Chapter 801: Sishang City

After crossing the river, there was still a stretch of contested territory over a hundred miles wide, riddled with war and danger, where neither merchants nor travelers could pass.

But the reason Old Merchant was an old merchant was precisely because he had his own ways. That Shopkeeper Lei had long since instructed everyone to take a special mountain pass when crossing the front line, to hide all flags, and to display only a small flag with a special symbol. At the same time, people were forbidden to speak and horses were to hold bits in their mouths, with no one allowed to make any sound at will, passing through the contested zone at the fastest possible speed.

Actually, Tang Zhao also had a similar marker, which was that lantern given by the Taiyin Court. By rights, it should have been absolutely more effective than the caravan's, and once used, no Heavenly Demon would attack. But Tang Zhao did not intend to use it. He had already been vaguely resistant to it, and later, upon sensing that the Heavenly Demons and he had formed a competitive relationship, he was naturally even less inclined to use it. He feared leaving behind even a trace or revealing his tracks; it was best if they never sensed his existence as a collector of their opponents from start to finish.

Under the order to "pass through as quickly as possible," Tang Zhao witnessed the limit of this team's speed. The hundred-plus-mile-wide contested zone was successfully crossed in one night before dawn the next day. Although it did not reach the legendary speed of a thousand-mile horse—"traveling a thousand miles by day, eight hundred by night"—it far exceeded a standard forced march.

Tang Zhao was quite satisfied with this speed and said to Shopkeeper Lei, "Not bad, just maintain this eighty percent speed as we proceed."

Shopkeeper Lei gave a bitter smile. "Thank you for not saying we should proceed at that speed. Yesterday's speed was for fleeing for our lives; everyone knew that being a step slow could mean the difference between life and death. Everyone used every ounce of strength they had. Now, they are still shaken and would love to rest for a day to recover their strength. In normal times, let alone eighty percent, they couldn't even handle fifty percent. I know you have money, but money can't really make ghosts grind grain. We aren't real ghosts, though we could easily turn into them."

Tang Zhao smiled and did not force the issue. He said, "Since that is the case, bring the map over." He spread out a detailed map of the surrounding trade routes that Shopkeeper Lei had accumulated over many years, pointed to a location, and asked, "I need to reach Sishang City within two days. Can it be done?"

Shopkeeper Lei pondered for a moment and said, "We can push for that. This distance is just within the limits of most people. The main thing is that there is something to look forward to ahead, which is better than just urging them on without seeing the path forward. Sishang City is the most prosperous large city in the vicinity. Just tell them everyone has worked hard for two days, hold on a little longer, and once we reach Sishang City, we can relax for a few days. It should be doable."

Tang Zhao laughed. "That is exactly what I meant. I do indeed intend to rest and reorganize in Sishang City for a few days."

Shopkeeper Lei's heart stirred. He and Tang Zhao had a tacit understanding long ago; Tang Zhao joining the team was just a smokescreen. He might leave the team at any time during the journey, and Shopkeeper Lei was responsible for handling the cover-up. It seemed Tang Zhao would be acting alone once they reached Sishang City.

However, this was an unspoken matter. He would not break the silence, only saying, "No problem. I was just planning to offload a quarter of the goods in the city; selling them slowly will take about half a month."

Tang Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Whether it's half a month or a month, we'll see how things go. However, on the first day of arrival, I will have to trouble you, Manager, to accompany me around the city. I am too unfamiliar with everything regarding the Heavenly Demons; learning more will make things easier to handle."

Shopkeeper Lei hurriedly said, "Happy to serve." He paused and added, "But forgive me for saying this first: if you intend to show your face in public, you must first change the term 'Heavenly Demon' to 'Other Guest'. I know you aren't used to it, but that is how the business world is. Using the term from the rear when you arrive at the opposite side is likely to trigger conflict."

Tang Zhao thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "I really am not used to it. How about calling them 'Honored Guests'?"

Shopkeeper Lei was stunned and said, "Of course that is possible... but why? Isn't 'Honored Guest' more respectful than 'Other Guest'? Why would you prefer to call them 'Honored Guest'?"

Tang Zhao shook his head and said, "The meaning is different. I call them 'Honored Guest' because I am a businessman... you don't need to be surprised, I am indeed a businessman, a boss. They want to buy my goods, so they are my customers. In business, I speak as a businessman; calling them 'Honored Guest' is no problem. But if I call them 'Other Guest', I am admitting that their arrival in this world is reasonable, that they are guests. That is absolutely impossible."

Shopkeeper Lei sighed and said, "Understood. Great figures like you always have considerations that go beyond the ordinary." As for himself, he was also a businessman, but he had no qualifications to consider such fundamental issues; he was just drifting with the tide.

The two reached a tacit agreement. Shopkeeper Lei went personally to promise and motivate the team, pledging that once they reached Sishang City quickly, they could immediately take a long break, along with generous rewards to spend and enjoy themselves. Such motivation was quite effective. One must know that although they had just experienced a bout of hard travel, the team had only been out for a few days, so their physical strength and morale were still well-stocked. Hearing they had a chance to relax so soon, everyone was quite motivated. It was just that experienced hands like Chang Laobiaotou couldn't help but be suspicious: either they sprint, or they take a long rest; they haven't been out for two days and are already indulging—is this caravan out to make money?

In short, after days and nights of rushing, the caravan finally arrived at Sishang City the following evening.

