Chapter 40 — The Imperial Invitation

The following morning, the sun rose over Qingshui Town in a blaze of warm amber light, painting the wooden eaves of Lin's Inn in rich golden hues. Inside the newly expanded kitchen, the comforting aroma of simmering scallion broth, toasted sesame, and fresh wheat bread drifted out into the courtyard.

Lin Fan stood at the counter, calmly stirring a large pot of morning congee with a long wooden ladle. Beside him, Sect Master Lu was humming a cheerful martial tune while happily slapping dough onto the marble slab, his hands moving so fast they created faint afterimages in the morning air.

Everything was peaceful, prosperous, and perfectly under control.

Then, the heavy, rhythmic thud of armored boots echoed down the stone street.

The sound was accompanied by the loud clatter of iron-shod hooves, the clinking of heavy brass scabbards, and the sharp snaps of silk banners flapping in the wind. A procession of thirty imperial cavalry guards, clad in gleaming golden plate armor and mounted upon fiery spirit steeds, ground to a halt right in front of the inn's front courtyard. In the center of the troop stood a magnificent velvet-draped carriage drawn by four white horned horses.

Inside the kitchen, Lin Fan froze. The wooden ladle in his hand slipped from his fingers, landing in the congee with a soft plop.

Through the open window, he saw the golden imperial banners fluttering in the breeze, emblazoned with the grand dragon crest of the Imperial Court.

A sudden, icy wave of sheer terror washed over Lin Fan’s body. His heart began hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

Oh no, Lin Fan thought wildly, his eyes wide as saucers as he ducked behind the kitchen counter. Did someone report me for illegal spatial expansion? Did the local town magistrate find out I'm running a soundproof VIP suite without a district zoning permit? Or did the System's anti-corruption lightning strike accidentally fry an imperial tax collector when I wasn't looking?!

"Shopkeeper!" Xiao Yu rushed into the kitchen, his face flushed and his ledger clutched tightly against his chest. "There are imperial soldiers outside! A man in high silk robes just stepped out of the golden carriage and is walking toward our porch!"

"Quick! Hide the spirit stones!" Lin Fan hissed, grabbing Xiao Yu by the shoulders. "If they ask about the building expansion, tell them it was already like this when we bought it! If they ask about Crimson, tell them he's just a heavily tanned local security guard with an unusual eye condition!"

"Shopkeeper,calm down," Sect Master Lu said, placing a dust-covered hand on Lin Fan's shoulder, his expression grave. "If the court intends to seize our hearths, they shall have to step over my flour-dusted corpse!"

Before Lin Fan could organize a full corporate cover-up, the front doors of the dining hall clicked open.

Crimson stood at the doorway like an immovable shadow, his dark sleeves folded neatly, staring down at the arriving party with cold, unblinking red eyes. Behind him, Scartail was casually leaning against a wooden pillar, holding a heavy iron frying pan over his shoulder like a battle axe.

The imperial messenger—a plump, middle-aged man wearing luxurious purple silk robes and an elaborate official cap—stepped onto the porch. He took one look at Crimson’s terrifying aura, looked at Scartail’s scarred face, and visibly swallowed a lump of nervous spit. His knees gave a slight, trembling wobble, but he quickly cleared his throat and unrolled a long, gleaming golden scroll.

Lin Fan slowly walked out of the kitchen, wiping his sweaty hands on his clean white apron, stepping carefully behind Crimson just in case a fight broke out.

"W-Welcome to Lin's Inn!" Lin Fan called out, putting on his most innocent, law-abiding customer service smile. "Whatever official business brings the Imperial Court to our humble establishment, I assure you we pay all local taxes on time! The spatial array in the back came with the property foundation! And we never accept tips above menu prices!"

The imperial messenger blinked in confusion, lowering the golden scroll slightly. "Ah... Shopkeeper Lin?"

"Yes! That's me! Fully documented, non-violent shopkeeper!" Lin Fan declared quickly.

The messenger took a deep, steadying breath, adjusting his silk cap. "Honored Shopkeeper Lin, you may relax. I have not been sent by the Ministry of Taxation, nor am I here to inspect your structural permits."

Lin Fan let out a massive, audible sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping. "Oh. Thank goodness. So... no pelvic lightning strikes or imperial arrests today?"

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"Certainly not!" The messenger cleared his throat loudly, adopting a formal, grand cadence as he raised the golden scroll high into the air. "By decree of the Grand Imperial Court! Word of Lin’s Inn has swept through the capital city like a glorious spring breeze! Tales of your divine, spirit-nourishing dishes, your legendary hearth bread, and your flawless, token-based hospitality have reached the ears of the Great Emperor himself!"

Xiao Ling and tiny Xiao Mei peeked out from behind the serving counter, their eyes wide with wonder as they listened to the grand decree.

"Therefore," the messenger continued, his voice ringing across the stone courtyard, "you are hereby formally invited to participate in the upcoming Great Culinary and Hospitality Festival of the Imperial Capital!"

Lin Fan blinked. "A... culinary festival?"

