Chapter 800: Crossing the Fire Line

"This is the second one." Tang Zhao gently pressed the newly found fragment onto the Glasses. A stream of light flashed, and one of the lenses became a bit more complete.

This was again that same lens; having obtained the new fragment, it became clearer, as bright as a pool of autumn water. This truly was the Matthew effect: the good get better, and the poor remain just as poor.

However, this fragment did not provide the Glasses with any new functions; it merely made the previous perspective and focus-adjustment functions stronger, simultaneously serving as both a telescope and a microscope. It might also be that the fragment was too small—so small that even though Tang Zhao could clearly see it, he almost couldn't find it. In the end, he barely managed to locate it using the magnification function of the Glasses, and he felt like using tweezers to pick it up.

The process of finding the second fragment was unremarkable, because it was also found in the Luse area, which is to say, the Human World area. It was just that last time there was at least a Heavenly Demon acting as a monster guarding the treasure, while this time it was simply picked up on a river beach in the suburbs. The process was completely without waves; no one even cared that he, an outsider, was walking back and forth on the river beach, assuming he was picking clams.

If there was anything that could be considered a harvest, it was that Tang Zhao had some thoughts: so far, the first fragment was in a water pool, and the second fragment was on a river beach; they both seemed to be related to water. Thinking further that the fragments seemed to require water to function, could it be that when these fragments fall, they automatically seek out water sources?

He noted this thought for the time being. Because the sample size was too small, he could not be certain and could only confirm or falsify it through subsequent searches.

Finding the second fragment cost him over a day of time, most of which was spent on the road. The efficiency was passable; if everything went this smoothly, then time would be more than enough. However, it was impossible for it to be this smooth. The next step would be much more difficult, because the last piece had to be found in the area occupied by the Heavenly Demons.

How was he to get over there?

Tang Zhao thought that he shouldn't force his way through; his strength wasn't enough yet. Either he could sneak in while invisible, or he could find the Taiyin Court and think of a way to get some sort of permit to walk in openly. Just as he was hesitating, he discovered...

It seemed he could go in directly.

When he entered the city to resupply and eat a hot meal, he suddenly discovered that the merchant firms outside the city were actually doing business crossing the front lines to sell goods in the Heavenly Demon area.

This was even considered an upright business. Although they didn't openly hang signs or advertise, as long as one mentioned "the business of crossing the river" at a merchant firm, everyone knew what it meant.

Tang Zhao thought about it. Since there was official salt, there was no need to traffic in private salt. He could follow a merchant caravan; crossing the river would save a lot of trouble, and the merchant caravans were very well-informed, saving him from hitting walls everywhere on the Heavenly Demon side. There was only one issue: these merchant caravans traveled too slowly, often taking a month or two to go back and forth. How could he afford to waste so much time?

After thinking, Tang Zhao felt there was still a way to take a shortcut, for example...

Organizing a merchant caravan himself?

If I am the boss, how we go and how fast we go, isn't that up to me to decide?

Of course, if he were to build a merchant caravan from scratch, that wouldn't be realistic. Just the qualifications to cross the river would be hard to resolve, not to mention the personnel, channels, goods...

If he really started from zero, the time spent would be longer than the time it took to follow a regular merchant caravan on a leisurely trip.

The method Tang Zhao thought of was to borrow a shell to list. He first went to inquire, inquiring about a merchant caravan with a good reputation and considerable strength, and also inquired that the manager of the firm was a flexible person who was adept at handling affairs and had connections both locally and on the opposite side of the Heavenly Demons. Moreover, they had organized a team in the last few days and were about to set off. He immediately went to them and said to the manager surnamed Lei, "How much do you expect to earn on this trip?"

Although Shopkeeper Lei was surprised, he knew from Tang Zhao's appearance and temperament that he was no ordinary person, so he hurriedly smiled and said, "This young master, our merchant caravan is not small. This round trip will earn at least five thousand taels."

These five thousand taels were not gold or silver; Suiyu did not produce gold or silver, nor did it spend them. It referred to Strange Stone, which is a special type of stone produced when worlds rub against each other. Although not as dazzling as gold or silver, it has the function of containing Qi and spiritual energy. Its production is high but its source is singular, so it is considered a relatively suitable currency.

According to Tang Zhao's observation, the Strange Stone here was similar to silver in the Human World for commoners; perhaps it was worth more than silver, but it certainly didn't reach the level of gold.

Five thousand taels for one trip was enough for the people of a village to live comfortably for more than a year; in the Human World, this would also be a wealthy merchant.

Tang Zhao said, "I will pay ten thousand taels. I want these goods."

Shopkeeper Lei was stunned and hurriedly accompanied him with a smile, "It is no problem for the young master to want the goods, but you don't need so much. If you buy the goods on the spot, it saves us the time and travel expenses of running errands, so we should even lower the price for you. If you really want them, take them all away for three thousand taels, and I will have them delivered to your residence."

Tang Zhao was very satisfied with Shopkeeper Lei's straightforwardness and said, "This trip cannot be saved. Of the ten thousand taels, five thousand is for the goods, and the other five thousand is for rent. I want to rent your merchant caravan to go to the other side of the river." He briefly explained his plan.

