Directions for Cooperation

"What? That immortal treasure was stolen?" The King of Jin put down the memorial in his hand, dumbfounded, disbelief written across his face. Beside him, Liu Quangong said, "Such is the latest news." "And the truth?" Liu Quangong lowered his head. "As for what truly happened, I fear no one knows." The King of Jin stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. "Before We even had the chance to draft a decree ordering him to present the treasure, it goes missing. It certainly was lost at a convenient time." "Is that not for the best? Had such an imperial edict been issued, it might have compromised the court's prestige." The King of Jin burst into laughter. "An immortal treasure of such rank—let alone Us, even if some immortal threw away their dignity to demand it, they could never dream of getting it. Would Wei Yuan obediently deliver it over just because We issued an edict? You don't believe it, nor do We. Even those who wanted Us to draft that decree wouldn't believe it." Liu Quangong kept his head bowed and said nothing. The King of Jin suddenly said, "Go bring in all the memorials submitted today." Liu Quangong hesitated slightly. "Hurry!" Liu Quangong hurried off and soon returned, carrying more than a dozen memorials in his hands. The King of Jin reviewed them one by one, then said slowly, "Is this all?" "Only these." "Very well, you may withdraw. Attendants, prepare the imperial carriage. We are going to Chunhua Hall." A moment later, the King of Jin sat across from Consort Yuan. He teased the Young King of Chu in Consort Yuan's arms a few times, then said, "Have you heard? That immortal treasure of Wei Yuan's was lost." "What immortal treasure? Is it very formidable?" Consort Yuan asked. The King of Jin said, "It can shave off ten thousand years of a person's lifespan—tell me, is that formidable? Losing the treasure isn't all that surprising, though. What surprises Us is that several memorials have also gone missing." Consort Yuan finally shifted her gaze from the Young King of Chu to the King of Jin, asking, "What could have been written in those memorials?" "If We are not mistaken, they must have been advising Us to issue an imperial decree to Wei Yuan, demanding he offer this immortal treasure as tribute." A glint flashed in Consort Yuan's eyes. In an impassive tone, she said, "It seems the palace is far from peaceful, and the imperial court is no different." *** Wei Yuan watched chest after chest of cuirasses being loaded onto freight wagons in exchange for entire chests of immortal silver. Around him, more than a dozen representatives from various merchant guilds, factions, and clans large and small stood in a circle, sounding out potential avenues of cooperation. Wei Yuan was very patient. "...I need silk—all varieties of spirit silk. However much you have, I will buy. If you don't want immortal silver, you can also exchange silk for other supplies... Furthermore, spirit wood. It doesn't need to be exceptionally high in grade or age; thirty years is enough, or twenty if that's not available... Displaced refugees, that is the most important. If you can transport a cumulative total of ten thousand displaced persons here, we will open up even more trade... "Bandit suppression? That's not happening—mainly because we can't beat them... You had best not think about trying to eradicate them either; you truly cannot defeat them... But the horse bandits around here are very reasonable. If you're genuinely worried, you can hire a squad to escort your caravans. Out here in the Western Regions, first-rate lads become horse bandits, while second-rate boys serve in the regular army... "...If you don't wish to hire horse bandits, that's fine too. In our Western Regions, the horse bandits abide by rules. Encountering a caravan, they take twenty percent at most. Once plundered, no other bandits will rob you again..." The crowd chatted for a long time, thoroughly satisfied, seeing endless business opportunities and bright prospects for cooperation. A clan matriarch from a minor family, a voluptuous woman who appeared to be in her early thirties, leaned toward Wei Yuan and purred softly, "Domain Lord Wei must take care of your personal safety! If an accident were to befall a man like you, wouldn't girls across the realm die of heartbreak?" As she spoke, her voice trembled seductively at every beat, her gaze smoldering with flirtatious silk, her tone as sickeningly sweet as simmered honey. Were it not for Wei Yuan's formidable reputation, she likely would have draped herself directly over him. Wei Yuan gave a faint smile. "Everyone, there is no need to worry. Across the realm, there are not many Dharma Idols who can beat me." Everyone marveled at Wei Yuan's overbearing confidence, gaining even more faith in their transactions. Finally, Wei Yuan added an impromptu item to the program, ordering his men to guide the leaders and clan heads on an inspection of the corpse depository where Shaman bodies were piled. It was the first time any of them had seen corpses on the scale of millions. Looking upon that boundless, neatly stacked mountain of bodies, everyone finally understood the scale of the battles Qingming had been fighting. Amid the shock, one clan head suddenly asked, "Domain Lord Wei, can this war be won?" Wei Yuan looked toward the northwest. With his vision, he could faintly see the lush greenery connecting heaven and earth in that direction. The worldly power of the Wu domain was like a ten-thousand-zhang mountain range, glaring down upon Qingming. Wei Yuan suddenly smiled. "Of course we can win! When have I ever lost?" Though many felt Wei Yuan might be boasting, seeing his bright, sunny smile instilled an inexplicable confidence in them. Indeed, Wei Yuan had never suffered a single defeat when leading armies into battle. A clan head shouted, "Lord Wei, my Lu family may be small, but we are willing to contribute our strength to fend off the alien race! This time, I brought a total of one thousand armored warriors, and I wish to present them to you free of charge! These men are all hereditary servants of our Lu family—loyal, reliable, and utterly fearless of death." Wei Yuan was moved at once. "Patriarch, you are sending charcoal in the snow. I accept. In both East Zhike Town and Yong'an City, I will reserve a prime plot of land for the Lu family." The other merchant caravans and clans followed suit, offering people. Those with warriors sent warriors; those without sent displaced persons. In one stroke, Wei Yuan took in nearly ten thousand seasoned warriors and nearly a hundred thousand displaced refugees. Once