Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 47: A Ratty Inn

The place was certainly not somewhere Han Yu would ever wish to live.

'Even my hideout was better than this,' Han Yu thought as he surveyed his surroundings.

The overwhelming scent of mildew filled the air, making his nose twitch. Cracks ran like spiderwebs across several pillars that held up the decrepit building, giving it the appearance of a structure held together by sheer stubbornness and misplaced faith.

'Can this place even survive the night?' Han Yu wondered, suddenly fearing for his safety.

STEP. STEP. STEP.

The sound of approaching footsteps roused the man dozing off at the reception counter.

"Huh? Is it debt collectors again?" the man mumbled groggily, still caught in the haze of sleep.

It wasn't until Xu Qing was standing directly in front of him that he realized she was neither a creditor nor a hallucination induced by malnutrition.

"A celestial fairy? Am I still dreaming?" the man muttered, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

"I want the best room you have," Xu Qing said, her tone as neutral as ever.

"A customer! We actually have a customer!" The man's eyes lit up, and his sleepiness vanished instantly. "Yes! Yes! We'll have the room ready right away!" he chirped, practically bouncing with enthusiasm.

"Xiao Er! Xiao San! QUICK! GET THE ROOM READY!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the rickety building.

The urgent call prompted two boys to rush out from the back.

"We actually have customers again?!" Xiao Er gasped in shock.

"Finally! We can eat something tonight!" Xiao San added with near tears of joy.

Han Yu took one look at the boys, then back at the man at the register, and couldn't help but think that even the beggars in his hometown had a better standard of living.

The two boys, who looked to be around his age, wore robes that had been patched so many times it was impossible to tell what the original fabric had looked like. Their expressions carried the sort of joy that only came from an unexpected meal after a long period of hunger.

"Go! Get the room ready, and prepare some hot water!" the man barked.

"Yes, big brother!" the boys answered in unison before scrambling off to fulfill their duties.

"Are you by any chance Xiao Yi?" Han Yu asked, eyeing the man at the desk.

"Oh? How did you know?" the man asked, visibly impressed.

"It just made sense," Han Yu replied, his lips twitching. 'Their parents really named them One, Two, and Three... I wonder if there's a Xiao Four running around somewhere.'

"Would you two like anything else?" Xiao Yi inquired politely.

"Mmm... Nothing more," Xu Qing answered, her expression unreadable.

"Alright, your room will be ready in a few minutes. Please wait here. I'll get some tea." Xiao Yi hurried to the back, eager to serve his rare guests.

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A few minutes later, he returned carrying a battered wooden tray with two cups of tea, placing them on the table with great care.

"Please, enjoy," he said with an expectant smile.

Han Yu looked down at the murky liquid with skepticism.

Feeling a bit apprehensive, he took a cautious sip.

"...Is this even tea? It just tastes like hot water," he muttered under his breath.

Xu Qing, however, seemed entirely unfazed. She finished her tea with quiet efficiency, placed her cup down, and got straight to the point.

"How much for the room?" she asked.

"Just two silver coins," Xiao Yi replied, cupping his hands respectfully.

"Here," Xu Qing said, handing over the coins.

Xiao Yi accepted them with an expression of pure gratitude, bowing slightly. "Thank you, honored miss." He then hurried away, presumably to check on the progress of their room.

Once he was gone, Han Yu leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

"Man, this place is really cheap. Even in my town, you couldn't find a room for two silvers," he remarked.

"At least they're more grateful than you," Xu Qing snarked.

"..." Han Yu had no response to that.

A short while later, Xiao Yi returned and gestured for them to follow.

"This is our best room and has a great view of the garden," he said, beaming with pride as he opened the door.

CREAK.

The hinges groaned like the dying wail of a tortured soul as Han Yu stepped inside.

"This is the *best* room?" he asked, looking around with a dumbfounded expression.

"Of course," Xiao Yi affirmed with a confident nod.

The room contained two simple beds, a table, and two chairs—functional, if not inspiring. A lone oil lamp hung from the ceiling, flickering weakly. Behind it, a small window provided a view of what was generously called a 'garden.'

Calling it a 'garden' was optimistic. The area outside consisted mostly of weeds, dry grass, and a lone tree that looked like it had given up on life ages ago.

"Please have a good rest," Xiao Yi said before excusing himself.

Han Yu walked up to one of the beds and sat down.

CREAK.

The bed groaned loudly in protest, sounding like a centenarian's aching joints.

"Even my ratty bed was better than this," Han Yu muttered, shaking his head.

"If you want, you can go to another place and pay for it yourself," Xu Qing said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ugh... Fine," Han Yu grumbled before lying down, only for the mattress to let out another *agonized* creak.

GRUMBLE.

A long, drawn-out growl echoed through the room.

"...I'm hungry," Han Yu admitted reluctantly.

"Go get food on your own," Xu Qing replied without looking up.

"You're not hungry? You were flying for a long time," he asked, surprised.

"I'll just eat some fasting pills."

"Fasting pills? What are those?"

"They provide the nutrition of a complete meal in one pill," Xu Qing explained.

"Oh? Cultivators use things like that?" Han Yu asked, intrigued. "The ones in my town just eat normal food."

"Mortal food only causes one to accumulate impurities in their bodies. It's better to abstain once you become a cultivator," she said matter-of-factly.