Third Master Gan's End

This creature had entered Beijia two hundred years ago, when the Beijia Kingdom had already been established for a long time, so it ought to know a fair amount. In no rush, He Lingchuan returned to the question from earlier. "This nightmare energy you speak of—could it also be referred to as life?" "Nightmare energy is nightmare energy, and life is life. They intersect, but they cannot be completely conflated," the mirror hurriedly corrected him. "You are one life, and the old man guarding the gate of Purple Bamboo Court is also one life. In essence, there is no difference between you. But nightmare energy is another matter entirely! As a human grows from infancy into prime youth, the nightmare energy in their body becomes more and more abundant. As they pass from youth into old age, the nightmare energy gradually dissipates, returning to the world between heaven and earth to complete a cycle of returning to whence it came. Thus, the nightmare energy possessed by you and that old gatekeeper differs like heaven and earth, in both quality and quantity!" He Lingchuan murmured thoughtfully, "I am a cultivator." "You are a cultivator, so it is only natural that the nightmare energy you hold is greater and more abundant," the mirror said eloquently. "The ancient immortals commanded too much nightmare energy, which was precisely why they could not adapt to the world after the cataclysm and disappeared." "So essentially speaking, nightmare energy—or nightmare power—is spiritual energy?" "Correct!" Nightmare energy and profound crystals were simply different manifestations of spiritual energy. In the end, this fellow just needed spiritual energy replenished to be repaired. "Too much trouble. I'd better just find a blacksmith to patch you up." "Well... I suppose that works too," the mirror said reluctantly. "But at the very least, you have to use wujin." "...Damn it!" So the most basic crafting techniques could fix it after all! In truth, this fellow had just wanted to take advantage of him, angling to fleece some profound crystals or precious metals to devour! He Lingchuan couldn't help rubbing his temples. An already modest household supporting such a ravenous dependent was truly adding insult to injury. At this point, the Shimen Merchant Guild's Second Master came over to see him. Upon hearing that guards belonging to the Grand Tutor of Beijia's Jeweled Tree King were also staying here and even planned to travel with them, he was overjoyed. The Jeweled Tree King's fiefdom alone was larger than the entire Fu Kingdom and situated quite close to it. If the Shimen Merchant Guild could establish a connection with the Grand Tutor's estate, they could expand their commercial footprint by a massive margin in one stroke. He Lingchuan understood these merchants' ambitions all too well, so he knocked on Wu Jinsong's door and invited the two guards over for drinks, taking the opportunity to introduce Second Master Shi to them at the table. The four of them had a delightful conversation. Wu Jinsong could hardly broadcast that Young Master Sha had lost his soul, so he merely claimed they had come to Wuze County on official business and encountered a mirror monster. He Lingchuan then embellished the events of the previous night, drawing gasp after gasp from Second Master Shi, who had never imagined that such terrifying incidents had unfolded beside Mochou Lake while he was asleep. When he heard that Third Master Gan had been embroiled in it, Second Master Shi downed three bowls of wine in succession and cried out with immense satisfaction. "Scoundrel! Retribution has finally arrived!" Riding the wine's glow, he spoke of many past deeds of the Gan family. To He Lingchuan's surprise, although Third Master Gan had committed plenty of scoundrelly acts, the one who truly paved his own way by cutting off everyone else's was Eldest Master Gan. "Now that Eldest Master Gan is dead, a good show is about to unfold for the Gan family." As if bearing out Second Master Shi's words, by the afternoon of the following day, news that the Demon Nest Swamp Transit Pass had changed hands was already buzzing throughout the entire county. He Lingchuan would bet ten copper coins that this rumor had been leaked by the Shimen Merchant Guild. The news conveniently omitted whose hands the Transit Pass had fallen into; otherwise, he wouldn't have enjoyed a single moment of peace over the past few days. Creditors flocked in upon hearing the news, nearly trampling