Xie An spurred his horse, arriving near the Blood Ridge Market as the afternoon approached the hour of Shen (3-5 PM).
The scorching sun had just passed its zenith, yet the heat remained oppressive and stifling.
Even three miles away from Blood Ridge Market, merchants and travelers thronged the road in an endless stream. Carts laden with goods and porters were a common sight, causing congestion on the road.
Xie An had no choice but to dismount, taking his horse's reins and slowly advancing with the flow of people.
Since the Town Protectorate rarely appeared before the villagers, even with Xie An wearing his official robes, they didn't recognize him immediately. They merely assumed he was the son of an official, and no one came forward to greet him, only giving him a wide berth.
Xie An proceeded slowly, listening to the merchants' discussions.
"The Master Yuanwai is truly excessive, actually raising the rent again. If this continues, business will be impossible."
"Unfortunately, we have no choice but to trade here. Seafood, fabrics, rice, and meat all must be sourced here. If we are caught obtaining goods elsewhere in secret, not only will the goods be seized, but we will be severely beaten. Several vendors have been beaten to death for this!"
"Initially, the county yamen concentrating the goods from the surrounding six towns here did provide us with convenience. But now that the market has grown in scale, they've started to raise prices and force sales. Life is becoming unbearable."
"..."
After some inquiries, Xie An finally gained an understanding of the situation at Blood Ridge Market:
The current Blood Ridge Market was akin to a wholesale center in his previous life. Villagers found it difficult to do business, often going to the city to purchase goods and then selling them in the villages, earning a meager profit. Of course, some larger shops, whose owners had their own supply channels, fared relatively better. But for most shops and vendors, they were merely earning a commission for running errands.
The county yamen's intention might have been good, gathering the businesses of six or seven surrounding towns to create a wholesale market center. Everyone would come here to trade, purchase goods, and then distribute them for sale elsewhere.
It certainly improved efficiency.
But it also led to a monopoly.
The Master Yuanwai in charge of the market held an official position, allowing him to raise prices at will. He also kept a group of thugs to intimidate disobedient merchants.
For those in business, this was a disaster.
The Giant Whale Gang…
Truly a malignant tumor.
After traveling for several miles, Xie An arrived at Blood Ridge Market.
Rows upon rows of shops stood side by side. Various shops and stalls stretched as far as the eye could see. In the distance, it connected to the Huai River, where a wharf had been built. Many cargo ships were unloading goods at the wharf, and porters formed long queues.
Compared to when Xie An was the White Feather Hall's leader four years ago, the scale had expanded several times over.
This place was where Xie An's journey into the martial world began.
He had spent a full four years here, and he felt a deep connection to it.
Returning once again, he felt a sense of returning to his old home.
Xie An strolled around the bustling market for a while, unable to suppress his感慨: 'It's amazing what happens when the government gets involved and upgrades things. The government has the ability to mobilize the greatest resources and reform local markets.'
And this was something that Xie An, as the 'former leader,' could never have accomplished.
'If Big Brother Wei were still here, he would surely be gratified to see this sight,' Xie An mused, feeling a warmth mixed with desolation in his heart as he recalled the past.
Just then, a pleasant voice called out.
"Official, come in and have a drink."
Xie An turned around at the sound and saw a woman in thin clothing standing at the entrance of a tiled house with red lanterns, giving him a flirtatious look.
Xie An felt a shiver run down his spine, then smiled and declined, "I have matters to attend to today."
The woman didn't give up, "Having a drink won't take up much time. This humble servant will also perform a dance to entertain you, official."
Xie An took out a piece of silver and tossed it to the soliciting girl, "Another day."
The woman was overjoyed and immediately bowed to thank him, "Thank you for your generosity, sir."
Xie An nodded and walked on foot.
It was said that one shouldn't strike a smiling face, and Xie An didn't despise women who made a living in the red light district. Instead, he felt a sense of pity and compassion.
They were all just trying to make a living, and he would help if he could.
There was no need to put on an official air.
As for drinking with courtesans, Xie An wasn't very interested in that at his age. However, as his health continued to improve, he did have a little more interest than he had eight years ago.
If he could find his old subordinates, it wouldn't be impossible to have a few girls accompany them for a drink when they reunited…
The Great Qian Dynasty was severely biased towards men, and wealthy and powerful men were truly masters in this world. Not to mention having three wives and four concubines, it was common to flirt around outside.
Suddenly, the man noticed someone approaching, but without looking up, he casually said, "Closed this month, go to another shop."
However, the customer didn't leave but instead walked closer and closer.
