Chapter 368: Gan San Ye's Fate

This fellow entered Beijia two hundred years ago, when the Kingdom of Beijia had already been established for a long time, so it should know something about it. He Lingchuan was not in a hurry and returned to his previous question: "The Nightmare Qi you speak of, can it also be referred to as life force?"

"Nightmare Qi is Nightmare Qi, and life is life. They intersect, but cannot be entirely conflated," the mirror quickly corrected him. "You are a life, and the old doorman at Purple Bamboo Garden is also a life; there's no essential difference. But Nightmare Qi is different. As humans grow from infancy to adulthood, the Nightmare Qi in their bodies becomes increasingly abundant. As they transition from adulthood to old age, this Nightmare Qi gradually dissipates, returning to heaven and earth, completing a cycle of returning to where it came from. Therefore, the Nightmare Qi you possess, compared to that of the doorman, is vastly different in both quality and quantity!"

He Lingchuan pondered, "I am a cultivator."

"As a cultivator, it's only natural that you possess more abundant Nightmare Qi," the mirror explained articulately. "Ancient immortals possessed too much Nightmare Qi, which is why they vanished after being unable to adapt to the post-cataclysm world."

"So, in essence, Nightmare Qi is spiritual energy?"

"Exactly!"

Nightmare Qi and Profound Crystals are both different manifestations of spiritual energy. Ultimately, this fellow needed spiritual energy to be repaired.

"That's too much trouble. I'll just find a blacksmith to repair you."

"W-well, I suppose that's fine," the mirror said reluctantly, "but it must be repaired with Tungsten Gold."

"...Seriously!"

So, the most basic method would have been enough to fix it all along!

This fellow just wanted to take advantage, getting Profound Crystals or precious metals from him, didn't he?

He Lingchuan couldn't help but rub his temples. An already modest household supporting such a demanding "patron" was adding insult to injury.

At this moment, Shi Congshan, the second manager of Shimen Merchant Guild, came to see him. Upon learning that the Grand Tutor's guards from Beijia's Baoshu King were also staying there and even planning to travel with them, he was overjoyed.

The Baoshu King's territory alone was larger than Fu Nation and geographically close. If Shimen Merchant Guild could establish a connection with the Grand Tutor's mansion, their commercial reach would expand significantly. He Lingchuan understood the merchants' ambitions well, so he knocked on the door to call Wu Jinsong and his companion over for drinks. During the meal, he conveniently introduced the second manager, Shi, to them.

The four conversed happily. Wu Jinsong couldn't reveal the matter of Young Master Sha's lost soul, only stating that they were in Wuzhe County on official business but had encountered a mirror demon and other such events. He Lingchuan then retold the previous night's events with added embellishment, leaving the second manager, Shi, repeatedly astonished. He hadn't imagined such horrifying events occurring by Mochou Lake while he slept.

Especially upon hearing that Third Master Gan was implicated, the second manager, Shi, drank three bowls of wine straight, exclaiming with great satisfaction.

"You scoundrel, karma has come for you!"

Under the influence of alcohol, he recounted many past events concerning the Gan family. To He Lingchuan's surprise, while Third Master Gan had indeed committed many despicable acts, it was actually First Master Gan who truly cleared his own path at the expense of others.

"Now that First Master Gan is dead, the Gan family will be quite a spectacle to watch."

As if to confirm the second manager's words, by the afternoon of the next day, news of the Demon Nest Swamp pass changing hands was already circulating widely throughout the county.

He Lingchuan would bet ten copper coins that this rumor was spread by Shimen Merchant Guild. The news didn't specify who acquired the pass; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have had a peaceful few days.

Upon hearing the news, creditors flocked to the Gan family's doorstep, almost breaking it down.

How could the Gan family handle such a situation? It's said that Second Master Gan, unable to bear the creditors' sarcastic remarks, resorted to violence, and bailiffs immediately arrived. Fortunately, the county magistrate still owed First Master Gan a small favor, and the creditors were willing to accept money to settle the matter. Second Master Gan paid a large sum to avoid being detained in the county magistrate's prison.

This incident spread like wildfire throughout the county.

On the third day, the exhausted Old Madam Mao fell ill, with only two old servants attending to her, waiting with medicine. The Gan family's servants brought out even more rumors and juicy gossip.

At this time, Steward Zhao came to He Lingchuan, asking if he would accept the Gan family's apology and agree to hand over the pass to them after their trip to Lingxu City. The Gan Merchant Guild was willing to offer substantial assets.

He Lingchuan naturally refused, and smiled at Steward Zhao, saying, "Your message isn't delivered very sincerely. You didn't even bother with a few pleasantries."

Steward Zhao looked a bit embarrassed.

The Shi brothers were also there and, seeing this, came to his rescue. "The Gan family's downfall is already a certainty," said one. "Steward Zhao knows Brother He is discerning, so why bother sugarcoating it?"

He Lingchuan knew that Steward Zhao was secretly working for them now, so he didn't press the matter, changing the subject instead. "The Gan family might still have one way to overcome their current crisis."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Cooperate with you," He Lingchuan smiled. "You have the pass, and the Gan Merchant Guild has connections and trade routes. It would be a perfect match, at least to get the Gan family through its immediate crisis."

The second manager snorted, "Cooperate with their family? Dream on."

However, the first manager thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible."

In business, if the Gan family is willing to bleed enough money, what's not negotiable?

