No Fighting Allowed in the Inn-Chapter 142

◎The Origin of the Treasure Map, A Fair Trade◎

Fengguang City was the largest city in Liaozhou, bustling with merchants and travelers, its markets lively and prosperous.

Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi settled in an inn before leaving their room together—Lu Jianwei heading east, Pei Zhi west.

Lu Jianwei went to the eastern part of the city to "contact her sect," requesting her "sect" to supply her with various snacks and items. Pei Zhi, meanwhile, went to the Mystic Mirror Bureau to gather the latest intelligence.

By early evening, both returned to the inn.

Lu Jianwei had "reaped a bountiful harvest," hiring a cart to carry back bundles of all sizes—items she had prepared in exchange for information about the swamp.

Even if the villagers of White Cloud Village hadn’t yet told her, she could already imagine the conditions within the swamp.

The Seven-Step Swamp was a forested marsh. Martial artists could use the trees to employ qinggong (lightness skill), avoiding potential dangers lurking in the woods.

But if it were truly that easy, those seeking the Earth Lotus would have swarmed the place like fish in a river.

Lu Jianwei guessed that the area where the Earth Lotus grew likely had no trees to leverage, making it difficult to cross the marsh even if one evaded the forest’s perils. Alternatively, harvesting the lotus itself might pose a fatal threat.

The villagers of White Cloud Village must have used some special method to successfully gather the Earth Lotus—a secret they would never share with outsiders.

Martial arts skills could only buy superficial information. To obtain detailed intelligence, another approach was necessary.

Lu Jianwei was the type to either avoid the swamp entirely or prepare thoroughly before venturing in.

The two entered their room together.

Lu Jianwei sat down and asked, "Any new updates from the Mystic Mirror Bureau?"

"The case at Leisurely Cloud Manor has been resolved. Minister of Justice Wen Duan has been removed from office, and all other involved parties have been imprisoned," Pei Zhi replied. "Their crimes extend far beyond this."

Lu Jianwei: "Not surprising."

"The leak of the White Crane Manor’s treasure map was indeed connected to Wen Duan."

"How did he know about it?"

Pei Zhi: "According to his confession, he once overheard two clerks casually discussing the story of the Liang Prince of the previous dynasty burying craftsmen alive while constructing his tomb."

"That’s it?"

"That’s it." Pei Zhi chuckled. "Human greed knows no bounds. Wen Duan was obsessed with wealth, so the moment he heard about the tomb, he became fixated."

Lu Jianwei frowned. "But how did he learn that White Crane Manor possessed the treasure map?"

"He secretly sent people to search for the Liang Prince’s tomb. Song Xian, acting under his orders, inquired everywhere. Once, while drunk, Song mentioned it to his friend Master Yue and noticed how evasive Master Yue became. This aroused suspicion. Investigating the Yue family’s history wasn’t difficult for them."

"A casual conversation leading to the devastation of White Crane Manor—sounds familiar." Lu Jianwei narrowed her eyes. "Mei Jiuyi enjoys spectacles, so Fu Ji stirred up one bloody storm after another to lure him out."

Pei Zhi understood. "I had someone check the guest list from that gathering. 'Mei Sixian' was indeed present. But a few words alone prove nothing."

The malice originated from Wen Duan—what did the clerks’ idle chatter have to do with it?

"So that’s how it was." Lu Jianwei sighed softly. "Mei Jiuyi said that people turning from good to evil is the norm. He tested many, and without exception, they all succumbed. Wen Duan had a reputation for integrity and impartiality, so Mei Jiuyi tempted him with treasure."

The tragedy of White Crane Manor once again validated his so-called theory of good and evil.

From an incorruptible judge to a shackled prisoner, Wen Duan’s transformation was textbook.

But Wen Duan had never been upright to begin with—hoarding wealth, indulging in concubines. His fall wasn’t from righteousness to wickedness, just the unmasking of his true nature through the treasure map incident.

"Liang Shangjun has also returned to the capital," Pei Zhi added.

