Chapter 38: The Astonishment of the Down-and-Out Merchant

Summer afternoon.

Jiao Tu Zhen was immersed in a busy yet peaceful atmosphere.

The crops in the fields glowed bright green, and the rhythmic clanking sounds came from the workshop area.

The militiamen vigilantly patrolled the surroundings from the newly built watchtower.

Suddenly!

A hurried gong sound came from the direction of the southern wall.

——This was the signal that the watchpost had spotted an abnormality.

Chen Wen was guiding the carpentry team in adjusting the details of the waterwheel's transmission gears.

Hearing the sound, he immediately put down the wood in his hands, grabbed the long sword leaning against the wall, and hurried toward the south gate.

Zhang Cheng also quickly mustered a squad of militiamen.

Climbing onto the wall, he saw only a faint dust rising in the distance.

A small group of figures was staggering as they ran toward Jiao Tu Zhen.

There were about seven or eight people, all in ragged clothes and covered in filth.

Two of them seemed wounded, supported by companions, making their escape extremely difficult.

Behind them, a few horsemen's shadows could be faintly seen loitering in the distance.

They seemed to be monitoring, yet also hesitating whether to continue the pursuit.

"Not troops, looks like refugees."

Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes and judged.

Chen Wen's eightfold vision let him see more clearly.

Although those people were disheveled, traces of product packaging could still be seen in their damaged luggage.

Moreover, one person clung tightly to a flat wooden box.

"They're merchants, robbed."

He said in a low voice.

That group ran to a point within arrow's reach of the wall, but could no longer run.

They collapsed on the ground, desperately waving toward the wall, hoarsely shouting:

"Save… save me! Good sir… please help!"

The militiamen on the wall all looked toward Chen Wen.

In these troubled times, people's hearts are unpredictable; opening the gate to rescue carries considerable risk.

Chen Wen's sharp gaze swept over the group; their fear and exhaustion did not seem feigned.

Moreover, when those few horsemen in the distance saw Jiao Tu Zhen's neat walls and the obviously organized guards on the wall,

they muttered a few words, then turned their horses and left, apparently unwilling to provoke easily.

"Open the gate, let them in."

"Zhang Cheng, take men to stand guard, first disarm them."

"Concentrate on watching them in the open space before Aunt Wang's house, give them some water to drink."

Chen Wen ordered calmly.

"Aunt Wang, prepare some thin porridge and medicine for wounds."

The gate slowly opened, and that group of merchants, like startled birds, scrambled into the town.

Seeing the militiamen standing ready with swords, neat in formation, they were even more frightened, huddling together.

Only when warm water and thin porridge were brought before them did they begin to calm down a little.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, slightly stout.

Although his face was covered in dust and his robe torn, a hint of a merchant's shrewdness remained in his eyes.

His name was Qian Gui, the head of this small merchant convoy.

Still shaken, he recounted their ordeal:

They had originally intended to take a shortcut north to a town said to be relatively stable to do some business.

But midway they were ambushed by a band of dozens of bandits, their goods looted clean.

Several assistants were killed or injured; these few of them escaped only by desperate effort.

"Many thanks for saving our lives, chief! Many thanks!"

Qian Gui was about to kowtow with the survivors, but Chen Wen stopped him.

"Just a small effort."

Chen Wen said lightly, yet his eyes carefully examined these people.

Especially their reaction upon seeing the interior scene of Jiao Tu Zhen.

Qian Gui and his assistants initially only rejoiced at having escaped death.

But after a few mouthfuls of thin porridge and regaining strength, they began unconsciously to observe their surroundings.

Upon looking, their eyes widened more and more, their faces filled with disbelief.

Towering, sturdy wooden walls, vigorous sentries on the watchtower;

Inside the walls lay neatly planned fields, crops growing luxuriantly to an unbelievable degree, their green so rich it seemed almost to drip water;

From afar came the steady, powerful clanging of ironwork, definitely not the occasional tinkering of one or two blacksmiths;

On the open ground, women and children were drying wild vegetables and mending clothes.

Although their attire was simple, their faces lacked the numbness and despair common among refugees; instead they showed a busy sense of fulfillment;

Even a few half-grown children could be seen, under the guidance of a slightly literate elder, tracing something with wooden sticks on the sand……

How could this be a refugee stronghold struggling to survive in chaotic times?

