No Fighting Allowed in the Inn-Chapter 143

◎Swamp Intelligence: There’s Always Someone Better◎

Yi Dazhu scurried into the courtyard, eager to fetch something from his room, only to be stopped by Yi Baige.

“What are you taking?”

“Nothing much, just a few branches. Dad, stop blocking me! The others already have these branches, and I’m the closest one here. If you keep holding me back, I’ll lose this tiny advantage!”

Yi Baige scoffed, “Look at you, so desperate for a few snacks!”

“Didn’t you steal some candies too? And blamed it on Tiger Cub? As if we didn’t know!”

Yi Baige’s face flushed red, and his grip loosened. Seizing the chance, Yi Dazhu slipped into his room and emerged with several branches, each from a different tree.

A playmate from next door was also holding branches, just a few steps behind him.

That was close!

“Sister Lu, how much can these be traded for?”

The playmate stood nearby with identical branches, eyes brimming with resentment.

Lu Jianwei accepted the branches and immediately had Xiao Ke appraise them.

“Eight branches in total, from six different trees,” Xiao Ke teased. “This kid’s trying to trick you.”

At first glance, the eight branches did appear distinct, but two of them were duplicates of the other six—likely from different growth stages, their altered appearance allowing them to pass as new varieties.

Lu Jianwei picked out the two and handed them back. “Dazhu, we must be honest. Since you tried to deceive me, the original rate of two candies per branch is now reduced to one.”

Yi Dazhu: “……”

The other children exchanged glances—some guilty, others gleeful.

Yi Baige covered his face in embarrassment.

With the branches appraised, the remaining kids holding identical ones couldn’t trade them anymore. Now, novelty was the key.

“Sister Lu, here’s a dried-up insect.”

“Hmm, two candies for you.”

“Sister Lu, some beast’s fur.”

“Two candies.”

“Sister Lu…”

More and more children racked their brains to dig up little trinkets for trade.

At first, the adults paid no attention.

But miraculously, no matter what the item was, once it landed in Lu Jianwei’s hands, she could instantly tell if it was a duplicate—even if it looked completely different from before.

The trinkets the children brought were harmless, and in exchange for treats, even the adults couldn’t resist the temptation.

Truth be told, the delicacies from Lu Jianwei’s sect were simply irresistible.

The children’s stash was limited, and soon they ran out of things to trade. But Lu Jianwei’s cart was still packed with bundles.

Unhappy, the kids begged their elders to bring out more items for exchange.

The adults hesitated, about to refuse, when Lu Jianwei spoke up, “That’s enough for today. We’ll stop here.”

At her feet lay a spread-out cloth piled with miscellaneous items, all appraised by Xiao Ke.

With just an appraisal, Xiao Ke could restore each item to its original state.

For example, one vine, after appraisal, turned out to be a poisonous strangler—its leaves secreting a colorless, odorless toxin that seeped into the skin, infiltrating meridians and organs, killing without a trace.

Another item, a beast’s fang, came from a creature in the forest. While high-level martial artists might not fear the beast itself, its droppings attracted eerie crawlers. If stepped on, these crawlers would swarm the offender.

Of course, using qinggong (lightness skill) was an option—but if the Seven-Step Swamp were that easy to traverse, it wouldn’t be called the Seven-Step Swamp.

Qinggong required leveraging trees, but one particular species in the forest grew minuscule hairs on its leaves and trunk. A mere brush would leave these hairs clinging to shoes and clothes.

The hairs themselves were harmless, but a certain tribe in the forest despised them. If these hairs entered their territory, the tribe would go berserk, releasing a scent that induced hallucinations in any creature carrying the hairs.

Once hallucinating, the intruder would inevitably stumble into the terrifying swamp.

Such detailed intelligence couldn’t be obtained even by trading martial techniques. Yi Baige wouldn’t have been able to describe the trees and beasts so precisely with mere words.

Lu Jianwei’s method was incredibly efficient.

With just a few candies and snacks, she had gathered invaluable intel—far more cost-effective than offering martial techniques.

As for the bundles she brought, they were merely decoys, precautions in case White Cloud Village wanted to trade for the complete “swamp traversal strategy.” She wouldn’t mind a fair deal.

