Chapter 750: The Woodcarving Craftsman Kake and the Unemployed Keluobinte

"Very well, Mr. Potter Kake. I need you to handle some matters, and there will be a generous reward. However, this matter requires you to keep it confidential, is that understood?" Jier leaned his upper body forward; although he was sitting, his presence still caused the standing Craftsman Kake to shift his feet slightly and move backward.

"Yes, yes. I was told before coming that confidentiality is required. Please rest assured, my lord, I will keep my mouth shut regarding the work."

After saying this, Craftsman Kake pressed his lips tightly together, appearing to demonstrate his determination to keep the secret.

But Jier knew that such things were actually a game of confrontation between threats and money; one could not take it entirely seriously, yet one could not afford not to.

"Very well, let us go next door and discuss those matters in detail."

Jier stood up and led Craftsman Kake out of the room. Mr. Scott remained in his "none of my business" posture, pretending to read a book.

Next door was the most confidential and secure negotiation room of the Burning Furnace Merchant Guild in Duoen Town. Mr. Scott's subordinate helped him open the iron-clad wooden door, which had no lock or latch on the outside, to let Knight Jier enter.

As it turned out, this room could only be locked or opened from the inside; the only way in from the outside was to break the door down.

This was a windowless, enclosed room; where there should have been windows, there were only walls. Therefore, when the door was first opened, the room was pitch black. The subordinate, familiar with the placement of items, had to grope through the darkness to reach the lighting mechanism and rotate the luminous small stone pillar embedded in the wall.

Similar to a thick scroll, once it was rotated to face outward, the side that was always glowing was revealed. The entire spacious room could be illuminated by just two of these luminous small stone pillars.

"That's enough, you may withdraw."

Jier waved his hand at Mr. Scott's subordinate, and the man bowed and left.

Jier fastened the metal latch behind the thick door, closing it from the inside.

Although it was called a place for confidential talks, in Jier's view, the room actually looked more like a dining room than the one next door. In the middle of the room was a long wooden table covered with a layer of intricately woven table carpet. The table carpet featured interesting patterns that seemed to be a story winding in a full circle; at a quick glance, it appeared to tell the legendary story of the founding of the Burning Furnace Merchant Guild.

"Find a place to sit; let us sit down and talk."

Jier sat on a high-backed chair at one side of the long table and gestured for the other person to sit opposite him.

After Craftsman Kake nervously and cautiously sat down, Jier pulled a folded piece of paper from his inner pocket.

"Come, look at this and tell me if you can make it."

Jier unfolded the paper, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward him.

Craftsman Kake glanced at it and nodded to indicate he could do it, but his eyes still held doubt because he had never seen the image of the Statue of the God on the paper. It was not the image of any deity commonly carved from wood.

Moreover, this was a strange Statue of the God with a bird's head and a human body, right?

It didn't seem like the Lord of the Sky looked like this, either?

"Very well, since you can make it, about how long would it take you to produce one that is palm-sized?"

Jier touched the clothes on his chest, underneath which was the Da Niao Mujiao hidden by his garments.

Out of caution, Craftsman Kake moved the paper in front of him to carefully examine the level of detail in the image. He pondered for a moment and replied, "My lord, I can make seven or eight in about half a day if I work alone. If I include my two apprentices, I can make about twenty in a day."

"Apprentices are unnecessary; this is a matter that requires confidentiality, do you understand? Seven or eight in half a day is very good, so I will entrust this job to you."

"My lord, could you be more specific?"

Jier coughed lightly and explained: "Like this, I am hiring you from now until midnight tomorrow to work with all your might to make this item alone. Just this wooden carving image on the paper—uh, bird head and human body, with a line of text on the back, carve that too. You must provide me with at least twenty of these palm-sized wooden statues. In return, I will pay you one silver coin per wooden carving. And to ensure you keep this matter confidential, once the work is finished, I will pay an additional reward of one gold coin as payment for your lifelong silence on this matter. How is that? Do you have any questions?"

Somewhat to Jier's surprise, although Mr. Kake appeared unconfident and timid, he showed no panic or fear regarding such a suspicious task; instead, he seemed somewhat excited, possessing the distinct look and feeling of someone whose luck had finally turned.

"I can, I can, Knight, I—I accept this job! Please rest assured and leave it to me; I guarantee I will use all my energy to produce wooden carvings that satisfy you. However."

"However what?"

Jier liked to use words like 'but' and 'however' himself, but he did not like others saying them to him.

"It's like this, my lord, I would like to confirm again: this job is a minimum of twenty wooden carvings, and there is no upper limit, correct?"

"You could say that, but because it requires confidentiality, this must be done by you alone. Once finished, bring the completed items to the road junction south of town tomorrow night and wait for me."

"Ye-yes, Knight."

Jier finally rested his hands on the long wooden table, supporting his chin with the back of his hand. He stared at the other man and said slowly, "This matter is very important to me; I hope you understand. Since you have accepted the job, do not go back on your word halfway. Otherwise, I would not mind finding you personally to give you some 'minor' physical harm. Additionally, you may have realized that there are some aspects of this matter that are not easy to let others know."