The Gan family was so prosperous; who wouldn't be envious?

Unfortunately, the Gan family seemingly never thought of this solution and never approached the Shimen Merchant Guild for talks.

Another day passed, and suddenly, several heads and stewards of the Gan Merchant Guild disappeared, along with a massive sum from their accounts. The amount made even He Lingchuan gasp, realizing how substantial First Master Gan's family fortune was, with such abundant cash flow.

But with this act of absconding with funds, the guild immediately couldn't pay wages or outstanding debts for goods. Morale was already low, and the staff refused to work, rushing to the Gan mansion to demand their money.

Second Master Gan couldn't withstand the pressure from creditors and agreed to sell off family assets and guild properties to repay debts. As soon as he made this decision, Third Master Gan, despite his ailing mother being bedridden, took to his heels and fled!

Of course, he also absconded with many valuable trinkets and valuables from the household.

After all, the Gan family still had some assets at this point. Third Master Gan might have lacked business acumen, but his eye for appraising treasures was excellent; he knew exactly what was valuable in the household.

It was now the fifth day, and the Shimen Merchant Guild's caravan to Lingxu City in Beijia Kingdom was setting off. The second manager, Shi, lamented that he wouldn't hear the exciting aftermath concerning the Gan family.

He Lingchuan, however, said calmly, "I'll bet you that Third Master Gan won't escape. If you don't believe me, let's wait a little longer."

"Really?" The second manager immediately ordered a postponement of their departure time. "Then I'll bet ten taels of silver."

By that very afternoon, the latest news broke:

Third Master Gan hadn't escaped far.

He was robbed in a small grove on the outskirts of the county.

When he was found, Third Master Gan was lying in the mud, groaning, with a large bump on the back of his head, stripped of everything, and one of his legs was broken too.

Who was the robber?

Third Master Gan cried out a name:

Luo Xuyi!

For his escape, he had only brought his trusted confidant, Luo Xuyi, abandoning even his personal attendant. He never expected Luo Xuyi to betray him in the grove, attacking him with a hammer. Third Master Gan's head was too hard to be knocked unconscious, so Luo Xuyi broke his leg instead...

Of course, Luo Xuyi was no longer in Wuzhe County; no one knew where he had gone.

Upon hearing this, the second manager, Shi, asked He Lingchuan, "How did you know he would surely meet misfortune?"

"He's still too young," He Lingchuan chuckled. "The Gan family is in a turbulent period, and they owe immense debts. How could there be few people watching him?" He continued, "And without the ability to judge people, he ran off with a treacherous ingrate. If he isn't a fat lamb ready for slaughter, who is?"

The second manager, Shi, felt a wave of satisfaction, bursting into laughter. "What a good omen, truly a good omen! This trip to Lingxu City will surely be smooth sailing."

Even if he returned to the Gan family, Third Master Gan's fate was sealed. The creditors wouldn't let him off, nor would the villagers he had bullied.

A broken drum is beaten by everyone.

Building a fortune is a skill, and preserving it is also a skill. Unfortunately, the Gan family lacked talent. All that awaited this family was endless sorrow and bleakness.

The second manager, Shi, felt truly vindicated.

He Lingchuan asked him, "Why do you detest Third Master Gan so much?"

Shi Congshan paused, then thoughtfully replied, "He isn't truly a great villain or terribly evil; he doesn't even deserve those words. But someone like Third Master Gan's death would not be regrettable."

"The evil of mediocrity?"

"Yes, exactly, the evil of mediocrity!" Shi Congshan savored these words. "The things people like him do, one or two might not be capital offenses, but combined, they're more irritating than a murderer. Everyone wants to spit on him and step on him. Ah, Brother He, you summarized it well."

"You seem like a dignified, magnanimous man, yet who would have thought..." The Soul-Capturing Mirror also chuckled nastily at He Lingchuan. "You asked me to break the mirror-slave contract because you wanted to see him come to this end, didn't you?"

The mirror, currently resting on his chest, performing its duty, added, "Controlling others' fates, watching them live, watching them die, watching them suffer a fate worse than death — doesn't that feel incredibly satisfying?"

More than satisfying. He Lingchuan exhaled slowly. "Of course."

As he rode out of Wuzhe County's territory, he looked back over his shoulder.

Those words were actually an impromptu realization.

If Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu hadn't come to Blackwater City, if He Chunhua hadn't left Gansong County, would he have become another Third Master Gan? Just with a stronger backer.

But he had woken up long ago, knowing that relying on mountains makes them crumble, and relying on others leads to ruin. In such chaotic times, a dissolute young master's reliance was like a soap bubble, ready to burst with a strong gust of wind.

And then there's the fact that what goes around comes around.

Fortunately, he had woken up early.

However, although He Lingchuan saw a microcosm of his past in Third Master Gan — strictly speaking, a microcosm of his original body's past — there were still clear differences between the two.

Although his original body was also a profligate, with disreputable friends, he never had true sycophants or a malicious instigator like Luo Xuyi by his side.

He hadn't even committed many truly evil deeds.

Was it because Young Master He didn't "deserve" to have them?

Of course not.

It was simply because his upbringing environment was always strictly controlled, and negative influences were filtered out.

His scope for "mischief" was actually very limited.

From this perspective, Wen Daolun's four-word maxim that inspired him—"leave at the first sign of trouble"—was both a turning point in his destiny and perhaps a completely new beginning.