Pillar of Yita

”Do adventurers usually maintain this inn?”

”Of course not, and what’s more, there was a fire here seven years ago that nearly burnt down the entire fourth floor, but it wasn’t long before it was restored to its original state.”

”That’s truly amazing,” Tianlan couldn’t help but exclaim.

Only then did Hansen take a few steps forward, pushed open the door, and let out a grating sound. Fang Hong looked inside; behind the door was a large hall, dark and as Hansen described, empty and deserted but orderly nonetheless, dusty but not showing signs of dilapidation.

They stepped on the dusty carpet and entered the somewhat eerie hall, with Tianlan and Gita appearing a little nervous, especially the latter, who clung tightly to Tianlan’s clothes.

However, Hansen was an old hand at this, chuckling as he said, ”It’s still early, next we’ll go greet the unlucky ghost.”

”Unlucky ghost?”

”The unlucky ghost Fugeri, during the day, he’s the only ’creature’ in this inn. I’m not sure if ’creature’ is the right word because he’s actually a ghost. He generally wanders on the second floor; anyone who wants to get involved with this quest line has to deal with him.”

”Why is that?” Parker asked.

”He’s responsible for assigning rooms.”

”Assigning rooms?” Fang Hong was taken aback.

But he quickly understood what Hansen meant.

Lady Tengye’s Inn wasn’t big, just the size of a medium-sized hostel with a few dozen rooms over four floors. It didn’t take long for the group to find the ghost Fugeri at the corner of the corridor on the second floor, near the stairwell.

In Fang Hong’s eyes, the other party had the typical look of a ghost—a translucent spirit glowing dimly in the hallway, with a slightly bluish hue, lifeless eyes, and an unsteady gait.

However, this ghost looked rather ragged, holding a liquor bottle in one hand, and resembled a drunkard on the streets.

When the group encountered it, the ghost’s eyes were hollow as if it couldn’t see anyone, and it passed by them slowly. It wasn’t until Hansen’s employer—the Scholar—suddenly spoke up: ”Jeffrey, where is Room 3007?”

The ghost seemed to hear this question from the void, stopped, and slowly raised his head. Only then did Hansen turn around and quietly explain to Fang Hong, ”That’s the room where that brooch is located.”

”Then why don’t we just head straight there?” Tianlan curiously asked.

”Simple, Sister Fuli,” Gita tugged at her hem from behind, whispering a reminder: ”Just look around.”

The group surveyed the area and were somewhat surprised to find that all the doors inside the inn lacked room numbers, an eerie emptiness prevailed. This was too strange; anywhere in the Cloud Sea Region, aside from small inns in the countryside, there wasn’t a single inn without room numbers.

Only then did Hansen explain, ”It’s not just that there are no room numbers; if Jeffrey doesn’t lead you, you’ll never actually enter the real Room 3007. Behind these doors, the rooms are different every time they’re opened. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

Parker listened, greatly intrigued. ”This is so interesting. Is there a legend, for example, that a guest enters a room and then can never find the way out again? He opens door after door, but each time the room behind is different?”

Tianlan turned pale with fear, resolved not to enter any room, and said in a tremor: ”Sister Atira, look at Parker, he has almost scared Gita to tears!”

”I, I didn’t!” Gita said, her face flushed with embarrassment, though she was also really scared.

At that moment, the ghost finally slowly reacted, seeming to heavily lift his eyelids, and gave the Scholar a hollow look.

Then it slowly extended its hand; it spread its palm and there, amazingly, were six six-sided dice.

And just like that, the ghost stared blankly at everyone.

”What’s this?” Fang Hong asked, puzzled.

”The fun begins,” Hansen seemed a bit excited. ”It is said that he was a gambler in life, and after death he roamed here as a Ghost Wraith, hoping to find someone to lift the curse on him.”

”A curse?”

”Not too sure about the specifics,” Hansen replied: ”Because no one’s ever done it, as it’s said that the way to lift his curse is by winning a dice bet against him.”

”Win once, isn’t that easy?” Gita asked timidly.

”Easy?” Hansen touched his somewhat balding forehead and smirked mysteriously: ”Do you know why he’s called the unlucky ghost?”

And Fang Hong and the others soon found out.

For they saw the Scholar grab the dice—though those translucent dice seemed intangible, he picked them up easily and threw them down—the dice turned into mist and then solidified again in mid-air.

The numbers weren’t particularly high, four threes, one two, one five, a total of nineteen. But Jeffrey slowly picked up the dice, threw them, and a miracle happened: Tianlan, Gita, and Parker watched, dumbfounded, as the ghost conjured six ones.

”Ah, can luck really be that bad?” Tianlan blurted out: ”Just enough to get the six smallest numbers.”

”Just enough?” Hansen shook his head vigorously. ”Not at all just enough, he always throws this many every time.”