching, how could he?”