Chapter 57: The Road Shifts

The blue-robed stranger left at sunrise.

Lin Yuan was already downstairs when the man came through the dining hall.

Su Mei had just opened the shutters, letting morning light stretch across the empty tables.

The stranger carried little. His narrow sword remained at his waist, while a small travel bag hung from one shoulder.

Lin Yuan placed a bowl on the counter.

"Breakfast."

The man stopped.

"I didn’t order anything."

"Room includes breakfast."

He looked at the bowl.

"Convenient."

"That’s the idea."

The stranger sat.

For someone preparing to travel toward Red Cliff after hearing about tremors, collapsed ground, and missing people, he seemed remarkably relaxed.

Lin Yuan poured tea.

"Still going west?"

"Yes."

"You didn’t reconsider?"

"No."

The man ate several mouthfuls before looking up.

"You still don’t plan to investigate?"

"No."

"Good."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"You sound relieved."

"I am."

At least they agreed on that.

The stranger finished breakfast and stood.

"If the situation changes, don’t believe every rumor that reaches you."

"I own a tavern."

The man paused.

"So?"

"I usually hear ten versions of the same story before lunch."

A faint smile appeared.

"Then you’ll manage."

He headed toward the door.

Lin Yuan watched him for a moment.

"You never told me your name."

The stranger paused at the entrance.

"Maybe next time."

"There’ll be a next time?"

The man glanced back.

"If the road allows it."

Then he stepped outside.

Lin Yuan followed as far as the entrance.

The western road stretched through the dry morning landscape.

The stranger adjusted the sword at his waist and started walking.

Lin Yuan watched until the dark-blue figure became another distant traveler on the road.

Then he went back inside.

Xiao Lan emerged from the kitchen carrying a stack of bowls.

"You didn’t get his name?"

"No."

"You talked to him for half the day yesterday."

"I had other questions."

She gave him a look.

"Very impressive."

"Go prepare breakfast."

"I’m already preparing breakfast."

"Then continue."

Xiao Lan disappeared back into the kitchen.

The next two days passed without anything unusual happening.

Lin Yuan preferred it that way.

Gao Rui’s storage shed continued taking shape.

The timber frame gained walls, then a sloped roof. Wide double doors were installed at the front so crates could be carried inside without difficulty.

Gao Rui inspected nearly every part of the construction.

Lin Yuan happened to pass by while he argued with one of the builders over the height of a wooden platform.

"Two fingers higher."

"It doesn’t need to be."

"It does."

"Why?"

"Rain."

The builder looked toward the dry wasteland.

Then back at Gao Rui.

"Rain?"

"It happened once."

The builder closed his eyes briefly.

Lin Yuan kept walking.

Watching someone else’s construction remained much more enjoyable than managing his own.

Blackstone stayed busy.

Travelers continued passing through after the gathering. Some stopped only for food and water, while others stayed overnight.

Several merchants left goods with Gao Rui before the storage shed was even finished, forcing him to keep sealed crates beneath a temporary cover beside the building.

Qiao found this extremely entertaining.

"Very professional," he said one afternoon.

Gao Rui looked at the covered crates.

"The building will be finished tomorrow."

"Of course."

"They’re protected."

"Naturally."

"Why are you here?"

Qiao smiled.

"Supporting a fellow businessman."

Gao Rui pointed toward the road.

"Support me from farther away."

Lin Yuan continued past them.

Some problems solved themselves.

Lin Yuan’s own problem was less cooperative.

The Returning Current Foundation Art still cost three hundred twenty low-grade spirit stones. Reaching Peak Qi Refining hadn’t made it any cheaper.

His cultivation had settled further over the past several days. Qi circulated smoothly, but there was nowhere else for it to go.

He had reached the end of Qi Refining.

The final Qi Nourishing Pill remained inside his storage bag.

There was little reason to use it now.

For the moment, Lin Yuan could work, let Blackstone grow, and continue setting aside spirit stones.

Foundation Establishment would have to wait.

On the third afternoon after the stranger left, a small caravan arrived from the west.

Lin Yuan noticed it because one of the wagons was moving strangely.

Every turn of the left wheel produced the same wooden knock.

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

The Ironhoof Beast pulling it moved slowly, while three cultivators walked beside the wagon.

Lin Yuan stepped away from the tavern entrance.

The wagon stopped near the market area.

One of the men jumped down.

"Owner Lin."

Lin Yuan recognized his face. The man had passed through Blackstone before, though Lin Yuan couldn’t remember his name.

"What happened to the wheel?"

"Road."

Lin Yuan looked at the cracked outer rim.

"The road did that?"

"Part of it nearly did worse."

That got his attention.

Su Mei came outside carrying water for the travelers.

Lin Yuan waited until the man had taken a drink.

"Where?"

"Near Red Cliff."

"How near?"

"About half a day east."

Lin Yuan frowned.

That placed it much closer to the main trade route than the earlier reports.

The traveler wiped his mouth.

"There’s a section where the ground has sunk."

"The old trail north of Red Cliff?"

