Chapter 146: Discussing the Logistics and Support Undertaken by the Caravan, Another Face

Compared to the lobby of the Wangu Canzhuo, the Zihonghua inn was much more impressive. Not only was there a foot mat placed at the entrance to clean the soles of travelers' feet—this thing was made from very coarse wild boar bristles—but there was also a small pool for simply cleaning one's palms and face right next to the entrance of the lobby.

The water in this pool was even running water; a groove above flowed with clear water, while there was a drainage point below. The water circulated back and forth, and it was estimated that the internal design included a mechanism to filter out silt and sand, which was why the water here looked very clean.

There were idle shop assistants waiting at the lobby entrance. Although the shop assistants' clothing was shabby, it was at least neat and clean. Seeing another person arrive in the evening, this shop assistant took the initiative to step forward and receive them.

"Guest, please come this way. If your feet are dirty, you can scrub them hard on our mat here; they'll be clean in an instant!" the shop assistant said.

However, before this shop assistant with a low level of education could guide Jier to scrub the dirt off his soles and wash his palms in the pool nearby, several people hurried over from inside the lobby.

"Boss!"

The shop assistant was nervous and immediately greeted the inn boss who was walking over.

"There is nothing for you to do here now, go aside." The person speaking was a middle-aged man walking in the front row. Although this person was tall, his palms were slender and fair, clearly having not practiced martial arts for long. The beard on his face had been carefully groomed, making one feel he was dignified and full of wisdom. His brown hair was also different from the casual, unkempt style of most people; it had been specially styled and fixed into a good-looking shape using animal grease.

Behind this person was a sturdy man who was also tall but had bulging muscles and thick hands and feet. Although the sturdy man differed greatly in physique from the former, one only needed to look at his face to know he was the former's own brother.

This sturdy man had two single-handed axes strapped to his waist and wore a sleeveless leather armor. The material of the leather armor was somewhat peculiar; it was a deep black, reflective, unknown hide. It had bumps and ridges on it, but it deformed and adapted as the body moved, looking like a tough and sturdy material.

"May I ask if you are Knight Jier? Although I have already heard your name mentioned by the merchants staying overnight this evening, I did not expect you to come personally to look after them. I have heard of your, er, some news about you; you really are a young and capable person."

The tall and scholarly elder brother of the Oakes Brothers said in a sincere tone, and he even flattered Jier several times in the process.

Jier smiled: "My news? It isn't some evaluation saying I lack judgment and cannot recognize people, is it?"

"How could that be? It is all praise for you. The merchants in my shop are all praising your generosity and kindness in accepting their unfamiliar caravans to set out together with your team of warriors. And your extensive circle of friends, to be able to hire a team of Dwarf mercenaries—this is something even many great Nobles cannot do. And the Refining Qi of the warriors in your team; although I haven't been able to see their heroic bearing personally, I can clearly judge just from your appearance how heroic and battle-hardened those warriors must be."

One does not strike a person who is smiling. Although he had heard from the tavern boss that the Oakes Brothers were the supporters and financiers behind some local Bandit Groups and were not good people, the other party praised him so much the moment they met that it was truly hard for Jier not to develop a good impression of this person.

"Haha, you are right, you are right." Jier laughed and stepped forward, accepting the other party's guidance, and walked into the inn together.

The younger brother of the Oakes Brothers was, at this moment, examining Jier at close range. His gaze was burning as he looked at the Dagger and Sword at Jier's waist; he was clearly a knowledgeable person who knew his goods.

However, this person had not spoken the whole time. If he hadn't heard people say this person was a mute, Jier would have thought he couldn't speak. He looked like a ruthless guy with some strength who was taciturn.

Such people are often much more formidable than those frivolous guys who shout everywhere and show off their strength.

And much more dangerous.

Just through this one encounter, Jier realized why, at such a close distance to Dorn Town, these two brothers were able to create a secret black market right under the noses of the Bandit Guild.

