Chapter 8: Green River City

Early the next morning, Lin Yuan stood outside Wandering Cloud Tavern.

The doors were locked.

The windows were secured.

Beside the entrance hung the sign he had prepared the night before.

Wandering Cloud Tavern

Temporarily Closed

Owner will return soon.

Lin Yuan checked everything one last time before stepping into the courtyard.

His wooden flying artifact rested nearby.

It was little more than a narrow wooden board with several faded formation patterns carved along its surface. Plain, slow, but reliable.

Lin Yuan stepped onto it and circulated his spiritual Qi.

The formation patterns flickered.

The board rose from the ground.

From above, Wandering Cloud Tavern looked even smaller.

One building.

An old courtyard.

A crooked tree beside a well.

Beyond it stretched Blackstone Wasteland in every direction.

Lin Yuan looked at the tavern for another moment before turning east.

The wooden board accelerated.

Soon, Wandering Cloud Tavern disappeared behind him.

The journey to Green River City took several days.

Lin Yuan traveled during the day and stopped whenever his spiritual Qi needed to recover. At night, he found somewhere sheltered, ate from his storage bag, cultivated, and continued the following morning.

Reaching the eighth layer made the journey noticeably easier.

His spiritual Qi lasted longer, and controlling the flying artifact required less effort than before.

Still, Blackstone Wasteland was enormous.

For most of the journey, there was little to see beyond grey earth, scattered rocks, and patches of dry grass.

By the fourth day, the landscape finally began to change.

Vegetation appeared more frequently.

Small streams ran between low hills.

The spiritual Qi in the air gradually thickened.

After spending so long in Blackstone Wasteland, Lin Yuan noticed the difference immediately.

The road widened as he continued.

Travelers became more common.

Merchant wagons moved along the road while cultivators passed on spirit beasts and flying artifacts.

Before long, Green River City appeared ahead.

Tall grey walls surrounded a dense collection of buildings. Towers rose above rows of tiled rooftops, while a steady stream of people passed through the city gates.

Lin Yuan landed some distance away and stored his flying board.

After paying the entrance fee, he entered through the southern gate.

Noise immediately surrounded him.

Merchants called from roadside stalls.

Wagons rolled over stone streets.

The smell of cooked food drifted from restaurants.

Cultivators carrying swords and other artifacts moved among ordinary residents.

Shops lined both sides of the street.

Pills.

Talismans.

Artifacts.

Spirit-beast materials.

Tea.

Wine.

Clothing.

Lin Yuan’s gaze paused on a weapon shop displaying several polished swords.

Then he continued walking.

Twenty-six low-grade spirit stones didn’t feel like much in a place like this.

Fortunately, he had brought something to sell.

The Hundred Beast Pavilion occupied a wide storefront in the eastern commercial district.

Cleaned hides hung behind the front windows, while shelves displayed horns, claws, bones, and other spirit-beast materials.

An older man sat behind the counter.

He looked up when Lin Yuan entered.

"Buying or selling?"

"Selling."

"What beast?"

"Stonehide Wolf."

The man’s expression remained ordinary.

"Complete?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"It disagreed with me."

The older man looked at him for a moment before pointing toward a door behind the counter.

"Bring it to the courtyard."

Lin Yuan followed him through.

The back courtyard was large and paved with stone. Several workers were processing spirit-beast materials beneath a covered area.

Lin Yuan opened his storage bag.

The Stonehide Wolf appeared on the ground.

The older man’s expression changed slightly.

He crouched beside it.

"Large one."

He examined the hardened hide before checking the claws and teeth.

"You killed this yourself?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

The man glanced at him.

"Qi Refining eighth layer?"

"Yes."

"Recently?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little."

The older man returned his attention to the wolf.

"This one was stronger than the usual Stonehide Wolf. The hide has some damage, but most of the valuable sections are usable. Claws are intact. Teeth are good."

He examined it for another moment before standing.

"Twenty-eight low-grade spirit stones."

"Thirty-five."

The older man stared at him.

"Thirty."

"Thirty-three."

"Thirty-one."

"Thirty-two."

"Thirty-one, and I’ll handle the processing."

Lin Yuan considered it.

"Deal."

The older man smiled.

"You bargain better than most cultivators bringing in their first beast."

"I run a tavern."

"A tavern?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Blackstone Wasteland."

The older man stared at him.

"Why would you open a tavern there?"

Lin Yuan had heard that question before.

"Cheap land."

The older man laughed.

Lin Yuan left Hundred Beast Pavilion with fifty-seven low-grade spirit stones.

The Stonehide Wolf had damaged his wall and nearly injured him badly enough to spend days recovering.

Thirty-one spirit stones didn’t make Lin Yuan want to repeat the experience.

But he would accept the compensation.

His next stop was the market.

Repair materials came first.

There was no reason to transport ordinary stone all the way from Green River City. Blackstone Wasteland had more than enough of that.

Instead, Lin Yuan bought proper tools and binding materials for restoring the courtyard wall.

Then came supplies for Wandering Cloud Tavern.

Flour.

Rice.

Spices.

Tea.

Preserved ingredients.

Wine.

He also added several ingredients he hadn’t stocked before.

The tavern didn’t need an enormous menu, but a little more variety would be useful if more travelers began stopping there.

Once the necessary purchases were finished, Lin Yuan headed toward the cultivation market.

Nearly everyone around him was a cultivator.

