Chapter 112: 107 Yuhai Trading House

The Winter Solstice marked the start of the nine-day cycles; the north wind was like a blade, and the flying snow was like arrows.

In the early hours of this day, a fine, dense snow began to fall. By morning, the sky remained murky and chaotic, neither bright nor dark, yet the snow grew heavier. Snowflakes the size of fingers danced wildly, beating down the grasses and preventing all living things from lifting their heads.

North of Dongshan County, before Jiugao Mountain, one had reached the desolate borderlands.

The Imperial Court's official road extended as far as Jichun City south of the mountain; further north, there were no official roads, only muddy dirt paths for the occasional mountain dweller coming out or merchant going in.

Beside a dirt path at the mountain pass stood an inn.

In this wild, mountainous region, the inn was of no small scale. The front featured a two-story building with five storefronts, providing both wine and food. Behind it were two courtyards: one served as an inn for travelers to rest, and the other as a warehouse for merchants to unload, buy, and sell goods, acting as a transit point. A single inn was equivalent to the market of an ordinary small town.

To maintain such a large trading house in the wilderness, the proprietor was naturally no ordinary person. The inn had the three golden characters "Yuhai Trading House" hanging brightly and imposingly, but the sign was old, and the brushwork no longer possessed its former brilliant luster; clearly, this business could not be called prosperous, merely barely sustaining itself.

Amidst the heavy snow, two horses traveled along the road. The riders were one tall and one short, wearing bamboo hats and cloaks, wrapped entirely in the wind and snow. The horses' hooves crushed the snowy mud, each step arduous.

Seeing the inn in sight, the tall one said, "Let's rest here today; in this weather, we cannot go up the mountain."

The short one agreed, the voice youthful—still a child's tone.

The two dismounted before the inn. An old waiter came out to meet them, trembling slightly as he took the horses, saying, "Guests, please come inside. We have quiet booths within."

The two lifted the cotton door curtain, and a wave of heat rushed toward them. The accumulated snow on their bamboo hats met the heat and melted, turning into water droplets that flowed down the edges.

There was also a waiter in the inn's main hall, though it was a middle-aged woman. Her clothes were coarse cloth, yet washed very clean, and she appeared neat and efficient. She stepped forward to remove their bamboo hats and cloaks, smiling, "Guests, are you stopping for a meal or staying the night?"

Removing their cloaks, the two revealed their appearances. The tall one was a heroic-looking young man, and the short one was indeed a child, looking about twelve or thirteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, refined and scholarly, possessing a touch of bookish air.

The young man said, "First, bring some hot yellow wine and ginger soup, then cook some noodles. If there are any fresh local mountain goods or game, serve them. We'll see about staying the night later. Azhao, is there anything else you want to eat?"

The youth shook his head and said, "Nothing. No ginger soup; it's too spicy. I'll have some wine too."

The young man chuckled, "No ginger soup, then bring some fruit tea."

The old woman agreed to each request and led them to the stairs, saying, "Two guests, there are quiet booths upstairs."

Just as the two were about to go upstairs, someone behind them suddenly said, "Are you two from Heiyang?"

The youth was startled. Although he didn't make a sound, it showed on his face: "How did you know?"

The young man didn't care at all and said, "Waiter, does your shop have a resident fortune teller? You give a reading to everyone who arrives; this service is very thorough."

The speaker was a middle-aged man sitting at the front desk. He had been wrapped in a fur coat, squinting while warming himself by the fire. At this moment, he stood up and said respectfully, "I am the manager of this shop, surnamed Liu. Forgive my presumption, but please go to the Heaven-grade quiet booth. The wine and food will arrive shortly."

The youth was still somewhat bewildered, but the young man had already turned and headed upstairs.

Upstairs was a row of quiet booths. Although the decor was old, it was still imposing, yet it was sparsely populated; only one room by the window was occupied, and with the door closed, one couldn't tell what kind of people were inside. The old woman led them into the innermost Heaven-grade quiet booth. The windows were bright and the tables clean, the layout quite elegant—it didn't look like a mountain village inn, but rather a high-class restaurant in a big city.

