[Historical fantasy + ensemble wuxia cast + light comedy + mystery and secret identities + heroine’s growth]
The year Shen Xiaoman turned twelve, her mother went missing.
All she left behind was the nearly bankrupt Lai Gui Inn, a debt of twenty-three taels and seven qian, and five lodgers who refused to leave no matter what.
The lame bookkeeper complained every day that she couldn’t do the accounts.
The mute cook did nothing but cook and sharpen knives.
The drunk horseman’s greatest talent was sleeping in the stable.
The foul-tempered old man’s job was to stand at the door and yell at customers until they left.
And a beautiful older sister slept ten hours out of every twelve.
With the inn about to be seized by the moneylender, Shen Xiaoman finally snapped and hung a sign at the entrance:
No freeloaders allowed.
Can’t pay your room and board?
Fine.
Wash dishes, chop wood, feed the horses, wait tables. Everyone works.
Shen Xiaoman thought she was supporting five good-for-nothings.
Then one day, the authorities arrived in Qingshi Town with wanted notices.
She stared at the portraits on the wall, then at the five people fighting over the last chicken leg in the courtyard, and fell silent.
It turned out…
The lame bookkeeper was a wanted criminal who had made off with three million taels of disaster relief funds.
The mute cook was the world’s greatest assassin, who had slaughtered the imperial envoy’s residence.
The drunk horseman was the deputy marshal of the Northern Garrison Army, who had defected to the enemy twelve years ago.
The foul-tempered old man was the former leader of the martial arts world, who had slaughtered six great sects in a single night.
As for the beautiful older sister who could never seem to wake up…
She was the most valuable of all.
Her bounty was one hundred thousand taels.
Shen Xiaoman stared at the wanted notice all night.
The next day, she quietly tripled the room fees for all five of them.
“You’re all worth that much money, and you still expect to stay here for free?”
I quite liked the subject matter, but deducting two stars is my own fault; perhaps my standards were too high. I simply couldn't accept the innocent naiveté of the 12-year-old female lead.