"The innkeeper had it rough, even lost his life."
"No, why are you flipping over the vendors' stalls while fighting? What did the vendors do wrong?"
"Ah, the horse is so cute, why did you have to break its leg?"
Lu Jianwei hugged a pillow, the blue glow of her computer screen reflecting on her face. When the protagonist and antagonist clashed again, harming innocent civilians, she angrily clicked the close button.
What nonsense is this?!
A message from her friend popped up: Did you watch the drama I recommended? Isn’t it great? The male lead is super handsome, right?!
Lu Jianwei typed back: ...I didn’t pay much attention. I just felt bad for the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
Friend: ???
Friend: Are you focusing on the wrong thing?
Lu Jianwei sighed. Her focus was indeed different from most people’s.
Whether watching TV shows or reading novels, she always paid attention to the "unimportant" side characters or cannon fodder, feeling a ridiculous sense of sympathy. Even though she knew it was all just acting, just fictional characters, she couldn’t help but feel pity for them.
When the antagonist chased the protagonist, and the protagonist fought back, often causing collateral damage, whether property loss or personal injury, it was technically the antagonist’s fault, and the protagonist was somewhat innocent too.
But Lu Jianwei always wondered: Would the protagonist compensate the vendors whose stalls were overturned while resisting the antagonist? How would the ordinary civilians who suffered unjustly survive afterward?
This greatly affected her viewing experience.
Lu Jianwei replied: It’s late, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.
She turned off her computer, crawled under the covers, and soon fell into a deep sleep, where she had a fantastical dream.
A glowing golden ball asked her: "Do you think it’s wrong to engage in violent fights, recklessly destroy others’ property, and endanger lives?"
"Of course!"
"If you were given a chance to change this situation, would you take it?"
"What kind of chance?"
"Congratulations, Host. You have successfully bound with the Inn Management System. Now beginning dimensional transfer... Transfer complete... Identity information set... Newbie package sent... Please strictly follow the system rules."
Lu Jianwei: ???
She jolted awake, sitting up abruptly.
Wooden beams, paper-covered windows, a dark red lacquered wardrobe, a bronze mirror on the dressing table, and creaky wooden floorboards beneath her feet—all told her one thing:
This wasn’t a dream!
Don’t panic, Lu Jianwei, you can handle this!
It’s just a system and a time-travel trope. Haven’t you read enough novels like this? The system is a golden finger; you’re clearly the protagonist here!
Lu Jianwei looked down at her cotton plaid pajamas and felt slightly reassured. At least she had her own body.
She took a few deep breaths and tentatively asked, "System?"
"Hello, Host. The Inn Management System is at your service," a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
Lu Jianwei quietly exhaled in relief and asked her first question: "Did I really time-travel?"
"Yes, Host."
Second question: "Can I go back?"
"As long as you manage the inn well, you’ll have the chance to return," the system patiently explained. "You can communicate with me mentally. Just say ‘Open Panel’ to see the system settings."
"Open Panel," Lu Jianwei said, suppressing her anxiety and staying calm.
She never thought time-traveling was a good thing.
Isn’t modern life with smartphones, computers, food delivery, and online shopping convenient enough?
But since she was already here, panicking wouldn’t help.
Fortunately, she had no family in the modern world, so there weren’t many emotional ties holding her back.
A blue screen visible only to her appeared before her eyes.
There were only three sections: Personal Information, Inn Information, and System Store.
She silently thought: Open Personal Information.
Name: Lu Jianwei
Age: 25
Level: 0 (0/100) (Can’t even harm a chicken)
Skills: None (Can’t even kill a chicken)
Personal Assets: 0 (Broke. Start earning money fast.)
Personal Inventory: Newbie Package x1 (Pending receipt)
Lu Jianwei: ...
The comments in parentheses were completely unnecessary.
She closed the display and opened the Inn Information.
