Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 371: Third Master Gan’s End

This fellow had entered Beijia two hundred years ago. By then, Beijia had already been an established state for a long time, so he should have had some understanding of how things worked. He Lingchuan was in no particular hurry and circled back to the earlier topic, “So the nightmare qi you mentioned, can it also be understood as life itself?”

“Nightmare qi is nightmare qi, and life is life. They overlap, but you absolutely can’t lump them together,” the mirror immediately corrected him. “You’re one life, and that old gatekeeper at Purple Bamboo Garden is also one life. In essence, there’s no real difference between the two. But nightmare qi is another matter entirely. Humans accumulate more and more nightmare qi as they grow from infancy into adulthood. Then, from adulthood into old age, that nightmare qi gradually dissipates, returning to heaven and earth, completing a cycle of coming from somewhere and going back there. So the nightmare qi you possess and what that gatekeeper has, whether in quality or quantity, are worlds apart!”

He Lingchuan nodded thoughtfully. “I’m a cultivator.”

“You’re a cultivator, so of course the amount of nightmare qi you command is greater and more abundant,” the mirror said smoothly. “In the Ancient Era, the immortals possessed too much nightmare qi. They couldn’t adapt to the world where spirit qi declined, and that’s why they vanished.”

“So fundamentally speaking, nightmare qi is just spirit qi?”

“Yes!”

So nightmare qi and profound crystals are just different manifestations of spirit qi. In the end, this thing needs spirit qi replenishment to repair itself.

“That’s too much trouble. I’ll just find a smith to patch you up.”

“Th-that works too, I guess...” The mirror sounded reluctant. “But at the very least, you’ll need Wu Metal.”

“...Damn it!”

So even the most basic methods would work for repairs!

This thing probably just wants to take advantage of me! It wants to snack on profound crystals or precious metals!

He Lingchuan rubbed his temples. His finances were already stretched thin. Keeping another glutton like this around was just adding insult to injury.

At this moment, Shi Congshui, the second boss of the Stone Gate Merchant Guild, came over to see him. Upon hearing that the guards of the Baoshu King’s Grand Tutor from Beijia were also staying here, and that they would even be traveling with them, he was overjoyed.

The Baoshu King’s territory alone was larger than the State of Fu and lay close to it. If the Stone Gate Merchant Guild could establish ties with the grand tutor’s household, their commercial reach would expand dramatically. He Lingchuan understood these merchants’ calculations perfectly. He went to knock on Wu Jinsong’s door and invited the two of them over for drinks, introducing Second Boss Shi along the way.

The four chatted merrily. Wu Jinsong could not very well spread word about Young Master Sha’s missing souls, so he only said they were in Wuze County on official business and had run into a mirror monster. He Lingchuan then embellished last night’s events, and Second Boss Shi listened in amazement, never imagining that so many frightening things had happened by Mochou Lake while he slept.

When Third Master Gan’s involvement came up, Second Boss Shi downed three cups of wine in a row and laughed loudly. “That brat, his retribution finally caught up with him!”

As he downed cups of wine, he recounted many past affairs of the Gan Family. To He Lingchuan’s surprise, while Third Master Gan had indeed done plenty of reprehensible things, the one who truly trampled others’ paths and left them no way forward had been Eldest Master Gan.

“Now that Eldest Master Gan is dead, the Gan Family’s in for quite a show.”

As if to confirm his words, by the following afternoon, news had already spread throughout the county that ownership of the Demon Nest Swamp travel token had changed hands.

He Lingchuan would bet ten copper coins that the Stone Gate Merchant Guild had released this rumor. The news carefully omitted who now held the permit. Otherwise, he would not have had a moment’s peace these past few days.

Creditors flocked in, nearly wearing down the threshold of the Gan Residence.

With Eldest Master Gan dead and the Demon Nest travel token lost, what future did the Gan Family Merchant Guild have left? The creditors all rushed to collect first, fearing that if they were late, they would lose everything.

The Gan Family could not cope with such pressure. It was said that Second Master Gan snapped at the creditors’ taunts and struck someone, prompting the constables to show up at once. Fortunately, the magistrate still owed Eldest Master Gan a small favor, and the creditors were willing to settle for money. Second Master Gan paid a hefty sum and avoided being thrown into the county jail.

The whole affair exploded into gossip.

On the third day, Old Madame Mao collapsed from exhaustion. Only two elderly servants remained to tend her medicine. Meanwhile, the Gan Residence’s servants leaked even more rumors and shocking tidbits.

It was then that Steward Zhao came to see He Lingchuan, asking whether he would accept the Gan Family’s apology and agree to return the travel token after the Lingxu City trip. The Gan Family Merchant Guild was willing to offer a generous sum.

He Lingchuan naturally refused, smiling at Steward Zhao as he said, “You’re not exactly delivering this message with much sincerity.” Not even bothering with offering a few polite words.

Steward Zhao looked slightly awkward in turn.

The Shi brothers were nearby and stepped in to ease things. “The Gan Family’s decline is already inevitable. Steward Zhao knows Brother He is a clear-eyed man, why bother with window dressing?”[1]

He Lingchuan knew full well that Steward Zhao was secretly already on their side, so he did not press him further. Instead, he changed the subject. “The Gan Family might still have one way to weather this crisis.”

“Oh? What way?”

“Partnering with you,” He Lingchuan said with a smile. “You have the travel token, the Gan Family Merchant Guild has connections and trade routes. It’s a perfect fit. At the very least, it could help them get through this immediate crisis.”