The elder brother of the Oakes Brothers was truly good at talking. Even though Jier had a prior judgment and understanding of this person and wore colored glasses, he still developed a partial good impression of this person under the other's flattery. Coupled with the fact that the younger brother was a formidable character, in these barren places outside Dorn Town, this person could also be considered a good fighter. With the level of these two brothers, controlling a Village and establishing such a large-scale inn on the Shanglu was only to be expected.

With this strength, if the two brothers joined some large Merchant Guild, they would likely have long since become high-level members within the Merchant Guild, mastering vast resources and a certain social status.

But sometimes, some people, they can only be the leader of a team themselves; they cannot bear the existence of others above them who can control them. Therefore, starting from their hometown Village and expanding step by step, it was indeed a path that a person with a proud heart would take.

Jier and the elder brother of the Oakes Brothers talked as they walked. The floor of this Zihonghua inn was paved with smooth and flat solid mountain rock. Clearly, the cost of procurement and transportation would not have been small, but this also caused the style of the entire inn to rise all at once.

There were also many flowers and plants arranged inside the inn, but whether it was because the weather was too hot, these flowers and plants were all wilted, and only a few with tenacious vitality had bloomed with some fresh flowers, emitting a strong floral fragrance.

This actually offset the sweat odor emitted by the people of the caravans coming and going, and the smell in the air was much more pleasant. After all, bathing when staying outside cost extra money, and many Caravan Shop Assistants would rather stay smelly, find some small streams or rivers in the wild, and simply scrub themselves in the wild.

Several Oil Lamps were hung on the top of the lobby, and around the Oil Lamps were arranged thin, curled silver plates polished to a shine. The reflected light illuminated the large inn lobby quite brightly even at night. It was very different from the stingy style of other inns that were unwilling to light lamps at night.

The lobby was directly connected to the inn's own restaurant. At this time, the restaurant was very lively. Those Caravan Shop Assistants were each gathered in small, private circles according to their familiarity, eating and drinking heartily and discussing today's events with each other. However, Jier had sharp ears and heard that the topic of most people was him and his team, especially those alien Dwarves. The Caravan Shop Assistants, who rarely saw aliens, were each spouting nonsense about various Dwarf news they had heard before.

Things like Dwarves being immensely strong; don't look at how most of them are only one meter thirty or forty tall, but many Dwarves can lift an adult horse!

An adult horse is at least five hundred kilograms or more; this is a weight that could crush an ordinary person to death in an instant, and the legend that Dwarves can lift this weight is truly terrifying enough.

Others said that Dwarves can burrow into the ground; if they don't wear shoes on their feet, they will melt into the soil.

First the soles of the feet, then the calves and thighs, then the body, and finally, when only the head is left, it won't work, and they will be suffocated by the soil.

So if you see a human head moving on the ground close to the surface, that must be a Dwarf!!

What a bunch of messy, exaggerated, and false news.

Jier shook his head and said to the elder brother of the Oakes Brothers: "It seems the people from these caravans are all staying well here. You provide meals here too? Is it usually the inn chef who cooks, or do you rent it out for the staying caravans to cook for themselves? Where are the leaders of these caravans? I happen to have matters to discuss with them."

"Knight Jier, my scale here is okay, so I specifically built a restaurant next to the lobby two years ago. Not only can one eat here, but small-scale gatherings and card table entertainment are also possible. As for cooking, some familiar caravans that trust me will eat the food cooked by the restaurant chef, but most caravans cook their own food. I also understand them; after all, going out to do business carries great risks, and there are too many places that require caution. As for those wealthy caravan Stewards, they have separate rooms to dine on the other side."

The group passed through the entire restaurant. The Caravan Shop Assistants who were just talking and eating all quieted down after seeing Jier.

Some guys who were deliberately spouting nonsense 'stories' about Dwarves, after being stared at by Jier, tried hard to lower their heads and dared not spout nonsense anymore.

The special room behind the restaurant was a high-end room with very good privacy. As soon as he pushed the door and entered, Jier saw that the floor was covered with carpets, but in this hot weather, are they not afraid of the heat?

