Chapter 49: The Road to Green River

The morning after Han Bo’s return, Blackstone settled back into its usual rhythm.

Wagons came and went along the road.

Qiao Ren opened his shop early.

Duan He was already arguing with a hunter over the condition of an Ironback Boar hide.

At Blackstone Inn, Fang Yu stood behind the counter with her record book open.

Wandering Cloud Tavern was quieter than it had been during the gathering, but nearly half the tables were occupied by noon.

Lin Yuan preferred it that way.

Busy enough to earn spirit stones.

Quiet enough to hear himself think.

He carried two bowls of noodles from the kitchen and placed them on a table.

"Two beef noodles."

The cultivators thanked him and continued their conversation.

Han Bo’s return had already spread along the road.

So had several versions of what had happened.

One customer claimed a powerful spirit beast had awakened somewhere north of Red Cliff.

Another insisted an ancient cultivator’s tomb had opened.

By the time someone mentioned a hidden sect, Lin Yuan stopped listening.

At least Han Bo’s actual account was written on the notice board.

Everything else could entertain the travelers.

He returned behind the counter.

Su Mei was checking the remaining tea.

"We’ll need more before the next gathering."

"Already ordered."

"Rice?"

"That too."

She nodded and returned to work.

The door opened.

"Owner Lin."

Lin Yuan looked up.

Chen Wei stepped inside.

Dust covered the lower half of his robe, and two cultivators followed behind him.

Lin Yuan hadn’t seen the merchant for some time.

"You’re alive."

Chen Wei stopped.

"That’s your greeting?"

"You’ve been traveling west."

"Not that far west."

Chen Wei walked to the counter.

"Tea first."

Lin Yuan poured him a cup.

Chen Wei drank half of it before looking around the tavern.

His gaze moved across the occupied tables, then toward the road outside.

"I heard Blackstone hosted a merchant gathering."

"Fourteen wagons."

Chen Wei lowered his cup.

"Fourteen?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

Chen Wei looked outside again.

"I leave for a while and you start building a town."

"It’s not a town."

"Yet."

Lin Yuan ignored that.

"What brought you back?"

"Business."

"Of course."

"And this."

Chen Wei reached into his storage bag and placed a folded sheet of thick paper on the counter.

A small golden emblem had been stamped near the top.

Three overlapping coins surrounded by a cloud.

Beneath it were several familiar words.

Thousand Treasures Pavilion — Green River Branch

Lin Yuan picked up the paper.

"You remembered?"

"You asked about Foundation techniques."

Lin Yuan unfolded it.

Several entries had been written in neat rows.

The first immediately caught his attention.

Flowing River Foundation Art

Complete Foundation Establishment Technique

Characteristics: Stable circulation, balanced development

Special Requirements: None

Price: 280 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Lin Yuan’s eyes moved lower.

Ninefold Stone Breathing Art

Complete Foundation Establishment Technique

Characteristics: Dense Qi, strong foundation, slower circulation

Special Requirements: Earth-aligned cultivation environment recommended

Price: 360 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Then another.

Clear Wind Scripture

Complete Foundation Establishment Technique

Characteristics: Smooth circulation, improved Qi control

Special Requirements: None

Price: 420 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Several more techniques followed.

The cheapest was two hundred sixty low-grade spirit stones.

The most expensive exceeded six hundred.

His attention returned to the first entry.

Two hundred eighty spirit stones.

Expensive.

But no longer impossibly far away.

"These are all available?" he asked.

"For now. Inventory changes."

"The list changes often?"

"Often enough."

Chen Wei took another drink of tea.

"Some techniques are sold under agreements with clans or sects. Others have limits on how many inheritance copies the Pavilion can produce. I don’t know the details."

"You brought me a list without knowing how it works?"

"I’m a merchant, not a Pavilion elder."

"Fair."

Lin Yuan looked at the descriptions again.

"Can I inspect them before buying?"

"Not the complete inheritance."

"I assumed that."

"They’ll give you more information at the Pavilion. Circulation characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, cultivation requirements. Enough to compare them."

Chen Wei tapped the paper.

"But you pay before they give you the actual technique."

"How unfortunate."

"They tend to dislike customers memorizing things for free."

