Li Yuan went downstairs and found the inn's dining room already filled with the appetizing aroma of cooked food. The room wasn't large, with four wooden tables that could seat a total of about twenty people. Two tables were already occupied—one by the Luxen merchant couple he had heard in the corridor earlier, and another by a small family who looked like local residents.
Kesi emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with steaming ceramic bowls.
"Li Yuan!" she greeted warmly. "Please choose a seat. Tonight's menu is fish soup with Zuwa spices and rice with Kuatri-style stir-fried vegetables. Liu Ming also made flatbread that you can dip in the soup."
Li Yuan chose a table in the corner that allowed him to observe the room while still being able to participate in conversation. As he sat down, he noticed that the Luxen couple at the next table was glancing at him with curiosity.
The Luxen man—tall, with brownish-blond hair, dressed in clothes that suggested he was a successful merchant—finally got up from his seat and approached.
"Excuse me," he said in Kuatri with a strong accent, "I'm Henrik. This is my wife, Elsa." He gestured to the red-haired woman sitting at his table. "We saw you arrive this afternoon. Where are you from?"
Through the small radius of his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan caught the intention behind the question: curiosity, mild suspicion, business assessment. Henrik was assessing whether Li Yuan was a business competitor, a potential partner, or just a regular traveler.
"Li Yuan," he introduced himself, standing up and giving a polite nod. "I am a wanderer. I just arrived from... a long journey at sea."
Technically true, Li Yuan thought. He had indeed just arrived from the sea, it was just that the manner of his arrival was probably not what Henrik imagined.
"Ah, a sailor," Henrik nodded with a more open expression. Through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan sensed a change in intention: relief—not a competitor, respect for seafaring profession. "A tough journey, I'm sure. Please join us if you don't mind. Elsa and I always love to hear stories from other places."
Li Yuan glanced at Kesi who was arranging bowls on his table. "If Madame Kesi doesn't mind me changing tables..."
"Of course not," Kesi smiled. "It's good, in fact—you can share stories with each other."
Li Yuan moved to Henrik and Elsa's table. The red-haired woman greeted him with a warm smile, though Li Yuan could feel through his Wenjing Realm that there was a little caution in her intention: polite interest, slight wariness of strangers.
"Pleased to meet you, Li Yuan," Elsa said. "Henrik is right—we love to hear stories. We have been in Sancheng for three months for trade, but we are still learning about the dynamics of this place."
Three months, Li Yuan noted. Long enough to understand the social complexities here.
Kesi came with a tray of fish soup for Li Yuan. The aroma wafting from the bowl immediately made his mouth water—a mixture of exotic Zuwa spices with a cooking technique he recognized from an old tradition.
"This fish soup is my grandmother's recipe," Kesi said as she placed the bowl down. "Fresh fish from the Zuwa fishermen this morning, with traditional spices that have been passed down for generations."
Li Yuan tasted the first spoonful and his gray eyes widened slightly. The flavor that exploded in his mouth was not just delicious, but also... familiar in an unexpected way. Not because he had ever eaten the same soup, but because there was something in the way the spices blended that reminded him of the philosophy of cultivation—balance, harmony, a complexity that was not excessive.
"Extraordinary," Li Yuan said sincerely. "There is a depth of flavor that is... not easy to explain."
Elsa nodded enthusiastically. "We've tried food from all three cultures here, and Kesi is indeed the best at combining different traditions."
Henrik broke off a piece of flatbread and dipped it into his soup. "What's interesting is how each culture here has a different approach to food. The Kuatri focus on the perfection of technique, the Luxen on presentation and variation, the Zuwa on depth of flavor and tradition."
A keen observation, Li Yuan thought. And it could probably be applied not only to food, but to their general approach to life.
"What has your experience been like here for the past three months?" Li Yuan asked, continuing to enjoy his soup.
Henrik and Elsa exchanged a look—a silent communication that showed they had discussed this topic often.
"It's complicated," Henrik finally answered. "From a business perspective, Sancheng is a paradise—three different trading traditions in one place, access to unique commodities from each culture. But socially..."
"There is an invisible tension on the surface," Elsa continued. "People are polite, professional, but there are... invisible walls."
Through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard the complex intentions of both of them: frustration, fascination, a genuine desire to understand. They weren't just tourists or profiteers—they genuinely wanted to understand Sancheng's social dynamics.
"An example?" Li Yuan asked, reaching for a piece of flatbread.
Henrik gestured toward the other table in the room. "Look at the family over there—a Kuatri father, a Zuwa mother, their beautiful daughter. But they eat here, in this 'neutral' inn, not at a food stall dominated by one of the communities. Why? Because they are not fully accepted everywhere."