Liang Xiang finally looked up, seeing a somewhat familiar face, but he didn't recognize him.
"Shopkeeper Liang, it's me. Xie An," Xie An said.
Liang Xiang stared at Xie An blankly for a long time, as if he finally recognized him. He abruptly put down the bun and stood up, "Hall Leader… Sir.
Aba, quickly boil water for tea. Take out the Mao Jian tea I've treasured from the drawer on the left side of the desk."
Liang Xiang excitedly welcomed Xie An inside for tea, while instructing a helper to fetch the tea leaves.
While Liang Xiang was brewing the tea, Xie An surveyed the surroundings.
The anvils were rusty, and the bellows hadn't been used in a long time, covered in dust. And Liang Xiang himself had aged a lot, walking with a limp.
After a few words of greeting, Xie An couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper Liang, what happened to your leg?"
Ah.
Liang Xiang sighed and began to explain in detail.
It turned out that less than a year after Xie An left four years ago, the Tiger Wolf Gate sold the Blood Ridge Market to the Giant Whale Gang. Soon, the Blood Ridge Black Market was upgraded to a market, and everyone's business experienced a period of rapid growth. But soon… Master Huang started raising prices and significantly increasing shop rents, and every now and then, he would hold banquets under false pretenses. If you didn't give gifts, you couldn't keep your shop open.
Last month, Master Huang held a birthday celebration for his horse. Because Liang Xiang didn't have money to give a gift, he was ordered to close shop for a month. During this time, Liang Xiang took on a few private blacksmithing jobs in secret to make a living, but he was discovered… and Master Huang broke his left leg.
At the end of his story, Liang Xiang, this old man in his fifties, couldn't help but shed tears.
"Ah, compared to when Hall Leader Xie was here, life is like heaven and earth. It's impossible to live," Liang Xiang grabbed Xie An's sleeve, sobbing, "Especially old merchants like me, who are even more disliked and suppressed by Master Huang. Several old shopkeepers have been forced to death by Master Huang."
Xie An felt a sense of melancholy.
This was the reality in chaotic times.
Especially in the frontier areas, if you encountered a good official, the lives of the common people could still be bearable. But if you encountered an official with evil intentions, it was simply a disaster.
There was no way to seek justice.
Xie An had seen this phenomenon many times before, but it was only because this time it involved the place where Xie An had once served and a group of old acquaintances that Xie An felt a deeper sense of emotion.
After Liang Xiang's emotions stabilized, Xie An asked, "Where are Liang Zhi and the others?"
Liang Xiang said, "Big Brother and the others have been sent to patrol. They're doing all the dirty and tiring work. A while ago, they offended Li Huwei and were severely beaten."
Xie An pondered for a moment and said, "Please, Brother Liang, take a trip and call them all here. Also, which is the best restaurant in this place?"
…
At dusk.
Blood Ridge Market, Red Dance House.
A private room on the second floor, by the window.
Xie An and his old friends gathered together, raising their cups, drinking, and talking freely.
Liang Zhi, Wang Xiang, Zhang Lin, Zhou Xing, and Lin Yun had all arrived.
Because of the alcohol, everyone was tearfully recounting their past hardships.
When Xie An was the hall leader four years ago, everyone was riding high. But now, everyone was very disappointed, with a somber look between their eyebrows, full of despair about life.
Lin Yun took the initiative to pour Xie An a glass of wine, "After you disappeared that year, your two disciples came to find us many times. We also asked for help many times and even went to Great Yin Mountain several times in secret, but we couldn't find anyone. Now that Brother Xie is safe, that's great. As the eldest brother, I'm sincerely happy."
"However, the Blood Ridge Market is different now than it used to be, Brother Xie should seek another position."
"It's good that Wang Xiang, Zhang Lin, Liang Zhi, and a few others are also leaving this place of trouble."
"As for me, I'll grow old and die here. At worst, I'll go down early to accompany Big Brother Wei."
Saying this, Lin Yun filled everyone's glasses and then filled his own big bowl of wine, drinking it all in one gulp, "Everyone, brothers, after eating this meal tonight, you will all go your separate ways. I, Lin Yun, wish everyone success and prosperity elsewhere."
Everyone's expressions were sorrowful, but they didn't force it, and they all picked up their glasses to drink.
Only Xie An remained seated, watching his longtime colleagues, memories of the past flashing through his mind.
Finally, Xie An revealed his purpose, "Everyone, there's no need to be so dejected. I've come here to eliminate the Giant Whale Gang."
