Chapter 317: Transfer to Qiufeng Mansion

Back at the inn, as soon as the carriage stopped at the entrance, Ma Chun came out from the lobby to greet them.
Upon seeing Liu Xiu, Ma Chun was stunned.
During their time in Southwest City, although Ma Chun had only been at Lin’s Inn for a short while before Liu Xiu set off back to the capital, they had spent some time together day and night. Ma Chun had a much deeper impression of Liu Xiu than Cheng Wen.
“Liu Xiu?” Ma Chun asked softly. It wasn’t surprising he was cautious—after two years apart, Liu Xiu not only looked very different but also had a completely transformed demeanor, making it hard to recognize him at first.
Liu Xiu nodded with a smile.
“You’re back?” Ma Chun was overjoyed. He stepped forward to greet Liu Xiu warmly, but after taking a few steps, he froze, his face showing shock.
Liu Xiu—the new prefect—was also named Liu Xiu. Moreover, the inn owner had gone to the government office for a banquet, only to return with Liu Xiu, who had left the inn two years ago to go to the capital. How could such a coincidence possibly exist?
“It’s me. I hope Brother Ma Chun can keep this a secret for me,” Liu Xiu said with a smile.
“Of course not!” Ma Chun was startled and waved his hands frantically. He was just an inn manager—how could he dare be addressed as “Brother Ma Chun” by a prince?
“Enough, let’s go inside,” Lin Dong said calmly.
Ma Chun nodded quickly. Glancing at Liu Hua, who was holding a whip nearby, he waved and said, “Send the carriage to the back yard.”
Liu Hua nodded, gave Liu Xiu a puzzled look, and waved his whip, causing the carriage to move slowly forward.
“Your Highness, please!” Ma Chun then greeted Liu Xiu enthusiastically. Unlike Lin Dong, who was cautious around princes, Ma Chun believed that the new prefect of Qiufeng Mansion, who had once worked as a servant in the inn, was none other than Liu Xiu. It seemed this prince still remembered the kindness the inn owner had shown him back then. This was undoubtedly an incredible piece of good news.
“You can just call me Liu Xiu when no one is around,” Liu Xiu said with a smile. “If there are others around, you don’t need to address me.”
“Please come in!” Ma Chun immediately changed his tone. He understood that if a prince had worked as a servant for someone, it would surely become gossip among people. It would harm both his prestige and status. To build a good relationship with this new prefect, it was necessary to go along with his wishes.
The three of them entered the lobby. Liu Xiu glanced at the busy stairs and praised, “Brother Lin, I’ve brought all the wealthy people from Qiufeng Mansion to the government office today. I didn’t expect the inn’s business to still be so good.”

“For you, only those with millions of taels of wealth can be considered rich in Qiufeng City,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “For me, anyone with ten thousand taels and who’s willing to spend a couple of taels on food and drinks when hosting a banquet is already considered rich.”
“So, I won’t affect the inn’s business?” Liu Xiu asked.
“That’s not certain…” Lin Dong shook his head. “If you’re too harsh, and those super-rich families spend more than half of their wealth on you at once, they’ll be hesitant when ordering food at the inn.”
“Good. I just need a ten percent share and the ability to withdraw my profits anytime. As for silver…” Liu Xiu chuckled. “As a minor prefect, I don’t need it much for now.”
“That’s good news for me,” Lin Dong said with a nod.
Over by the side, Ma Chun was amazed. The inn owner truly was the inn owner. Although Liu Xiu had worked as a clerk here before, he was still a prince. Only the inn owner could speak so casually.
In the back yard, by the stone table, Yun Lan and the others were talking. When they saw Lin Dong return, Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong picked up the packages on the table and stood up.
“Brother-in-law, you’re finally back. Look at the sky—it’s almost dark.”
Lin Dong smiled and said, “We’ll set off right away!”
“Miss Yun!” Liu Xiu was impressed by Yun Lan. Though surprised to see her in Qiufeng City, he still greeted her first.
“Liu… Xiu?” Yun Lan looked at Liu Xiu hesitantly.
“Is it me?”
Liu Xiu nodded, glancing at Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong. He understood a bit more and silently marveled that Brother Lin was truly extraordinary.
Lin Dong said, “Liu Xiu, go with Ma Chun to see Old Master Ding. I have something to attend to. Also, just give the instructions to Ma Chun.”
“Mm!” Liu Xiu nodded, becoming even more convinced of his guess. Regardless of anything else, even if it was a colleague he hadn’t seen in two years, given Brother Lin’s usual personality, he surely wouldn’t ignore such a small matter.
Ma Chun couldn’t help but lick his lips and stretched out his right hand. “Please!”
After Liu Xiu and the others left, Lin Dong stepped forward and asked, “Leaving now?”
They nodded. Mo Jianchen was reluctant, while Xue Qinghong said softly, “If we don’t leave now, Brother-in-law will send us away.”
“No way! If I dared to send you away, wouldn’t Yun Lan stab me with her sword?” Lin Dong laughed.
“It’s getting late. Let’s go!” Yun Lan led the way to the stables.

