Chapter 283

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was wealthy, and the deliberation hall was also built with grandeur.

The hall was tall and spacious, with towering pillars, and the floor was covered with large blue stone bricks, as flat as a whetstone and clear as a mirror.

A plaque hung high in the hall, inscribed with the four characters "Commerce Connects the Four Seas," with vigorous brushwork and shining gold.

On the main wall of the hall, there was a giant screen depicting magnificent mountains and rivers. There were towering mountains and surging rivers, symbolizing the stability of the Chamber of Commerce, like rivers that never cease.

Not only that, the Chamber of Commerce had spent a lot of money to hire skilled craftsmen, and the brick carvings on the ground and wood carvings on the beams all displayed wealth.

If it were a normal day, Li Yan would have been unable to resist admiring it.

But now, he was completely attracted by the people in the hall.

It was supposed to be a Chamber of Commerce deliberation hall, but it was filled with martial arts guests.

There was a Daoist who was seven feet tall, with his hair tied in a high crown, sitting with a sword in his arms, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting his mind...

There was a man wearing a felt hat, with a broad back and a thick waist, and a full beard. He wore brown tight-fitting clothes, his eyes were like torches, and he was imposing without being angry...

There was also a woman with a graceful figure and a beautiful face. Her hair was tied high, she wore a light purple dress, held a round fan, and her eyes were charming, looking around with brilliance...

These people all had extraordinary momentum; one could tell at a glance that they were leaders or heads of the martial arts world in the vicinity, and they all had capable disciples standing behind them.

But what truly shocked Li Yan were three people.

Besides Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan, there was an old man with gray hair, a refined face, wearing a square scarf, leaning on a peach wood cane, his eyes extremely weathered.

Another was short and capable, with a shiny bald head. He wore black short clothes, a red belt around his waist, and was puffing out clouds of smoke while holding a dry tobacco pipe.

These three had no scent on them—they were Dan Jin experts!

In the ordinary martial arts world, Hua Jin was the top existence; regardless of which sect or force they were in, they could serve as leaders.

Experts at the Dan Jin level rarely participated in martial arts affairs.

Those who were still young would travel everywhere, looking for opportunities to break through, while the elderly would live in seclusion in one place, becoming the foundation of sects and forces.

Now that three appeared together, something big must be happening!

Not to mention him, even Squire Tian was stunned.

Sitting in the main hall was a middle-aged man.

His figure was upright, his features were dignified, three long beards hung on his chest, he wore a deep purple brocade robe with floral patterns, and a black silk belt around his waist, hanging with jade pendants and embroidered pouches.

Although he was dressed like a merchant, he inexplicably had the authority of an official.

He was the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, Wu Wu Honglin.

Seeing Squire Tian enter the door, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but a smile appeared on his face as he stood up, "Wasn't Squire Tian returning home to worship his ancestors?"

Seeing the many gazes from the hall, Squire Tian hurriedly cupped his hands, "I had something to do and returned early. Since the President is busy, I will talk to you later."

"No matter."

Wu Wu Honglin smiled, "What urgent matter does Squire Tian have?"

Just as Squire Tian said, although the Wu family had the greatest power in the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, there were others who were jealous of their position.

The president was to be re-elected this year, and at such a critical moment, Wu Wu Honglin also had to win over these middle-of-the-roaders, so he spoke much more gently.

Squire Tian still had things to do and naturally didn't want to waste time, so he explained the matter of helping Li Yan register for the tournament.

Wu Wu Honglin heard this and said meaningfully, "So Squire Tian also came for this matter; you are well-informed."

Squire Tian was stunned, "Isn't it just a tournament?"

"A tournament?"

One of them sneered, "If it were just a tournament, I'm afraid not a single one of the people here would have run over."

The person who spoke was as thin as a bamboo pole, with a pale face, wearing a black robe, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his tone neither yin nor yang.

Squire Tian recognized this person.

This thin bamboo pole was named Shi Chen, from Changsha, with profound martial arts and some knowledge of sorcery, famous for his bravery and ruthlessness in the martial world.

Facing such a person, Squire Tian didn't want to provoke him either.

On the other side, Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan rolled his dead-fish eyes and cursed directly, "If you don't want to come, get lost; your chattering is annoying."

Shi Chen's face immediately turned ugly, but he didn't dare to talk back.