These words caused everyone to turn and look at Xie An, their faces filled with doubt.
Liang Zhidao said, "Boss, the Giant Whale Gang is extremely powerful. Even Meng Hu of the Tiger Wolf Gate suffered a loss at their hands. Boss, you don't have to force yourself for our sake. We're just worthless lives. If it weren't for your appreciation, Boss, we'd all be toiling away. You absolutely mustn't be impulsive."
Wang Xiang chimed in, "Exactly. We all know how good you've been to us, Boss. We certainly can't let you take such a risk."
Xie An took out a token and placed it on the table.
Everyone crowded around to look, and then, as if realizing something, they abruptly looked at Xie An's official robe.
The well-informed Lin Yun finally realized what was happening, "Brother Xie… you are…"
Xie An confirmed, "Yes. I'm the fifth-rank Chief of the Azure Crow Demon Suppression Division."
Hiss!
The entire private room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
Wang Xiang was the first to recover, "Congratulations, Boss! I always knew you were blessed!"
"It has to be you, Boss! Congratulations!"
Everyone was genuinely happy for Xie An, the disappointment from before completely swept away, and they began drinking again.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Xie An finally brought up the main topic, "By the way, Li Chonghe and Li Fushan of the Giant Whale Gang are dead. Why hasn't the Blood Ridge Market been affected?"
Logically, with the two leaders of the Giant Whale Gang dead, there should be internal chaos, especially in the Giant Whale Gang's core, the Blood Ridge Market. It shouldn't be as orderly as it is now. This is what Xie An has been wondering about all along.
The Giant Whale Gang wasn't going to run away, so Xie An naturally wasn't in a hurry to take action.
Before acting, he needed to understand the enemy's situation.
Liang Zhi sighed, "This Master Huang is no ordinary man…"
After listening to Liang Zhi's explanation, Xie An finally understood the situation.
It turned out that Li Chonghe and Li Fushan had also wanted to become the Master of the Blood Ridge Market. However, because the two of them had criminal records as gangsters, even if Zhou Li wanted to manipulate things, it would be difficult.
Although the Master wasn't an official government position, belonging to the extra-personnel, it was still an official position and needed to be registered.
Helplessly, Li Chonghe and Li Fushan found a trustworthy sworn brother with a clean record to take on the role of Master.
Master Huang's original name was Huang Silang.
He was incredibly strong and skilled in business.
Even Li Chonghe and Li Fushan were no match for him, and he had also gathered a large group of subordinates.
That's why he was able to maintain the operation of the Blood Ridge Market after the deaths of Li Chonghe and Li Fushan.
"Where is Huang Silang now?"
"He lives in the former residence of the Boss, but the courtyard has been expanded. It's called Silang Manor now. Without orders, outsiders are absolutely forbidden from entering."
…
The night was dark and the wind was high, and the market had reached its closing time.
The entire Blood Ridge Market became deserted.
Only the patrolling disciples and the cleaning workers remained.
Silang Manor had large red lanterns hanging at the entrance, and the two stone lions placed at the gate were particularly grand.
Xie An led Wang Xiang and a few others out of the tavern and slowly arrived at the entrance of Silang Manor.
"Master's residence, no entry without orders!" A sturdy man guarding the gate saw Xie An and his group, raised the knife in his hand, and said coldly.
Xie An stood in front of the group and said calmly, "Is Silang inside?"
"Master is currently having dinner… How dare you! You can't call him Silang…" The gatekeeper was about to draw his knife, but he realized that he couldn't draw it. He glanced at Xie An and realized that he was already in front of him.
"You… you dare to trespass into Silang Manor… Heh, heh…" Before the gatekeeper could finish speaking, his neck was grabbed.
Xie An exerted a little force, and the gatekeeper's neck snapped.
"The Demon Suppression Guards will be here soon. You guys wait here. I'll go and meet this Huang Silang." Xie An left these words behind and leaped four meters high, jumping over the wall and entering.
Entering the manor, he found that it was empty, with no guards.
He sneaked all the way to the backyard and finally heard some sounds. Xie An leaned over to look, and the scene in front of him left him dumbfounded:
In a room in the backyard, four children were tied up. Each of them was skin and bones, indicating that they had not eaten or drunk water for a long time, but their skin was extremely good.
A round-faced fat man wearing a dark gold robe walked into the room, glanced at the children, "They've been hungry for three days, and the impurities in their bodies have been completely discharged. Perfect for Dog Lord to eat."
After speaking, the round face cupped his hands towards the rear: "Dog Lord, the midnight snack is ready."
