Chapter 1549: Different Worlds

The white-robed guest smiled at a glance, threw the small silver coins to him, and stood up to leave the small tavern.

The attendant following him asked, "Envoy Bai, was that man telling the truth?"

"The first part might be true, but the black jiao design was purely his fabrication," Bai Ziqi said. He drew a pouch of aphid honey wine from the tavern and took a casual sip. "This wine isn't bad... Currently, the black jiao's horn is still pointed, like a dagger; it hasn't branched yet."

A jiao, after all, is not a dragon.

"Why do these people always mix lies into their boasting?"

"People love to embellish and fabricate these things to gain more attention," Bai Ziqi sighed. "It just increases the difficulty for us to discern the truth."

He strolled along the docks. The sea surface shimmered with light, and people came and went on the pier. Porters were busy unloading goods, seagulls were busy pilfering food, and everything appeared orderly.

Many years ago, Bai Ziqi landed at Julu Port while on an official mission to Yao Kingdom. But at that time, Julu Port was chaotic and filthy; sewage flowed everywhere, houses were dilapidated, and unidentified individuals constantly loitered in the streets and alleys. If a passerby got separated, they would likely be struck on the back of the head, and when they woke up, they would be stripped bare—if they woke up at all.

It could be said that Julu Port was a microcosm of the chaos in the Glimmering Gold Plains, serving as a stark lesson for anyone just setting foot in this land.

But today's Julu Port was completely different from six years ago. Ships docked at the port every hour, followed by the loading and unloading of goods. Porters and sailors could remain busy until late at night. The piers and warehouses had been renovated, the roads had been widened, and patrol guards appeared in key areas every half hour. Julu Port had become busy; pickpockets and robbers were fewer, and there were fewer people like walking corpses. A busy port provided numerous job opportunities, which reduced the number of people engaged in illegal activities.

Bai Ziqi stood on the dock and looked north, seeing rows upon rows of new and tall warehouses.

The attendant behind him said, "I've inquired; these are all warehouses belonging to the Yangshan Merchant Guild. Currently, seventy percent of all warehouses in Julu Port are leased or built by the Yangshan Merchant Guild."

"This means seventy percent of the goods circulating here belong to the Yangshan Merchant Guild; and seventy percent of the people in Julu Port work for Yangshan," Bai Ziqi said, rubbing his chin. "When I met He Xiao years ago, I only felt he was meticulous and secretive, never expecting him to be so successful in business."

It has only been a few years since He Xiao left Beijia, yet he has established a vast commercial system and even thrived in the Glimmering Gold Plains, known for its chaos. The younger generation is truly formidable.

"Let's go. Let's see the famous Ghost Market bulletin board."

The Ghost Market is now even livelier than before; it has practically become a round-the-clock market. All sorts of strange and rare items appear here, including not only weapons and magical artifacts, but sometimes even the skulls of unknown creatures, or small pills of dubious origin and efficacy. The only thing that probably hasn't changed is the Ghost Market's bulletin board.

This board is used for bounties, finding people and lost items, exchanging information, and buying and selling intelligence. After Julu Port became busy, the Ghost Market bulletin board became the most important intelligence exchange hub in eastern Glimmering Gold. Large amounts of open and secret information are relayed through it daily.

Some notes on the bulletin board had faded and the writing had lightened, but many papers were newly posted. Most were crookedly written with phrases like, "Rebel army recruiting, food and lodging provided, salary paid."

The attendant couldn't help but say, "They even write down recruitment locations. Aren't they afraid of being rounded up by the authorities?"

"Neither the former Bo Kingdom nor the current Peng Kingdom interferes," Bai Ziqi said, pointing at a note. "Julu Port is a free port with very lenient regulations; otherwise, it wouldn't be so busy now. The so-called 'rebel armies' springing up everywhere are openly forming and recruiting through bulletin boards like this, which indicates that the authorities are no longer able to control eastern and central Glimmering Gold."

The attendant said, "The allied forces seem to be fighting Bishan; they probably don't have time to deal with these ragtag groups, do they?"

Most of the states and forces on the Glimmering Gold Plains are small and weak, which has given rise to many local strongmen who dominate regions under the guise of self-protection. The "rebel armies," encouraged and supported by the Black Armored Army, however, have targeted these local strongmen.

This was the upheaval the land was experiencing when Bai Ziqi arrived in the Glimmering Gold Plains.

Bai Ziqi pointed to several notes. "This one, this one, and this one," he said, "are said to have a good reputation among the common people. Send people to infiltrate all of them."

"Yes, sir," the attendant replied, then asked, "Envoy, why these specific groups?"

"Emperor Jiuyou single-handedly created this storm," he explained. "If he wants it to sweep across the Glimmering Gold Plains, he must constantly protect and nurture it. What kind of groups do you think he would choose to support? Would he pick groups that claim to be rebel armies but actually commit murder and robbery?"

After strolling around Julu Port for a while, Bai Ziqi returned to his inn. His attendant was waiting for him there with a man. The man was around forty, tall and dark-skinned, with deep wrinkles around his eyes; it was clear he was a seasoned traveler who had endured much hardship.

"Envoy, this is the guide introduced to us by the Haolin Guild," the attendant said. "His surname is Liu, and he claims to know the central and western Glimmering Gold Plains like the back of his hand."

Guide Liu immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Envoy," he said. "May I ask your esteemed surname?"

"Bai," Bai Ziqi replied. He then asked, "Do you travel independently or with a caravan?"

"Are you also an expert?" Guide Liu said with a smile. "In the past, the roads were unsafe, so one could only travel with a caravan; few dared to travel alone. But I am very familiar with the route from here all the way to Yao Kingdom. Only in the past six months, with road conditions improving and fewer bandits, have I started working as a broker, delivering letters and goods back and forth for people."

Bai Ziqi hummed in acknowledgment. "Are you affiliated with the Haolin Guild?" he asked.

"Oh yes," he replied. "The Haolin Guild connects us. I've cooperated with them many times."

The "Haolin Guild" is actually an employment agency, but it's not quite like traditional brokers. It mainly helps find odd jobs and temporary work, connecting with artisans, merchants, and various unusual individuals on one end, and with employers in need on the other. Simply put, if someone's roof is leaking, they can find a roofer through the Haolin Guild for repairs. If someone wants to engage in illegal activities, well, they might also find suitable "craftsmen" through the Haolin Guild.

Bai Ziqi's subordinates found a guide through the Haolin Guild so they could avoid detours and learn more about the local customs and geography while traveling through the Glimmering Gold Plains. When in unfamiliar territory, a reliable guide is crucial. The Glimmering Gold Plains are a strange place; drastic changes occur every few years, and paths taken on a previous visit might no longer exist. The bulletin board at the Floating Isle Ghost Market also serves this function, but with a third-party intermediary, the Beijia people would feel more at ease. Otherwise, those found directly from the bulletin board could be anything from demons to monsters. Bai Ziqi was not worried about his own safety, but he did not want to be delayed by some short-sighted individuals.