No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

Yan Feicang stood in the courtyard, assuming a starting stance.

The others quickly stepped back, fearing they might be caught in the aftermath of his blade's power.

Lu Jianwei instructed Xue Guanhe to bring over a rocking chair and sat down leisurely under the corridor, sipping tea.

"If your blade's wind damages any item in this inn, I will announce your flaws to the entire martial world."

Yan Feicang: "..."

There were outsiders in the inn. Even if she didn’t announce it, others would spread the word. Moreover, he didn’t believe his swordsmanship had any flaws, and even if it did, she wouldn’t be able to spot them.

"You’re thinking that no one here can see through your flaws, so it doesn’t matter if you damage anything. After all, no one can defeat you, and if someone could, it would be even better—fulfilling your daydream of a good sparring match, right?"

Yan Feicang: "..."

He felt as though his dignity had been trampled underfoot and ground into the dirt.

"So what if I am?"

Lu Jianwei chuckled lightly. "So, Hero Yan, when you spar, you don’t care about others’ lives or deaths. Truly, you’re someone who kills indiscriminately."

"I never kill indiscriminately!" Yan Feicang took a deep breath. "Don’t worry, I won’t damage any of your inn’s property."

He suppressed his cultivation level.

"This is the first stance of 'Raging Waves,' the 'Sudden Storm.'" A sharp blade light flashed toward everyone’s eyes, like a sudden, violent storm, its power awe-inspiring.

Lu Jianwei narrowed her eyes. This "Raging Waves Blade Technique" was indeed impressive, but—

"If a hidden weapon were to strike your Tianzong acupoint, this stance would fail!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a thin silver light pierced through the air, aiming for Yan Feicang’s back.

His ears twitched, and he sidestepped, deflecting the needle with his blade. He turned and glared angrily to the side.

"What are you doing?!"

Cao Haozi: "...Sorry, I’m skilled with hidden weapons. Hearing this lady’s words, my hand slipped."

Yan Feicang ignored him and turned back to Lu Jianwei.

"I can block it."

"If someone were fighting you head-on, could you still dodge and deflect a hidden weapon?"

Yan Feicang fell silent.

Seeing his expression, Lu Jianwei already understood.

It was a miracle this man had never been ambushed or surrounded before. Or perhaps he had a powerful background and connections, so no one dared to provoke him.

He really needed to be taught a lesson.

"Shall we continue?"

Yan Feicang, unwilling to admit defeat, launched into the second stance.

"Just because it’s hidden doesn’t mean it’s invisible. Would any friend like to test his Xuanzhu acupoint?" Lu Jianwei teased casually.

Lv Hudie giggled, and her handkerchief transformed into a thin thread, striking toward Yan Feicang.

A sense of danger surged in Yan Feicang’s heart, and he fumbled to evade the attack.

"You’re quite the clever one, miss," Lv Hudie said, retracting her handkerchief and winking at Lu Jianwei.

Lu Jianwei raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Do you also want your flaws exposed?"

Lv Hudie: "..."

Wei Liu, who had been watching the show, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Tao Yang sighed and stepped forward to shield her with his body.

Whether Lv Hudie wanted to continue or not, Yan Feicang had no intention of going on. Having two of his flaws pointed out so easily, continuing would only bring him further humiliation.

After a moment of thought, he sheathed his blade with a flourish and clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. May I ask your esteemed name?"

He could bend and stretch when needed.

Lu Jianwei flashed a professional smile.

"My surname is Lu. I’m the proprietor of this inn, a nobody not worth mentioning. Guests, are you here for a meal or lodging?"

Yan Feicang had originally come for a sparring match, but now he had forgotten about that. All he wanted was guidance. "I’ll stay the night!"

Lv Hudie and Cao Haozi exchanged glances. "We’ll stay too."

As for Tao Yang and Wei Liu, they had originally planned to quench their thirst and then head to Moonview City, but—

Wei Liu didn’t dare say much, only tugging at Tao Yang’s sleeve.

Understanding her, Tao Yang spoke up, "We’ll stay as well, Proprietor Lu. Could you provide some tea?"

