Chapter 311: The Old Market

After Xu Yuan and Aunt Wang left yesterday, Miao Yan announced to the assembly that the two craftsman items had been repaired and would likely cause no further problems.

The Zancheng Assembly erupted in cheers; a source of worry had finally been removed.

Moreover, some attentive members noticed that Master Fei made no mention whatsoever of the account audit!

Previously, they had been critical of the Great Wei Wei Huoshi, finding fault with everything and showing him no good countenance.

But just now, when the Great Wei Wei Huoshi announced this news, Master Fei stood behind him and actually flashed a faint smile at him!

Could it be... that our Zancheng Assembly can survive the audit ordeal?

They did not attribute it to the Great Wei Wei Huoshi's merit; after all, he had stayed with them all day and was only called away by Master Fei near dusk.

They secretly speculated that perhaps that Lord Xu had supported the Great Wei Wei Huoshi.

Master Fei was doing this to show respect to the Lord Inspector of the Purification Bureau!

In a corner, a Wei Wei Huoshi also noticed this, his thoughts stirring; he decided to send a secret letter first thing tomorrow morning to report to Shen Qingpeng that a key figure named Xu Yuan had emerged in Zancheng.

Only by pulling Xu Yuan into their camp could they completely topple Miao Yan and seize the Zancheng Assembly.

Thus, early in the morning, two secret letters were dispatched from the Huode Jishitang...

Miao Yan spared no expense, preparing fine horses for his messengers and several sheets of calligraphy.

As soon as the messengers departed, Master Fei could not wait and urged him: "Let us go together to the Nancheng Patrol Station."

There was no specific matter; Master Fei simply wanted to stay by the side of the Ancestral Matriarch.

They had not met in so many years; the Ancestral Matriarch might leave Zancheng at any moment, and Master Fei did not wish to waste a single moment.

Miao Yan accompanied him to the Nancheng Patrol Station.

That Wei Wei Huoshi named Jiang Zhao watched from the shadows, sneering with a curled lip: A sycophant!

So eager to lick up to Lord Xu this early?

His dissatisfaction stemmed entirely from the fact that... he could not yet lick up to Lord Xu.

Aunt Wang saw them arrive and forced a kindly smile.

Her face could no longer easily form subtle expressions.

"You have arrived just in time; I have deduced the methods of the Sixth and Fifth Ranks; let me give them to you first..."

What Aunt Wang had left for the Sansheng Assembly originally was not her own lineage.

It was something she had obtained accidentally while wandering in the past.

Thus, it still required deduction.

The things from the River Workers' Lane cannot be passed outside.

Master Fei hurriedly stepped back, waving his hands repeatedly: "Your Ladyship, please wait until the crooked Miao and the others have all arrived before you bring them out."

Miao Yan clicked his tongue behind him: Deduced them...

The Ancestral Matriarch is so powerful!

Shen Qingpeng spent ten years seeking out multiple Dan Xiu of the Sixth Rank, yet failed to expand this cultivation method to the Sixth Rank.

The Ancestral Matriarch deduced it to the Fifth Rank in a single night!

Li Yichuan is no longer here; had he witnessed this scene, he would now decide that the year-end dividend for Lord Xu must be at least five thousand taels!

Master Fei, avoiding suspicion, refused to take it and quickly changed the subject: "Your Ladyship, do you have any work for me to do?"

In that moment of clarity, Aunt Wang seemed to return to decades ago.

Back then, she had just saved these beggar children; these little ones lacked security and strove to show their worth before her.

Thus, they came every morning early to help her with work.

Tidying the house, sweeping the courtyard, washing clothes, cooking, kneading waists, and pounding backs...

"No need; you are of an age yourself, and you are a Master Fei now."

"Yes, indeed; mainly because I am old and my legs and feet are not nimble, so I cannot do some heavy work..."

While they chatted, Xu Yuan called Miao Yan aside to ask questions.