After the waiter poured hot tea and closed the door to leave, the youth said with some annoyance, "Chief Xing, did I give myself away?"

The young man, naturally Xing Ji, smiled, "This is a common trick used by people in the jianghu to bluff others, but it doesn't mean that just because you know it, you can defend against it. The four words 'calm and composed' are not something every old hand in the jianghu can achieve; otherwise, why would there be the saying about capsizing in a gutter? Keep it in mind, practice slowly, and you will eventually master it. It doesn't matter this time; Manager Liu has no malicious intent."

Before long, the waiter brought up the dishes. There was no need to mention the hot wine and fruit tea, and there were also several large bowls of food. There were roasted roe deer legs, braised deer tendons, smoked wild rabbit and pig trotters, and stewed tremella with monkey head mushrooms. The stir-fried snacks included pine nuts and chestnuts, and the preserved fruits included mountain dates and wild grapes. Additionally, there was a sand pot of flying dragon bird and hazel mushroom, still bubbling and steaming.

Tang Zhao was secretly surprised. He saw the waiter leave, and then Manager Liu, dressed neatly, walked into the room and closed the door. He said solemnly, "Two guests, do you still remember the dungeon of Black Spider Villa?"

Tang Zhao let out an "Ah," thinking back to that time when he followed Xing Ji, who was disguised as a judge, into the dungeon to find Ping Jiangqiu. He had released several people from the dungeon, and this Manager Liu was one he had personally taken down from the torture rack.

Xing Ji smiled, "Manager Liu, I hope you have been well. Why are you here in the mountains making a fortune instead of being at the Golden Mountain Firm in Heiyang?"

Liu Qiguang had no more doubts and immediately said, "I didn't get to thank my two benefactors that day. Today, no matter what, please accept a bow from me." Having said this, he bowed deeply.

Tang Zhao stood up to decline, but Xing Ji accepted the gesture and had Tang Zhao help him up, saying, "That is all in the past; no need to dwell on it. Manager Liu, please sit."

Tang Zhao offered his seat to Manager Liu. Liu Qiguang declined repeatedly, sat in the guest seat, and poured wine for Xing Ji.

The three no longer stood on ceremony and began to eat and drink. Although these mountain goods were not rare treasures, they were fresh. Living off the mountain, one could not find this authentic taste outside no matter how much money one spent.

After eating for a while, Liu Qiguang said, "I have let my benefactors see a joke. After I got out of the dungeon, I intended to return to the firm, but things had changed. The Golden Mountain Firm in Heiyang had a new manager, and he had dismissed all the trusted aides I was used to working with. Although that manager later died an accidental death, the headquarters preferred to send new people rather than use me. After several excuses, they sent me to this borderland of Dongshan County."

Xing Ji said, "So that's how it is. This place is indeed not as grand as the Golden Mountain Firm. I heard that in the Gold and Yutang, those that focus on receiving goods are called Yuhai Trading House, and those that focus on selling are called Golden Mountain Firm. Is the business here to collect mountain goods from Jiugao Mountain?"

Liu Qiguang said, "Yes, this place... there aren't any good goods to collect, and there are few people throughout the four seasons. But thinking about it, how could it be worse than the dungeon of Black Spider Villa? I am not young anymore, and I have been injured; my health is getting worse. The air in the mountains is fresh, and except for the cold winter, the scenery is quite good. I'll just consider it retirement."

Xing Ji smiled, "It is good that Manager Liu has let go of it. Actually, the air in the mountains is not only good, but it is also quiet, without the smell of blood, and the business is clean. If Manager Liu acts as a peace-loving and prosperous landlord from now on and doesn't get involved in those filthy affairs, it will not have been in vain that our Xiao Tang went through the trouble of letting you out."