"Guanhe, take care of the guests," Lu Jianwei said, turning to Uncle Zhang and Zhu Yue. "You two, come with me."

Xue Guanhe acknowledged the order and headed to the counter.

"Here’s the price list. Pay for one night upfront, plus a deposit. Which type of room would you like?"

The guests were stunned when they saw the prices.

"This is too expensive!" Tao Yang voiced what everyone was thinking.

Xue Guanhe smiled. "You don’t have to stay. No pressure."

The group looked troubled, especially Yan Feicang.

He didn’t like carrying too much money when traveling, relying on banks in each town.

Now, he only had five taels of silver left in his pocket, enough for one night in the cheapest room.

Wait, staying required paying upfront plus a deposit. He couldn’t afford it!

"Can I owe you?" he asked.

Xue Guanhe: "No."

Yan Feicang had no choice but to pull out two hundred coins. "I’ll take the shared dormitory."

"Got it."

Lv Hudie and Cao Haozi also winced at the cost. They decided to share a cheaper room, paying five hundred coins upfront and another five hundred as a deposit. One tael of silver left their purses just like that.

Tao Yang and Wei Liu, being of different genders, each took a room, handing over two taels in total.

The second floor had eight rooms in total. Lv Hudie and Cao Haozi chose the easternmost room, while Tao Yang and Wei Liu took the two westernmost rooms, far apart from each other.

After settling in, both groups began whispering among themselves.

"Senior Brother, the person standing next to Proprietor Lu earlier—isn’t that the person we’re looking for?"

"Earlier clues pointed to Moonview City, so it’s very likely. But he’s disguised as a woman, so I didn’t recognize him at first."

"What should we do?"

"Proprietor Lu is clearly not ordinary. Trying to take them by force is impossible, especially since we’re only at the fourth level, and Uncle Zhang is at the peak of the fourth level."

"Should we send a message back? The manor lord has been worried about them."

"That’s a good idea."

In the eastern room.

"Are you sure you’re not mistaken?" Cao Haozi asked.

Lv Hudie rolled her eyes. "You should trust my little darling. It was so excited earlier in the courtyard."

"This inn isn’t simple. Kidnapping someone outright might not be wise," Cao Haozi said. "We shouldn’t act recklessly until we understand the inn’s background."

Lv Hudie snorted. "Those two fools from Leisurely Cloud Manor have also noticed. They’ll probably send a message back."

"What’s so hard about that?" Cao Haozi sneered. "They’ll probably use carrier pigeons. I’ll kill every one they send."

Lv Hudie suddenly said, "I can’t see through Proprietor Lu’s cultivation level."

He was already a fifth-level martial artist and could clearly sense Yan Feicang’s sixth-level cultivation, but Lu Jianwei remained an enigma.

Cao Haozi frowned. "She looks no older than twenty."

Could there really be such a young top-tier master in the world?

On the third floor.

Lu Jianwei led the two into a neighboring room.

The room had been unoccupied for a while, but Zhu Yue cleaned it daily, so it was spotless.

Lu Jianwei picked a chair she liked and sat down.

"Earlier in the courtyard, they were looking at you two strangely."

Uncle Zhang hesitated before speaking.

"That pair of senior brother and junior sister are disciples of Leisurely Cloud Manor. They should recognize me and A-Yue. The one in the flowery clothes is nicknamed 'Lv Hudie.' He likes playing with bugs, and his butterfly can track people. The other is called 'Cao Haozi.' He’s skilled with hidden weapons and likes to ambush people from the shadows. They’re probably after us too."

"Who are you?" Lu Jianwei asked calmly. "And why are they chasing you here?"

Zhu Yue lowered her head in shame. "I’m sorry, Proprietor Lu. I thought no one could find us anymore."

"An apology isn't what matters most. What truly matters is whether you are willing to be honest with each other," Lu Jianwei said with a calm expression. "This will determine whether the two of you stay or leave."

Zhu Yue's eyes reddened slightly as she tugged at Uncle Zhang's sleeve. The latter saw both expectation and determination in her eyes and sighed inwardly.

