Chapter 216: Fare Thee Well (5000 characters)

216. Chapter 216: Fare Thee Well (5000 characters)

But even with things reaching this point, while the money inside the city could be collected, outside the city was still beyond reach. Moreover, killing Li Shun carried the righteous name of justice — whether it aligned with the law was another matter, but those who knew the inside story all felt it was not excessive. Other matters, however, could not be handled too ruthlessly. To put it plainly, the time for a complete falling-out had not yet come.

Precisely because of this, Zhao Jin had not held much hope for the Cloud Mountain Temple's list, thinking the other party would certainly find excuses to stall. He never expected them to hand it over so cleanly and decisively.

Taking the list and glancing at it, Zhao Jin shook his head. He genuinely knew quite a few of the people on it, and every one of those he knew had come to kowtow today.

Loan sharks charging exorbitant interest, keepers of semi-hidden brothels, small-time fences within the city, and the managers of two shops — most were hardly upstanding characters. But considering that the man was the son of the former abbot, and that Xue Xiaozong and Li Shun's fathers were all eminent monks, this was not so strange after all.

"The people under Cloud Mountain Temple's banner are truly a motley crew." Zhao Jin shook his head and remarked with a sigh.

Ruhui certainly understood the meaning behind those words. Not showing the slightest anger, he instead smiled and said, "In this temple, the various eminent monks and great virtues always have some personal affairs, always have many worldly ties to look after. Having such people around is convenient."

Zhao Jin did not take up his words, but instead turned around holding the list and said, "This is no different from the Incense Smelling Sect. These people each busy themselves with their own trades, never needing to lift a hand to harm or kill anyone. Yet it is precisely because these people exist that our every move is in someone else's eyes, and they can scheme against us at any time."

The Incense Smelling Sect's local leaders were the same way. On the surface they showed submission, but in private they remained uncontrollable. The lesson there needed no further mention.

"Xiaoyong, take this list tomorrow and go find them one by one. Have them hand over all their family properties and then get out of Xuzhou City. For the sake of Master Ruhui's face, we'll spare their lives. As for those outside the city, they are to hand over fifty percent of their monthly earnings. Those who don't pay will also get out." Zhao Jin spoke as if it were a trivial matter, and Liu Yong also took it as a matter of course, stepping forward to take the list.

As these words were spoken, Chen Sheng kept his eyes fixed on Monk Ruhui, his hand ceaselessly stroking the hilt of his blade.

Faced with such an overbearing disposition from Zhao Jin, Monk Ruhui not only showed no anger, but instead wore a face full of smiles. Only after Liu Yong had taken the list did he speak: "These people are only the ones on the surface. There are even more in the shadows. Of the grain tax runners collecting grain throughout Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties, I fear a good half of them carry the title of lay disciple. Heaven knows what they can do for the temple."

There were many kinds of unofficial runners and constables. The grain tax runners who collected grain and taxes had the best assignments. These men were managed by the revenue clerks of the Revenue Office, skimming and manipulating the land taxes and state levies, reaping rich profits. And since most of the farmland in the Xuzhou region was under Cloud Mountain Temple's name, the ties were naturally close. If these men also served as the temple's secret agents, they would indeed be hard to deal with and hard to guard against.

Reminded by Ruhui in this way, Zhao Jin only then thought of this point. He truly had not considered this layer before; it was a blind spot in his thinking.

Zhao Jin truly could not fathom Ruhui's stance. Whether it was this list or these words from Monk Ruhui, not a shred of it stood on Cloud Mountain Temple's side. And this was not the attitude of someone selling information for personal gain — this was clearly what an enemy would do. Thinking of those few meaningful words from Clerk Li of the Punishment Office, Zhao Jin began to understand somewhat.

By then, Chen Sheng's hand had already left his blade hilt. A trace of a smile finally appeared on Zhao Jin's face as he spoke: "We are all family here. Master Ruhui, whatever you have to say, say it."

"Many thanks, Young Master Zhao. The entire temple, from top to bottom, is furious at Young Master Zhao's actions. Both the abbot and the superintendent asked this humble monk to bring Young Master Zhao a message: even the Buddha has a temper. They ask Young Master Zhao to show some restraint." Monk Ruhui truly dared to speak.

Having heard those earlier words, Zhao Jin and his companions did not get angry. They merely exchanged glances, their expressions rather strange. Everyone knew there was more to come.

"Exchanging sorghum for white liquor is a matter beneficial to both sides. The temple will continue to transport sorghum here as usual, and we ask Young Master Zhao not to cut off the liquor supply. The original quotas for the Cloud Mountain Firm and Cloud Mountain Tower can be handed over to the temple for unified distribution. If the amount can be increased, that would be even easier to discuss..."