After hearing Lord Xu finish, Miao Yan said: "Does Lord wish to find the Old Market?"

Seeing Xu Yuan did not understand, Miao Yan quickly explained: "Behind the Great Market lies the Old Market.

The Great Market operates during the day and disperses at night; the Old Market follows the Great Market, occupying the nighttime hours.

There is indeed such a market within Zancheng, but..."

Miao Yan hesitated, and Xu Yuan saw through it immediately: "Is it a market for evil spirits?"

"Not only evil spirits, but they are the main ones; especially those setting up stalls at the Old Market are basically evil spirits.

There are evil spirits from within the city, as well as those who come specifically, evil spirits from the surrounding mountains."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Can you enter?"

"I can enter... but if Lord wishes to go, you must absolutely not reveal your identity as an official." Miao Yan still dared not say it plainly: "Moreover, there are some things inside; I fear Lord will become angry upon seeing them.

Also, silver is not used to buy things inside."

"What is used?"

"Uh... the best is naturally living humans; next are souls; additionally, some fine materials and craftsman items can also be used for trade.

Even if Lord captures certain evil spirits, they can be used to exchange for things."

"Even evil spirits?" This was unexpected for Xu Yuan.

"We living humans trade in slaves; evil spirits are actually the same. Moreover, some evil spirits have special tastes, specifically liking to eat other evil spirits."

Evil spirits eat humans, and they also eat evil spirits.

They possess absolutely no concept of "kin."

Consuming kin increases one's strength even more.

Miao Yan asked curiously again: "Lord has a very good relationship with Zhang Laoya; why not ask him to take you inside?"

Others did not know that Zhang Laoya was already dead.

"Zhang Laoya?"

"He has a shop on the Old Market in the city—only three living people have shops in the entire Xiao Xi Miao Old Market."

Xu Yuan cursed silently; Zhang Laoya had truly hidden many secrets.

But then he thought, since he cultivates the Merchant Dao and runs a pawnshop, it was not surprising that he had a stake in the Old Market.

"Could the treasure he promised me be in his shop at the Old Market?" Xu Yuan guessed in his heart, deciding that once he reached the Old Market, he would find a way to slip into his shop and take a look.

"Rest assured," Xu Yuan gave Miao Yan a reassurance: "I will only go in to see if there is anything I need; I can control my temper."

Miao Yan gritted his teeth: "Very well. Night travel is not forbidden today, and there is a market gathering; tonight I will take my lord inside."

"Is there a large market during the day? This official wishes to see it."

"Not today. The large market for living people is held once every half month."

The Old Market in the city is near an old temple ruin in Chengxi.

This "Xi Miao Market" has a long history.

It existed before Huang Ming arrived.

There are seven or eight villages outside the West Gate, not far from Champa, making it convenient to enter the city.

Moreover, at that time, the poor in Champa lived in Xicheng, so a large market held once every half month formed around a temple to the Jiaozhi Earth God.

After Huang Ming conquered Southern Jiaozhi, the large market was interrupted for several years.

Because the Shanhe Gate had destroyed that temple.

The temple, once bustling with incense, was left as nothing but broken walls and ruins.

It was only several years later that the large market resumed; even now, when most of the poor live in Nancheng, habit becomes nature, and people still go to "Xiao Xi Miao" for the market.

Today during the day, the Li family happened to come to arrange matters regarding Xuan Guang bamboo paper, so Xu Yuan helped handle it.

The main task was to rent some warehouses in Champa and sign contracts with several boat owners in advance for transporting the bamboo paper.

By personally participating in this process, Xu Yuan's Merchant Dao grew a little further.

Before nightfall, Master Fei returned on his own.

Xu Yuan searched Zhang Laoya's room carefully, then changed into ordinary clothes; upon going out, he saw Miao Yan standing before a carriage waiting: "My lord, please board the carriage; we are going to Xiao Xi Miao."

(End of this chapter)