Chapter 3: The First Customers

The sound of wheels grew clearer.

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of Wandering Cloud Tavern and watched a cloud of dust approach along the old trade road.

After several quiet days, the road had finally remembered that it was a road.

Three carriages slowly came into view.

Each was pulled by a pair of Ironhoof Beasts. They resembled large horses, but their bodies were heavier, their legs thicker, and dark scales covered the joints around their hooves. Two short horns grew from their foreheads.

Low-level spirit beasts.

They weren’t particularly powerful, but their endurance made them popular among merchant caravans traveling long distances.

Several cultivators accompanied the carriages.

Lin Yuan counted nine people in total.

His gaze stopped briefly on the middle-aged man leading the group.

Qi Refining, ninth layer.

The others were weaker, mostly around the middle stages of Qi Refining.

Nothing unusual for a merchant caravan.

More importantly, they were slowing down.

Zhao Jian raised a hand, and the caravan gradually came to a stop.

"What’s wrong?"

A young cultivator riding beside the first carriage looked around cautiously.

Zhao Jian pointed ahead.

"Look."

Everyone followed his finger.

A wooden sign stood beside the road.

Food — Water — Wine — Rooms

An arrow pointed toward a nearby courtyard.

The young cultivator stared at it.

"There’s an inn here?"

"Apparently."

"I’ve traveled this route three times. I’ve never seen one."

Another cultivator laughed.

"Maybe you weren’t paying attention."

"There’s nothing here to pay attention to!"

That was difficult to argue with.

Blackstone Wasteland was famous for having almost nothing worth seeing. Grey-brown earth stretched between scattered rocks and occasional streams, while even the spiritual Qi was painfully thin.

Zhao Jian had traveled this route many times while working for the Black River Trading Company.

He certainly didn’t remember a tavern.

Yet several dozen meters away stood a two-story wooden building surrounded by an old stone courtyard.

A sign hung above its entrance.

Wandering Cloud Tavern

The building wasn’t luxurious. Compared with the large inns found inside cultivation cities, it was extremely simple.

But after days of traveling through Blackstone Wasteland, the sight of an actual roof was surprisingly attractive.

One of the guards pointed toward the courtyard.

"There’s a well."

Several people immediately looked over.

Zhao Jian considered for a moment.

Their water wasn’t dangerously low, but there was little reason to waste the supplies they carried if clean water was available.

"Let’s take a look."

The caravan turned away from the road.

Lin Yuan watched them approach.

Three carriages.

Six Ironhoof Beasts.

Nine cultivators.

He had twenty-four seats and four usable rooms upstairs.

Enough.

The first carriage stopped outside the courtyard.

Zhao Jian dismounted.

His eyes moved across the property.

The well.

The stable.

The tavern.

Then Lin Yuan.

"Are you the owner?"

"I am."

Zhao Jian examined him briefly.

Young.

Qi Refining, seventh layer.

Not particularly threatening.

Still, anyone willing to establish a tavern in Blackstone Wasteland deserved at least a little caution.

Zhao Jian clasped his hands.

"Zhao Jian, Black River Trading Company."

"Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan returned the greeting.

"Welcome to Wandering Cloud Tavern."

One of the younger cultivators looked around.

"You really opened a tavern here?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the sign above his head.

"That was the idea."

The young cultivator scratched his cheek.

"I mean... why here?"

"Cheap land."

"..."

Zhao Jian coughed to hide a laugh.

Lin Yuan wasn’t even lying.

"Do you have water?" Zhao Jian asked.

"Yes."

"Enough for nine people?"

Lin Yuan looked toward the well.

"More than enough."

"And the Ironhooves?"

"There’s a stream nearby. You can water them there."

Zhao Jian nodded.

"What do you charge for drinking water?"

Lin Yuan had already thought about prices while waiting for his first customers.

The Spirit-Touched Well was useful, but its spiritual Qi was extremely faint.

Anyone buying it expecting the effects of a real spirit spring would be disappointed.

At the same time, selling it for the same price as ordinary water would be foolish.

"One low-grade spirit stone for a large jug."

A young cultivator behind Zhao Jian frowned.

"One spirit stone for water?"

The reaction was understandable.

Low-grade spirit stones were the basic currency among cultivators. They could also be used directly for cultivation, which gave them value beyond simply buying and selling things.

A single low-grade spirit stone wasn’t a fortune, but it wasn’t something most wandering cultivators would casually spend on ordinary water either. A few stones could cover basic expenses on the road, while cultivation resources could cost far more.

Lin Yuan picked up a clean wooden cup.

"You can taste it first."

He walked toward the well, lowered the bucket, and pulled it back up a moment later.