Name: To Be Determined
Owner: Lu Jianwei
Manager: To Be Determined (Can be self-appointed or hired)
Staff: To Be Determined (Can be self-appointed or hired)
Location: Wilderness outside Moonview City, Fengzhou, Qi Dynasty
Fixed Assets: One inn
Liquid Assets: 0
Defense: 3 (The courtyard walls might stop a couple of thugs)
Attack: 0
Business Status: Closed
Lu Jianwei initially didn’t understand the defense and attack stats, but after opening the System Store, she was stunned.
Inn-specific items:
Defense Items: Consumable. Base defense: 100. Within the inn’s operational range, attacks from Level 1 martial artists are ineffective. Defense drops to 0 after use, and the item disappears. Can be upgraded by spending money. Price: 100 copper coins.
Attack Items: Consumable. Base attack: 100. Within the inn’s operational range, Level 1 martial artists can be expelled. Attack drops to 0 after use, and the item disappears. Can be upgraded by spending money. Price: 100 copper coins.
Lu Jianwei asked, "What exactly does Level 1 mean?"
The system replied, "Host, would you like to receive the Newbie Package?"
Lu Jianwei’s interest was piqued: "Receive it."
The Newbie Package was unlocked, and the system announced: "Congratulations, Host. You have obtained one Survival Guide for the New World, one set of local clothing, one batch of supplies (already placed in the kitchen), and 100 copper coins."
She checked her information again. Her personal assets now showed 100 copper coins, but the inn’s liquid assets remained at 0. It seemed the inn’s funds could only be obtained after it started operating.
She opened the store and saw a section for personal items, including internal martial arts manuals, combat techniques, weapons, medicine, and more. Of course, all of it was beyond her current budget.
Scrolling to the bottom, her eyes suddenly lit up.
Special Items!
All the special items were grayed out, temporarily locked and unavailable for purchase. What excited Lu Jianwei was that these were all modern products—food, drinks, daily necessities, and entertainment items.
The last item gave her hope—a Time-Travel Device.
It allowed travel to a specified time and place. The price? Well, she couldn’t afford it anyway.
She glanced at the system time: 3 a.m. Candles lit the room, and outside the inn was pitch black. She didn’t dare open the window, but to survive here, she couldn’t back down.
Stay calm, Lu Jianwei. The system didn’t bind you just to let you die.
She calmed her nerves a little and asked, "Is there a map?"
The system’s voice had a metallic coldness.
"There’s a navigation icon at the bottom right of the panel."
Lu Jianwei looked at the bottom right corner and indeed saw a navigation icon.
"Open the map."
The map appeared in 3D, with a golden sphere marking the inn’s location. It spread out, showing nothing but wilderness within a ten-mile radius.
It really was the middle of nowhere.
"How far is this from Moonview City?"
"Twenty miles."
Lu Jianwei was speechless. She continued dragging the map outward, only to find it stuck—or rather, it had reached its limit.
"What’s going on?"
"Would you like to upgrade the map?"
Lu Jianwei was cautious: "What are the conditions for upgrading the map?"
The system replied, "Expanding one mile costs one copper coin."
"..."
Of course, it’s a pay-to-play system!
Lu Jianwei firmly refused. She only had 100 copper coins, barely enough to buy a basic defense item.
Survival comes first!
She clicked on the golden sphere icon, and the inn’s layout appeared before her. Within the square courtyard walls stood a three-story building.
The first floor was divided into three areas: a dining hall, a kitchen, and a few small rooms for staff.
The second floor had eight standard guest rooms.
The third floor had three premium suites, equivalent to presidential suites.
She was currently staying in the middle suite on the third floor.
In the courtyard, aside from the main building, there were structures on the east and west sides.
The east side had three tile-roofed rooms, each with large bunk beds that could sleep ten people.
The west side was for livestock, essentially a stable for travelers’ mounts.
Behind the main building was an open space with a well in the center.
Lu Jianwei got a general idea of the inn’s layout. After some thought, she asked, "If the defense item isn’t attacked or damaged, does its defense value remain intact?"
