Chapter 94: A Better Watch

By the following morning, Lin Yuan had discovered that writing down his problems was considerably easier than solving them.

The repair list lay on the tavern counter, covered with notes about damaged buildings, formation posts, and supplies that needed replacing. He had added several items before going to bed, hoping that putting everything on paper would make the situation easier to manage.

Instead, the list had only grown longer.

His injuries weren’t helping. His right wrist remained swollen beneath its bandage, the cut across his shoulder ached whenever he moved too quickly, and his ribs made even getting out of bed unpleasant. The shallow wound along his thigh was healing, but walking still reminded him of the previous fight.

Su Mei had already warned him not to lift anything heavy or attempt repairs himself. Lin Yuan had agreed.

He had not agreed to enjoy it.

He was examining the list when Qiao Ren approached from the dining area, carrying the captured saber wrapped in cloth. His injured forearm was still bandaged, and he handled the weapon carefully as he placed it beside the ledger.

"Su Mei wants this put away before the customers start asking questions," he explained. "Apparently, leaving a cultivator’s saber near the breakfast tables makes people nervous."

"Understandable. I’d rather not have someone testing its sharpness while waiting for food."

Lin Yuan moved the weapon beneath the counter, where it could remain undisturbed until the Association returned.

Qiao Ren leaned over the repair list.

"The entrance should be manageable, and we can salvage some timber from the damaged stalls. The formation is another matter. We’ll need someone from Green River to inspect those posts."

Lin Yuan nodded. One warning node had been destroyed, while another had suffered damage that might affect its reliability. The entire formation had cost thirty-eight spirit stones to install, and he had no idea how much repairing the damaged sections would cost.

Master Han would also need to examine the tavern entrance and market stalls.

"We barely finished improving the place," Lin Yuan muttered. "Now I have to call the craftsmen back."

Qiao Ren glanced around the dining room.

"At least there’s still a place worth repairing."

Lin Yuan paused.

The guests upstairs were safe, the kitchen was still operating, and the tavern itself had survived. Considering what they had faced during the night, Lin Yuan knew a few broken structures and an expensive repair bill were far from the worst possible outcome.

He folded the list.

"Fine. Let’s start with what we can manage."

They began with the entrance.

The damaged door had remained secure overnight only because Xiao Lan had fastened a wooden board across it. During business hours, however, removing the brace whenever someone wanted to enter or leave was becoming inconvenient.

The frame itself had survived, but one side had split where the club-wielding raider had repeatedly attacked it. Qiao Ren believed a temporary support would keep it usable until Master Han arrived.

They found several suitable boards among the materials left over from the previous expansion, although there weren’t enough to repair everything. Some timber would have to be salvaged from the overturned market stalls.

While they were sorting through the available materials, Xiao Lan appeared beside the doorway carrying the wooden pole she had kept during the attack.

"Can I help?"

Lin Yuan glanced at her eager expression.

"You can help hold the timber while Qiao Ren fits the support. But don’t start taking anything apart without asking."

"I wouldn’t do that."

Lin Yuan remembered the entrance sign frame she had once started building without permission. He decided to keep that observation to himself.

By late morning, two workers from the market had joined them. Qiao Ren directed the repairs while the others removed splintered wood and fitted a temporary support using salvaged boards.

Lin Yuan supervised from a nearby chair. He managed to remain there for almost half an hour before one of the workers struggled to position a board.

Without thinking, Lin Yuan stood and reached for the lighter end with his left hand.

He had barely lifted it when Su Mei appeared from the tavern.

"Put that down."

"It’s not heavy. I’m only helping him move it."

Su Mei looked at his bandaged shoulder, then his swollen wrist.

"You could barely walk when Qiao Ren brought you back. I spent half the night listening to the fighting, wondering whether you’d even return. And now you’re standing here carrying timber as if nothing happened."

Her voice tightened near the end.

Lin Yuan lowered the board. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

His gaze drifted toward the damaged doorway. He had noticed the broken frame when he returned, but he hadn’t given much thought to what the people waiting behind it had endured while the fighting continued outside.

"I’m not trying to make things worse," he said quietly.

"Then let yourself recover. The door can be repaired without you lifting it."

Lin Yuan returned to his chair without arguing.

Qiao Ren, who had been pretending not to hear the exchange, resumed directing the workers. Xiao Lan gave Lin Yuan a sympathetic look before returning to her assigned task.

The temporary support was completed before lunch. It wasn’t particularly attractive, and the damaged latch still needed replacing, but the entrance could now open and close without the frame shifting.

Lin Yuan tested it carefully with his left hand. The support held, and that was enough until Master Han could inspect it properly.

The workers then turned their attention to the market.

Two stalls had been overturned completely, while another leaned badly to one side. Broken pottery and splintered wood littered the road, forcing travelers to walk around the damaged structures.