Talismans were displayed beneath protective covers.

Weapons hung along shop walls.

Pill stores were filled with rows of porcelain bottles.

Even some of the smaller stalls sold objects Lin Yuan couldn’t immediately identify.

Lin Yuan entered a pill shop first.

"What are you looking for?" the attendant asked.

"Something suitable for late Qi Refining cultivation."

Several bottles were placed on the counter.

The attendant explained their effects while Lin Yuan listened.

Some helped recover spiritual Qi.

Others assisted cultivation.

A few were intended for breaking through bottlenecks.

Then came the prices.

Lin Yuan looked at the bottles again.

Cultivation was expensive.

He could afford some of them, but spending a large portion of his spirit stones now didn’t seem worthwhile.

The tavern and territory still needed development.

For now, he decided against it.

He visited an artifact shop next.

Several swords caught his attention.

One in particular felt noticeably better than the low-grade sword he currently carried.

Lin Yuan asked the price.

A moment later, his old sword seemed perfectly adequate.

He left the shop.

Talismans were more practical.

Lin Yuan compared several before choosing two basic defensive talismans.

They wouldn’t stop a powerful opponent, but they could provide protection at a critical moment.

After his experience with the Stonehide Wolf, having another option seemed worthwhile.

Lin Yuan stored them carefully.

After finishing his purchases, he checked his storage bag.

Forty-two low-grade spirit stones remained.

It was still more than he’d possessed when he entered Green River City.

Lin Yuan was satisfied.

There would be time for pills and better weapons later.

One task remained.

By late afternoon, Lin Yuan had been walking through Green River City for hours.

He took out his list.

Only the final line remained.

Find a worker.

He had passed several places where merchants and households could hire workers.

He could probably find someone there.

But first, he wanted food.

Lin Yuan entered a small restaurant on a side street.

Almost every table was occupied.

He found an empty seat near the wall and ordered noodles with roasted meat.

While waiting, he noticed a young woman moving between the tables.

She looked around eighteen or nineteen.

Her dark hair was tied behind her head, and she wore simple working clothes beneath a cloth apron.

Faint spiritual Qi surrounded her.

Qi Refining, third layer.

The restaurant appeared short on workers.

One person remained behind the counter.

Another worked in the kitchen.

The young woman handled most of the tables.

She wasn’t exceptionally fast.

Once, she nearly delivered a bowl to the wrong customer before catching the mistake.

But when several customers called for her at once, she didn’t become flustered.

She remembered orders, cleared tables, brought tea, and dealt with complaints as they came.

Nothing extraordinary.

She simply knew how to do her job.

Lin Yuan’s noodles arrived.

He began eating.

The taste was decent.

The roasted meat was slightly dry.

He finished it anyway.

By the time he put down his chopsticks, the restaurant had begun to quiet.

Lin Yuan paid and stood to leave.

Then he heard the owner call from behind the counter.

"Su Mei."

The young woman stopped.

The owner placed a small pouch on the counter.

"Your wages."

Su Mei looked at it.

"Today isn’t payday."

"I know."

The owner hesitated.

"My nephew arrives tomorrow."

Her expression changed slightly.

"You said he wasn’t coming until winter."

"Plans changed."

Su Mei glanced toward the tables.

"You still need another worker."

"I can’t afford both."

A short silence followed.

"I’ve worked here for almost two years."

"I know."

The owner sounded uncomfortable.

"That’s why I’m paying everything I owe you."

Su Mei looked at the pouch for several seconds.

Then she picked it up.

"Understood."

She removed her apron, folded it, and placed it on the counter.

Lin Yuan stepped outside.

A few minutes later, Su Mei emerged carrying a small cloth bag.

She started down the street.

Lin Yuan waited until she had walked some distance from the restaurant before approaching.

"Excuse me."

Su Mei turned.

She recognized him.

"Was something wrong with your meal?"

"No."

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"Are you looking for work?"

Her expression became guarded.

"That was fast."

"I was already looking for someone."

"What kind of work?"

"I own a tavern. I need someone to serve customers, keep the place organized, and handle simple meals when necessary."

Su Mei glanced back toward the restaurant.

"I can do that."

"I noticed."

Her expression softened slightly.

"Where is it?"

"Blackstone Wasteland."

Su Mei stared at him.

"No."

She turned.

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

She stopped.

Lin Yuan waited.

A moment later, Su Mei looked back.

"How far into Blackstone Wasteland?"

"Several days from here."

"And you actually have customers?"

"Enough that I need help."

Su Mei hesitated.

"The spiritual Qi inside the tavern is also better than the surrounding area," Lin Yuan added. "Cultivating there isn’t bad."

That caught her attention.

"There’s a gathering formation?"

"The building has a similar effect."

Su Mei studied him more carefully.

"Why are you hiring someone from Green River City?"

"Because there aren’t many people to hire in the wasteland."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Usually quiet. A spirit beast wandered close recently, but I handled it."

Su Mei’s eyes moved toward the sword at his waist.

"You’re going back soon?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Lin Yuan took out a small piece of paper and wrote down a meeting place near the southern gate.

"If you’re interested, meet me there."

Su Mei accepted it.

"And if I’m not?"

"Then don’t come."

She looked down at the paper.

"I’ll think about it."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Good."

He turned and walked away.

Behind him, Su Mei remained where she was, still holding the paper.

Tomorrow morning, he would know whether Wandering Cloud Tavern was still a one-man business.