The gap in status in the martial world was clear at a glance.

Wu Wu Honglin, the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, saw this and hurriedly smoothed things over, smiling, "We are all fellow travelers in the martial world; don't hurt the harmony."

"Let's talk about the main business first."

Squire Tian also became curious and wanted to know what had happened.

Wu Wu Honglin nodded, and a servant immediately moved a chair over. Squire Tian saw this and hurriedly ordered in a low voice, "Move another one."

There were rules for seating; his son Tian Wei was a junior and could stand behind him, but Li Yan was an honored guest and couldn't be wronged.

Squire Tian was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, so the servants naturally didn't dare to disobey.

But there were a few people in the hall who saw Li Yan, a young man, sitting down so carelessly, and their faces immediately showed displeasure.

It was that Pai Sect leader Shi Chen again, who said coldly, "Which family's junior are you? Do you know the rules of the martial world?"

Li Yan was also annoyed by this person, glanced at him, and said bluntly, "No sect, no faction, just a wanderer. Since no one else has spoken, why are you flapping your lips?"

Shi Chen's eyes turned gloomy, and he stood up abruptly.

"Hahaha..."

Before he could speak, Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan on the opposite side laughed, "You kid, you really have a violent temper, but that thin bamboo pole opposite is a leader of the Pai Sect. If you twist his head off, the Pai Sect won't be easy to talk to."

Hearing him say this, Shi Chen was stunned for a moment, then looked at Li Yan with suspicion. Others also looked sideways.

Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan was not someone to be trifled with in the Ezhou martial world.

But listening to what he meant, he actually thought quite highly of this young man...

"Everyone, everyone."

Wu Wu Honglin, the president, saw this and hurriedly smoothed things over, "We are all fellow travelers in the martial world; don't hurt the harmony."

"Let's talk about the main business first."

Shi Chen couldn't figure out Li Yan's background and had a way out, so he snorted and sat down, saying nothing more.

His temperament was always like this; he was used to being arrogant, but there was a big matter today, so he endured it.

Wu Wu Honglin drank some tea and said, "I know the purpose of your visit, and since the imperial court has issued a decree, the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce will naturally not block it..."

Listening to his account, Li Yan finally understood what was going on.

This matter was still related to the imperial court.

Since the Great Da Xuan Dynasty ordered the opening of the seas, maritime trade had become increasingly prosperous.

New chambers of commerce and fleets were being established everywhere in the Divine Land, and the ports and piers were also bustling with activity.

But maritime trade also carried great risks.

One was the unpredictable weather, and the other was pirates.

Doing business hard, how could it be as fast as robbing?

Under such circumstances, fleets usually increased their armed forces; although the imperial court's laws were strict, more and more people were secretly adding cannons to their ships.

After all, without this stuff, they really couldn't fight the pirates.

The imperial court also turned a blind eye.

The ban on gunpowder had by now become equivalent to nothing.

Now that the war in the Southwest had started, the imperial court had to divert forces to suppress the rebellion, making it even more impossible to attend to the seas, and the mountain people in Jingchu had already treated gunpowder as a conventional weapon.

Because of the current situation, combined with the promotion of the pro-maritime faction and the power of merchants, the imperial court finally opened the gates.

Of course, given the temper of the Great Da Xuan Emperor, what is opened must be closed.

The imperial court would appropriately open some gates, but merchant groups engaged in maritime trade would henceforth have to have merchant tickets, otherwise, it would be a crime.

This thing was similar to salt permits; port inspections were very strict, and the imperial court would send tax officials to board the ships. Once tax evasion was discovered, not only would the merchant ticket be canceled, but the family property would be confiscated and they would be sentenced to military service.

In addition, merchant groups could form ship protection teams, similar to bodyguards.

The ship protection teams had quotas and could use firearms.

But the inspections were equally strict, and they had to accept the control of the imperial court.

For example, in this rebellion in the Southwest, if the imperial court issued a temporary order, they had to cooperate with the army to suppress the rebellion...

Finally here!

Li Yan felt a burst of excitement in his heart.

He had known long ago that this day wouldn't be too far off; he had originally entrusted the former Battalion Commander to help, but he didn't expect to have an opportunity here.

For people in the martial world, this matter was equally important.

The imperial court's new firearms and cannons had long been secretly spread after being used by the Commandant's Office and the navy.

