Chapter 1205: The Virtuous Industry

This was a deserted village, uninhabited.

As they approached, there was a rustling in the bushes, and several weasels scurried away, their hindquarters wiggling.

Dong Rui casually walked into a few houses to inspect them. When he returned, he said, "Most of the doors and windows are broken, shattered inwards. Some of the wooden latches were cut through. Hmm, this village was attacked."

In the Goldflash Plains, such incidents were not uncommon, especially since the country of Gaopu had been ravaged by war just a few months prior. Even if the entire village had banded together, they wouldn't have been able to withstand such an overwhelming catastrophe.

"Let's go. Fortunately, this isn't Jishi Village."

They continued along the mountain path, and after just a few miles, they approached Boulder Valley.

Dong Rui gazed at the mountains ahead and murmured, "The name is truly fitting."

The mountain range stretched endlessly ahead, winding like a sleeping dragon. Among them, only one large mountain was sparsely covered with vegetation, its slopes strewn with mostly spherical rocks.

There were large and small spheres, flat and round ones. As the two gazed at the sight, two more stone spheres rolled down, rumbling as they fell to the valley floor.

"No wonder it's called Boulder Valley," Dong Rui remarked. "If anyone accidentally walked along the valley floor, they'd be lucky to survive without serious injury."

The uncanny craftsmanship of nature had sculpted this mountain into a prominent outlier among its kind.

Crossing Boulder Valley wasn't difficult, but they encountered a patrol group on the road who shouted "Halt!" upon seeing He Lingchuan and Dong Rui.

Fortunately, the Yangshan Archipelago did have existing business collaborations with the local area, and the two could produce proof. Consequently, three members of the patrol team were assigned to "escort" them to Jishi Village.

On the way, the two conversed with the patrol guards and learned that a month prior, Bixia had launched two unsuccessful attacks. Bixia then changed tactics, sending infiltrators into General Situ's territory to conduct widespread harassment.

"The Jishi Village you're heading to is also within Bixia's range of attack and harassment."

He Lingchuan then asked them another question: "Have any civilians mysteriously died near Jishi Village?"

"Yes," the patrol guard replied, giving an answer completely different from the steamed bun shop in Ju City. "In the past month, over 120 civilians have died in the surrounding towns and villages. Even General Situ has been alarmed by this. Their deaths were all similar, with no external injuries."

He Lingchuan casually asked a few more questions.

Soon, they arrived at their destination: Jishi Village.

It was a small village located halfway up a mountain, comprising over forty dwellings, mostly stone houses built with locally sourced materials.

On the surface, it looked like an ordinary village, with plumes of cooking smoke rising and the scent of food drifting on the wind.

However, only adult men were seen moving around the village; there were no children.

As soon as the two approached, someone at the village entrance immediately came forward to stop them and ask, "Who are you?"

He Lingchuan took out a token and waved it twice at the man. "Is Jiang Lishui here?"

The man reached out, took the token, and examined it from all sides.

Dong Rui strongly suspected he was illiterate; otherwise, seeing the characters "Yangshan" on it, he should have understood.

But the token was dark with a greenish tint, inlaid with unique stones from Blackleaf Island, and its overall design was exquisite. The man, unsure of its significance, could only say, "Follow me."

They walked into the threshing ground at the edge of the village.

Inside the stone-walled courtyard beside the threshing ground, four or five people were in a discussion. One of them looked up, displeased. "I told you not to..."

Mid-sentence, he saw He Lingchuan, was startled, and swallowed the rest of his words.

He Lingchuan smiled, "Old Jiang, long time no see."

Old Jiang initially thought he was mistaken and was trying to confirm. The moment He Lingchuan spoke, he shivered. "Ah, Is... Is..."

No one had ever seen him so agitated that he stammered, and everyone turned to look at He Lingchuan. The latter raised a finger to his lips. "Calm down, I need to talk to you about something."

He didn't want to draw attention.

"Yes!" Jiang Lishui immediately understood. He composed himself and began to dismiss the others. "That's enough for today, you can leave. Quickly, don't just stand there."

His subordinates were puzzled but obeyed, standing up and leaving.

The patrol guards who had accompanied He Lingchuan and Dong Rui asked, "Are these two really your people?"

Jiang Lishui nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, they are indeed from our chamber of commerce! Thank you for your trouble, sirs."

With that, he slipped some broken silver into each of the two patrol guards' hands. The two said nothing more and turned to leave.

Jiang Lishui quickly offered his seat to He Lingchuan, then moved everything off the table and personally poured them each a cup of warm water.

"This is a poor, remote place, with no good tea, only plain water..." he said, feeling a little embarrassed.

He Lingchuan was unconcerned. "No matter, water is fine."

Only when all the bystanders had left did Jiang Lishui lower his voice and ask, "Islander, why have you come in person?"

He was a steward under Ding Zuodong, stationed in the Goldflash Plains. He had seen He Lingchuan from afar four times in the Yangshan Archipelago but had never had the chance to speak with this "big boss."

Although this superior's superior was young, his gaze was sharp. Jiang Lishui's heart pounded after being looked at by him.

The pressure from a superior was truly extraordinary.

That He Lingchuan recognized him at a glance also surprised him.

"I heard there were some issues here, so I decided to drop by and take a look," He Lingchuan said, raising his cup to drink. "I happened to see the message you sent to Julu Port."

