Chapter 1548: Obliged to Act

The market had become even more prosperous, which pleased King Yao immensely.

“That was merely an initial illusion,” Qingyang explained. “It just goes to show what a capable person He Xiao truly is! Merchants and common folk, eager to snatch up land, would frantically dump their assets. With a sudden surge in market supply, prices naturally wouldn’t rise.” Qingyang placed two melon seeds on the table, one to the left and one to the right. “These two melon seeds,” she said, “the left one represents money in the market, and the right one represents resources.”

Everything people needed for their daily lives could be considered a resource.

She picked up the left melon seed. “Thanks to this capital expansion project to the east, most of the money in the market will suddenly be siphoned into the national treasury and King Yao’s coffers.”

King Yao’s method was too potent, making the money-gathering process incredibly swift, so much so that even high-ranking officials couldn’t react in time. She knew this also relied on Tianshui City’s high level of urbanization, where several times more commoners lived within the city than in the suburbs. Otherwise, this tactic wouldn’t have worked anywhere else on the Golden Flash Plains.

Of course, she wouldn’t mention these underlying causes to Bai Tan. But for He Xiao to arrive in Yao and so quickly grasp and fully utilize these factors, it truly was...

...the work of a capable person with malevolent intentions.

Bai Tan nodded. “The common folk want to buy resources, but they have no money.”

“Everything has a gradual process. At the current pace, this wouldn’t have happened for another few years, given that Yao has a strong foundation, various administrative decrees providing safeguards, and profits from the Golden Flash Plains.”

To put it plainly, the Golden Flash Plains were Yao’s main source of sustenance, and this was one of the significant reasons for King Yao’s recklessness.

“Unless,” Qingyang said, picking up the right melon seed, “it is greatly accelerated artificially.”

Bai Tan’s face showed deep thought. “Take away resources?”

“Scarcity drives up value; the fewer resources on the market, the higher the price. A sudden drastic reduction in resources will also sharply increase prices in the short term. He Xiao has set up the first half of the game for us; from now on, it’s our turn to play the second half.”

“I said ‘in the short term’!” Qingyang emphasized. “If we miss this window, Yao will definitely recover.”

A good strategist can adjust their plans according to the time and circumstances. He Xiao’s capital expansion project, while ostensibly solving King Yao’s problems of old city flooding and an empty treasury, could also be used to her advantage.

Bai Tan’s eyes flickered. “Accelerate?”

Was it what he thought? He hesitated. “Yao’s resources probably aren’t that easy to buy up completely.”

How deep was Yao’s foundation? How could one or two factions manage to corner its market?

“We don’t need to buy them all; we just need to make them temporarily scarce.” Qingyang stressed the word “temporarily.” “If handled properly, the timing and extent of this contradiction’s outbreak are controllable. What will people do then, when they suddenly can’t buy resources, when they can’t make a living?”

Qingyang opened her left hand, showing him the melon seeds resting in her palm.

What do you do when something is clearly visible, you desire it greatly, but others refuse to give it to you?

Bai Tan reached out, then stopped.

“Go ahead.”

Only then did Bai Tan pick up a melon seed from her left palm.

“I understand. Is anyone else involved in this operation?”

Qingyang smiled without speaking.

So Bai Tan truly understood.

For many years, both the Yao court and its common people had maintained intricate connections with Beijia.

This former National Preceptor of Beijia was not as alone as she appeared.

He took a deep breath.

“Palace Master, may I meet Chief Envoy Liang?”

The path he was about to embark on had no turning back once started. Therefore, before beginning, he needed to ensure he had the support of the Heavenly God.

Qingyang pointed out the window. “Look, who is that?”

A small boat drifted with the current, arriving at a wild ferry crossing where most of the pier’s wooden planks were broken.

Just then, a tall, thin person wearing a veiled hat walked onto the pier.

Yuan Xuan personally punted the boat closer to pick him up.

The boat’s curtain was lowered again. The person settled into the cabin and removed their veiled hat.

Bai Tan was overjoyed and immediately bowed.

“Chief Envoy Liang!”

Qingyang had anticipated Bai Tan’s desire for the Heavenly God’s support. For such a crucial decision, he naturally needed to communicate face-to-face with Chief Envoy Liang.

Chief Envoy Liang smiled. “General Bai, I knew you would abandon darkness for light.”

Bai Tan composed himself, cupped his hands, and bowed.

“For the Goddess, I am duty-bound!”

Qingyang then personally poured hot water for Bai Tan and handed him a pale gold pill.

Bai Tan took it, gazing at it steadily for a moment.

This was the pledge of allegiance.

Only by taking this pill would he become a true participant in Qingyang’s plan.

Bai Tan secretly made up his mind, tossed the pill into his mouth, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.

Qingyang smiled with satisfaction. “Now that everyone is here, let’s discuss the plan.”

King Yao believed that by not taking the Heavenly God’s secret elixir, his life would not be controlled by the Heavenly God, and Yao could disregard Beijia’s influence.

Ha, how naive.

Beijia had many ways to bring him to his senses.

