Chapter 77: Before They Leave

The first wagon of stone arrived the next morning.

Lin Yuan heard the heavy wheels from the kitchen and stepped outside just as an Ironhoof Beast pulled the cart off the road.

The broad-faced merchant sat at the front.

Several rough-cut stone posts were stacked behind him alongside the tavern supplies he normally delivered.

Lin Yuan stopped beside the wagon.

"I haven’t ordered those yet."

"I know."

The merchant climbed down.

"Qiao Ren sent word last night that you were looking for stone. I was coming here anyway, so I brought a few pieces from the yard for you to inspect."

Across the road, Qiao Ren was arranging goods outside his shop.

Lin Yuan turned toward him.

Qiao Ren continued working as though the conversation had nothing to do with him.

"You sent word?"

"You needed stone."

"I hadn’t decided how much."

"That’s why he brought samples instead of enough to build a wall."

The merchant nodded.

"For once, he explained something properly."

Qiao Ren frowned.

"I’m standing right here."

Lin Yuan ignored both of them and inspected the load.

The posts were plain rectangular pieces, thick enough to withstand years of weather without looking like fortifications.

He pressed one hand against the nearest post.

"Can you supply more like these?"

The merchant smiled.

"Now we’re discussing business."

"How much?"

The smile widened.

Lin Yuan immediately regretted asking.

They negotiated beside the wagon.

The merchant listed the cost of cutting, loading, transport, and the condition of the road.

Lin Yuan reminded him that his wagons already traveled to Blackstone regularly.

"That doesn’t make the road better."

"It makes the delivery less special."

"It makes my suffering more frequent."

Qiao Ren wandered closer.

"Are you two going to argue until lunch?"

The merchant pointed at him.

"You started this."

"I found you a customer."

"You found me Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan continued negotiating.

Eventually, they settled on a price for future batches. The merchant could bring additional posts and ordinary wall stone alongside his regular deliveries instead of sending separate wagons.

That reduced the transport cost enough for Lin Yuan to accept.

The small batch already on the cart would stay.

By midmorning, the posts had been unloaded west of the stable.

Xiao Lan came outside while the workers lowered the last one.

She walked around it once.

"That’s too small."

Lin Yuan stared at her.

"For what?"

"The entrance."

"These aren’t for the entrance."

Her expression immediately improved.

"So the entrance ones will be bigger."

"I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t say they wouldn’t."

Lin Yuan watched her return to the tavern.

Apparently, Xiao Lan had strong opinions about what the entrance should look like.

Before noon, Lin Yuan began marking the western section.

Several laborers staying near the market agreed to help for the day. The work itself was straightforward: dig the holes, set the posts, pack the soil tightly around them, and make sure each one stood firm.

Lin Yuan handled the spacing.

The first stretch ran behind the stable, but he pushed it farther west than he had originally planned.

There was little point establishing a perimeter only to move it the next time the stable expanded.

The posts stood far enough apart that anyone could pass between them.

They were meant to show where the public area ended without restricting normal movement.

Later, Lin Yuan could add low stonework in places where people had no reason to cross. For now, making the route visible was enough.

Su Mei came outside during the hottest part of the day carrying water.

She stopped near Lin Yuan, who held one end of a measuring cord while another worker adjusted the next position.

"You’re doing the labor too?"

"I’m measuring."

She glanced at the dust covering his sleeves.

"Of course."

One of the nearby workers smiled but wisely said nothing.

Su Mei handed Lin Yuan a cup.

"Drink."

He accepted it.

"I’m supervising."

"This looks very different from supervising."

"Closer supervision."

She walked away before he could defend himself further.

The heat eventually forced the workers to slow down.

By then, seven posts stood behind the stable.

It was only the beginning, but the effect was already noticeable.

From the road, the western side of the developed area finally had shape. The buildings no longer seemed to fade randomly into the wasteland.

Part of Blackstone now looked organized rather than simply built wherever space had been available.

Zhao Wei found Lin Yuan near the market later that afternoon.

The packed travel bag over his shoulder caught Lin Yuan’s attention first.

"You’re leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Lin Yuan had known the investigation team would eventually return to Green River City, but he had not expected it quite so soon.

"The investigation is finished?"

"Far from it."

Zhao Wei adjusted the strap on his shoulder.

"We have enough measurements and samples for a proper report. Shen Yao wants equipment we didn’t bring, and the Association needs to decide what happens next."

"What about the excavation?"

"Two investigators will remain here."

"For how long?"

"A few days at least. Longer if necessary."

That covered the immediate problem, but not what would happen afterward.

Lin Yuan glanced toward the new posts beyond the stable.

Zhao Wei noticed.

"You’re planning for when they leave."

"Eventually, the Association won’t have people standing beside the excavation every day."

"That’s true."

"I’d rather prepare before that happens."

Zhao Wei nodded once.

"Good."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"I expected you to tell me the Association would handle it."