the crowd dispersed, Bao Yun appeared by Wei Yuan's side and remarked with feeling, "They really spared no expense. It seems their hearts can be turned to good use." These clans and merchant caravans were small- to medium-sized factions; parting with a thousand people was already their limit. What they had donated to Qingming would probably take years of business to recoup. Wei Yuan understood that while a smaller part of their motivation was to cultivate ties with Qingming, the greater part came from witnessing that mountain of Shaman corpses and desiring to contribute toward resisting the Shamans. Wei Yuan had not expected people who usually weighed every ounce of profit in commerce to possess such an uncalculating side. He sighed, "Whenever I feel a bit disheartened, I always manage to witness something that raises my spirits." Wei Yuan took a deep breath. "There are still a few minor troubles left. Once they are dealt with, we can free our hands to focus entirely on the Shamans." *** At the Commandery Governor's Estate in Bianning Commandery, Sun Chao'en was hosting a grand banquet in honor of the imperial commissioner's party. Seated prominently at the head of the table was a dignified civil official with a stern, aloof demeanor and haughty eyes. There was hardly a smile on his face, and he did not even bother hiding his disdain when looking at Sun Chao'en. Raising his wine cup, he said, "For a minor place like White Maple Academy to produce a talent such as Lord Sun is truly rare. Having managed to attain your current post with great difficulty, Lord Sun ought to be diligent and conscientious, serving the court well. In your spare time, read more books of the sages. What was taught at your White Maple Academy is probably only enough to make someone a county magistrate." The smile never leaving his face, Sun Chao'en replied repeatedly, "Lord Zhu's reprimand is very true. This humble official must indeed study diligently. When I have a moment, I will certainly read Lord Zhang's collected works." The civil official snorted. Without even drinking the wine in his cup, he set it down and said, "It is time I hit the road." Then the imperial commissioner's envoy mission departed. Sun Chao'en escorted them all the way to the city gates. Even when the mission had traveled several li and was gradually fading away at the end of the main road, Sun Chao'en remained standing where he was, refusing to return inside the city. His respectful posture was simply incomparable. Within the envoy carriage, that official sat upright, lost in thought. The two accompanying civil officials seated opposite him said, "Lord Sun is still standing at the city gates!" The other remarked, "This Lord Sun is also a scholar by background..." The official suddenly opened his eyes and sneered, "Coming from a tiny academy no one has ever heard of—what kind of scholar is that?" The two aides started, then quickly changed their tune in agreement. Though quite a bit of the silver in their pockets had been given as gifts by Sun Chao'en, their master had his eyes set above the clouds; having put in a few kind words on Sun Chao'en's behalf was already doing right by him. At that moment, an elderly man seated beside the official suddenly opened his eyes. With murderous intent in his voice, he said coldly, "There is killing intent. It seems this Western Regions territory refuses to be peaceful!" The official opened his eyes as well, sneering, "A Dharma Idol cultivator is actually robbing our road? Heh, I would like to see just how many Dharma Idols the horse bandits of the Western Regions can possibly muster." The elder said, "It has been long since I stretched my limbs. Martial nephew, let us go meet this local master!" "As it should be." The two slowly stepped out of the carriage, only to see a troop of masked riders blocking the road ahead. Above the riders stood twelve Heavenly Soldiers! The two aides, who got out of the carriage behind them, were momentarily dazed. Were those twelve Dharma Idols?! They immediately realized that these were not twelve separate Dharma Idols, but a single person who had cultivated a twelve-Heavenly-Soldier Dharma Idol. Yet the pressure from the latter was not the least bit inferior to twelve basic Dharma Idols. The expressions of both the elder and the official grew solemn. The elder cupped his hands in greeting. "With cultivation such as yours, sir, you are certainly no nameless nobody. Why stoop to becoming a horse bandit?" The rider burst out laughing. "It is precisely because I am no nameless nobody that I could become a horse bandit! Cut the nonsense—are you the imperial commissioner from the capital?" The official said sternly, "Since you know our origins and still dare to stage a robbery, could it be—" The rider cut him off directly, shouting, "So long as it is you! Strike!" Infuriated to the point of laughing, the official shouted harshly, "Relying on you alone, I fear—" The rider cut him off once more: "Who said it was just me?" In an instant, heaven and earth shifted violently as winds howled and clouds surged. High above, a cluster of orchids suddenly blossomed, brimming with intoxicating fragrance and breathtaking beauty! From within the orchids charged a giant scorpion bearing a medicinal cauldron and alchemy furnace on its back, leaving scorched earth wherever it scuttled; in the sky, a small golden bird circled and wheeled, its flapping wings shedding golden feathers to celestial music. In the eight cardinal and ordinal directions around them, eight gigantic immortal swords manifested, standing tall and vibrant, each distinct in aura yet all brimming with slaughterous intent. Amid the swirling mist and clouds, three exotic beasts of the Classic of Mountains and Seas flickered in and out of sight, their massive eyes half-open and deep as the sea, exuding primeval primordial power. So many anomalous manifestations left the entire imperial commissioner's convoy and its thousand guards dumbstruck in an instant—and left those atop the walls of Bianning commandery city equally struck dumb! The numerous Dharma Idols swarmed forward all at once. The earth suddenly shuddered violently as a whirlwind rose into the heavens, hurling many soldiers into the sky, while the commissioner's carriage was flung hundreds of zhang away, shattering to pieces upon impact. A moment later, the wind ceased and the clouds settled, leaving behind a scarred, ruined earth. The court's imperial commissioner, the escort soldiers, and the horse bandits had all vanished without a trace. Only then did Sun Chao'en turn around, leisurely making his way back into the commandery city.