As soon as Gu Gang stepped through the entrance, he noticed that Xinyue Hotel was truly unique. The spacious lobby featured a design that was both ancient and grand, with a wooden stage at its center and numerous tables and chairs arranged around it. Despite the exorbitant prices, the place was packed with customers; especially during this lunch hour, most seats were already taken. As for the second floor, the dim lighting suggested a quiet atmosphere, while the third floor remained closed unless a special event was being held.
After a casual glance, Gu Gang led Gu Yi to an empty table and sat down. A beautiful woman approached them with measured steps and handed over a menu.
"Good day, sir. Here is our menu."
Gu Gang took it, flipped through it briefly, and handed it back. His tone was calm but firm: "Recommend your signature dishes to me, and bring a pot of Longjing tea."
"Yes, sir!"
The woman showed no signs of dissatisfaction; she nodded, acknowledged the order, and left. Watching her retreat, Gu Gang gained a deeper understanding of the "Listening Servants." The reason for Xinyue Hotel’s unshakeable status in the capital—aside from its immense strength and deep-rooted background—was its special servants: the Listening Servants and the Stick Servants. Both types were trained from childhood. The women were Listening Servants, possessed of extraordinary hearing; the men were Stick Servants, each physically robust and skilled in martial arts, capable of handling odds many times their number. The woman he had just spoken to was undoubtedly one of the Listening Servants.
At this moment, the system notification chimed in Gu Gang's mind: "Host has reached the destination. Would you like to check in?"
"Check in, of course!" Gu Gang answered without hesitation.
"Processing..."
"Ding! Congratulations on obtaining the [Martial Arts Qi-Viewing Technique]! Do you wish to claim it?"
Hearing the system's prompt, he thought to himself, "Claim!" Immediately, he felt a strange surge of energy flow into his brain.
As a unique martial art skill, the [Martial Arts Qi-Viewing Technique] allowed one to perceive a target's Qi Luck and their innate potential for martial arts. All things in the world possessed different levels of fortune and potential. Luck was categorized into thirteen levels, ranging from nine-colored to blue. Generally, "Red" Qi represented someone with quite good fortune, while most people were merely ordinary. Additionally, one's martial potential was evaluated by a percentage: a score below 50 meant it was nearly impossible to master martial arts; 60 indicated basic aptitude but nothing more; reaching 80 made one a true prodigy. The higher the score, the rarer the talent.
"Incredible, the system actually gave me something this powerful!" Gu Gang felt a stir of excitement as he carefully absorbed the mysteries of the Martial Arts Qi-Viewing Technique that emerged in his mind.
Having mastered this ability, he could effortlessly distinguish between someone with astonishing Qi Luck and a genius with transcendent cultivation potential. If he were to use this to found a sect, his disciples would surely be those blessed with exceptional luck and unparalleled talent.
"I should test the actual effectiveness of this Qi-Viewing Technique."
With a flick of his mind, a faint glimmer erupted in Gu Gang’s eyes, only to vanish into nothingness. Looking around Xinyue Hotel again, he was shocked to find that everyone was topped with colorful halos accompanied by specific numbers. Most of the guests and servants in the hotel had blue or white Qi, belonging to the most mediocre category. Their martial arts aptitude was pitifully low, with not a single person exceeding 30. Even with endless resources poured into them, these people would likely never break through the Houtian Third Layer; they were mediocrities through and through.
Just then, Gu Gang frowned slightly, his attention drawn to a corner at the back of the hotel. There, an orange halo of Qi shimmered, marked with the number 73.
"Hm, that’s rather special—both orange Qi and a martial aptitude of 73."
This phenomenon caught Gu Gang slightly by surprise. In this tomb-raiding world, someone with orange Qi was undoubtedly significant; even if not a protagonist, they were a key character not to be underestimated. In Xinyue Hotel, the only person fitting that description with a martial aptitude of 73 was likely Zhang Yueshan. While not yet a peerless genius, he was sufficiently talented to excel before the recovery of spiritual energy. If nurtured, he could likely grow into a Xiantian-level martial artist; with even more resources, he might even reach the level of a Great Grandmaster. However, there was almost no hope of him becoming a peerless Great Grandmaster.
Thinking this, he mused to himself, "Zhang Yueshan..." Though he found his talent acceptable, he still didn't consider him a threat.
He then couldn't help but wonder about his own attendant, Gu Yi. "I wonder what Gu Yi's talent is?"
As he looked at Gu Yi, he saw a deep yellow halo of Qi slowly rotating above his head. Such a high-level color was already far beyond that of an average person, and it hadn't even settled yet, still hovering on the verge of evolving into something even higher. Furthermore, a specific number appeared within the aura: 79.
Seeing this, Gu Gang understood that this signified undeniable top-tier potential. With the aid of spiritual energy, reaching the level of a Martial Grandmaster was a basic goal, and breaking through to even higher realms was entirely possible. Most notably, the number showed a trend of continued growth, appearing as if it were about to cross the threshold into 80.
Gu Gang pondered, "So that’s it. By all accounts, Gu Yi should have disappeared into the crowd, living a mediocre life. But after I adopted him and took him under my wing, his fate shifted, leading to this impressive Qi. As for the 79 points of martial aptitude, that’s likely due to him having consumed half a Marrow-Cleansing Pill."
Despite these thoughts, his expression remained as calm as water. After all, this was his loyal follower; even if his origins were humble, his life had changed through Gu Gang's hand. After a brief use of the Qi-Viewing Technique, Gu Gang returned to his normal state, no longer dwelling on those matters. His own strength of Qi and cultivation potential were beyond consideration—how could someone touched by the system be evaluated so simply?
Meanwhile, the delicacies were served, and the two enjoyed their meal to the fullest. When they settled the bill, they found the total came to several hundred thousand. One had to lament the truly unique economic environment of the early 2000s. Spending hundreds of thousands on a single meal was extravagant even in the distant future, let alone now.
"Let’s go."
Since they had eaten and checked in, there was no point in staying longer. Though Zhang Yueshan and Yin Nanfeng were present, Gu Gang had no interest in getting to know them. After paying the bill, the two walked straight out of Xinyue Hotel.
"Hmm?"
Standing at the entrance, Gu Gang paused for a moment and looked up toward a window on the upper floor.
"Interesting."
A faint smile touched his lips before he turned and stepped into his car. As the vehicle merged into the traffic, it quickly vanished into the street.
"Old geezer, it looks like he noticed you."
In an office, Yin Nanfeng, dressed in a black dress that accentuated her maturity, spoke coldly to the handsome young man beside her. This young man was none other than the nearly centenarian deputy of the Zhang Family, Zhang Yueshan.
"The strength of the four people under his command is plain to see. He himself is not an ordinary man, and I didn't make an effort to hide, so why should it be strange that I was discovered?" Zhang Yueshan said with a faint smile, leisurely adjusting the Erxiang Rings on his wrists.
"The boss behind Gujin Pavilion has been very secretive all these years. What could he possibly be plotting by coming to our Xinyue Hotel today?" Seeing Zhang Yueshan’s nonchalant demeanor, Yin Nanfeng rolled her eyes and asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.