Chapter 1327: Openly Repairing the Plank Road (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Borrow, borrow an eye, Grandpa... It's become a spirit!"
The cook was already pale with fright. Hearing the chaotic footsteps approaching, she practically scrambled out of the house, her body weak and limp, leaning against Shen Tang's leg. Only then did her wildly beating heart begin to calm down. The servants who assisted in the kitchen were also huddled in various corners, terrified. Only two burly men dared to stand in front of the water vat. They saw Shen Tang and the others as if they were their saviors.
It is said that even jellyfish that have become sentient look terrified when soaking in water.
Who knows? I almost ended up in the pot when I woke up.
When Shen Tang arrived, the jellyfish spirit was still trying to calm the panicked crowd, so anxious she almost stammered, "Big sister, don't panic! I... I'm not some kind of spirit who has become a ghost through borrowed eyes! It's all a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding! I have urgent business to attend to, so please, master, be kind enough to give me some clothes to cover myself. I will never forget your great kindness! Please, please—"
That's why he didn't climb out of the water tank.
He was completely naked, without a single piece of clothing.
Apart from three or four men doing manual labor, the rest of the kitchen staff were all female servants. Not wanting to make an enemy of the master's family, he couldn't very well just jump out and show off his bird. After all, he was a martial artist; if he could come up with a plausible excuse, the master's family shouldn't make things difficult for him. Not wanting any further trouble, he obediently squatted by the water vat as a sign of goodwill.
Shen Tang said, "Someone, get him a set of clothes."
The frightened crowd was evacuated, and the kitchen was placed under guard to prevent the man from escaping. The jellyfish spirit, seeing the clothes thrown to him, breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly put them on. With his keen hearing and eyesight, he also overheard the master complaining to someone outside.
The other person's voice rose a few decibels.
"What smooth, thick jellyfish? It's clearly a martial arts master in disguise! These days, anything can be faked! Go and find the person who supplied today's ingredients and investigate whether this jellyfish spirit deliberately sneaked in. If not, was it given away for free?"
Upon hearing that the jellyfish essence was a free bonus from the merchant, the anger in the host's voice noticeably subsided. The tall, plump cook nervously explained in a soft, sweet voice that didn't match her size: "Yes, yes, I saw that there was a fishmonger and asked Old Zhang for it. My lord, this matter has nothing to do with Old Zhang and the others."
Old Zhang supplies fish to the government office; about 70-80% of the fish from the nearby villages are supplied here. If he loses his supply qualification because of this, how many people's livelihoods will be affected?
The East Kitchen is responsible for supplying the government canteen with four meals a day, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables with unlimited quantities, and the freshest ingredients are required. Since a large amount of ingredients are consumed daily, procurement naturally becomes a lucrative task. However, Shen Tang didn't assign anyone to this responsibility alone; instead, he directly released the information, allowing merchants to compete among themselves, with only the most outstanding individuals qualified to reliably supply ingredients to the government canteen.
The government offered prices lower than the market price, squeezing out overall profits. Logically, few merchants would want to do this, but the government's large volume of consumption and quick settlement made it unavoidable. The fish caught by the fishing villages had no worries about finding a market, nor about them going bad from stockpiling.
Don't be fooled by the low profit per unit, because the loss is low.
In retrospect, profits actually increased rather than decreased.
The cook's husband's family also lived in this village, so she dared not become a sinner.
She stepped forward and explained the whole story with an embarrassed expression. She had seen a mandarin fish among the fish that Old Zhang had brought—it had thick, gelatinous flesh and a smooth cap, perfect for making a soup—so she asked Old Zhang to add it to the shopping list as well.
Without saying a word, Old Zhang gave it away as an extra gift.
Since this lord came to power, the villagers' lives have improved immeasurably. They can go out to work and fish every day without worrying about finding a market for their produce, and the village's crops have a stable source of income. Not only their village, but the lives of the villagers in the neighboring prefecture have also visibly improved.
Everyone was grateful for their lord's good deeds, so how could he dare to accept money?
He gave it away for free.
It's quite rare to find jellyfish here.
It's still that huge jellyfish!
It's as big as a water tank!
Shen Tang questioned them carefully and found that everyone's testimonies matched up. Was this really an accident? She was a little disappointed: "I thought that finally some martial arts master had discovered the wonderful use of the Martial Courage Totem and knew that he could use this thing to extort people... What a disappointment."
Xiahou Yu was almost speechless.
"Extorting money... how can that be something to be happy about?"
Shen Tang argued emphatically, "This shows that with peace prevailing in the world, martial artists are no longer solely focused on fighting, but are beginning to explore other wonderful uses for the martial arts totem. Although it may be considered a crooked or unorthodox method like extortion, it is an inevitable result of social evolution."
