No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

The midday sun unleashed its fervor without restraint, and the sky above the courtyard wall was a pristine azure. Lu Jianwei dismissed Yan Feicang and turned to stride into the hall, her exquisite skirt sweeping past the corridor. The threads of her dress shimmered with delicate light.

"Manager Lu!" Wei Liu hurriedly called out to her.

"Miss Wei, what can I do for you?" Lu Jianwei always greeted potential customers with a smile.

Wei Liu eyed her attire with admiration.

"I just asked Xue Assistant, and he said your outfit was specially crafted by the seamstresses and jewelers in your household. It’s truly extraordinary! Would you be willing to introduce me to them? I can wait, and the price isn’t an issue!"

"But..."

"Manager Lu, the price really isn’t a problem."

Lu Jianwei smiled.

"It’s not about the price. It’s just that for custom orders, they need to meet the person in question to understand their preferences. They’re too far away, so it’s inconvenient."

"I see..." Wei Liu pondered for a moment, then boldly added, "Even if it’s not custom-made, I really love your clothes and accessories. Would you be willing to part with a set or two?"

Everyone: "..."

Just how determined is this girl?

Wei Liu knew her request was improper, and her cheeks flushed, but she persisted.

"Manager Lu, if I don’t make this purchase today, I’ll surely lose sleep tonight. I’ve traveled through so many towns and never seen such beautiful clothes and accessories. I really don’t want to miss out."

Her almond-shaped eyes glistened as she pleaded pitifully.

Lu Jianwei suddenly laughed and took her hand.

"Miss Wei, you’re so sincere and charming. Forget parting with a set or two—if you like them, I’ll give them all to you."

"Really?" Wei Liu was overjoyed but quickly waved her hands. "No, no, you don’t have to give me everything. Just a set or two will do. Manager Lu, thank you so much!"

Lu Jianwei said generously, "Out here in the wilderness, it’s rare to meet someone with such similar tastes, especially a beautiful and forthright heroine like you. I’m delighted. Wait for me in your room."

"Alright!"

Wei Liu eagerly headed upstairs, leaving Tao Yang alone in the hall, exchanging bewildered glances with the others.

Who would have thought the inn also dealt in clothes and accessories?

Truly, the minds of women are unfathomable.

Lu Jianwei pretended to go to the third floor to fetch the clothes and accessories, but in reality, she selected five sets of clothes and accessories from the system store, spending fifty taels of silver, most of which went toward the accessories.

The ones she wore herself were more modest, but the items she used for business were of the highest quality.

Compared to the prices of accessories in the Qi Dynasty, they weren’t exorbitant.

The system didn’t shortchange her in this regard.

Considering Wei Liu often traveled, Lu Jianwei chose two sets of ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) and three sets of practical attire, with accessories that leaned toward simplicity and elegance.

She carried the clothes and accessories into Wei Liu’s room.

"These clothes haven’t been worn, and the accessories are also new. We’re about the same size, so the clothes should fit. Take a look and see if there’s anything you like."

Wei Liu was thoroughly impressed, marveling at each set. She immediately asked, "Manager Lu, how much for all of these?"

"I told you, they’re a gift."

"No, I insist on paying."

Both women stood their ground—one determined to give, the other to buy.

The system was baffled.

"Aren’t you supposed to sell them? Why are you giving them away? Since when are you so generous?"

Lu Jianwei didn’t have time to deal with it and smiled at Wei Liu. "I genuinely want to be friends with you. Since you won’t let me give them to you, just pay what you think is fair."

"Manager Lu, I’m definitely your friend now." Wei Liu promptly pulled out two banknotes and pressed them into Lu Jianwei’s hand, beaming. "Even brothers must settle accounts clearly. I can’t take advantage of you right from the start."

Each note was worth a hundred taels, totaling two hundred taels.

Lu Jianwei had made a net profit of one hundred fifty taels.

The system: "..."

Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.

Lu Jianwei accepted the banknotes and then said kindly, "I heard you and Young Master Tao need to borrow a donkey cart. In my opinion, since it’s just a trip to Moonview City, there’s no need for rental fees. I trust you."

"Manager Lu, you’re too kind. It’s only right to pay for borrowing a cart."

Lu Jianwei smiled.

"Little Guest, if this girl didn’t have ulterior motives, I’d really like her."

Little Guest: "Oh."

You like anyone who’s a big spender.

Xue Guanhe had prepared the meal, and Lu Jianwei invited Wei Liu to join them.

Wei Liu declined politely. "My senior brother and I have business in Moonview City. If we leave too late, we might not make it back before the city gates close."