Several merchants joined the cleanup once they saw the work underway. Some carried usable boards into storage while others sorted through the wreckage. One merchant even lent them a few tools.

Lin Yuan had worried that the damage might lead to arguments over who should pay for everything. Fortunately, none of the merchants blamed him for the attack, though several were understandably unhappy about losing their trading spaces.

By early afternoon, the entrance was usable, the worst debris had been cleared, and the salvageable timber had been stacked away from the road.

The market still looked battered, but business was gradually returning. One merchant had already arranged his goods on an undamaged table, while two travelers stood nearby bargaining over supplies.

Lin Yuan watched them from beneath the tavern’s eaves.

The settlement wasn’t restored, and the repair bills remained unknown, but seeing people return to their ordinary work eased some of the tension that had followed Lin Yuan since the raid. Blackstone had survived the attack, and the first signs of recovery were already visible around him.

That afternoon, Lin Yuan gathered Qiao Ren, Su Mei, and Xiao Lan around the counter.

Repairing broken wood was straightforward. Preventing the same thing from happening again was harder.

The warning formation couldn’t be repaired until Clear Pattern Formation Shop sent someone from Green River. Until then, the damaged western section remained a weakness.

Qiao Ren suggested placing lookouts near the western road entrance and the market.

"Someone standing inside the markers can see most of the road and the damaged section without wandering into the wasteland."

Lin Yuan considered it.

"That works, but the watchmen aren’t there to fight anyone."

Qiao Ren nodded. "If they see something suspicious, they report it."

"Exactly. Nobody chases strangers outside Blackstone."

Xiao Lan immediately raised her hand.

"I can take a shift."

Lin Yuan looked at her.

"You already have responsibilities inside the tavern."

"I can still help."

"And I’m not sending you to stand near the boundary after dark."

"I wouldn’t have to go alone."

"That’s not the point."

Xiao Lan looked ready to argue, but Su Mei placed a hand on her shoulder before she could.

"We need help inside too. During the attack, half the guests didn’t know where to go, and the others kept asking whether it was safe to come downstairs."

Xiao Lan fell quiet.

That reminded Lin Yuan of something he had overlooked. The warning formation had alerted him to intruders, but the people inside the tavern hadn’t known what was happening or what they were supposed to do.

They needed a signal everyone could recognize.

Xiao Lan brightened almost immediately.

"There’s an iron basin in the kitchen."

Su Mei turned toward her.

"Not the one we use for food."

"I wasn’t going to take that one!"

Lin Yuan considered the suggestion.

A basin wasn’t an impressive defensive artifact, but striking one with a wooden mallet would certainly attract attention. It also had another advantage.

It didn’t cost any spirit stones.

"Find the old one."

Xiao Lan disappeared into the back room and returned carrying an iron basin that had clearly seen better days.

They hung it beneath the tavern’s outer eaves, where someone could reach it quickly from the entrance.

Before testing it, Lin Yuan made sure the nearby merchants knew what they were doing. The last thing Blackstone needed was everyone assuming another attack had begun because Xiao Lan wanted to test a piece of metal.

She appeared slightly disappointed that she couldn’t surprise anyone.

Once the warning had been given, she raised the wooden mallet.

"Ready?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

She struck the basin.

A sharp metallic clang rang across the courtyard.

Several merchants looked up despite already knowing the test was coming. One man near the market turned so quickly that he almost dropped the bundle in his arms.

Lin Yuan felt his shoulders tighten before he caught himself. The sound was nothing like the warning formation, but for a moment it brought back the clash of weapons outside the tavern.

Xiao Lan lowered the mallet.

"Was that too loud?"

"No." Lin Yuan looked toward the market. "That’s exactly what we need."

Qiao Ren walked farther down the road while Xiao Lan tested it again. The sound carried clearly across the occupied section of Blackstone.

After a few attempts, they settled on two signals. Several measured strikes would call everyone’s attention, while rapid repeated blows would mean immediate danger. Anyone hearing the second signal was expected to move toward the tavern or another designated safe place.

Su Mei took responsibility for explaining the system to guests and merchants, while Xiao Lan was placed in charge of helping with the alarm.

Lin Yuan added one condition.

"Don’t ring it because you’re bored."

Xiao Lan looked offended.

"Why would I do that?"

Lin Yuan looked at the mallet she was still holding.

She slowly lowered it.

Finding people willing to keep watch proved more difficult.

Qiao Ren spoke with merchants and workers who regularly stayed in Blackstone. Several agreed to help, while others were reluctant to spend part of the night standing near the boundary after working all day.

One merchant asked the most important question.

"What are we supposed to do if an armed cultivator actually appears?"

"Come back and report it," Lin Yuan said.

The man blinked.

"We don’t stop them?"

"If you’re capable of stopping a group of armed cultivators, tell me now and I’ll reconsider your responsibilities."

The merchant thought for a moment.

"Reporting sounds reasonable."

"Good."