Jiang Lishui suddenly understood.

Since the State of Ya cut off the Yangshan Archipelago's ore supply, the Archipelago had turned to importing from the Goldflash Plains. This chaotic region was a mix of good and bad, requiring the Yangshan Archipelago to station capable personnel there to handle issues such as local extortion attempts, bandit raids, and logistical transfers. Because He Lingchuan had already reached an agreement with the State of Peng, the Yangshan Archipelago's guard force could enter the plains from Peng, greatly enhancing the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce's self-defense and negotiation capabilities.

Consequently, the Chamber of Commerce continued to expand its presence into the central and eastern parts of the plains, deploying more personnel.

Jiang Lishui had been sent by Ding Zuodong, responsible for local material procurement and shipment to Julu Port.

In the turbulent Goldflash Plains, this was arduous and dangerous work. Therefore, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce offered high compensation. It was a common saying that people would take on even life-threatening work if the pay was good, but no one would do work without compensation, which is why Jiang Lishui had volunteered.

He was clear-headed, knowing he lacked connections and background in the Archipelago. He understood that a grand steward like Ding Zuodong had many talented subordinates, and it would be a very long time before he climbed the ranks through seniority. So, he thought it better to take a different path and undertake the most in-demand work in the Goldflash Plains. As long as he didn't get into serious trouble in the plains, he could likely use this "gilded" experience to rise swiftly in rank upon his return.

As for risk, what work was without it? Even eating fish could lead to choking on a bone.

So when He Lingchuan kindly told him, "It's not easy working here, you've worked hard," Jiang Lishui immediately replied, "It's my duty, my duty! I took this assignment, and I should do the job well, but here..."

"Don't rush to blame yourself. First, explain the situation clearly. What kind of ore is produced here?" The Yangshan Archipelago's business was growing, so all matters, big or small, were usually screened by the grand stewards first. Only important matters were reported to He Lingchuan; minor issues were handled independently.

Information about what ore a mere Boulder Valley produced would usually not reach He Lingchuan's desk.

The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce had set up a base in Julu Port, where information from the Goldflash Plains was compiled and then sent to the Yangshan Archipelago by bird-demons.

However, before He Lingchuan left the State of Peng, he visited the base, and new intelligence happened to arrive.

Seeing it was on his way, he decided to make the trip himself.

"Siderite, with squama stone as an associated mineral."

"Both are good materials," He Lingchuan noted. Siderite is an auxiliary material for making armor, effectively increasing toughness, and is typically used for vulnerable areas like ankles and waists. Squama stone, when refined into a powder, can quickly absorb water and is commonly used in hemostatic powder and bandages, offering excellent value for money compared to elixirs.

Neither of these materials is produced in the Yangshan Archipelago; they rely entirely on imports.

Dong Rui interjected, "What's going on with this village? Are there no residents?"

He had already noticed that the people moving about the village didn't seem like local residents.

"When the war came, livelihoods withered, and even Jishi Village, hidden deep in the mountains, couldn't escape," Jiang Lishui began. "This area was originally Gaopu's territory, but Gaopu was destroyed by Bixia a few months ago—"

Dong Rui interrupted, "And the Situ family reclaimed it, right?"

"Precisely, precisely. The Islander just arrived and already knows, truly extraordinary insight," Jiang Lishui quickly flattered, then continued, "I heard those battles were so fierce that human heads were beaten into dog heads, and all the villagers nearby fled. Including Jishi Village, only a few elderly, weak, and disabled remained."

"It so happened that we came here looking for mineral sources, intending to buy ore from the Situ family. They were in desperate need of funds for the war and particularly wanted to sell but had no one to mine. So they simply told me that as long as we could find people to mine, they would lease us the mining rights for seven years at a preferential price." Jiang Lishui quoted a figure, and He Lingchuan nodded upon hearing it, saying, "That is indeed very favorable."

The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce had come here to buy ore, but unexpectedly, they found themselves having to take over the mining operation. This was a highly lucrative business. By taking control from the source and eliminating intermediaries, profits significantly increased.

Of course, there were also risks.

"I reported to Grand Steward Ding, and he replied directly, 'Acquire it no matter what!'" Jiang Lishui said, excited but clear-headed. "As far as I know, this is also the first mine the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce has secured in the Goldflash Plains, and it's a rich one! The biggest risk is that we don't know how long these people will remain in power. If they're overthrown within two years, our mining and transport operations here will be in trouble."

Doing business in the Goldflash Plains, this was the biggest risk. "I don't know who held these mining rights before, but the Situ family reclaimed them and gave them to us. My subordinates and I certainly don't want to follow in the footsteps of those unlucky fellows!"

He Lingchuan nodded, understanding his apprehension.

With the dust of war not yet settled, Jiang Lishui had pushed for mining rights, and he worried that Islander He would be displeased. If the Situ family were defeated by Bixia, the Boulder Valley mining rights would likely be seized by Bixia, and Yangshan's operations here would be for naught.

However, at this time, mining rights were at their lowest price, offering the greatest profit, and it was easiest to deal with local authorities. As a risk-taking merchant, Jiang Lishui was truly tempted.

If they waited until the outcome was decided before making a move, would there still be a place for the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce here?

He Lingchuan instantly saw through his thoughts. "Based on your observations, can the Situ family hold out?"