This is clearly an orderly, vibrant… embryonic utopia!

Qian Gui has traveled south and north, having seen many big and small forts and towns.

But on the Central Plains land after the collapse of Later Jin and the ravaging of the Khitan.

He had never seen any place that could present such a sight!

Even some fortified manors built on defensible terrain are mostly lifeless, filled with oppression and panic.

But here, there is a… force growing upward!

「Dare… dare ask, chief, is your blessed land really newly built within just a few months? 」

Qian Gui's voice trembled; he could not believe that such a place could be built in just a few months.

「Hmm. 」 Chen Wen responded with a sound, offering no further explanation.

A young helper couldn't help muttering quietly to his companion:

「My mother, are the crops here drinking immortal soup? 」

「They're growing too well! 」

「Look at that hoe, it's shining! 」

「Better than what we used to sell in our goods stall! 」

Another helper with lighter injuries stared at the militiamen's well-maintained weapons and neat formation.

He whispered:

「These soldiers… look different! 」

「Not like bandits, nor like government troops! 」

「There's a… indescribable vigor. 」

【Through the perspective of an external merchant, territorial construction gains recognition! Diligence Points (WP)+120!】

【Current WP: 5461】

Qian Gui, having seen the world, after the shock, his merchant instincts began to revive.

He cautiously probed Chen Wen:

「Chief Chen, your land's produce… seems quite abundant? 」

「I wonder… do you have any surplus furs and medicinal herbs? 」

「Or… this grain? 」

He saw the huge new granary under construction.

Chen Wen's heart stirred; this was a good opportunity to learn outside news.

He had Aunt Wang bring several pieces of freshly tanned rabbit and fox pelts hunted recently.

And several packets of commonly used herbs prepared by Wang Ru.

Upon seeing them, Qian Gui's eyes lit up instantly.

The pelts were superbly processed, the fur smooth;

The herbs were properly prepared, their fragrance rich—all excellent goods!

He quickly said:

「Good pelts! Good herbs! 」

「Chief, if you trust Qian, I can help you find a market for these goods! 」

「Although we took a loss this time, we still have some old connections! 」

「But… we now…」

He looked embarrassed, glancing at his empty pack.

Chen Wen understood his meaning:

「Supplies can be exchanged for you, but not now. 」

「You can first recuperate here. 」

「In return, I need to know the current situation outside. 」

「North, south, all factions—what news is there? 」

Upon hearing this, Qian Gui immediately perked up.

This was his chance to demonstrate his value.

He lowered his voice and laid out all the information he knew:

Although the Khitan main force has retreated north, various warlords, defeated soldiers, and bandits have risen everywhere, plunging the region into chaos.

In the north, several major towns are fighting each other!

To the south, I've heard of a force called Liu Du Tou expanding rapidly, swallowing many small groups, with a poor reputation.

There's also one called the Mountain-Piercing Leopard, lurking in the mountains, appearing and disappearing mysteriously…

Some of this information Chen Wen already knew; some were new supplements.

Especially the news that Liu Du Tou is actively expanding, which made his heart sink.

「Right! 」

Qian Gui suddenly remembered something.

「When we came, we vaguely heard that east of here, over a hundred li away, something strange seems to have happened. 」

「A small village near the mountains seems to have been attacked overnight by some sinister thing! 」

「Several people died, their bodies withered; the villagers fled in fright, and the rumors spread spookily…」

Sinister thing?

Chen Wen frowned slightly, unconsciously thinking of the Iron Crow Army and that strange "killing qi".

But he couldn't be sure.

He noted this information, without revealing too much.

"Shopkeeper Qian, you all first rest and recuperate."

"As for the trade, we'll discuss it after your wounds have healed."

Chen Wen arranged for Aunt Wang to take them to the temporary resettlement point.

Watching Qian Gui and his group being led away, he still couldn't help looking around, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Chen Wen knew that Jiao Tu Zhen's reputation might, along with these merchants' footsteps, slowly spread.

This is both an opportunity and a sign that greater risks will follow in quick succession.

The young merchant who was the most seriously injured and had remained silent.

As he was helped away, he furtively glanced back at Chen Wen, his eyes complex, as if wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Chen Wen noticed this detail, silently noting it in his mind.

These unexpectedly arrived merchants brought not only news from the outside world.

Perhaps, there were also unknown troubles.