No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

◎Flying Flowers and Plucking Leaves, the Gu Emperor, and the Yi Clan's Ransom◎

The courtyard was enveloped in silence.

Especially Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou, who stood utterly dumbfounded.

Lu Jianwei was the first to react, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she instructed Xue Guanhe, "Why are you just standing there? Pour Miss He Lianxue another drink."

"Right!" Xue Guanhe hastily refilled the cup.

He Lianxue murmured, "Thank you."

Behind her veil, she downed the wine in one go.

Zhao Rui: "…"

Bian Xingzhou: "…"

Lu Jianwei chuckled. "No need for formalities. Miss He Lianxue’s gift is much appreciated. A few cups of wine are nothing."

The foremost beauty who gifted a golden abacus was indeed extraordinary.

Lvluo whispered a gentle reminder, "Miss, though the wine is fine, it’s best not to overindulge."

"It’s fine." He Lianxue clearly had no intention of heeding the advice.

Lin Wang voiced what everyone was thinking: "Miss He Lianxue seems quite different from the rumors."

"Though no one ever said a beauty couldn’t hold her liquor," Liang Shangjun teased. "Miss He Lianxue, since the innkeeper is treating us today, you might as well enjoy yourself."

The veil swayed slightly as He Lianxue raised her cup. "Innkeeper Lu, today is your birthday. A toast to you."

Lu Jianwei returned the gesture.

"Innkeeper, I’d like to toast you too!"

The staff raised their cups one after another, and soon the banquet was in full swing.

After several rounds, Lu Jianwei poured another cup.

"Young Master Wen, since this wine is your gift, I’ll toast you."

"Very well." Wen Zhuzhi lifted his cup, its rim slightly lower than Lu Jianwei’s. "This wine is mild, but its aftereffects are strong."

Lu Jianwei waved it off. "No matter."

Even before her transmigration, she had a high alcohol tolerance. Now, with her inner strength, a few cups were nothing.

Zhao Rui, Bian Xingzhou, and Lin Wang soon joined the toasts, drinking cup after cup.

A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard, blending the faint scent of bamboo, the fragrance of flowers, and the rich aroma of wine into perfect harmony.

It should have been a scene of peace and joy—if not for the uninvited guests who shattered the tranquility.

"Damnable Central Plains people! How dare you treat our Yi warriors like this!"

A furious roar echoed through the sky as a group of burly men charged toward the Eight Directions Inn—some from the ground, others from the air, surrounding the courtyard in an instant.

They had already scaled the walls.

Yan Feicang immediately drew his blade, while the rest of the staff tensed.

"Leave them be."

Lu Jianwei set down her cup, and an overwhelming force radiated from her, striking down a dozen Yi warriors in the blink of an eye.

Thuds of collapsing bodies filled the air.

Unfazed, Lu Jianwei continued sipping her wine and eating as if nothing had happened.

The staff were accustomed to such scenes, but the guests were stunned.

Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou had witnessed Yan Feicang defeat Azhami, but they hadn’t seen the fate of Ashiqiu and the others—otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so shocked.

"Impressive," Lvluo couldn’t help but murmur.

He Lianxue’s veil fluttered slightly, as if she were peering at the fallen intruders.

Lin Wang’s crimson lips curled. "The Eight Directions Inn truly lives up to its reputation."

"Just when things were getting dull, these Yi clansmen came to liven things up," Liang Shangjun taunted loudly in their dialect. "Any more of you? Why are you hiding outside?"

No sooner had he spoken than another dozen Yi warriors leaped onto the treetops nearby, raising bamboo flutes to their lips.

The synchronized notes of a dozen flutes summoned a tide of insects and snakes from the mountains, swarming toward the inn.

Even the battle-hardened residents of Dada City were terrified, hastily scattering insect-repelling powder around their homes.

Lu Jianwei raised an eyebrow. "Such murderous intent."

She detested bugs and snakes. If her birthday banquet were ruined by such creatures, it would be truly unfortunate.

With a flick of her palm, her eighth-level inner strength gathered fallen petals from the ground, transforming the delicate blossoms into razor-sharp projectiles. They shot forth like meteors, piercing the flutists’ defenses and silencing their instruments.

The flutists tumbled from the treetops, and for a moment, the world fell silent.

Even the Yi clansmen orchestrating the attack were dumbstruck.

Azhami never stood a chance.

Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou exchanged glances, for the first time sharing something other than mutual disdain.

The tales they’d heard had been understated.

To kill with flowers and leaves—such a terrifying technique was something they’d only seen from the most elite elders of their sects.

But—

She was only twenty-six!

An eighth-level Martial Sovereign at such a young age truly existed.

It was downright demoralizing.

Without the flute’s guidance, the swarm of insects and snakes retreated into the mountains, though not without taking a few bites from the fallen flutists along the way.

Screams erupted intermittently.

Yue Shu couldn’t resist asking, "Aren’t they supposed to control these creatures? Don’t they carry antidotes?"

"No amount of medicine can withstand a mountain of pests," Lin Wang remarked with amusement. "Innkeeper Lu dispatched her enemies without lifting a finger. Admirable."

Lu Jianwei shrugged. "It’s my birthday. I won’t spill blood today—I didn’t kill anyone."

Whether the flutists survived the snakebites was none of her concern. She’d merely shattered their flutes and knocked them out of the trees.

The remaining Yi warriors, torn between rescuing their comrades and strategizing, huddled together.

"Do we keep fighting?"

"…How?"

"I’ll never call Azhami weak again."

"That Central Plains woman is too strong. We must report this to the clan."

"Just leave? What about Azhami and the others?"

"Return first. Let the elders decide."

Not all Yi clansmen were reckless. Recognizing the futility of further attacks, they chose retreat.

Azhami remained uncaptured, and they’d lost over a dozen more men.

A devastating blow.

"I can play the flute too," He Lianxue suddenly declared. "Lvluo, fetch my flute."

Lvluo hesitated. "Miss, you’re drunk."

The veil swayed as He Lianxue’s voice, though slightly slurred, brooked no argument.

"Fetch it."

With a sigh, Lvluo retrieved an emerald-green jade flute from their room.

He Lianxue accepted it, lifting the flute to her lips beneath the veil.

A melody, clear and enchanting, began to flow—like the cry of a phoenix, its resplendent tail brushing across the azure sky, or a boundless sea of blooming wildflowers.

The retreating Yi warriors froze, entranced. Some even began dancing on the spot.

"I see Azhaduo smiling at me!"

"No, at me!"

"Azhaduo is mine! Stay away!"

With their keen hearing, the inn’s guests caught every word. Liang Shangjun, ever the entertainer, translated for the group.

Xue Guanhe and Yue Shu burst into laughter, their shoulders shaking.

"Who’s Azhaduo?" A'Nai asked curiously.

Lin Wang smirked. "According to my apothecary friend, Azhaduo is the Yi clan’s most beautiful maiden."

"Then they’re truly delusional."

"Indeed," Lin Wang mused. "Not only is Azhaduo the fairest, but she’s also a fifth-level Gu master, one of the Gu God Sect’s most promising talents."

Yue Shu blinked. "Is a fifth-level Gu master powerful?"

Lin Wang shrugged. "I wouldn’t know. I don’t understand Gu arts."

Zhao Rui finally snapped out of his daze, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from He Lianxue, and explained, "I've read the relevant texts. The ranking system for gu masters is similar to that of martial artists. A fifth-level gu master is equivalent to a fifth-level martial artist, capable of controlling gu generals."

"What exactly is a gu general?"

"Gu insects are ranked in four tiers: gu soldiers, gu generals, gu kings, and the legendary Gu Emperor, corresponding to martial apprentices, martial masters, martial kings, and grandmasters respectively."

"So what’s the difference between a fourth-level and fifth-level gu master?"

"The number and variety of gu generals they can control simultaneously." Zhao Rui found his footing in the conversation. "It's said that a fifth-level gu master can command five different types of gu insects at once, all of them at the gu general level."

"I see." Xue Guanhe asked again, "Then the person playing the flute earlier wasn’t a gu master?"

Zhao Rui scoffed. "At best, they can only drive snakes and insects around. That’s nothing compared to real gu insects."

Lu Jianwei sighed inwardly. Could they not bring up those disgusting bugs during mealtime?

"Manager Lu, how do you plan to deal with them?" Wen Zhuzhi suddenly spoke up, cutting off Zhao Rui.

Lu Jianwei replied, "The stables."

The staff exchanged glances: Anyone who dared scheme against the inn would inevitably end up locked in the stables.

