Jin Xuanwan was in disbelief. The village has no inn at all. She is used to traveling where there is an affordable place for her to rest. It was a surprise to her at how low the normal mortal village is. It can't even compare to a fifth-rate clan! Though she is shocked, Shen Mo was calm the whole time. Luckily, the guard brought them to their chief's residence.
"This is your chief's residence?" Jin Xuanwan narrowed her eyes at the slightly wide courtyard with three buildings at most. In a fifth-rate clan, the village head's home is five times better than this!
"Apology for my companion's words. She meant it was big." Shen Mo spoke up suddenly and calmed the wrinkles on the guard's forehead. "Many thanks for leading us here."
"Well, you two can go on. Chief Lou is already informed." The guard waved his hand and left. He muttered, "Rich people, always belittling us, humph."
With Jin Xuanwan's cultivation level, she heard what the guard said. She is about to shout but Shen Mo covered her mouth. Jin Xuanwan cast him a resentful glare.
"Miss Jin, please mind your manners here. This is not a capital city, it's just a simple mortal village. You can't act rashly or it will alarm them." Shen Mo reprimanded her but his tone was still soothing and gentle. Jin Xuanwan scoffed and went into the courtyard first.
"Ah, you are the visitors?" A man in his forties arrived on time from the bigger building. He wore a kind smile and approached them. "I am Lou Ying, the chief of this village. We are sorry we can't offer an inn but we are glad to let you rest here."
"Many thanks, Chief Lou. We don't have many valuables with us. We hope this is enough?" Shen Mo retrieved a block of jade and Lou Ying's eyes flashed a spark.
"Can't we just use a primordial stone? This stuff is useless." Jin Xuanwan thought but she recalled they are not in a territory filled with cultivators. Mortals placed more importance on these objects that appeared useless in front of cultivators. The same way goes for the mortals towards primordial stones but they can sell them to cultivators at a higher price. If she had blurted out her thoughts, this Chief Lou Ying might become greedy.
Immediately, they are given a place to rest. The room is as big as a side wing in a low-class inn for Jin Xuanwan but Shen Mo seemed to have adapted to it without even a complaint. She reluctantly lay down on a thick sheet with a blanket on her. Jin Xuanwan doesn't feel comforted that she kept twisting around.
"Fenghu!" She whispered and the room got filled instantly by a huge tiger. She heard Shen Mo's muffled grunt from the side and turned. Shen Mo was pushed to the edge of the side wing but his face was still covered by Fenghu's tail. Jin Xuanwan was disappointed she can't see his face.
"Fenghu, shrink back." Shen Mo patted the tiger's tail which raised a bit to give room for his mouth and nose.
With his command, Fenghu reverted to his small size and Shen Mo swiftly returned under his blanket. Jin Xuanwan pursed her lips. She groaned in frustration and lay down again.
"How come you sleep so well here? You're a demon prince but you can stand this? I can't even sleep!" Jin Xuanwan loathed. "When I was in Jinjia, I always sleep on a wide fluffy bed. The room is a hundred times bigger than this side wing. I always have a place to run around whenever I am bored. There will be-"
"Can't you give me rest if you can't sleep? Just cultivate if you can't!" Shen Mo turned his back on her and argued unexpectedly. This little girl, not even half his age, becomes more annoying than he thought. Well, pursuing Mimi is already troublesome for him but she was obedient when they are in the Demon Clan.
"I don't want to cultivate! This place has thin fragments of Wood, Earth, and Wind Dao!" Jin Xuanwan rebutted. She sat up and looked at Fenghu who jumped over Shen Mo and sneaked into his blanket. Even her pet got disturbed. "Shen Mo, how come you adapted so fast? How did you do it? Come on, tell me or I won't give you rest!"
"Is your master this pesky?" Shen Mo murmured his question but Jin Xuanwan can still hear them.
"It is better if Sir Shen were to comply, or Her Highness won't let you off, literally." Fenghu coughed.
Jin Xuanwan squinted and grabbed Shen Mo's quilt to take it off. Out of her expectation, he will turn her around and wrap her in the blanket. She can't even see a thing.
"Hey!" Jin Xuanwan squirmed but the quilt was wrapping her tightly yet comfortingly.
"You can't see my face." Shen Mo calmly sat beside the wriggling person. He lifted a smile full of laughter upon seeing her state.
"Why not? Are you ugly?"
Fenghu looked at Shen Mo. He had taken off his mask and revealed his appearance to Fenghu only. Shen Mo is far from ugly but that face is catastrophic.
"It depends. It's cursed." He stretched his arms and suppressed a yawn. Shen Mo shifted to Jin Xuanwan's bed to rest.
"Oi, Shen Mo?" Jin Xuanwan was able to take out her head from the quilt but Shen Mo's back is turned against her. Her gaze was unhappy. "Shen Mo, Shen Mo! Wake up! Tell me how to sleep!"
"Damn it." Shen Mo opened his eyes. He flicked his fingers and a talisman flew towards Jin Xuanwan's forehead. His ear pricked to hear Jin Xuanwan's steady breathing. Shen Mo comfortingly snuggled himself with the blanket and his eyelids drooped.
"Sir Shen, how can you sleep?" Fenghu's question made Shen Mo wake up again. His lip twitched.
"Try living like me when I was young." He scoffed and added, "I used to live in a sect that only allow girls to enter, all elders and even the sect leader are women. I survived by beating them up and in return, they made me sleep in a smelly small room! Much crummier than this, for ten years!"