Finally, he made up his mind and asked, "Innkeeper Lu, have you heard of White Crane Manor?"

"No, I haven't," Lu Jianwei replied honestly.

Uncle Zhang: "..."

For some reason, the melancholy atmosphere suddenly dissipated.

"Someone massacred everyone in White Crane Manor. The young master and I narrowly escaped, but everyone else was slaughtered. I had no choice but to disguise the young master and flee with him, moving from Jiangzhou to Fengzhou," he explained, carefully observing Lu Jianwei's expression.

After spending some time together, he was confident that Innkeeper Lu was highly skilled. Though she had a penchant for wealth, she had clear principles and would never resort to murder for profit. Still, revealing the truth made him uneasy.

Fortunately, Innkeeper Lu remained as composed as ever.

"Who is the murderer?" Lu Jianwei narrowed her eyes. "Were those four people who came today trying to silence you?"

Uncle Zhang looked ashamed.

"The murderer has yet to be identified. As for the four people, I don't know their intentions."

"What is your relationship with Leisurely Cloud Manor?"

"The master of Leisurely Cloud Manor was close friends with the late master of White Crane Manor. Perhaps they came to find the young master and offer him protection."

Lu Jianwei smiled faintly, only half-believing him.

The massacre of White Crane Manor must have been due to some hidden secret. Following the usual tropes of martial arts stories, it was either about a treasure or a martial arts manual. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be easily revealed.

So, wasn't it possible that the closest friend might know this secret?

Lu Jianwei asked, "You don't want to go to Leisurely Cloud Manor?"

"No," Zhu Yue shook her head decisively.

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to."

Lu Jianwei didn't press further and instead asked, "Do you not plan to find the murderer?"

After all these days, she hadn't seen them take any action.

Uncle Zhang replied respectfully, "During our escape, I learned that the Mystic Mirror Bureau has taken over the investigation of the massacre. In our current state, the young master and I have no way to intervene."

"The Mystic Mirror Bureau?" Lu Jianwei was curious.

Uncle Zhang was surprised. It seemed Innkeeper Lu knew very little about the affairs of the martial world.

"It's a special institution established by the imperial court to handle disputes in the martial world. Once, there was a flower thief who targeted the daughters of high-ranking officials. His lightness skills were exceptional, and the authorities couldn't catch him. The incident caused an uproar in the court, forcing the imperial court to establish the Mystic Mirror Bureau."

"And then?"

"The commander of the Mystic Mirror Bureau took office and personally captured the flower thief," Uncle Zhang continued with admiration. "It's said that he was only thirteen at the time, yet his martial arts were already remarkable."

"How many years ago was that?"

"About fifteen years ago."

"So, he's only twenty-eight now," Lu Jianwei murmured, impressed by his early achievements. She then asked, "If the Mystic Mirror Bureau exists, why is the martial world still so chaotic?"

If it were peaceful, she wouldn't have been kidnapped and brought here.

Uncle Zhang explained, "The Mystic Mirror Bureau was only established fifteen years ago. They are short on manpower, and few among them have reached the sixth level of cultivation. The martial world is vast, and countless disputes arise every day. They can't possibly handle everything, so they focus only on major cases."

Lu Jianwei understood.

The massacre of White Crane Manor undoubtedly fell under the category of a major case.

"But the Mystic Mirror Bureau isn't omnipotent," she said, her gaze deepening. "Without the most crucial piece of the puzzle, it will be difficult for them to uncover the murderer."

Uncle Zhang was taken aback. Under Lu Jianwei's penetrating gaze, his earlier ulterior motives were laid bare.

Guilt washed over him.

He suddenly knelt on both knees.

"Innkeeper Lu, I admit that I initially planned to take advantage of the inn. Please forgive my recklessness. But Zhu Yue is innocent. Could you please shelter him out of consideration for his pure heart? In the future, I will dedicate myself to serving the inn with all my strength, even at the cost of my life!"

He knew this was asking too much, but he had no one else he could trust or rely on.

At the very least, Eight Directions Inn was not to be underestimated.

Lu Jianwei couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"I'm a businesswoman. I prefer clear and upfront transactions."