Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 358: Stone Gate Merchant Guild’s Opportunity

“But...” Third Master Gan’s face darkened as he started to speak, when Steward Zhao tugged lightly at his sleeve.

Does he still want to settle this peacefully or not?

Third Master Gan drew a long, heavy breath, turned his head, and said, “A’Jin, you go.”

A guard behind him immediately spun around and headed to Beisong Medicine Hall.

During all this, He Lingchuan did not bother exchanging another word with Third Master Gan. He asked the proprietor for the finest wine, then poured and drank at his leisure.

He put on the old swagger he used to wear in Heishui City. Third Master Gan tried to speak several times, only to be cut off every time. In the end, he could do nothing but swallow his anger and sit there.

This dragged on for two full incense sticks’ worth of time before the guard finally returned.

“Handled?”

“Handled.” The guard murmured a few words into Third Master Gan’s ear. The hunting dog was dead, and the hunter had squeezed them for a fat sum.

By now, Third Master Gan’s patience was basically spent. His voice turned low and hard as he said, “Young Master He, can we talk now?”

He Lingchuan asked something seemingly completely unrelated. “What’s the deal with the evil ghosts on that tusked boar?”

“What evil ghosts?” Third Master Gan bristled. “Insulting people isn’t done like that.”

He Lingchuan watched his expression. He really seems to be unaware of it. “Then why keep a tusked boar as a hunting pet? Other people use hounds, and some train golden leopards.”

A hunting pet’s a partner for the hunt, so why a boar?

Come to think of it, the commoners in the street didn’t seem able to see those ghost-faces on the boar either.

So why was I able to see them at a glance?

“Well, I was simply out hunting in the hills one time and just so happened to pick up a cub. I thought it looked nice, so I raised it.” Third Master Gan did not understand why he was being asked. “What’s the fun in raising the same hunting pet as everyone else?” Being different was the whole point, and a white boar was rare enough.

“What changed a few months ago?”

“What are you getting at?” Third Master Gan’s annoyance surfaced. “Let’s deal with proper business first.”

He Lingchuan accepted pleasantly, “So Third Master Gan is already the one calling the shots for the Gan Family?”

Third Master Gan answered vaguely, “More or less.” This guy really knows how to make people uncomfortable.

He Lingchuan flicked a glance at Steward Zhao, who then returned a polite, practiced smile.

“Fine, let’s talk business.” He Lingchuan sat up straight and cleared his throat. “I’ve decided to find a different caravan to take me to Lingxu City. I won’t trouble the Gan Family Merchant Guild. That’s all.”

The listeners froze.

Third Master Gan finally snapped.

Bang!

He slammed his fist onto the table. “Have you just been playing with me?!”

Steward Zhao had practically dragged him here, repeating again and again to keep things civil. He had held his breath and swallowed his anger, been ordered around in circles, only to get this?

“Yes.” He Lingchuan smiled warmly. “Your attitude was bad. I’m not satisfied.”

After all, he was the client. He had not made Third Master Gan kneel and call him father only because the kid looked unfilial.

“You don’t want to do things the nice way, huh? Fine, the hard way it is!” Third Master Gan’s face went red in anger. “Grab him! Search him for the travel token!”

“Aiyo, Third Master, you can’t!” Steward Zhao cried out, yet he did not lift a hand.

The guards behind him hesitated. Third Master Gan roared, “Move! This bastard killed my eldest brother and stole the travel token, and he still dares swagger in here to cheat people. I’ve every reason to seize him and send him to the yamen!”

With all the noise that was being made in the tavern, a crowd had long since gathered below to watch.

Third Master Gan was not stupid. He raised his voice on purpose. This way, the people downstairs could get a good bite of the melon.

The street buzzed and exploded at once, yet not because he was arresting someone, but because he had spoken the death notice with his own mouth.

Master Gan’s dead?!

The Gan Family Merchant Guild’s pillar has fallen!

The news was like a drop of water in hot oil, and it started splashing outward wildly.

