“Brother Bai, you’re not cultivating? What brings you downstairs?”
After dinner, a few of them had been chatting and getting acquainted.
Thanks to a few smooth-talking youngsters like Xu Shaoyun, they all became familiar quickly.
“Hehe, I had something to do. I’ll be heading back up soon. By the way, did you see that white-haired elder in white robes?
He was just here, now he’s gone.”
“You mean Elder Weng?”
“You—you said his surname is Weng?”
The young man named Bai Qingshan looked a little excited. He had found the elder familiar when they first arrived, and now hearing the surname confirmed his suspicion.
“Yeah, Brother Bai, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Nothing… That elder—no, Elder Weng—where did he go? Why isn’t he here?”
Bai Qingshan was both anxious and excited.
Xu Shaoyun scratched his head, not quite understanding what was going on. “Elder Weng talked to the boss for a bit and then left.”
“Left? You mean he left the inn?”
“Seems like it.”
Bai Qingshan looked frustrated. He couldn’t believe he’d missed the chance to talk to him—why didn’t he come down earlier?
“You okay, Brother Bai?”
“Oh, I’m fine. So, what did you come find me for?”
Xu Shaoyun then repeated his earlier conversation with Chen Mo, hoping Bai Qingshan—who often traveled through dangerous areas—might know more.
“Oh, so that’s what it is. You’re still in school, right? Why bother with this kind of stuff?”
Xu Shaoyun smiled sheepishly. No one besides his close friends knew his real identity:
He was the son of the Duke of Martial Strength of the Shenwu Empire, one of the few powerful Martial Kings of the nation—strong, but burdened with great responsibilities.
The Wild Forest was one of the three great danger zones in the Shenwu Empire. If there were signs of a beast riot, it had to be taken seriously.
After all, a beast tide had ravaged the land three hundred years ago.
Time had passed, and most had forgotten, but Xu Shaoyun had grown up hearing stories from his father, who personally guarded the Wild Forest.
“Brother Bai, I study at the academy all year, so I’m naturally curious about the outside world.”
Bai Qingshan laughed heartily. “That’s fair. The outside world is indeed exciting—but also dangerous. A single misstep can cost you your life. You’ll understand once you graduate and leave the academy.”
“Mm. So is it true the beasts in the Wild Forest have been acting abnormally?”
Bai Qingshan walked to the door and looked into the distance, in the direction of the forest’s depths.
He nodded. “The beasts on the outskirts have been unusually agitated lately—angry, restless… but above all, fearful.”
“Fearful?” Xu Shaoyun looked puzzled.
Bai Qingshan pointed into the distance. “Fearful. There’s a mysterious, unknown aura deep in the forest. Just seeing it from afar fills you with dread.”
“What kind of power is that?”
“No idea. Our mercenary group’s head warned us not to approach it. If even she is afraid, then we definitely won’t go near it.”
He turned and smiled at Xu Shaoyun. “But don’t worry. The Empire’s Demon-Suppressing Division has already been ordered to investigate.
They’ll figure it out. Kid, if the sky falls, there’s someone taller to hold it up. You don’t need to worry.”
“Who’s leading the mission?”
Xu Shaoyun instinctively blurted the question as soon as he heard it was the Demon-Suppressing Division.
Bai Qingshan gave him a curious look but didn’t ask further. “Heard from my captain it’s Lieutenant General Xu Shaochen.”
Xu Shaoyun’s eyelids twitched.
My big brother…
Xiao Yu woke from a nap feeling completely refreshed. Big Yellow was still loyally sprawled under his bed, drooling in his sleep.
“System, show task progress.”
Tasks:
- Gaining a Bit of Fame: Host 50 guests in 5 days (Day 2/5) — Progress: 17/50
- Turning a Small Profit: Earn 500 spirit stones — Progress: 296/500
Not bad. In two days, the income was decent, but the guest count still needed work. Fortunately, there was still time. He could only hope these guests would bring more repeat business.
Xiao Yu stepped out of his room. It was nearly dark outside. And as expected, those youngsters were probably about to clamor for food again.
Just as he predicted, a group of people was hanging out in the dining hall.
The moment they saw Xiao Yu, it was like they’d seen salvation—eyes shining with anticipation.
Xiao Yu’s face darkened.
Why are you all chatting in the dining room? Is the lounge just for decoration?
And weren’t they all here to cultivate with triple the speed? That was supposed to be the main draw of the inn!
What he didn’t know was that they had spent the afternoon cultivating—and had made great progress. But they’d all timed their descent perfectly, just to gather and enjoy another of his meals.
“Boss… I want to order food!”
Zhao Xixi was pushed forward by the others as their spokesperson. With her innocent baby face, soft voice, and big watery eyes, Xiao Yu found himself helpless against her.
“Order away. Same rules—once you order, go to Xiao Bai to pay your spirit stones.”
“Pssh, Boss, you don’t even have to say it!”
“Yeah! We’ve got it memorized by now!”
They quickly lined up in order. Even though the menu hadn’t changed, none of them cared. In their hearts, anything the boss cooked was the best food they’d ever eaten.
With Elder Weng gone, Xu Shaoyun and the female mercenary Chen Yuan helped serve dishes.
Chen Xiaoxiao also wanted to help, but Xiao Yu stopped her—there weren’t that many dishes to bring out anyway. Too many hands just made it chaotic.
Everyone ate ravenously in the dining room. The atmosphere was quieter than before, with only the sounds of chopsticks and plates clinking.
Xiao Yu made himself a bowl of noodles, and scooped some chicken stew with mushrooms from the communal pot for Big Yellow, who devoured it like a beast.
After dinner, some people quietly went upstairs to cultivate, others strolled in the courtyard to digest, and some lay on the lounge couches deep in thought.
Watching the scene unfold, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia.
Now that the inn was getting livelier, it really was starting to feel like life back in his previous world.
“Boss!”
He looked up and saw one of the mercenaries approaching.
“What’s up?”
Bai Qingshan bowed slightly toward him…
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