Manager Liu said solemnly, "I have always remembered the words this little benefactor said to me in the dungeon." He was not being perfunctory. At that time, Tang Zhao had spoken of saving him because he still had a bottom line, which had truly left an indelible impression. After coming out, his temperament changed; he no longer used unscrupulous means, and naturally, he was suppressed by others everywhere when competing for power. Later, he became truly disheartened, and retiring to the mountains was somewhat of a natural progression.

He sighed, "At the time, I thought I would probably never see my two benefactors again and would be unable to repay them. The only thing I had were the golden words the little benefactor gave me. I have held onto those two good words, and as long as I don't betray my conscience for the rest of my life, it will count as repaying the favor. I didn't expect fate to be so wondrous that I would see you both again. I have no other words; if there is anything you need me for, just speak. Also, this place has some specialties that are quite rare; you must take more with you when you leave."

Xing Ji praised, "Well said. Not to mention being able to do it, just being able to think this way means Tang Zhao did not save you in vain; this is his merit. Azhao, in the future, when you are on the mountain, you can look after Manager Liu's business."

Tang Zhao said, "Of course, the manager's food is so delicious, why wouldn't I come?"

He truly felt that Manager Liu was not bad. Regardless of whether he had truly turned over a new leaf, even before, he at least had the bottom line of not engaging in human trafficking. This bottom line was not low, and he only gave it up after suffering personal pain.

However, it is already quite good for people in the world to be able to empathize with others after suffering. That white-haired man had been a sword slave himself, yet once he gained power, he wanted to create sword slaves. Although Liu Qiguang was not a Sword Guest, he was more like a human being than the white-haired man.

Liu Qiguang asked curiously, "Is the little benefactor going up the mountain? Is there some place on the mountain?"

Xing Ji said, "Manager Liu has been under the mountain for a long time; surely you don't know?"

Liu Qiguang said cautiously, "Could it be... the Yu..."

Xing Ji nodded slightly, and Liu Qiguang's heart beat too fast.

In the jianghu, the most powerful are the Sword Guests, and the wealthiest are the Sword Smiths. All trading houses dream of establishing a relationship with the forces of the Sword Smiths. The Gold and Yutang opened such a large business in a place where birds don't lay eggs, with the original intention of seeing if they could establish a relationship with the legendary Zhuoyu Villa.

But Zhuoyu Villa, like all Sword Master forces, was aloof and mysterious. On the mountain, they were only a legend; ordinary people at most had heard the name and had no idea where they were. As secular merchants, how could the Gold and Yutang possibly make contact? After a while, they lost the thought and didn't manage the business with much effort.

Yet today, Liu Qiguang had obtained such an opportunity. If he could grasp it, wouldn't he be able to show his skills again and return to the peak?

In an instant, his ambition burned up with a hiss.

But immediately after, he suddenly felt a sense of boredom: he had worked like an ox and a horse for the Golden Mountain Firm for the first half of his life, earning all that dirty money, and what was his end? Since he had escaped that mud pit, why go back to crawl in the sewer instead of enjoying his old age properly?

Grand ambitions? To hell with them.

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of relief and whispered, "I understand. The little benefactor wants to be a Talisman Sword Master? That is excellent. I think a Talisman Sword Master is better than a Sword Guest. A Talisman Sword Master is noble, decent, and safe. It's not like a Sword Guest, whose life is precarious, and who knows when they might die an unnatural death."

Xing Ji:...

Xing Ji had just revealed the news on purpose to see what Manager Liu's thoughts were. No matter what, he could handle it easily.

It seems he is fine for now; aside from speaking ill of him to his face, there are no major problems.

As for whether he will change in the future, that will be handled by Tang Zhao; children always have to grow up.

Tang Zhao was also thinking at this time: this Manager Liu has a sense of weariness toward the Gold and Yutang; would he want to jump ship?

Should he also start his own group company?

Just as he was thinking this, Shopkeeper Liu suddenly realized and said, "Could it be that those people next door are also going to Zhuoyu Villa?"