Upon hearing the innkeeper's introduction of the room's best features, Gu Qingcheng's family was stunned.
They could even bathe in hot springs?
Gu Qingcheng, thinking about how long it had been since she had a proper wash, couldn't resist. She tugged at her father's sleeve, subtly hinting that they should book the superior room.
Gu Chaobei glanced at his daughter's eager little eyes and knew her thoughts immediately. He told the innkeeper they wanted to book a superior room for three days.
The innkeeper, naturally, had no reason to turn away customers. Seeing his generosity, he casually asked,
"Sir, did you just strike it rich at a gold mine?"
"Gold mine?"
Gu Chaobei asked, confused.
"Oh, so you didn't. My apologies."
The innkeeper was adept at reading people. Seeing Gu Chaobei's expression, he knew he had guessed wrong.
Having heard about the hot springs, Gu Chaobei's family was already impatient and urged the innkeeper to lead them to their rooms.
Guided by the innkeeper, they passed through pavilions and towers, along winding paths.
The three of them hadn't expected that the inn, which looked unremarkable from the outside, would be so vast and intricate within.
Seeing their astonished expressions, the innkeeper smiled proudly and said,
"Our Yuelai Inn may not look impressive from the outside, but it's an establishment of the King of Xia, who pays great attention to it. Dignitaries and nobles who frequent here all know that staying at our inn is very safe. Sir, you've chosen the right inn, you have discerning taste. Even if it costs a bit more, it ensures peace of mind."
Gu Qingcheng and the others exchanged glances.
A prince?
How grand!
"King of Xia? Innkeeper, which prince is this?"
Gu Chaobei asked, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, he is the 12th prince of our Great Zhou Emperor, enfeoffed in Jinsha City, in charge of the Jinsha gold mines. His wealth rivals that of the nation.
He owns dozens of inns like this across the country!"
The innkeeper boasted.
People always have a sense of professional pride.
Gu Chaobei's family listened, looking bewildered, which greatly boosted the innkeeper's ego.
"Here we are. This room, 'Snow Plum,' is yours."
The innkeeper opened the door.
As Gu Qingcheng had walked, she noticed that the superior rooms were numbered with elegant motifs like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, thinking that ancient people were quite refined.
The innkeeper handed them the room key and left.
The three of them eagerly entered the room, locking the door behind them, their faces showing expressions of relief.
Ah, having to act so cautiously under everyone's watchful eyes while moving as a group had been exhausting.
They placed their baskets, bundles, and other luggage on the floor and the table.
Gu Qingcheng exclaimed happily,
"Great! We finally have our own private space. Tonight, I'm going to eat instant noodles, cake, shaqima, and all sorts of snacks."
"Alright, little grubby child, let's go for a bath first!"
Hu Lanfang said cheerfully.
"Oops, I forgot to ask the innkeeper where to bathe."
Gu Qingcheng realized this was important, as she was filthy all over.
Hu Lanfang listened for a moment and said,
"I think the bathing area should be next door."
With that, she pushed open a side door, which indeed revealed an open-air hot spring pool large enough for their family of three. It was a live spring, with water flowing in and out.
Gu Qingcheng followed and gasped,
"Rich people don't lose out in any era. Such a high-end establishment, and you can bathe without leaving your room. It's truly amazing."
Gu Qingcheng noticed that lanterns hung on the wall beside the hot spring pool, casting a bright light that would allow them to bathe at night.
Gu Qingcheng took out three swimsuits from the mall – two for women, for herself and her mother, and a pair of swimming trunks for Gu Chaobei.
After changing, the three of them got into the pool.
The warm water seemed to soften their very souls.
Gu Qingcheng leaned her head comfortably against the edge of the pool, her limbs spread out, letting the hot spring water cleanse her. She felt so happy she wished she could stay there forever.
Just as she was reveling in the comfort, the system suddenly prompted:
Host, you have completed the first main quest, "Exiting the Dense Forest." Reward: 1000 points. Gift: A map of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Do you wish to accept the gift from the system?
Main quest? What was that? Had she been on a main quest all along?
Wow, 1000 points! The system was really generous!
A map? A map of the Great Zhou Dynasty?
Excellent, of course she would accept!
Gu Qingcheng quickly confirmed.
When she entered the system, she saw a map of the Great Zhou Dynasty displayed on the virtual screen.
In high school, Gu Qingcheng's mandatory subjects were physics, and her elective subjects were chemistry, geography, and biology.
She had scored over eighty in geography on her college entrance exam, so she could definitely read a map.
As soon as she looked, she discovered something.
She quickly found that the map was very convenient to use. Wherever she wanted to go, she just had to speak the name, and a red dot would automatically mark it for her.
Gu Qingcheng said "Jinsha City," and it quickly pinpointed their current location.
Gu Qingcheng tested it further and found the map had a zoom function.
She tapped on Jinsha City, and as her finger moved, the map zoomed in, revealing various locations within the city, clearly labeled.
After exiting the system, Gu Qingcheng said with regret,
"Dad, Mom, it seems we can only stay here for about half a year before we have to move south again."
"Why?" Gu Chaobei asked, puzzled.
Gu Qingcheng then explained about activating the Great Zhou Dynasty map function.
Through the data on this map, she discovered that Jinsha City was only 300 meters above sea level. After the snow disaster, temperatures would rise rapidly. The melting ice and snow across the Great Zhou Dynasty would trigger floods. This would be followed by three months of torrential rain, and the overflowing floodwaters would inundate at least seventy percent of the cities nationwide. At that time, the entire Jinsha City would be submerged underwater.
Hearing this, Hu Lanfang felt a sense of suffocation and sighed,
"It seems Jinsha City is indeed not a place for us to linger. Let's quickly figure out our next move. Where should we go?"
"Don't worry, the flood will only happen a year after the snow disaster. We'll stay here for half a year first and observe the situation."
Gu Qingcheng said confidently.
"Alright, we'll do as you say, Qingcheng."
Gu Chaobei knew his daughter had a cheat tool and nodded in agreement.
For now, the three of them set aside their worries and enjoyed the pleasure of bathing in the hot springs.
Gu Qingcheng planned to ask the system about the main quest before sleeping tonight, after enjoying herself.
Meanwhile, Gu Chaobei thought about the village chief. He wondered how he was doing and if he had entered the city yet.
He decided he would meet him at the north city gate nine days later.
Gu Chaobei still had a good impression of the village chief. The old man was quite upright and had helped him at a crucial moment, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape the Gu family so smoothly.
The three of them soaked in the hot spring water for half an hour, washing away the accumulated dirt from their journey, and their complexions instantly brightened.
After washing away the dirt and grime, Hu Lanfang and Gu Qingcheng's skin appeared crystal clear.
Hu Lanfang touched her daughter's face, finding it smooth and radiant, and then touched her own, which was the same.
Hu Lanfang said with satisfaction,
"Qingcheng, you look as beautiful as you did before."