Ch 51: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The Shenmu tribe left the elder chieftain and twenty knights to guard the new sacred tree, while the elder took ten knights back to the tribe to report the situation and prepare for the migration.

Since the Shenmu tribe launched their specially crafted signal flare in Thorn Valley, business at the inn had been booming.

Travelers from other tribes arrived in a steady stream to verify the news. After all, the Shenmu tribe hadn’t migrated in a thousand years.

The Shenmu tribe kept the details of the sacred tree a secret, only announcing with pride that they would rebuild their temple in the open space behind the inn.

While the temple was under construction, the little people of the Shenmu tribe stayed at the inn. It was convenient and safe, with delicious food, hot springs, and occasional access to the owner’s creative items and parts, which they adored.

The presence of the Shenmu tribe was more effective than any advertisement. Few guests questioned the identity of the big human anymore. Foot traffic to the inn increased, and more non-native couples were migrating to the area near the inn.

Three days after the Shenmu tribe’s arrival, Ziye and Jiexiang finally returned.

Their pace hadn’t matched the Shenmu tribe’s, and Ziye had even taken the opportunity to secretly pluck two acorus seeds to bring back. However, upon arriving at the inn, they were immediately hit with the explosive news that the new sacred tree had already sprouted.

Ziye, who had always known the innkeeper wasn’t ordinary, was still shocked to learn that the Heart Seed had obediently sprouted in her hands.

Lu Yao, busy constructing new guest rooms, casually said to Ziye, “If you enjoy tending to plants, I can teach you a few methods. The sacred tree can be entrusted to you in the future.”

The Shenmu tribe had already begun trying to care for the new yangju tree, but the tree clearly had a mind of its own. It seemed to look down on the little people of the Shenmu tribe, frequently teasing them by drooping its leaves to scare them. Yet, it was particularly attentive to Lu Yao.

Finding the tree a bit of a hassle and lacking the time to personally tend to it, Lu Yao decided to find it a suitable little gardener.

The Shenmu tribe, as the guardians of the sacred tree, were generally warm-hearted and responsible. However, Lu Yao wasn’t familiar with them and ultimately thought Ziye would be the best choice.

Ziye was incredulous. “Are you saying… you’ll teach me how to grow plants and tend trees? But isn’t this your big human knowledge? Are you sure it’s okay to teach me?”

Lu Yao gave him a puzzled look. “Why not?”

Ziye stared back at her as if she were the strange one.

Each tribe of the little people relied on their own unique survival skills, and they only bartered goods to maintain connections. Sharing tribal secrets, however, was strictly forbidden.

Ziye had long been curious about the surprising generosity of the big humans at the inn.

Yuanwei, who loved cooking, often exchanged recipes and rare spices with Xiao Zheng. Jinjin, fascinated by architecture, frequently asked questions that the innkeeper and another big human patiently answered. Now, Lu Yao was offering to teach him the sacred tree’s care techniques.

Lu Yao vaguely realized something but didn’t dwell on it. “Our kind doesn’t mind these things. Don’t overthink it. So, do you want to learn or not?”

Ziye nodded. “I do.”

A few days later, the main group of the Shenmu tribe arrived in Thorn Valley.

After a discussion between the chieftain, the elder, and the knight captain, they decided to build their new settlement surrounding the fence around the sacred tree.

Their plan was to encircle the sacred tree completely, keeping it tightly protected in the center, with only one passage left for the big human to enter.

Lu Yao, unfamiliar with the Shenmu tribe’s old site, had no idea what the thousand-year-old sacred tree had looked like. She only reminded them to build the city far enough away so that if the tree’s roots extended beneath the houses in the future, they wouldn’t have to relocate again.

Considering the growth rate of the tree and the little people’s size, such an issue would likely arise thousands of years later.

By then, it wouldn’t be Lu Yao’s concern.

When the fourth guest area was completed, the stone yams in the field had also sprouted.

Coincidentally, Lu Yao discovered a massive half-rotten tree stump in the wild, so large that it would take two people holding hands to encircle it.

She dug up the tree stump, cleaned it thoroughly, hollowed out its interior according to her design, and divided it into multiple small rooms. Using wooden block components, she refilled and reinforced the interior.

The wood was wide and thick enough to be designed into two floors, housing a total of 24 guest rooms, with six additional rooms designated as workspaces.

This guest area didn’t include elevators. Instead, it featured various small mechanisms, connected by rope ladders and wooden stairs.

The reshaped stump took on an irregular diamond-like form. Lu Yao carved a path circling the structure and planted miniature morning glories on the ground floor.

The morning glory vines gradually climbed along the railings, wrapping around the wooden fence of the circular path. They bloomed at dawn and dusk in vibrant hues, much to the delight of the guests.

This guest area was named the Treehouse Rooms, and it quickly became a favorite among visitors from the Xiaguang tribe.

When all four guest areas were fully operational, the hot spring inn’s foundational infrastructure reached 100% completion.

However, without a prompt for the final mission’s activation, Lu Yao knew the reputation tasks were still incomplete.

She wasn’t in a hurry.

When the stone yam seedlings in the field had grown to about the height of her hand, the elder chieftain of the Shenmu tribe came to find her.

It was evening, and the three suns had just dipped below the horizon. Sitting on the hillside to enjoy the breeze during this time was particularly pleasant.

Recently, Lu Yao had often spent these moments lying on the hillside with the little people, watching the evening clouds.

When the elder chieftain arrived, his face was clouded with worry.

Lu Yao sat up. “What’s the matter?”

In a low voice, the elder chieftain explained, “There are only twenty Fetal Seeds left in the storage hall, but more and more people come every day asking for them. We can’t wait for the new sacred tree to grow and bear fruit.”