Liang Shangjun was the most enthusiastic. "Perfect! I’ll drag them in right away." Having endured the punishment himself, he was eager for others to experience the stables as well.

"Manager, should we feed them Ordinary Guest?"

Lu Jianwei: "Feed them."

Selling the antidote could earn them some extra money.

Azhami, who had witnessed the entire ordeal, was utterly despondent.

His clan had gathered so many warriors to rescue him, yet they hadn’t even managed a single move before being effortlessly subdued by the unfathomably powerful Manager Lu.

He had lost fairly.

"What’s Ordinary Guest?" Lin Wang asked.

Zhao Rui frowned. "You’ve read the stories about the Righteous Heroine, yet you don’t know about Ordinary Guest?"

"Brother Zhao, what do you mean?" Lin Wang’s expression stiffened briefly before he regained his composure. "I was in seclusion before this. I only heard a few storyteller’s tales on my way to Dianzhou and learned of Manager Lu’s reputation. I only said those things earlier to leave a good impression, but it backfired. My apologies."

Bian Xingzhou sipped his wine and sighed. "Brother Lin, don’t mind him. Cangzhou is far from Jiangzhou—it’s normal you haven’t heard of it. Ordinary Guest is Manager Lu’s exclusive secret formula. It suppresses a martial artist’s inner energy, and no one but Manager Lu can undo its effects."

"Oh?" Lin Wang’s eyes flashed with surprise. "Did Manager Lu also feed Ordinary Guest to those people from the Sacred Medicine Hall earlier?"

Lu Jianwei smiled sweetly. "Of course I did."

"..."

Yue ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍Shu’s mind blanked for a moment, wondering if he’d misremembered. He shot a questioning glance at Xue Guanhe, who subtly winked back. Realization dawned on him.

Whenever the manager smiled like that, it meant she was plotting something.

Tiao added, "Not only did they get Ordinary Guest, but their own poison gu were turned against them as well."

Lin Wang: "..."

Something about this didn’t add up.

He Lianxue finally set down her flute.

She turned to Lu Jianwei, her voice dreamy. "I know about Ordinary Guest. The people from Thousand Miles Tower, Black Wind Fort, and the Martial Alliance have all tasted it. No one could break free. Manager Lu, you’re amazing!"

Everyone: "..."

She was truly wasted.

Lu Jianwei chuckled. "You flatter me, Miss He."

"No! I’m telling the truth!" He Lianxue suddenly leaned in, grabbing Lu Jianwei’s sleeve. The veil of her hat brushed against Lu Jianwei’s face as she declared, "Manager Lu, meeting you here is the greatest fortune of my life!"

Everyone: "..."

Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou: ???

Lvluo sighed. "Miss, let me take you back to your room to rest."

"No! I won’t go back. I want to drink with Manager Lu!"

Drunk, He Lianxue’s voice unconsciously carried an intoxicating allure, making ears burn.

Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou, who had initially been shocked by her uncharacteristic behavior, found themselves falling under her spell again.

Their thoughts warred within them, neither side gaining the upper hand.

A headache—what a headache.

Lvluo continued trying to coax her, but He Lianxue stubbornly refused.

As her hat swayed, a sliver of her face became visible. Lu Jianwei caught a glimpse of her true appearance—flawless jade-like skin, delicate features. Truly deserving of her title as the number one beauty in the martial world.

"Xiao Ke, she’s really beautiful," Lu Jianwei mused inwardly.

Xiao Ke replied, "You’re beautiful too, each in your own way."

"Your idioms are improving." Lu Jianwei’s lips curled. "But her personality is nothing like I imagined."

The beauty still clung to her sleeve, rambling, "Manager Lu, I recognized you at the Carefree Pavilion—no, I didn’t recognize you at first. It was only when they called out Yan Feicang’s name that I realized you were the Righteous Heroine."

Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou’s headaches worsened.

Had their Snow been replaced by someone else?

"I’ve read about your exploits so many times. I adore them. When I ran into you in Qianzhou, I guessed you were heading to Dianzhou. And you really did open an inn! So I came." He Lianxue suddenly paused, then lamented, "But I brought two nuisances with me. They insisted on following me and caused you so much trouble. Manager Lu, you won’t blame me, will you?"

Lu Jianwei: Of course not. After all, she’d made a tidy profit from them.

But was the beauty, having been repressed for so many years, finally letting loose with this torrent of words?

