Chapter 356: Autumn Grasshoppers

When Mount Songyang Prefecture sells weapons, they simply display them on shelves, allowing customers to buy or not. What is true style? This is true style. It's about sophisticated swagger, with the key being an air of effortless nonchalance.

The Second Manager immediately stood up and bowed deeply to him, saying, "We were truly blind! May I ask what noble lineage Young Master He comes from?" He then mused, "Come to think of it, for this young man to escape safely from the Demonic Nest Marsh and receive a pass from the Spider Queen, that in itself is extraordinary."

"I am a traveler from afar, who happened to be swept into the Demonic Nest Marsh by the great flood of the Han River," He Lingchuan said, waving his hand. "I have no roots or connections here, and I don't know anyone."

"No matter, no matter. For the next few months, the Stone Gate Caravan will be your home, Young Master," the Second Manager said with a beaming smile. "We will surely deliver you safely to Lingxu City."

"Then there's another problem," He Lingchuan said, glancing towards the Gan residence. "After falling into the water, I lost my belongings; I have nothing on me, and I can't even prove my identity."

"That's easy to handle. You can just get it reissued at the yamen," the Second Manager said, clapping his hands. "How about I take Young Master He to the yamen right now to get your identity sorted?"

"That would be excellent. However, Third Master Gan was just here a quarter of an hour ago, and he declared that I wouldn't be able to leave Wuzhe County without his approval."

"Third Master Gan? A quarter of an hour ago?" The Second Manager seemed startled for a moment, then waved his hand and chuckled, "It's no matter, let's go."

Third Master Gan had already been here and threatened Young Master He. This was truly divine assistance; the Second Manager was overjoyed and had to try hard not to burst out laughing.

He Lingchuan smiled and stood up. Before falling out with Third Master Gan, he had already decided to switch to a different caravan to enter Beijia; otherwise, with such a long journey ahead, who knew if the Gan family would seize the opportunity for revenge?

As soon as they went downstairs, a carriage was already waiting at the entrance of the inn. Wuzhe was, after all, just a county town; it was only a fifteen-minute journey from Yuanzhi Inn to the yamen.

With the Second Manager of the Stone Gate Caravan assisting, getting He Lingchuan's identity settled was very easy. In fact, these caravans often employed laborers, carriage drivers, porters, or martial artists from other regions, and they always had to help these people sort out their paperwork, so there were already established procedures for such matters.

While conversing with the Second Manager in the carriage, He Lingchuan learned that the Stone Gate Caravan was founded thirty years ago. The current First Manager, Shi Congshan, and Second Manager, Shi Congshui, were biological brothers. Seven years ago, they took over the caravan from their father and continued to build it up.

This time, Shi Congshui arranged an identity for He Lingchuan: He Xiao, a distant relative of the Shi family, who had come from his hometown to Wuzhe County to work for the Shi Family Caravan. There were three people from the Shi Caravan who needed documents processed, and all of them were present, with He Lingchuan among them.

He Xiao was He Lingchuan's former name as a child, which he changed after turning three.

A quarter of an hour later, He Lingchuan emerged from the yamen with his newly issued identity.

The Second Manager chuckled, "We've reserved a private bath chamber at Purple Bamboo Garden. Brother He, since you've traveled so far, you should first wash away the dust and fatigue. Later in the evening, we can have a long chat by candlelight, how does that sound?"

As cold as the Gan family was towards He Lingchuan, the Stone Gate Caravan was equally enthusiastic.

"It would be impolite to refuse; you've gone to such trouble, Second Manager," He Lingchuan said, not one to be pretentious, and accepted with a hearty laugh.

When Madam Zhu Er gave him the pass, she effectively gave him the power to choose his caravan. What he was receiving now was well-deserved; it was the Gan family's reaction that was abnormal.

