"Yuki, hide. Now," I said urgently, keeping my voice low.
"I can fight"
"You can barely transform and you're still recovering from curse damage," I interrupted. "Hiding isn't cowardice. It's strategy. Let me handle this first."
She hesitated, clearly torn between pride and pragmatism. Finally, she nodded. "There's a storage space under the kitchen floorboards. If things go badly, I'll come out."
"Hopefully it won't come to that."
Yuki disappeared through the kitchen doorway just as the riders reached the inn. I took a deep breath, centering myself, and adopted the calm, professional demeanor I'd cultivated over days of practice.
[Aura of Sanctuary (Passive) is active]
[Inn Protection Protocols on standby]
[Negotiation Skill ready for use]
The door burst open without even the courtesy of a knock. Eight Phoenix Sect disciples filed in, their red robes with golden phoenix emblems filling the lobby. They were all armed, all looked dangerous, and all had the kind of arrogant expressions that said they expected immediate compliance.
The leader this time was different from before a woman in her thirties with sharp features and cold eyes. Her cultivation aura was noticeably stronger than the previous group's, pressing against the room like a physical weight.
[Identified: Senior Disciple Feng Hua]
[Cultivation Level: Core Formation (2nd Stage)]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
[Warning: This opponent could kill Host with a single attack]
Great. Just great.
"Innkeeper," Feng Hua said, her voice cutting and authoritative. "I am Senior Disciple Feng Hua of the Phoenix Sect. We are searching for a stolen spiritual beast a nine-tailed fox with white fur and silver markings. It was last tracked to this area."
I bowed respectfully, using the customer service posture that conveyed politeness without subservience. "Good afternoon, Senior Disciple. Welcome to The Lazy Dragon Inn. I'm Kazuki Yamamoto, the proprietor. How may I assist you?"
"By answering my question," she said impatiently. "Have you seen such a creature?"
"A nine-tailed fox?" I frowned thoughtfully, as if genuinely trying to remember. "I'm afraid not, Senior Disciple. I've seen some normal foxes in the woods around here quite common in this region but nothing matching that description. A spiritual beast of that caliber would be quite memorable."
One of the disciples, a young man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward. "Senior Sister, this is the same inn that Junior Brother Chen reported. The one that felt... strange."
Feng Hua's eyes narrowed as she studied me more carefully. "Strange how?"
"The building has protective formations," Scarface said, gesturing around. "I can feel them. Subtle, but definitely present. Unusual for a common roadside inn."
[Inn Protection Protocols detecting hostile intent]
[Defensive measures charging...]
I needed to de-escalate before the inn's automatic defenses triggered and made everything worse. "Ah, you must be referring to the building's construction," I said smoothly, activating my Negotiation skill. "This inn is quite old over two hundred years, according to the town records. The original builder was apparently a retired formation master who wanted a peaceful retirement. He built protective arrays into the foundation to keep out bandits and wild beasts. Completely standard defensive measures for the time period."
It was complete nonsense, but I delivered it with such confidence that even I almost believed it.
[Negotiation Skill check: Success]
[Target's suspicion decreased]
Feng Hua's expression shifted slightly, becoming less hostile and more calculating. "A formation master's retirement home. Interesting. That would explain the residual energy." She walked around the lobby, examining the walls and furniture. "The place has been restored recently. You've done work here."
"Yes, Senior Disciple. I inherited the inn a few weeks ago and have been renovating. It was quite run-down before." I gestured to the clean lobby. "Still a work in progress, but I'm making improvements daily."
"And business? How many guests have you had?"
This was dangerous territory. Lie too much and they might sense it. Tell too much truth and they'd know Mei Liang and possibly Yuki had been here.
"Business has been slow," I said, which was technically true. "I've had a handful of travelers passing through merchants, adventurers, the occasional farmer from nearby villages. Most don't stay long. The inn's reputation suffered under the previous owner's neglect."
Another disciple, a woman with her hair in a severe bun, spoke up. "We should search the building, Senior Sister. The fox is cunning and might have forced the innkeeper to lie."
My heart rate spiked, but I kept my expression neutral. "I understand your concerns, but I must respectfully request that you not search the premises without proper authorization. While I certainly want to help the Phoenix Sect, I also have a responsibility to maintain guest privacy and property rights."
"Guest privacy?" Feng Hua's voice took on a dangerous edge. "You said business has been slow."