Not only that, the power of the Divine Machine Battalion in various places was also increasing.

And this was also a major event that would change the pattern of the martial world.

The reason was very simple: if others have it and I don't, I will be unlucky sooner or later.

Anyone could see that the Great Da Xuan Emperor wanted to take advantage of this to improve the strength of the pro-maritime faction while gathering the power of the martial world.

But knowing this, they could only bite the bullet and grab it.

This was also a good thing for the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, as they could take advantage of this wind to strengthen their own power.

Of course, they had to appropriately release some quotas, otherwise, if they aroused public anger, the martial artists in Ezhou would have plenty of ways to play dirty.

The gathering of various forces this time was to discuss how to distribute the quotas. According to the imperial court's rules, merchant tickets were divided into three grades—upper, middle, and lower—based on the scale of the chamber of commerce and the taxes paid in recent years, and the quotas for holding guns also varied.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was an upper-grade merchant ticket and could have five hundred quotas.

This thing was actually a bit of a chicken rib for the Chamber of Commerce; after all, at sea, even without a quota, they would still use guns and cannons.

But for people in the martial world, it was different.

Everyone knew that firearms would definitely become rampant in the future. But with this quota, they could save a lot of trouble.

At least they could use them openly.

Therefore, the people in the hall argued endlessly.

Wu Wu Honglin, the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, also showed his ability at this time, talking and laughing, dealing with everyone, always controlling the situation, and finally set a plan.

The merchant fleets naturally took the lion's share.

Two hundred of the quotas were all given to the ship protection teams.

!.

With these quotas, not only could they use cannons at sea without being sneaky, but it also meant they could have two hundred firearm teams inland.

Another one hundred and fifty were given to the Mystic Sects.

Zhenwu Palace, the Buddhist sect, and the Confucian sect could not be left out.

To be honest, even if Zhang Zhang Xiaoshan hadn't come, Wu Wu Honglin would have personally offered the quotas, and others wouldn't have had any objections.

As for the remaining one hundred and fifty, that was the key to the struggle.

Finally, everyone discussed and reached a result.

One hundred quotas were distributed to various forces, some more, some less, sharing the spoils.

And the remaining fifty would be distributed through the tournament.

After all, in the martial world, it ultimately came down to who had the bigger fist.

This discussion among everyone lasted past noon.

After leaving the hall, Squire Tian apologized immediately, "Li Li Shaoxia, I'm sorry. You heard the President's words just now; the Chamber of Commerce's quotas cannot be used for personal gain and must follow the Chamber of Commerce's orders."

"If you want to get one, you can only get it through the tournament."

By now, he knew Li Yan's true purpose.

Finding Mystic Sect craftsmen was to build firearms.

"No matter."

Li Yan's eyes were full of smiles, "I am already very grateful that Squire Tian could help me fight for an opportunity."

He didn't expect such an unexpected surprise.

As for participating in the tournament, he had originally planned to do so, so he naturally wasn't afraid.

At the same time, the people in the hall also came out one after another.

After all, they were all leaders of various forces; some disciples had left earlier, and by the time the meeting ended, Li Yan's intelligence had already been known to them.

Rising in Guanzhong and killing people on the street during the Lantern Festival could only be considered a newcomer in the martial world; they had seen too many such people.

But clashing with the Ghost Sect and the Heavenly Saint Sect in Unlike Yichang...

This was purely a madman!

Crucially, he also had connections with Zhenwu Palace and the Commandant's Office,

and his strength was not to be underestimated.

From the intelligence, everyone only saw two words:

Trouble!

Therefore, after going out, these gang leaders ignored Li Yan, neither wanting to get close nor wanting to provoke him.

Even that leader Shi Chen just snorted and left quickly with his people.

Watching the backs of the other party leaving, Squire Tian shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Li Li Shaoxia, this Shi Chen is brave and ruthless, not a good person; you should be careful in the future."

"Hmm."

Li Yan smiled slightly and said nothing.

To be honest, along this journey, the enemies he faced were existences that these martial arts guests couldn't imagine.

The things he did were even more cruel.

Having experienced storms, how could he be afraid of this light rain?

"Squire Tian, stay!"

Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly sounded from behind; it was Wu Wu Honglin, the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, walking over with his people.

