Chapter 42 — The System's Travel Protection

For months, Lin Fan had lived inside the absolute safety bubble of Lin's Inn. Within those wooden walls, he was an untouchable sovereign. But out here on the open imperial highway? He was ultimately just an ordinary guy without high-tier spiritual roots or flying sword techniques. If a wild spirit beast leaped out of the woods or a rogue cultivator decided to rob a traveling merchant, he would have to rely entirely on Crimson's lightning-fast hands to keep his head attached to his shoulders.

Just as a tiny seed of worry began to sprout in his chest, a bright, familiar light flickered before his eyes.

Ting!

[System Notice: Host is undertaking an extended journey outside the primary establishment perimeter.]

[Special Travel Function Available: Hospitality Host Protection Package.]

Lin Fan blinked, tapping the glowing icon in his mind. The interface expanded into the System Shop, presenting a newly unlocked option highlighted in shimmering silver text:

[Item: Hospitality Host Protection (Travel Duration)]

[Description: Provides absolute, multi-layered passive defense for the Host while operating outside the primary establishment boundary. Grants complete immunity to stealth ambushes, deadly poisons, environmental catastrophes, spiritual beast attacks, accidental physical harm, and hostile cultivator spiritual pressure. Automatically deploys a localized kinetic and energy deflection barrier upon detecting lethal intent.]

[Price: 500 Hospitality Points.]

Lin Fan stared at the numeric cost, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. He choked on his breath, clutching his chest in pure financial agony.

"Five hundred points?!" Lin Fan yelled in his mind, glaring at the floating interface. "Are you out of your digital mind?! Five hundred points can buy three commercial baking ovens, a high-capacity noodle press, and a full set of polished marble countertops! You're charging me the price of a major kitchen upgrade just for a glorified travel insurance policy! This is highway robbery!"

The System offered no reply. It sat there in cold, digital silence, displaying the price tag without offering a discount, a seasonal coupon, or a promotional bundle.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth, leaning back against his cushion with a heavy scowl. He wanted to close the window and ignore it out of sheer spite. But then his mind wandered back to the harsh reality of the Azure Origin World—and specifically to Crimson.

He looked through the front carriage curtain, catching a glimpse of Crimson’s dark, straight back as the ancient demon lord calmly guided the twin black spirit steeds. Lin Fan didn't know Crimson's exact cultivation realm—he simply knew the man was incredibly strong, considering Sect Master Lu trembled like a leaf in his presence. Yet, even someone as terrifyingly powerful as Crimson had once been betrayed, backstabbed, and nearly killed by treacherous enemies before stumbling into the teahouse.

This world was full of deadly poisons, hidden flying needles, rogue beast hordes, and hot-tempered cultivators who fought over petty arguments. A single stray blast of sword qi from two random immortals dueling five miles away could accidentally flatten a traveling carriage. If an ancient entity like Crimson could be brought low by the dangers of this world, a mortal shopkeeper standing outside his safe zone didn't stand a chance.

"Dammit..." Lin Fan muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples in defeat. "I hate how logical your extortion is."

With a heavy, painful sigh, Lin Fan tapped the confirmation prompt.

[500 Hospitality Points deducted.]

[Hospitality Host Protection successfully activated.]

Lin Fan winced as his hard-earned point balance took a sharp dive. "I still think this is pure robbery," he grumbled silently.

Ting!

[System Clarification: Protection protocol remains continuously active for the entire duration the Host is outside the Inn's perimeter. Protocol automatically expires upon the Host's return to the primary establishment.]

Lin Fan paused, reading the notification twice. "Wait... so it's not a temporary twenty-four-hour buff? It covers the entire journey to the Imperial Capital and back until I set foot inside the inn again?"

He let out a long breath, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. "Okay, fine. If it covers the entire trip without expiring, that's slightly less of a scam."

The defensive package settled into his body like an invisible, weightless cloak. He didn't suddenly gain the ability to fly or shoot fireballs from his hands, but a comforting sense of absolute physical stability washed over him. He was still a normal shopkeeper, but now he was an utterly indestructible shopkeeper.

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As the carriage continued to rumble along the smooth stone highway, curiosity began to gnaw at Lin Fan’s practical mind.

Five hundred points was a massive commercial investment. In the business world, you never deployed an expensive security system without running a basic operational diagnostic test first.

"I need to know if this barrier actually works," Lin Fan thought, stroking his chin. "What if a rogue cultivator attacks me on the road and the System hits me with a 'Server Connection Error'?"

He needed to test it. But who could he ask to test a defensive barrier designed to withstand lethal force?

Naturally, his gaze fell upon Crimson.

In Lin Fan’s eyes, Crimson was the strongest person on his payroll. Sect Master Lu—a man who could bake bread using high-tier fire qi—looked at Crimson like a helpless rabbit looking at a dragon. If Crimson couldn't breach the barrier, nobody on the imperial highway could.

Lin Fan pushed open the front wooden window of the carriage, leaning out toward the driver's bench where Crimson sat holding the leather reins.

"Hey, Crimson," Lin Fan called out casually.

