Just as that arrived back in their room, they happened to encounter two peddlers. The arrogant peddlers from yesterday had become uncharacteristically friendly today, even inviting them over to sit down. Unwilling to interact with them more than necessary, Lu Yang declined.
Upon refusal, the peddlers weren't upset and closed their room door.
The sound of the gong rang out again - the watchman announced, "It's the time from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m."
Clop, clop, clop - the orderly footsteps once again echoed from the corridor as the eerily black-eyed inn servant prowled around.
The inn servant knocked lightly on the door across from them, "Dear guests, are you there? Could you please open the door?"
Just when the two of them expected it to play out like the night before, the peddlers insisting on not opening the door and the knocking growing louder till it was deafening —
Creak —
The door across from them was opened.
