Yang Zicang looked toward his room—Room 205, with its green light glowing.

—That first time I tried my hand at writing, I had no idea what a diary even was. Yet I could always author stunning prose about the most noteworthy events of that day.

At that moment, the gray light sign on Room 208 flickered to green, revealing the unnoticed gray lettering that had previously rested above it.

— I rejected that love letter, but I didn’t feel good about it. I kept crying secretly under the covers…

“This… ” Yang Zicang sensed that something wasn’t quite right.

“And the middle ten days of the month are for maturity and growth, for beginning to settle yourself, for accumulating experience and wealth for yourself, for starting a family. This is when responsibility starts to manifest in most people. This is the third floor. “

Xiāo Lǐ, with her smooth face and soft, graceful curves, smiled as she looked at Yang Zicang across the counter.

“And our hotel’s ‘bidding’ is a competition among guests to see who is the best fit for this room. Whose story, whether past or ongoing, best matches the imprint of this room becomes the next occupant. “

“I see. Thank you. “

Yang Zicang looked at Xiāo Lǐ across the counter, nodded slightly in thanks, then took a small, delicate key from his sash. One side was engraved with “205, ” and the other bore his alias’s initials, “YBC. “

｛I paid a tip of 10 N for the COSTELLA HOTEL’s unlocking device.｝

A strong sense of pulling sensation appeared behind him, and a feeling of reassurance settled in Yang Zicang’s heart. He was sure he was about to return to his own room.

And that’s exactly what happened.

In just an instant, Yang Zicang felt the energy field wrap around him. When it dissipated, he was back in room 205, the same one he had arrived in. The mess that was there before had been replaced with a pristine cleanliness.

Yang Zicang turned his head to look at the small cardholder on the bedside, resembling a desk calendar. Controlled by a mechanical device, it had already flipped to display the abbreviation of his name.

“The decor is much younger compared to the old-fashioned vibe of Room 407 we just visited. “

He pulled open the door, and outside stood a few people. Li Qian, with her ordinary sharp-featured face, was gleefully examining the front of her own Room 203. When she caught sight of Yang Zicang coming out, the girl, startled, immediately threw her arms open and cheered.

“Mr. Yang, I absolutely love you! Now I finally have a place to take shelter from the wind and rain. “

Yang Zicang glanced at the stairway and said, “Congratulations to you. “

He quickly walked down the corridor again, but after a few steps, the young man paused, turned back, and shoved his hand against the closing door of Room 203.

Inside, the girl gave a startled shiver, her eyes wide with fright as she looked back at the man through the crack in the door.

“Do me a favor, ” said Yang Zicang from outside.

“Wh-what? What is it? “

The man’s other hand slipped through the wooden doorframe. Li Qian was stunned to see that, as if by magic, he now held a long silver gun covered in intricate patterns in his hand.

“W-What does this mean? “

“You have a force field, right? Hold this with your field active, head to the right stairwell on the fourth floor just before the third—where the staircase bends—and stay there. If anyone comes out, immediately return to your room. “

“Is it really that simple? Don’t I need to shout or something to alert you? “

“No need. This spear will let me know when you’re back in your room, signaling that members of the Travelers’ Guild are here. Alternatively, you can return to your room and give back the investment I gave you, indicating you no longer wish to stay there. I’ll find someone else to handle this. “

Unlike the second floor, the third and fourth floors don’t share just a single staircase. Therefore, to reach the other reception desk at Fei Lyu Inn, you’d have to head up to the third floor first.

Yang Zicang invested 10N in the key and then took Li Qian into Room 407.

It was eerily quiet here; the Travelers’s Guild hadn’t yet sent anyone back to the inn to attack him. However, the longer they stayed, the greater the danger became. Once the enemy managed to send powerful beings from this era’s continent into the inn, anyone remaining here, unless they never left their room, would be easy prey—like catching turtles in a jar.

After investing five thousand time-sequences to amplify Li Qian’s abilities, the young man, leaving this girl who looked like a neighbor’s little sister behind in the corridor, quickly leaped down the stairs.

The girl pressed her back against the corner, gripping the long spear tightly with both hands, her heart pounding with extreme nervousness. If any door to these rooms opened, a forerunner with the power to take her life could appear at any moment.

She bit her lip, her hands sensing the feedback from the silver long spear — information it fed back to her.

“Wow… it’s a Century Weapon, isn’t it? “

The girl gazed at the spear with admiration, but then she thought again: this five thousand time-sequences would probably end up being given away for good, just like they might have been for that boy with the strange name.

Whew~—she lightly blew on the stray lock of hair that hung down in front of her.

……

Amidst the footsteps, the clamor from the first floor gradually surfaced in Yang Zicang’s ears.

