Chapter Twenty-Five: Serenity in Los City

Su Fan glanced at the four people inside the cave residence and smiled lightly. “From now on, there is no need for you to live as bandits. It seems I am indeed the one you have been waiting for. Your manager instructed me to temporarily take charge of this inn. From this day forward, I will be living here with you. Should you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, feel free to consult me. The spiritual energy in this cave is abundant; when you reach the verge of a breakthrough, you may come here to cultivate as well.”

The three hesitated briefly, then broke into joyous smiles. Su Fan, his smile gentle, added, “I do not yet know your names; may I ask you to introduce yourselves?”

The leader quickly stepped forward to introduce his companions. Through his words, Su Fan learned that the leader’s name was Luo Yuan. The two following him were Luo Tong and Luo Yong, while the inn’s servant was called Luo Xun. All four were orphans, growing up in Luo City, but they had not known each other before; each had chosen these names for himself.

Luo City was filled with cultivators, and from childhood, the four had been influenced by the city’s cultivation atmosphere. By chance, all four joined the same cultivation sect, but before they could embark on the path, the sect was annexed by a rival force. Lacking sufficient cultivation, they were expelled and thus began living and practicing together.

Over a decade ago, they encountered an elderly man newly arrived in Luo City, who instructed them in some cultivation techniques. Grateful beyond words, the four often served at the elder’s side. Hearing Luo Yuan’s story, Su Fan found himself deeply impressed by their characters. Thus, he entrusted the inn’s continued management to them, which they accepted gladly.

Su Fan continued his cultivation within the cave. Apart from Luo Yuan and the others occasionally seeking his advice on their practice, he spent most of his time in meditation. Gradually, a month slipped by at the Fate’s Ties Inn, but Su Fan’s cultivation made no real progress during this period.

As for news of his father, Su Fan had, based on his mother’s description, sketched his father’s appearance. Some people claimed to have seen his father ten years ago—a man whose bearing was so extraordinary that he naturally attracted attention. The consensus was that his father had stayed only a few days in Luo City before mysteriously vanishing.

Learning this, Su Fan’s resolve to remain in Luo City only deepened. On one hand, he could uphold his promise to the elder; on the other, he could search for clues about his father.

During this month, two people had come to visit Su Fan. Qian Pinming had called several times. Su Fan told him he had taken over the inn and, as he planned to stay for a while, did not conceal the truth. Whenever they met, a warm camaraderie arose between them, and they often drank tea and chatted together. Su Fan came to understand Qian Pinming better—this was a man who delighted in befriending people of talent and distinction.

Anyone whom Qian Pinming befriended was, without exception, remarkable in some way. This explained why, on hearing the coachman’s account, Luo Xun had shown such a curious expression.

The other visitor was a woman who came nearly every three days. Each time, Su Fan deliberately avoided her—not out of unwillingness to meet, but because she gave him an inexplicably strange feeling. He did not wish to get close to someone whose true nature was unclear; it made him feel unsafe.

Time flew by, and the month passed quickly. Su Fan was devoted to his cultivation and worked diligently. After a month of absorbing spiritual energy, his Foundation Building Qi stage became ever more solid. Yet, it was as if a thin membrane blocked his progress, barring him from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Sometimes, he found he could absorb no more spiritual energy at all. During this period, he consulted Lan Yifeng, who told him the issue was a lack of tempering through actual combat.

Even so, Su Fan believed that he could now hold his own against an ordinary cultivator at the peak of early Foundation Establishment. At his peak, if he wielded the Mountain Soul Fan, he felt confident he could escape even from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment opponent.

A month later, under Su Fan’s guidance, the cultivation of Luo Yuan and the others had improved considerably. Luo Yuan was on the verge of breaking through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Su Fan instructed him to focus on cultivating in the cave and to leave the inn’s management to him.

Previously, Luo Yuan had acted as the innkeeper, but now Su Fan would take over these duties—a prospect he welcomed, since his own progress had stalled, and there was no need to spend all his time in cultivation.

Lan Yifeng, however, was decidedly displeased by this approach. He urged Su Fan to go out and gain more experience, to raise his cultivation quickly, rather than wasting his days in the inn on trivial matters. Su Fan could only force a smile; he did not wish to go back on his word. Since he had promised the elder, he would see it through—cultivation would naturally advance in its own time. When Lan Yifeng saw his persuasion was futile, he simply withdrew into the jade pendant and spoke no more.