Lu Jianwei: "How is he?"

Earlier, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Xiao Ke had mentioned that Liang Shangjun left the inn quietly with only a letter. Turns out he went to the capital.

"He visited Wen Duan in prison, spoke with him for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then left the capital and returned to Fengzhou."

"What did they discuss?"

"About his mother."

"Didn’t his mother pass away?"

"No." Pei Zhi relayed Wen Duan’s account.

When Wen Duan first met Liang Shangjun’s mother, he was merely a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial exams.

Noticing the young woman’s simple-mindedness and lavish spending, he began scheming.

The two developed feelings on the road, even reaching the point of discussing marriage.

Wen Duan assumed Liang’s mother was a noble lady hiding her identity, skilled in martial arts. Marrying her would grant him not only wealth but also free "bodyguards."

To an ordinary scholar, such a match was a stroke of incredible fortune.

Using the excuse of needing proper marriage arrangements, he repeatedly probed for details about her background, but Liang’s mother always deflected.

Undeterred, Wen Duan proposed immediately after passing the imperial exams. Even without knowing her origins, he played the devoted lover so convincingly that Liang’s mother was moved.

She accepted, becoming his wife.

Others questioned Wen Duan’s actions, but he was ecstatic—he believed he had married a treasure.

One day, when his "runaway" wife returned to her family, he would inherit unimaginable riches.

—After all, even the weapon she carried was a priceless artifact.

But he never realized that the "naive" woman he thought he had fooled was far shrewder than he imagined.

His act of "undying love" wasn’t as convincing as he believed.

Shortly after giving birth, Liang’s mother left a letter and vanished without a trace.

The letter stated that she had seen through him from the start. Watching him perform had been amusing, so she played along.

Had Wen Duan not been exceptionally handsome, and had she not wanted to experience mortal life, she might have left sooner.

Unfortunately, during her pregnancy, Wen Duan’s true colors emerged.

He seemed to think that once a woman bore his child, she would be trapped in the household, entirely at his mercy.

Liang’s mother, bored by his lack of pretense, decided it was no longer worth her time. After recovering from childbirth, she left without a word, leaving only the letter behind.

The letter also warned Wen Duan to treat their child well. The weapons and martial manuals she left were solely for the child.

She would be watching from the shadows. If Wen Duan disobeyed, he would regret it.

Fearing Liang’s mother’s martial prowess and the power behind her, Wen Duan did provide for Liang Shangjun—but only superficially, instructing servants not to neglect him.

He himself, claiming official duties kept him busy, rarely interacted with his son.

After Liang’s mother disappeared, Wen Duan announced that his wife had succumbed to a sudden illness, holding an elaborate funeral.

From childhood, Liang Shangjun believed his mother had died young.

With no other wives or concubines in the household, servants constantly praised his father’s righteousness and selflessness. Even though he seldom saw his father, Liang Shangjun idolized him.

But everything changed the day he accidentally overheard his father’s secret conversation while practicing qinggong.

His father seemed not as upright as outsiders claimed.

Once the seed of doubt took root, every previously overlooked detail became evidence, gradually tearing apart Wen Duan’s facade of integrity to reveal the filth and depravity beneath.

His faith crumbled in an instant.

If even his father—a man praised by all for his impartiality and virtue—was not the honorable figure he had imagined, what in this world could still be trusted?

He had intended to gather evidence in secret, but his sudden shift in demeanor alerted a servant, who happened to be Wen Duan’s informant. Warned, Wen Duan grew wary.

From then on, Liang Shangjun became disillusioned. With no other choice, he decided to leave the Wen family to spare himself further pain. Donning a mask, he wandered the jianghu as a drifting master thief.

His martial skills were all inherited from his mother’s manuals.

This time, he returned to the capital only because he heard Wen Duan had been imprisoned. He wanted to see him one last time and, perhaps, unravel the doubts buried deep in his heart for years.

—Given the behavior of the servants and Wen Duan, he suspected his mother’s death was anything but natural.