"If, if you think about telling or reporting this matter to others, I can guarantee that I won't do anything." He tapped the table with his finger: "The person who contacted you today won't do anything."

"But you will certainly have lost a desperately needed fortune, and whatever others guarantee to give you will certainly not be as much as what I give. Do you understand? Because this matter requires confidentiality, what I give will always be more than what others offer."

Mr. Kake nodded continuously, feeling as if his neck were about to snap.

"Take this paper with you. Remember, one finished wooden carving equals one silver coin in earnings. If you want to earn this money, go back and work hard to produce them."

"Yes, yes, Knight!"

Jier saw off the hurried and excited-looking Craftsman Kake on the stairs of the Merchant Guild's main building.

Afterward, he said to Mr. Scott's subordinate, "Send the next person found over."

After saying this, Jier returned to the confidential negotiation room he was temporarily borrowing.

The person who walked in next was a young man in his teens, about the same age as Jier. He could not be called a boy because, in this area, once a young person reached thirteen or fourteen, they could join a merchant guild and start working as a lowest-level Shop Assistant.

At this same age, regardless of gender, one could also find a craftsman in a workshop and begin an apprenticeship. If everything went smoothly, after five years of learning, at most by the age of twenty or so, they would finish their apprenticeship, be able to work officially, and start a family.

Therefore, once they reached thirteen or fourteen, they could no longer be called boys; the term 'youth' could be used to describe young men and women of this age.

"I am Knight Qiao-Jier."

Jier did not stand up; he just sat in the chair, gestured for the newcomer to sit, and stated his name.

"Kn-Knight? Good afternoon, my lord! I am Fita Keluobinte. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Sit down first, Keluobinte."

After the thin young man sat down, Jier examined him for a moment before speaking.

This person was dressed very much like a young Shop Assistant from a local merchant guild, but he had no identifying pattern of any merchant guild on him, not even the sign of any shop. Clearly, this person was very 'free'; in other words, he did not have a proper job.

"Are you a local?"

Upon hearing this question from Knight Jier, Keluobinte shuddered. The confidence and indifference he had deliberately feigned seemed to deflate like a punctured pig's bladder.

"My lord, this, uh, um, does that have any connection to why you called for me?"

"Oh, so you are not a local. Also, do not answer a question with a question; you do not have the qualification to evade questions."

"Ye-yes, I understand, my lord."

The other person lowered his head.

Jier then said: "It does not matter if you are not a local; it is just that the task is a bit different. Either is fine. *Cough cough*, then, let us begin officially."

"Jier, I need you to do some things for me. It's not difficult, but it requires secrecy and a bit of a flexible mind and mouth."

"My lord, which fellow offended you? Do you need me to go and slander him? Believe me, I'm especially good at that!"

"Hmph, quite the opposite, Jier, quite the opposite. I need you to spread some news in the town, not to slander anyone, but to promote it!"

Speaking up to this point, Jier paused, then took out a folded piece of paper from his bosom, though his movements were hesitant, as if he didn't want others to see the contents of the paper.

But in the end, the paper was pushed in front of the other person.

"Open it and take a look."

After receiving permission, Jier dared to unfold the folded paper. He himself was literate; although not very much, it was enough for daily use. In the mostly illiterate Duoen Town, being able to read and write was already considered a skill for making a living.

Because he could barely scrape by by identifying transaction contracts, debt agreements, writing letters, and so on for people. To truly support a family, one still had to enter a shop or Merchant Guild and become a small Steward of a shop or a formal Shop Assistant of a Merchant Guild.

However, when Jier read the contents of the paper, his whole face became strange; he covered his mouth tightly, almost laughing out loud.

Because the so-called 'news' to be spread on it was truly strange and funny enough.

【Shocking! In the Western Mountains, panicked Bandits claim to have seen flocks of crows circling in the sky for a long time. Is it collective mourning, or is it foreshadowing something? Why did the Bandit leader disband the group overnight? Is it related to this?】

【A proud Hunter from the Swamp Region of the Central Province claims: 'In the area near Duoen Town, no one is better at hunting flying eagles in the sky than him!' The Merchant Guilds are collectively unconvinced and are preparing to select the most capable Hunter in this town to compete!!】

【The complex emotional relationships of domestic birds, you are guaranteed not to know! Which one makes your family harmonious? And who can make you win consecutive bets? Information that even followers of the Goddess of Luck keep silent about!】

【Many women beat their own children, but it is because they cry in the middle of the night! But the children say it wasn't them who did it. What exactly is lingering under the windows of every household? Sobbing every night and disturbing people.】

【What to do if downy feathers grow on a child's body? Is the extra pair of wings on the back a Magic mutation? Or a conspiracy of an evil cult? Who will take responsibility for this?】

【A Bounty Hunter risks danger alone and is captured alive by a Bandit Group! How can he escape from the bear's mouth and tiger's den? And who can protect him?】

【A call from the ancient times! Is the long-haired lynx Beast actually an envoy from the wilderness? Is it true or false? Go quickly and ask those cats that walk upright and can still curse!】

A few seconds after finishing, Jier couldn't hold it back anymore; he covered his face with his hands and laughed wantonly.