One person led a fine horse out of the stable, and the four of them left the courtyard, chatting as they went. By the time they left the city, night had fallen. After giving a few more instructions, Yun Lan waved and said, “Go! Don’t waste time on the road. Hurry back to the Tianjian Sect so as not to anger the Grand Elder.” The two nodded, tightened the reins, and rode off. Back in the city, Yun Lan said slowly, “Liu Xiu seems to have undergone significant changes.” “He’s the new prefect…” Lin Dong explained Liu Xiu’s situation while patting the horse’s belly. As they spoke, they returned to the inn through the back door. In the dim courtyard, only two people sat by the stone table. One was Ma Chun, and the other surprised Lin Dong—it was Ren Qingsong. “Dean Ren, how did you come here?” Lin Dong couldn’t help but ask. He had thought he would have time tomorrow to go to the Southwest City Martial Assessment Institute to register his cultivation level, but unexpectedly, Ren Qingsong had traveled all the way from Southwest City to Qiufeng City. “Shopkeeper Lin, I’ve been transferred to Qiufeng Mansion,” Ren Qingsong said, stroking his long beard with satisfaction. “From now on, I’m the dean of the mansion-level Martial Assessment Institute. I just took office today and immediately came to inform you.” Lin Dong was surprised. “Did Dean Wan get transferred?” “No, he was dismissed from office,” Ren Qingsong replied with a smile. “It can be considered my good luck. Isn’t there an assessment coming up soon? Usually, the deans of the Martial Assessment Institutes are under the Tianwei Pavilion, and assessments hardly change—just a new appointment letter is issued. Unexpectedly, Dean Wan became the only exception in the Great Han Nation.” “The only exception?” Lin Dong was confused. “The deans of the Martial Assessment Institutes are all warriors, and of course, strength comes first for them,” Ren Qingsong explained. “Normally, it’s common for a dean of a Martial Assessment Institute to not go there for ten or eight days. But if they don’t go for three or five months, it becomes problematic. Perhaps Dean Wan obtained some high-grade spiritual materials and forgot about it, ending up not going to the institute for nearly half a year. Plus, the manager of Qiufeng Mansion’s Martial Assessment Institute was caught extorting bribes by using the opportunity when he wasn’t around to register cultivation levels. As a result, Dean Wan became the first mansion-level Martial Assessment Institute dean to be dismissed in recent years. Coincidentally, I took over his position.” Lin Dong understood now—this trouble was actually caused by him. As Ren Qingsong had predicted, Wan Cui Lin was too busy acquiring new high-grade spiritual materials to visit the Martial Assessment Institute. And these high-grade spiritual materials came from the Ancient Huan Sect.