He filled the cup and handed it to Zhao Jian.

At first, Zhao Jian’s expression remained unchanged.

Then he paused.

"This..."

He lowered his gaze toward the clear water.

There was spiritual Qi inside.

Very little.

If he hadn’t been paying attention, he might have missed it completely.

Zhao Jian took a sip.

The water was cool and clean. After several days of drinking water stored inside containers, the difference was immediately noticeable.

He took another sip.

The young man who had complained about the price watched him.

"Manager Zhao?"

"The water contains spiritual Qi."

"What?"

Several people moved closer.

Zhao Jian passed the cup to a young woman beside him.

She examined it before taking a small sip.

Her eyebrows rose.

"He’s right."

She drank again.

"It’s very faint, though."

Lin Yuan nodded.

That was exactly what he wanted them to understand.

This wasn’t some miraculous heavenly spring.

It was simply good water containing a trace of spiritual Qi.

The young woman took another drink.

Then another.

The cultivator waiting beside her frowned.

"Are you planning to leave any for us?"

She looked down.

The cup was empty.

"...Owner Lin?"

Lin Yuan looked at her.

"Could I have another sample?"

"No."

Several people laughed.

The woman looked completely unashamed.

"Then we’ll buy it."

Zhao Jian looked toward Lin Yuan.

"Three jugs."

"Three low-grade spirit stones."

Zhao Jian paid without further argument.

Lin Yuan accepted the three stones.

He had spent five spirit stones enhancing the well and twenty more on the tavern, not to mention the supplies and repair materials he’d purchased in the city.

Three stones didn’t recover much.

But they were the first stones Wandering Cloud Tavern had earned.

Lin Yuan stored them away.

"Would you like food?"

That question immediately attracted several pairs of eyes.

One of the guards sniffed.

"Is that roasted meat?"

Lin Yuan glanced toward the kitchen.

Apparently the smell had escaped.

"It is."

"How much?"

"Come inside. The menu is on the wall."

The guard was already walking toward the door.

Zhao Jian shook his head.

"We’ll rest here for a while."

Lin Yuan smiled.

"Take your time."

The moment Zhao Jian stepped through the doorway, he stopped.

The young man behind him nearly walked into his back.

"Manager Zhao?"

Zhao Jian ignored him.

Outside, the wasteland was hot and dry.

Inside, the temperature was noticeably more comfortable.

Then there was the spiritual Qi.

Zhao Jian quietly sensed his surroundings.

It was slightly denser than outside.

Only slightly, but Blackstone Wasteland was known for its thin spiritual Qi.

He looked toward the walls.

There were no visible formation patterns.

Strange.

The young woman from earlier noticed it too.

"The Qi in here..."

"I know."

Zhao Jian looked toward Lin Yuan.

The young tavern owner was already walking toward the kitchen as though nothing were unusual.

Zhao Jian decided not to ask.

Cultivators had secrets. As long as those secrets didn’t threaten him, there was no reason to investigate everything.

The others soon settled around two tables.

There were six tables in total, each with four seats.

The tavern was simple and clean.

The menu wasn’t particularly impressive either.

Noodles, steamed buns, rice, roasted meat, a few stir-fried dishes, soup, tea, and wine.

After several days of dried rations, however, nobody complained.

"Two bowls of meat noodles."

"Roasted meat."

"I want rice."

"Do you have wine?"

Lin Yuan looked out from the kitchen.

"Yes."

"Good wine?"

"Cheap wine."

The man hesitated.

"...Give me some anyway."

Lin Yuan turned back toward the stove.

At least he couldn’t be accused of false advertising.

Soon, the quiet tavern became considerably less quiet.

Water boiled. A knife struck the cutting board. Oil hissed inside a hot pan, and the smell of meat and spices spread through the room.

Lin Yuan moved between the kitchen and dining area.

His cultivation helped. At the seventh layer of Qi Refining, carrying several bowls or moving quickly between tables wasn’t difficult.

Unfortunately, cultivation did not magically produce extra hands.

Nine customers arriving at once was very different from cooking for himself.

"Owner Lin."

"Coming."

"Another pot of tea."

"Wait."

"Can we get more buns?"

"After the noodles."

A guard sitting near the wall laughed.

"He’s doing everything alone."

Lin Yuan placed a bowl in front of him.

"You’re welcome to help."

The guard immediately became interested in his food.

"I think I’ll leave professional matters to the professional."

Lin Yuan shook his head and returned to the kitchen.

He wasn’t annoyed.

The sound of conversation filled the room. Bowls touched tables. Someone laughed while two guards argued about which road they should take after leaving the wasteland.

For the first time since Lin Yuan had arrived here, the old building felt alive.