Xiahou Yu chuckled, seemingly lost in thought.
"My lord's words have served as a reminder to the common people to be wary of animals that can speak." Not everyone knows about martial arts masters and literary scholars. In some remote and impoverished areas, they only exist in stories passed down orally, let alone real people becoming martial arts totems. If some cunning person uses this to commit fraud, it would be truly difficult to guard against.
A colleague said, "It's too early to worry about these things now."
What could be more promising for a martial artist who has cultivated a martial spirit totem than being a street swindler? They're not like those colleagues who are so competitive that they're willingly working overtime; they really have no bottom line.
A colleague lamented, "I heard today that there was fresh meat and jellyfish soup in the kitchen, and I was really looking forward to it, but it was all for nothing."
Shen Tang knew exactly how to get people to work overtime willingly.
This includes, but is not limited to, food that tastes better than what you eat at home.
At first, no one realized Shen Tang's sinister intentions, until the women in each household noticed that the men in their families were coming home later and later. At first, everyone thought that the men were having affairs, but when they went to the government office to inquire, they found out that they were actually working overtime.
"You've been saving this pot of soup for this long?"
"How could that be? It's naturally for the sake of our lord's great cause." Then, he added regretfully, "What a waste of this pot of fresh meat and jellyfish soup."
The jellyfish spirit itself: "..."
Is it because his Martial Spirit Totem looks too delicious?
Because the chef was completely surrounded, his chances of breaking through and escaping were slim, so the jellyfish spirit wisely gave up on that option.
He opened the door, bowed deeply to the master of the house, and kowtowed to thank him for saving his life—ignoring the fact that he had almost been cooked, it truly deserved to be called a "life-saving grace." The young master said that people on the shore all like to be flattered and praised.
You can't hit someone who's smiling.
Shen Tang asked, "What is your background?"
The jellyfish spirit lied, half-truthfully: "My master and I come from a remote island where we have made our living by fishing for generations. The island is barren, and this time we are trying to find a stable supplier for our fellow villagers to barter for supplies."
"An island? Do you know where this place is?"
The fish caught from the coast here have long since rotted away.
The jellyfish spirit said unhurriedly, "My benefactor, you may not know this, but we also have martial artists here who know how to freeze. A ship's worth of seafood can be frozen and preserved. Whatever we catch, we freeze and deliver it exactly as it is. There is little seafood inland, and the young master thinks there are many business opportunities here."
"A traveling merchant? Then how did you get so badly injured?"
If he hadn't been seriously injured, how could he have been accidentally salvaged?
Or will it take the form of a martial arts totem?
This proves that the other party had been subjected to a dangerous pursuit and barely escaped with their life, which is something that a merchant cannot explain.
The jellyfish spirit said, "It's because I've incurred the wrath of the martial world."
The details of the vendetta were not disclosed.
Shen Tang nodded: "So it was a personal grudge."
Whether she believed the jellyfish spirit's story or not, only she knew. The jellyfish spirit didn't expect Shen Tang to believe him; he just wanted her to let him go, and he would find a way to escape. At this moment, Shen Tang changed the subject and asked about the types of seafood his family dealt in, their prices, and quantities... If the price was right, she could order a batch, and she would definitely not delay payment.
Marine aquatic products have fewer parasites than freshwater aquatic products.
While the original body could experience it in the southwest, I can only get a superficial itch by synchronizing with the original body's memories in this place.
"...I will inform the young master about this matter."
As they talked, even the jellyfish spirit started to think this was a good business opportunity. The islanders had no farmland to cultivate on land, and their food and supplies were a huge expense; they couldn't rely solely on the general's meager salary and rewards, could they? They could indeed go out to sea to fish, freeze the fish, and sell them to these people inland—fresh seafood at a high price! Most importantly, it was an exclusive business!
The jellyfish spirit, in a moment of stunned silence, sketched out a beautiful blueprint.
Shen Tang asked the jellyfish spirit to leave a contact address before letting the person leave.
The address was made up by the jellyfish spirit.
Shen Tang didn't even glance at it and tossed it aside: "Send someone to follow them."
Xiahou Yu bowed and accepted the order: "Yes."
The jellyfish spirit possessed some cultivation, but he was still recovering from severe injuries, hadn't eaten for several days, and had also experienced the near-death experience of being boiled into soup. Both his physical and mental strength had reached their limits. He was completely unaware that there was a little tail following him.
He wasn't being followed, but he was cautious enough.
Using the travel expenses sponsored by Shen Tang, they found a house to stay in temporarily.
They secretly inquired about this place and were overjoyed!
His destination was only a short half-day's walk away!
He asked the farmer for the destination address, and only after confirming it did he feel at ease enough to rest for half a day to recover from his injuries. When he went out, he didn't forget to make various small movements to try to shake off the hidden surveillance. However—following the address given by the farmer, the more he walked, the more familiar it seemed.