Upstairs, Third Master Gan had not even realized. He Lingchuan reminded him lightly, “They can’t beat me.”

As he spoke, three throwing knives shot out in a neat triangular pattern, the knives pinning cleanly into the pillar behind Third Master Gan.

One landed by his throat, another landed above his head, and the last landed beside his temple.

Third Master Gan went pale. He edged backward, then stood and retreated two steps before forcing out, “This is the Gan Family’s territory. If I don’t nod my head, you won’t leave Wuze County, and no inn or post station will dare take you in!”

He Lingchuan smiled faintly and said, “We’ll see.”

After dropping his threat, Third Master Gan turned on his heel and stomped downstairs.

Steward Zhao bowed to He Lingchuan, apologized, and followed after Third Master Gan.

He Lingchuan waved a waiter over for another pot of wine, as though nothing had happened.

Seeing Third Master Gan was like seeing the former He Lingchuan.

Back when that former He Lingchuan ran rampant in Heishui City, his backing had been far tougher than Third Master Gan’s. Meanwhile, it was the mild, agreeable Steward Zhao who had dug a pit for Third Master Gan to jump into right in front of He Lingchuan’s eyes.

When Steward Zhao introduced He Lingchuan, he only said the Spider Queen had handed the travel token to this young man. He had not spoken a word about how he had killed the bandits, nor a word that the caravan’s escape from the swamp had depended entirely on the terms He Lingchuan negotiated with the Spider Queen. By those facts alone, He Lingchuan had not only avenged Boss Gan, but he had also been the whole caravan’s savior.

Third Master Gan naturally assumed He Lingchuan was some opportunist who had cut in and extorted profit in the chaos.

Could he be blamed? If Master Gan were here, he would not have been fooled so easily.

Steward Zhao had truly read Third Master Gan’s temperament down to the bone.

The spider on him hopped back onto He Lingchuan’s table, signaling the mission was done.

He Lingchuan tapped the tabletop lightly. “Run another errand for me? I think that Third Master Gan is about to start trouble.”

He knew how dandies thought; he had quite a bit of authority on that. If they could not win openly, they would almost certainly play dirty in the shadows.

When you were alone as an outsider, if you punched someone once, you had to guard against being kicked back.

The spider rubbed its big eyes, and He Lingchuan felt its displeasure clearly. It was as if it were saying, “Work again, without pay?”

Fine, I don’t mind paying.

He Lingchuan immediately had the waiter bring a fresh fish.

The fish was still flopping even out of the water. It was perfect for a spider’s meal. He watched the little thing crouch onto the fish and inject venom; after a while, the fish stopped moving.

Only then did the eyeball spider begin eating.

Once it had its fill, it slipped away, satisfied.

* * *

Not long after, someone else came upstairs.

He Lingchuan recognized him at a glance. This was the “Second Boss” he had seen earlier through the eyeball spider.

There were only a handful of guests on the second floor. The Second Boss swept the room once, immediately locked onto He Lingchuan, and strode straight over.

“May I ask, are you Young Master He?”

He Lingchuan answered blandly. “And you are?”

“My surname is Shi. I’m from the Stone Gate Merchant Guild[1].” The second boss smiled. “I’d like to ask Young Master He something, may we sit and talk?”

He Lingchuan gestured. “Please.”

By coincidence, the second boss sat right in the seat Third Master Gan had taken earlier. As he lowered himself, his gaze flicked over He Lingchuan’s waist; his motion paused for a heartbeat, then he sat down as if nothing had happened.

“We were on close terms with Guildmaster Gan,” Second Boss Shi said with a mournful shake of his head. “Hearing he met with misfortune, we went to his residence to offer condolences. The Gan Family was at the height of its rise... Ah, the world is unpredictable.”

By that point, He Lingchuan understood why he had only arrived now. He had gone to pay respects at the Gan Residence first. Etiquette-wise, that was proper.

He Lingchuan asked deliberately, “Did Old Madame Mao wake?”

