Chapter 351: Wu Ze

He Lingchuan smiled, watching his retreating figure. "He's actually quite good to me."

Steward Zhao was puzzled. "This is 'quite good'? That Dong fellow never showed his face, never said a kind word, and dodged you like you were a plague god. How is that 'quite good'? Young Master He's standards for 'good' must not be very high."

"You don't understand." Dong Rui changed his mind faster than he could turn a page. The fact that he thought of escaping rather than retaliating showed that his hostility towards He Lingchuan had lessened. This fellow, completely on his own, with such resolute comings and goings, is quite interesting.

He Lingchuan looked back towards the northwest. More than half a month had passed since the Battle of Xiabei by the Hanshui River. He thought of Xia Province and the He family less and less. Although danger was always present in the Demon's Lair, he felt a burden lifted from his shoulders. After smelling the scent of decaying wood and mud in the swamp for so long, it seemed he could even get used to it. Without having to go against his true feelings, he actually didn't want to go back. Venturing out alone, the world felt wide and boundless. Besides, he wasn't particularly valued in the He family anyway. How much impact could the presence or absence of the He family's eldest young master have on the war in Xia Province? He had saved He Chunhua multiple times, which was enough to repay the karmic debt between his original body and his father. He just wondered how Shan Youjun, Jiao Tai, and Lingguang the monkey were doing. He had also acquired many properties in Dunyu. He Lingchuan secretly lamented the situation, thinking he should still try to send a message back if he got the chance.

"Young Master He, is something wrong?"

"Nothing," He Lingchuan replied, coming back to himself. He took a deep breath, finding his breath still somewhat sweet. "Let's go."

The caravan moved forward, entering the territory of Fu Nation. Finally, there was a road; the journey ahead would be much easier. After leaving the Demon's Lair swamp, the landscape quickly changed. Mountains and ridges stretched in rows, and winding rivers formed belts—a very typical hilly terrain. Even the official road was not as wide and straight as those in southern Xia Province. He Lingchuan noticed quite a few merchants and commoners traveling back and forth, but many inns and hostels along the way were closed. They traveled thirty or forty li without finding food.

Finally, they managed to check into an inn before dark and ate hot straw-bag rice. The locals washed mixed grains, beans, and peanuts, stuffed them into straw bags, and steamed them for travelers. Peddlers and laborers ate only this, while more discerning guests like He Lingchuan and Steward Zhao would request additions like fatty meat and mushrooms steamed with their rice for better flavor. Of course, the price was higher.

While eating, He Lingchuan found the meat wasn't fatty enough; it was tender but had a peculiar gamey smell. "What kind of meat is this?"

A caravan guard happened to pass by, leaned over, and looked. "Oh, field rat."

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. He had been in the swamp for over ten days and had eaten everything. It made sense; this inn was in the middle of nowhere, with no villages or towns nearby, and no livestock pens. Where else would the meat come from?

During the meal, Steward Zhao also explained that a few months ago, the "Emperor's Nectar" had fallen from the sky, turning mountain beasts into monsters that roamed and harmed people. Many inns were attacked and dared not open for business, which was why the journey had been so desolate. The local government lacked manpower and was weak; it was only half a month ago that they hired people to clear out these rampaging monsters. If such an incident had occurred in the Coiling Dragon Dream Realm, it would likely have been resolved in two or three days. Even in Yan Nation, near Woling Pass where official power was weak, it would have been dealt with in just over a month. This clearly showed the weakness of Fu Nation's national power.

This country was very small, less than a tenth the size of Yan Nation, and even smaller than Xia Province, which He Chunhua governed. On the map, its territory was long and narrow like a knife, dominated by mountains and hills. It was a typical "seven parts mountain, two parts water, one part field," and the small amount of land it had was not very fertile. But precisely because its land was infertile and it lacked resources—the vast mountainous region only yielded some miscellaneous minerals—surrounding nations found no motivation to invade it. After all, conquering the land would bring little profit, and they would have to station troops, manage the population, and provide food, putting in a lot of effort for no significant gain. Looking at it this way, Fu Nation's external environment was actually quite favorable.

Incidentally, Fu Nation bordered the Demon's Lair swamp to the west, and the Northern Monster Nation to the northwest. To the east and northeast, however, lay eight small nations. These nations were similar in size to Fu Nation; the largest was only about twice its size, making it a case of "the pot calling the kettle black." There were occasional skirmishes, but none had the ability to swallow their neighbors, so a state of balance was generally maintained. The Northern Monster Nation seemed to disdain them and couldn't be bothered to send troops to deal with them.

Soon after dawn, the caravan finally arrived at Wuzhe County, where the Gan family resided. This was also Fu Nation's most bustling county town, built in a valley. The main street was even paved with flagstones. Markets thrived, warehouses were everywhere, and restaurants and eateries lined the streets. It was common to see peddlers calling out their wares in alleys, often selling smuggled foreign goods. Besides crowded, low-rise houses, He Lingchuan also saw many large mansions, each occupying its own grand entrance. The scale of this county town was comparable to two or three ordinary cities combined.