"No. Main road."

Lin Yuan’s expression changed.

"Blocked?"

"Not completely. We went around it."

The man glanced at the damaged wheel.

"One wagon behind us turned back."

Another cultivator beside him spoke.

"We felt a tremor before dawn too."

"Strong?"

"Not enough to knock anyone down."

He gestured toward the wagon.

"But the harness bells were shaking."

Lin Yuan remembered Han Bo’s report.

"What about the damaged ground?"

"Long crack through part of the road. One side had dropped lower than the other."

"Anything else?"

The first traveler hesitated.

"There was a sound."

"What kind?"

The second man answered.

"Like stone cracking somewhere underground."

Lin Yuan became still.

Han Bo had described almost the same thing.

"How long?"

"Only a few breaths."

"Then?"

"Nothing."

Lin Yuan looked at the dusty group.

"Any beasts nearby?"

"That’s another strange part."

The traveler glanced toward the western road.

"We normally see Ashfang Wolves around that stretch."

"None?"

"Nothing."

The second cultivator shook his head.

"Not even fresh tracks."

Lin Yuan considered that.

Earlier, hunters had reported unusual numbers of beasts moving through the western areas.

Later, those beasts had begun moving east.

Now some stretches near Red Cliff were becoming quiet.

He still didn’t know what any of it meant.

"What are you doing now?"

"Staying tonight."

The traveler nodded toward the damaged wheel.

"Qiao said there’s a carpenter a couple of hours east."

"He knows everyone when it saves him work."

The man laughed.

"We’ll go tomorrow."

"Ask Su Mei about rooms."

The group headed toward the tavern.

Lin Yuan remained beside the wagon.

A cracked wheel meant little by itself. Roads broke. Ground shifted.

But the reports were no longer isolated.

Tremors.

Collapsed ground.

Beasts moving east.

Empty hunting areas.

Whatever their cause, every report was coming from the same part of the western road.

By evening, word had spread.

Lin Yuan hadn’t announced anything.

He didn’t need to.

The damaged wagon sat where everyone could see it, and travelers had already begun asking its owners what happened.

A merchant from Green River approached Lin Yuan.

"Western road closed?"

"No."

"Safe?"

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"I didn’t say that."

The merchant frowned.

"Then what are you saying?"

"There’s ground damage near Red Cliff. Wagons were still able to get around it when that group passed."

"How bad?"

"Ask the people who saw it."

The merchant did.

Ten minutes later, another traveler approached.

"I heard half the road collapsed."

"No."

"That’s what someone said."

"Who?"

The man looked toward the market.

"I’m not sure."

Lin Yuan sighed.

By dinner, the damaged section had apparently become an entire hillside blocking the road.

He found Qiao outside his shop.

"Paper."

Qiao looked at him.

"For what?"

"The notice board."

He handed Lin Yuan a sheet.

Lin Yuan returned to the board and considered what to write.

Then he kept it simple.

WESTERN ROAD NOTICE

A damaged section of the main road east of Red Cliff was still passable when last reported.

Wagons should use caution, and westbound travelers are advised to ask recent arrivals for current conditions.

He pinned it in place.

Qiao had followed him.

"That’s boring."

"Good."

"No treasure?"

"No."

"No mysterious ruin?"

"No."

Qiao looked disappointed.

Lin Yuan left him there.

The damaged caravan stayed overnight.

Nothing else happened.

Dinner ended normally.

Su Mei checked the rooms.

Xiao Lan stacked the remaining dishes.

Outside, Central Blackstone gradually became quiet.

Lanterns remained lit near the tavern and inn.

Several Ironhoof Beasts rested inside the stable.

Lin Yuan carried a cup of tea to one of the empty tables and sat down.

For the first time all day, nobody needed anything from him.

He took a drink.

The tea was still hot.

Xiao Lan came through the kitchen doorway.

"You’re sitting?"

"I do that sometimes."

"I’ve seen it."

"Then why are you surprised?"

"Usually someone interrupts."

Lin Yuan looked around the dining hall.

Nobody did.

"Maybe I’ve finally become lucky."

Xiao Lan picked up an empty bowl.

Then stopped.

A faint sound came from the shelf behind her.

Clink.

Two bowls had touched.

She looked toward them.

Lin Yuan lowered his cup.

A small ripple crossed the surface of the tea.

Then another.

The table beneath his arm began to vibrate, faintly but unmistakably.

Lin Yuan stood.

Xiao Lan looked at him.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yes."

Su Mei appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What happened?"

The floor trembled again, just strong enough for Lin Yuan to feel the vibration through the floorboards.

Then it stopped.

The tavern went quiet.

Lin Yuan walked outside.

Several doors opened across Central Blackstone.

Qiao stepped out of his shop.

Fang Yu appeared at the entrance of Blackstone Inn.

A few travelers looked around in confusion.

Nothing had fallen.

No building had cracked.

The road remained empty beneath the lantern light.

Until now, the tremors had been reports carried into Blackstone by other people.

This time, Lin Yuan had felt one beneath his own feet.