Seeing Ren Qingsong’s rosy complexion, Lin Dong couldn’t help but tease him, “Dean Ren and Dean Wan are quite close friends. With Dean Wan having been removed from his position, Dean Ren’s attitude doesn’t seem very good.”
Ren Qingsong waved his hand and said, “He’s not interested in being dean anyway. He took on the role just for the extra subsidies. By then, I can just give all of mine to him.”
“What about me? I get my subsidies from Tianwei Pavilion, but now they’re all given to Dean Wan,” Lin Dong said with a smile.
“I don’t believe Manager Lin still values those few pills I have,” Ren Qingsong replied casually.
“I may not value the pills, but… as the dean of a prefecture-level martial testing institute, it shouldn’t be hard to ask Tianwei Pavilion for some rare ores or gather rare materials, right?” Lin Dong asked with a smile.
“That depends entirely on Manager Lin!” Ren Qingsong replied without hesitation. “Whether I can get promoted now depends on Manager Lin. If he has any needs, I’ll definitely do my best to fulfill them.”
Although he was still a bit short of becoming the dean of a prefecture-level martial testing institute, he had many advantages as the dean of a county-level one. Lin Dong immediately bowed and said, “Congratulations, Dean Ren, on your promotion to a fourth-rank official.”
“What kind of official? It’s just fourth rank,” Ren Qingsong said modestly.
“Second rank should count as an official, right? I guarantee Dean Ren will be promoted to second rank within half a year,” Lin Dong said confidently.
Ren Qingsong was overjoyed. “Are you sure you can rise from the sixth level of the Mind Spirit Phase to the first level of the Heart Reversal Phase within half a year?”
“It’s rising from the ninth level of the Mind Spirit Phase to the first level of the Heart Reversal Phase within half a year,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “Some time ago, I got trapped in a forest while on a trip. I ate all kinds of strange fruits there, and accidentally reached the ninth level of the Mind Spirit Phase. I was planning to go to the martial testing institute tomorrow to register, but who would have thought Dean Ren would come to Qiufeng City?”
Ren Qingsong was amused. He wouldn’t believe Lin Dong’s words no matter what. After all, even the luckiest person couldn’t keep having such good fortune. Of course, Ren Qingsong didn’t care whether it was true or not. All that mattered to him was whether Lin Dong’s strength had truly improved.
If it was true that he had reached the ninth level of the Mind Spirit Phase, it would be an incredible stroke of luck for Ren Qingsong—one after another. Originally, he had been struggling to find a former prefecture-level martial testing institute dean in the area, as the evaluations had dismissed Wan Cuilin. Over the past ten days or so, he had even been laughing while practicing. Who would have thought that Lin Dong would see another significant improvement in just a few months?

Previously, Ren Qingsong’s highest goal was to become the director of the prefecture-level Military Testing Institute during his lifetime. After meeting Lin Dong, his goal gradually shifted to becoming the director of the county-level Military Testing Institute. Fortunately, with no accidents, he could achieve this goal in just half a year. If Lin Dong’s unexpected improvement in strength could be sustained, perhaps there was even a chance for him to enter the Tianwei Pavilion.

“Director Ren…”

Whether it was Southwest City or Qiufeng City, the journey to the Military Testing Institute was quite long, so saving time on round trips was certainly beneficial. Inside Lin Dong’s dantian, spiritual energy surged forth, its overwhelming power forcing Ren Qingsong to retreat continuously. In the blink of an eye, even Ma Chun beside him was affected by the residual force and stepped back in shock. Once Ren Qingsong was out of range of the spiritual energy, Lin Dong retracted his energy and asked, “Well? Can I avoid the trouble of going to the Military Testing Institute for the test?”

“Sure, of course!” Ren Qingsong nodded eagerly. If Lin Dong could save a few hours of cultivation time, it meant he could become the director of the county-level Military Testing Institute a few hours earlier. With that alone, there was no reason to refuse.

“Then I owe you my thanks, Director Ren,” Lin Dong said promptly.

Yun Lan returned to her room to cultivate. After chatting for a while longer, they sent Ren Qingsong back to the dormitory building. When Lin Dong returned to the back courtyard, Ma Chun rushed after him.

“How did it go?” Lin Dong asked. “Liu Xiu must have told you everything, right?”

Ma Chun nodded. “He did! Just this afternoon, over sixty people came to the inn—all regulars. I took them to the dormitory building one by one and greeted them individually. As per Lord Liu’s instructions, I didn’t make any promises, only agreed to ask the innkeeper to intercede. When they come next time, I’ll tell them that Lord Liu will visit in person within a day or two, out of respect for the innkeeper.”

After a pause, Ma Chun couldn’t help but smile brightly. “Not to mention the generous gifts they brought this time, just by helping them once, I believe they’ll feel too embarrassed not to invite us to a banquet at Lin’s Inn in the future. Honestly, we’ve gained a lot from this trip.”

“Return all the gifts and silver notes!” Lin Dong shook his head. “I don’t want to get involved in that. As for banquets… even without that, thanks to Lin’s Inn’s various advantages, they would still choose to stay here.”

“Well…” Ma Chun hesitated. “I roughly estimated that the various rare treasures and silver notes are worth at least three to five million taels of silver. To just return them…”

