No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

After the caravan of the Golden Blade Trading Company left, the inn remained deserted for half a month.

With no guests, the three of them had nothing to do but practice martial arts day and night.

In the middle of this period, a villager came by once.

The person who had signed the contract with Uncle Zhang was a young man from Linyue Village named Niu Qiang. He was of average appearance but had a cheerful and generous personality.

He had no idea that an inn had been established here. When he had previously discussed business with Uncle Zhang, he had been skeptical. But when he stood in front of the inn, his jaw dropped in astonishment.

Compared to the Eight Directions Inn, the most luxurious restaurant in the city was nothing!

He entered with a sense of reverence and left with the joy of having stumbled upon a treasure.

The purchase price offered by the inn was no lower than that in the city!

This was undoubtedly good news for the villagers.

A journey of over ten miles was nothing to them!

They agreed that every half month, Niu Qiang would transport ingredients provided by the villagers to the inn. If the inn needed anything purchased from the city, he would charge a small fee to run the errand.

After Niu Qiang left, Lu Jianwei asked, "Delivering every half month—can the inn handle that much?"

Uncle Zhang smiled. "Manager, do you remember the Golden Blade Trading Company?"

"Of course."

"Manager Zhao will surely inform the owner of the trading company. Perhaps the inn will become livelier in the future."

The sudden appearance of a mysterious inn in the martial world would inevitably attract attention.

He believed that the Golden Blade Trading Company would send someone to investigate.

No matter how they probed, as long as the inn maintained its air of mystery, it would attract more and more "guests."

Lu Jianwei understood.

She gave an approving look and said, "You’ve been diligent in your duties for the inn. Why don’t you demonstrate your palm techniques for me?"

Uncle Zhang: ?

What was the connection between the two?

But he didn’t ask or refuse. Demonstrating his palm techniques was no big deal. Perhaps Manager Lu just wanted to test his skills.

He went to the front courtyard, cupped his hands in respect, and said, "This old man will make a fool of himself."

With that, he formed his hands into palms, channeling his inner energy into a roaring torrent that surged into his palms. As his palm techniques shifted, the air around him seemed to distort.

He demonstrated eight moves in total. After finishing, he said with some embarrassment, "I still haven’t mastered the final move."

Lu Jianwei remained calm. "What is this palm technique called?"

"Gale Palm."

Lu Jianwei nodded and asked, "I’m not well-versed in palm techniques, but if you don’t mind, I could share my thoughts."

"Please enlighten me," Uncle Zhang said humbly, cupping his hands.

Lu Jianwei’s expression turned serious. "During the second move, although the force was impressive, there was a fatal flaw."

Uncle Zhang: ?

He had been practicing this technique for most of his life and had gained some renown in the martial world with it. He had never heard of any fatal flaw.

Was Manager Lu just making this up?

Though he was skeptical, he didn’t show it and simply said, "I’d like to hear more."

Lu Jianwei turned to Zhu Yue and extended her hand. "Give me the scabbard."

Zhu Yue quickly handed it over.

He wasn’t stupid; he knew Manager Lu was giving Uncle Zhang pointers.

Lu Jianwei held the scabbard and said, "Let’s not use inner energy. Try the second move again."

Uncle Zhang complied, launching his attack. Though there was no inner energy in his palm strike, the force was still formidable and fast.

But Lu Jianwei remained unflustered. With a casual motion, the scabbard struck his left leg at the Futu acupoint.

The palm strike dissipated instantly, and Uncle Zhang stumbled back a few steps. After steadying himself, he looked at Lu Jianwei in shock.

It was true!

The moment the scabbard touched his Futu acupoint, his palm technique had been completely neutralized. Although he hadn’t used inner energy, the technique required the coordination of his entire body.

With just a light touch, he had been defeated.

If someone had discovered this flaw over the years and exploited it, he would have been dead long ago.

Uncle Zhang was deeply shaken and momentarily speechless.

"The fifth move also has a flaw, at the Qimen acupoint," Lu Jianwei said, withdrawing the scabbard. "If you don’t believe me, you can try it again."

No martial technique is without flaws.

The number and severity of these flaws often determine the outcome of a fight.

Uncle Zhang’s palm technique was powerful, but it had several flaws. Fortunately, they were well-hidden, and ordinary martial artists couldn’t spot them. Those who could see them were usually masters who wouldn’t bother pointing them out.

"Thank you, Manager, for your guidance!" Uncle Zhang said, filled with gratitude.

Lu Jianwei smiled. "You’re part of the inn. This is just a small matter. Don’t dwell on it."

Now, isn’t that a great employee benefit?

Uncle Zhang thought to himself: This was no small matter. Knowing his flaws would help him defend against them in battle, potentially saving his life. In a way, Manager Lu had become his lifesaver.

She had taken him in, guided his martial arts—such kindness was beyond repayment.

Zhu Yue was also happy for Uncle Zhang. Gathering his courage, he asked, "Sister Manager, could you also take a look at my sword techniques and see if there are any mistakes?"

"A-Yue," Uncle Zhang cautioned.

Manager Lu’s willingness to guide them was a kindness; they couldn’t take it for granted.

"It’s fine," Lu Jianwei said gently. "When you were practicing in the courtyard the other day, I noticed a few issues."

Zhu Yue’s eyes lit up. "Please, Sister, don’t hold back!"

"I’ll teach you once the rocking chair is finished," Lu Jianwei said without immediately agreeing.

Her requirement for the staff was clear: they had to create enough value for the inn.

Only then would they earn such benefits.

Without hesitation, Zhu Yue rushed to the backyard to continue his woodworking project.

Being able to do what he loved while receiving guidance from a master—what more could he ask for?

