Chapter 10: Emerging from Seclusion

The landlady was plump, in her forties, with a kindly face. Seeing the sample in the customer's hand, she immediately said, "This kind is three hundred and thirty per ton, minimum half-ton wholesale."

Cao Chuan threw down the sample in his hand and turned to leave in righteous indignation. "Why is your coarse salt so expensive? I'll look around some more."

The landlady shifted her form to block Cao Chuan. "How much does the boss want? If it's a lot, it can be cheaper. Take another look at my salt — good quality, full of minerals. All the nearby pig farms buy wholesale from me."

"Let's start with five tons."

The landlady heard this and gave a final price straight away. "Three hundred, absolute lowest. If you don't believe me, go ahead and look around. No one in the whole market beats my price."

Cao Chuan asked again, "I don't want these fiber bags. Do you have any in hemp sacks, the kind with no writing on them?"

The landlady immediately revealed a knowing smile that said, "I knew you were buying it for cooking," and pointed behind her. "We do. Two-hundred-jin bulk packs, all in the warehouse."

Cao Chuan swiftly counted out the money and handed it to the landlady. "Is there any warehouse space for rent here?"

The landlady nodded while counting the money. "Yes, there are plenty of empty warehouses out back. Just go straight to the management division to rent one. Once you've rented it, come find me and I'll get someone to move it over. You cover the moving fee yourself."

After asking clearly where the management division was, Cao Chuan went over and explained his purpose. The people at the management division, hearing someone wanted to rent a warehouse, took him to choose one without a second word. In the end, he settled on one in a corner, a secluded spot. Then he continued paying, signing the contract, and getting the keys.

Returning to the salt stall, the landlady called over a single-row truck and two loaders and began transferring his goods.

Two-hundred-jin coarse hemp sacks — five tons was only fifty sacks. Two trips and the transfer was done. Cao Chuan paid off the driver and porters, pulled down the rolling shutter, turned on the warehouse light, and began strolling around the sacks.

Originally, he had wanted to bring Pingfeng Stronghold some high-end gifts, like the mirrors and lighters that often appear in novels. Later, he thought it over and it didn't seem quite right — what would mountain folk want with a bicycle? In the end, he decided to bring some salt. Mountain areas all seemed to lack salt, and this stuff was practical. Thus, the fifty sacks of coarse salt before him.

After thinking it through, Cao Chuan waved his hand and stowed away twenty sacks, intending to go over and see the reaction first. The ring space was a cube with a side length slightly less than three meters. Stowing twenty sacks of salt was effortless. Add the two boxes of currency, and more than half the space was still empty.

Figuring there was nothing else to do, he locked the door and went out. Checking the time, he saw it was already five-thirty in the afternoon without him noticing, so he took a taxi straight back to Li Douzhan's place.

Li Douzhan saw him come in and asked how the house was coming along. Cao Chuan nodded. "It's in the Cuiyuan District. I'll take you to see the place later. Mm, I have to go out and handle some goods in a couple of days. Might be three to five days, maybe ten or more. Just wait for my message, and have the channels ready."

Li Douzhan said somewhat gloomily, "I've already sold off all my stuff. All bought up by the brothers on the street. Had to move the goods fast, lost nearly ten thousand on it. Ah, all good things. Such a pity. From now on, brother, I'm counting on you for my meals."

Cao Chuan burst out laughing and threw an arm around someone's shoulders. "That junk of yours that shames your ancestors — you actually feel sorry for it? Come on, today this old man's treating you. First, we eat, then we two brothers go show some concern for those women who've stumbled in life. You lead the way, I'll pay. Let's go."

Eating lobster, drinking foreign liquor, singing love songs, battling in a hotel room — the two of them indulged in a night of extravagance and debauchery.

Waking up the next day, Cao felt that the pressure he'd accumulated recently still hadn't been fully released, so he had no choice but to spend a few more days in drunken dreams.

It wasn't until the fourth morning, when he saw that the snake inside the ring face had already formed a circle, that he hummed a tune and returned to the house in Cuiyuan District. He dialed Li Douzhan. "Just got word. I'm going to handle the goods. I'll call you when I'm back."

Li Douzhan, uneasy, gave instructions on the other end. "If anything happens, getting away safely comes first. Don't even think about the money or anything else. Do you understand?"

Cao Chuan grinned. "Worry not, brother. Just wait for news of my victory. Oh, and also, if my phone is out of the service area, that's normal. If you have something to say, just leave a message. Don't look for me."

Li Douzhan said nothing more. Cao Chuan hung up the phone, checked the doors and windows, then locked the door from the inside. He looked at the ring on his hand, closed his eyes, and gently rubbed it once.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already back in his room at Pingfeng Stronghold.

The furnishings in the room showed no signs of having been disturbed. He plopped down onto the bed and stretched out his hand to observe the ring.

The fine golden thread was still tracing a circle, still with a gap just like last time. He nodded. Everything was exactly as he had estimated.

This time, returning still landed him in the same room he'd departed from. He hadn't guessed wrong on that point.

Taking out his phone to check the time, he made a mental note. The ring needed roughly seventy hours or so to store enough energy for one teleportation — that is, three days in real time.

"Seems like from now on, I should be a bit more sparing with teleports. Store up more energy. If something happens and I can't get back, that'll be trouble."

He got off the bed and rose to his feet. In his mind, he filtered through all the various "explanations" he had prepared. After thinking it over and finding no more holes, he walked over and opened the door.

Mu Mountain four hundred years ago was far more primeval, far more lush. Gazing out from the doorway, he saw range upon range of folded peaks, clouds steaming and mist swirling, just like a fairyland. Cao Chuan silently watched the beautiful scenery until a thin figure came running up the mountain path below.

When the person arrived before him, Cao Chuan smiled and asked, "Zhao Si, did the Great Lord have you waiting here?"

Zhao Si's face was full of excitement. He panted, "The day before yesterday, when the True Man entered cultivation, the Great Lord ordered me to wait in the distance. The moment I saw the True Man emerge, I was to report."

"Go report. I'll loosen up my muscles and bones." Watching Zhao Si turn and sprint away at full speed, Cao Chuan began doing chest-expanding exercises in front of the door. Not long after, he saw four figures walking over quickly in the distance.

Zhou Tong laughed heartily from far off. "The True Man has emerged from cultivation! A cause for celebration! We brothers are late in coming — forgive us our offense."

Cao Chuan smiled cheerfully and gave a Daoist salute. "This poor Daoist himself did not know when he would emerge. What offense could you gentlemen possibly have?"

The two sides met. Seeing that Cao Zhenren was this time full of spirit and energy, his face glowing with health, not looking at all like someone who had gone hungry for days, Zhou Tong cupped his hands in admiration and said, "For the True Man to perform this practice for days on end — truly, his dharma power is profound. It seems the benefits gained are not shallow."

"Thanks to the ancestors' protection, this poor Daoist's meditation this time can be considered a success. I have sensed the earth essence of this region and even exchanged messages with the sect."

Lü Wenda let out an "Ah!" "Exchanged messages — do you mean transmitting letters through the void?"

Cao Chuan nodded. "As long as I have connected with a region's earth essence, this poor Daoist has secret methods to contact the duty disciples in the sect. You gentlemen need not be surprised."

Lü Wenda's mind was forcibly broadened considerably. He thought it over and felt it seemed reasonable after all: if a living person could be dispatched through thin air, sending a message was surely not difficult.