Chapter 17: The Builder

Five days passed.

Wandering Cloud Tavern remained busy enough that Lin Yuan barely noticed them.

Travelers continued passing through Blackstone, though the rush caused by the phenomenon in the west had begun to settle. The tavern still filled during the busiest hours, and the four guest rooms rarely remained empty after sunset.

Lin Yuan spent his mornings in the kitchen and used whatever quiet time he could find to cultivate.

The improved spiritual environment was already proving useful.

His cultivation continued moving steadily toward the peak of Qi Refining Eight.

On the fifth afternoon, Su Mei called from the entrance.

"Owner Lin."

Lin Yuan looked up from the vegetables he was cutting.

"The merchant is back."

He set down the knife and walked outside.

A familiar supply wagon was approaching along the road.

Two men sat at the front.

The broad-faced merchant raised a hand when he saw Lin Yuan.

The man beside him appeared to be in his forties. He had broad shoulders, rough hands, and the weathered appearance of someone who had spent years working outdoors.

The wagon entered the courtyard.

The merchant climbed down first.

"I brought your builder."

"You actually found one."

The merchant placed a hand over his chest.

"Owner Lin, that hurts."

Lin Yuan ignored him and looked at the other man.

He climbed down more slowly and immediately turned his attention toward the tavern.

The merchant introduced him.

"Master Han. More than twenty years building inns, shops, houses, whatever people are willing to pay him for."

Master Han looked away from the tavern.

"Lin Yuan?"

"That’s me."

They exchanged greetings.

Lin Yuan took out a low-grade spirit stone and tossed it toward the merchant.

The merchant caught it.

"The other half of your payment."

His smile appeared immediately.

"Pleasure doing business."

"You haven’t unloaded my supplies."

The smile weakened.

"I was getting to that."

Lin Yuan turned toward Master Han.

"I want to expand the tavern."

"I saw your list."

Master Han nodded toward the building.

"Show me what you have in mind."

Lin Yuan led him to the eastern side of Wandering Cloud Tavern.

"The dining hall extends this way. The kitchen gets additional space behind it."

"And upstairs?"

"Four more guest rooms."

Master Han looked along the eastern wall.

"How far?"

Lin Yuan showed him the approximate distance based on the expansion projection.

Master Han began his inspection.

Lin Yuan followed for the first few minutes before realizing there was little reason to stand over the man’s shoulder.

Master Han knew his work.

Lin Yuan had customers.

He returned inside.

Nearly an hour later, Master Han found him in the dining hall.

"The building is in better condition than I expected."

Lin Yuan placed down the bowl he had been carrying.

"That’s good."

"Especially the main structure. Whoever reinforced it did solid work."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Master Han took out the material list Lin Yuan had prepared earlier.

"The materials are mostly right. The quantities need changing."

"Can the expansion be built?"

"Yes."

That was what Lin Yuan wanted to hear.

Master Han sat at an empty table and made several changes to the list.

Lin Yuan waited until he finished.

"How long?"

"If I bring five workers and the materials are ready when we arrive, around twelve days."

"Twelve days."

"Could be a little longer if something unexpected comes up."

Lin Yuan considered the answer.

Less than two weeks wasn’t bad.

"And the cost?"

They discussed the price briefly.

It wasn’t cheap.

Neither was adding half a tavern.

Lin Yuan accepted it.

"Agreed."

Master Han handed him the revised material list.

"I’ll return once everything is ready."

Lin Yuan took the paper.

Five days ago, the expansion had existed only as an image in his mind.

Now it had a builder.

Soon it would have walls.

The broad-faced merchant was eating noodles when Lin Yuan found him.

Lin Yuan placed the revised list beside his bowl.

The merchant continued chewing.

His eyes slowly moved toward the paper.

"Already?"

"Master Han finished."

The merchant picked it up.

His expression became more serious as he read the quantities.

"This will take more than one wagon."

"Can you get everything?"

"Yes."

"When?"

The merchant thought for a moment.

"Six days."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Do it."

The merchant lowered the paper.

"We haven’t discussed the price."

"Then tell me."

A smile spread across the merchant’s face.

Lin Yuan suddenly missed the serious expression.

They spent the next few minutes discussing the order.

By the end, Lin Yuan had committed another uncomfortable amount of spirit stones to Wandering Cloud Tavern.

The merchant would return with the construction materials in six days, with Master Han and his five workers traveling alongside him.

If everything went according to plan, construction could begin as soon as they arrived.

Lin Yuan put the agreement away.

At least the tavern was earning enough to keep growing.

He returned to the kitchen.

There was still an evening meal to prepare.

Before leaving, the merchant found Su Mei near the entrance.

"I almost forgot."

He pulled a folded letter from his robe.

Su Mei immediately recognized it.

She opened the letter while the merchant went back outside to prepare the wagon.

Lin Yuan noticed her reading it from behind the counter.

"Your friend?"

Su Mei nodded.

"She’s interested."

"Good."

"But she wants to know the pay before deciding."

Reasonable.

Green River City was several days away. Lin Yuan wouldn’t expect someone to travel into Blackstone without knowing what she would earn.

"Three low-grade spirit stones a month. Food and lodging included."

The same arrangement Su Mei had received.

Su Mei nodded.

"I’ll write back before the merchant leaves."

"If she accepts, she can come with him when he brings the materials."

"I’ll ask."

She went to prepare the reply.

Lin Yuan returned to the counter.

One problem solved.

Or almost solved.

Then he stopped.

Lodging.

His eyes moved toward the stairs.

The four guest rooms were for customers. Taking one out of use would make the tavern’s current room shortage even worse.

Su Mei had a small staff room toward the rear of the second floor.

Beside it was another door.

Lin Yuan stared at it.

He had almost forgotten that room existed.

The door opened several inches before hitting something.

Lin Yuan pushed harder.

Wood scraped across the floor.

Dust rose into the air.

He coughed and stepped inside.

A broken chair had been blocking the door.

The room wasn’t much better.

Two old shelves leaned against one wall. Empty jars and pieces of damaged furniture occupied a corner. A wooden chest sat beneath the window without a lid.

There was also a bed frame.

Lin Yuan walked over and pressed one hand against it.

It creaked.

He removed his hand.

That answered that question.

Su Mei appeared at the doorway.

She looked past him.

Then she looked at Lin Yuan.

"You’re putting her in here?"

"Not like this."

"Good."

Lin Yuan stepped over the broken chair and opened the window.

Sunlight entered the room.

With the dust and rubbish cleared out, there was enough space for a bed, a small table, and somewhere to store personal belongings.

The walls needed minor repairs, but nothing compared to the work he’d done when restoring the tavern.

Su Mei entered.

"How did you forget about an entire room?"

"When I arrived, half this place looked like this."

"Fair."

Lin Yuan picked up the broken chair.

"We have six days."

Su Mei looked around.

"To fix all of this?"

"You’re the one inviting her."

Su Mei turned toward him.

"You’re the one hiring her."

Lin Yuan considered that.

"Then we both have a problem."

Su Mei stared at him for a moment before picking up two empty jars.

"Three spirit stones isn’t enough for this."

Lin Yuan laughed.

Together, they carried the first pile downstairs.