Chapter 361: Cargo Caravan (Three-in-One)

"Where are the children?!"

At My Lord Xu's stern shout, Sister Black immediately grew guilty and panicked, stammering "um, ah, ah" and unable to speak a single complete sentence.

Xu Yuan grew even more anxious, for many evil spirits prefer to eat children, finding them "tender"!

Xu Yuan was no longer polite; the beast-tendon rope wrapped around Sister Black's neck, hoisting her into mid-air, while the Sword Pill pointed directly at his brow: "Speak!"

Sister Black's eyes rolled back in her head from the strangulation.

Her hands tugged at the rope around her neck, but the beast-tendon rope was five feet high, and she had no way to resist.

Xu Yuan's expression turned cold and gloomy.

The Sword Pill extended and lengthened, already piercing through the cowhide on Sister Black's face.

Sister Black hurriedly slapped her hands toward her back.

But her arms were thick and her shoulders broad; her hands could not reach her back.

A look of pleading appeared in Sister Black's eyes, as if there were a hidden truth.

Xu Yuan loosened the beast-tendon rope slightly.

Sister Black took a breath and managed to say, "On my back..."

Xu Yuan flew into a rage: "You dare deceive this official? You seek death!"

"They really are on my back. Put me down first, and I will release them," Sister Black hurriedly said. "If you kill me, they will never be able to get out."

Xu Yuan was puzzled for a moment, hesitated, and then still set Sister Black down on the ground.

But the beast-tendon rope remained looped around her neck.

Sister Black lay prone on the ground; her body swelled, slowly revealing her true form.

Her size was several times larger than the previous Great Black Ox.

It had exceeded the category of "ox" and reached the standard of an "elephant."

Her back was broad and flat, supporting a special space.

It looked like a saddle, or like a soft bubble of void.

It was firmly attached to her back.

Inside were more than twenty children; some were playing, while others lay on piles of straw, drooling in their sleep.

The children had been shrunk by some "trick technique" to only about an inch tall.

The space on the ox's back had become their paradise.

This trick technique might not have been targeted at the children specifically, but rather, anyone entering that bubble of void would shrink entirely.

Xu Yuan's face remained cold: "You locked them in? Using the children to threaten the villagers, helping you farm and feed you?"

Sister Black exhaled two thick streams of hot air from her nostrils.

She snorted twice, but only managed to squeeze out two words in a muffled voice: "No!"

Then there was no further explanation.

Xu Yuan frowned tightly, feeling there was something strange about this.

"Release them first."

Sister Black knelt down and tilted her body.

It was exactly the same motion as when, in years past, she had set down the little master riding on her back.

From that patch of void bubble, the children slid out one by one.

It was as if they had boarded an invisible slide.

The children thought it was extremely fun.

They giggled and shouted with delight.

Once they landed on the ground, each child rapidly grew larger, returning to their normal appearance.

The Great Black Ox also followed, bringing the other oxen along.

They just dared not approach, watching from more than ten zhang away.

After those children came out, seeing their oxen, they cried out in childish voices and ran over to climb onto the ox backs.

Although these oxen had already undergone a strange transformation, they still couldn't help lying down on the ground to let their little masters climb up.

Some were too small, with short arms and short legs, unable to climb up.

The oxen would gently tilt their heads and use the thick base of their horns to help them.

For the children in the countryside, the back of the family's great water buffalo was the safest and most comfortable place of their childhood.

Two mischievous children saw Da Fu behind My Lord Xu.

They crept forward stealthily, wanting to catch him.

Xu Yuan did not interfere.

Sure enough, Da Fu severely taught the two foolish naughty children a lesson.

In the countryside, the most terrifying thing is not yellow dogs or green snakes, but the great goose!

The two naughty children wailed in tears, chased all over the ground by Da Fu pecking at them.

Xu Yuan looked at Sister Black again, and seemed to understand.

"You like the little master?"

Sister Black did not answer.

Not answering meant not denying.

Sister Black resented her master for whipping her and forcing her to work hard.

But she got along very happily with the little master.

Even the children in the village could climb onto her back to play.

Sometimes Sister Black felt lost too: why was the difference between humans before and after growing up and becoming sensible so vast?

She wanted to enslave the adults in the village, yet she was willing to spoil the children in the village.

With the children out of danger, Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, then fixed his gaze on the void bubble on Sister Black's back.

This was a very rare and sinister technique.

He had originally thought these water buffaloes, including Sister Black, were just a group of anomalies with no real threat.

But with Sister Black possessing this ability, my lord Xu's evaluation of her climbed several steps.

