Wuze

He Lingchuan watched his receding figure with a smile. "He really treated me quite well." Manager Zhao was baffled. "That counts as well?" That fellow named Dong hadn't shown his real face, hadn't spoken a kind word, and avoided Young Master He like an evil star or a plague god. How was that "quite well"? Young Master He's bar for "quite well" really wasn't very high. "You don't understand." Dong Rui was quicker to turn his back than flip a page, yet when he did, his first thought was to flee rather than teach He Lingchuan a lesson, which meant his hostility toward him had weakened considerably. The fellow was completely alone in the world, decisive in coming and going. Quite an interesting character. He Lingchuan looked back toward the northwest. More than half a month had passed since the Battle of Northern Xia on the banks of the Hanshui River, and the frequency with which he thought of Xiazhou and the He family grew less and less. Although danger lurked at every turn within the Demon Nest as well, he had instead shed the shackles on his shoulders. After breathing in the stench of rotting wood and foul mud in the swamp for so long, it seemed one could get used to it. He did not have to go against his own inclinations; deep down, he truly had no desire to return. Roaming the world alone, under vast skies and across wide lands—most importantly, he no longer had to act out melodramas of filial devotion with a father. Putting on an act day in and day out was exhausting. Besides, he had never been given real responsibility in the He family to begin with. Whether the eldest young master of the He family was there or not, what difference could it make to the war in Xiazhou? Of course, there was some karmic tie between his original self and his father, but he had saved He Chunhua multiple times, so that could be considered even. He just wondered how Shan Youjun, Jiao Tai, and the monkey Lingguang were doing. He had also acquired a good deal of property in Dunyu. He Lingchuan thought it a pity; if the opportunity arose, he would still need to send word back. "Young Master He, what is it?" "Nothing." Coming back to himself, He Lingchuan drew a deep breath, finding the air tasted faintly sweet. "Let's move." The caravan moved forward, entering the territory of the Fu Kingdom. At last there was a road, making the journey ahead much easier. After leaving the Demon Nest Swamp, the terrain rapidly shifted into continuous ridges of rugged mountains and winding, ribbon-like streams—a classic hilly landscape. Even the official courier highway was not as wide or straight as those built in southern Xiazhou. He Lingchuan noticed plenty of passing merchants, travelers, and commoners, yet quite a few relay stations and inns along the way were shuttered. They rode for thirty to forty li without finding a bite to eat. In the end, they managed to check into a courier station before dark and were served steaming straw-pack rice. The locals washed mixed grains, beans, and peanuts, packed them into woven straw pouches, and steamed them to serve travelers. Peddlers and laborers ate only this basic fare, while more discerning guests, like He Lingchuan and Manager Zhao, asked to have some fatty meat and wild mushrooms added to the rice before it was put in the steamer. That was the only way to make it truly savory. Of course, it was also much more expensive. While eating, He Lingchuan found the meat wasn't quite fatty enough. It was tender, certainly, but carried an odd, gamy smell. "What meat is this?" A caravan outrider happened to pass by, leaned in to take a look, and said, "Oho, field vole." He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. Having spent a dozen days in the swamp, he had eaten just about everything. It made sense; this courier station was in the middle of nowhere, with no village ahead and no inn behind, nor any pens in back to raise pigs or cattle. Where else would meat come from? Over the meal, Manager Zhao explained that a few months ago, Emperor's Flowing Dew had fallen from the heavens, drenching the beasts of the mountain forests and turning them into demons that attacked people everywhere. Many inns had been assaulted and no longer dared open for business, which was why the route seemed somewhat deserted. The local authorities lacked manpower and were weak, having only managed half a month ago to hire people to clear away the rampaging demons. If something like this had occurred in the Panlong dreamscape, it would probably have been resolved in two or three days. Even in the Yuan Kingdom, near Woling Pass where government authority was