Ruhui stood there smiling and speaking volubly. Inside the room, the expressions on Zhao Jin and his companions' faces grew increasingly strange. While the others could still hold their composure, Shi Manqiang stood up. Everyone looked over. Shi Manqiang held back, and held back again, before finally saying in a rough voice, "Big Brother, you all keep talking. I'll go check the distillery's defenses and see if the lads are slacking off."

Everyone knew this was a pretext. Shi Manqiang cupped his fists and turned, but after taking one step, he could not help but look back and say, "To think my mother prays to Buddha all day. If she knew the monks were all this..."

Again, he stopped mid-sentence, but anyone could tell from the shape of his mouth that he was cursing. It seemed this shameless talk and stance had truly stoked his anger.

Shi Manqiang walked out the door. Before Zhao Jin could offer any polite explanation, Monk Ruhui spoke first: "That Young Master Shi is truly forthright."

Since he said so, Zhao Jin and the others merely smiled. Monk Ruhui continued, "My fellow disciples, Supervisor Ruhan and Temple Protector Runing, both said that since this business earns so much, we should keep doing it for now. Once we've called in some help and gathered our forces, we'll kill that brat and seize the distillery."

Hearing him speak these words so casually, Zhao Jin was stunned, and the others' faces instantly changed color. Liu Yong and Ji Xiang stood straight up. After recovering from his surprise, Zhao Jin laughed and said leisurely, "These are not words that should come from Master Ruhui's mouth!"

Seeing Zhao Jin so calm and composed, Monk Ruhui was instead surprised. He stared at him, shook his head, and said slowly, "For Young Master Zhao to have such depth and bearing, he truly does not seem like a sixteen-year-old. Could it be that all heroes born to do great things are like this?"

The accumulation of two lifetimes of experience was, of course, different. Zhao Jin had always been very cautious not to appear too abnormal, and at the same time, he had been assimilated by his surroundings, increasingly resembling a youth of this age. However, essence was essence, and Zhao Jin no longer wanted to deliberately hide anything.

"Master Ruhui has said so many things that should not be said. What do you want? The liquor currently given to Cloud Mountain Temple can all be counted as Master Ruhui's in the future. If you wish to convert it to silver, just name a figure." Zhao Jin did not answer Ruhui's question, but instead voiced his own doubt.

From the very first contact between the two sides, this Monk Ruhui had shown an intention to befriend him, hardly considering Cloud Mountain Temple's side at all. Now he was even more blatantly selling them out. Nothing in this world comes without reason, let alone from a clever man like Monk Ruhui. He must have something he sought.

"I ask Young Master Zhao to help me take revenge, to help me avenge this blood debt of my father's murder." The smile had vanished from Monk Ruhui's face, replaced entirely by a venomous look of resentment. He did not refer to himself as 'this humble monk,' but used 'I.'

As these words were spoken, the warm room suddenly grew much colder. Zhao Jin and his companions were all stunned, never expecting to hear such words from Monk Ruhui's mouth.

Zhao Jin frowned and, after a moment of deliberation, asked, "Zhao had heard that the former abbot passed away in nirvana."

Ruhui gave two bitter laughs and said, "His illness was somewhat severe, but with proper care and recuperation, it was not incurable. It was just that others could not wait. They first surrounded the abbot's meditation chamber, then Ruhan went in and strangled him. To the outside world, they only said he had passed into nirvana."

"How do you know?"

"The novice monk attending the meditation chamber saw it. After he came out, he told someone. Two days later, he was overcome with grief and passed away in seated meditation." Monk Ruhui's clear voice had turned hoarse.

These words seemed to have been pent up in Monk Ruhui's heart for a long time. Once he started, he could not stop: "At that time, I was still studying at the academy. Several senior elders in the temple who were close to me told me to return quickly. Back then, there were still quite a few people loyal to my family. No one wanted mutual destruction, so we reached this tacit understanding. My father would be considered to have passed into nirvana, everyone would support Xue Chongxun as the new abbot, and I was given the position of guest prefect... Now, the entire temple, from top to bottom, is filled with Xue Chongxun's people. The elders who looked after me have all passed into nirvana or died. They no longer take me seriously, yet they also think I am capable in dealing with outsiders, so they still trust me..."

Who was Xue Chongxun? Zhao Jin paused for a moment before it clicked, and only because he knew that the head manager of Cloud Mountain Firm, Xue Xiaozong, was the son of Cloud Mountain Temple's abbot.

"... I have endured for fifteen years. Heaven took pity, and finally let me wait for this opportunity..."

"Why do you think I would help you deal with Cloud Mountain Temple?" Zhao Jin interrupted him bluntly. By the end, Monk Ruhui was no longer confiding but venting.