Crimson did not turn his head, though his dark ear twitched slightly. "Yes, Master?"

"Pull the horses over for a second," Lin Fan said. "I need your help with a quick experiment."

Crimson pulled the leather reins, bringing the two heavy carriages to a smooth halt along the grassy roadside. Behind them, the supply wagon stopped as well. Sect Master Lu poked his flour-covered head out of his window, wondering if they had encountered an imperial roadblock.

Lin Fan stepped down from the wooden carriage, stretching his arms in the warm morning sun. He walked over to the front of the carriage and stood three feet away from Crimson.

"Alright, Crimson," Lin Fan said, dusting off his clean white apron and standing firmly on the grass. "Do you think you can injure me?"

Silence descended upon the countryside.

The morning wind instantly stopped blowing. The birds in the nearby trees seemed to freeze mid-flight.

Crimson, who had been calmly coiling the leather reins around his hand, froze completely. His stoic, unreadable face twitched violently. Slowly, unnervingly, he turned his head to look at Lin Fan, his ruby-red eyes wide with pure, absolute terror.

"Master..." Crimson’s voice, usually as cold and smooth as polished ice, gave a sharp, unnatural wobble. "What... what did you just say?"

"I said, give me a hit," Lin Fan explained patiently, tapping his own chest. "Try to punch me or throw a quick attack at my shoulder. Don't hold back too much, but don't blow up the highway either. I just want to see if you can injure me."

Thump!

Before Lin Fan could even finish his sentence, Crimson dropped off the driver's bench and slammed straight down onto his knees in the dirt, bowing his head so low his forehead practically grazed Lin Fan's boots.

"Master! Please spare this servant!" Crimson panted, his voice trembling with an existential panic that Lin Fan had never heard from him before. "If Crimson has committed a grave transgression, please execute me directly with your supreme divine power! Why must Master test this humble servant's loyalty with such terrifying, heart-crushing trials?!"

Lin Fan stood there, his jaw dropping open. "Wait, what? No! Crimson, I'm not testing your loyalty!"

"Master!" Crimson cried out, his hands trembling against the dirt as he looked up with eyes full of utter desperation. "How could insignificant Crimson dare raise a hand against Master?! You are the absolute sovereign of space and reality! In the entire cosmos, there is no entity capable of leaving a single scratch upon your divine form! For me—a mere servant—to attempt an attack would be like an ant trying to shake the high heavens! Please, Master, if I have folded the napkins incorrectly or mismanaged the wild boar inventory, execute me at once!"

In the rear carriage, Sect Master Lu stuck his head out the window, saw Crimson kneeling in the dirt and hyperventilating, and instantly paled.

"Merciful heavens!" Lu whimpered, pulling his head back inside and slamming the wooden shutters closed. "The Shopkeeper is disciplining Lord Crimson! Close your eyes, children! Do not look upon divine judgment!"

Inside the lead carriage, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ling, and Xiao Mei peeked through the curtain, thoroughly confused by the dramatic scene unfolding outside.

Lin Fan stared at the ancient demon lord currently bowing in the mud, feeling an overwhelming headache blooming behind his eyes. He had completely forgotten a fundamental rule of dealing with cultivators: their brains were hardwired to overthink everything into a grand, dramatic cosmic conspiracy. To Crimson, a boss asking "Can you hit me?" wasn't a product test—it was an imperial loyalty trap designed to test if the servant harbored rebellious intentions!

"Crimson... get up," Lin Fan groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I dare not, Master!" Crimson declared, keeping his forehead firmly pressed against the earth. "Until Master withdraws this terrifying test of allegiance, this servant shall remain in the dirt forever!"

"I hereby formally withdraw the test!" Lin Fan shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "There is no test! Your loyalty is one hundred percent verified! You are the best Head of Security in the entire empire! Now get your knees out of the mud before you ruin your clean dark robes!"

Crimson paused. He slowly lifted his head, his ruby eyes searching Lin Fan's face for any sign of hidden anger. Seeing only the familiar, tired expression of his practical shopkeeper, Crimson let out a long, quiet breath of relief.

He stood up in one fluid motion, dusting off his knees with a quick flick of his dark sleeves, his face instantly returning to its usual stoic, unreadable calm—though a faint bead of cold sweat still lingered on his temple.

"Understood, Master," Crimson said smoothly, as if he hadn't just suffered an emotional meltdown five seconds ago. "Security protocols remain optimal."

Lin Fan facepalmed, letting out a long, defeated sigh as he turned around and climbed back into the plush carriage.

"Forget the defensive test," Lin Fan muttered to himself, sinking back into his cotton cushions as Xiao Yu handed him a warm cup of herbal tea. "Five hundred points spent, warranty unverified, but at least my security guy didn't have a total heart attack."

He pulled the wooden window shut, knocking twice on the interior panel.

"Crimson! Drive!" Lin Fan called out.

"At once, Master," Crimson replied from the driver's bench.

With a sharp flick of the leather reins, the twin black spirit steeds let out a spirited cry, and the two heavy wooden carriages rolled smoothly back onto the long stone highway, continuing their grand journey toward the distant, glowing skyline of the Imperial Capital.