"How should we deal with these fellows?"

My lord Xu thought for a moment, then said to Sister Black, "Very well, turn back."

Sister Black then spat out two thick jets of hot air, her body shrank back, and she transformed into the form of a woman.

Xu Yuan asked her, "I am Xu Yuan, the patrol inspector of the Chengzhang Office of the Purification Bureau."

In Sister Black's round, big eyes lay a clear stupidity.

She had no idea what "Purification Bureau," "patrol inspector," or "Xu Yuan" meant.

This was merely a small village by the imperial road; the villagers rarely mentioned the Purification Bureau in their daily lives.

Xu Yuan's face turned fierce as he roared, "The Purification Bureau is the government office specifically dedicated to capturing anomalies like you!"

Sister Black shivered in fright.

Mainly because she indeed could not defeat the person before her.

"Although you have not yet killed anyone, you have nonetheless committed evil. According to the laws of the Great Ming, you should be sentenced to immediate execution!"

Sister Black's dark, rolling eyes widened in terror, and she trembled as she touched her own neck.

Immediate execution! Cutting off the neck—how painful that would be!

Xu Yuan paused for a while, feeling he had frightened her enough, then said again, "However, you love children. Although you have become an anomaly, there is still a pure land within your heart. I cannot bear to kill you like this."

Sister Black looked up at my lord Xu with pleading eyes.

Xu Yuan continued, "I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself through merit."

Sister Black tilted her head and thought for a while, then tilted her head to the other side and thought for a while again.

After repeating this four times, she finally understood, pouted dissatisfied, and said, "You still want us to work for free?"

Before I became an anomaly, I worked for free for you humans.

After becoming an anomaly, I still have to work for free for you.

Then didn't I become an anomaly for nothing?

Xu Yuan then took out a silver note, upon which the "Merchant Law" was condensed.

"I won't let you work for free. We will make a deal. You help me transport goods, and each time I will pay you according to the market rate."

"These five hundred taels of silver are my deposit for you. How about it?"

Sister Black stared blankly at the silver note, her foolishness rivaling that of Da Fu.

"How many copper coins are these five hundred taels of silver?"

Xu Yuan calculated a number based on the current exchange rate and told Sister Black.

Sister Black gasped in shock: "So much?"

A bowl of tea costs three copper coins; how many bowls of tea could five hundred taels of silver buy?

Sister Black counted on her fingers, but for a long time still could not figure it out.

But she knew it was definitely a lot!

"Fine, I agree." Sister Black hurriedly snatched the silver note, fearing Xu Yuan might change his mind.

The Merchant Law was established.

Cultivation increased by another step!

Xu Yuan smiled and said, "You go to Ghost Wushan and find Bai Laoyan or Tian Jing from Wangxiang Village; they will arrange things for you."

Sister Black shook her head: "I don't know these two people you mentioned."

Xu Yuan:...

Never mind; Xu Yuan then arranged everything.

He sent a message via the ledger to the Jiao, asking Tian Jing to come out and pick up these stupid buffaloes.

"You shall wait..." Xu Yuan pointed to two earthen mounds on the road they had come from, "... behind that earthen mound. Tian Jing will come to pick you up."

"But before that, you must first release all the villagers."

Sister Black agreed.

Xu Yuan added, "But since you originally belonged to the villagers as property, you must compensate the villagers for their losses before you leave."

"On what grounds..." Sister Black protested, then felt the rope around her neck suddenly tighten a bit.

Sister Black, being very pragmatic, fell silent.

But she tightly clutched that five-hundred-tael silver note in her hand.

Money that has entered a cow's hoof cannot be taken back.

Fortunately, my lord Xu said, "I will advance this money for you first. Later, when you work to repay the debt, this portion will be slowly deducted."

"That works!" Sister Black nodded hurriedly.

As long as I don't have to pay the money directly, it's as if I didn't pay anything.

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Very well, you may go."

Sister Black then called out to her group of stupid younger brothers, and they went together toward that earthen mound.

Xu Yuan estimated that Tian Jing would arrive by tonight.

Afterwards, Xu Yuan went from one cowshed to another, releasing all the villagers.

The villagers wailed to heaven and earth, kneeling on the ground to kowtow to Lord Xu.

Their foreheads struck the ground with a thud-thud sound.

Their nose rings clattered against the ground with a ding-ding sound.

Xu Yuan called out the village headman again, tallied the households that had "lost" their oxen, and paid them silver notes at the price of twenty taels of silver per ox.

