The Ambiguous Inn Arrangement

The sun was sinking low in the west, weary birds had ceased their flight, and dusk was drawing near, painting the scene of a stream flowing past homes.

As twilight began to creep across the sky, I reluctantly followed the five seniors from Tianwu University’s Green Forest Academy. We trudged out of the forests behind Mount Huang. Fortunately, we managed to find an inn at the foot of Mount Huang and settle in for the night, just before the lamps were lit.

The reason it took all six of us so long to emerge from the mountains was primarily my lack of martial arts. Unlike the others, I couldn’t employ Lightness Arts to leap about, leaving me to proceed at a slow walk.

During this time, these five ‘dutiful’ seniors explicitly and implicitly offered to carry me, suggesting they could use their Lightness Arts while I was on their back.

I flatly rejected this seemingly reasonable proposal. Having been thoroughly educated by a certain seasoned ‘senior’ in our dorm — an expert in all things lewd — I knew precisely what kind of perverted actions could evolve from carrying a girl in that manner.

Even though I was merely a recent convert, a girl only just transformed, I certainly wasn’t eager to have my backside groped!

Seeing my resolute opposition to their suggestion, the five exchanged glances, a hint of guilt in their expressions. They didn’t dare press the issue further, opting instead to walk alongside me.

Thankfully, our journey together was largely harmonious. We laughed and chatted, easing some of the weariness of travel, making the best of our arduous trek.

However, what I found rather unbearable was the constant stream of overtures from these five gentlemen. It wasn’t that I inherently disliked being courted.

My irritation stemmed from the fact that all five had learned the same blade technique and, consequently, employed the exact same, hackneyed approach to flirting. It caused a considerable degree of aesthetic fatigue for me, especially since their shared tactic was so utterly cliché. It was several levels worse than even Yang Laoer, our dorm-mate, who, despite his extensive experience in romance, was perpetually unlucky in love.

Specifically, their routine involved immediately expressing concern for their ‘junior sister,’ then rattling off their family background and status.

They never forgot to educate me on the glorious history and prominent standing of the Peng Family of the Five Tigers Severing Blade in the martial world. Following this, they would subtly — or not-so-subtly — inquire, “Does junior sister have a boyfriend?”

Finally, they would boast about their formidable martial arts skills and their bright future.

After enduring this performance repeatedly, I could practically recite their lines by heart! Aside from the specific names and nicknames they announced when introducing themselves, the words spoken by these five brothers were virtually identical, down to the last syllable.

Yet, despite being subjected to the identical ploys of these mutually plagiarizing brothers, I made an unexpected discovery: all five gentlemen genuinely hailed from the main branch of the Peng Family of the Five Tigers Severing Blade.

They were, in fact, cousins, and even their names followed a sequential numbering system!

The eldest, Peng Boxiong, was nicknamed ‘Elephant Might.’ The second, Peng Zhongxiong, was known as ‘Lion Roar.’ The third was Peng Shuxiong, ‘Tiger Roar,’ the very first person I met after becoming a girl. The fourth was Peng Jixiong, whose moniker was ‘Leopard Roar,’ and the fifth was Peng Mengxiong, ‘Wolf Howl.’

Upon first hearing their names and nicknames, I couldn’t hold back and nearly burst into laughter! The five of them seemed somewhat puzzled, but out of politeness, they refrained from asking why.

“My apologies, my apologies. It’s just that hearing all you seniors already have nicknames, you must be well-known figures at Tianwu University. I was simply delighted and honored to make your acquaintance.”

‘I said this aloud, but inwardly, I was almost bursting with laughter. It seemed these five brothers must have played a lot of animal chess in their youth, then simply named themselves according to the game’s hierarchy, didn’t they?’

Of course, from another perspective, it was fortunate they were only five cousins. Otherwise, following the animal chess order, their sixth brother’s nickname would have been ‘Dog Bark.’

****

“May I inquire about junior sister’s esteemed name?” I was still secretly amused when Peng Boxiong, seemingly acting as the representative for the five, cupped his fist and addressed me.

Behind him, four pairs of eyes gazed at me with a certain expectation.

This question caught me off guard. I had instinctively opened my mouth to state my original name, but then remembered my identity was now entirely different. Yet, if I were to follow Master’s instruction and reveal his title, the name Dongfang Bubai would indeed be far too startling.

In a moment of urgency, my mind raced. I blinked, then said crisply, “Seniors, you can just call me Little Fang!”

“Oh, but is ‘Fang’ the character for the surname Fang, or the character for the given name Fang?” Aside from Peng Boxiong, Peng Mengxiong had interacted with me the most. His nature was the most straightforward, and he immediately posed the question.

I offered a sweet smile, gently placing my index and middle fingers to my lips in a gesture for silence. Then, I whispered, “My family has strict rules; my parents forbid me from telling my name casually to strangers. If you seniors are curious, you can always go to Carefree Academy and inquire there!”

These charming, playful words instantly captivated the five gentlemen!

****

The six of us, dusty from our travels, finally found accommodation. All things considered, it had been a smooth journey, for which I offered a silent prayer. However, my somewhat relieved mind hadn’t anticipated the next hurdle.

With the holiday period drawing to a close, the inn’s rooms were rather overcrowded. After much pleading and persuasion from the innkeeper and the waiter, they finally managed to cobble together three standard rooms, totaling exactly six beds.

This somewhat ambiguous number brought a surge of unexpected delight to the five gentlemen. The room allocation meant that one of them was guaranteed to share a room with me.

Suddenly, the air grew tense. These five seniors, who weren’t blood brothers but acted as if they were, instinctively glanced around, their eyes scrutinizing the other four with extreme vigilance.

Seeing that if I didn’t step forward and declare my stance, these five might genuinely resort to a martial arts contest, akin to a ‘martial arts marriage proposal,’ to win the right to share a room with me, I immediately cleared my throat. I said crisply, “It is improper for men and women to have close contact. Since there are no more private rooms here, I shall simply look elsewhere. Five seniors, let us part ways here; we shall meet again! Waiter, could you please tell me if there are any other inns nearby?”

“Little sister… ah, young lady, it’s currently the peak tourist season during the long holiday. Other inns and guesthouses are likely to have no vacancies,” the waiter said with a conciliatory smile. “Besides, it’s dark out now. A young girl like yourself, aren’t you afraid of encountering villains? Why not just make do for one night?”

I frowned slightly, responding in a low voice, “If that is the case, then I shall search on my own. I apologize for the trouble!”

With that, I cupped my fist at the five seniors, who were still somewhat dumbfounded, and turned to leave the inn.