After hearing this, Shopkeeper Lei probably already knew what Tang Zhao wanted to do. With a troubled expression, he said obsequiously, "The young master is generous and offers a fair price. Originally, this lowly one shouldn't ask more, but there is one thing: I hope you can give me the bottom line. Is there a possibility of losing one's life on this trip? This lowly one has old parents above and young children below, and cannot easily throw away my life."

Tang Zhao said, "There is a ninety percent chance that it is very safe."

Shopkeeper Lei hesitated slightly. He knew there was a risk; one had to discount the words of people who came knocking like this. If there were eighty percent safety, he would certainly say one hundred percent. If he said ninety percent, then there might not even be fifty percent.

Tang Zhao saw him hesitate and said, "You said you have old parents above and young children below; how many children do you have?"

Shopkeeper Lei shivered and said, "Two sons and one daughter... you..."

Of course, Tang Zhao was not trying to threaten him with his family. He said, "Judging by your age, your children shouldn't be old. How about this: when we return this time, regardless of whether you are safe, I will make one of your children a Sword Guest. If anyone in your team is lost, I will pay three times the compensation. If you die, I guarantee that your family will not only be free from worry about food and clothing, but every generation can produce a Sword Guest. If you want to move to a safer place, I can also provide an introduction."

Shopkeeper Lei shivered again, but this shiver was different from the previous one. On one hand, it was excitement; on the other hand, there was fear: regardless of whether it was true or false, to dare to use this as a promise, what kind of person must he be? Although he didn't mention his specific background, it gave people infinite room for imagination.

Once he understood this point, Shopkeeper Lei immediately bowed and scraped, saying, "Very good, very good, thank you, thank you, everything depends on the young master. That... do you have any other instructions? No matter what it is, I will definitely do it."

Tang Zhao said, "You lead the way. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't manage what you shouldn't manage. If you know experts who are bodyguards, you can call them all. Mobilize all your connections. I will pay the money; I am not afraid of spending money. But you must be fast. If it can be done in one day, don't take two. I am in a hurry!"

Shopkeeper Lei bowed to the ground and said, "As you command."

Once Shopkeeper Lei's subjective initiative was mobilized, the efficiency was astonishing. He ran around, expanded the team, and streamlined it, bringing the merchant caravan up a level. He didn't even use two days, which could be considered putting the phrase "If it can be done in one day, don't take two" into practice.

Tang Zhao could have washed his hands of it, but he was afraid that if he encountered something on the other side and didn't understand anything at all, he would be taking his own disguise and the lives of others too lightly. Therefore, he followed along and got a rough idea of the team's composition and some of the rules of doing business.

That Shopkeeper Lei was indeed very straightforward; he took him to meet all his partners, and the opening line was always: "This is our YoungMaster. Everyone get close, we will be coming and going often in the future, so please take care of him." Those people didn't know the inside story and really regarded him as the young master of some great wealthy merchant. They built relationships and discussed business with him. Tang Zhao was also a businessman and understood business, but doing business in the Human World and in Suiyu was completely different, so he became a "half-bottle of vinegar" playboy in the eyes of others.

On the night before the final departure, Shopkeeper Lei sincerely invited him to sit at his home for a family meal. Tang Zhao knew what he meant, so he went along and indeed met his wife and three children.

After a home-cooked meal, Tang Zhao said to Shopkeeper Lei, "Your eldest son and youngest daughter have the talent of a Sword Guest; the one in the middle is a bit lacking."

Shopkeeper Lei was already very satisfied; he had originally thought that having one qualified child would be very good. Moreover, Tang Zhao's frankness also made him credible; at least he didn't use the excuse that the children had no talent to fob him off.

The next day, Tang Zhao set off in a grand manner with "his" merchant caravan of over a hundred people.

There were over a hundred people, carrying sixty or seventy horses and more than twenty large carts. Tang Zhao himself requested a luxurious large cart and sat in it, rarely showing his face. On one hand, this was to consolidate his playboy persona, and on the other, it was convenient for him to leave the team at any time.

This merchant caravan was only of average scale, and it didn't count for much in front of merchant caravans crossing the river that often numbered in the hundreds or thousands, but the people inside were mostly elites. Shopkeeper Lei had spent great effort over these two days to pull in everyone he could. Among them was the deputy head of the "Hengtong Escort Agency," the number one escort agency in the city, Chang Laobiaotou, who was almost ready to retire his blade. He was a very famous Spirit Martial Artist in the city, and there was also an up-and-coming Sword Guest.

Because of this commotion, rumors started in the merchant firm that the goods Shopkeeper Lei was carrying this time were extremely valuable, and that one haul would be enough to live on for the rest of his life.

It was also thanks to Shopkeeper Lei's quick hands that he didn't leave time for others before setting off, otherwise, there might have been those with evil intentions who would have sent word to familiar mountain bandits or even Heavenly Demons.

By the time the team set off, it was too late for anyone to send word to the Heavenly Demons on that side, because the route of this merchant caravan was determined by Tang Zhao, and it was not any of the several established commercial routes at all. If an ordinary person were to take this road, they would lose everything down to their underwear. Therefore, no one would be able to intercept them accurately. Their threat was an unknown encounter battle.

It was not that no one in the team was curious, but the pay for this trip was particularly generous, and the various experts brought a great sense of security. Therefore, even though the team was rushing as if their lives depended on it, traveling for six or seven hours without stopping, the crowd couldn't say much.

On the second night after the team set off, they crossed the front lines quite smoothly.