"The Association will protect the investigation," Zhao Wei said. "That doesn’t make us responsible for the rest of Blackstone."

Lin Yuan appreciated the distinction.

"Shen Yao suggested a detection formation."

"She mentioned it."

"I’m thinking about going to Green River City to buy one."

"We return there tomorrow."

Lin Yuan waited.

"Our wagon leaves after breakfast," Zhao Wei continued. "There’s space if you want it."

"That sounds almost generous."

"It saves me from hearing later that you bought the cheapest formation in the city and buried it backward."

Lin Yuan stared at him.

"I wasn’t planning to install it myself."

"Then perhaps there’s hope."

Lin Yuan ignored that.

"A ride would help."

"Be ready after breakfast."

Zhao Wei started toward the tavern, then slowed.

"There is something else."

Lin Yuan waited.

"The two men from last night were ordinary troublemakers."

"I noticed."

"They won’t necessarily be the last."

The humor left Zhao Wei’s voice.

"Rumors are spreading faster than our reports. Most people will come because they’re curious. Some will come because they believe there’s something valuable under Blackstone."

Lin Yuan had already seen the beginnings of that.

"Meaning stronger cultivators might show up."

"Eventually."

Zhao Wei turned slightly toward the northern side of the settlement.

"If that happens, remember what the formation is for."

"To warn me."

"Exactly."

He faced Lin Yuan again.

"A warning gives you time to react. It doesn’t mean you should challenge everyone who crosses the perimeter."

Lin Yuan understood the point.

Last night’s intruders had been manageable.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator would be another matter entirely.

The Territory Core had strengthened Blackstone, and Lin Yuan himself had grown considerably since arriving, but none of that made him invincible.

"I’m not interested in dying over a stone post."

"Good."

Zhao Wei gave a small nod.

"Then the formation may actually be useful."

He continued toward the tavern.

Lin Yuan remained where he was for a moment.

Until now, he had thought of the detection formation mainly as a way to catch trespassers before they reached the excavation.

Zhao Wei had given him a better reason.

Early warning would let Lin Yuan understand what was happening before he chose how to respond. He could investigate, call for help if necessary, or avoid confronting someone far beyond his ability to handle.

That was more useful than simply knowing someone had entered the wrong area.

The dinner rush began before sunset.

Lin Yuan returned to the kitchen, and for the next two hours his attention shifted from security plans to food.

Orders arrived continuously.

Spirit-Touched Water went out with almost every second table.

One customer asked for extra rice, while another complained that the person beside him had received his meal first.

A merchant tried to reserve two rooms that were already occupied.

Lin Yuan found the ordinary problems strangely reassuring.

Something ancient might be buried beneath Blackstone, but customers still cared more about dinner arriving on time.

Near the end of the rush, Shen Yao appeared at the kitchen entrance.

"You’re going to Green River City tomorrow?"

Lin Yuan continued stirring the pot.

"Probably."

She stepped closer and placed a folded piece of paper on the counter.

He opened it.

Two shop names were written inside, each followed by a location.

"What are these?"

"Formation shops."

Lin Yuan read the names.

"The first one sells cheaper sets," Shen Yao said. "The second costs more, but I trust their work."

"Which one would you choose?"

"The second."

Lin Yuan folded the paper.

"I expected that."

"You asked for my recommendation, not the cheapest answer."

"Fair."

She started to turn away.

Lin Yuan stopped her.

"I should ask for the expandable detection formation we discussed?"

"Yes. Tell them roughly how much ground you want covered and that you expect the settlement to grow."

"That’s all?"

"Let the formation master handle the details."

Lin Yuan preferred leaving the technical work to someone who actually understood formations.

He stored the note.

"Thanks."

Shen Yao gave him a brief nod.

"Don’t buy something just because the shopkeeper says it’s enough."

"I run a business too."

"That’s why I’m warning you."

She left before he could respond.

The tavern finally quieted later that night.

Lin Yuan stepped outside.

Seven pale stone posts stood beyond the stable beneath the moonlight.

They offered little protection by themselves, but the beginnings of the perimeter were visible now.

More stone would arrive with future supply wagons, and over the next several days the line would gradually extend around the developed part of Blackstone.

The harder part would come afterward.

Lin Yuan took Shen Yao’s note from his storage bag and unfolded it once more.

Green River City was close enough that the trip would not keep him away long. Traveling with the Association solved the transportation problem, and Su Mei and Xiao Lan could manage the tavern until he returned.

The timing was better than he could have arranged himself.

He put the note away.

Blackstone had grown beyond a tavern surrounded by a few repaired buildings. People lived here, merchants depended on the settlement, and travelers stopped because it offered things they could not find along the rest of the road.

Now, something buried beneath the ground was beginning to draw attention from strangers.

Keeping all of that safe would cost spirit stones.

Tomorrow, Lin Yuan would find out exactly how many.