Yet to his shock, he learned that his mother might still be alive.

Lu Jianwei speculated, "Liang’s mother was shrouded in mystery—she never revealed her origins to Wen Duan, wielded unusual weapons, and excelled in stealth and flawless disguise. She might have been a disciple of a reclusive sect."

Given the sophistication of her weapons, she might not have been just an ordinary disciple.

Pei Zhi nodded. "The fact that she didn’t take Liang Shangjun with her could also be tied to sect rules."

The next morning, the two set off with a cart of goods, returning to White Cloud Village.

At the village entrance, a row of eager children sat in neat lines, craning their necks in anticipation.

The clip-clop of hooves drew near, and the children leaped up, rushing forward in excitement. Spotting the cart of luggage behind Lu Jianwei, their eyes gleamed as if they could bore holes through the bundles to glimpse the treats inside.

Yi Dazhu exclaimed, "Lu Jie, we can help you carry your things!"

"No need," Lu Jianwei declined with a smile.

Huzi piped up, eyes wide, "Lu Jie, the snacks you brought last time were so good! We finished them all already."

"So quickly?" There weren’t that many kids in the village, were there?

Huzi pouted. "The grown-ups kept sneaking bites! I saved a peach-flavored candy for today, but when I woke up, it was gone. And then I smelled peach on Dad’s breath—how unfair!"

Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.

The children swarmed around the cart as it rolled into the village, stopping before Yi Dazhu’s courtyard.

Inside, Elder Yi and Mei Jiuyi were leisurely playing chess, while Xu Sanzuo lounged in the sun, cradling his gourd of wine.

At the commotion, three pairs of eyes turned their way.

"Friends Lu and Pei, you’ve had a long journey. Rest well," Elder Yi greeted them warmly.

Mei Jiuyi fanned himself, his tone relaxed. "What treasures have you brought this time?"

"Let’s be honest—the snacks from Lu’s sect are exceptional. Show me what’s new," Xu Sanzuo slurred, wobbling closer.

Lu Jianwei lifted a bundle and handed it to him. "Last time, I visited empty-handed—quite rude of me. Knowing your love for fine wine, I brought you a jar. Try it." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

The wine was from the system’s shop, guaranteed to be top quality.

Xu Sanzuo’s eyes lit up. He eagerly unsealed the jar, and an intoxicatingly rich aroma wafted out—so potent that a single whiff was enough to make one dizzy with delight.

"Incredible! Truly incredible!"

The scent drifted into the courtyard, making even Yi Baige, Mei Jiuyi, and Elder Yi twitch their noses involuntarily.

The system’s wine was indeed a lethal weapon.

"I’ve never seen this before. Did your sect brew it?" Xu Sanzuo clutched the jar like a priceless treasure.

Lu Jianwei nodded. "You could say that."

"Got more? One jar’s not enough!"

"Most of the stock is in Fengzhou. This was the only jar I could get in Fengguang City."

Without hesitation, Xu Sanzuo declared, "Once you’re done with the marsh, I’m coming with you to Fengzhou!"

"You’re more than welcome."

The inn already had a skilled physician. Adding a master smith like Xu Sanzuo—lured by fine wine—would only bolster its growth.

"Still, the Seven-Step Marsh is treacherous. If I go in and never come out, who’ll bring you such wine?"

Xu Sanzuo groaned. "...Maybe you shouldn’t go."

"As a healer, I’m gathering the Earth Lotus to save lives. How can I back down?"

"Yi Baige, hear that? She’s doing this to help others, not for selfish gain. Can’t you be less stingy? Or I’ll never get my wine!"

Yi Baige: "..."

"Friend Lu, what martial techniques are you willing to trade for information?" Elder Yi asked kindly.

Lu Jianwei replied, "No rush. I plan to stay in the village a few more days. You won’t kick us out, will you?"

"Aren’t you worried Fu Ji might take the Earth Lotus first?" Yi Baige frowned.

Lu Jianwei shook her head. "Not at all."