“I want to join the association too. I fully understood the bidding rules Mr. Mousse just explained. “

“Let me write down my name; I swear I’ll absolutely do as ordered. Anyone who goes back on their word is a dog. “

“Mr. Bai, could I join your team? I can offer this radiance I just acquired. “

“So quickly, someone’s already thinking not just about joining the Travel Association, but about directly following Bai Yuan’s lead. “

“Don’t all shout. Wait, let me ask our association president if he can make an exception for you. “

Bai Yuan said cheerfully to the crowd gathered around him.

Seeing Master Yang descending the stairs, the crowd immediately made way for the tall, knife-jawed young man with a cold demeanor.

Xue Qi, who was writing her recent experiences—or rather, copying Li Qian’s handwriting—felt the atmosphere drop from fervor to chill. She looked up, tossed her curly hair, and turned to shout at Yang Zicang with a smile:

“‘Renewal’ was a success, Buchen! The man there didn’t manage to extend his contract. “

“They ran away. “

The approached young man nodded, his gaze moving across the surrounding crowd.

“If we want to bid for these rooms, we’ll need even more Resplendent Radiance. So of course you can join my Hotel Affairs Management Association under the Travel Troupe. “

“President, we know. Mr. Shè Lìqí just inquired with Manager Mousse about it. “

She Liqi sat on a side sofa with the holy sword strapped across his back. At this moment, aside from Yang Zicang and Bai Yuan and a few others, this youngster commanded the most prestige in their eyes. He had barely done anything beyond making several timely moves, but this alone planted an impression in the crowd: he had a close connection with Yang Zicang, yet came across as a secondary powerhouse who did not belong to this team.

The fair-skinned young man rose to his feet. “Master Buchen is truly formidable. I know I don’t have the fortune to attain a divine spark, so I’ll skip participation in this matter. I simply hope that once Master Buchen gains domain over this entire floor’s rooms, he and my few friends will be allowed passage to leave.“

“Of course. That’s no problem.“

“Excellent!” The three beside She Liqi exclaimed joyfully.

They were fully satisfied with the decision they had just made. Although the young man on the other side looked quite strong, they felt he wasn’t on the same page as them. Beside them, this youngster seemed far more approachable, and after a few words, he had agreed to let them form a new team to move forward together.

The fair-skinned youth, now exuding a gentle temperament, stepped forward with a radiant smile and handed over a slip of paper.

“This is an item I bought from Mr. Zhang in our team for ten thousand Chronos. Please accept it as thanks for your generosity, Master Buchen.“

A trace of warmth stirred within Yang Zicang.

He didn’t ask the other if he truly needed a room; he merely nodded, gave a smile, and shook the man’s hand.

Bai Yuan turned his head to look. “I say, you’ve rented three rooms now. At least you should arrange for people to move in. If no one occupies them within three days, they’ll be auto-canceled.“

Yang Zicang let out a sigh; this really was troublesome.

Having finally finished copying the last character, Xue Qi picked up the travel bill and blew on it gently. She looked at Yang Zicang:

“Buchen, my Xiangxiang can stay in one room for you, so out of the remaining four rooms, I can try to bid on one. “

She shook the perfume bottle in her hand.

Yang Zicang turned to the lobby manager. “Is that allowed? “

“Yes, sir. “

After a moment’s thought, Yang Zicang hesitated, “Can a corpse check in? You know, the kind packed in a coffin. “

The people around immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

Some couldn’t help but step back, while others, following the example of those before them, had already bolted out of the hotel.

“To prevent anything too tragic from happening, I’ll need to take a look at such a guest. And at most, I can only provide one room. “

Mus didn’t fully refuse.

Yang Zicang took a long, deep breath. A halo glowed on his chest, and broken lines flashed from his fingertips into the void, outlining the luminous coffin of the Ground-Haze Bedchamber.

It landed softly on the floor, forming a stone coffin adorned with elegant and noble patterns.

Yang Zicang was still wondering if he should have the people here look away, but Mus spoke with great seriousness.

“They can check in. “

“That’s great. ” Everyone around breathed a sigh of relief, though the atmosphere afterward felt rather unsettling.

Xue Qi thought with astonishment,This guy actually has a spatial treasure coffin… Truly hard to judge.

“Well, that makes it simple. These two friends of mine can stay in room 205. Do I need to register them with you? “

“A simple registration is needed to pick up the keys. “

Room 202 could be assigned to the attached nightmare and the perfume bottle named Xiangxiang (Fragrant); Rooms 203 and 208 were rented out to the two individuals who had invested in Yang Zicang before. Mori and Julia, however, “checked in” to Room 205.

The only empty rooms now were 209 and 210. To prevent future trouble, Yang Zicang decided to rent these two rooms as well, incorporating them into his housing portfolio.

Thus, in a short time, he had become the owner of Rooms 407, 202, 205, 209, and 210. As for the Radiance in his hands, after factoring in the matter of deceiving the guests of the distributor, only two shares remained.

Spending it so fast! Before he even had a chance to sell a single share to the distributor, almost all were gone.