down the Gan family's threshold. Eldest Master Gan was dead, and the Gan family had lost the Demon Nest Transit Pass. What future could the Gan Merchant Guild possibly have? Everyone scrambled to demand repayment ahead of the rest, terrified that arriving late would mean losing everything. How could the Gan family handle such chaos? Word had it that Second Master Gan, unable to stomach the creditors' biting jeers, had lashed out with his fists, bringing bailiffs straight to their door. Fortunately, the county magistrate still honored an old favor owed to Eldest Master Gan, and the creditors were willing to settle for money; Second Master Gan paid a hefty sum in compensation to avoid being thrown into the county jail. The scandal spread like wildfire through the county. On the third day, the utterly exhausted Old Mistress Mao took to her sickbed, attended only by two elderly servants administering her medicine. The Gan family's servants brought out even more rumors and juicy gossip. It was at this time that Manager Zhao came to find He Lingchuan, asking if he would accept an apology from the Gan family and agree to hand the Transit Pass over to them after the trip to Lingxu City. The Gan Merchant Guild was willing to offer lavish riches in return. He Lingchuan naturally refused. He said to Manager Zhao with a smile, "You didn't put much heart into delivering that message, did you?" He hadn't even bothered with pleasantries. Manager Zhao looked somewhat embarrassed. The Shi brothers were also present. Seeing his discomfort, they stepped in to smooth things over: "The Gan family's downfall is already a foregone conclusion. Manager Zhao knows Brother He is a sharp-eyed man, so why bother dressing it up?" He Lingchuan knew full well that Manager Zhao was already secretly on their side, so he didn't press the matter. Changing the subject, he said, "The Gan family might have one other way to weather their current crisis." "Oh? What would that be?" "To cooperate with you," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "You hold the Transit Pass, and the Gan Merchant Guild has connections and established trade routes. It would be a perfect match—at least enough to get the Gan family past their immediate predicament." Second Master Shi gave a cold snort. "Cooperate with them? Wishful thinking." Eldest Master Shi pondered for a moment, then countered, "It isn't completely out of the question." Business was business. As long as the Gan family bled enough coin, what was there that couldn't be negotiated? The Gan family was so plump and juicy—who wouldn't drool at the sight? Unfortunately, it seemed the Gan family truly never thought of this solution, as they never approached the Shimen Merchant Guild. Another day passed, and several partners and managers of the Gan Merchant Guild abruptly vanished, along with a massive sum of money from the guild's accounts. Even He Lingchuan clicked his tongue upon hearing the figure, realizing that Eldest Master Gan had built an immense foundation, with an astonishingly abundant cash flow. Yet this absconding with the funds left the guild instantly unable to pay wages or settle vendor accounts. Morale had already been shaky, and now the workforce revolted, storming the Gan residence to lay siege and demand their dues. Unable to withstand the pressure from the creditors, Second Master Gan agreed to liquidate the family's and the guild's assets to pay off the debts. But no sooner had he made that decision than Third Master Gan greased his soles and fled, leaving his bedridden mother behind! Naturally, he also made off with quite a few of the household's valuable heirlooms and trinkets. After all, some wealth still remained in the Gan estate. While Third Master Gan was useless at business, his eye for treasures was exceptionally sharp; he knew exactly what in the house was worth taking. By now, it was the fifth day. As the Shimen Merchant Guild's caravan prepared to depart for Lingxu City in the Beijia Kingdom, Second Master Shi lamented that he wouldn't get to hear the exciting continuation of the Gan family drama. Yet He Lingchuan said leisurely, "I'll bet you Third Master Gan won't get away. If you don't believe me, we can wait a little longer." "Really?" Second Master Shi immediately ordered the departure delayed. "Then I bet ten taels of silver." Sure enough, by that very afternoon, fresh news arrived: Third Master Gan hadn't gotten far at all. He had been robbed in the woods on the outskirts of the county. When