Life at the inn was leisurely. The innkeeper’s tasks mainly consisted of balancing the accounts at closing, paying the wages of the hired staff at month’s end, and delegating the rest to others. With his spare time, Su Fan would visit Qian Pinming’s teahouse daily, sipping tea and listening to the townsfolk’s conversations.

Yesterday, the innkeeper Wang from East Street had snatched a village girl from the Wang family of West Village to be his concubine. Today, a beggar boy at the city gate had been chosen as a disciple by a cultivation sect. Tomorrow, the wealthy Zhao would host a grand wedding for his son. These topics, though not earth-shattering, held Su Fan’s full attention and fascination. He delighted in the myriad affairs of the world and the ebb and flow of human fortunes.

The sky was shrouded in mist, with a light rain falling. Su Fan did not bother with an umbrella. Leaving the inn, he ran straight toward the teahouse, unconcerned by the rain soaking his body, nor did he use spiritual power to keep the raindrops at bay.

“Manager Su, here for tea again today?” a plump, cheerful middle-aged man called out to him. Su Fan replied with a smile, “Steward Zhao, I’ve come to hear your stories again today.”

Steward Zhao’s face grew stern. “Stories? What I tell are all true events—things I’ve seen myself, not mere tales.” At this, those around burst out laughing. A skinny man mocked, “Steward Zhao, you’ve witnessed so much and are still alive—now that’s a wonder.”

Before Steward Zhao could retort, a short old man interrupted, “Steward Zhao, that day you said you saw with your own eyes a man driving a team of corpses past your door with a whip. If that’s true, you’d have departed this life long ago.”

Steward Zhao’s face reddened. “If you’re not going to listen, I’ll leave,” he huffed, pretending to stand. The crowd quickly stopped him, laughing, “Steward Zhao, ignore those two. We want to hear your tales. Don’t go!”

Chuckling, Steward Zhao sat down among them and began his stories. Su Fan took a seat by the window, listening intently with a smile. From time to time, Qian Pinming would bring him a pot of tea.

“There you are! I knew I’d find you here!” Suddenly, a young woman in pink clapped Su Fan on the back, laughing. Su Fan frowned slightly. “How did you know where I’d be? Did Luo Xun tell you? Listen, Luo Xun may be honest, but you mustn’t take advantage of him.”

The young woman pouted. “I didn’t bully him—he told me willingly.” Su Fan lifted his cup, took a sip, and said calmly, “When I left, I instructed them not to tell anyone I was here. They always do what I say. If you say you didn’t pressure him, why should I believe you?”

She stuck out her tongue and whispered, “I really didn’t bully them. I just told him I’m their future sister-in-law. That’s all...” Su Fan was so startled he almost spat out his tea, hastily coughing and lowering his voice, “Sit down and have some tea.”

The woman glared at him and, saying nothing more, sat down. Su Fan quietly drank his tea and listened to Steward Zhao’s stories. Seeing that Su Fan ignored her, the woman lay her head on the table and began listening as well. Before long, she seemed to become absorbed, listening with full attention.

Su Fan chuckled softly and said nothing. This woman was none other than Fan Ruoyu, the same one from the inn that day. After ceasing to avoid her, Su Fan had realized that if she harbored any schemes, it was better to keep her close. After a period of observation, he found that she meant no harm, and gradually, he began to converse with her.

Strangely, whenever she found Su Fan, she would simply watch him for a while, make a few casual remarks, and then fall silent, just looking at him. This left Su Fan feeling rather awkward, so he chose to spend his time at the teahouse.

As evening fell and the teahouse emptied, Su Fan gently nudged Fan Ruoyu, smiling, “Let’s go.” Fan Ruoyu narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, “If I could, I would become a butterfly, just to be with the one I love.”

Su Fan sighed inwardly and hurried to change the subject. “The tea today was excellent. What was it? Would you ask Shopkeeper Qian for me?”

Fan Ruoyu glanced at him. “You ordered the tea yourself—told Shopkeeper Qian to bring a pot of Maojian. I remember, even if you’ve forgotten.”

Su Fan coughed lightly. “Let’s head back—it's getting late.” Fan Ruoyu snorted, “We’re not even going the same way. You go on ahead.” Su Fan sighed and turned back toward the inn.