Beyond that, she also had another motive—recruiting Xu Sanzuo.

Xu Sanzuo was obsessed with treasures and fine wine. Catering to his tastes, she hoped to add a formidable ally to her inn.

Even if she failed, it wouldn’t be a loss—just making a new friend.

Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi settled in White Cloud Village.

Though Yi Baige had initially insisted on trading goods for lodging, he eventually softened and offered them an unused farmhouse at the village’s edge for free.

He couldn’t very well let them sleep under the open sky.

The next day, Lu Jianwei set up another “street stall” in front of the house.

Yesterday’s trades had likely exhausted the children’s stock from the outer reaches of the Seven-Step Swamp. Today, her target was the village’s young adults.

They ventured deeper into the swamp for training and were more likely to have items from the inner regions.

The stall displayed nothing but a sign: “Guidance and Solutions.”

Villagers gathered curiously.

“No snacks today?”

“What does ‘Guidance and Solutions’ mean?”

“Can we still trade with swamp items?”

Lu Jianwei answered each in turn: “Not selling. Martial guidance. Swamp items only.”

“No ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍more treats?” The children pouted, staring at her with pitiful eyes.

If only they’d saved some from yesterday.

The young adults were skeptical. “Martial guidance? How?”

Their village had plenty of experts—why seek advice from an outsider?

But some, stuck at bottlenecks for years, were desperate enough to try anything.

“You can really provide martial guidance?”

“You’re welcome to test it,” Lu Jianwei replied calmly. “Each session requires three unique swamp items—none from yesterday’s trades. You’ll hand over one as a deposit. If the guidance proves useless, it’ll be returned.”

The question came from a disheveled man, a late-stage sixth-rank martial artist who’d been stuck on the verge of breaking through to the seventh rank for nearly a decade. He was on the brink of despair.

“Wait here—I’ll go get something now!” He dashed home and returned with a bundle, dropping it before her. “These are all spoils from the swamp. Pick what you want.”

Inside were fragments of bones and dried plant roots—none matching yesterday’s offerings.

Lu Jianwei selected a small piece of beast leg bone and said, “Pei Zhi, spar with him.”

Pei Zhi nodded and stepped onto the open ground, facing the man. “After you.”

The man blinked, then rushed home again, returning with a gleaming great axe. “Let’s go!”

His weapon was the axe, his style crude and domineering. Pei Zhi, honed by years of life-and-death battles, moved with lethal precision.

When blade met axe, sparks flew.

Pei Zhi suppressed his internal energy at the late sixth-level, and the two fought evenly, their exchanges thrilling the surrounding villagers, who cheered loudly.

The villagers had grown up sparring with each other, so familiar with one another's moves that their matches held no excitement. To seek breakthroughs, they usually ventured together into the Seven-Step Swamp, hoping to find an opportunity for advancement. But more often than not, only a rare few succeeded—most returned wounded, and some companions never made it back.

It had been years since they had crossed blades with an outsider. Watching Pei Zhi’s longsword dance through the air, they found it utterly refreshing, mentally dissecting his techniques and instinctively considering how they would counter if they were the ones facing him.

Lu Jianwei watched with keen interest.

Xie Tongshu had once said that Pei Zhi’s talent surpassed even his own. If Huan Meng could rank first among the Six Elites, his innate skill was undoubtedly extraordinary—let alone Pei Zhi’s.

His swordplay had few flaws, appearing effortless against the axe-wielder’s clumsy strikes.

If the axe-wielding man was a ferocious beast, Pei Zhi was the vast snow-covered pine forest.

What ferocity could a beast retain once lost in such woods?

The outcome was obvious.

The man’s grip loosened, and his axe clattered to the ground.

Yet he showed no disappointment—only fiercer fighting spirit. Snatching up his weapon, he roared, "Again!"

"Wait." Lu Jianwei swiftly jotted down notes on his weaknesses. "Read this first."

The man glanced at the paper, and the few words struck him like a blade, cleaving through the fog that had clouded his understanding for years. The shattering of that mental barrier drowned out the murmurs around him.

Incredible!

Absolutely incredible!

Just a few lines had unraveled what he had failed to grasp for so long. Treasuring the insight, he bowed deeply to Lu Jianwei and said earnestly, "Those things—they’re yours now."