Lu Jianwei didn’t press further.

The siblings paid ten taels for the rental and one tael as a deposit, then drove the donkey cart away from the inn.

In the east room on the second floor.

Lü Hudie and Cao Haozi exchanged glances. Cao Haozi leaped down from the second floor, vaulted over the courtyard wall, and stealthily followed the siblings, leaving Lü Hudie to continue monitoring Uncle Zhang and Yue Shu.

Lu Jianwei pretended not to notice and sat down leisurely.

The other staff members took their seats at the dining table. Uncle Zhang and the others were already familiar with the routine and brought their own bowls and chopsticks. Only Yan Feicang stared blankly at the empty table.

Do new employees not get to eat?

Xue Guanhe, instinctively awed by a sixth-level martial artist and wanting to treat the newcomer well, quickly said, "I’ll get another set of bowls and chopsticks!"

Lu Jianwei stopped him.

"Let him get it himself."

Now that he was an employee, no one was going to coddle him.

Yan Feicang had just been momentarily stunned. Once he regained his senses, he went to the kitchen to fetch his own bowls and chopsticks, then unceremoniously served himself a large portion of rice, devouring it like a starved beast.

In mere moments, he finished one bowl and served himself another.

While the others were still halfway through their first bowls, he had already polished off three and was on his fourth.

Lu Jianwei: "..."

This isn’t an employee—this is a bottomless pit!

The aroma of the food wafted up to the second floor, where Lü Hudie, who had been meditating, clutched her stomach and couldn’t resist coming downstairs.

"Manager Lu, I’m hungry. Could you set another place for me?"

As she spoke, she cast a coquettish glance at Lu Jianwei.

Lu Jianwei remained unmoved.

"Pay up."

"It’s not ladylike to always talk about money," Lü Hudie teased, flicking her fingers elegantly.

Lu Jianwei, who despised people who used gender as a joke, retorted sharply, "The powder on your face is thick enough to build a wall, and your words are so greasy they could fry a whole wok of food. Instead of wasting time lecturing others, why don’t you become a bricklayer or a chef to earn some money? Or better yet, buy some soap to wash off the grease, so you don’t go around telling people what to do."

Lü Hudie: "..."

The others: "..."

Even Yan Feicang looked up from his bowl, staring at her in disbelief.

They knew Manager Lu loved money and was sharp-tongued, but they were still shocked by her scathing remarks.

To be honest, when Manager Lu wasn’t berating someone, she was always gentle and soft-spoken, her delicate appearance often misleading.

But when she unleashed her tongue, it felt like something shattered.

Strangely enough, they found it incredibly satisfying to listen to.

Lü Hudie’s powdered face turned ashen, her expression twisting momentarily before she composed herself. With a cold snort, she turned and left.

He had many ways to make those present feel small, but considering Yan Feicang was a sixth-level martial artist, the inn was mysterious and unpredictable, and their mission wasn’t yet complete, he swallowed his anger and returned upstairs to wait for Cao Haozi’s return.

On the road to Moonview City, Tao Yang was driving the carriage, patiently saying, "Junior Sister, we're here for serious business. Those clothes and accessories can be bought anytime."

Wei Liu carefully examined the golden hairpin in her hand.

"I'm not delaying our mission, am I? You don't understand. The craftsmanship and designs of these clothes and accessories are unique to this place. If I miss this chance, I won't be able to get them again."

Tao Yang sighed.

"Senior Brother, we've already found Young Master Yue and Steward Zhang. All we need to do now is send a message back." Wei Liu changed the subject. "You also think the Eight Directions Inn is mysterious, don't you? I bet you'll report this matter to the Master as well."

Tao Yang asked, "What does this have to do with you buying things?"

"Their clothes and accessories are different from anywhere else. Maybe we can find some clues from them. If we can trace the origin of these items, we might uncover the secrets behind the inn."

Wei Liu looked annoyed, feeling as though she wasn't being taken seriously.

"Did you even consider this lead, or do you just think I'm fooling around?"

Tao Yang: "..."

He had to admit, it made sense.

Holding onto his pride as a senior brother and a man, he cleared his throat and said, "The inn is indeed suspicious. We should be cautious."

Wei Liu let out a displeased "Oh," leaning back against the carriage. Her irritation faded from her eyes as she thoughtfully twirled the hairpin in her hand.

"Senior Brother, do you think Senior Lv and Senior Cao might also be here for them?"

At her words, Tao Yang's heart sank, and his brows furrowed.

"It's hard to say."

A sharp intuition told him that this matter might not be as simple as it seemed.