"Jianwei, is she your fan?" Xiao Ke teased. "After reading those martial world stories, she became your admirer."

Lu Jianwei remained rational. "The daughter of the Carefree Sect’s leader—what hasn’t she seen? How could she possibly idolize a stranger just because of some stories?"

"Then what’s going on with her?"

"Every guest who comes to the Eight Directions Inn has their own agenda."

"What does she want?"

"Not sure yet."

Lu Jianwei wasn’t in a hurry. Given time, the truth would reveal itself.

Once the flute music faded, the Yi tribesmen gradually regained their senses. Recalling their earlier actions, they burned with humiliation and rage, itching to storm the inn again.

But the last shred of reason held them back.

They dragged their wounded back to their village in haste.

The Yi chieftain and elders were preparing for the Gu God Festival when the bedraggled group returned, leaving them stunned.

The most hot-tempered elder snapped, "What happened? Weren’t you supposed to rescue Azhami?"

"Those Central Plains people are too bizarre. We couldn’t land a single blow against her."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Central Plains folk are all weaklings—a few snakes and bugs are enough to scare them witless. How could they be as strong as you claim? Don’t make excuses for your incompetence!"

Chieftain Azhashan raised a hand to silence the furious elder. His towering, muscular frame nearly overwhelmed the chieftain’s seat.

"If what you say is true, these Central Plains people are not to be trifled with. The Bawa tribe blocked us earlier, claiming the Central Plains people saved their kin. Hmph! The Bawa are fools, trusting those sly outsiders."

"Chieftain, Azhami and over a dozen others are locked in the inn’s stables. Those Central Plains people are humiliating us!"

The chieftain’s anger flared. He slammed his armrest.

"Send someone to investigate their backgrounds. If they’re this bizarre, they might be using some Central Plains trickery."

A well-informed source added, "Chief, I heard they even dared to provoke the Sacred Medicine Hall. The Hall spent hundreds of thousands of taels to ransom over a dozen people from Ashiqiu's group."

The crowd fell silent.

Since when had the Sacred Medicine Hall become so accommodating?

If even the Sacred Medicine Hall backed down, shouldn’t they also reconsider their rash actions?

After a moment of contemplation, the chief said, "The Gu God Festival is approaching. We must avoid further trouble. I’ve heard the Buwa Tribe has invited their savior to join the grand celebration. Once they enter our territory, all their tricks—whether formations or strange arts—will be useless."

"The chief is right. Let’s wait until the Gu God Festival. But what about Azhami and the others?"

"First, we need to clarify what exactly happened with the Sacred Medicine Hall."

"Yes!"

Before long, the scouts returned with their report.

"Chief, it’s true. The Sacred Medicine Hall spent over two hundred thousand taels to ransom Ashiqiu and his men."

The hall fell silent for several breaths.

The hot-tempered elder was the first to speak. "Since when has the Sacred Medicine Hall’s master been so lenient?"

"Who went to negotiate the ransom?"

"Ashicai."

"Could Ashicai have acted on his own? After all, Ashiqiu is his nephew."

"Impossible. Ashicai wouldn’t dare."

"True. Aleshu is unpredictable—no one would risk angering him."

After a moment’s consideration, Chief Azhashan said, "If even the Sacred Medicine Hall is avoiding conflict, these outsiders must indeed be formidable. With the Gu God Festival approaching, we can’t afford complications. Send someone to the inn to negotiate their release."

"But... the ransom is too steep," someone couldn’t help but interject. "They charge by weight. Ashiqiu’s group already cost over two hundred thousand. How much more for Azhami and the others?"

The Yi Tribe’s warriors were exceptionally tall and robust—each one easily outweighed several ordinary men.

The chief: "..."

Their tribe had never been skilled in commerce. Where would they get such funds?

A quick-witted elder suggested, "These outsiders came here for medicinal herbs, didn’t they? Why not offer herbs as payment?"

"Are you an idiot? That much silver would require mountains of herbs!"

"If this won’t work and that won’t work, are we just abandoning our warriors?"

"Didn’t we hear the Buwa Tribe invited them to the Gu God Festival?" another proposed. "Why not wait until they attend the festival? With no high-level fighters left at the inn, we can rescue our men then."

"What a terrible idea! Azhami and the others are our tribe’s finest warriors. If they miss the festival, our Yi Tribe will be humiliated in the competitions!"