The jellyfish spirit, disguised, stood in front of the government office.
He came out through the side gate yesterday.
The corner gate was only about a hundred paces away from him.
The person secretly following the jellyfish spirit: "???"
Watching the jellyfish spirit sneakily approach the government office, Shen Tang felt somewhat awkward when they met. The latter stammered and clasped his hands in greeting: "General Luo's subordinate greets his lord."
Shen Tang: "Luo Shen killed his men?"
The jellyfish spirit nodded: "Exactly."
Shen Tang: "..."
Xiahou Yu and the others happened to be present and sensed the awkward atmosphere in the air. After all, yesterday's scene was still vivid in their minds. The jellyfish spirit tried its best to hide, but when it turned its head, it found its lord so close. It realized it had been trying to be clever...
"And who is Luo Shenlu, this hero?"
His name was not included in the biographies of famous officials and scholars.
I've never heard of this person before.
“It’s normal that you haven’t heard of him. Shen Lu joined the army near the end of the southwestern campaign. He comes from an isolated island overseas and is also from a military family. His temperament is among the best of all military generals.” Shen Tang responded to everyone first, then turned to the jellyfish spirit with concern, “Wasn’t Shen Lu escorting Ling De on his mission to Qu Kingdom? What happened to you? How did you get so badly injured? Did Zhai Xiaofang turn against you at this time, and has the situation in Qu Kingdom changed?”
The jellyfish spirit confirmed the identity before using its fingers to cut open the belly and pull out a secret letter, which it then presented: "The general ordered his men to secretly send out this letter, but they were ambushed on the way. Judging from their fighting style, the ambushers were definitely not江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang, meaning rough and uncouth people)."
The moves of an ordinary wandering swordsman might be flashy and elegant, emphasizing grace and charm, while a martial artist from a military background prioritizes maximum cost-effectiveness, aiming for a single, fatal strike. Although his pursuers were disguised as wandering swordsmen, their fighting styles couldn't lie.
In other words—
The pursuit is inextricably linked to the King of Qu's court.
Shen Tang finished reading the secret letter with a somber expression.
She channeled her inner energy into the secret letter, shattering it into dust: "You stay here to recover. I'll find a way to reply to Shen Lu. Zhai Xiaofang won't release them easily, but she won't harm Ling De and the others either."
The jellyfish spirit put her mind at ease.
Shen Tang did not hide anything and told Xiahou Yu and others about it.
Only then did everyone realize that Zhai Le had this trump card up his sleeve.
"The twentieth rank of Marquis..."
For most people, it only exists in legends.
That's why people say the mainland is full of hidden talents.
"...Although unexpected, it was also within expectations. Qu Kingdom could not have annexed the southeastern countries without some ability..." What is truly terrifying is that this 20th-rank Marquis Che has not shown his face, and Zhai Xiaofang has also been hiding his strength, yet Qu Kingdom has still managed to get to this point.
Previously, Xiahou Yu might have worried about who would emerge victorious.
Once you take stock of your own resources, your anxiety will dissipate.
Kangguo also has many trump cards up its sleeve.
The only difference is that they are missing the assistance of the 20th-rank Marquis Che.
As we keep fighting, who knows, it might happen someday.
Gu De was worried about something else: "Zhai Xiaofang dares to send people to intercept letters now, and she will detain people later. If that Marquis Che makes a move, it won't be easy for Lady Lin and the others to escape safely."
The people of Kangguo are too far away; distant water cannot quench a nearby fire.
Xiahou Yu said, "Perhaps we can call for reinforcements."
"Call for reinforcements? Who can we call for reinforcements from now?" Shen Tang had already prepared a backup plan, but hearing Xiahou Yu's words piqued her interest. Xiahou Yu and Gu De had extensive networks, and the people they recruited further expanded their networks.
Even now, Shen Tang doesn't know exactly how many friends they have.
Xiahou Yu said, "That depends on our performance in the next battle."
Shen Tang: "The next battle?"
Sugina Gun is her next target.
Taking this territory would break down barriers between different regions, connecting all of Shen Tang's territories in the central region. Without Shan Yong County, mutual support between Shen Tang's territories would be extremely difficult. Fortunately, she had special means of supplying provisions; otherwise, the cost of transporting grain would be three or four times higher than the normal route, a cost that a newly established warlord force simply couldn't afford…
According to Xiahou Yu, the reinforcements are in Shanyong County.
Xiahou Yu said, "Commander of Shanyong Commandery."
"But wasn't that person only a Right Rank Eleventh Level cultivator?"
This level of ability is insufficient to provide assistance.
ヾ(■_■)
Speaking of which, starting a business with frozen seafood is indeed a good idea.
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