No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

The Xue father and son entered the front courtyard.

The two stood before Lu Jianwei, bowing nervously.

Xue Pingshan personally presented a wooden box, his demeanor earnest and sincere.

"My surname is Xue, Xue Pingshan, the owner of Yuelai Restaurant in Moonview City. Yesterday, my son recklessly barged into your esteemed establishment and spoke out of turn. He is young and ignorant, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness for his rudeness. This is a small token of my sincerity, please accept it."

After speaking, he shot a stern glance at Xue Guanhe.

Xue Guanhe bowed deeply, his voice tense and dry: "Yesterday, I offended you, Manager Lu. You are magnanimous, and I beg for your forgiveness."

Even though the Xue family was the wealthiest in Moonview City, in the presence of a skilled martial artist, they had no choice but to humble themselves.

Martial artists in the jianghu were unrestrained and often disregarded human life, instilling fear in ordinary people. Now, all this deference was directed toward Lu Jianwei.

She remained silent, instead extending her right hand.

Zhu Yue, ever perceptive, quickly brought over a teacup and presented it respectfully.

The expressions of the father and son shifted slightly, but they dared not say a word.

Xue Pingshan managed to conceal his emotions, but Xue Guanhe's lips were nearly bitten through.

"Xiao Ke, scan the box and see what's inside," Lu Jianwei instructed.

The system replied, "A few banknotes and several pearls."

Though it seemed modest, even a single pearl could fetch a high price.

"What a pity. Gifts from others don't count as inn revenue and can't be added to the inn's account. I'll just have to accept it graciously."

The system ignored her.

Lu Jianwei took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and looked at the Xue father and son. "It's a trivial matter, don't dwell on it. However, young people should be mindful of their conduct when venturing out. Not everyone has my patience."

"Of course, of course. Manager Lu, your magnanimity is truly admirable. Xue is deeply grateful," Xue Pingshan said, secretly relieved. He then added, "I am but a humble man, running a restaurant in the city. Our patrons favor our signature dish, 'Drunken Immortal Offering Jade.' As an apology for my son's behavior, I would like to personally host a banquet in your honor. Would Manager Lu be willing to grace us with your presence?"

Lu Jianwei smiled. "I prefer not to venture out."

She was curious about the "Drunken Immortal Offering Jade," but her cultivation was only at the third level, and the jianghu was fraught with danger. It was safer to stay in the inn and maintain her mystique.

Whether in dramas or novels, whenever the protagonist ventured out, trouble inevitably followed. She didn't know if she was the protagonist, but being bound to the system meant her path was anything but ordinary.

She dreaded trouble.

Hearing this, Xue Pingshan immediately offered, "If you don't mind, may I borrow your esteemed establishment to personally prepare a meal as an apology?"

The Xue family's success in Moonview City and other northern towns with their Yuelai Restaurant was due to their secret recipes. Xue Pingshan himself was quite skilled in the culinary arts, though he hadn't cooked in a long time since becoming the owner.

Lu Jianwei appreciated his adaptability and allowed a faint smile to appear. "Since you've offered so sincerely, it would be a shame not to taste your cooking."

"Haha, thank you, Manager Lu, for giving me this opportunity," Xue Pingshan said, clasping his hands in gratitude. "I'll have my servants fetch the ingredients from the city. Please bear with the wait."

"No problem," Lu Jianwei replied. "The weather is lovely today. Why don't you and your son join me for some tea? Zhu Yue, bring two chairs."

Zhu Yue acknowledged the order.

Xue Pingshan subtly signaled to Xue Guanhe, who quickly understood and said, "I'll help with the chairs!"

Zhu Yue added, "Let's go together."

Once the chairs were brought out, the Xue father and son sat to the side, watching Uncle Zhang and Zhu Yue practice martial arts.

Zhu Yue's swordplay was still rough and unpolished, while Uncle Zhang's palm techniques were fluid and powerful, exuding a mesmerizing rhythm that captivated Xue Guanhe.

Xue Guanhe had always preferred swords and sabers, but after watching Zhu Yue, he realized that swordplay wasn't as elegant as he had imagined. Instead, palm techniques seemed more profound and formidable.

He couldn't take his eyes off Uncle Zhang.

Xue Pingshan sighed inwardly. His son had always wanted to learn martial arts, but no master was willing to take him on, no matter how much money they offered.

To ensure his son wouldn't be bullied in the future and to secure the Xue family's protection, he was determined to plead with Manager Lu today, even at the cost of his pride.

Before long, the servants arrived with the ingredients, and Xue Pingshan headed to the kitchen, with Xue Guanhe assisting him.

The aroma of the dishes wafted out before they were even served, making everyone's mouths water.

Lu Jianwei had been in this world for nearly two months. Though she could cook, she found it bothersome and mostly ate noodles, which had long since grown tiresome.

The tantalizing smell of the food immediately awakened her appetite.

Even Zhu Yue couldn't focus on her sword practice anymore.