Lin Yuan folded the sheet.

Chen Wei made no move to take it back.

"Keeping it?" Lin Yuan asked.

"It’s yours."

"Why?"

Chen Wei smiled.

"You might spend several hundred spirit stones."

"Now I understand."

"I thought you would."

Lin Yuan slipped the list into his robe.

"When are you returning to Green River City?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Lin Yuan glanced around the tavern.

A few months ago, leaving Blackstone for several days would have been troublesome.

Now?

"When do you leave?"

Chen Wei raised an eyebrow.

"Sunrise."

"I’ll come with you."

"Buying?"

"Looking."

Chen Wei smiled.

"Everyone says that before entering Thousand Treasures Pavilion."

"Then I’ll disappoint them."

"We’ll see."

The afternoon rush passed without trouble.

Once the tavern quieted, Lin Yuan went upstairs.

The real question was money.

He closed his door and emptied his storage bags onto the table.

Recent business had been good, especially around the gathering.

After setting aside what he needed for wages, supplies, and the larger food order already arranged, Lin Yuan counted the spirit stones he could actually use.

Once.

Then again.

Two hundred forty-three low-grade spirit stones.

Lin Yuan leaned back.

Even the cheapest technique on Chen Wei’s list was slightly beyond what he had available.

He looked over the prices once more.

Finding a technique was no longer the problem.

Choosing one was.

Lin Yuan returned the stones to his storage bag.

He didn’t need to buy anything tomorrow.

First, he needed to see what the Pavilion actually offered.

That evening, Lin Yuan told the others.

"I’m going to Green River City with Chen Wei tomorrow."

Xiao Lan looked up from wiping a table.

"For how long?"

"Three or four days."

"You’re leaving us alone?"

Lin Yuan looked toward Su Mei.

"We can handle it," Su Mei said.

Xiao Lan nodded.

"We can."

A brief pause.

"Bring something back."

"A Foundation technique?"

"I was thinking pastries."

Su Mei looked at her.

Xiao Lan continued wiping the table.

"What? Green River has good pastries."

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"If anything serious happens, don’t try to deal with it yourselves."

This time Su Mei nodded without joking.

"We know."

At Blackstone Inn, Fang Yu was checking the day’s room records.

"How many days?" she asked.

"Three or four."

"Fine. I’ll handle the inn."

Lin Yuan nodded.

That was all he needed.

When he stepped outside again, Blackstone was settling down for the night.

Lantern light shone through the tavern windows.

Qiao Ren was closing his shop.

Duan He’s building had already gone dark.

Several wagons stood in the marked area beside the road.

A few travelers were gathered around the notice board.

Nobody was waiting for Lin Yuan to tell them what to do.

He stopped for a moment.

Months ago, Wandering Cloud Tavern had struggled to handle nine customers without him running between the kitchen and dining room.

Now Blackstone could handle a few days without him.

Lin Yuan smiled slightly.

Good.

Chen Wei’s caravan departed shortly after sunrise.

Three wagons waited on the eastern road.

Lin Yuan checked the tavern one last time before stepping outside.

Xiao Lan stood in the doorway.

"Don’t forget."

Lin Yuan looked at her.

"The technique?"

"The pastries."

"Right."

Su Mei appeared behind her.

"Ignore her."

"I heard that."

Lin Yuan shook his head and walked toward the waiting caravan.

Chen Wei was already mounted.

"Ready?"

Lin Yuan stopped beside him and looked back.

Wandering Cloud Tavern stood beside the road where everything had begun.

Beyond it was Blackstone Inn.

Qiao’s General Goods had already opened for the morning.

A hunter stood outside Duan He’s Beast Materials.

Farther south, two merchants were checking a wagon wheel before departure.

Blackstone looked busy.

Normal.

Lin Yuan turned east.

"Ready."

The caravan started moving.

This time, he was leaving Blackstone for something he needed himself.

Inside his storage bag were two hundred forty-three low-grade spirit stones.

Inside his robe was a list from Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Lin Yuan had no intention of buying the first inheritance placed in front of him.

First, he wanted to see what the Pavilion had to offer.

The tavern disappeared slowly behind them.

Ahead, the road stretched toward Green River City.