Old Tricks

Sugar production in Great Liang was low, prices were steep, and it was rarely available on the market. However, the Martial Academy was filled with martial artists whose purchasing power far exceeded that of ordinary folk. Sugar was particularly favored among martial artists because it could quickly and effectively relieve fatigue and restore combat stamina. Even so, there was no white sugar here—only reddish or yellowish varieties. Wu Youren had bought the sugar to manufacture... that was right, manufacture honey. He owed this counterfeiting trick to memories of his past life as well, from the same well of knowledge that had taught him how to make "strong liquor." Sugar plus alum yielded honey. As for the rest of the process, going into detail was hardly convenient. Wu Youren had been eyeing this business for quite some time. He had run small tests before, and after tweaking the proportions a few times, he had actually pulled it off. A while back, quite a few of his pots and jars had been swiped, and among them had been a jar of finished honey. Honey was worth far more than sugar, and this had originally been his planned path to making money. Consuming too much alum was not great for the body—it increased the risk of dementia in old age. Yet it was hardly a grave concern; very few people in this world lived to a ripe old age anyway. Just as starving wretches in desperate lands did not fret over catching chronic diseases, short-lived folk rarely spared a thought for what might only trouble them after death. At any rate, Wu Youren felt no moral burden whatsoever. He was selling to the people of Liang, not back in Jin. It was just that before he had found the chance to get things moving, Sally's lackeys had come knocking, and later he had been swept up in the turmoil at Suotu. Strictly speaking, the present Wu Youren should have looked down on such petty business. Yet having resolved to keep a low profile upon returning to Red Pine, he still figured he ought to set up this trade. Much like tending his garden plot, it was mainly meant to cultivate an image of having "no grand ambitions." Still, running a business was bound to cut into his cultivation time and could easily stir up trouble, and he had no desire to take on too many distractions. Now, wouldn't you know it, Liu Jingming had delivered himself right to his door—wasn't that a readymade distributor? Giving away a cut of the profits really did not matter; Liu Jingming could even take the lion's share, so long as Wu Youren was spared the time and effort. When all was said and done, Wu Youren sat at the bottom rung among the hostages, and wasn't the son of a matrilocal husband in the same boat? At best, the fellow was only marginally better off. Securing a moneymaking tool while helping someone out would also burnish his standing among the hostage clique. Even if such a reputation did not make much difference either way, it certainly could not hurt. In the blink of an eye, two days passed. Early on the morning of the third day, Liu Jingming rushed over. He reported that he had already looked into the honey market: high-end, but not hard to sell. Once freed from their shackles, the hostages planned things out with a thoroughness that far surpassed ordinary folk. Even so, seeing the five jars of honey Wu Youren had prepared, he was caught off guard. "You have this much?" "Yeah, I have my channels," Wu Youren answered calmly. "Not convenient to tell you, though." "I understand that." Liu Jingming rubbed his hands together, not minding in the least. "How do we split this?" "Ten jin a jar. Thirty silver dollars to you, and I don't care how much you sell it for!" "Deal!" Liu Jingming agreed without hesitation. "Though I can only take two jars for now. Don't have enough working capital." "Take three. I'll throw in one for free—consider it samples for buyers!" Wu Youren showed that he knew a thing or two about business himself. Besides, the cost of three jars did not even amount to thirty silver dollars. "That's fantastic." Liu Jingming had done his market research; selling one jin of honey for five silver dollars would be no problem at all. Great Liang was a bitter, frigid land where very few bees survived the winter, and beekeeping did not exist as an occupation at all! Aside from the occasional wild comb, the vast majority of honey had to be imported from abroad, making it a quintessential luxury good. Though Jin enjoyed a milder climate than Great Liang, honey there was still vastly more expensive than crude sugar, and beekeeping was strictly a high-skill trade. Liu Jingming said he would test the waters first, but as for these two jars... he figured he could sell them out within five days. Setting aside the sample jar, netting at least forty silver dollars in five days made this an absolute goldmine. "Don't sell it too cheap," Wu Youren could not help but caution him. "Ruining market prices won't just hurt profits—it might draw enemies from the trade!" Hearing that, Liu Jingming tilted his head and glanced at him. "Hm? You mean... the supply is plentiful?" "Not plentiful," Wu Youren shook his head flatly. "Pace your sales and aim to earn as much as you can." The crux of the matter was that sugar was considered a luxury in Great Liang as well! Though he had quietly stockpiled some by buying in dribs and drabs, if honey sales surged, raw materials would quickly run tight. However, Wu Youren still underestimated the desperation that poverty inflicted upon the hostages. On the third night, Liu Jingming crept over in secret. "Sold out!" "Tsk." Wu Youren felt a headache coming on. "That was way too fast. You need to keep a low profile." "People are already asking about my sources," Liu Jingming said rather helplessly. "I had to dodge the patrols just to sneak over in the dead of night." The Martial Academy had its own patrols. Though few, getting caught would still mean trouble. With the recent Guizu disturbances being severe, patrols had been mobilized far more frequently than usual. Worst of all, given his status as a hostage, the consequences of being caught would be far graver. "Take four jars this time," Wu Youren stated plainly. "And don't come back within the next ten days." *I gave you a way to earn some cash to aid your cultivation, and you're treating it like a sprint to amass a fortune?