No wonder the Xue family was the wealthiest in Moonview City. With culinary skills like this, they could attract countless gourmands. Their Yuelai Restaurant wasn't limited to Moonview City—they had branches in other northern towns, earning a fortune daily.

Soon, the Xue father and son brought the dishes to the table.

"Manager Lu, I hope this humble offering is to your liking," Xue Pingshan said modestly. "Please try it and see if it suits your taste."

He picked up serving chopsticks, intending to personally serve Lu Jianwei.

Lu Jianwei quickly stopped him. "No need, I'll serve myself."

Her act of superiority was just to intimidate them, not to actually make them serve her hand and foot.

"Please, sit," she said.

She took the seat of honor, with Uncle Zhang and Zhu Yue to her left, while the Xue father and son sat at the lower end of the table, showing no signs of reluctance.

Lu Jianwei: "..."

Once again, she was reminded of how ordinary people tread carefully around martial artists.

"Manager Lu, this is our restaurant's signature dish," Xue Pingshan said, pointing to the centerpiece of the table. He explained in a low voice, "The main ingredient is a specially raised pigeon, complemented by several mild and nourishing herbs. Inside the pigeon's cavity is cabbage, which is sweet and refreshing, balancing the richness."

Lu Jianwei asked curiously, "What's the meaning behind 'Drunken Immortal'?"

"People dream of ascending to the heavens and becoming immortals. Birds are the closest to the divine, and pigeons, as messengers, might one day carry our prayers to the gods. That's why I used 'immortal' in the name."

Lu Jianwei picked up a piece of pigeon leg with her chopsticks and brought it to her nose. Sure enough, there was a faint aroma of wine, like a sweet fruit liquor, intoxicating and alluring.

"So this is the 'drunken' part?" she said, placing the meat in her mouth. She couldn't help but praise, "This truly lives up to its reputation as a signature dish. The flavor is exceptional."

Xue Pingshan beamed. "Such a small detail couldn't escape your keen eye, Manager Lu. I'm glad you enjoy it."

Lu Jianwei: "..."

This was getting a bit too much. If he kept flattering her, she might start to believe her own hype.

"It's an honor to taste your culinary skills, Manager Xue," she said leisurely. "If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to visit the inn."

Xue Pingshan's heart raced. All his apologies and efforts in the kitchen had been for this very moment.

"To be honest, Manager Lu, I do have a favor to ask," he said, pouring her a cup of wine. It was a rare vintage, something he usually kept hidden away.

Lu Jianwei didn't drink, but she didn't stop him either.

"Go on," she said.

Xue Pingshan glanced at his son, who was visibly excited, and said, "My son has wanted to practice martial arts since he was young. However, our Xue family has no connections, so he has never had the opportunity to learn genuine martial skills. I don’t expect him to bring glory to our family through martial arts; I just hope he can protect himself in the future."

"How old is Young Master Xue?"

Xue Guanhe answered honestly, "Sixteen."

"At that age, learning martial arts won’t be easy." His bones are nearly fully formed, and starting from scratch would require immense effort, with no guarantee of success.

Xue Guanhe’s face flushed red. "I-I don’t expect to master some legendary skill. I just want to be like those wandering heroes, leaping over rooftops and upholding justice."

Most importantly, he didn’t want to be easily killed.

But in front of Lu Jianwei and the others, he didn’t dare to voice his thoughts about martial artists killing innocents.

Lu Jianwei asked, "Which sect or martial arts family do you want to join?"

Xue Guanhe glanced at Uncle Zhang and stammered, "C-Can I become this senior’s disciple?"

Uncle Zhang: ?

Why not the innkeeper but me?

He shook his head and said, "I don’t take disciples."

After saying this, he observed Lu Jianwei’s expression. Seeing that she wasn’t displeased, he felt relieved.

Xue Guanhe was rejected again, and his heart filled with despair.

"Innkeeper Lu," Xue Pingshan quickly interjected, "If my son can become a disciple and learn martial arts, we will certainly not skimp on the tuition. As long as you don’t find it beneath you, I, Xue Pingshan, will be at your service whenever you need."

Lu Jianwei pretended to ponder, and the Xue father and son didn’t dare to disturb her.

In her mind, she asked the system, "Little Ke, can you check Xiao Xue’s martial aptitude?"

"It will cost you."

"Why are you, a system, so obsessed with money?"

"The system needs energy to maintain operations."

"Really?"

"Take it or leave it."

"How much does it cost?"

"That depends on the package you choose."

"..."

Lu Jianwei sensed that the system’s stinginess had leveled up. Could it be that it was jealous of all the gifts she had received and was trying to squeeze every penny out of her?

Given that the system was still useful, she was willing to compromise a little. "What packages are there?"

"Testing aptitude only: 100 copper coins. Testing aptitude plus recommending a cultivation method: 1,000 copper coins. Testing aptitude, recommending a cultivation method, and recommending martial techniques: 5,000 copper coins."

Lu Jianwei: "Did you build your business on being a scammer?"

System: "Takes one to know one."

Lu Jianwei thought for a moment and said, "Test his aptitude and recommend a cultivation method."