The headman waved his hands repeatedly: "How can this be allowed? Those beasts were cunningly transformed into evil spirits; it is not Lord Xu's responsibility.

Lord Xu saved the lives of our entire village; how can we still make Lord Xu pay this sum of silver?"

Xu Yuan forcibly stuffed the silver notes into his hands: "Old man, rest assured, someone else is paying this money; it is not from my own pocket."

The headman insisted on refusing: "It cannot be done, it cannot be done..."

"Old man, spring plowing is about to begin; without plow oxen, how can the village fields be plowed by human labor alone?"

The headman hesitated.

The village was not wealthy; without plow oxen, this year's harvest would surely drop drastically.

By winter, people would likely starve to death!

"This..."

Xu Yuan stuffed the silver notes into his hands again: "Truly, I am not paying; old man, rest assured, the court will provide subsidies for such matters."

Lord Xu told a well-intentioned lie.

"Very well, this old man thanks Lord Xu on behalf of the entire village for the grace of saving our lives!" The headman accepted the silver notes and kowtowed three loud kowtows to Xu Yuan again.

Xu Yuan dodged them.

He could not stop the man from kowtowing, but for an old man of such age to kowtow to him, Xu Yuan dared not accept it.

The sky was already dark; Xu Yuan had no time to continue his journey, so he stayed the night at the headman's house.

Originally, Xu Yuan had been somewhat worried; if the business on Guanghuo Street grew large, delivering goods to and from the mountains would also be a troublesome matter.

Although Bai Laoyan was old but vigorous, if the goods were too many, relying solely on him to carry them on his back was truly too much for him.

Now that they had this herd of oxen, the problem was solved effortlessly.

Meeting such a strange group halfway was an unexpected gain.

After staying the night, as soon as dawn broke, Xu Yuan quietly departed.

Otherwise, the villagers would once again express their gratitude by escorting him for ten li.

Early in the morning, the headman urged his wife to get up, took out a jar of white rice the family had been reluctant to eat, fetched the last piece of cured meat hanging from the roof beam, prepared the most expensive meal the household could offer, and, accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law, brought it to Lord Xu.

But upon opening the door, the room was empty; Lord Xu was already gone without a trace.

The headman was stunned; his daughter-in-law said sorrowfully, "This meal was made in vain."

Two small heads poking out the door, biting their fingers, gazed longingly at the food in the earthen jar.

The headman waved his hand and said, "Let the children eat it."

The two children cheered and rushed toward their mother.

The headman walked out, gazed at the official road, and sighed softly: "Such a good official is rare."

The two children ate ravenously: "Grandpa, what you said is both right and wrong."

In a good mood, the headman teased his grandson: "Where is it right, and where is it wrong?"

"When that big official brother comes, we have good food to eat, so Grandpa is right."

"But that big official brother's goose is so fierce; it pecked my cheek and it hurts! So Grandpa is also wrong."

"Hahaha." The old man laughed heartily, then suddenly thought: Lord Xu brought a goose? How did I not notice?

Dafu seemed to have this ability; when he did not want to be noticed, he would not be noticed.

Xu Yuan rode his horse for an hour, then stopped to rest.

He opened the folded note and checked; the dragon indeed replied.

However, it informed Xu Yuan of bad news: Tian Jing would not be able to go collect those oxen until tonight.

The dragon tried to explain the matter clearly using as few words as possible.

But its knowledge was after all limited, so it still used an entire side of the paper.

There was little space left on this note.

It turned out that Ju Ya and Qiu Ningtai's magical duel finally caused a disaster.

Qiu Ningtai's entire group died of illness, but the plague also spread through Ghost Wushan with them as the source...

Even some major evil spirits on Guanghuo Street contracted this disease.

Among them was Tian Jing.

Without surprise, it alarmed "Master Ruan Tian," who gave Ju Ya another slap, ordering it to resolve the matter swiftly.

Ju Ya, having been struck, was seething with anger.

Daring not vent his rage on Master Ruan Tian, he took it out on the sick evil spirits.

He did indeed treat the illness, but the medicine administered caused unbearable pain.

Tian Jing was also tortured to the point of near death, his whole body going limp and unable to rise, requiring a day of recovery.

Xu Yuan snorted and shook his head.

This Ju Ya is a hidden danger; if there is an opportunity in the future, we must find a way to eliminate him.

After another hour passed, Xu Yuan finally arrived at Zhan City.

But he was blocked for a while at the city gate.

Right ahead was a very large caravan undergoing inspection before paying to enter the city.