Lu Jianwei returned to the third floor to continue practicing her inner energy techniques.

Her inner energy progress bar was just a bit away from breaking through to 10,000, reaching the third level.

She had already learned the fourth move of "Swan Passing Without a Trace," but practicing it indoors every day had started to bore her.

"You’re not planning to teach Uncle Zhang ‘Horizontal Wave Palm’?" the system asked, unable to understand Lu Jianwei’s intentions.

Lu Jianwei was surprised. "When did I say I would teach him that?"

The system replied, "Didn’t you ask him about his martial techniques earlier?"

"So?"

"Wasn’t the palm technique meant for him?"

Lu Jianwei shook her head. "Am I such a cheap manager? Pointing out flaws in their techniques is already generous. Do I also have to teach them new techniques? I paid for this!"

"Then why did you buy the palm technique?"

Lu Jianwei thought for a moment. "I’m not against teaching it, but when and how I teach it needs careful consideration."

She could be a kind manager, but she wouldn’t be a pushover.

The system was curious. "What are you really planning?"

"Nothing much. Just waiting for the right opportunity."

The days passed quickly in idleness. A few days later, Lu Jianwei finally reached the third level.

Looking at the five zeros after her level, she suddenly felt exhausted. The higher the level, the harder it was to improve.

From level three to four, she needed 100,000, and from four to five, a million. It was hard to say how long it would take.

"System, is there any way to speed up my training?"

"Most people train for years, while you’re counting in days. Aren’t you satisfied?"

"Are there no genius martial artists?"

"There are, but they start training from a young age. The most talented martial artist in the world started at three and trained for ten years to reach level five. How many days have you trained, and what level are you now?"

Lu Jianwei: "...Alright."

She was being greedy.

Fortunately, her inner energy techniques were becoming more refined. She could now practice her inner energy around the clock, even while sleeping, as her energy circulated naturally.

Each cycle further tempered and improved her inner energy.

Looking out over the wilderness, she sighed. "Where is the next big client?"

The system replied, "In your dreams."

Moonview City.

Niu Qiang had caught a few bamboo rats in the mountains and brought them to Yuelai Restaurant in the city to sell.

This was the largest restaurant in Moonview City, managed by Shopkeeper Zhou and owned by Young Master Xue, the city’s wealthiest man.

Shopkeeper Zhou was a friendly man who knew Niu Qiang well. He took the bamboo rats from the basket and smiled. "The meat is tender. You should bring more next time."

Niu Qiang hesitated. "The harvest is coming up soon, so I might not have time."

"That’s fine. Bring them after the harvest," Shopkeeper Zhou said without pressing. "But you’ve been coming to the city less often lately. Is everything alright at home?"

Niu Qiang often came to the city during the farming off-season to do odd jobs. Sometimes, if he finished early, he would stop by Yuelai Restaurant to say hello to Shopkeeper Zhou.

"Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been busy helping the villagers deliver goods."

Shopkeeper Zhou asked casually, "What kind of goods?"

"I’ve been delivering ingredients to the Eight Directions Inn."

“What is this Eight Directions Inn?” Shopkeeper Zhou asked, puzzled. “Is there a new inn in the city?”

Niu Qiang shook his head and explained, “No, it’s not in the city. It’s built on the wasteland outside the city walls, and it’s massive.”

“How does it compare to our Yuelai Restaurant?” Shopkeeper Zhou’s competitive spirit was piqued.

Niu Qiang answered honestly, “It’s much bigger than Yuelai Restaurant.”

Shopkeeper Zhou: “…”

He paused for a moment, then asked, “How long has it been open?”

“A little over a month.”

“How come I haven’t heard anything about it?”

Niu Qiang scratched his head. “Probably because they don’t have many guests, so no one’s talking about it.”

He genuinely felt sorry for the Eight Directions Inn. Built in such a remote place, it was no wonder they had no customers.

Moonview City already had inns, and most of their guests were merchants from the northwest who came to the city to do business and stayed at the inns for rest.

These merchants never ventured out of the southern gate, as they knew there was nothing but wilderness beyond it.

Moonview City was located in a remote area, and most merchant caravans from prosperous regions avoided it unless they had a specific mission.

Shopkeeper Zhou was well aware of this and sighed, “I wonder who the owner of that inn is. They didn’t even do their research beforehand.”

What good was it to build such a grand inn in the middle of nowhere?

The matter didn’t leave a deep impression on him, but when he went to Xue Mansion to report on the restaurant’s operations, he mentioned it briefly as a joke.

Coincidentally, Young Master Xue was nearby and overheard. He immediately became intrigued. “Someone really built an inn outside the southern gate, bigger and taller than our restaurant?”

Shopkeeper Zhou hesitated. “It’s just hearsay. I haven’t seen it myself.”

“Well, I’ve got nothing better to do. I’ll go check it out!” Young Master Xue, around sixteen or seventeen years old, was at the age where he was easily excited by new things.

Bored of staying in the city, he was immediately drawn to the novelty of something happening outside the walls. Ignoring his father’s objections, he took a servant, mounted his horse, and galloped out of the southern gate.

“Isn’t that Young Master Xue? Why is he rushing out of the city?”

“Who knows? Maybe he heard about something interesting.”

“What’s interesting outside the southern gate? It’s just wasteland. If he wanted fun, he should’ve gone west of the city.”

“Who cares?”

Young Master Xue rode at full speed, covering twenty miles in no time.

In the middle of the vast wilderness, an inn suddenly came into view—tall, majestic, and imposing. The three-story main building rose from the ground, its presence reaching toward the clouds.

Excited, Young Master Xue dismounted and, without bothering to call his servant, rushed to knock on the gate himself.