feeble, it would have been dealt with in a little over a month. From this, one could see just how feeble the Fu Kingdom's national strength was. This country was tiny—not even a tenth the size of the Yuan Kingdom, smaller even than the Xiazhou governed by He Chunhua. On a map, its territory was narrow as a blade, consisting mostly of mountains and hills, a classic land of "seventy percent mountains, twenty percent water, and ten percent farmland," and the little arable land it had was not especially fertile. Yet precisely because its land was poor and lacked resources—such a vast mountainous region yielded only low-grade, mixed ores—neighboring countries found no incentive to invade it. After all, seizing the territory would bring little profit, while requiring garrisons, civil administration, and grain to feed the population. There was no wealth to scrape out, yet endless headaches to manage. Viewed from this angle, the Fu Kingdom's geopolitical environment was actually quite comfortable. Incidentally, the Fu Kingdom bordered Demon Nest Swamp to the west, met the northern demon kingdom to the northwest, and faced eight small countries to the east and northeast. These countries were roughly similar in scale to the Fu Kingdom, the largest being at most twice its size, so none had room to look down on the others. Minor friction broke out occasionally, but none possessed the strength to swallow its neighbors, so an overall balance of power remained intact. As for them, the northern demon kingdom seemed rather dismissive as well, not bothering to dispatch troops to deal with them. Shortly after daybreak, the caravan finally arrived in Wuze County, home of the Gan family. This was also the bustling heart of the Fu Kingdom, situated in a mountain valley. Its main streets were paved with flagstones, boasting flourishing markets, warehouses everywhere, and rows of taverns and eateries. Street peddlers frequently hawked foreign smuggled goods through the alleys. Aside from crowded, low single-story houses, He Lingchuan also spotted numerous grand manors occupying their own expansive plots. The scale of this county seat was easily twice or thrice the size of an ordinary walled town. He Lingchuan wondered what the people of the Fu Kingdom lived on, and they seemed to live rather well at that, breaking the stereotype that harsh lands breed unruly rogues. Manager Zhao explained that just as a tree moved dies while a man moved thrives, if they could not live off the mountains or waters, their only option was to venture outward. Fortunately, the Fu Kingdom bordered Beijia to the west, connected to eight countries to the east, and had a vast lake to the north, making it a pivotal hub for commerce and trade. The northern demon kingdom in particular had a taste for certain foreign specialty goods; its demand alone was enough to generate a thriving trade route. Hence, the Fu Kingdom produced many merchants, and Wuze County sat right upon the thoroughfare connecting the east, west, and north, fully enjoying geographical advantage. After making his fortune, Master Gan moved his entire family here, and their business flourished more and more. The caravan headed off to the warehouses on their own, while Manager Zhao escorted He Lingchuan toward the Gan residence. Wealthy folk loved building large houses, and the Gan family was no exception—their estate covered even more ground than the He family's in Dunyu. The high wall directly ahead belonged to the Gan mansion. He Lingchuan saw an unbroken expanse of black-tiled roofs, which suggested numerous courtyards and pavilions within. However, the two dismounted upon arriving, and to his surprise, Manager Zhao led him into a back alley. He Lingchuan knitted his brows, assuming the man meant to lead him through the back door of the Gan residence—which was rather discourteous toward an honored guest visiting for the first time. To his surprise, Manager Zhao looked around, saw no one nearby, and suddenly turned to bow deeply to him, bending all the way down: "Young Master He! What I said back in the swamp was not entirely honest, but it was purely for self-preservation. I beg you, in your great magnanimity, not to hold it against me!" "What is this about?" "In truth, Master Gan is the sole master of the Gan family. My claim that the Old Mistress could take charge was... was merely an expedient excuse before Zhu Erniang." Manager Zhao smiled bitterly. "The Old Mistress, Master Gan's birth mother, is surnamed Mao. She spent the first half of her life in the countryside, and in recent years she has stayed in Wuze County. She's never