I didn't sleep much that night.
Every sound made me jump the wind rustling through trees, a bird calling in the distance, the old building settling and creaking. I kept expecting the Phoenix Sect disciples to come charging back with reinforcements, ready to tear the inn apart.
But they never came.
By the time dawn broke, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, I was exhausted but relieved. I'd survived my first real challenge as an innkeeper in this world.
I was brewing morning tea when I heard Mei Liang's door open upstairs. She descended the stairs fully dressed, her travel pack slung over her shoulder and her sword secured at her hip. She looked much better than she had last night rested, alert, and ready to move.
"Good morning," I greeted her, pouring tea into two cups. "I made breakfast if you're interested. Nothing fancy, just rice porridge and some pickled vegetables."
She approached the counter, eyeing the steaming bowl I'd prepared. "You're up early after the night we had."
"Couldn't sleep much," I admitted. "Kept thinking they might come back."
"They won't. Not immediately, anyway." She accepted the bowl and chopsticks. "They'll report back to their sect, confirm I'm not in the nearby towns, and then expand their search pattern. I should have at least a day's head start if I leave now."
I nodded, sipping my own tea. "Can I ask what you did to make the Phoenix Sect so determined to find you? Or is that one of those questions I shouldn't ask?"
She smiled slightly. "You've earned some answers after last night." She took a bite of the porridge, closing her eyes in appreciation before continuing. "I was a disciple of the Phoenix Sect. One of their most promising, actually. But I discovered something I shouldn't have evidence that the sect elders were involved in... let's call it 'unethical cultivation practices.' Practices that hurt innocent people."
"You tried to expose them," I guessed.
"I tried to report it to the Sect Master directly. Turns out, he was in on it." Her expression darkened. "They tried to silence me permanently. I barely escaped with my life. Now they're hunting me, claiming I'm a traitor who stole sect secrets."
[Background Information Updated: Mei Liang]
[Status: Rogue Cultivator, Formerly Phoenix Sect Inner Disciple]
[Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment (5th Stage)]
[Moral Alignment: Righteous]
[Note: This guest has significant potential and strong moral character. Maintaining good relationship recommended.]
"That's rough," I said sympathetically. "So where will you go now?"
"There's a city three days north of here Silverbrook. It's large enough that I can disappear into the crowd, and they have a branch of the Adventurer's Guild. I can find work there, earn some money, and eventually make my way to the Imperial Capital. There are people there who might actually care about what the Phoenix Sect is doing."
She finished the porridge quickly and stood. "I should go while the morning mist still provides some cover."
"Wait," I said, ducking into the kitchen. I quickly wrapped some rice balls and dried fruit in cloth travel food I'd prepared earlier just in case. "Take this. You said three days of travel. You'll need to eat."
She looked at the package in surprise. "Kazuki, you've already done so much"
"It's just food," I interrupted. "And honestly, having my first customer survive her journey and maybe tell people about this inn would be good for business. Consider it an investment in advertising."
She laughed, accepting the package. "You really are something else." She reached into her robes and pulled out a small jade token, pressing it into my hand. "Take this. It's my personal token from when I was still a sect disciple. If you're ever in serious trouble and I mean life-threatening trouble inject some spiritual energy into it, and I'll know. I'll come if I can."
I looked at the token. It was cool to the touch and had intricate carvings of a phoenix in flight. "I'm not a cultivator. I can't inject spiritual energy into anything."
"Then have someone do it for you," she said firmly. "Just... keep it. You helped me when you had no reason to. That means something in this world."
[Item Received: Mei Liang's Phoenix Token]
[Quality: Rare]
[Effect: Emergency beacon. Can be activated once to summon Mei Liang if she's within 1000 miles.]
[Note: This is a significant gesture of trust and debt.]
I pocketed the token carefully. "Travel safe, Miss Mei. And hey, if you're ever back this way and need a place to stay..."