"Indeed!" The messenger beamed, rolling the scroll back up with a flourish. "Once every decade, the empire gathers the most prestigious grand chefs, famous sect kitchens, royal culinary masters, and world-renowned inns from all thirty-six provinces. For seven days, the capital becomes a battleground of flavor and service!"

"And what is the prize?" Sect Master Lu asked, stepping out onto the porch while dusting flour off his arms, his eyes burning with intense professional interest.

The messenger smiled proudly. "The supreme victor of the festival shall be awarded the coveted Imperial Hospitality License! A rare, golden decree personally signed by the Emperor himself! This legendary license grants the holder the exclusive right to establish and operate an official branch directly within the inner district of the Imperial Capital—a place where land cannot be purchased with money alone!"

The entire staff gasped.

To an ordinary cultivator or merchant, opening a business in the Imperial Capital was the ultimate pinnacle of success. The capital was the beating heart of the empire, overflowing with wealthy ancient clans, powerful high-tier sects, floating palaces, and endless rivers of spirit stones.

Yet, as the messenger looked at Lin Fan with an expectant grin, expecting the shopkeeper to fall onto his knees in overwhelming gratitude, Lin Fan simply stood there, scratching his chin with a doubtful frown.

In Lin Fan’s mind, a grand imperial competition sounded like a colossal, high-risk headache.

The Imperial Capital? Lin Fan thought to himself, shuddering slightly. That place is basically the epicenter of arrogant young masters, corrupt court officials, snobbish food critics, and jealous rival chefs who probably put poison in each other's soy sauce. Why on earth would I leave my peaceful, highly profitable inn in Qingshui Town just to deal with high-stakes capital politics?

Besides, he didn't even consider himself a legendary culinary grandmaster. He was just a pragmatic guy who bought fresh local ingredients, followed clean System recipes, and ran an efficient dining hall with a clear set of rules.

Lin Fan put on a polite, apologetic smile and raised his hands. "Honored Messenger, I am deeply humbled by the Imperial Court’s generous invitation. Truly, it is a great honor. However... as you can see, our inn is extremely busy. We have local daily quotas, local suppliers who rely on us, and a very tight reservation schedule. I am afraid I must politely decline—"

Before the word "decline" could fully leave his mouth, the world around Lin Fan seemed to freeze.

Ting!

A blinding, majestic golden light exploded directly before his vision. The System interface materialized with an intensity that nearly knocked Lin Fan off his feet, pulsing with brilliant, glowing scarlet and gold characters:

[CRITICAL SYSTEM EVENT UNLOCKED: REGIONAL EXPANSION!]

[Host Objective: Establish an Official Hospitality Presence in the Imperial Capital.]

[Special Mission Activated: Participate in the Great Imperial Culinary Competition.]

[Mission Clear Rewards:]

• Imperial Capital Branch Operating Rights Unlocked.

• +10,000 Hospitality Points.

• System Facility Upgrade: Inter-Branch Spatial Teleportation Portal Unlocked.

• Legendary Tier-3 Kitchen Appliance Box Unlocked.

[Mission Failure / Rejection Penalty:]

• System Progress Frozen for 100 Years.

• Daily Spirit Stone Profit Taxes Increased by 90%.

Lin Fan’s jaw dropped so low it nearly hit the wooden floorboards of the porch.

Ten thousand Hospitality Points?! An inter-branch spatial teleportation portal?! A legendary kitchen appliance?!

And a ninety percent profit tax penalty if he dared to say no?!

The polite, reluctant expression on Lin Fan’s face vanished in less than a millisecond. His eyes instantly transformed into glowing, golden spirit-stone shapes, blazing with absolute, unyielding corporate ambition.

The imperial messenger, completely unaware of the glowing System screen floating two inches from Lin Fan’s nose, sighed with disappointment. "Ah... what a pity. I understood that a humble local shopkeeper might feel intimidated by the grand stage of the capital. I shall return to the palace and inform the court that Lin’s Inn has declined the—"

"Who said I was declining?!" Lin Fan shouted, grabbing the messenger by his silk sleeves with a sudden, ferocious grip.

The messenger gasped, terrified by Lin Fan’s sudden 180-degree transformation. "S-Shopkeeper Lin?!"

Lin Fan pulled the messenger close, a sharp, brilliant smile cutting across his face as he snatched the golden imperial scroll right out of the official's hands.

"Lin's Inn never shies away from a challenge!" Lin Fan declared, his voice full of supreme passion and corporate determination. "The Imperial Capital needs true hospitality, and we are going to deliver it to them!"

He turned around to face his bewildered staff. Sect Master Lu was staring at him in shock, Scartail was scratching his head, Xiao Yu was nervously gripping his ledger, and Crimson was standing quietly with his sleeves folded.

Lin Fan raised the golden imperial scroll high into the air, his eyes blazing.

"Lu! Pack the hearth tools and fifty bags of our finest local flour! Xiao Yu, prepare the travel ledgers! Crimson, secure the carriage and double-check the perimeter! We are taking Lin's Inn to the Imperial Capital!"

Lin Fan turned back to the pale, trembling imperial messenger with a confident grin.

"When do we leave?"