Three trinkets were unworthy of such a master.

Lu Jianwei had no reason to refuse. She could sense that this man was on the verge of a breakthrough—just a nudge away.

She glanced at Pei Zhi, who nodded in understanding.

The two clashed again.

This time, the battle was even fiercer, the man’s axe swings smoother and more precise.

The watching villagers gasped in astonishment.

"What was written on that paper?"

"He’s improved!"

"I have a feeling he’s about to break through."

Pei Zhi held back no longer. His swordplay, like rolling waves of pine, trapped the man, steadily eroding his energy as overwhelming pressure bore down.

Crack.

A sound like a barrier shattering echoed in the man’s ears.

His aura surged—he had broken through to the seventh level!

Exclamations of amazement rose from the crowd.

The villagers now looked at Lu Jianwei differently—no longer just a wandering merchant peddling wares.

The man hastily muttered, "I need to meditate," before vanishing.

After this, Lu Jianwei’s "stall" became even more crowded, with people lining up for guidance.

News traveled fast in a small village like White Cloud Village, and soon it reached the Yi family courtyard.

"Lu Jianwei is truly an odd genius," Xu Sanzuo mused, cradling his gourd of wine. "Young people these days are something else."

Yi Baige frowned. "Which family trained her? So young, yet already at the peak of martial arts."

"You underestimate her," Mei Jiuyi said, fanning himself. "Not just martial arts—her medical and poison arts are exceptional too."

"You’re joking," Yi Baige scoffed.

Mei Jiuyi smiled faintly. "I never speak idly."

"Baige, there are always greater heights and greater talents," Elder Yi said wisely. "We’ve secluded ourselves too long, unaware of the prodigies outside."

Yi Baige bristled. "People out there are too distracted by worldly temptations to focus purely on martial arts."

"Yet locking ourselves away isn’t the answer either," Xu Sanzuo said, shaking his head. "A few words from Lu Jianwei, and someone breaks through on the spot. You can’t argue with results."

Yi Baige fell silent.

"Still, I can’t figure out what she’s playing at with all this," Xu Sanzuo mused. "What value do those scraps hold?"

Mei Jiuyi chuckled. "Lu Jianwei’s methods always surprise. If you’d read the tales about her in the jianghu, you’d know she never acts without gain."

"Really?" Xu Sanzuo stroked his beard. "Then can you guess why she’s trading for withered branches and dead leaves?"

Mei Jiuyi shook his head. "No idea."

The more inexplicable her actions, the more intrigued he became.

Wherever Lu Jianwei went, excitement followed.

After three days of running her stall, Lu Jianwei had amassed a considerable haul—though the villagers were even more thrilled than she was.

In just three days, five people had broken through in cultivation, and countless others had refined their techniques.

Lu Jianwei’s stall had become the hottest attraction in White Cloud Village.

At first, some had hesitated, skeptical—but as more and more peers and juniors made staggering progress, they swallowed their pride and brought their "junk" to trade.

Only to find—

The stall was gone!

Lu Jianwei had her reasons. White Cloud Village wasn’t large, and those willing to trade in the first three days were likely those long stuck in bottlenecks—people who only needed a slight push to advance.

The hesitant ones weren’t desperate enough, and thus not her target.

Xiao Ke had already analyzed the "spoils," identifying the dangerous species lurking in the forest swamp.

Based on their traits, Lu Jianwei devised a detailed defense plan.

She valued her life too much to take unnecessary risks.

Now, only the swamp’s heart remained.

The Earth Lotus grew there, and likely only a handful in White Cloud Village had ever reached it.

Elder Yi was surely one of them.

Extracting information from him would require a different approach.

But before she could plan further, Elder Yi extended an invitation.

In the courtyard, Xu Sanzuo, Mei Jiuyi, and Yi Baige were already present.

Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi took their seats across from Elder Yi.

"Lu Jianwei," Elder Yi said slowly, "I can tell you how to pluck the Earth Lotus. But I have a condition."

Lu Jianwei arched a brow. "What condition?"

"If you succeed in leaving the swamp, will you take some of our village’s young ones to your inn? Let them see the world."

Lu Jianwei: That’s it?