Xu Yuan thought it was a large merchant caravan.

Yet, while waiting at the rear of the formation, a carriage window ahead suddenly swung open, revealing a face that smiled and called out, "My lord Xu, what a coincidence."

It was Zhu Zhanlei.

Xu Yuan smiled as well: "Why is it you? Have you spent the thousand taels of silver from the White Moon Pavilion?"

Zhu Zhanlei's expression changed, and immediately after, a deliberate coughing sound came from inside the carriage.

Xu Yuan recognized it; it was his third sister, Zhu Zhanmei.

Xu Yuan's own face flushed with embarrassment.

Zhu Zhanmei appeared beside her younger brother, smiling as she said, "My lord Xu has returned too? I am escorting my younger brother to his post. He will be stationed permanently in Champa as an assistant to Miao Yu; I hope my lord Xu will look after him."

"We are all brothers; what is there to speak of looking after or not? We simply help each other," Xu Yuan replied politely.

Zhu Zhanmei added, "Regarding the favor owed to my lord Xu previously, our family has already provided repayment; my lord Xu need only await good news."

Xu Yuan was puzzled; what did that mean?

But Zhu Zhanmei merely smiled softly, her beautiful brows curved like a new moon, pressing her vermilion lips together as if unwilling to say more.

Some things cannot be spoken in public.

Instead, Zhu Zhanlei issued an invitation: "Let's go into the city and eat together. I'll invite my eldest brother-in-law, and we'll have a few drinks."

"Very well," Xu Yuan agreed.

His stepmother and Aunt Wang were both in Shanhe County; he was alone and had nothing to do.

After entering the city, everyone temporarily parted to settle in their respective places.

To be precise, it was Zhu Zhanlei who needed to settle in.

This entire convoy was hauling his belongings.

Xu Yuan had already walked some distance when a clear, melodious voice suddenly sounded behind him: "My lord Xu, wait a moment."

Zhu Zhanmei rode up on a fine steed.

She was still wearing the official uniform of the Shanhe Department Inspector, a jade belt cinching her slender waist.

The hem of her official robe rippled in the wind on both sides of the saddle.

Her pretty face was fair, her cheeks peach-pink, both heroic and beautiful.

Xu Yuan stopped. Zhu Zhanmei caught up and handed a bundle to Xu Yuan: "I imagine my lord Xu did not prepare anything; fortunately, I prepared extra for my younger brother, so I am giving it to you."

Xu Yuan took it, puzzled.

Inside the bundle was a wooden box; pulling it open revealed red envelopes.

Zhu Zhanmei said, "The money is not much. There are two layers in total. In the top layer, each red envelope contains two taels of silver, fifty in all."

"In the bottom layer, each contains ten taels of silver, ten in all."

Xu Yuan hurriedly asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

This money was clearly not the Zhu family's "gratitude" to him.

Zhu Zhanmei merely smiled slightly, playing coy: "My lord Xu will know very soon."

Then she turned her horse around, leaving only the sound of silver bells in her laughter: "Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Xu Yuan was greatly puzzled and returned to the Nancheng Patrol Station with the bundle.

Today, Lang Xiao Ba was on duty.

Since my lord Xu was not present, no one dared to assign Old Qin to guard the main gate.

Old Qin was also exceptionally gloomy, feeling he was about to become "Gatekeeper Qin the Elder."

Seeing my lord Xu return, Lang Xiao Ba grinned widely and was about to step forward to hold the horse for my lord, when a large hand reached out from behind, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him back. Then, passing Lang Xiao Ba, the person arrived before my lord Xu first.

It was Ji Shuangqiu.

She smiled even more brilliantly than Lang Xiao Ba, took my lord Xu's reins, and spoke with a voice like thunder: "Happy New Year, my lord! Your subordinate pays you New Year's greetings!"

Then, putting on an act, she bowed and extended a large hand toward my lord Xu, waiting.

Xu Yuan suddenly understood; the red envelopes were for this purpose.

Xu Yuan took out a two-tael one and placed it in her hand.

"Hahaha!" Ji Shuangqiu was overjoyed: "Thank you, my lord. I wish you a smooth ascent to high office and rising step by step this year!"

Lang Xiao Ba, having had his chance for the first prize snatched away, dared not speak his anger.

He also uttered a few auspicious words and received a red envelope from my lord Xu.

Afterwards, as Xu Yuan entered the yamen, he handed one out to every subordinate he met along the way.

The atmosphere in the Ming officialdom was that lower-ranking officials had to give many gifts to their superiors during the holidays.