"Greetings, President." Squire Tian hurriedly cupped his hands.

Wu Wu Honglin shook his head and smiled, "Squire Tian, no need for formalities. I have prepared some light wine; I ask that you two please do me the honor."

He spoke politely, but the two didn't dare to be careless.

The power that the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce could mobilize, and the various forces involved behind him, were extremely terrifying.

Just now in the main hall, although everyone was arguing endlessly, even the few Dan Jin experts respected him.

His invitation to a banquet was definitely not that simple.

Sure enough, after Wu Wu Honglin led a few people to take their seats, he directly poured two cups of wine for himself.

He first raised one cup and stood up, cupping his hands toward Squire Tian, "Squire Tian, I already know about the things my unfilial son did; I have dealt with him according to family law and punished him to reflect behind closed doors."

"I failed to discipline him strictly; I hope Squire Tian will be magnanimous."

"Not at all, President, you are too polite."

Squire Tian hurriedly stood up and returned a cup.

The resentment he had before had already vanished into thin air.

And Wu Wu Honglin was still standing, raising another cup, and smiling at Li Yan, "Li Li Shaoxia, my cousin caused trouble, and it was thanks to your timely discovery, otherwise my Wu family would have had big trouble."

"This cup, I toast to you."

"Senior, you are too polite."

Li Yan also stood up, raised a cup, and drank it.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart; this old man really had good methods.

Two cups of wine settled two troubles.

Originally, seeing the performance of Wu Wu Dehai, the Magistrate of Zigui County, and Wu Wu Jiucheng, he thought the Wu family was nothing more than that.

But now it seemed he had thought too much.

With this Wu Wu Honglin here, the Wu family was as stable as Mount Tai.

"Hahaha..."

Wu Wu Honglin also laughed, "Good! I have always believed that whether in officialdom, the marketplace, or the martial world, it is all about timing, location, and human harmony. Turning hostility into friendship is the right path."

"Senior is right."

Li Yan wore a smile, but he was even more alert in his heart.

This was a true old fox!

After some toasting and drinking, Squire Tian also relaxed a lot and laughed, "I came to the Chamber of Commerce this time for another matter; since the President is here, I'll ask you for advice first."

"Oh, Squire Tian, please speak."

"A while ago, the ancient mine pit in Xizhou appeared, gathering quite a few Mystic Sect craftsmen. Li Li Shaoxia came here this time wanting to find a reliable Mystic Sect craftsman."

"Li Li Shaoxia has been a benefactor to me, but I don't know much about this, so I wanted to ask the President for guidance..."

Wu Wu Honglin immediately smiled, "That's easy to say. I happen to know a few, each with their own unique skills, and they are currently staying in Near Wuchang City at the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce."

"Wait for me to write a letter, and Squire Tian can take it to visit them."

"Many thanks, President."

"Haha, a small matter, not worth mentioning."

With the matter having a clue, the atmosphere of the banquet became even more harmonious.

Wu Wu Honglin was clearly very busy, with subordinates coming in from time to time to report in low voices, and Li Yan and the others saw this, drank a few cups in a hurry, and took their leave.

After they left, the smile on Wu Wu Honglin's face also disappeared quickly; he picked up an intelligence report on the side, read it a few times, and his expression became serious.

"Did the Law Enforcement Hall find anything?"

The subordinate on the side hurriedly replied, "They only found out it was the Jiangxia barbarians, but there are others behind them. The Law Enforcement Hall is holding back, wanting to let them show themselves."

"Hmph!"

Wu Wu Honglin's eyes were gloomy, "The Buddha statue in the Great Hero Hall weeping blood, the Overlord's Well surging with muddy water overnight—these are all ominous signs. I'm afraid something big is going to happen in Near Wuchang."

"Coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace; if there were no internal traitors helping, how could it be possible?!"

"Keep an eye on it. The Prince strongly supports the opening of the seas and has long become a thorn in the side of those local factions."

"It's possible that someone is playing tricks to frame the Prince."

"Yes, President..."

On the other side, Li Yan and Squire Tian left the Chamber of Commerce, only to see that night had already fallen, lanterns were lit along the shops, and pedestrians were like weaving, very lively.

Both of them were in a good mood; they didn't walk a few steps before seeing that the shop selling Western clocks and watches was still open, so they walked straight in...

(End of chapter)