Li Yuan observed the family Henrik was referring to. The father indeed had typical Kuatri features, the mother was clearly Zuwa, and their daughter—perhaps ten years old—had a beautiful blend of features from both her parents. Through his Wenjing Realm, he could sense the intention from that family: love, protective instincts, slight defensiveness.
They love each other, but feel they have to be cautious in public spaces, Li Yuan analyzed.
"Is the situation getting better or worse?" Li Yuan asked.
Elsa contemplated the question while stirring her soup. "It's hard to say. On one hand, there are more mixed marriages like Kesi and Liu Ming, or that family. The new generation of children seems more open. But on the other hand..."
"On the other hand, there are also movements to 'preserve cultural purity,'" Henrik finished with a somewhat bitter tone. "Some figures from each community are worried that their traditions will be lost due to too much interference."
Li Yuan nodded, reflecting on that information. The classic tension between preservation and evolution. The desire to maintain identity versus the desire to grow and adapt.
"What do you think about tomorrow's festival?" Li Yuan asked.
Henrik laughed, but it wasn't a joyful laugh. "Ah, the Day of Unity. Three days where everyone pretends that differences don't matter."
"Henrik," Elsa gently admonished, "don't be so cynical."
"I'm not being cynical," Henrik defended himself. "I'm being realistic. The festival is beautiful, don't get me wrong. The music is great, the food from all three cultures, the dancing is captivating. But after three days..."
"After three days, it's back to business as usual," Elsa finished with a softer but equally realistic tone.
Li Yuan sipped his fish soup while considering their perspective. There was truth in their view, but there was also something they might be missing.
"Perhaps," Li Yuan said slowly, "those three days of unity are more valuable than they seem. Not because they change everything permanently, but because they prove that it is possible."
Henrik and Elsa looked at him with attention.
"What I mean is," Li Yuan continued, "every time people from the three communities dance together, eat together, laugh together—they are building a memory of what it feels like when differences are not a barrier. That memory doesn't disappear after the festival ends."
Elsa nodded slowly. "Like... a deposit in an emotional bank?"
"Something like that," Li Yuan smiled. "And who knows, one day those small deposits will be enough to make a bigger change."
Henrik looked at him with a changed expression. Through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan sensed a shift in intention: reconsideration, tentative hope, respect for the perspective.
"You speak like a philosopher," Henrik said. "Or maybe like someone who has seen many places and situations."
More than you can imagine, Li Yuan thought with a faint smile.
"Wanderers tend to see recurring patterns," Li Yuan replied diplomatically. "Conflict and reconciliation, division and unity—these are universal themes in human life."
The conversation continued as they finished dinner. Henrik talked about his trade journeys to various ports, Elsa talked about the handicrafts she collected from different cultures, and Li Yuan shared general observations about human nature that he had developed during his "journeys."
What was interesting was how, as the dinner went on, the atmosphere in the room became warmer. The mixed family at the next table began to smile and laugh more freely. There was even a moment when their daughter came closer to Li Yuan's table to get a closer look at his gray hanfu which she said was "like clothes from a fairytale."
The seeping passive effect, Li Yuan realized. Even though he had tightly wrapped his abilities, the aura of tranquility that emanated from his presence still subtly influenced the surroundings.
When dinner was almost over, Liu Ming came out of the kitchen with a slightly tired but satisfied face.
"How was the food?" he asked everyone in the room.
"Perfect as usual," Henrik replied, patting his full stomach.
"You must pass that fish soup recipe down to your children and grandchildren," added the father of the mixed family at the next table.
Liu Ming smiled proudly, then his gaze fell on Li Yuan. "And our new guest? What do you think?"
"Extraordinary," Li Yuan answered sincerely. "There is a harmony in the flavor that reflects the philosophy of this place—differences that complement each other, not oppose each other."
Liu Ming and Kesi exchanged a look with a pleased expression. "You really understand the concept behind this inn," Kesi said.
"By the way," Liu Ming said, sitting down for a moment on an empty chair, "tomorrow morning we will be helping with the festival preparations. If you're interested in seeing how three communities work together for something big..."
"I would love to join," Li Yuan answered without hesitation.
Henrik nodded enthusiastically. "We will be helping too. Maybe we can all go together."
Festival preparations, Li Yuan thought. An opportunity to see Sancheng from a different perspective—not when they are separated in their daily routines, but when they try to unite for a common goal.
As the night grew late and guests started to return to their rooms, Li Yuan felt a deep satisfaction. This dinner had provided a valuable perspective on Sancheng's complexity—not from the viewpoint of theory or observation from afar, but from the direct experience of people who lived and worked amidst those dynamics every day.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day, Li Yuan thought as he went up to room 7. A day where I will see if the hope for unity can become a reality, even if only for a while.