"There’s another way."

"Speak!"

"Outsiders covet jade and emeralds—things we have in abundance. Why not send an envoy to negotiate? Better to lose face before outsiders than before the Gu God."

"Exactly! We’ll offer jade and emeralds. Many foreign merchants prize these."

After the Yi Tribe’s warriors withdrew, the banquet neared its end.

He Lianxue, having drunk herself into a stupor, was carried back to her room by Lvluo, leaving Zhao Rui and Bian Xingzhou utterly bewildered.

The night deepened, and the once-bustling Dada City grew silent.

Clouds veiled the silver moonlight, draping the inn in darkness. All was still.

Lu Jianwei lay in bed, opening her system panel.

Each green dot on the map remained motionless in its room. Soon, a tiny insect flitted unnoticed from the second floor to the third, its presence masked by the night.

Having studied gu sorcery, Lu Jianwei recognized it as a high-grade "Dreamweaver Gu"—a lethal variant whose name in the local dialect meant "fleeting illusion."

This gu could secrete a toxin that clouded the mind—odorless, tasteless, and undetectable.

A Gu Emperor-class Dreamweaver could silently kill even a sixth-rank martial artist.

The insect outside was precisely such a Gu Emperor.

Guided by its master, it alighted on He Lianxue’s windowsill, slipping through a crevice into her room.

All poisons relied on dosage.

For the Dreamweaver to kill, its victim needed to inhale enough toxin to succumb to hallucination.

This required either close proximity or a sealed space.

The inn’s rooms were well-ventilated, forcing the gu to approach its target.

It landed on the delicate bed curtains near He Lianxue’s head, preparing to release its venom.

Just as Lu Jianwei was about to activate a countermeasure, the gu suddenly recoiled in terror, fluttering wildly before fleeing back through the window—as if some primal instinct had overridden its master’s command.

On the bed, He Lianxue’s brow twitched briefly before smoothing again.

Downstairs, Lin Wang’s face drained of color.

A gu master shared a bond with their gu. The creature’s panic and defiance struck him like a martial artist suffering qi deviation.

Clutching his chest, he swallowed back the blood rising in his throat.

The terrified Dreamweaver scurried back into its pouch, wings trembling faintly.

Lin Wang fed it a drop of his blood, barely calming it before sealing the pouch.

He glanced upward.

Only one thing could frighten a Gu Emperor so thoroughly: the legendary Gu Emperor.

So He Lianxue carried a Gu Emperor within her?

This grew more intriguing by the moment.

Lu Jianwei shared his deduction.

She’d previously suspected He Lianxue’s "charisma" might be gu-related but found no traces and dismissed the thought.

Now it seemed the gu was simply too powerful for ordinary masters to detect.

Her own gu skills, rated as "beginner" by the system, paled before a Gu Emperor.

But why would the daughter of the Carefree Sect’s leader harbor a Gu Emperor?

Did the sect master know? Did He Lianxue?

And why was Lin Wang targeting her?

At dawn, Lin Wang arrived with a smile to bid farewell.

"Manager Lu, I’ve matters to attend with friends. Thank you for your hospitality these past days."

Lu Jianwei nodded. "Safe travels, Young Master Lin."

Not long after his departure, envoys from the Yi Tribe arrived.

Their representative, Azhahe, was slighter than his tribesmen but still imposing by ordinary standards. His honest face and calm demeanor marked him as a rarity among the hot-tempered Yi.

"Manager Lu," he said in stiff but polite Central Plains speech, "I’m Azhahe, sent by our chief to negotiate the release of our warriors."

Lu Jianwei: "Your terms?"

"What ransom do you demand?"

"By weight. One hundred taels per jin."

Azhahe: "..."

Just as feared! Their warriors weighed twice as much as average men—this was extortion.

"Manager Lu, our tribe lacks mercantile skill. We can’t possibly raise so much."

"Then why come?" Lu Jianwei arched a brow. "Azhami and your warriors attacked my inn unprovoked. Sparing their lives was mercy enough."

Azhahe mustered his courage and said, "Though our clan lacks sufficient silver, we have accumulated a considerable amount of jade and emeralds. If Shopkeeper Lu is willing, our clan would like to use these as ransom."

Lu Jianwei: "..."

In chaotic times, gold is king; in prosperous eras, jade reigns.

If she hesitated even for a moment, it would be an insult to the jade.