Less than half an hour after they left, someone entered the yamen and handed a red envelope to the clerk managing the registers, while giving instructions: "If a tall, handsome young man, seventeen or eighteen years old, comes to apply for documents in the next few days, do not approve it! That young man's background is unclear; he might be a bandit or someone of that sort." The clerk weighed the red envelope; it likely contained an ounce of silver. He thus agreed readily: "Don't worry, leave it to me!" If they didn't want to process it, there would be a hundred reasons.

When the carriage arrived at Purple Bamboo Garden, He Lingchuan learned that it was Wuzhe County's most beautiful hot spring establishment. Inside, it was surrounded by graceful bamboo, with the sounds of birds echoing in the secluded mountains, and the pervasive scent of sulfur. One often heard voices but saw no one.

Here, there were public pools as well as private bath chambers. The Stone Gate Caravan had reserved a private bath chamber for him, where he could enjoy a steaming hot spring all to himself. If he felt thirsty or hungry, he just had to ring a bell, and a large-eyed maid would come in to deliver food.

In a bustling trade hub, such bathhouses were most popular among officials and merchants, serving both as places to relax and unwind, and for private discussions.

He Lingchuan had been eating and sleeping rough in the Demonic Nest Marsh for over ten days, at most taking two cold baths, and constantly having to guard against attacks from eels and crocodiles. How could he feel comfortable? As soon as he entered Purple Bamboo Garden, he felt his whole body itching. He quickly plunged into the hot spring and soaked until his bones were loose and his muscles relaxed, then scrubbed away layers of old grime.

The maid was also exceptionally proactive; after bringing in some fruits, she didn't leave, offering to give him a massage. Having grown accustomed to seeing pot-bellied, greasy, middle-aged and elderly men with large heads and ears here, she occasionally yearned to feast her eyes on a handsome young man with an excellent physique. And truly, her technique was quite good. The pressure was just right, and she was very precise with the acupuncture points.

He Lingchuan chatted casually with her, eventually asking about the Stone Gate Caravan. The maid was enthusiastic and answered every question. The previous head of the Stone Gate Caravan was straightforward, unlike typical cunning merchants. Until his death, the caravan remained obscure locally, only gradually improving after the Shi brothers took over.

Currently, the largest caravan in Wuzhe County was still the Gan Family Caravan. When Gan Qing was alive, he was strong-willed and monopolized resources. The Stone Gate Caravan was less than a quarter of its size and couldn't even rank among the top five in Wuzhe County, but its operations were still comprehensive. The Shi brothers specialized in timber and various odd goods, and they managed their business respectably.

However, with the Gan family around, the Stone Gate Caravan struggled to thrive.

"I heard their workers say that the best thing about this caravan is that they never delay wages; they settle them promptly," the maid said. "Other caravans tend to delay payment or settle in installments."

"Does the Gan Family Caravan do that too?"

"Yes, it's customary," the maid sighed. "Even for us, sometimes our wages are delayed for ten days to half a month."

Reputation was more important than gold, and the brothers truly cherished their brand.

After the maid finished and left, with steam still rising all around, He Lingchuan felt his body growing increasingly relaxed, but a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He fell asleep without even dreaming. It was the most comfortable sleep he'd had since being swept away by the Han River flood.

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. The Second Manager arrived, accompanied by the First Manager.

The three of them ordered a table full of food and wine and began to chat in the bath chamber. The Shi brothers had traveled far and wide, encountering all sorts of fascinating anecdotes and oddities, which served as excellent conversation starters over drinks. He Lingchuan, too, had experienced many thrilling adventures; any one or two of them would make for equally captivating stories.

Since He Lingchuan didn't bring it up, the Shi brothers didn't inquire about his intentions for going to Lingxu City or his background; they simply promised to deliver him safely. In fact, they already knew from Steward Zhao that He Lingchuan was from the State of Yuan.

