"Bad luck, lad," said Dan, the man River had asked to buy him some groceries. "There’s been unrest in the province, and all the cities under Duke Quaz have entered a state of martial lockdown. Traders have taken up to hoarding grain and the price of wheat has doubled overnight. There are checks for anyone entering the city, and no one can leave the city with more than a handful of resources unless they have a permit. I managed to buy you a small bag of rice, but that’s about it."

River looked at Dan with a great amount of regret as he heard the news. He did not even have enough food to feed himself and Pearl for more than a few days, let alone feed his guests. This was a bit of oversight on his part, mainly because this was the first time he’d run any kind of business. It never occurred to him to stockpile dry rations.

As if that was not bad enough, whatever caused the cities to enter lockdown was an even greater threat to him! After all, he was alone in the wilderness with no walls to protect him.

"Do you know why the cities entered lockdown?" River asked with concern, yet Dan only shook his head.

"It’s because of the clouds," Dan said pointing up at the now clear skies. "They said that the prolonged darkness from the rainy season caused the birth of some monsters or something. They’re calling them Abyssals. A few towns and villages suffered attacks, and even a nearby city - or so they say. I don’t know much about it, but rumor has it that the experts from the sects have been called down from the mountains to deal with the issue."

River sighed as he shook his head. Everything had been going so great. Why did this have to happen? Suppressing the hint of anxiety that had built up in his chest, River discussed the plan with Pearl about what to do.

The next morning, before dawn, they locked up the guest house, put up a sign saying they’re closed for the day, and began their journey towards Blue Stone city. Now that their health had somewhat improved, walking long distances was no longer as taxing.

They reached the city and promptly made their way to the city council office and got themselves a permit to take back food. It was fortunate that the story about the City Lord sponsoring the Guest House had spread, or else it was unlikely they would have been able to get a permit.

From there, they made their way to the market only to find it a mess. The city had imposed a quota system as of last night, and each citizen could only buy a certain amount each week. For that, they would need to provide a document proving they lived in the city, which would be stamped by whichever seller they bought the food from.

While River was thoroughly impressed by the efficiency of Blue Stone city, and the ingenious system through which they were rationing their supplies, River had no document nor did he live in the city. Even if he argued that he ran the Guest House some hours away from the city, no one dared to sell anything to him. Even the permit showing they could take food outside the city didn’t sway any of the sellers.

Within the necklace, Lex couldn’t help but shake his head, and be grateful for how helpful the system was with these things. At the same time, he could not help but wonder where the food he bought actually came from.

Of course, Lex could see that the situation wasn’t nearly as bad or as systematic as it appeared. He closed his eyes and let them deal with this problem on their own - even though a part of him was telling himself that he’d get back to the Guest House quicker if he just solved it for them. .

After spending hours trying to buy food with no success, River and Pearl were beginning to feel hopeless. Just as they were considering perhaps attempting to contact the City Lord and asking for his help, a small child waved at River to attract his attention, and then slipped into an alley, asking them to follow.

River and Pearl exchanged glances, but followed the child as he led them through a few different streets and into an inconspicuous looking building. Just as the two of them were hesitating about entering an unfamiliar building, a tall, rather handsome man stepped forth from the building wearing a great big smile. The clothes he wore were both luxurious and stylish, complimenting his appearance while also indicating his financial background.

"Ah, it is the honored owner of the Guest House. I was looking forward to meeting with you," the man said loudly, his voice carrying down the street. He stepped forward and shook River’s hand enthusiastically, and used the proximity to whisper a few words.

"I have heard you’re seeking to buy supplies. I can help you."

River was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm of the man, yet when he heard his following words he responded with an equal enthusiasm.

"The honor is mine, the honor is mine. I look forward to the day I can have you as a guest at our place," he responded loudly, and followed the man into the building, though his guard was up. Wasn’t this how people got kidnapped - not to mention River and Pearl were still being hunted... probably.

Yet the interior of the building was nothing alarming. If anything, it looked like a house belonging to some noble.

"Excuse the theatrics, they’re a necessary part of the business," the man said once they were inside, his tone warm even if he no longer spoke as loudly as he had outside. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Albert Reddings, owner of the Reddings Company. Please, take a seat."

If there was to be some kind of shady deal conducted, this kind of environment was the last thing River would have expected it to happen in. Between the extravagant designs on all the seats, the intricate woodwork on all the furniture and the fine art on the walls, this looked like a place where cities should have been governed. Shady deals should happen in dark alleys, no?

Then again, who said that this had to be shady? Maybe he was mistaken about what was happening.

"I would introduce myself, but I suspect you already know our names," River said as he sat across the man, showing no discomfort or fear as he gauged his surroundings. There were quite a few workers in the building, and all of them were in the early stages of Qi training, while Albert himself exuded no aura at all. Still, River did not think that he was weak.

Albert chuckled, as he nodded.

"Yes, yes, Mr. River and Ms. Pearl, I’ve heard all about you," Albert said. "I am a businessman, and I’m always on the lookout for opportunities and connections. Naturally, anyone who can catch the eye of the City Lord is someone I would pay a great deal of interest to.

"I have a number of businesses under me, and a greater number of connections. If there’s anything you need, I can help you get it one way or another. Based on what I heard in the market, it seems you’ve run short on supplies.

"As a gesture of good faith, I can get you all the supplies you require delivered to your Guest House for a 10% discount on your first order. If you’re satisfied with my service, then we can make a formal arrangement for delivery of goods. What do you say?"

River narrowed his eyes as he tried to discover what Alberts’ motives were. He did not think that their small venture outside the city could attract the attention of someone... so rich. Even if they were making a bit of money, he doubted his annual income would be enough to buy a single painting on the walls here.

"I doubt our business will give you significant profits. Why would you risk smuggling food out for us?" River asked, not hiding his scepticism.

Albert, however, laughed at the question.

"Smuggling? There seems to have been some kind of misunderstanding. I’m an honest business man, doing things legally. I don’t need to smuggle. The Reddings Logistics Company is responsible for resource acquisition for a number of Duke Quaz’s cities, so we move goods in and out of the city all the time. Sending some things your way is no trouble at all.

"And, I won’t deny it. Securing your business will only contribute a small amount to our revenue streams. But, I have a good feeling about you two, and I’ve heard great things from the City Lord himself. Even if I were to make a loss on this deal, I’d still take it just to build the contact. After all, the future is unpredictable.

"I myself am a self made man, starting from the streets and growing all the way to where I am today. I find... investing in people to be a whole lot more profitable than investing in small projects."