Chapter 683: Found the Silver Mine

Pan Yun actually found it right away; she drew her sword and struck with a sharp ding, cracking a narrow fissure in the exposed rock.

She plunged her sword in and used subtle force to pry gently—the rock shattered and crumbled down in a rustling cascade.

Xue Shao picked up a piece, squeezed it, examined it, and nodded: "Lead-gray, with gray-white rock on both sides—definitely silver ore."

He squeezed hard; the stone broke into pebbles, and a faint smile curled his lips: "The silver content is high."

Chen Liutao and Qu Zhixing didn't understand ore, but they trusted Xue Shao—their gaze toward the stone instantly changed.

The mountain was large, covered with trees; Pan Yun clearly couldn't let Masuda Nobutada give her the entire hill, so she carefully surveyed it.

To Masuda Nobutada's eyes, she merely wandered the mountain, then visited the temple on the slope to discuss Buddhist sutras with monks, spending half each day in the village and half in the temple—as if she favored the local culture and wished to challenge the mountain monks in debate; she decided to stay.

With this decision to stay, she took Wang Cong, Seeing Miao Zhen, and Zhang Weiyi up the mountain to survey feng shui and select a site for their residence.

Masuda Nobutada tagged along for two days, watching them wander the mountain with all sorts of odd tools.

He grew increasingly uncertain.

Seeing he seemed curious, Pan Yun beckoned him over and taught him: "Our Daoist tradition in selecting a residence emphasizes feng shui—cultivation requires communion with heaven and earth, absorbing cosmic qi; thus, our dwelling must be rich in qi. It must also harmonize with our personal energy field. Humans have the Five Phases; nature has the Five Phases too—supplement what's lacking, avoid clashes, follow generation. So we survey the Five Phases. And for comfort, we must also assess terrain: back to mountain, face to water—blocking cold and averting harm, while ensuring dampness and auspiciousness, for water nourishes…"

He knew feng shui, so up to this point Masuda Nobutada could follow, but Pan Yun then went on to explain how they'd determine direction, assess the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of that direction, and so on…

Masuda Nobutada gradually drifted off, his face blank and vacant.

When Pan Yun finished, she uncorked her water flask, took a sip to moisten her throat, and asked: "Master Masuda, do you understand?"

Masuda Nobutada gave an awkward smile—he'd heard, but understood nothing.

After two days of following them, he realized: each individual word he could comprehend, but together they made no sense.

Knowing they were seriously seeking a residence site—likely planning to use the sea route from Onsenmachi—he relaxed and simply gave up interfering.

Precisely because of this assumption, when Pan Yun drew a massive circle across the mountain, Masuda Nobutada hesitated, yet still reluctantly agreed.

It was just a mountain—uncultivable, immovable. Giving them the other half wouldn't matter; any house they built would remain here, even if they left.

Moreover, they'd likely build roads up the mountain. He'd studied Pan Yun's methods—she treated slaves well. When road construction required laborers, she'd inevitably hire villagers from below, paying them well, giving them income.

Pan Yun asked him to draft land deeds.

Having agreed to everything, he naturally went all out—doing everything properly. Masuda Nobutada readily replied: "Young Lady Pan, rest assured—I can handle this."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "No need to consult Lord Yamana?"

Masuda Nobutada said confidently: "In Omori Village, the Masuda family can handle all of this."

Pan Yun's lips curled in satisfaction—choosing the Masuda family was indeed correct. She loved cooperating with clever people, each gaining what they needed.

Pan Yun walked to the other side of the mountain, looked down from above, and pointed to the valley: "Who owns that patch of wasteland?"

Masuda Nobutada walked beside her and looked down—it was a valley between two mountains, about ten mu, lush with green grass and crossed by a small stream, looking quite beautiful.

Masuda Nobutada instantly understood, his gaze flickering: "This land belongs to the forest. If Young Lady Pan desires it, the Masuda family can grant it to her."

"With so many slaves, they need a place to work," Pan Yun said. "I see this spot gets good sunlight, lush grass, and water—it's perfect for farming. They can feed themselves."

The next day, Masuda Nobutada delivered two land deeds.

Pan Yun was extremely satisfied, then told Masuda Nobutada: "The harbor must be built, but besides the harbor, we need ships. Lord Yamana has no ships; it'll be hard for him to enter maritime trade."

Seeing her speak with casual calm, Masuda Nobutada knew she had a plan and hurriedly replied: "As for the best shipbuilding technology in the world, it's still the Central Kingdom. The Uesugi clan has several ships acquired from Great Ming as decommissioned vessels—called decommissioned, but with repairs they're fully usable."

Pan Yun: "You want me to help you acquire Great Ming ships?"

Masuda Nobutada immediately bowed: "Please, Young Lady Pan, lend your aid. In the future, command me as you will."

Pan Yun waved her hand: "Ships aren't difficult for me—I can give you one."

Masuda Nobutada's eyes lit up brightly.

Pan Yun said: "But as you know, construction of the harbor requires funds—we came here for revenge, not with silver. So the five thousand taels for harbor construction…"

Masuda Nobutada gritted his teeth: "If Young Lady Pan can bring a ship capable of carrying two hundred liao, the Masuda family will find a way to fund the harbor."

Pan Yun: "I want half the harbor's operating rights."

"This…" Masuda Nobutada hesitated.

Pan Yun narrowed her eyes: "One ship is worth far more than five thousand taels."

Had it not been to draw the Masuda family into this, she wouldn't have offered a ship.

Masuda Nobutada finally took a deep breath and whispered: "I must consult my elders before deciding."

Pan Yun told him to go ask.

Masuda Nobutada hurried away.

Standing before the villa gate, watching him disappear into the distance, Pan Yun nodded slightly to a passing villager, then turned and entered.

She asked Gao Zhiming, who was swinging his sword: "Have Wang Cong and the others returned?"

Gao Zhiming sheathed his sword: "Not yet. You only sent them off two days ago—it's at least two days to Zhang Weigang, and two days back."

Pan Yun nodded slightly and said: "Go notify them—a meeting in the courtyard in fifteen minutes. I have something to tell you."

She paused, then added: "Bring Zhang Weiliang out too."

Soon after, Zhang Weiliang was carried out and placed on the ground, his back propped against a railing.

Zhang Weiliang: …

Sensing this was unsuitable for a severely injured patient, Seeing Miao Zhen brought a cushion and placed it nearby; the martial heroes then moved him onto it, explaining: "It's all the Japanese's fault—they have no chairs, let alone hu beds, so we had to carry you out like this."

Zhang Weiliang silently pulled his sleeve back: "I don't mind."

Seeing Miao Zhen returned after circling the area and said: "Young Uncle, the formation is set."

Pan Yun clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention: "I know you're all curious why we came to Omori Village. I'm deeply grateful you trusted this Daoist, despite knowing nothing, and followed me. Now that we've secured the land deeds and will soon return home, today is a meeting of open hearts." (End of chapter)