Second Boss Shi snorted. “Partner with them? Dream on.”

But then Big Boss Shi thought for a moment and said, “It’s not impossible.”

In business, business was business. As long as the Gan Family paid enough, then anything could be discussed.

The Gan Family was still fat. Who would not covet such a fat sheep?

Unfortunately, the Gan Family seemed never to have thought of this option. They never came to negotiate with the Stone Gate Merchant Guild.

Another day passed, and suddenly several heads and managers of the Gan Family Merchant Guild vanished along with a massive sum of money from the books. The amount made even He Lingchuan gasp. Eldest Master Gan had built a substantial foundation, with impressive cash flow to match.

But pulling a stunt like absconding with the funds meant the guild could no longer pay wages or suppliers. With morale already shaky, the lower ranks revolted and rushed to the Gan Residence to demand payment.

Second Master Gan buckled under the creditors’ pressure and agreed to sell off family and guild assets to repay debts. The moment he made that decision, Third Master Gan, ignoring his bedridden mother, greased his feet and fled.

Of course, he took a fair number of valuable personal belongings with him.

The Gan Family still had some wealth left. Third Master Gan lacked business acumen, but his eye for valuables was excellent. He knew exactly which items were worth money.

By the fifth day, the Stone Gate Merchant Guild’s caravan bound for Beijia’s Lingxu City was ready to depart. Second Boss Shi lamented that he would not get to hear how the Gan Family saga ended.

He Lingchuan said lazily, “I’ll bet you Third Master Gan won’t get away. If you don’t believe me, let’s wait a little longer.”

“Really?” Second Boss Shi immediately ordered a delay. “I’ll wager ten taels of silver.”

The result came that very afternoon.

Third Master Gan had not escaped far.

He was ambushed in a small grove outside the county city.

When people found him, he was lying in the mud, groaning. A huge lump bulged from the back of his head. He had been stripped clean, and even his other leg was broken.

Who did it?

Through sobs, Third Master Gan named the culprit:

Luo Xunyi!

On his flight, he had only brought his trusted lieutenant Luo Xunyi, even abandoning his personal servant. He never expected Luo Xunyi to turn traitor in the grove, smashing him from behind with a hammer. Third Master Gan’s skull was hard enough that he did not lose consciousness, so Luo Xunyi broke his leg instead...

As for Luo Xunyi, he had already left Wuze County. No one knew where he had gone.

Hearing this, Second Boss Shi asked He Lingchuan, “How did you know he’d come to grief?”

“He’s still too young,” He Lingchuan said with a smile. “The Gan Family was in chaos and deep in debt. How many people were watching him? And with no ability to judge character, he ran off with a white-eyed wolf. If he isn’t a fat sheep waiting for slaughter, who is?”

Second Boss Shi laughed so hard it felt like every pore opened up. “A great omen! Truly a great omen! This trip to Lingxu City will go smoothly all the way.”

Even if Third Master Gan returned to the Gan Residence, his fate was sealed. Creditors would not spare him, nor would the villagers he had bullied.

A broken drum gets beaten by ten thousand hands.

Struggling to build was a skill. Being able to hold on was also a skill. Sadly, the Gan Family had neither. All that awaited them was an endless stretch of bleakness and gloom.

Second Boss Shi felt thoroughly satisfied.

He Lingchuan asked him, “Why do you hate Gan Laosan so much?”

Shi Congshui froze, then thought for a moment before answering. “He’s not some monstrous villain. He doesn’t even deserve those words. But people like Gan Laosan, death would be too good for them.”

“The evil of mediocrity?”

“Yes, exactly, the evil of mediocrity!” Shi Congshui savored the phrase. “Each thing they do isn’t worthy of death on its own, but taken together, they’re more disgusting than murderers. Anyone would want to spit on them and stomp them a few times. Brother He, you summed it up perfectly.”

“You look like such a broad-minded, heroic man, yet...” The Soul-Stealing Mirror snickered maliciously against He Lingchuan’s chest. “You wanted me to undo the mirror-slave contract just so you could watch him end up like this, didn’t you?”

The mirror pressed itself to his heart, dutifully performing its role. “To meddle in others’ fates, to watch someone live, watch them die, or watch them live worse than death. Doesn’t that feel wonderful?”

More than wonderful. He Lingchuan exhaled deeply. “Of course it does.”

When he finally left Wuze County, he turned in the saddle to look back once more.

Those words had come from genuine feeling.

If Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu had not come to Heishui City, if He Chunhua had not left Qiansong Commandery, would he have become another Third Master Gan, just with a sturdier backer?

But he had woken up early. He knew that leaning on a mountain meant waiting for it to collapse, and leaning on people meant waiting for them to die. In such chaotic times, a dandy’s reliance was like a soap bubble—one strong gust, and it burst.

And then came the reckoning.

Fortunately, he had realized this early.

Still, though He Lingchuan saw a shadow of his past self—strictly speaking, the original owner of the body’s past—in Third Master Gan, the two were fundamentally different.

The original owner had been a dandy too, with fair-weather friends, but he had had no true lackeys, no instigators like Luo Xunyi. He had not committed many truly vile deeds either.

Was it because Young Master He was not capable?

Of course not.

It was because his environment had been tightly controlled. All harmful influences had been filtered out.

The space he had to run wild was, in truth, very limited.

Seen from this angle, Wen Daolun’s advice to run for his life when he encountered water had been a turning point of fate, perhaps even the beginning of an entirely new path.

[End of Sixth Arc]

1. This is just another way of saying “putting up a façade.” :) ☜