Lin Yuan wasn’t hiring soldiers. Pretending otherwise would only get someone hurt.

They eventually arranged short watch shifts. The men would remain inside Blackstone’s boundary and observe the western approach without pursuing anyone.

Those who helped regularly would receive meals from the tavern during their shifts.

It was another expense, but Lin Yuan could live with that.

By the end of the afternoon, enough people had volunteered to begin a small nightly watch.

There were still no trained guards protecting the settlement, and the damaged warning formation remained a serious weakness. But someone would now be awake and watching the western approach after dark.

That was better than leaving the road unattended.

Lin Yuan also reconsidered another item on his security list.

A secure place to hold dangerous intruders.

He stared at the words for a while.

An ordinary locked room wouldn’t hold someone like the saber wielder. Even if Lin Yuan found suitable restraints, keeping a hostile cultivator inside the same building as guests sounded like a terrible idea.

Proper arrangements would require more than a strong door.

He crossed out the original wording and replaced it.

Investigate secure holding arrangements.

That could remain a future problem.

Su Mei began setting aside emergency supplies as well: drinking water, lamps, clean cloth, and the medicine they already had available. She wanted guests to know where to gather instead of crowding near windows whenever something happened outside.

Lin Yuan approved the preparations.

"Check what we already have before buying anything."

Su Mei gave him a look.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"Then we’re becoming efficient."

By evening, several problems on the repair list had people responsible for handling them.

The formation was still damaged, the market needed proper repairs, and Master Han had yet to inspect the tavern entrance. Blackstone was nowhere near ready for another organized attack, but at least they had started dealing with the weaknesses the raid had exposed.

More importantly, Lin Yuan wasn’t trying to solve every problem himself.

The tavern had returned to something resembling its usual routine by the time the evening customers arrived.

Several travelers occupied the dining room, and the smell of freshly prepared food drifted from the kitchen. Outside, the damaged market quieted as merchants packed away their remaining goods.

Lin Yuan sat behind the counter preparing two short messages, one for Master Han and the other for Clear Pattern Formation Shop.

Unfortunately, the caravan carrying his report to the Association had departed the previous day, and no suitable eastbound messenger had appeared since. The repair requests would have to wait until another reliable traveler headed toward Green River.

Lin Yuan disliked the delay, especially while the western formation remained damaged. Sending someone into the wasteland solely to deliver two messages, however, wasn’t worth the risk.

Qiao Ren remained nearby, finishing a cup of tea before checking the first watch shift.

"Do you think the watch will be enough?"

"Enough to warn us, perhaps." Lin Yuan set down his brush. "It won’t stop another group of cultivators."

"Then Blackstone needs something stronger."

Lin Yuan glanced toward the dining room, where several guests were eating peacefully.

"Stronger formations would help. Trained guards would help. Better defenses around the settlement would help."

"And?"

"I don’t know what any of those things cost."

Qiao Ren studied him.

"You’ve already done more than most people would the day after an attack. Give yourself time to recover before you start planning how to defend the entire wasteland."

"I’m only trying to defend Blackstone."

"That’s already quite enough for someone who can barely use his right hand."

Lin Yuan couldn’t argue with that.

Su Mei approached a short while later.

"The first watch has started."

Two men had taken their positions. One stood near the western road entrance, just inside the boundary markers. The other remained closer to the market, where he could call for help quickly if something happened.

Qiao Ren finished his tea and stood.

"I’ll check on them before going back to my shop."

Lin Yuan glanced at the bandage around his forearm.

"Don’t stay outside too long."

Qiao Ren gave him an incredulous look.

"You’re giving me advice about resting?"

"Someone has to set a good example."

Qiao Ren laughed and headed outside.

Most of the guests gradually returned to their rooms over the next hour. Su Mei cleared the remaining tables, while Xiao Lan inspected the iron basin one final time before reluctantly putting the mallet away.

Lin Yuan stayed behind the counter, working through the repair messages.

Qiao Ren returned later and found him in exactly the same position.

"Everything’s quiet outside."

"Good."

"You should sleep."

Lin Yuan glanced at the unfinished note beside his ledger.

"I’ll finish this first."

"That means you’re going to sit here for another hour."

"It shouldn’t take an hour."

Qiao Ren gave him a doubtful look.

"Just don’t stay up all night."

"I won’t."

Qiao Ren left for his shop.

Lin Yuan finished the sentence he had been writing, reread both messages, and finally set his brush aside.

Master Han still needed to inspect the damaged structures. The formation shop had yet to receive his message, and the Association’s reply was likely several days away.

Those problems could wait until another messenger appeared.

He closed the ledger and stood carefully. The movement still pulled at his ribs, but the pain was manageable.

Outside the window, the watchmen’s lanterns remained steady near the western road.

Lin Yuan watched them for another moment before turning away from the counter.

Someone else could watch the road tonight.

He went upstairs before Su Mei could return and order him to bed.