"Slow doesn't mean nonexistent," I replied calmly. "I have personal belongings stored in various rooms, and the town has regulations about unauthorized searches of commercial properties. I'm sure the Phoenix Sect, being a respected organization, wouldn't want to violate local laws and create tensions with the town council."
[Negotiation Skill check: Success]
[Target reconsidering aggressive approach]
It was a bluff I had no idea if such regulations existed but it gave Feng Hua pause. Powerful sects had to maintain at least a veneer of civilized behavior, especially in territories they didn't directly control. Bad publicity could make expansion difficult.
"You're rather well-spoken for a common innkeeper," she observed.
"I studied hospitality management extensively," I said, which was true, just in a different world. "Communication and diplomacy are essential skills in this business."
Feng Hua studied me for a long, tense moment. I could feel her trying to read me, searching for signs of deception. I met her gaze steadily, projecting nothing but helpful cooperation.
Finally, she made a decision. "Very well. I'll respect your... regulations. For now." She pulled out a piece of paper with a sketch on it a surprisingly accurate drawing of Yuki. "If you see this creature, you are to report it to the Phoenix Sect immediately. There is a reward of one hundred gold coins for information leading to its capture."
One hundred gold? That was a fortune. Enough to clear my debts a hundred times over.
"That's quite generous," I said, accepting the paper. "May I ask what makes this particular fox so valuable?"
"That's sect business," she said sharply. Then, perhaps realizing she was being too harsh, she added, "The creature is dangerous and has been known to attack travelers. We're containing it for public safety."
That was obviously a lie. Yuki was many things, but "dangerous to travelers" wasn't one of them. The Phoenix Sect wanted her back because she was valuable, powerful, or both.
"I see. Then I'll certainly keep watch and report any sightings immediately," I lied smoothly.
Feng Hua nodded, seemingly satisfied. "See that you do. The Phoenix Sect rewards its allies generously and punishes those who hinder our work severely. I trust you understand the implications."
"Perfectly, Senior Disciple."
She turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing, innkeeper. My disciples reported that a group was here several nights ago asking about a woman with violet eyes. Did they find what they were looking for?"
My stomach dropped, but I kept my face carefully neutral. "They asked about a woman, yes. I told them I hadn't seen anyone matching that description. They left shortly after."
"And was that the truth?"
I met her eyes directly. "I told them exactly what they needed to hear."
It was the most honest answer I could give without actually answering. Feng Hua's eyes narrowed, trying to parse my meaning.
[Negotiation Skill check: Critical Success]
[Target confused by ambiguous response, unable to determine truth]
After a moment, she snorted. "You're either very clever or very foolish. I haven't decided which." She headed for the door. "We'll be conducting regular patrols in this area. I expect your full cooperation if we return."
"The Lazy Dragon Inn always cooperates with legitimate authorities," I said with a polite bow.
The disciples filed out, Feng Hua last. She paused in the doorway, looking back at me one more time. "Be careful, innkeeper. Sometimes those who try to help everyone end up helping no one. Including themselves."
Then she was gone, and the door closed behind her.
I waited until the sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance before letting out the breath I'd been holding. My hands were shaking slightly from the adrenaline.
[Crisis Averted: Excellent Performance]
[Negotiation Skill experience gained significantly]
[New Skill Unlocked: Silver Tongue (Passive)]
[Effect: Increased success rate when speaking to hostile or suspicious individuals]
Yuki emerged from the kitchen, her eyes wide. "That was incredible. You talked your way out of a confrontation with a Core Formation cultivator. Do you have any idea how impressive that is?"
"I was terrified the entire time," I admitted, collapsing into a chair.
"But you didn't show it. Not even once." She hopped up onto the counter. "You're full of surprises, Kazuki Yamamoto."
"Yeah, well, I prefer boring days to surprising ones." I looked at the sketch of Yuki. "One hundred gold coins. They really want you back."
"I'm rare. And powerful, when I'm at full strength. Plus, I probably embarrassed them by escaping." Her tail swished. "Thank you for not turning me in."
"I told you guests are protected. That includes stubborn spirit foxes." I stood up, heading to the kitchen. "Come on. After that stress, I need to cook something. And you need to keep healing."
"Best innkeeper ever," Yuki said with genuine affection.
As I started preparing dinner, I couldn't shake the feeling that my peaceful days were officially over.
The Phoenix Sect now knew exactly where my inn was and would be watching.
But somehow, I'd deal with it. One day at a time.
[End of Chapter 9]