Chapter 076 – On the Job

Within the Blood Blade Sect, Li Yuan was just another inspector—the weakest at ninth rank, in fact. But here in Silver Creek, he was truly the lord.

Upon arriving in town, Li Yuan left the management of taxes, weapon shops, and public security in the hands of his subordinates.

He was dressed in black robes trimmed with white, a telltale sign of an inner disciple of the Blood Blade Sect. Those unfamiliar with the uniform took him for a mere sect disciple, but anyone who knew better immediately straightened up and bowed deeply.

Sweeping his gaze around, Li Yuan spoke gently to the group behind him. “All right, get to work. Don’t forget to eat once you’re done.”

“Yes, Young Master Li,” the outer disciples and menial workers replied in unison before scattering in every direction.

As for Li Yuan, he made a beeline for the Ginger Tavern.

The moment he stepped inside, it was as if time had stopped. All conversation ceased. Casting a glance at the customers, some halfway through their meals, he waved and said with a smile, “It’s nearly lunchtime. I’ll be back shortly to grab a bite myself.”

Plenty of patrons recognized him. Even those who didn’t had heard rumors about Li Yuan from the recent tournament at Moon Creek Heights.

As for anyone truly in the dark, the atmosphere alone made them too timid to speak. It wasn’t until a waiter ushered Li Yuan upstairs that they sat down again and started whispering among themselves.

“What brings Young Master Li here to eat today?”

“You don’t know?”

“No idea... Fill me in?”

“The Blood Blade Sect just appointed inspectors. From now on, Silver Creek is under Young Master Li and another big-shot.”

“But what about the local government?”

“Heh, friend, you must be new around here if you still think the authorities have any real say...”

On the top floor, the waiter led Li Yuan to a private room with a sweeping view. No tall buildings blocked the windows, and he could look down on the throngs of people coming and going below.

“Young Master Li, our proprietress will be here shortly,” the waiter said respectfully, standing by.

Li Yuan nodded and gazed out at the bustling street for a moment before saying, “Bring me a pot of wine.”

“Yes, sir. We have sweet rice wine, pure rice wine, and a maize medicinal brew. Which would you like?” the waiter asked.

“What’s the price?” Li Yuan inquired.

Looking uneasy, the waiter replied, “P-please, just order whatever you’d like...”

Li Yuan gave a reassuring smile. “I only want to know the cost.”

At last, the waiter explained, “Grain is expensive these days, so the wine isn’t cheap either. A pot of sweet rice wine costs three small coins, the pure rice wine is the same, and the maize medicinal brew is four, because of the herbs.”

Li Yuan considered. It was a steep price, but not unreasonable under the circumstances. About half a year earlier, he’d bought a 2.5 kg jug of rice wine for 15 small coins as a gift. By comparison, this seemed consistent.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a tall and graceful woman. She called to the waiter, “You can head downstairs now. In a bit, bring up one of each of our specialty dishes.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter started to leave but paused when Li Yuan spoke up.

“Wait.”

Hearing Li Yuan address him personally, the waiter straightened, his eyes lighting up. “Yes, sir?”

“No need to bring everything. That’d be a waste,” Li Yuan said. “Just two dishes and a soup—one meat and one vegetable dish. Make the soup vegetarian. A pot of pure rice wine will do.”

Xue Ning nodded lightly. “Then we’ll do as Young Master Li says.”

The waiter excused himself and closed the door behind him. Everyone on staff knew about the relationship between Li Yuan and Xue Ning.

The Ginger Tavern now had a powerful new umbrella overhead. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be delighted?

The room fell quiet, the bustle of the tavern left behind. Soft-eyed, Xue Ning slipped into a seat next to him. “Coming here on your very first day in office. Are you sure it’s all right?”

Li Yuan answered calmly, “I’m not really bogged down with day-to-day tasks. All I need to do is keep an eye on things and step in if anything major happens. The rest of the time, I can focus on my cultivation without any trouble.”

Xue Ning murmured her agreement, then went on, “You asked me to train up a band of beggars, but the more I think about it, the less reliable it sounds—unless we plant our own people among them, have them become beggars themselves. Only then could we control them safely.”

Li Yuan asked, “Do you have anyone who could fill that role?”

