Chapter 28: Six Thousand Merits

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang blinked their eyes. One listened with a puzzled expression, the other looking completely bewildered. Not a single one of them was any good; they were all just pretending. Everyone had explained it so clearly, and besides, they knew the real inside story, so how could they not understand?

Once they understood what the Qi family was wary of, both of them felt quite happy. They hadn't expected that being falsely accused would turn a bad situation into a good one; their luck was incredibly good, and the dark clouds over their future had dispersed just like that. Looking back, suffering the interrogation after being thrown into prison seemed worth it.

Just then, a staff member from the building ran up, scanned the group, and reported, "Madam, Zhixu City's lockdown has been lifted, and the passages to the outside world have reopened. Our prepared goods can be shipped out at any time."

Lan Qiaoyan nodded slightly, stood up, and commanded, "Then let's depart."

"Yes," Old Tan replied, then looked at Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. "Will you two continue with us, or do you plan to stay and have some more fun?"

Wu Jinliang quickly said, "Let's go, let's go!"

Shi Chun also nodded, saying, "Yes, let's go together, let's go together."

Everything that needed to be concluded in this dreadful place was done, and all the suffering they had to endure was over. The two of them truly didn't want to stay a moment longer. The legendary colorful world outside was something they had longed for, and their eyes couldn't help but sparkle with anticipation.

Fortunately, they hadn't become too giddy with joy. Shi Chun adopted the gentle smile he had practiced countless times and bowed to Lan Qiaoyan, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for your care over the years. Shi Chun bids you farewell now, and I will repay your great kindness in the future!"

"Um..." Wu Jinliang, who was also bowing, hesitated for a moment, but finally bit the bullet and called out, "Mom, I'm leaving. Please take care. I, too, will repay your great kindness in the future!" Then, a little scared, he lowered his head, picked up the great saber he had just put down, and dared not look up.

"Still daring to call me Mom?" Lan Qiaoyan rolled her eyes again upon hearing it. She had intended to scold him, but for some inexplicable reason, she didn't know why, that giant man's "Mom" made her nose ache slightly. She pursed her lips, feeling as if she had seen a ghost. Uncharacteristically, she didn't scold the large man again. She turned around, walked to the window, and with her back to them, said, "Living conditions outside are better than here, but people always want too much. For the road ahead, you should just take good care of yourselves. All right, you can all go now. Old Tan, take them."

"Yes," Old Tan replied, then invited them forward with a gesture.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang successively bowed again to the woman's back at the window, then turned and followed Old Tan.

There weren't many people from Bowang Tower involved in the delivery, just ten in total. They appeared to be empty-handed, carrying nothing on their persons. Old Tan handed Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang over to them, personally seeing them off. He only returned after the group had entered the entrance of the barbican.

Turning back, he saw that Lan Qiaoyan had also arrived, accompanied by the bare-chested, burly-bearded blacksmith. Old Tan was somewhat surprised. It was one thing for the Madam to be concerned about the goods, but why had the blacksmith come? He walked over. Before he could speak, Lan Qiaoyan explained, "The blacksmith said he wanted to see the big fellow off."

Old Tan immediately looked perplexed, scrutinizing the blacksmith from head to toe. "See Wu Jinliang off? When did you two develop such a deep friendship?"

The blacksmith bristled, "Friendship, my foot! Back when he forged that great saber, I told him he used too much material, making the weapon too heavy, and that fighting in the land of exile with it would be suicidal. But he said I was wrong, claiming it wouldn't lead to death, but instead contained the secret to survival. I didn't believe him then, so he made a bet with me, saying I'd believe it on the day he left here alive. The wager was that I had to personally see him off when he departed."

Now it wasn't just Old Tan who was curious. Lan Qiaoyan asked, "So you lost?"

The blacksmith grumbled, "I lost to that big fellow's shamelessness."

Old Tan couldn't hold back. "Quickly, tell us, what secret to survival was hidden in his great saber?"

"Ha," the blacksmith chuckled, looking both annoyed and amused. "When he came to the smithy to say goodbye earlier, and I heard he was leaving, I asked him to reveal the secret. That's when I found out that scoundrel had already forgotten the bet. I'd been thinking about it all these years, and he only remembered after I reminded him. What's infuriating is that after he remembered, that fellow actually went back on his word! He didn't want to reveal the great saber's secret to survival, claiming it was just a joke and to let it go. But I'm not that easy to fool! Of course, I considered him to have lost the bet and demanded my due for his punishment. He couldn't take it anymore and finally spilled the truth." As he spoke the word 'truth,' his expression twisted slightly.

The suspense was killing them. Lan Qiaoyan personally urged him, "Quickly, tell us, what happened?"

The blacksmith scoffed again with a cold laugh, shaking his head. "He said that over the years, he wasn't just battle-hardened; every time two groups clashed, he would be the first to jump out, shouting and charging forward. Everyone would praise his bravery, but in reality, he was always the last to arrive. There was nothing he could do; everyone understood, after all, his saber was too heavy, so he couldn't run fast."

Lan Qiaoyan and Old Tan were instantly speechless, understanding everything in a flash. Lan Qiaoyan, especially, felt a wave of disgust. This was the cheap son who called her 'Mom'! She had just felt her nose sting earlier and even impulsively followed the blacksmith to see him off.