***

Julu Port, Peng Country, a small tavern by the docks.

Compared to a few months ago, this small tavern had doubled in size. The main drinking hall was more spacious, with ten additional small square tables, and three new wines had been added to the menu on the wall, the most expensive being Aphid Mead from the Yangshan Archipelago.

Previously, such expensive liquor had no market in Julu Port.

Yet today, a fellow was half-crouching on a drinking table, smacking his lips and holding out his cup to receive Aphid Mead poured by the server.

Over two hundred patrons had gathered in a circle around him, some egging him on, “Hurry up, hurry up, keep going!”

The man on the table gulped down a large mouthful of liquor, letting out a satisfied “Ah.”

“We’re buying you the most expensive wine! If you keep us in suspense, your next drink will be urine!”

The man put down his cup. “Where was I? Oh, right, we were following Chief Liu to attack Queshan. Gosh, Queshan Village was really tough to crack, like an iron bucket. Now, rebel armies are everywhere, and those bastards know they’ve done too many wicked deeds, so they’ve fortified and elevated their strongholds, holed up inside. We fought for six or seven days just to damage their mountain gate, and then the authorities showed up right after!”

Someone chimed in, “Queshan Village used to seize land and kill people, forcing good citizens into destitution, all with official backing. Most likely, when Queshan Village saw you attacking, they sealed their gates and sent someone to alert the local authorities.”

“Exactly!” said the man on the table. “As soon as Queshan Village saw the government troops, they immediately charged out to sandwich us. We were only about three hundred men, Queshan Village had around a hundred, and the government troops numbered over five hundred!”

He took another sip of wine. “They charged us twice, and many of us got injured. Chief Liu then called for a retreat.”

Someone in the audience said, “Too slow. You should have run when the government troops arrived.”

“Right, right, we have experience with that.”

“Well, Chief Liu hesitated because Queshan Village’s main gate had already been breached, you see. As a result, Queshan Village and the government troops joined forces and chased us like mad dogs for about four or five miles!” The man turned his head, showing everyone a long scar on his temple. “I got this cut then; my eye was almost poked out.”

“And then? And then?” the crowd urged. “We’re buying you wine, and you’re giving us water? When did the Black Armored Army finally show up?”

“While we were being chased, the Black Armored Army appeared! They took advantage of Queshan Village being empty, stormed the place directly, and set it on fire. When the pursuers saw smoke rising from their base, they rushed back and were then utterly routed by the Black Armored Army...”

The man rambled on, vividly describing the battle.

After a good fifteen minutes of storytelling, the crowd was finally satisfied.

By a window table, a white-clad guest suddenly asked, “So, your Chief Liu never actually spoke with the Black Armored Army from beginning to end. They relieved your siege and left without a word?”

The man scrutinized him. “That ugly fellow talks so rudely,” he thought. Then he said aloud, “The Black Armored Army rarely speaks to anyone. Ask anyone in this tavern, who here has ever talked to the Black Armored Army?”

“Did Emperor Jiuyou appear?”

“Uh, I didn’t see him.”

The white-clad guest quickly pressed, “Emperor Jiuyou has a unique appearance; others should recognize him at a glance.”

“Anyway, I didn’t see him.”

“But you saw the Black Armored Army.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know those were really the Black Armored Army?”

The man gasped. “What’s wrong with you? Are you here to investigate a case?”

At the mention of “investigate a case,” the patrons’ gazes at the white-clad guest changed.

Who investigates cases? Government officials.

Naturally, they were adversaries of the people in the tavern.

“Just curious. I came from the west and only recently disembarked. You can tell from my clothes that I’m not from around here.”

His clothes were made of fine material and were in a novel style, indicating he was at least a wealthy merchant.

The white-clad guest asked again, “You didn’t follow the Black Armored Army to see where they went?”

“The Black Armored Army is known for appearing and disappearing without a trace. Following them would have been pointless, so why bother?” The man scratched his head. “Besides, at that time, we were busy exploring Queshan Village to rob the rich and help the poor. We didn’t have much time.”

The crowd burst into laughter. “Helping the poor” presupposed “robbing the rich,” and these roughnecks often lived hand-to-mouth, with hardly two coppers in their pockets. So, Chief Liu must have been eager to rush into Queshan Village and search for spoils, not to track the Black Armored Army.

The white-clad guest asked again, “Didn’t a black flood dragon symbol appear in Queshan Village?”

“Of course it did, why wouldn’t it?” The man lifted his head. “It was on a large rock behind the stockade gate, a pattern as big as a millstone, incredibly lifelike.”

He gestured with his hand. The white-clad guest continued to ask him, “What did the horns on the black flood dragon’s head look like?”

“What did they look like...?” The man was stumped by the question. “They just looked like dragon horns, obviously.”

The white-clad guest took out two silver coins, placing them in his palm. “Draw it, and I’ll sponsor some of your wine money.”

So generous? The man dipped a finger in a bit of wine and drew a simple sketch on the table.

It was truly minimalist; the black flood dragon he drew looked more like an earthworm with two branch-like antlers on its head.