Monk Ruhui took several deep breaths, steadied his mind, and forced a smile as he said, "With the temple's scale, not just in Xuzhou, but in all the lands of Southern Zhili north of the Yangtze, no one dares to tug the tiger's whiskers. Yet Young Master Zhao dares. Moreover, Young Master Zhao and Cloud Mountain Temple are now irreconcilably opposed. You killed Li Shun — that is already a blood debt of a slain son. There can be no more easing of tensions."

"I never intended any easing from the start. However, Master Ruhui, if you want to use us as your blade to take revenge, what you've brought out here is hardly enough. Before tearing off all pretense, what Cloud Mountain Temple was originally going to give me would not be less than what you've offered." Zhao Jin spoke.

Without any reason, and with Cloud Mountain Temple having clashed with his side several times in major conflicts, Zhao Jin would not trust the other party so easily. Monk Ruhui had also completely calmed down from his earlier agitation. After Zhao Jin finished speaking, silence returned to the room, only now Chen Sheng's gaze at Ruhui was not as hostile as before.

"Young Master Zhao, what I can offer now is not much. Most of the temple's confidential matters, I am not allowed to participate in. The silver I can produce does not exceed five thousand taels, which Young Master Zhao may not even take seriously. But what I can give Young Master Zhao is far more than this. I want to give Cloud Mountain Temple to Young Master Zhao!" Monk Ruhui said, word by word.

As he spoke, Ruhui stared at Zhao Jin with an utterly sincere attitude. These words brought a moment of silence to the room. Soon, Zhao Jin laughed and said, "Someone offered the Birthday Tribute to Chao Gai, yet Chao Gai still had to lead men to seize it himself, and then was ruined by the authorities and forced to become a bandit in the hills. You say you're giving it to me with empty words and a blank tongue, but you still want me to take it with real blades and real spears. You move your mouth, while we brothers will have to shed sweat and blood."

Monk Ruhui ignored Zhao Jin's barbed words and simply continued on his own: "Throughout Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties, every decent piece of land is Cloud Mountain Temple's property. Every person of status has countless ties to Cloud Mountain Temple. Young Master Zhao is a young hero. If you want to accomplish great things in Xuzhou, to build a grand situation, you will surely be bound hand and foot by this Cloud Mountain Temple. If you take this Cloud Mountain Temple, it has ten thousand qing of fertile land, over ten thousand people, and countless gold, silver, and wealth. With these, Young Master Zhao can soar to the heavens, then occupy the pivotal hub of Xuzhou and command the region."

These words were full of momentum. Chen Sheng and Ji Xiang both listened with shining eyes. Zhao Jin, however, interrupted him: "Master Ruhui, why do you make it sound as if I intend to rebel?"

The moment the word "rebel" left his mouth, silence fell over the room again. Apart from Zhao Jin, everyone else wore expressions of shock. Monk Ruhui also reflexively explained, "Young Master Zhao jests. How would this humble monk dare to recklessly speak of rebellion and treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans? This humble monk is merely saying that if Young Master Zhao takes Cloud Mountain Temple, it would be a family estate that guarantees prosperity for a hundred generations!"

Zhao Jin nodded. He felt somewhat awkward inside. Everyone knew what could be done and what was taboo; that earlier exchange had been a bit rash. Zhao Jin's expression, however, remained normal as he asked calmly, "Even if what you say is true, taking it would still rely on us brothers taking it ourselves. How do you explain this 'give'?"

"Young Master Zhao, Cloud Mountain Temple grew from nothing, from a thatched hut in the mountains back then to its current state today, over nearly one hundred and twenty years. It has survived several wars and military disasters without falling. Although the temple is rotten and corrupt inside, its roots are deep and tangled, with extremely deep connections in every direction. Even if Young Master Zhao and your men seized it by force, with such vast territory, so many properties, and so many people, can Young Master Zhao be certain that every one of them will be sincerely convinced? When that time comes, I fear there will be chaos everywhere. But with this humble monk present, relying on my late father's prestige and my own efforts over these years, I can give Young Master Zhao a Cloud Mountain Temple that is intact, prosperous, and thriving." Monk Ruhui spoke with eloquence.

"So Master Ruhui wants to borrow a chicken to hatch an egg..." Zhao Jin said with a smile. Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Ruhui was about to continue, but Zhao Jin raised a hand to stop him.

The smile faded from Zhao Jin's face as he said thoughtfully, "But what you say also makes sense. Having you will always save some effort compared to not having you."

