After leaving the Four Seasons Academy, Qiuyue led Su Yang to a luxuriously decorated nine-story pagoda inside a city near the Four Seasons Academy.
"This is the Nine Spring Hall, one of the most famous places to dine in the continent," Qiuyue introduced the place to Su Yang. "From common dishes to foods filled with Profound Qi, you can taste all of them in here."
"There are nine floors in the Nine Spring Hall with each floor serving different qualities of food, and at the most upper floor, they serve the best food that even money cannot buy."
"The first five floors are essentially the same, and the next three floors are mostly for influential people. As for the ninth floor, only people like Sect Masters or Family Heads are allowed to step foot inside."
"Hmm… then how far up do you think we will be allowed?" Su Yang asked.
"If we show them enough money, then we should be able to sit on the sixth floor. Also, although the quality increases as you eat on the higher floors, there's really not much difference, or else this place wouldn't be this famous."
Su Yang looked into his storage ring to see a little over 700 spirit stones inside. Although that is a lot of wealth in the Eastern Continent, it may not be worth a fart here in the Holy Central Continent.
"Ah, whatever. It won't matter which floor we end up on, we won't be here for long, anyway."
Before entering the Nine Spring Hall, one of the workers there approached them with a welcoming smile.
"How many will be dining today?"
The pretty lady asked them.
"Three." Su Yang said.
"Very well. Do you have any reservations?"
"No."
"Then do you have a recommendation?"
"No."
"May I ask for your surname?"
"Su."
"Su?"
The pretty lady looked a bit surprised.
"Is there something wrong?"
Su Yang was puzzled by her reaction to his surname. Perhaps there is also another influential family here with the same surname as him?
"N-No, there is nothing wrong. But if I may, can I ask you if you know—"
"Ahem!" Qiuyue suddenly cleared her throat in a loud manner and spoke in a cold voice, "Excuse me, but I am starving. If you don't mind, can we enter already? We don't have all day to answer your questions."
Su Yang looked at her with a dumbfounded gaze. What was that all about?
Although a bit dazed by her sudden interruption, the pretty lady still quickly answered, "I apologize for the wait, but in order to ensure the best experience for our valued customers, we have to confirm their—"
"There's no need for you to confirm our identity because we are just a group of ordinary people with a lot of money to spend." Qiuyue interrupted her again. "Any floor will do."
After hearing her words, the pretty lady showed a smile and said, "It seems like this valued customer has been here before. Very well. Please take this card and enter."
The pretty lady handed a yellow card to Su Yang and no longer bothered them.
"This is?" Su Yang asked Qiuyue.
"This yellow card will allow us to go as high as five floors."
Su Yang nodded and said, "Lead the way."
They entered the Nine Spring Hall shortly later, and another worker approached them upon seeing the yellow card in Su Yang's hands.
"Excuse me, valued guests, but all of the rooms for the first five floors are already occupied. If you don't mind waiting here, please relax in the waiting room over there, or else you can return at a later time."
"..."
The place instantly turned quiet.
"What now?" Su Yang asked Qiuyue, who looked a bit irritated at the situation.
"Please wait a moment…"
After saying that, Qiuyue began searching her storage ring.
A few seconds later, she pulls out a jade slip and tosses it at the worker.
"Are there any free rooms now?" she asked the worker in a cold tone.
"I'm sorry, but this—"
The worker spoke as she lowered her head to look at the jade slip.
"T-T-This is—!"
The worker suddenly looked shocked, almost as if she was a commoner holding precious gold.
Then, with a cynical expression, she asked Qiuyue, "W-Where did you get this? If this is fake—"
"Use your brain! Do you think anyone would dare to forge a fake recommendation with her name on it?!"
Hearing her words, the worker bowed and apologized, "Please wait a moment while I have a word with my superior! In the meantime, valued guests may wait in any one of the free rooms on the eighth floor that is to your liking!" After saying that, the worker turned and ran off to somewhere with the jade slip in her hand, leaving Su Yang puzzled at what had just happened.
"What did you just give her?" he asked out of curiosity.
"Just a recommendation from someone I know here," she vaguely replied.
"You couldn't have shown that to the lady outside just now? That would've made things much more simple." He shook his head. "And I didn't realize this until now since you have been the same Qiuyue that I knew from back then, but have you been living the past few hundred years with that cold attitude? It reminds me of the first time we met here. Ah, how did that docile little girl turn into such a cold woman?"
Qiuyue smiled bitterly at his words. "Maybe getting chased around the world had something to do with it? If I had remained the same, I wouldn't have been able to escape from the Sacred Moon Palace, let alone meet with you again in this vast universe."
"..."
Su Yang turned silent for a moment. Of course, she would change after getting chased around the world by her own family, not to mention spending hundreds of years alone in a world that she has no connections to — it would be much weirder if she didn't change after all these ordeals!
"Come on, let's head to the eighth floor." However, Qiuyue did not show any signs of resentment towards Su Yang for his inconsiderate remarks. Instead, she was just happy that they are together now.
"Un." Su Yang quietly nodded.
"You really are a grown woman now, huh?" he thought inwardly as he followed her upstairs.