“The inn isn’t short of this silver, nor do we worry about not making any money.” Lin Dong shook his head. “There’s no need to earn silver through such means.”
Ma Chun gritted his teeth and nodded. “Next time, I’ll return the items, and if anyone else offers them, I’ll refuse them all.”
“Alright. If nothing else, I’ll head back to the back yard.”
“Owner…” After hesitating for a while, Ma Chun asked softly, “Is Lord Liu being a bit too hasty? Handling so many powerful families at once—seems like his ambitions are quite large. Isn’t he afraid of arousing public outrage?”
“Liu Xiu has his own plans. Besides, that’s his business; it has little to do with us,” Lin Dong said calmly. “As long as whoever becomes the magistrate of Qiufeng Mansion doesn’t affect the inn’s business, that’s all that matters.”
“Understood!” Ma Chun nodded firmly.
Back in the back yard, Lin Dong pondered for a moment. After confirming that as long as the matter of his guard team was kept hidden, Liu Xiu’s appointment as the new magistrate wouldn’t hinder the inn’s development, he sat cross-legged. Spiritual energy surged into his meridians and began to flow rapidly.
Two days later, early in the morning, Lin Dong went to the storage room. As he pushed open the door, a fierce killing aura rushed at him.
Looking up, not far away, Cheng Bao stood tall, a golden sword on his shoulder—clearly having been waiting there the whole time.
“Are you ready for the consequences of losing the bet?” Lin Dong asked.
“Where shall we fight?” Cheng Bao replied indifferently.
Lin Dong glanced at the storage room, which was only about ten square meters, and said casually, “Right here!”
“Right here?” Cheng Bao frowned.
Lin Dong stretched out his right hand, and a Ruyi stool appeared silently. Then, it shot toward Cheng Bao like lightning, aiming to strike his head.
Cheng Bao was shocked. This speed was clearly beyond what he remembered of Lin Dong. Only then did he realize that in just half a year, Lin Dong had made significant progress.
Without hesitation, Cheng Bao unleashed a burst of golden light, but it was much slower. His golden sword, still filled with spiritual energy, hadn’t even had time to be raised when he felt a sharp pain in his head. All his spiritual energy was instantly drawn away as if by a powerful force.
With a loud crash, Cheng Bao’s legs gave way, and he fell to the ground. Looking at Lin Dong, who remained calm as if nothing had happened, Cheng Bao was filled with mixed emotions. “How… how is this possible?” He thought. “Half a year ago, you only managed to defeat me by relying on a special spiritual artifact and the threat of a powerful ally by your side. In just half a year, with your current strength, how could you possibly break through the limits of my Immortal Art in just one move?”

“A strength at the ninth level of the Mental State phase, plus a ninth-tier spiritual technique,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “Fortunately, my calculations were correct. If I used a bit more force, I could probably kill you with that bench. If I used less, it would at least break my right hand.”
“Ninth level of the Mental State phase?” Cheng Bao’s eyes showed disbelief, but more so, hope.
No matter how talented a person was, it was impossible to go from the fourth level to the ninth level of the Mental State phase in just half a year through sheer talent. If it were true, it meant the other party must have some method to enhance their strength.
That meant anyone could improve their strength this way.
Lin Dong smiled without saying anything, took out a small bag of mutated Golden Armored Snake inner cores from the mobile cabinet, and tossed it over.
After taking the water bag and removing the cork, Cheng Bao sniffed it briefly before carefully putting the cork back in. Then, he gathered his remaining spiritual energy to activate his storage ring and stored it there without hesitation.
“I heard that to master the Immortal Art, one needs to reach the realm of a strong warrior before the age of forty?” Lin Dong asked.
Cheng Bao nodded silently.
“Do your best!” Lin Dong stepped forward, patted Cheng Bao on the shoulder, and said casually, “As long as you’re under thirty-eight and loyal enough, I guarantee you’ll reach the Mental Reversal phase by forty.”
“Are you sure?” Cheng Bao asked coldly.
“As a chef in an inn, it’s not wrong to doubt the inn’s owner,” Lin Dong said calmly. “But that tone is absolutely unacceptable.”
Cheng Bao remained silent.
Lin Dong understood that it was impossible for Cheng Bao to go from a bandit leader to a chef in such a short time, so he wasn’t in a hurry. He asked seriously, “Are you sure you want to join our Lin’s Inn as a chef?”
“I am!” Cheng Bao replied indifferently.
Lin Dong then opened the inn system, checked Cheng Bao’s attributes, and couldn’t help but marvel.
Cheng Bao: Chef, Level 36, Initial Cooking Skill 91, Creativity 100, Knife Skills 82, Heat Control 89, Stir-Frying Skill 91, Steaming Skill 87…
His level was more than a dozen levels higher than Jiang Kui and Qiao Tianhao’s. More importantly, his initial attributes already met the standards of an elite chef, with creativity at full capacity. This meant that given enough time and materials, Cheng Bao could continuously develop more recipes. In this regard, Jiang Kui and Qiao Tianhao couldn’t compare—both of them could only follow recipes, at most trying to improve them, but they could never create their own recipes.