System: "Aptitude: 75%, above average. Recommended cultivation method: Floating Return Scripture. 1,000 copper coins have been deducted from your personal account."

Lu Jianwei’s heart bled, but considering how much the Xue family had given her, she let it go.

She looked up and casually asked, "Your family is wealthy. If you truly offered a large sum of money to pursue martial arts, surely someone would agree."

Xue Guanhe hung his head in shame, his fists clenched tightly under the table.

"To be honest, Guanhe has indeed attempted to become a disciple before," Xue Pingshan sighed. "We didn’t spare any expense, but he didn’t learn even a single move. The masters who taught him all said he was a blockhead with no talent for martial arts."

Fearing that Lu Jianwei might look down on them, he added, "We only hope he can learn a move or two. Even the dullest person can’t possibly learn nothing, right?"

Even if he truly couldn’t learn, having a master-disciple relationship would still be valuable. If his son ever encountered trouble in the future, he wouldn’t be without support.

Lu Jianwei chuckled, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take your money and not teach him anything?"

"Innkeeper Lu, you are upright and honest. If you can do it, you can; if you can’t, you can’t. The fact that you’ve opened this inn here is a blessing for the people of Linyue Village and Moonview City alike." Xue Pingshan didn’t hold back on the flattery.

Lu Jianwei pondered for a moment and suddenly asked Xue Guanhe, "Can you cook?"

"Yes! I can!"

Lu Jianwei nodded. "I don’t take disciples. However—"

The Xue father and son widened their eyes, their breaths quickening.

"If Young Master Xue doesn’t mind, he can stay at the inn. I will teach him martial arts. How much he learns will depend on his own efforts."

Xue Guanhe’s face turned bright red with excitement. He shot up from his seat, the stool scraping against the floor with a grating sound.

He hurried over to Lu Jianwei and knelt down with a loud thud, performing a deep bow. Tears welled up in his eyes as he solemnly said,

"Master!"

Lu Jianwei sighed softly, "...I said I don’t take disciples."

In this world, the bond between master and disciple was sacred and carried heavy responsibilities. Lu Jianwei didn’t want to become a surrogate parent and take on the burden of someone else’s life.

Xue Guanhe pursed his lips and said, "Master, I will honor and serve you in the future! If you don’t like me calling you ‘Master,’ I won’t say it aloud. But in my heart, you will always be my master."

Lu Jianwei: "..."

Fine, let him have his way.

"Get up first."

Once Xue Guanhe returned to his seat, she continued, "What kind of martial technique do you like? Swordplay, saber techniques, and so on. You can choose one. Of course, if you learn quickly, you can choose several."

Her words left the four of them speechless.

Lu Jianwei raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Zhu Yue was the first to break the silence. "Sister Innkeeper, can we really choose freely? Do you have every kind of martial technique?"

Lu Jianwei: "Why wouldn’t I?"

The four of them: "..."

Even the major sects in the martial world couldn’t casually produce such a wide variety of martial techniques!

What kind of place was the Eight Directions Inn?

The Xue father and son felt even more like they had struck gold. This master-disciple relationship was too good to be true!

Xue Guanhe was so excited he felt dizzy and uttered the most reckless words of his life: "Innkeeper, I don’t know which one suits me. Can I try them all?"

Uncle Zhang: "..."

Zhu Yue: "..."

Was this a marketplace? Did he think he was picking vegetables?

Even if there were many martial techniques, they couldn’t be wasted like this. Surely, Innkeeper Lu wouldn’t agree.

But then they heard Lu Jianwei say, "Of course. However, at the moment, I only have swordplay, saber techniques, and palm techniques. Other martial techniques will take some time to acquire."

Xue Pingshan immediately said, "If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I, Xue Pingshan, will do my best to fulfill your requests!"

"Collecting different martial techniques can be a bit troublesome," she hinted.

Xue Pingshan understood. "Guanhe is fortunate to stay at the inn and learn from you. Tomorrow, I will bring the tuition. Please don’t refuse, Innkeeper Lu."

Lu Jianwei smiled. "You’re too kind, Boss Xue."

With that, the atmosphere became warm and cheerful.

After the meal, Xue Pingshan left by carriage, leaving Xue Guanhe behind.

The young man was quick-witted and rushed to clean up the dishes.

"Xiao Xue." Lu Jianwei went up to the third floor and soon returned with two books. She called him over and said, "One is a cultivation method suited to your aptitude. You must study it diligently. The other is a palm technique. Try practicing it first. If you have any questions, you can ask Uncle Zhang. He’s an expert in palm techniques."

Uncle Zhang couldn’t help but feel curious upon hearing this.

How would it compare to his Gale Palm?

"Thank you, Innkeeper!" Xue Guanhe beamed with joy. He clutched the books and was about to return to his room to study them when he suddenly turned back and asked, "Innkeeper, where should I stay?"

Lu Jianwei was already heading upstairs and didn’t look back.

"The staff room on the first floor. Zhu Yue, arrange it for him."

She needed to hurry upstairs and check out the generous gifts the Xue family had brought!