But after laughing a few times, he came to his senses, his two fingers parted, just in time to meet the gaze of the cold-faced Knight Jier. This made Jier immediately rub his face, stand up, and bow repeatedly to apologize.

"Please forgive me, Knight, please forgive me! I didn't mean to laugh out loud."

Jier curled his lips and waved his hand to signal him to sit down properly.

"Alright, it's quite ridiculous, right? Let me ask you, do you have the urge to know the follow-up news for these contents?"

Jier nodded repeatedly, his mouth tightly shut, looking like he especially wanted to speak but was afraid of laughing out loud.

"Since that's the case, your job is to spread this news throughout Duoen Town starting today, using every method you can imagine. Taverns, roadside shops, people's gossip, places of leisure and entertainment—spread them out. Is there any difficulty?"

"No, no, I make my living by this, please leave it to me, my lord. I guarantee that in just a few days, everyone in the town will know this news. But my lord."

"What? Is there any difficulty?"

Jier waved his hands hurriedly: "No difficulty, no difficulty. Everyone has been living tightly these days, and they just need this kind of news that makes people happy as soon as they hear it to adjust their mood. Yes, adjust their mood. I mean, is this news true or false?"

Jier sat up straight, hands on his chin: "Is there a difference?"

"Yes, yes. For example, this one, the Hunter from the Central Province, is there really such a person? If the news spreads, I think many people will want to meet this so-called proud Hunter."

Hearing this, the corners of Jier's mouth curled up.

"Is there, or is there not? Heh, someone thinks there isn't, but, I think perhaps there might be?"

Jier's words were ambiguous and strange, as if he had answered, yet as if he hadn't. At the same time, it was as if he were speaking to the Jier in front of him, and yet not specifically for him.

"Uh, my lord, is there or is there not?"

"That's hard to say, there might be, or there might not be, who knows. Alright, Jier, having finished what you need to do, let's talk about your reward, shall we?"

"My lord, please speak!"

The thin young man immediately widened his eyes, looking expectant.

"Although the matter is not difficult and it seems many people can do it, I want to tell you that this matter must be kept secret. When you spread the news, someone will surely ask you where the news came from. I hope you can tell everyone who asks that you heard it from others. If someone forces you, your answer can, and only can be one: 'I heard it in my sleep. Someone was talking and drinking with me in my sleep, He spoke, I listened. It was dawn before I knew it.' You can only answer like this."

Seeming to sense something was wrong, Jier hesitated for a moment.

But immediately, Jier brought out his trump card.

A Gold Coin.

"This is your reward for the job. How about it? Reasonable, right?"

"Reasonable, reasonable! Knight, you are truly a generous Knight Lord! May you have great martial fortune!"

Seeing this person so excited that he started flattering, Jier took another Gold Coin from his money bag and pushed it over.

"This is the reward for keeping the news secret. How about it? Do you feel your mouth is very tight now?"

Jier looked determined: "My lord, this mouth of mine, I guarantee that not half a word more than what should be said will be spoken, and what you don't let me say, not a single bit will come out."

"Heh, verbal guarantees won't do."

Jier tapped the Gold Coins: "If you take my money, you must do what is agreed. Otherwise, I will send someone to cause you trouble. Do you know the Underground Black Market?"

"I know." Jier hesitated a bit.

"Have you been there?"

"I've been there a few times, wanting to pick up some cheap things to resell, but later I got into some trouble."

Jier scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Then you must know about those carriage drivers, the fact that they are missing a piece of their tongue, you must know that too, right?"

"Ah?"

Seeing Jier's shocked expression, it seemed he didn't know.

"Then you know now. If you talk too much and fail to keep the secret as agreed just now, and tell others about coming here to meet me today, I guarantee I will send someone to Duoen Town to pull out that unruly tongue of yours."

"Knight, I will definitely keep today's matter secret and not reveal it to anyone else!"

Watching Jier's serious guarantee, patting his chest repeatedly, Jier nodded: "You'd better do it. Keep the two Gold Coins and this paper well. Start working this afternoon."

Sending away the young man Jier, Jier was about to continue seeing people; after all, Mr. Scott's subordinate had given him a paper recording four people, and there should be two more to see. Except for the first one who was a Woodcarving Craftsman, the other three were literate unemployed commoners.

But at this time, this subordinate of Mr. Scott informed Jier that some of the food from the kitchen had been delivered and he could have lunch.

"What about the people waiting?"

"My lord, I will arrange some food for them and have them find a place to wait downstairs. After all, waiting for a noble to finish dining is what we commoners ought to do."

"Is that so? Then let us dine."

"Please, this way."

Jier was guided back to the spacious and bright lounge next door.

At this moment, Mr. Scott had already begun eating.

"Oh, Knight Jier, I wasn't sure when you would be finished with your business, so I started eating first. Here, this is a glass of wine I offer as an apology. Cheers!"

Jier chuckled, walked over to take the Silver Wine Cup, and the two clinked glasses.