The system’s map showed Fu Ji’s marker lingering in the forest outside the marsh, making no move to venture deeper.

Fu Ji was cunning—his early departure might have been a ruse to make them think he was desperate, only to lurk in the woods, waiting for them to clear the path before swooping in.

If he loved the forest so much, let him stay a while longer.

"Renting a house requires payment," Yi Baige said pointedly. "We don’t take money. Or snacks."

Lu Jianwei: "What do you want?"

"Martial techniques, weapons, or rare herbs." Yi Baige glanced at Xu Sanzuo. "The techniques can’t be shoddy, the weapons must surpass Master Xu’s craftsmanship, and the herbs must be as valuable as the Earth Lotus."

Lu Jianwei countered, "If I had herbs as precious as the Earth Lotus, why trade them only for clues instead of the Lotus itself? Doesn’t that seem unfair?"

"If you find it unfair, don’t trade."

This was a seller’s market—White Cloud Village held all the leverage, just like her inn.

Lu Jianwei understood, but she wasn’t one to let others take advantage.

It all came down to who had the more enticing offer.

Without another word, she retrieved a long case from the cart. When she opened it, a blade’s icy gleam flashed before their eyes.

A peerless sword!

A true peerless sword!

Xu Sanzuo gaped, still clutching his wine. Yi Baige’s fingers twitched, his gaze burning with desire.

"The forging arts of Lu’s sect are truly awe-inspiring," Mei Jiuyi murmured, his fan pausing mid-swing before resuming its languid motion.

Elder Yi studied the sword and sighed in genuine admiration. "In all my years wandering the jianghu, I’ve never seen a blade so flawless."

The sword was handpicked from the system’s shop. Though not as exceptional as her own Frostcurl Blade or Stardust Sword, it was still a masterpiece—its craftsmanship far surpassing even Xu Sanzuo’s finest works.

The children who had just been crowding around the carriage, hoping for snacks, were now utterly dumbstruck.

A single sword had completely captivated everyone present—even the notoriously "picky" Yi Baige couldn't find a single flaw in it.

His face flushed red as he stubbornly muttered, "This... this sword is quite good. It could trade for a few days' stay in a house..."

But by then, he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

Yi Baige’s face wasn’t thick-skinned enough to push further, though deep down, he still hoped Lu Jianwei would agree.

Unexpectedly, Lu Jianwei simply closed the lid of the box, concealing the brilliance within, and said with a smile, "I merely wanted to share this sword with fellow enthusiasts. I never intended to trade it for lodging. A mere sword—how could it possibly be worth a house in White Cloud Village?"

Yi Baige: "..."

No, it is worth it! Very much so!

Xu Sanzuo slapped his thigh and roared with laughter.

"Shopkeeper Lu, what other treasures do you have? Why not share them with us?" Mei Jiuyi asked eagerly.

Lu Jianwei shook his head. "I’m afraid it might frighten you."

"So, you’re not renting a house anymore?" Yi Baige pressed.

"Wanderers of the martial world are accustomed to sleeping under the open sky," Lu Jianwei replied before turning back to the children.

From the carriage, he retrieved a large bundle of snacks, loosening the wrapping just enough to reveal the delicious treats inside. Raising his voice, he announced, "I already gave you gifts last time, so there won’t be any more freebies today. But I’m willing to sell—and I don’t want money. Instead, bring me something from the marsh, and you can trade it for snacks."

"What kind of thing?" Yi Dazhu asked. "Would a branch work?"

Lu Jianwei nodded. "Of course, but everyone must bring something different. If your item matches someone else’s, you won’t get any snacks."

The children immediately scattered in all directions.

The adults: "..."

"Shopkeeper Lu, why go to such lengths?" Yi Baige said. "Even if they bring back things from the marsh, you might not recognize them. You won’t necessarily learn anything useful about the marsh."

Lu Jianwei replied with righteous solemnity, "I’m simply teaching them the principle of 'fair exchange.'"

Yi Baige: "..."