The two men were quite skilled at conversation, making people feel very comfortable, and their intention to forge a connection was quite clear. For instance, the Second Manager directly suggested that since Mount Songyang Prefecture had a branch in Lingxu City, they hoped He Lingchuan could introduce them and facilitate a connection after his arrival.

It was a simple favor that would earn him goodwill, so He Lingchuan naturally agreed at once. However, for the Stone Gate Caravan of Fu Nation to want to connect with Mount Songyang Prefecture...

The Shi brothers explained that Fu Nation actually had some special products that Mount Songyang Prefecture needed, such as golden mud...

"Fu Nation also produces golden mud?" The Floating Life Saber was grown from golden mud, and He Lingchuan even had some left.

"No, no, golden mud is formulated from various materials, and each sect of artificers has its unique recipe. Fu Nation produces two basic ingredients for golden mud that all artificer sects use," First Manager Shi Congshan chuckled. "If we can supply Mount Songyang Prefecture, the Stone Gate Caravan's reputation will naturally rise."

Since they had a favor to ask of the young man before them, they wouldn't secretly plot against him on the journey. He Lingchuan knew they were offering him a reassurance.

Both the Shi brothers and the Governor of Mount Songyang Prefecture, Li Qingge, seemed to enjoy investing in what they perceived as promising prospects. If these prospects weathered the storms and transformed into dragons, they could then uplift them.

Merchants generally sought to cultivate good relationships, but the current Gan family was clearly an exception.

When He Lingchuan asked about Third Master Gan, the Second Manager, whose face was flushed from drinking and chatting about various topics with him, repeatedly waved his hand: "He's just a wasteful scoundrel! A doting mother spoils many a child, and with no one in the Gan family reining him in, no one in Wuzhe County can control him! He has a whole gang of shady companions—crooks, ruffians, and even a number of yamen officials—making him practically a tyrant in Wuzhe County. Anyone who opposes him or the Gan family always gets taught a lesson. Gan Qing valued this very quality, which is why he didn't discipline him. Anyway, the high-ranking officials and nobles wouldn't bother to quarrel with him out of respect for Gan Qing."

He Lingchuan felt a slight flush of embarrassment upon hearing this. In the past... he seemed to be like that too. Perhaps there were some matters Gan Qing found inconvenient to handle himself, so he let his third brother do the dirty work. He Lingchuan knew this trick all too well.

The First Manager stroked his chin and said, "When Gan Qing was alive, he had endless money to spend; now that the pillar of the family has fallen, I don't think he'll be prominent for much longer. Brother He will be heading west to Lingxu City with the Second Manager in a few days, so you won't have to be bothered by him."

"Why keep mentioning this grasshopper after autumn?" Shi Congshui said, raising his cup. "Come, let's drink!"

If this trip goes smoothly, the Demonic Nest pass will soon belong to the Stone Gate Caravan, and they will have also befriended a figure like He Lingchuan—all good things! The Stone Gate Caravan desperately needed an opportunity to assert itself and feel proud.

The next day, news of Gan Qing, the head of the Gan Family Caravan, meeting with misfortune spread throughout Wuzhe County, becoming the talk of every street and alley. Madam Mao and Second Master Gan were immersed in their grief, utterly unaware. Third Master Gan, however, grew increasingly grim-faced as he listened to the outrageous rumors spreading outside. These lowly commoners were actually spreading rumors that he had hired bandits to kill his elder brother! Their only reason was that his elder brother had argued with him before setting off, and a servant had overheard it. Why didn't they say it was that brat from yesterday who saw an opportunity for wealth and killed for it? Whether at home or on the street, everyone seemed to be pointing fingers behind his back.

Third Master Gan was already seething with anger until his attendant delivered the latest bad news: "That brat who emerged from the Demonic Nest Marsh with Zhao Fu—the one who made him lose face yesterday—successfully obtained his documents yesterday!"

Third Master Gan slammed his hand on the table and shot up, "What's going on? Didn't you say that brat couldn't get it?" He hit it too hard, and his hand hurt.