Chapter 1393

Xue Zongwu could certainly understand his sarcasm. After the Yangshan Society had Fan Shuang file a formal complaint, King Yao sent a flying letter to the northern line, scolding Xue Zongwu severely and warning him to restrain himself.

Fan Shuang didn't know what was going on with these two cases, but King Yao knew clearly, though in the end, he didn't punish him much.

So both Xue Zongwu and He Lingchuan knew very well that such complaints couldn't hurt Xue Zongwu's foundation.

But He Lingchuan still had to complain; this was a matter of attitude.

Regarding the arson case in Xuan City, both Yangshan and Xue Zongwu were not very comfortable. The former had people die, and the latter got scolded.

"I think Island Master He is also a case of 'seeing is believing.' Those who can grow a business this large are usually smart people." Xue Zongwu looked at He Lingchuan and narrowed his eyes. "Smart people don't do stupid things."

Smart people should know who absolutely cannot be offended.

"General Xue is too kind with his praise." He Lingchuan seemed not to have heard the threat in his words. "I only have this little bit of ability; tossing and turning, it's just a small business, and sometimes I even have to make wedding clothes for others."

Clearly, King Yao had personally stamped the agreement, but this piece of paper couldn't truly be implemented.

Xue Zongwu laughed: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? What other way is there? If you don't acknowledge it, I'm afraid the road ahead for you will only get narrower."

Even if the King of Heaven blocked his path or hindered his affairs, he would have to be kicked away by him.

The one surnamed He had suffered a loss under his hand and was unwilling to accept it.

Very well, whether he suffered a loss or was angry, he should just keep it all bottled up!

His smile was like a fierce tiger staring at a sheep; Fan Shuang beside him couldn't help but shiver.

The aura of these great generals who command armies is truly terrifying!

The Soul-Stealing Mirror said angrily: "Killed our people, burned our house, and still tell us to accept our fate? This bastard!"

"What's there to fear about it being narrow?" He Lingchuan's smile remained unchanged. "They say when the mountains end and the water runs out, there's no way forward; but as long as you kick away the big rock blocking the path, who knows if there isn't a village with bright flowers and willow trees behind it?"

Kick away? Xue Zongwu looked at him steadily for two moments, then burst into loud laughter: "Truly has the heroic spirit of a young man; no wonder the King takes a fancy to you."

Fan Shuang finally realized the atmosphere between these two was wrong and hurriedly interrupted: "The carriage is here, General Xue. We must take our leave first."

He didn't even mention the drink anymore.

He was retreating; General Xue was a fierce tiger of a person, he'd better not try to climb up to him.

"Oh?" Xue Zongwu asked. "Where is Island Master He going? Would you like to travel with me and keep me company?"

Fan Shuang was sweating so much he was about to drip. General Xue was a master who killed without blinking; if He Xiao dared to provoke him, would there be any good outcome? "I still have a few business deals to discuss, I'm afraid I can't keep up with General Xue's pace." He Lingchuan replied calmly. "When I reach Tianshui City, I will go pay a visit to General Xue."

"Good, it's a deal." Xue Zongwu curled his lips and turned to leave.

Seeing him get into the carriage and speed away under the protection of two hundred elite cavalry, Fan Shuang let out a long sigh of relief and complained a bit: "Brother He, why on earth did you provoke General Xue? Everyone else avoids him like the plague."

"He was the one who approached me." He Lingchuan was equally indifferent. "Besides, the people I have to offend later have higher status and greater airs than him. If you have many lice, you don't feel the itch; what am I afraid of him for?"

Fan Shuang was ashamed.

He knew He Lingchuan was referring to Qingyang.

It seems Island Master He is also very clear about his own side's intentions.

He Lingchuan added: "Besides, do you really think he dares to kill me in the capital of the Yao Nation, in broad daylight?"

"Uh..." Fan Shuang truly had no confidence in his heart.

General Xue killing people in a fit of rage in Tianshui City was nothing new.

He Lingchuan was saying: "Even in Spirit Void City, even under the eyes of the gods, such things have never happened."

Fan Shuang had a thousand words but didn't know where to start, so he just offered a few forced laughs, suddenly feeling that this trip accompanying He Lingchuan into the capital was not easy.

He clearly saw through your thoughts and schemes, yet wouldn't easily expose you; he seemed approachable and enthusiastic, but you didn't know when he would suddenly become sharp.

Thinking of the fierce General Xue and then looking at the pleasant He Lingchuan, it was hard to imagine that just now it was He Lingchuan who had taken the initiative to provoke General Xue, without any ambiguity.

Fan Shuang didn't understand, since He Lingchuan knew that the trip to Tianshui City meant facing the big trouble of the Qingyang Regent, why did he still provoke General Xue for no reason?

But he also thought that this "good friend" was the one who had retreated unscathed from the vortex of the struggle between Qingyang and Frost Leaf, Spirit Void City and the Heavenly Palace over the Anti-Aging Pill case. How could he act without measure or backing? He Lingchuan patted his shoulder and said happily: "Alright, Brother Fan, let's get moving too, to reach the capital earlier."

He couldn't just fly off; after all, there was still Fan Shuang beside him, and the guards sent by King Yao. Fortunately, after Xue Zongwu got off the boat, he took a carriage, and that speed was naturally much slower than riding a horse; He Lingchuan still had a chance to catch up.

He asked Fan Shuang: "How shall we proceed next?"