This was the first time Tang Zhao had seen a city built by Heavenly Demons, and it was actually in the Suiyu.

The first impression was...

"Why does this city have four corners?"

Tang Zhao said to Shopkeeper Lei with a smile.

Shopkeeper Lei laughed. "You mean those four buildings that stick out at first glance? Those are the four Shenmiao in the city. The reason this Heavenly Demon city is called Sishang City is said to be because the followers of four gods gathered together, and they all built Shenmiao for their own gods. These Heavenly Demons, if they are out fighting or something, that's one thing, but if they settle down, they must first build their Shenmiao. They have so many gods, all sorts of messy ones..."

He lowered his voice slightly and said only to Tang Zhao, "More than mountain gods and water monsters, and all of them are strange-looking. A small handful of Heavenly Demons can independently believe in one god. In my opinion, they are probably all minor gods, not even as good as the illicit shrines in the mountains."

Ever since he acknowledged Tang Zhao as his big financier, he had been pondering the financier's preferences. The conclusion was that this person was a radical pro-war faction member who was hostile toward Heavenly Demons. Thus, he intentionally or unintentionally satirized the Heavenly Demons in front of Tang Zhao, counting their faults. It pleased his boss, and he himself felt it was very satisfying and cathartic.

However, Tang Zhao did not agree with him this time, saying, "Even if they are minor gods, they truly possess power."

And they can bestow power upon their followers. If a god truly exists and can bring real benefits to those who believe in and follow it, no matter what its essence is, there will be no shortage of swarming followers. If the benefits were delivered right before their eyes, perhaps even someone like Chen Zong would be swayed.

But one thing Shopkeeper Lei was right about: those Shenmiao were all built in strange shapes. Some were square, some were weirdly twisted, some were pale and solid-colored, and some were multicolored. The styles were completely inconsistent, and the differences were so great that saying they came from different countries would be an understatement; it was as if they came from different species.

This might be because each god had different aesthetics; after all, they were living gods who could directly express their opinions to their followers.

The only similarity was that these Shenmiao were all built very tall, even excessively so, to the point where the proportions to the city appeared very strange, like four shovel-like candles stuck into a six-inch birthday cake, giving one a feeling that they were teetering.

Tang Zhao had a guess: the followers of these four gods were likely competing. In the same city, why should your Shenmiao be bigger than mine? Does that mean your god is stronger than mine? The gods couldn't tolerate that either. Not to mention it wasn't just one family competing, but four families competing together; naturally, these Shenmiao could only be built higher and higher.

He asked Shopkeeper Lei again if he knew how the Heavenly Demon gods ranked their superiority. Shopkeeper Lei shook his head, saying he didn't know, only adding, "It is said that there is a hierarchy among the gods, but I don't know it. I only know that whether it's a big god or a small god, you have to flatter them. If you say even a little something bad about their god, it's worse than cursing their ancestors for eighteen generations."

Tang Zhao nodded. "That is natural. You don't slap a person in the face, after all."

The group arrived at Sishang City. For the first time, Tang Zhao saw the Heavenly Demon guards at the city gate, each with green skin, looking like catfish out of water, yet they actually collected city gate taxes just like humans.

Shopkeeper Lei came up and displayed the flag. The green-skinned Heavenly Demon actually found a thin Heavenly Demon, and that Heavenly Demon opened his mouth to speak fluent human language: "From the Spring Thunder firm? First time here? You don't usually take this route in previous years, right? Rare."

Shopkeeper Lei said respectfully, "Yes, Noble One. We are here this time to open up a new trade route. Arriving at your precious land for the first time, we are strangers here and don't understand anything yet. If you, Noble One, are willing to introduce us, our firm will certainly have a generous reward."

That Heavenly Demon smiled without a word, skillfully flipping through their documents, and said, "You have guts to come to Sishang City to do business. Do you know the market here? Which of the four god clans do you want to do long-term business with? Don't think that a small firm coming here for the first time can eat from all four. People who think like that are all dead. You can only choose one of the four to do business with; this is an iron rule."

Shopkeeper Lei nodded and bowed. "So that's how it is! Your words, Noble One, have saved the lives of our entire team; they are truly golden words! Please, by all means, accept my sincerity..."

Tang Zhao watched them, one offering a bribe and the other accepting it, so familiar and without any racial barrier, and couldn't help but feel a moment of trance.

Are the Heavenly Demons learning from humans, or were they always like this?

Tang Zhao thought about it; there was no need to take the blame on himself. The Heavenly Demons were also a highly civilized race; they were probably like this in their daily lives, and it wasn't worth making a fuss about. This kind of conduct was no more noble than humans, nor necessarily more base.

Only one point: who allowed them to live their daily lives on the land of the Human World?

Their daily lives were exchanged for the fact that countless residents could no longer live their daily lives. How could this be tolerated?

Tang Zhao scanned the familiar yet strange scene at the city gate indifferently. After a long while, Shopkeeper Lei returned, looking quite relaxed, and said, "It's done. I've grasped the situation preliminarily. Now we can choose one of the four god clans to contact for trade, including entering their sphere of influence. Of course, you will make the final decision. Let me tell you about the pros and cons of these god clans and their gods..."

Tang Zhao shook his head, looked back at a certain place, and said, "I am not very concerned about their pros and cons. I have already chosen our cooperation partner. In any case, we are going to trade with that force in the west."