* "We'll see," Liu Jingming replied offhandedly, then shifted the subject. "Have you heard the rumors?" Out of nowhere like this... Wu Youren almost could not be bothered to respond, but finally asked, "What rumors?" "That there are Jin hostages at Red Pine," Liu Jingming answered solemnly. "Someone even asked if I was one. I said no... how could a hostage get their hands on honey?" "Holy shit." Wu Youren frowned, then scoffed. "The Life-and-Death Knot's doing?" "I suspect them too." Liu Jingming nodded thoughtfully. "Without their prompting, who could spread such wind?" The Life-and-Death Knot did not just supervise the hostages; they also controlled information concerning them. Instructor Hong was not the only one at Red Pine who knew about the hostages. Why had no one mentioned it until now? Because discussions had been suppressed! Liu Jingming's ability to deduce this showed his wits were sharp. He even thought of something else: "Did you provoke the Life-and-Death Knot?" Wu Youren was somewhat surprised. "What makes you say that?" "Because the rumors seem to target only you." Liu Jingming spread his hands, wearing an odd expression. "Among the people from Jin, you're the only one living alone in your own courtyard. The rest of us are in dorms..." In the end, he could not help himself. "Haha, only a hostage would get this kind of 'special treatment,' right?" "Motherfucker..." Wu Youren cursed under his breath. "That really is damn low." When the burly man had left last time, he had issued a threat, so Wu Youren had been somewhat prepared mentally. Yet this tactic clearly aimed to weaponize public sentiment and incite other students to pick fights with him. It was not lethal, but it was thoroughly revolting—like a toad landing on the foot: it did not bite, but it disgusted you to the core! Worst of all, he lacked good options to deal with it, and even if Instructor Hong wanted to intervene, it would hardly be convenient. "Anyway, just be careful," Liu Jingming shook his head. "I get the feeling that as the rumors brew, trouble will keep piling up at your door." "Then take one more jar," Wu Youren said calmly. "And wait a while before coming back." "My working... capital is running short." "Put it on tab." Wu Youren was not so petty as to fuss over that. "I need to think about whether to head out to the Guizu battlefield again." "Might not be that easy," Liu Jingming remarked thoughtfully. "If the Life-and-Death Knot wants to make things hard for you, they certainly won't stop at one move. Youren, this is effectively planning on the scale of interstate warfare. You can hide for a day or two, but can you dodge their relentless scheming forever?" Hearing this, Wu Youren's first thought was: *Having an ally really feels damn good!* Of course, as before, this did not mean he considered Liu Jingming fully trustworthy. Yet the guy had brought him news, analyzed it sensibly with sharp wits, and discussed countermeasures. In the past eight years, he had never experienced anything like this. Even if this truly was just another round of probing, so be it; at least in this moment, he relished the relief. "Then let them come," Wu Youren gave a small smile. "The Martial Academy is a reasonable place after all." "It'd be a miracle if they were reasonable," Liu Jingming scoffed. "Youren, don't be naive. There's no way they'll reason with people like us." "Then we take it as it comes," Wu Youren stated nonchalantly. "I survived eight years in Hostage Manor. Think I can't handle a few years at the Martial Academy?" "Damn, you've got the guts to say that, but I don't have the guts to listen!" Liu Jingming picked up the honey jars and vanished into the night. Yet he was not the night's final visitor. Past midnight, another figure appeared, tapping lightly on the door. "In the dead of night..." Wu Youren muttered, pushing the door open and stepping outside. "Whatever you have to say, say it out here." Cynthia did not take offense at being kept outside, instead staring straight at the youth. Under the moonlight, his handsome features were slightly pale, yet carried an unmistakable masculine vigor. She took a deep breath. "Are you a hostage from Jin?" "Yes," Wu Youren nodded, answering forthrightly, before asking, "What, you really didn't know all this time?" Cynthia's eyes widened, and she huffed indignantly, "Did you ever tell me?" "You didn't ask either," Wu Youren looked at her evenly. "Was there any need for me to volunteer it? If you haven't sold those resentment crystals yet, give me one and we'll call it even. How about that?" Tears instantly welled in the female warrior's eyes, her voice choking up. "Did I say I wanted to call it even with you?" "Then I don't understand." Wu Youren gazed into the distance, avoiding her eyes. "Why did you come all the way here in the middle of the night?" "I... you..." Her lips trembled. "Do you have any idea how many people are going to make trouble for you?" "Just tend to your own affairs," Wu Youren shook his head and let out a soft sigh. "I just find it strange. Twelve years ago, Great Jin lost the war, ceded territory, paid reparations... Why does Liang still hate the people of Jin so much? What are you all so afraid of?"