people found Third Master Gan, he was groaning in the mud with a huge knot on the back of his head. Stripped of everything he owned, his other leg was broken as well. And who was the robber? Weeping bitterly, Third Master Gan choked out a name: Luo Xun'yi! On this escape, he had taken only his trusted henchman Luo Xun'yi, abandoning even his personal manservant. He never expected that Luo Xun'yi would turn on him in the woods and sneak up behind him with a hammer. Third Master Gan's skull was too thick to be knocked unconscious, so Luo Xun'yi had broken his leg instead... Naturally, Luo Xun'yi was no longer in Wuze County, and no one knew where he had gone. Hearing this, Second Master Shi asked He Lingchuan, "How did you know he was bound to meet misfortune?" "He's still too green. With the Gan family embroiled in turmoil and saddled with massive debts, how could there be any lack of eyes watching him?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "Lacking any judgment of character, he actually fled with an ungrateful wolf by his side. If he wasn't a fat sheep ripe for slaughter, who was?" Second Master Shi felt every pore on his body breathe easy, and he laughed heartily. "A good omen, truly a good omen! This journey to Lingxu City will surely be smooth sailing all the way." Even if he returned to the Gan residence, Third Master Gan's fate was sealed. The creditors wouldn't let him off, nor would the townsfolk he had bullied in the past. When a drum breaks, everyone beats on it. Building a business takes skill, and preserving it takes skill as well; unfortunately, the Gan family had neither. What awaited this household was nothing but an endless stretch of desolation and gloom. Second Master Shi felt thoroughly vindicated. He Lingchuan asked him, "Why do you detest Gan the Third so much?" Shi Congshui was startled, then thought for a moment before replying, "He isn't truly monstrous or deeply wicked—he doesn't even deserve such grand words—yet someone like Gan the Third dies without earning an ounce of pity." "The wickedness of mediocre men?" "Yes, yes, precisely the wickedness of mediocre men!" Second Master Shi savored the phrase, finding it wonderfully apt. "The things people like him do—one or two incidents might not warrant death, but taken together, they're more sickening than a murderer. Everyone wants to spit on him and stomp him underfoot. Ah, nobody sums it up better than you, Brother He!" "You look like a proud, dignified man of integrity, but who would have thought..." The soul-snatching mirror gave a low, sinister chuckle at He Lingchuan. "You had me break the mirror-slave bond just to watch him end up like this, didn't you?" Lying flat against his chest and performing its duty, the mirror asked, "Manipulating another person's fate, watching them live, watching them die, watching them wish they were dead—doesn't that feel amazing?" More than just amazing. He Lingchuan let out a long breath. "Of course." As they crossed beyond the borders of Wuze County, he glanced back from his saddle. Those words had actually come straight from his heart. If Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu hadn't come to Blackwater City, if He Chunhua hadn't left Qiansong Commandery, would he have been another Third Master Gan? Just with a sturdier backer. Yet he had sobered up long ago, knowing full well that mountains crumble and men fall. In such a troubled age, a dandy's crutches were like soap bubbles, ready to burst at any moment in a strong wind. And what goes around comes around; debts accrued in the world must eventually be paid. Fortunately, he had awakened early. Yet although He Lingchuan saw an echo of his past in Third Master Gan—strictly speaking, an echo of his original self—a clear difference remained between the two. While his original self had also been a profligate dandy with fair-weather friends, he had never had genuine lackeys around him, nor treacherous instigators like Luo Xun'yi whispering in his ear. He had rarely done anything truly vile, either. Was Young Master He not worthy of such things? Of course not. It was simply that the environment he grew up in had always been strictly controlled, with harmful elements filtered out. The room he had to make a nuisance of himself had actually been very limited. From this perspective, the four-word maxim Wen Daolun had inspired in him—"depart upon encountering water"—was not only a turning point in his destiny, but perhaps also an entirely fresh beginning.