Chapter 344 - 213: Passing the Fake for the Real, the Waters of the Wu River

Chapter 344: Chapter 213: Passing the Fake for the Real, the Waters of the Wu River

The Shopkeeper continued:

"I saw that you two esteemed guests came from a fine place like Nanshan County, and I felt an immediate kinship. On top of that, you were so generous with your order... heh heh, and you even booked two of our sky-class rooms. Naturally, I had to offer you a taste of my house specialty, free of charge."

’So he saw we were big spenders and decided to throw in a little something extra?’

Xie Yuan was mostly convinced, but he continued to observe the man carefully.

Situ Qin smiled and said:

"Why did I get the feeling you didn’t want to rent out those sky-class rooms? When we came in and asked, you first said you only had one left. When we said we’d take an earth-class room instead, you suddenly said you had another. How strange!"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed the Shopkeeper’s face, but he quickly stroked his beard and chuckled.

"It seems this is your first time traveling, young lady? To be honest with you, it’s an old innkeeper’s trick. When a young man and woman who seem to have a connection with each other come looking for a room, we often tell them we only have one left... Heh heh."

Xie Yuan nearly spat out his tea. He watched as Situ Qin blinked a few times, processing the words. After a moment, her pretty face flushed red. She shot a glance at Xie Yuan and let out a soft huff.

Although her face showed her bashfulness, she was still in disguise. It wasn’t as good as the Celestial Concealment Skill, but at least her true appearance was hidden. She looked like a reasonably pretty girl-next-door, so she didn’t attract much attention.

Though embarrassed, Situ Qin also found this unwritten rule interesting. Her eyes widened as she asked:

"But if you don’t rent out a sky-class room, isn’t that a huge loss for you?"

"You don’t understand, young lady. If things... work out, the male guest is usually beaming the next day, practically weeping with gratitude toward the inn. At that point, he’s the most generous customer you could ever ask for—the number one most generous. More generous than guests for weddings, funerals, promotions, or academic success. You just have to suggest some food and wine, and he’ll pick the most expensive things on the menu. He’ll pay without a second thought! Heh heh, that’s men for you... The profit we make that way is far more than what we’d get from just another sky-class room."

This time, it wasn’t just Situ Qin; even Xie Yuan was dumbfounded.

’These damn swindlers have a perfect grasp of human nature.’

He laughed and said:

"You’re certainly an open book, Shopkeeper."

The Shopkeeper sat right down beside them and waved a hand dismissively.

"Heh heh, you two just seem like good people, so I’m saying a little more than usual. It’s no great secret anyway. After all, if the feelings are mutual, maybe all they need is a little push from my inn to break the ice and become a happy couple. What’s that saying? Helping to bring about a marriage is a greater deed than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin both smiled. The Shopkeeper, who had seen all sorts of people come and go, was worldly and knowledgeable. He was an interesting and talkative man, making him good company.

This was exactly what they imagined life in the martial world would be like: seeing the sights and cultures of different places, experiencing their stories and cuisines, meeting strangers by chance, and talking about everything under the sun. Once they moved on, these moments would become precious memories.

Xie Yuan was enjoying his chat with the Shopkeeper. Seeing that he was a local who seemed to know a great deal, an idea struck him. He lowered his voice and asked:

"Shopkeeper, may I ask you something?"

"Young Hero Shi, please ask away!"

The Shopkeeper stroked his beard and smiled.

"Regarding the young women and children who keep going missing near the Wu River... what do you know?"

A glint flashed in Xie Yuan’s eyes.

The Shopkeeper’s relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a grave one. He glanced around and saw that the main hall was nearly empty before fixing his gaze on Xie Yuan.

"Young Hero Shi, are you asking just for fun, or... are you here because of this?"

Xie Yuan smiled faintly.

"Why would you ask that, Shopkeeper?"

"Nanshan County is almost in Shuzhou. Past us here is Yanzhou. One is in the north, the other in the south—they’re more than a thousand miles apart. Ordinary travelers don’t come this way. And what was it you called yourselves... the ’Justice Sect’ or something..."

The Shopkeeper muttered:

"Quite a lofty name."

Xie Yuan remained noncommittal and continued his questioning.

"What if I’m asking for fun? And what if I’m here because of it?"

"If it’s the former, I’ll tell you a couple of bizarre, made-up stories. We can all have a laugh, and then you can continue on your way, and I can continue with my business. But if it’s the latter..."

The Shopkeeper’s expression was incredibly grim.

"Then I advise you two not to be like newborn calves who don’t fear tigers. Don’t overestimate yourselves and get yourselves killed!"

The Shopkeeper, who had been so free with his jokes, now spoke with a harshness that was almost unpleasant.

The truth is often hard to hear.

He didn’t want these two young people, with whom he felt a connection, to get involved.

Xie Yuan’s expression flickered, and he said deliberately:

"I refuse to believe it. Are there really bandits here? What can they do to me?"

"Younger Brother Shi, listen to me."

The Shopkeeper was dead serious.

"Over the past two years, plenty of warm-hearted young heroes have come here, wanting to right the wrongs of our Wu River. Some of them have even stayed at my little inn. But in the end... I never saw them again.

"The waters of the Wu River are deep. If you tie a stone to something, it won’t float back up.

"I’m not trying to scare you. I won’t even mention the smaller sects. You’ve heard of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, right? Every one of them is a prodigy, destined to become a Sword Immortal! They’re the number one Sect in our Yunzhou, and the second-greatest Sword Sect in the world!"

The Shopkeeper’s tone grew agitated, yet he kept his voice suppressed.

"A young hero from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect came once. That time, I truly thought we were saved. But even a prodigious disciple of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, though he escaped with his life, couldn’t change a thing. He had to leave in despair. As for the others... many of them are here to stay, forever feeding the fish in the Wu River...

"Younger Brother Shi, if you must know, I can only tell you this: some things are real, but you can’t handle them. You will never be able to handle them. This isn’t just a matter for Yunzhou or Yanzhou. Do you think the officials in the Yunzhou Prefecture don’t know? It’s just that the Wu River flows downstream into the Great River, passing by Hankou and Jinling. The prosperity of Jiangnan... how many people does it draw? How many..."

The Shopkeeper let out a long sigh, having said all he could.