After getting off the White River, there were several routes to choose from to get to the Yao capital.

Fan Shuang already had a plan and said immediately: "The shortest route is to pass through Zhuo'an and continue east; we can reach the capital in four days. If Brother He wants to see Mangzhou, we can take a slightly longer detour, and we can reach the capital in six days."

He was accompanying a distinguished guest into the capital; no matter where the guest wanted to go, as long as they could make it to King Yao's birthday celebration, he would try his best to accompany them.

He Lingchuan clapped his hands: "I've heard that Mangzhou is also a rare prosperous place on the Flash Gold Plain."

Fan Shuang was a bit proud: "That's right, Mangzhou is our nation's second-largest city, whether in terms of area, population, or resource endowment."

"Then let's go to Zhuo'an."

"... Brother He doesn't want to go to Mangzhou to take a look?" If you don't want to go, why are you rubbing your hands together? "I want to very much, but I'll go on the return trip." He Lingchuan was methodical. "I remember there are a few families in Zhuo'an preparing to cooperate with Yangshan?"

He just happened to go there to scout the location.

"Everyone else wants to go to prosperous places to play, but Brother He is always thinking about business; no wonder you are such a successful big merchant." Fan Shuang understood. "Good, let's go to Zhuo'an to pay visits to a few noble families."

After they left, the pier was still bustling, with people unloading cargo and loading boats, busy and happy.

As for the boat the Weng brothers took, after nightfall, the boat foreman went to the pier tavern and ordered two cups of water-wine and a dish of boiled beans in brine.

This trip had earned him a good profit; the wages he didn't pay those few people all went into his pocket. Thinking of this, the boat foreman ordered another plate of pigskin jelly, just to treat himself to some meat.

They couldn't leave tonight anyway; after the boat was resupplied, they would have to return tomorrow.

He was drinking comfortably when a person emerged in the tavern and sat down at the empty chair at his table.

The boat foreman was just about to tell him to get lost when this person took out two pieces of silver and placed them on the table: "Brother, I'm here to ask you for some information."

This money was enough for him to eat meat for several meals. The boat foreman immediately swallowed his harsh words and reached out to collect the silver: "Ask what?"

"Did General Xue come over on your boat?"

"No."

Wanshou Feng was startled. No? He had asked all the way here.

"After the boat left Dragon Mouth Ferry, I only then knew that General Xue had sent his subordinates to my boat, while he chose another small boat himself."

Wanshou Feng suddenly understood. So Xue Zongwu had used a diversion? Smart.

"Several people were dragged off your boat this afternoon; what was that about?"

"Those few..." The boat foreman hesitated, weighing the silver in his hand a few times.

Wanshou Feng understood in a second and threw out another piece of silver.

"General Xue's guards determined that these few were acting suspiciously and wanted to take them away for interrogation."

Suspicious? Wanshou Feng asked again: "What happened on the boat?"

"Nothing at all, everything was peaceful."

"No fighting, no disputes?"

"Nothing at all. This was the smoothest trip I've had in all my years of sailing." After the boat foreman finished speaking, he tilted his head and took another drink.

By the time he put down his wine cup, the person opposite him was already gone.

On this side, Fan Shuang led He Lingchuan and the others on their journey, not finding an inn to rest until nightfall.

Entering the central part of the Yao Nation, the inns here were different from those elsewhere on the Flash Gold Plain, and even distinct from those in the western part of the Yao Nation; they were no longer just for simple lodging and changing horses. These inns were also open to civilians and merchants, with food and lodging several grades higher, no different from inns outside.

Furthermore, they provided services for purchasing horses, sending and receiving letters, and purchasing local products on behalf of others.

This was the first time He Lingchuan had seen an inn that could make purchases on behalf of others; even Beijia didn't have this. Local civilians and merchants could order goods from within a hundred-li radius from the innkeeper; passing messengers would send out these requests, and when merchant caravans came by, they would bring the goods along.

This provided great convenience to the locals and even indirectly promoted the prosperity of the local market.

He Lingchuan knew that this kind of operation required the prerequisites of abundant supplies, good public security, convenient transportation, and smooth information flow; it was evident that the Yao Nation was truly a rare flower on the Flash Gold Plain.

No wonder the Flash Gold people both hated it and yearned for it.

He Lingchuan even saw wine-aphid candies produced in the Yangshan Archipelago on the inn's shelves! This was a new product launched at the end of last year, personally developed by Zhu Xiuer, with a hint of alcoholic yeast fragrance in the aphid sugar. Those with a poor tolerance for alcohol would feel slightly tipsy after eating a few pieces.

He remembered that when this kind of candy was first supplied to Blade Harbor and Bailie, it was a rhythm of selling out as soon as it hit the shelves.

But the price of wine-aphid candy here was only about double that of Yangshan.

He Lingchuan muttered: "So cheap?"

"This is cheap?" Dong Rui happened to hear this. "You black-hearted merchant!"

"Although aphid sugar doesn't spoil easily, the transportation cost from Yangshan to here is high. Doubling the price is roughly equivalent to earning a thin profit." He Lingchuan sighed. "To think that even aphid sugar isn't selling well; it truly deserves to be the hometown of cocoa."

Yes, one of the specialties of Zhuo'an is cocoa! Today is the start of the holiday, wishing everyone a happy May Day!

How do you plan to spend this holiday? Staying at home eating, drinking, and playing games, or traveling outside?

(End of chapter)