been anywhere else, nor has she ever touched the family business." Had he come clean back in the swamp, wouldn't the Spider Queen have devoured him in her wrath? He Lingchuan sensed trouble brewing. "What is the real situation then?" Only then did Manager Zhao reveal the full truth. As it turned out, the Gan family had originally been ordinary townsfolk. It was only when Master Gan emerged as a daring, ambitious patriarch that they began trading. Once he made contact with the spider demons in Demon Nest Swamp, the family's fortunes shot up like sesame flowers blooming branch by branch. The trouble was that Master Gan was too capable and still in his prime, so the rest of the family simply sat back to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Hearing this, He Lingchuan understood immediately. The Gan family was like a miniature, simplified version of the Li clan of Dunyu: the sudden death of the family head instantly detonated the crisis of having no capable successor. "Then what about what you promised me on behalf of the Gan family in the swamp?" He Lingchuan had no interest in other people's domestic troubles. "My identity and transit pass?" "It'll be done, absolutely! I must first go to the Gan residence to announce his death." Manager Zhao scratched his head. "The Gan house will surely be filled with heaven-shaking wails in a moment. Why don't you rest a while in that tavern up ahead? Once the family calms down a bit, I will introduce you." He Lingchuan did not object. After all, he had no desire to watch the Gans weeping, sniveling, and beating their breasts before him. Manager Zhao then escorted him to the nearby tavern, apologized once more, and hurried off toward the Gan residence. He Lingchuan found himself a quiet seat by the window. It was secluded, so he poured his own wine and drank away half the afternoon. ... About half an hour after the Gan family caravan returned to Wuze County. An errand boy slipped out through the back door of the Gan family warehouse. Winding through four alleys, and checking that no one was watching, he slipped into the rear door of a shop. Past midday, both people and horses were resting through the midday heat; not even a dog barked. Someone was sleeping on a bamboo reclining chair in the back hall, covered in a thick blanket with a straw hat over his brow to block the light. The errand boy approached and said softly, "First Master, something's happened at the Gan family." Hearing the words "Gan family," the man removed the hat and yawned. "What is it?" He looked under forty, with slightly dark skin. "The Gan caravan finally returned from Demon Nest Swamp. Boss Gan is dead." The First Master snapped fully awake. "What did you say? Gan Qing is dead?" "Who died?" Another man stepped out from behind the hall, his features resembling the First Master's closely. "Second Master is back too?" The boy repeated, "I heard from the Gan caravan hands that Gan Qing was ambushed and killed outside Demon Nest Swamp. A band of bandits posed as him and led the caravan into the swamp." "Such a thing happened?" Both the First and Second Masters clicked their tongues in astonishment. "What were those bandits after? Looking to switch careers and become merchants?" Demon Nest Swamp was the stronghold of man-eating demons; aside from the Gan family who had safe passage, who else would be foolish enough to plunge into it? "No, no, it's far weirder than that!" Even the errand boy telling the tale was getting excited. "Those bandits were sent by a serpent demon inside Demon Nest Swamp to impersonate the Gan caravan, slip into the Spider Queen's territory, and steal a treasure." What kind of bizarre plot was this? "Did they steal it?" "No, they failed on the brink of success. The entire band of bandits was wiped out." Both men remarked, "As expected of the Spider Queen. But how did the Gan caravan make it back?" Few of the great demons in the swamp had good tempers. "They came back, every single cart intact! Not only did they return fully loaded, but they brought someone else along," the boy continued relaying his intelligence. "A youth of seventeen or eighteen. According to the caravan hands, this youth could move freely in the Spider Queen's lair, and he was even the one who stopped the bandits from stealing the treasure in the Demon Nest! When the Spider Queen returned from battling other demons, she flew into a rage and hunted the youth down for some unknown reason. But before long, they made peace, and the Spider Queen even gave him a bunch of gifts!" The Second Master couldn't help interrupting: "Is that really a human?"