Chapter 1557

The guest in white smiled as soon as he saw it, tossed the silver pieces to him, and got up to leave the small tavern. The attendant by his side asked, "Commandant Bai, was that man telling the truth?"

"The first part might be true, but the Black Flood Dragon pattern was purely his own fabrication." Bai Ziqi had bought a pouch of aphid honey wine from the tavern and took a casual sip. "This wine isn't bad... Currently, the Black Flood Dragon's horns are still sharp, like daggers; they haven't branched yet."

A flood dragon, after all, is not a dragon.

"Why do these people have to mix in lies when they brag?"

"People love to embellish. By making these things up, others pay more attention." Bai Ziqi sighed. "It just increases the difficulty of our verification."

He strolled along the pier; the sea surface was sparkling, and people were coming and going on the trestle bridge.

Porters were busy unloading cargo, and seagulls were busy stealing food, but everything looked orderly.

Many years ago, Bai Ziqi was sent on an official mission to the Yao Nation and also came ashore at Julu Port. But at that time, Julu Port was chaotic, dirty, and smelly, with sewage flowing everywhere and dilapidated houses. There were always people of unknown origin wandering back and forth in the streets and alleys. If any passing traveler was alone, they were likely to get a heavy blow to the back of the head, and when they woke up, they would be stripped clean—if they could wake up at all.

It could be said that Julu Port was a microcosm of the chaos on the Flash Gold Plain, giving a profound lesson to anyone who had just set foot on this land.

But today's Julu Port is simply a different port compared to six years ago.

Ships dock at the pier every hour, followed by cargo loading and unloading, and the porters and sailors can stay busy until late at night.

The trestle bridges and warehouses have been renovated, the roads have been widened, and every half hour, patrol soldiers appear in key areas.

Julu Port has become busy; there are fewer pickpockets and robbers, and fewer people walking around like zombies—the busy port provides a large number of jobs, so the number of people engaged in illegal activities has decreased.

Bai Ziqi stood on the pier and looked north, where he could see rows upon rows of brand-new, tall warehouses.

The attendant behind him said, "I've inquired; these are all warehouses of the Yangshan Society. Now, seventy percent of all the warehouses in Julu Port are rented or built by the Yangshan Society."

"In other words, seventy percent of the goods circulating here belong to the Yangshan Society; seventy percent of the people in Julu Port are working for Yangshan." Bai Ziqi stroked his chin and said, "Years ago when I met He Xiao, I only felt that this man was meticulous and had something to hide; I didn't expect him to be so successful in business."

It has only been a few years since He Xiao left Beijia, and he has actually built a massive commercial system with one hand, and even managed to thrive on the Flash Gold Plain, which is known for its chaos.

The younger generation is truly formidable.

"Let's go, let's go see the famous Ghost Market notice board."

The Ghost Market is even livelier now than it was before, almost operating as an all-weather market. All sorts of strange and bizarre things appear here, not only weapons and magic treasures, but sometimes even skulls of unknown creatures, or small pills of questionable origin and efficacy.

The only thing that hasn't changed is probably the Ghost Market's notice board.

This board is used for rewards, finding people and lost items, exchanging information, and trading intelligence. After Julu Port became busy, the Ghost Market notice board became the most important intelligence exchange station in the eastern Flash Gold Plain. A large amount of public and secret news is transferred through here every day.

Some notes on the notice board have faded and the handwriting has become faint, but a large number of papers are newly posted, most of them crookedly written with words like "Rebel Army recruiting, room and board provided, salary paid."

The attendant couldn't help but say, "They even write down the recruitment location; aren't they afraid of being wiped out by the authorities?"

"The former Pu Nation and the current Peng Nation don't care. Julu Port is a free port, and the regulations are very loose; otherwise, it wouldn't be this busy now." Bai Ziqi pointed to the notes and said, "The so-called 'Rebel Armies' that are springing up everywhere now are openly formed and recruited through the notice board, which shows that the authorities in the eastern and central Flash Gold Plain are already unable to control them."

The attendant said, "The Allied Forces seem to be fighting in Pixia, so they don't have time to worry about these grassroots teams, right?"

Most of the countries and forces on the Flash Gold Plain are small and weak, which is why many local powerhouses were born, claiming to be masters of one side in the name of protecting themselves. And the "Rebel Armies," encouraged and supported by the Black Armor Army, have turned their targets toward these local powerhouses.

This is the turmoil this land was experiencing when Bai Ziqi arrived on the Flash Gold Plain.

Bai Ziqi pointed to a few notes. "This one, this one, and this one—they are said to have a good reputation among the people. You should send people to infiltrate them."

"Yes." The attendant agreed first and then asked, "Commandant, why these few teams?"

"The Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds single-handedly created this storm. If he wants it to blow across the Flash Gold Plain, he must constantly protect and nurture it. Think about it, what kind of teams would he choose as objects of aid? Could it be those who hold the banner of a rebel army but only kill and loot?"

After strolling around Julu Port a few times, Bai Ziqi returned to the inn.

An attendant was waiting for him there with a man. He was in his forties, tall, dark, and thin, with deep crow's feet at the corners of his eyes; one look and you could tell he was someone who had traveled extensively and was weathered by the elements.

"Commandant, this is the guide introduced to us by the Haolin Society. His surname is Liu, and he is said to know the central and western Flash Gold Plain like the back of his hand."

Guide Liu immediately stepped forward, bowed, and saluted. "Greetings, Commandant. What is your surname?"

"Bai." Bai Ziqi asked him, "Do you work alone or with a group?"

"Are you an expert too?" Guide Liu smiled. "The roads weren't safe before, so I could only travel with groups; few people dared to travel alone. But I know the way from here to the Yao Nation very well. In the last six months, road conditions have improved and bandits have decreased, so I started working as a broker myself, delivering letters and goods for people."

Bai Ziqi gave an 'en' sound. "Are you affiliated with the Haolin Society?"

"Oh, yes. The Haolin Society acts as a go-between for us, and I have cooperated with the Haolin Society many times."

The "Haolin Society" is actually a professional agency, but it is not quite the same as a traditional broker. It mainly helps introduce odd jobs and short-term work, connecting artisans, industry, and all sorts of strange people on one end, and employers with needs on the other.

Simply put, if someone's roof is leaking, they can find a mason through the Haolin Society to repair it; if someone wants to do something illegal—ahem—they might also be able to find a suitable craftsman through the Haolin Society.

Bai Ziqi's subordinates found a guide through the Haolin Society so that they could take fewer detours and learn more about the local customs while traveling the Flash Gold Plain.

When you are in an unfamiliar place, having a reliable guide is very important. The Flash Gold Plain is a magical place that undergoes drastic changes every few years; the roads you took last time might not be there this time.

The Ghost Market notice board on the floating island also has this function, but with a third-party intermediary, the Beijia people feel more at ease.

Otherwise, you don't know what kind of monsters or demons you'll get from the notice board. Bai Ziqi is not worried about his own safety, but he doesn't want to be delayed by some short-sighted guy.