Only then would the superior give them a "Top-Tier" evaluation during the performance review.

Or, if there were any opportunities, only then would the superior remember them and recommend them.

However, in the Three Departments of Strange Affairs, the custom was somewhat different.

The brothers under command all had their heads tucked into their belt loops, following their leader into life and death together.

Usually, it was the superior who distributed red envelopes to everyone.

The money was not much; it was merely to seek good fortune.

Xu Yuan thought to himself, "The third sister of the Zhu family is as meticulous as hair; she must have guessed that I am newly appointed and likely unaware of this tradition."

She was not merely reminding him, but had directly given him a share from what she had prepared for her brother.

It also displayed the magnanimity of a child from a great family.

In truth, it was only a few hundred taels of silver in total, which was not much for the current my lord Xu, yet it greatly increased Xu Yuan's goodwill toward her.

The top layer of two-tael envelopes was for the ordinary Captains.

The bottom layer of ten-tael envelopes was for the few Inspectors.

Zhu Zhanmei had arranged everything perfectly, but Xu Yuan had only sat in the room for a moment when that rascal Shi Bading came running over, shamelessly making a deep bow to my lord Xu, then extending his hand with a grin: "My lord, I come to ask for a reward!"

Xu Yuan laughed and scolded, "Old brother, stop fooling around. We are of the same rank; what reward could I possibly give you?"

Shi Bading shook his head repeatedly. "The appointment from the Southern Office should arrive very soon. My brother will soon be a Lord of Discipline, hahaha! Give the reward, give the reward!"

Xu Yuan was at a loss between laughter and tears, and was hard-pressed into giving him a red envelope containing ten taels.

"Zhu Zhanlei has invited me to lunch and drinks; shall we go together?"

"Good." Shi Bading agreed without a moment's hesitation.

The Zhu family and the Miao family were both thousand-year great clans; without Xu Yuan leading the way, Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanlei would never have looked favorably upon a seventh-rate patrol officer like him.

During lunch, Xu Yuan had intended to personally thank Zhu Zhanmei.

But Zhu Zhanmei did not come.

Zhu Zhanlei shook his head and swayed, saying, "My sister probably thinks you want to go to the White Moon Pavilion. With her present, it would be inconvenient, so she found an excuse not to come."

Xu Yuan cried out in grievance to the heavens, "When did I ever say I wanted to go?"

Zhu Zhanlei shrugged his shoulders. "Telling me is useless; go tell my sister."

Xu Yuan's eyebrows and eyes drooped down.

The place where they ate was in Beicheng, an elegant and expensive restaurant.

It was very far from Xie Liu Lane.

Miao Yu had been gloomy and depressed the whole time; before long, he had drunk too much.

He put his arm around Xu Yuan's shoulder and, with a thick tongue, said, "Little brother, you have truly risen rapidly to high office. The news has already spread throughout Luo City; in a few days your appointment will arrive. From now on, we brothers will both be Lords of Discipline. You and I will join hands to dominate Zhan City together!

A true man should establish merit and achieve great deeds; as for romantic sentiments, get them all out of my way!"

Xu Yuan felt something was not quite right and winked at Zhu Zhanlei, "Has the marriage proposal fallen through?"

But Xu Yuan clearly remembered that when they entered the city, Zhu Zhanlei had still called him "Eldest Brother-in-law."

Zhu Zhanlei wore an expression of frustration, as if he were disappointed in a piece of iron that refused to become steel: "Ignore him; he is anxious about gains and losses. As long as father and mother agree, it will be fine. Would my eldest sister disobey father and mother?"

Miao Yu felt bitter and depressed in his heart and wanted to drink again. Seeing that he had already drunk too much, neither Xu Yuan nor Zhu Zhanlei drank with him anymore.

So he pulled Shi Bading to keep him company.

Shi Bading found it hard to refuse.

Thus, before long, the two of them both had thick tongues, yet they chatted with increasing rapport, so much so that they were eager to chop a chicken's head and swear brotherhood right there on the spot.

Zhu Zhanlei quietly told Xu Yuan, "My eldest sister is still indifferent toward him..."

These past few days, Miao Yu had repeatedly tried to curry favor, racking his brains to devise all sorts of methods, but alas, the eldest sister still showed him no courtesy.

This return to Zhan City, Miao Yu was truly bitter and depressed.

Just as Xu Yuan and Zhu Zhanlei finished speaking, over there came two thuds; the heads of Miao Yu and Shi Bading struck the table almost simultaneously.

They had passed out drunk.

(End of this chapter)