"I'll remember The Lazy Dragon Inn," she promised. "And Kazuki? Thank you. For everything. For the food, the room, the protection, and for treating me like a person instead of a criminal or a prize to be caught."
"That's what hospitality is about," I said with a genuine smile. "Everyone deserves a safe place to rest."
She bowed deeply, more formally than before. "May fortune smile upon your inn, Kazuki Yamamoto. I have a feeling we'll meet again."
With that, she slipped out the door and disappeared into the morning mist like a ghost. I watched from the doorway until I couldn't see her anymore, then closed the door and leaned against it.
"My first guest," I said to the empty room. "And she was a fugitive from a powerful cultivation sect. What are the odds?"
[Quest Complete: First Customer]
[Performance Grade: A+]
[Base Rewards: 200 System Points, Customer Service Skills (Advanced)]
[Bonus Rewards: 500 System Points (Guest Protection), 300 System Points (Exceeded Expectations), Random Inn Upgrade]
[Total Points Earned: 1,000 System Points]
[Current Total: 1,100 System Points]
[Customer Service Skills have evolved into Advanced Customer Service Skills]
[New Skills Unlocked: Guest Insight (Passive), Rapid Meal Preparation (Active), Negotiation (Active)]
[Calculating Random Inn Upgrade...]
Golden light filled the lobby, and I felt that familiar warm sensation as knowledge flooded into my mind. This time it was more extensive advanced techniques for reading customers' moods and needs, ways to prepare food more efficiently, strategies for handling difficult conversations and negotiations.
But the real surprise came when the light faded.
The inn itself was changing.
I watched in amazement as cracks in the walls sealed themselves, the peeling paint refreshed and became vibrant again, and the worn floorboards smoothed out and regained their polish. The shabby furniture transformed wobbly chairs became sturdy, broken table legs repaired themselves, and everything took on a subtle glow of quality.
Within minutes, the main lobby looked like an actual respectable inn instead of a building one strong wind away from collapse.
[Random Inn Upgrade Applied: Structural Restoration (Partial)]
[Main Lobby and Guest Room #1 have been restored to excellent condition]
[Remaining areas still require manual renovation or additional upgrades]
[Inn Quality Rating: Poor → Decent]
[New Feature Unlocked: Basic Comfort Aura]
[Effect: Guests in upgraded areas experience slightly improved rest and recovery]
I walked around the lobby, running my hand along the smooth counter, testing the solid chairs. "This is incredible. The place actually looks like a real inn now!"
[First Quest Chain Complete]
[Achievement Unlocked: First Steps of the Innkeeper]
[Bonus Reward: Special Mission Available]
[Special Mission: The Inn's True Potential]
[Objective: Serve 10 different guests successfully]
[Reward: Major Inn Upgrade, Title: "Promising Innkeeper", Unlock System Shop]
[Time Limit: None]
A system shop? Now that sounded promising. I'd been wondering when I'd get access to something like that. Most system novels had shops where you could exchange points for items, skills, or upgrades.
"Only nine more guests to go," I said, looking around my newly restored lobby with pride. "Bring it on."
My stomach growled, reminding me that I'd only had tea for breakfast. I headed to the kitchen to make myself a proper meal, my mind already planning what else I could do to improve the inn.
I had system points now. I had skills. I had a partially restored building. And most importantly, I had survived my first real challenge.
Sure, I was still in debt. Sure, I'd made enemies of a cultivation sect. And sure, I was still basically powerless compared to most people in this world.
But I was an innkeeper, and I was getting better at it every day.
As I cooked breakfast, I couldn't help but grin.
This weird new life of mine was actually starting to feel right.
[Warning: Phoenix Sect has marked The Lazy Dragon Inn as a location of interest]
[Recommendation: Increase inn defenses and prepare for potential future complications]
Or maybe I was getting ahead of myself.
"One problem at a time," I muttered, flipping my eggs. "One problem at a time."
[End of Chapter 6]