It reminded him slightly of his family’s restaurant in his previous life.

Not because the building or people were similar.

It was the noise.

Lin Yuan paused for a moment.

Then the smell of something beginning to burn reached him.

"...Damn."

He quickly turned back to the stove.

Zhao Jian picked up a piece of roasted meat.

He had expected ordinary roadside food.

That was exactly what he got.

But it was good.

Properly seasoned, freshly cooked, and hot.

After days of travel, that was enough.

The young woman across from him was already halfway through her noodles.

"How is it?" Zhao Jian asked.

She swallowed.

"Better than your cooking."

"I don’t cook."

"Exactly."

Zhao Jian ignored her.

He looked around the tavern again.

The place was strange, but not in a way that made him uneasy.

Spirit-Touched water.

Slightly denser Qi.

A comfortable environment.

Good food.

All of it in the middle of Blackstone Wasteland.

"Owner Lin."

Lin Yuan looked over.

"Yes?"

"How long has this tavern been open?"

"Several days."

"Are you planning to stay here permanently?"

"This is my land."

Zhao Jian looked surprised.

"You own this part of Blackstone Wasteland?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Quite a large part of it."

Several people looked at him differently.

Then one of the guards whispered,

"Why would anyone buy land here?"

Lin Yuan heard him.

"Still cheap."

The table erupted in laughter.

Even Zhao Jian couldn’t help smiling.

The sun was already descending when everyone finished eating.

Nobody seemed eager to leave.

Zhao Jian walked toward the counter.

"You said you have rooms?"

"Four usable ones."

"How many people per room?"

"Two comfortably. Three if you don’t complain."

Zhao Jian looked toward his group.

Nine people and four rooms.

Several guards would need to take turns watching the carriages anyway.

It would work.

"We’ll take all four."

Lin Yuan’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"All of them?"

"All four."

"Breakfast isn’t included."

Zhao Jian laughed.

"You’re very clear about money, Owner Lin."

"That’s generally useful when running a tavern."

"Fair enough."

They settled the price.

More spirit stones entered Lin Yuan’s storage bag.

His first customers had bought water, eaten his food, ordered wine, and taken every available room.

By the time night fell, the three carriages were parked safely inside the courtyard.

The Ironhoof Beasts rested near the stable after being watered at the stream.

Several guards remained outside while the rest went upstairs.

Lantern light appeared behind the tavern’s windows.

Lin Yuan stood alone behind the counter as the dining room gradually became quiet again.

But this silence was different.

There were footsteps upstairs.

Occasional voices.

Ironhoof Beasts shifting outside.

Wandering Cloud Tavern finally had guests.

Lin Yuan took out the day’s earnings.

Eight low-grade spirit stones.

For a first day of real business, it wasn’t bad.

More importantly, these stones had come from something he’d built himself rather than the inheritance left by the original body’s parents.

That made them strangely satisfying to hold.

Then the Territory Core stirred.

Lin Yuan stopped.

A translucent interface appeared before him.

Territory Core

Owner: Lin Yuan

Territory: Blackstone Wasteland

Core State: Awakened

Spiritual Environment: Barren

A new line slowly appeared beneath the familiar information.

First business transaction completed.

Lin Yuan’s attention sharpened.

Another line followed.

New Function Unlocked: Territory Revenue

Then—

Territory Revenue: 8 / 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Lin Yuan focused on the new information.

A simple explanation entered his mind.

Territory Revenue wasn’t another type of money.

It recorded the value of genuine business conducted within his territory.

The eight spirit stones he’d earned today were still his. He could spend them however he wanted.

The Core had simply recorded eight low-grade spirit stones’ worth of business.

Lin Yuan took one of the twelve spirit stones he’d owned before opening the tavern from his storage bag.

Nothing changed.

Territory Revenue: 8 / 100

He understood.

Personal wealth could pay for enhancements, but moving his own money around couldn’t increase the Core’s progress.

Only genuine business within Blackstone could do that.

Once Territory Revenue reached one hundred, the Territory Core would meet one of the requirements needed to advance.

And a stronger Core meant stronger territory enhancements.

Lin Yuan looked around the dining room.

Six tables.

A small kitchen.

Four usable rooms.

One Spirit-Touched Well.

Outside was an enormous wasteland that almost every cultivator considered worthless.

Tonight, nine people had willingly stopped here.

They had eaten, bought water, and were now sleeping beneath his roof.

Eight out of one hundred.

It was only a beginning.

But if he wanted the Core to grow, the path was becoming clear.

Blackstone needed people.

Travelers who stopped here.

Customers who spent here.

Lin Yuan looked through the window toward the dark wasteland beyond.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Now we’re actually in business."