No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

Xue Guanhe couldn't make the decision, so he went downstairs to consult Lu Jianwei.

“Her home is too far, so it’s inconvenient to accept custom orders,” Lu Jianwei subtly shifted the topic. “It’s almost noon.”

Xue Guanhe immediately replied, “I’ll inform Miss Wei first, then prepare lunch.”

After saying that, he turned and went upstairs.

Lu Jianwei took out a small bronze mirror and, shielded by the counter, admired her exquisite makeup.

As expected of her, her ability to promote products was top-notch.

“You directly refused her. Aren’t you afraid she might really not buy anything?” Xiao Ke, her system, was puzzled.

Lu Jianwei was confident. “She won’t.”

“Why not?”

“There’s no desire to shop in her eyes, but she won’t easily give up.”

“Your words seem contradictory. I don’t understand.”

“You’re not a carbon-based life form, so it’s normal for you not to understand,” Lu Jianwei put away the mirror and leaned back in her chair. “She isn’t truly infatuated, yet she acts obsessed. It’s contradictory.”

Xiao Ke felt like it was short-circuiting. It really couldn’t see what she meant.

Lu Jianwei ignored it and called for Yue Shu.

“Go ask the guests if they need lunch.”

Yue Shu obeyed and first went to the dormitory, knocking on the door.

“What is it?”

Yan Feicang was in his room, pondering over his sword techniques. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. His proud sword techniques had been pointed out with so many flaws by an unknown innkeeper.

He couldn’t help but doubt himself. Was he really that bad?

“Master Yan, would you like to have lunch?” Yue Shu asked from outside the door.

Yan Feicang rubbed his stomach. He was indeed a bit hungry.

He had brought dry rations with him, but since he was staying at the inn, there was no need to deprive himself of a hot meal.

“Yes.”

“There’s a price list on the wall. You can choose what you’d like, and we’ll bring it to you once it’s ready.”

After saying this, Yue Shu’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

He wisely took a few steps back.

“A bowl of vegetable noodles costs twenty coins?!”

The exclamation pierced through the door, booming like thunder in his ears.

Yue Shu silently rubbed his ears.

As expected.

Yan Feicang continued to glare at the wall.

A wooden board was nailed to the wall, with several lines of neat and elegant handwriting on it, pleasing to the eye.

But the prices made him want to slash it with his sword.

A bowl of plain rice cost ten coins, a plate of ordinary stir-fried cabbage twenty coins, not to mention other dishes seasoned with oil, salt, and spices.

He often traveled the martial world, and even if he didn’t care much about money, he knew these prices were significantly higher than elsewhere.

This was daylight robbery!

Yan Feicang was a martial arts fanatic with a strong sense of justice. He often fought against evil during his travels, earning him the title of a hero.

The targets of his justice included, but were not limited to, shady establishments like this.

He immediately opened the door, his face filled with anger, and shouted, “In this remote area, you’re the only inn around. It’s one thing to charge high room rates, but how can you charge so much for food? Is this inn backed by bandits who rob and plunder?”

Yue Shu was momentarily at a loss, but fortunately, Uncle Zhang arrived in time to handle the situation.

“Master Yan, you may not know this, but while our inn’s food is expensive, there’s a reason for it.”

“Then tell me, what kind of nonsense reason is this?”

Yan Feicang pressed his thumb against the hilt of his sword, as if ready to draw it and slash the inn if Uncle Zhang said one wrong word.

Uncle Zhang wasn’t intimidated at all.

He dusted off his sleeves and spoke leisurely, “Earlier in your room, did you manage to find a way to fix the flaws in your techniques?”

Yan Feicang’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Don’t try to change the subject!”

The commotion in the courtyard caught the attention of the guests on the second floor.

Wei Liu, who had been rejected earlier, still felt somewhat unwilling and wanted to go downstairs to plead with Lu Jianwei to sell her the beautiful clothes and jewelry. She happened to overhear Yan Feicang’s words and cleverly sided with the inn.

“Senior Yan, the inn isn’t forcing anyone to buy. If you think it’s too expensive, you don’t have to buy anything. Besides, Manager Lu pointed out the flaws in your sword techniques, and you lost the bet with her. You can’t go around threatening people now, can you?”

“Junior Sister!” Tao Yang warned her. Yan Feicang wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Wei Liu wasn’t being reckless. She had heard of Yan Feicang’s reputation.

He was a man of integrity, and aside from his love for sparring, there was nothing to criticize about him. He wouldn’t hold a grudge over something so trivial.

Moreover, their Leisurely Cloud Manor wasn’t to be underestimated.

Yan Feicang, provoked by her words, declared loudly, “I, Yan Feicang, am a man of my word. Manager Lu, if you have any tasks for me, I won’t refuse. But that’s a separate matter. Your prices are too high, and I cannot agree with them.”

“They are indeed a bit high,” Cao Haozi chimed in from the second-floor railing.

Lv Hudie covered her mouth and laughed. “This is the only inn for miles around. It’s normal for the prices to be higher. You men are so petty, bullying a woman. What kind of heroes are you?”