“She did. She’s taken medicine as well. I heard she fainted twice from crying earlier. Right now, Second Master Gan is by her side. Second Master Gan’s eyes are swollen from crying too. Old Madame Mao is overcome with grief, so we only managed to see her briefly.”

The answer was smooth, with details where they belonged. It was clear that he had genuinely been there.

“Second Boss Shi is thorough.” He Lingchuan set him up with a line, sighing on purpose. “I’ve been sitting here dryly for over two hours and still haven’t had the chance to step into the Gan Residence.”

Why He Lingchuan was sitting here, and why Second Boss Shi had come, both sides knew perfectly well.

The second boss did not pretend to be surprised anymore. This young man was only seventeen or eighteen, yet he did not have the impatience of his peers; otherwise, he would have opened with something along the lines of, “Are you also here for the travel token?”

He went straight to the point, “I’ve heard Young Master He is seeking a reliable caravan to travel to the monster state’s capital?”

“Yes. I’ve been in the county less than four hours, yet you’re already aware. I see that Mr. Shi’s ability to gather information is rather sharp.”

“Then I’ll thicken my face and recommend myself,” said Second Boss Shi with a smile. “Our Stone Gate Merchant Guild has run the route from Wuze to Beijia’s capital, Lingxu City, for nineteen years. Aside from the first year, when internal chaos struck the monster state, the following eighteen years have gone smoothly, without a single death. Among all the merchant guilds in Wuze County, that record is unique.”

He Lingchuan gave a faint, amused snort. “I’m not only looking for an escort. When it comes to passing checkpoints and handling affairs, I need the conveniences a caravan can offer. If I have business to do, the caravan must cooperate. That needs to be said clearly. Also, it will only be after we arrive in Lingxu City that I will pay the remuneration.”

“And you’re going to Lingxu City for?”

“Sightseeing.”

Second Boss Shi laughed. The excuse had no sincerity at all. “How dangerous is it?”

“No danger,” He Lingchuan said with an honest smile. “Just looking into something.”

“You’re not going to stir trouble?”

“I have no such intention.” He Lingchuan smiled. “I’m also someone who hates trouble.”

Second Boss Shi fell silent for a moment.

He really did not know much about this young man, but the Demon Nest travel token was in the young man’s hands. This chance could not be missed.

If they escorted him and let him borrow the Stone Gate Merchant Guild’s name to move around, how much danger could there be?

Besides, a caravan often carried clients long-distance anyway, and who really even went digging into every reason?

No risk, no profit.

“Fine, then it’s settled.” Second Boss Shi laughed loudly. “I’ll go on this trip as well.”

“Oh?” He Lingchuan’s eyes curved. “Not afraid I’ll stiff you?”

Both of them knew that the “remuneration” he spoke of was not silver.

Second Boss Shi waved a hand and said, “A distinguished guest of Songyang Manor is a person of face and standing. How would you ever default on the account of a tiny merchant guild like ours?”

In truth, big people absolutely could default on small accounts.

He Lingchuan’s gaze dropped to his own waist. “How could you tell?”

“The style and material of Young Master He’s scabbard are special; Songyang Manor uses them only for its most honored guests.” Second Boss Shi’s eyes also fell on the scabbard. “Young Master He’s treasured saber must be extraordinary. Which master forged it?”

“Li Fubo.” After Li Fubo finished planting Fleeting Life for He Lingchuan, he had casually sent over a scabbard too, never once mentioning it was some badge of honored status. Who would have thought this scabbard would save him words a thousand miles away?

Second Boss Shi’s expression shifted. “You mean Songyang Manor’s Chief Grandmaster Artisan of the Central Furnace?”

With him reacting like that, He Lingchuan almost had to be modest. “Grandmaster Li happened to have time during those few months.”

Second Boss Shi would never believe that. If anyone could ask and get him, how would Li Fubo ever have time? And Young Master He had said “a few months.”

For one saber, Grandmaster Li had forged for months?!

1. The Second Boss’ surname Shi is the same Chinese character as the Stone in Stone Gate. And the same goes for the Big Boss of Stone Gate. ☜