She sighed. “I do have some loyal servants, but most are already married. If I asked them, they’d go, but deep down, they’d resent me...”

Li Yuan nodded. “All right. I’ll think of something else.”

Before long, the food arrived—braised pork with bamboo shoots, stir-fried greens with tofu, a simple vegetable-and-pork soup, and a pot of pure rice wine.

Helping himself, Li Yuan glanced at the wine and said, “You get this from somewhere else, right?”

She replied, “Yes. Only Cicada's Cuisine has an official permit to brew in all of Silver Creek. Even though the Ginger Tavern is sizable, we’re still considered a foot tavern—we aren’t allowed to brew. All we can do is buy the ordinary stuff that’s on the market.”

“Cicada's Cuisine...” Li Yuan remembered spending two taels of silver there once, just for breakfast. He had no idea which elder in the sect owned it. He muttered, “I see.”

Sensing his thoughts, Xue Ning grew anxious. “Dearest, please don’t try to pick a fight with Cicada's Cuisine just yet. We have plenty of time. Wait a few years until you’re stronger.”

Li Yuan gave a small smile. “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

Relieved, she laughed softly. She was merely afraid he’d lose his head and do something rash, some

I’m the greatest under heaven

kind of move.

Li Yuan glanced through the window at the comings and goings below. While it wasn’t the best view in all of Silver Creek, it was lively enough. Xue Ning refilled his cup and stayed quietly by his side, not peppering him with questions.

Only after a while did she say apprehensively, “I heard the position of inspector here is split between two people. Silver Creek is basically divided in half. Your...senior brother, is it?”

He chuckled. “It’s a senior sister, actually.”

“A...senior sister?” Xue Ning blinked in surprise, eyes wide.

Li Yuan grinned. Originally, another disciple had been assigned to Silver Creek, but Zhao Chunxin had arranged to swap with him.

As a result, the other inspector for Silver Creek ended up being her. It just went to show her status among the inner disciples was near the top—second only, perhaps, to Fang Jianlong.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Shortly after he’d eaten his fill, Li Yuan asked the Ginger Tavern’s kitchen to prepare two more dishes and a pot of good wine. Stashing them in a handy food container, he headed to the black market by skiff, arriving at the gate to the north market in short order.

Ascending the small unnamed pavilion that served as an entrance checkpoint, he bowed and called respectfully, then broke into a grin. “Master, I brought some dishes from my wife’s tavern. Care to try them?”

Senior Li eyed him. “You rascal. First day on the job, and already you’re running around?”

Li Yuan shrugged lightly. “Silver Creek’s quiet. Not like you, Master. You need to be here all the time.”

With a smirk, Senior Li rose and beckoned him over. “Well then, let me taste your offerings.”

Li Yuan set the food container on a small table, taking out the two dishes and the wine.

Senior Li ate a few mouthfuls, nodding in enjoyment, but when he sipped the wine, he frowned slightly before swallowing. Seeing Li Yuan about to speak, he waved a hand. “Kid, the dishes are good, but the wine...”

Raising a finger to hush him, Senior Li closed his eyes as if thinking deeply, then said, “Mhm, I see what’s going on. You’re digging for information. Not a bad attempt. All right, I’ll just say it straight. The owner of Cicada's Cuisine is the younger brother of the Dark Visage Elder.”

The Dark Visage Elder?

Li Yuan recalled that particular elder and nodded. “Got it.”

Senior Li continued, “You also came here to see if we’ve gotten any interesting new products arriving in the black market, right?”

With a small laugh, Li Yuan admitted, “I really can’t hide anything from you, Master.”

Still chomping on his food with gusto, Senior Li grabbed a thin notebook from under his cushion and tossed it over. “Here, read for yourself. This is the inventory we’ve gotten in the past while.”

Li Yuan flipped through the pages, then asked casually, “By the way, Master, any more disappearances in the black market lately?”

Senior Li took another bite and shook his head. “Nope. Don’t get any strange ideas.”

Li Yuan sighed wryly. “Hard not to worry, knowing something that eerie and dangerous is lurking around.”

Senior Li lowered his voice with a quiet laugh. “It’s sealed in, can’t get out. So what’s there to worry about?”