Cao Haozi: “…”

Whose side are you on?

“Manager Lu, I demand an explanation,” Yan Feicang stood in the courtyard, refusing to back down.

Lu Jianwei, sitting behind the counter, sighed inwardly and suddenly asked her system, “How much could his sword sell for in the system’s shop?”

Xiao Ke was about to answer when it suddenly realized, “Pay the appraisal fee first.”

Heh, don’t think you can get a single coin out of me.

Lu Jianwei: “…”

The system was getting smarter.

She didn’t ask further and walked out from behind the counter, standing under the eaves in front of the hall.

Tiny golden rays of sunlight silently fell, illuminating her hair. The jade hairpin in her hair was clear and radiant, glowing with a stunning brilliance.

Her lips curved into a smile, her gaze gentle yet penetrating.

“Master Yan, if you were truly concerned about the prices, you would have voiced your dissatisfaction when booking the room. You’re making a scene now because you want something. Why don’t you just say it?”

Yan Feicang was momentarily speechless.

His sun-tanned skin hid any blush, but his embarrassment was obvious.

He truly didn’t care about the prices. Manager Lu’s guidance on the flaws in his sword techniques was worth far more than the room and meal fees.

He just—

“Manager Lu, I don’t have enough money on me, and your inn doesn’t allow credit. I’ll stay and work as a servant to pay off my debt.”

Lu Jianwei: ???

Everyone else: “…”

The surprise came too quickly, leaving Lu Jianwei momentarily stunned.

“Xiao Ke, I was planning to use his precious sword or sword techniques to lure him into staying. I didn’t expect him to offer to work here just because of a few flaws. I feel like I’m at a loss here.”

Xiao Ke didn’t understand.

“Isn’t this good? The inn needs a high-level martial artist as a guard. He’s quite powerful and has a formidable reputation in the martial world. Most people wouldn’t dare to provoke him.”

“But this way, I can’t really do business with him,” Lu Jianwei lamented slightly. “His sword and techniques could fetch a good price.”

Now that he’s openly admitted he has no money, how can she sell them?

Xiao Ke: “…”

She really knows how to play hard to get.

Lu Jianwei tried to salvage the situation.

“You’ve already paid for today’s room. You don’t owe anything, so there’s no need to work off a debt.”

But Yan Feicang had made up his mind.

“I’ll continue staying at the inn. For future room and meal fees, I’ll work to pay them off.”

He had a keen intuition that the Eight Directions Inn would be a turning point in his martial arts journey.

As Manager Lu had said, he had been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time, and this place might just be the key to breaking through.

“If you don’t agree, feel free to throw me out.”

Lu Jianwei was speechless. She had never encountered someone so eager to owe a debt.

"Xiao Ke, remember this: some people may look honest and straightforward, but in reality, they are full of schemes."

"What do you mean?"

"If I refuse, he will achieve his goal of sparring with me; if I agree, he can stay at the inn and always find opportunities to spar."

Xiao Ke suddenly understood.

"How cunning! Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover!"

He then grew a bit worried: "Should we still let him stay at the inn?"

"Don't worry. His gaze is steady; he's not a wicked person." Lu Jianwei's intuition about people was always accurate. "At most, he's just a bit scheming, and having some wits is better than having none."

Anyone who could cultivate their skills to the sixth level was certainly no fool.

"That's a relief."

"It is, but we still need to temper his temperament a bit."

Lu Jianwei looked at Yan Feicang, her smile fading.

"The inn happens to be short on firewood choppers. If you insist on staying, you'll be responsible for all the firewood from now on."

"Fine by me." Yan Feicang agreed without hesitation. "Where's the firewood? I'll start right away."

Lu Jianwei's expression remained calm. "No rush. Besides chopping firewood, there's an important task I need you to handle."

"Please go ahead, Manager Lu."

"Fighting is strictly prohibited within the inn. Now that you're an employee, your duty is to maintain the inn's order. Do you understand?"

"Not entirely." Yan Feicang looked puzzled. "What exactly is 'inn order'?"

Lu Jianwei used him as an example.

"Your earlier demand to spar was disruptive to the inn's order and interfered with my business. Understand now?"

Yan Feicang: "...Understood."

Inside the inn wasn't allowed, but outside was still an option.

"Understood? Then why aren't you off to chop firewood?"

"Oh." He took a few steps, then turned back. "Where's the firewood?"

Xue Guanhe quickly snapped out of his daze. "I'll show you!"

Who would believe that a sixth-level martial artist was chopping firewood at the inn?

The manager was truly something else!

Upstairs, Lv Hudie and Cao Haozi exchanged a glance, their expressions growing more cautious.

Wei Liu, however, frowned slightly.

"Won't this encourage others to take advantage? If they claim they have no money and offer to work at the inn to pay off their debts, they could stay here indefinitely."

Uncle Zhang and Yue Shu stiffened, feeling indirectly called out.

"Do you think everyone is like Senior Yan?" Tao Yang shook his head. "If it were you or me, we'd probably have been kicked out of the inn long ago."

Wei Liu: "..."

Fair enough. The world of martial arts is indeed complicated and hard to fathom.