Chapter 68: After the Bell

Nothing else came from the west that night.

The watch platform remained occupied until sunrise, but the bell never rang again.

By morning, Blackstone had returned to something close to normal.

Lin Yuan stood beside the western road with a cup of tea in one hand.

Tracks covered the dirt beyond the settlement.

Some belonged to the three beasts from last night.

Others belonged to the travelers who had run into Blackstone.

The largest set of beast tracks turned south not far from the road and disappeared across the wasteland.

Lin Yuan had no intention of following them.

Behind him, Blackstone was waking.

Merchants opened wagon covers.

Ironhoof Beasts were fed.

Cooking fires appeared around the market.

People were still talking about the fight, but nobody was packing everything and fleeing east.

Last night’s trouble hadn’t been enough to stop Blackstone’s daily routine.

Wu Jian approached from the Association station.

He looked at the tracks for a moment.

"The travelers told me what happened."

"They told half the tavern."

"That saves me asking."

Wu crouched beside one of the deeper prints.

"Different species moving east is more concerning than one pack."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"The first survey already found the spiritual disturbance stronger toward the north."

"And now more beasts are leaving that area."

Wu stood.

"I’ll add it to the route report."

Lin Yuan glanced west.

"Does this change the warning?"

"Probably."

"Close the road?"

Wu shook his head.

"The wagon route is already unsafe. Foot travel is still possible, but if reports like this continue, that may change too."

"Are we there yet?"

Wu looked toward the western road.

"I don’t know."

Lin Yuan appreciated that answer more than a confident guess.

Breakfast was louder than usual.

Everyone seemed to have their own version of last night’s fight.

Lin Yuan carried a bowl past one table just as a merchant said,

"I heard there were ten beasts."

"There were three," Lin Yuan said.

The merchant looked disappointed.

"Ten sounds better."

"It also didn’t happen."

At another table, a cultivator looked up.

"Did you kill one?"

"No."

"You let them go?"

"They were leaving."

"Could’ve sold the materials."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"You can go find them."

The cultivator immediately returned to his breakfast.

Xiao Lan was trying not to laugh when Lin Yuan returned to the kitchen.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That answer usually means something."

"I’ve learned from Qiao."

"That’s unfortunate."

Su Mei passed between them carrying two plates.

"Table three needs tea."

Xiao Lan left immediately.

Lin Yuan shook his head and returned to cooking.

By late morning, Wu Jian had updated the Association notice.

WESTERN ROUTE UPDATE

Multiple spirit beasts have been observed moving east from the area north of Red Cliff.

Three frightened spirit beasts entered the western edge of Blackstone last night.

No serious injuries were reported.

Travelers should avoid unnecessary movement north of the damaged road and use additional caution after dark.

At the bottom:

CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Qiao stood in front of the notice.

"You really like that last line."

Wu didn’t look up.

"People really like ignoring it."

Qiao pointed at the notice.

"What if they’re running from an ancient guardian beast?"

"Unknown."

"A buried sect?"

"Unknown."

"An earth vein dragon?"

Wu finally looked at him.

"Especially unknown."

Qiao nodded.

"Good. Plenty of possibilities."

Lin Yuan walked away before the conversation got worse.

The caravan yard continued taking shape through the afternoon.

The second trough was completed.

The remaining uneven ground was packed down.

Another row of tethering posts went in.

By the time the workers stopped, wagons were already using the space without waiting for anyone to declare it officially open.

Lin Yuan walked through once after they finished.

This time, the Territory Core responded.

Territory Development Requirements Met

Caravan Rest Yard

Cleared Territory Area — Complete

Defined Wagon Access — Complete

Tethering Posts — Complete

Water Access — Complete

Core Integration Available

Cost: 60 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Lin Yuan read the final line.

Then closed the panel.

Not today.

The ordinary yard was already doing its job.

Sixty spirit stones would improve it.

Three hundred twenty would give him a path beyond Qi Refining.

His Peak Qi Refining cultivation had held up well during last night’s fight, but Lin Yuan had no idea how he would fare against whatever had disturbed several different species badly enough to drive them east.

For now, the Core could wait.

The three travelers remained in Blackstone for the day.

By afternoon, all of them could move without difficulty.

The woman who had spoken with Lin Yuan found him outside the tavern.

"We’re leaving east tomorrow."

"Probably wise."

She glanced toward the western road.

"We won’t be trying that route again anytime soon."

Lin Yuan couldn’t blame her.

"Are you heading back toward Green River?"

"Eventually."

"If you report what happened, tell them exactly what you saw."

She smiled faintly.

"No ancient ruin?"

"No."

"Hidden inheritance?"

"No."

"Giant treasure?"

"Definitely no."

"You’re making the story much less interesting."

"I’m trying."

She thanked him again and returned to her companions.

Lin Yuan watched her go.

The strange events around Red Cliff had reached Blackstone before.

The settlement had felt the tremors beneath its feet, and a wounded Ashfang Wolf had once fled straight through it.

But last night had been different.

This time, several beasts had reached Blackstone together, and cultivators had been forced to fight simply to keep them from charging through the settlement.

Near sunset, a rider appeared from the eastern road.

He wore the Merchant Association emblem and rode a tired brown spirit beast.

Instead of stopping at the tavern, he went directly to Wu Jian.

A sealed letter changed hands.

Wu read it once.

Then again.

A few minutes later, he came toward Lin Yuan.

"Green River sent word."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"Already?"

"This isn’t about last night," Wu said. "Surveyor He’s report reached the branch several days ago. They had already decided to send another group before the beast incident happened."

That made more sense.

"What kind of group?"

"Another survey team, but better prepared."

"More measuring rods?"

Wu ignored that.

"They’re bringing people who can examine spiritual disturbances more carefully."

Lin Yuan waited.

Wu continued.

"And a senior Association cultivator is coming with them."

"How senior?"

"I wasn’t told."

"Useful."

"They’re not coming to Blackstone for you."

"Even better."

Wu folded the letter.

"If the road from Green River stays clear, they should arrive in a few days."

Lin Yuan looked west.

The first survey had confirmed worked stone buried beneath the damaged road.

It had also found the spiritual disturbance growing stronger toward the north.

Surveyor He’s report alone had already been enough for Green River to send a better-prepared team.

After what happened last night, Lin Yuan was glad they were already on their way.

"Are they going north?" Lin Yuan asked.

"That will be their decision after they arrive."

Lin Yuan nodded.

The tavern needed him.

Blackstone needed him.

Wandering north across unstable ground had never sounded intelligent.

But as he looked toward the western road, he remembered the beasts from the night before.

The tremors and fleeing beasts were becoming harder to dismiss as distant problems.

Different species were now abandoning the same area, and some were desperate enough to force their way through Blackstone.

Lin Yuan had no intention of going north.

He was simply no longer certain that whatever was happening there would remain far enough away for that choice to matter.