Lu Yao asked, “Is it necessary to keep the sacred tree a secret? Can’t you share the truth with the other little people?”

The elder chieftain nodded heavily.

They could migrate and rebuild the shrine for the sacred tree at any time, but revealing the truth about the Fetal Seeds to other little people was out of the question.

Lu Yao shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a wise solution. At the very least, you need to disclose part of the truth.”

The elder chieftain widened his eyes slightly. “What do you mean by ‘disclose part of the truth’?”

Lu Yao offered some suggestions. In essence, they should tell the other little people that there were issues with the Fetal Seeds, though these issues were currently manageable, but that the availability of Fetal Seeds would decrease in the coming years.

Given the recent trends in requests for Fetal Seeds, the other little people should be able to deduce the situation.

The elder chieftain fell silent, deep in thought. After a while, he looked up at Lu Yao. “I have an idea, but it will require your help, Innkeeper.”

Lu Yao replied, “Go on.”

The elder chieftain’s idea was somewhat crafty—they wanted to leverage Lu Yao and her inn to stabilize public sentiment.

Recently, both the inn and Lu Yao had gained significant fame among the little people, especially since the inn provided shelter for wandering non-native tribes. The little people had begun to admire and adore the big human.

In contrast, the Shenmu tribe, due to their stinginess with Fetal Seeds in recent years, had gradually fallen out of favor.

The elder chieftain proposed to disclose that the supply of Fetal Seeds had decreased in recent years due to certain factors but that they had already received help from the big human. They could claim that a large number of new Fetal Seeds would soon be available.

This version of the story was nearly identical to the truth, with the sacred tree’s existence being the only omitted detail.

Lu Yao doubted the little people’s simplicity would lead them to uncover the full truth and ultimately agreed.

After all, it might even boost the inn’s reputation score.

With the issue resolved, the elder chieftain turned to leave and make arrangements.

Lu Yao stopped him. “I have one more question.”

The elder chieftain adopted a “nothing to hide” demeanor. “Please, ask.”

Lu Yao asked, “How exactly do Fetal Seeds transform into fetus seeds?”

The elder chieftain’s face turned red as he stared at Lu Yao in astonishment. “Are big humans… not the same as us?”

Lu Yao: “…”

She realized that might have been an awkward question.

Lu Yao had privately observed that little couples rarely displayed intimate gestures. Their anatomy appeared similar to big humans (as she had noted while they bathed), but their method of reproduction was vastly different, which intrigued her.

She genuinely wanted to understand how to ensure the health of a fetus seed.

The elder chieftain, seeing her innocent curiosity, said nothing and turned to leave.

Lu Yao: “…”

Who else could she ask about this?

Days passed, and Nitean’s continent was on the verge of entering the peak sunshine season.

The Shenmu tribe invited the chieftains and elders of four other tribes to hold a five-tribe meeting that lasted two days.

Lu Yao was busy cultivating land, welcoming travelers, and didn’t pay much attention to the discussions.

The major topic among the little people lately, apart from the heated conflicts over the distribution of fetal seeds, was nothing else.

The morning after the five-tribe meeting concluded, Lu Yao was still deep in sleep when a system prompt rang in her mind.

[System Prompt: Lu Yao’s hot spring inn has reached 100% foundational completion. The “Renowned Across the Four Seas” reputation achievement has been unlocked. The ultimate mission is about to begin!]

Lu Yao jolted awake, her eyes snapping open.

[Ultimate Mission Activated! The Divine Returns. Please, innkeeper, do your best to fulfill the divine’s wishes and complete the mission!]

The Divine Returns?

Was this saying that Nitean’s god was coming to the inn?

Yingtong had mentioned wanting to execute the god of this world, and Lu Yao had assumed they’d already appeared, though she hadn’t noticed.

But the task description seemed to indicate otherwise.

The mission was to fulfill the divine’s wishes. Why would a god need an ordinary human to satisfy their desires?

[Lu… Lu Yao.]

!!!

A familiar voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Lu Yao: “System, you’re back?”

Dream Fulfillment System: [Lu… Lu Yao, I… temporarily… can’t fully return. You… mission.]

Lu Yao: “… System? System?”

The voice faded into silence.

Lu Yao: “…”

Did something happen to this guy out there? Popping up and vanishing like this was enough to make her anxious.

She tried contacting the proxy bot to inquire about the system’s condition, but as usual, there was no response.

Three mornings later, Lu Yao was beneath the newly built wooden structure behind the inn, working on beehives.

There were already two complete hives under the eaves, with bees she’d brought back from the wild. She was now working on the third hive, fresh from her latest collection.

The little people were extremely curious about the beehives, especially after hearing Lu Yao mention that in a few months, they’d be able to harvest glistening, transparent honey. Their tiny, black, bean-like eyes sparkled with excitement.

Lu Yao promised to share some honey with them once it was harvested.

The little people expressed a desire to learn beekeeping, but their small size made the task nearly impossible.

Yingtong sat silently on the wooden plank at the top of a hive, swinging his short legs and watching Lu Yao work.

He hadn’t appeared for days, and when he did, he was silent and rarely initiated conversations with Lu Yao.

It was… unexpectedly a bit sulky.

Lu Yao tried to start a conversation. “Do you… know how a Fetal Seed transforms into a fetus seed?”

Yingtong’s ears turned slightly red, but his cold gaze indicated no interest in responding to her.

From an angle, a voice suddenly interjected, “I know.”

On top of a neighboring hive stood a little person wearing a pointed straw hat. His face was hidden beneath the wide brim of the hat, and he was about ten centimeters tall.

A stranger.

Yingtong’s crimson eyes flickered slightly as he observed the newcomer without revealing any emotion.

The straw-hatted little person continued, “But I won’t tell you.”

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