He Lingchuan was curious about how the people of Fu Nation made a living, as they seemed to be doing well, breaking the stereotype of "difficult people from poor, harsh lands." Steward Zhao explained that "a tree dies if moved, but a person lives." Since they couldn't rely on the mountains or rivers for sustenance, their only option was to venture out. Fortunately, Fu Nation was connected to Beijia in the west, the eight nations in the east, and had a vast lake to the north, making it a crucial hub for trade. In particular, the Northern Monster Nation had a preference for certain foreign specialties, and its demand alone could create a prosperous trade route. Consequently, Fu Nation produced merchants, and Wuzhe County, situated at the intersection of trade routes connecting east, west, and north, held a significant geographical advantage. After Master Gan became successful, he moved his entire family here, and his business flourished even more.

The caravan went to the warehouse on its own, while Steward Zhao hurried with He Lingchuan to the Gan residence. Wealthy people loved building large houses, and the Gan family was no exception; their residence was even larger than the He family's in Dunyu. The high wall directly in front belonged to the main Gan house. He Lingchuan saw continuous dark roofs, suggesting numerous buildings inside.

However, upon arriving, they dismounted. Steward Zhao surprisingly led him into a small alley behind the house. He Lingchuan frowned, thinking Steward Zhao was leading him to the back entrance of the Gan residence—which would be somewhat impolite for a first-time esteemed guest. Unexpectedly, Steward Zhao, seeing no one around, suddenly turned and bowed deeply to him:

"Young Master He, what I said in the swamp earlier was not from the heart; it was for self-preservation. Please, in your generosity, do not hold it against me!"

"What is it?"

"Actually, the head of the Gan family is Master Gan himself. When I said the old madam of the Gan family could manage affairs, that was... merely a convenient excuse when facing Madam Zhu Er." Steward Zhao smiled bitterly. "The old madam of the Gan family, Master Gan's own mother, is surnamed Mao. She spent the first half of her life in the countryside and has been in Wuzhe County for the past few years, never going anywhere else or involving herself in business." If he had revealed everything in the swamp, the Spider Queen would have eaten him in a fit of rage.

He Lingchuan sensed something was wrong. "What exactly happened?"

Steward Zhao then revealed the truth. Originally, the Gan family were just ordinary townspeople. It was only when Master Gan, a capable and daring head of the family, emerged that they started doing business. Especially after they connected with the spider demons in the Demon's Lair swamp, their family's fortunes soared like sesame flowers blooming higher and higher. The problem was that Master Gan was too capable and in his prime; his family members simply enjoyed his achievements.

He Lingchuan understood at this point. The Gan family was like a scaled-down, simplified version of the Li family in Dunyu; the patriarch's death instantly triggered the hidden danger of a lack of capable successors.

"So, what about what you promised me on behalf of the Gan family in the swamp?" He Lingchuan wasn't interested in others' family affairs. "My identity and travel pass?"

"Yes, yes, I will. I'll go to the Gan family first to deliver the news of the death." Steward Zhao scratched his head. "The Gan family will surely be filled with wailing soon. Please rest at the inn up ahead for a while. Once the Gan family's emotions have calmed down, I will introduce you."

He Lingchuan didn't object; after all, he didn't want to see the Gan family members crying and wailing uncontrollably in front of him. So Steward Zhao asked him to go to a nearby inn, then excused himself and rushed to the Gan family. He Lingchuan moved to a window seat on his own. It was quiet there, and he poured and drank by himself, spending half the afternoon drinking.

About half an hour after the Gan family caravan returned to Wuzhe County. A young servant slipped out the back door of the Gan family's warehouse. He wound his way through four alleys, and only after ensuring no one was paying attention did he sneak into the back door of a shop. The sun was past noon; people and horses were resting, and not even a dog barked.

Someone was lying asleep on a bamboo chair in the back hall, covered with a thick blanket, a straw hat over his forehead to block the light. The young servant leaned closer and whispered, "Boss, something has happened at the Gan family." Hearing "Gan family," the person took off his hat and yawned. "What is it?" He appeared to be under forty, with slightly dark skin.

"The Gan family's caravan finally returned from the Demon's Lair swamp. Boss Gan is dead."

The boss instantly sobered up. "What did you say? Gan Qing is dead?"

"Who's dead?" Another person emerged from behind the hall, his face very similar to the boss's.

"The second boss is back too?" The young servant repeated. "I heard people from the Gan family caravan say that Gan Qing was ambushed and killed outside the Demon's Lair swamp, and a group of bandits impersonated him and took the caravan into the swamp."

"Is that so?" Both the boss and the second boss clicked their tongues in wonder. "What were those bandits after? Did they want to switch to trade?" The Demon's Lair swamp was a stronghold for man-eating monsters. Besides the Gan family, others were actually crazy enough to try to enter.

"No, no, this matter is very bizarre!" Even the young servant telling the story was getting excited. "This group of bandits was sent by the snake demons in the Demon's Lair swamp to impersonate the Gan family caravan and steal treasures from the Spider Queen's territory."

"What kind of fantastical plot is this? Did they steal it?"

"No, they failed at the last minute. The entire group of bandits was wiped out."

Both men said, "As expected of the Spider Queen. So the Gan family caravan managed to return?" Few of the swamp's giant demons had good tempers.

"They did. Not a single cart was missing, and not only did they return fully loaded, but they also brought back an extra person." The young servant continued to relay the information. "It's a young man, seventeen or eighteen years old. According to the caravan's porters, this young man could move freely in the Spider Queen's lair, and he even prevented the bandits from successfully stealing treasures from the Demon's Lair. After the Spider Queen returned from battling other monsters, she inexplicably became enraged and pursued this young man, but soon after, they reconciled, and the Spider Queen even gave him many gifts."

The second boss couldn't help but interrupt, "Is he really human?"