Hearing this, an excited look appeared on Monk Ruhui's face, knowing he had convinced the other party. After a moment of deliberation, Zhao Jin stared at him and said, "Talk is talk. For Zhao to believe you so easily is impossible. The sorghum-for-liquor deal — Cloud Mountain Temple is taking too great an advantage. From now on, add another twenty percent to the sorghum. Furthermore, from top to bottom in Cloud Mountain Temple, what forces exist, what responsibilities each holds, their names and surnames, and any hidden secrets — I want to know all of it. Once you've done this, we can discuss future cooperation!"

When words reached this point, any sensible person would understand. No matter how dazzlingly Monk Ruhui spoke, he would first have to fulfill the conditions Zhao Jin had laid out.

But to have reached this stage, Monk Ruhui was sufficiently delighted. He stood up, pressed his palms together in a salute, and said, "Since Young Master Zhao has given his instructions, this humble monk will certainly comply. If that future day truly comes, this humble monk will still need to seek shelter under Young Master Zhao. Allow me to pay my respects in advance."

In any case, of all the people Zhao Jin had dealt with, this Monk Ruhui possessed eloquence, logic, and a graceful bearing, reminding him of some so-called business elites from his past. Zhao Jin was still willing to deal with this man, but after so many recent lessons, caution and prudence were absolutely necessary.

In truth, only one thing was settled today: the sorghum-for-liquor trade would continue, with Cloud Mountain Temple increasing the quantity by twenty percent. Everything else depended on how each side acted from now on.

Ruhui took his leave, thoroughly satisfied. Just before stepping out the door, he smiled and said, "Young Master Zhao, Li Shun grew up playing with Xue Xiaozong since childhood, and even when he grew up, he still followed his every word. Besides, when it comes to Cloud Mountain Temple's affairs in the city, how could Li Shun have been the one making the decisions?"

After seeing Ruhui off and returning to sit in the room, for a moment no one spoke. In the end, it was Zhao Jin who smiled and spoke first: "Don't underestimate others. In this world, no one is simple."

Chen Sheng nodded silently. After a quiet moment, he spoke: "Now, no one will be able to overturn the heavens inside the city."

As the son of Cloud Mountain Temple's abbot, that Xue Xiaozong was effectively the temple's chief manager within the city. Since Li Shun followed his every word, the series of moves — colluding with He Weiyuan, setting an ambush on the official road, scheming to seize the distillery — it was not necessarily true that Xue Xiaozong knew nothing of them. He might even have participated in the planning. And yet Zhao Jin and his men had thought the other party was timid as a mouse.

But Chen Sheng wasn't wrong either — with the methods Zhao Jin and the others had now, it really was hard to stir up any real trouble inside the city anymore.

Early the next morning, the morning of the seventeenth day of the first month, Zhao Jin and his friends left home early and waited outside the Sun family residence. According to what Sun Jia had said, today they would take Sun Dalei's remains to Pizhou.

Before long, the Sun family's main gate swung open, and a horse-drawn cart carrying a coffin slowly emerged. The Sun family members sat in the larger cart behind it. Even from outside, one could hear the muffled sobs and weeping from within the carriage. Sun Dalei's father, Sun Jia, glanced out, nodded to Zhao Jin and the others, and the two parties set off together in silence.

By the time their group reached the east gate, the city gate had only just opened. According to propriety and custom, Zhao Jin and the others ought to see them off for five li beyond the city. Given the closeness of their relationship, seeing them off for thirty li, or even all the way to Pizhou, would have been fitting.

But Sun Jia got down from the carriage and, no matter what, refused to let Zhao Jin and the others continue escorting them. He put it plainly: "Too many eyes are on you. It's not safe outside the city. When we can be sure everything is peaceful and uneventful, come to Pizhou to see Dalei, light a stick of incense for him. That child Dalei was always afraid of being alone, always liked to head toward a crowd. It's also because his mother and I were out doing business, never home much..."

His voice grew softer as he spoke, and the weeping from inside the carriage grew louder. Sun Jia shook his head ruefully, cleared his throat, and said gravely, "You are all Dalei's good brothers. You must take care of yourselves. If you consider Dalei a brother, and acknowledge me as your uncle, then do not leave the city."

Zhao Jin and the others exchanged glances, then all silently nodded their agreement. Sun Jia let out a long sigh, climbed back onto the carriage, and continued on his way.

The early morning of the first month was still bitterly cold, yet Zhao Jin and the others seemed to feel nothing. They stood there watching the carriage recede into the distance. The sun rose, and the flow of people through the city gate began to increase. Though few recognized Zhao Jin and his friends, everyone instinctively gave them a wide berth at the sight of their bearing and attire.

The carriage in their field of vision grew smaller and smaller. Suddenly, Chen Sheng shouted at the top of his lungs, "Dalei, safe journey!"

Zhao Jin's whole body jolted. His vision blurred in an instant. Unconsciously, he raised his hand, as if Sun Dalei were there in the distance, and this were the moment of parting.