"Yes," the system answered.
Lu Jianwei breathed a sigh of relief. In a way, this made the item permanent.
Feeling slightly reassured, she took out the Survival Guide.
The guide was a thin booklet. The first half introduced the world’s background, while the second half explained local customs and common knowledge.
Lu Jianwei now had a basic understanding of this world.
This is an ancient martial arts world where the levels of martial prowess range from one to nine. Beyond the ninth level, there are grandmasters, and perhaps even higher levels exist, though the records don’t mention them.
Of course, only a select few can master martial arts; most people are ordinary civilians living mundane lives.
The common knowledge also includes the average prices of goods during the Qi Dynasty, which would help her manage the inn.
"The inn's information is incomplete. Would you like to supplement it?" the system suddenly prompted.
Lu Jianwei nodded. "Supplement it."
"Please name the inn."
Lu Jianwei thought for a moment and casually replied, "Eight Directions Inn."
"The inn has been named, and the signboard has been generated," the system continued. "Please recruit a manager for the inn."
Lu Jianwei sighed. "I’ll do it myself."
"And the staff..."
"Still me."
Where would she find people now? Besides, she had no money.
"The information has been updated. We hope the host will manage the inn diligently and strictly adhere to the inn's rules."
"Inn rules?"
"Fighting is prohibited within the inn. This is the highest principle of the inn and applies to everyone within its premises."
Lu Jianwei raised an eyebrow. "What if someone doesn’t follow the rules?"
The system replied, "Those who violate the rules must be punished by the host. The specific punishment measures can be set by the host."
Lu Jianwei became intrigued. "What’s the scope of the punishment? What if it conflicts with the laws of this dynasty?"
"The martial world has its own rules, but they must remain within reasonable bounds."
She understood.
The setting of this world was such that martial artists, due to their superior skills, often disregarded the laws of the government. Therefore, when dealing with martial artists, she could also use the rules of the martial world.
But within reasonable limits.
For example, if a martial artist only damaged the tables and chairs, she couldn’t kill them; if a martial artist killed someone in the inn, she couldn’t just fine them.
She twitched her lips. Was it because of her sarcastic remarks that the system had bound her and sent her to this martial arts world?
"System, you bound me and made me cross over while I was unconscious. In my world, that would be considered an invalid contract, violating our laws. I request to be unbound."
The system played dead.
Lu Jianwei was naturally furious, but anger was useless. The system playing dead showed that it was guilty, so it was better to extort some money and survival tools.
"If I can’t be unbound, shouldn’t I at least get some compensation?"
The system finally responded, "You can, but there are limitations."
Lu Jianwei didn’t hold back. "Give me five hundred taels of silver, ten sets of clothes and shoes for each season, and a ninth-level defensive item."
The system replied, "...At most, I can give you five hundred copper coins, four sets of clothes and shoes, and a second-level defensive item."
Before she could argue, the system added, "The money and clothes have been placed in your personal inventory. The defensive item has been generated. Within the inn’s premises, you are immune to attacks of second level or below."
"That’s not enough. With such low defense, I could easily die. If I’m dead, what’s the point of managing the inn?"
The system paused for a moment and said, "At most, I can give you one more internal cultivation manual. That’s really all I can do."
"A cultivation manual?" Lu Jianwei sighed. "At my age, can I even practice martial arts?"
The system explained, "When you crossed over, your body data was adjusted. You now possess exceptional talent for martial arts. Age is not an issue."
"But I can’t even understand the manual."
The system, fearing her persistence, directly tossed her an unnamed internal cultivation manual without a word and then vanished.
Lu Jianwei took the book and opened the first page.
A cool sensation suddenly brushed her brow, like a mountain breeze. The words on the page imprinted themselves deeply into her mind, transforming the obscure and difficult phrases into vivid images. It was as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned on her, bringing a clarity she had never experienced before.