When the caravan Stewards stood up to welcome Jier, Jier discovered that behind every Steward there was a young girl fanning the Merchant.

No wonder these people didn't feel the heat.

"Don't be nervous, everyone sit, sit. I came over just to see how you are all doing staying at the inn and if you have encountered any difficulties," Jier said, and he himself found a sturdy-looking wooden chair and sat on it.

"No, no."

"Rest assured, this route is a familiar route we have walked dozens of times. There are no difficulties!"

"Except for the Bandits on the road..." someone finally said.

Jier glanced seemingly casually at the elder brother of the Oakes Brothers. This guy was standing at the door, neither intending to join the conversation nor closing the door and leaving, with a smile on his face, and one didn't know what calculations he was making in his heart.

"This is the second thing I came over to discuss with you tonight," Jier puffed out a breath from his nose and said unhappily.

"My Lord, our Merchant Guild is willing to bear the accommodation expenses for you and your warriors while traveling along the way!" a middle-aged Steward said confidently first.

Jier raised his eyebrows.

One must know that Jier had quite a few people under him; the accommodation expenses for everyone were not a small sum. It was even much more than the money most Merchant Guilds could earn from one trade trip.

For this person to make such a bold statement, either their Merchant Guild was very powerful, or the goods they were transporting on this trip were very valuable, or they had to be delivered.

Smiling, Jier naturally would not let this money-saving opportunity pass: "Are you sure? If someone is covering the expenses, the accommodation conditions for me and my warriors will be upgraded voluntarily, you know?"

This person paused, but still nodded heavily: "That's right, our Merchant Guild will cover this expense."

Jier immediately stepped forward enthusiastically to shake hands with this caravan Steward and patted each other's arms affectionately.

However, Jier's shoulder creaked twice, while the caravan Steward twitched the corners of his mouth in some pain.

With the first person, the second person immediately indicated that they would bear the maintenance costs for Jier's caravan horses and carriages along the way until their caravan parted ways with Jier's team.

This was also very good; after all, there were many cattle and horses in the caravan, and the daily forage and Bean supplements were not cheap.

Due to the unexpected drought and lack of rain this year, the grass and trees on the wasteland along the Shanglu were not lush, and collecting forage along the road by oneself was not feasible.

"Not bad, not bad." Jier was very satisfied.

Subsequently, several other Caravan Stewards also stood up one by one, each taking on a portion of the expenses along the road. Furthermore, they were not lacking in discernment; they all took out money bags they had prepared in advance from the dining table and handed them to Jier.

Jier did not open them on the spot to count; the money bags were not large, and even if they were filled entirely with Gold Coins, it would not amount to much money.

Throughout the entire conversation, the two brothers who owned the inn stood by the door the whole time. Even though the young girls who had been fanning them earlier had taken the initiative to leave, the two of them did not feel like outsiders, watching Jier and the others talk and exchange money.

Jier certainly knew the two had not left, but seeing that these Caravan Stewards did not speak up to urge the two brothers to leave, he could not be sure of the relationship between these people.

The relationship between these people was very strange; it did not look like the relationship between guests and an inn, but rather more like they had some deep, cooperative relationship?

Jier reckoned that these Merchants were all regulars at the secret black market run by these brothers. The economic ties between them were very close.

—

"The matter is settled. Won't the inn owner take me for a tour of this inn? After all, your place looks quite large and rather nice."

After Jier finished speaking, the elder of the Oakes Brothers immediately indicated that it was only right, and led Jier outside.

Before leaving, he looked at the various Caravan Stewards and gestured with a pre-arranged signal.

Several Merchants looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Before long, the Oakes Brothers, having sent Jier away, returned to this private room.

Those young girls who had been fanning them were not called back; the large door was closed and locked from the inside.

"How was it? Having seen this young Knight with your own eyes, do you think he can do it?"

It was the same Merchant who had been the first to stand up and offer to cover the accommodation expenses for Jier's men; he had a serious expression, and as he spoke, he leaned back against the wooden chair, turning a gemstone ring on his finger.