"Hmm!"
A rough and deep voice came.
The ground vibrated with a "da da da" sound, followed by a two-meter tall monster with a dog's head and a human body walking in, licking its lips, looking at the four children with greedy eyes, nodding repeatedly.
"Silang has done a good job. Li Chonghe and Li Fushan are dead, so be it. From now on, I will protect you. You manage the entire Giant Whale Gang and continue to do things for me."
Huang Silang cupped his hands and thanked him, "Thank you, Dog Lord. Silang will definitely serve Dog Lord with utmost loyalty."
"Hmm, if you serve me comfortably, let alone one Giant Whale Gang, I'll even take care of the Heavenly Sabre Society and the Tiger Wolf Gate for you!" The dog demon approached a six-year-old fair and chubby girl with powerful dog paws, ignoring the girl's cries for mercy, picked her up, and then opened its bloody mouth, about to bite down.
This scared the children, who cried loudly.
Huang Silang watched with a smiling face, "What are you crying about? Being able to sacrifice yourselves to Dog Lord's internal organs is a blessing you've cultivated for eight lifetimes. Die early and be reborn into a good family."
At this moment, a person suddenly jumped down from under the eaves and stood at the door, saying calmly, "Hey, you yellow-haired dog, wait a minute."
The dog demon, who was about to bite the girl's head off, suddenly stopped and turned around angrily, "The thing I hate most in my life is being called a dog, especially a yellow-haired one…"
Before he could finish speaking, the man rushed forward and slashed with his knife.
The dog demon couldn't speak anymore, raising its dog paws to block. Suddenly, a "bang" exploded, setting off a powerful force that shattered the ground within a few meters, and even the doors and windows shattered with a "clang clang" sound.
Hmm?
Xie An frowned.
Seventeenth Level of the Bright Jade Skill, Frost Dew, was not enough to kill this dog demon in one go?
That was an existence comparable to a seventh-level martial master.
This was the first time Xie An had encountered a real demon, and it was also the first time he had fought with a demon. Originally, Xie An had planned to observe for a while longer, but this dog was going to eat people.
He had no choice but to act in advance. Even so, Xie An had roughly estimated the strength of the dog demon through his five senses, knowing that it was no match for him.
It's just that Xie An was a little unaccustomed to fighting a seventh-level martial master for the first time.
A small Giant Whale Gang had actually hooked up with a dog demon comparable to a seventh-level martial master, which was really amazing.
No wonder Huang Silang dared to be so arrogant. Even if the two leaders of the Giant Whale Gang were dead, he could still continue to operate the entire Blood Ridge Market and ensure internal stability. It turned out that he had such a trump card.
Where did this demon come from?
I've never seen it before.
Huang Silang was furious, "Where did this thief come from, daring to break into Silang Manor? And you even discovered Dog Lord's existence.
Dog Lord, this person cannot be kept alive. If people find out, it will be terrible."
"That's natural. He dared to call me a yellow-haired dog, I absolutely cannot tolerate him!" The dog demon suddenly threw the little girl down, his eyes bloodshot, and rushed towards Xie An.
Although it was large, its speed was terrifyingly fast, leaving only an afterimage, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Xie An, and the dog paws containing seventh-level inner strength slammed down.
It looked like Xie An was about to be torn to pieces.
Eighteenth Level, Frost Descent.
In an instant, Xie An's skin became somewhat transparent, and his body speed increased even further. He dodged the dog's paws and instantly went behind the dog demon.
Not good!
The dog demon cried out inwardly, about to turn around to resist, but felt a chill on the back of its head.
Then, the dog demon's powerful aura retreated like a tide, and its body fell limply to the ground, "No, no… I am a demon…"
Bang.
The dog demon fell into a pool of blood, a large hole punched in the back of its head.
The blessing of the Eighteenth Level Frost Descent of the Bright Jade Skill was too terrifying. Xie An's fingers were as hard as steel, and it was easy to pierce through its skull.
Let alone a seventh-level dog demon, even an eighth-level martial master would have to die on the spot if they didn't understand the characteristics of the Bright Jade Skill.
"How is that possible! Dog Lord is an existence comparable to a seventh-level martial master, and he was killed in seconds?" Huang Silang was frightened out of his wits and ran away.
"They all say die early and be reborn early, go and be reborn into a good family." Xie An was about to kill Huang Silang when he passed by the dog demon's corpse, and suddenly the white Daoist talisman in his head vibrated.
【Detected 300 strands of demon essence!】
Hmm?
This works too?