"He said that by running at the very back, he could avoid strong enemies and choose opponents advantageous to him. He claimed that his precious saber deserved great credit for his survival to this day. He even asked me to keep it a secret for him, saying that if I ever met someone he liked in the land of exile, I could teach them this life-saving method. That shameless scoundrel! I truly admit defeat to him. I honored the bet and came to see him off, and he actually forgot again! I rushed over here and didn't even get a clear look at his back, just his rear end."

"Alright, alright, don't be angry," Old Tan, who was struggling to suppress his laughter, quickly tried to calm him down. "Maybe he's not just forgetful. He was caught and put through a lot by the city guards earlier, covered in injuries. He suffered quite a bit, so it's normal he might not remember this for a while."

"Hmph," the blacksmith snorted and walked away, waving his hand in dismissal.

Lan Qiaoyan looked up at the sky, then also left with a stern expression. Only Old Tan remained by the gate, watching, to guard against anything abnormal happening that might prevent their departure.

Back at Bowang Tower, Lan Qiaoyan found an esteemed guest in the room. Superintendent Du Huoguan stood alone by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, the shadows of the window frame falling across his face. Lan Qiaoyan waved her hand, dismissing her subordinates, and smiled, "What brings the Prison Inspector here?"

Du Huoguan did not turn around. With his back to her, he said calmly, "When it comes to major and minor affairs within these twelve prison cities, even I might not know as much as you do. This is a testament to Bowang Tower's capabilities. You generally don't interfere in matters outside of business, especially those involving the city guards. You wouldn't speak up without knowing the full extent of the situation. Since you brought up that batch of supplies, you must already know how they entered. Tell me, who is the mole within the city guards?"

The smile vanished from Lan Qiaoyan's face. After her gaze flickered for a moment, she smiled again and said, "The Prison Inspector gives me too much credit; I truly don't know."

Du Huoguan said, "The reason I came alone is that I don't want a third person to hear this. You can speak freely without worry."

Lan Qiaoyan smiled, her reply firm. "I truly don't know."

Du Huoguan suddenly turned around, staring coldly at her. "You came to me, and I gave you face. If you conduct business this way, I'm afraid it won't last long."

Lan Qiaoyan paused briefly, then sighed. "The Prison Inspector already has a target in mind for who the mole is. Why make things difficult for me? I truly don't know."

A thoughtful expression flickered in Du Huoguan's eyes. He said nothing more and strode away. Lan Qiaoyan respectfully saw him off.

Inside the barbican, the Bowang Tower delivery group all took out the Qiankun bags hidden on their persons and emptied large amounts of items for inspection. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang exchanged glances. It wasn't the first time they had seen Qiankun bags; they had seen them in Qi Ziru's possession. Unlike Bowang Tower's large amount of goods, which were slow to inspect, the few items on the two of them were quickly cleared after someone cast a spell and casually checked them a few times.

Afterward, the two followed instructions to a small official's office near the base of the wall. Inside sat a white-bearded old man who verified their identities and asked them to confirm if the merits recorded for them were correct. The merits they had accumulated were neither too many nor too few; both had exactly six thousand. In the previous distribution, they had given all their other merits to the others in Dongjiuyuan, keeping a round number for themselves. The amount of merits sufficient for departure was exactly five thousand.

After they confirmed the amount was correct, the white-bearded old man took out a large scroll-like object, resembling light, white silk gauze. He unrolled a portion of it on the desk, immediately revealing neatly affixed, densely packed golden sands. Each grain of golden sand was uniform in size and appearance, like osmanthus petals, brilliant golden-yellow yet tinged with a purple, fiery aura. Their eyes lit up. Although it was their first time seeing it, they had heard of it for a long time. They knew this was the currency used in the outside cultivation world, called Nanfu Tan Gold, commonly known as Tan Gold. The purple fiery aura inherent to it could be used to verify its authenticity, was often used in refining treasures, and could also serve as illumination; one grain in hand could light up a dark room.

The white-bearded old man pointed at the golden sand on the white silk, gesturing up and down as he said, "One vertical row is one hundred gold. Cutting sixty strips for you will be six thousand gold." Saying this, he counted out sixty rows in front of them, then swiftly cut them off. He first handed them to Wu Jinliang, instructing him to count them on the spot and sign, stating that if any were found missing after leaving, they would not be accounted for. Shi Chun's share was naturally not forgotten; sixty rows were similarly cut for him. After confirming that the amounts were correct, both expressed their gratitude to the old man.

Afterward, it was a waiting game until the people from Bowang Tower were ready to leave together. Although Lan Qiaoyan had said the Qi family wouldn't dare to act rashly again, who knew if the Qi family was aware of this development? The two felt it was safer to stick together. Bowang Tower had too much cargo, so the two had to wait for a good hour before they could finally set off together.

The exit was a wide, long tunnel within the barbican. The deeper they went, the darker it became, until it was pitch black, but a faint white light always remained visible ahead. Although it was Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's first time taking this path, they had heard countless descriptions of it. That white light was the exit to the outside world, and their hearts pounded with excitement, growing more thrilled with every step...

(End of Volume One. Volume Two Preview: Immovable as a Mountain!)

Popular Novel RecommendationsRecently Added Novels