The elder of the Oakes Brothers looked at his younger brother, who had also sat down; the tall Warrior, who had not said a single word, curled his lips: "So young, even if he is a Knight, how formidable can he be? There isn't a shred of killing intent or bloodlust on him, hmph. The key to the matter is not him, but those armored Refining Qi subordinates of his."

This fellow's eyes were fervent: "If I had such a troop, I would have dominated a town long ago; why would I voluntarily run to the front lines of a war to throw my life away!"

The other Merchants also nodded, though it was unclear if they truly agreed with Xiao Aokesi's assessment. Many of them had a rough understanding of a Knight's combat power—it was a formidable strength capable of rivaling a hundred Soldiers.

But the opponents they had to face in this scheme were not few in number either.

"Since the key to the matter lies with those armored Refining Qi Warriors, and those alien Dwarf! Oakes, your people must make the necessary preparations!" another Caravan Steward spoke up.

The elder of the Oakes Brothers did not like people using a commanding tone with him, but fortunately, they were all equal in status, and their relationship was more about cooperation rather than one commanding another, so he could still refrain from losing his temper.

With a smile on his face, he said: "Rest assured, the 【Wangu Canzhuo】 has tight defenses. Those old fogies' subordinates are all as stubborn as he is. Those Bandit scouts hiding in the unmanned wooden shops at the crossroads will not know that those staying there are alien Dwarf."

"What about 【Siren Ganzi】? I heard that fellow is an outsider; he might just get mixed up with those Bandits from out of town!" a Merchant said worriedly.

The elder of the Oakes Brothers shook his head and then nodded: "That is exactly what we want them to know! Those cunning out-of-town Bandits—they had the audacity to plunder a large-scale Caravan of the 【Wealth Fruit】 Merchant Guild just a few days ago. They really took a huge bite out of that fat meat."

"But precisely because of that, they are like beasts that have eaten their fill, picking and choosing their prey."

He narrowed his eyes: "Cunning Bandits will suspect that this is a trap set by Duoen. After all, having just plundered a large Caravan, how could such a large, lucrative convoy appear again this time?"

He smiled confidently: "The armored Refining Qi Warriors under Knight Jier will make those cunning Bandits believe: the reason such a large convoy has appeared again so soon is naturally because those armored Refining Qi Warriors accompanying the convoy are the guarantee of the convoy's safety."

Quite a few Caravan Stewards understood the implication that had not been spoken aloud, and they all nodded.

Concealing the traces of the formidable alien Dwarf while deliberately revealing the presence of the armored Refining Qi Warriors would, on the contrary, attract the attention and greedy desires of those out-of-town Bandit Groups whose numbers had been swelling rapidly of late.

At this moment, a Caravan Steward raised his hand and asked: "Won't a group of armored Refining Qi Warriors scare those out-of-town Bandits away? If they don't come, even if we use every means at our disposal, it will be very difficult to lure Knight Jier's men into fighting those out-of-town Bandits. After all, it is unlikely that Knight Jier's men will stray too far from the Caravan."

"Rest easy. The scouts I have planted in those out-of-towners' groups tell me that those people are very arrogant right now. Not one of them holds the Merchant Union in any regard. These people are even considering gathering more men and nearby refugees, thinking of attacking Duoen."

The words of the elder of the Oakes Brothers made the Merchants present gasp.

"Are they insane? Do they really think the Thieves Guild is just there to eat for free?"

These Caravan Stewards had all witnessed how the Thieves Guild had killed and subdued the local Bandit Groups back when Duoen was first established.

As a main Shanglu connecting the province, the number of Bandits here was originally not as small as it was now.

At one time, there was even a Bandit Group with a size of over a thousand people entrenched locally—no, at that scale, it could no longer be called a group, but a Bandit army.

But even so, a Bandit army of that size was wiped out by the Thieves Guild.

?? Welcome everyone to subscribe to this book, follow the updates, add it to your favorites, and support the book with recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and tips! Thank you all!