Two patrons of Baibao Pavilion were chatting when they were deeply annoyed by the sudden arrival of Yu Xian, even finding him somewhat offensive.
"What we are talking about has nothing to do with you! Just because you ask, do I have to answer?"
The younger patron frowned and said.
Yu Xian cupped his hands in apology, looking very polite.
"Pardon me, it's just that a friend of mine was once involved in an arms case, so hearing you mention this matter just now made me a bit emotional."
"Never mind, never mind. This isn't much of a big secret anyway; the news will likely spread in a few days."
The older and more experienced patron pressed his companion's hand, stopping him from saying any more, and smiled rather reservedly at Yu Xian: "This arms case has to be mentioned alongside the Guangnan rebellion.
About five months ago, a rebellion broke out in Guangnan Commandery in the south, where a mob instigated by rebels attacked the prefectural office and rapidly seized several county towns.
This incident enraged the imperial court, and before long, an imperial commissioner was dispatched down here.
According to subsequent investigations, the weapons and siege equipment used by those rioters were precisely the batch of arms stolen from the Cangbei Commandery armory two years ago.
Later, various commanderies conducted self-inspections of their armories and found that much of their weaponry was missing. Because of this, the imperial court blockaded all major ports, vowing to find out who had smuggled arms to the rebels.
Small merchants like us who make a living on water transport have suffered plenty along the way.
Originally, we heard the rebellion had been suppressed.
Yet just half a month ago, the imperial commissioner and the prefect stationed in Guangnan Commandery were assassinated by rebels in their own residence. Now Guangnan Commandery is in utter chaos, and even the prefectural city has been occupied.
We happen to have some connections in the south, which is why we knew about this early. We are planning to sell off all our goods here in Changning City and head no further south."
"I see. Thank you for clearing that up."
Yu Xian cupped his hands again in gratitude, though his heart tightened.
Damn it, rebels!
Anything involving military supplies is bound to be trouble. If the Sun Family Pharmacy had nothing to do with the southern rebels, he would write his name backwards.
No, he had to report them!
Yu Xian sold out the Sun Family Pharmacy without the slightest hesitation.
After all, Yue State didn't look like it was about to fall no matter how one looked at it, and a small disturbance should be quelled soon enough. When investigations began later, he would inevitably be tainted with trouble.
Sure enough, ten thousand taels of silver wasn't so easy to pocket.
Fortunately, he was merely taking money to do a job, and coupled with his newly revealed Xiantian Mid-stage strength and such an upright attitude, he believed Prince Fu wouldn't say much even if he found out.
After Yu Xian took his leave and departed, the young man whose hand had been held back couldn't help complaining in defiance:
"Brother, we worked so hard to get this news! If you just blurt it out like that, what if word gets out? Won't our cargo prices be squeezed to death by them?"
The young man called older brother said earnestly, "Xiao An, when we travel the rivers and lakes to do business, making money is secondary. The most important thing is to keep your eyes sharp.
Otherwise, what you lose won't just be money, but your life.
Do you know where that man just came out from? The VIP room of Baibao Pavilion, and Manager Liu himself escorted him out. I saw his waist bent almost into a hunch."
"He has manners and chose not to bicker with you. Do you really think that if you dared to talk back twice more, he'd get displeased and just give a word, and the two of us wouldn't even need to sell our goods before heading straight to prison?"
"Besides, do you think that just because we know this news, Baibao Pavilion doesn't? Rest assured, based on what I just said, we might not suffer any losses after all."
Sure enough, before long, Manager Liu invited the two brothers into the VIP room and purchased the goods in their hands at a normal market price, without any price-squeezing at all.
And all of this was simply because they had spoken a few extra words with Yu Xian just now and looked as though they were having a pleasant conversation.
Manager Liu was more than happy to do a favor within the scope of his authority, even if Yu Xian was completely unaware of it.
After stepping out of Baibao Pavilion:
"Brother, you're amazing!"
The younger brother looked at his older brother with an admiration that was practically overflowing.
"This is what a big shot looks like! Without showing off or making a fuss, just by happening to exchange a few words with us, he solved a huge problem for us."
The older brother let out a long breath, patted the bank notes in his bosom, and sighed:
"Although this trip didn't make much silver, fortunately we didn't suffer a loss. Who knows how many merchants heading further south have ruined their families this time."
Small-scale merchants have virtually zero risk resistance. Nearly every cargo ship requires them to stake the vast majority of their net worth, and some even have to borrow money; once an accident happens, it spells the ruin of family and home.
Of course, high risks bring high returns—if they could return smoothly, they would make a fortune.
"Brother, I want to stay a few more days. I heard Baibao Pavilion will be holding a grand jade exhibition soon."
"Alright, the chaos won't reach this place anytime soon anyway."
The older brother draped an arm around his younger brother's shoulder and smiled affectionately, "My hair was nearly turned white with worry these past few days, it's time to relax a little."
……
Prince Fu's Estate.
This was the second time Yu Xian had seen Prince Fu since coming to the estate.
Compared to their first meeting, Prince Fu's complexion had clearly improved quite a bit.
As far as he knew, Chen Xiao would make a move every three days to suppress the poison in Prince Fu's body, after which he would get to eat a bowl of chicken leg rice.
Clearly, Chen Xiao understood his own situation very well; it was impossible for him to completely eradicate the poison for Prince Fu, or else he would lose his life—even if Prince Fu used his nominal younger sister as a threat.
Thanks to Yu Xian's protection, Chen Yi didn't have to play along with the act, sparing her from enduring several rounds of punishment and beatings at Chen Xiao's hands.
"Consort Yu, this matter involves rebels and is of the utmost importance. That Sun Family Pharmacy has long enjoyed a reputation for benevolence, dispensing medicine and treating the common people, and is deeply loved by them.
Without evidence, if we make a rash move against them, this Prince will inevitably face public criticism."
Prince Fu shook his head and sighed, putting on an expression that it was a difficult matter to handle.
Yu Xian spread his hands, perfectly happy to take the easy way out.
"In that case, forget it. Rest well, Your Highness, this subordinate will take his leave."
Anyway, he had handed the report letter directly to him. If Prince Fu refused to believe it, he needn't ever think of associating him with rebels—there was no such thing as framing people like this.
Prince Fu was stunned on the spot, caught completely off guard by Yu Xian's straightforwardness.
Wait, why aren't you going to try persuading this Prince a little more?
"Wait a moment, Consort Yu!"
Daring not to put on airs any longer, Prince Fu hastily said, "Since the Sun Family Pharmacy is under suspicion, let's have them arrested and interrogated first. If they haven't colluded with the rebels, it won't be too late to release them then."
He knew far more about the inner workings of the Guangnan rebellion than ordinary merchants on the street.
That wasn't an ordinary riot, but an organized and premeditated rebellion, and there was even a suspicion that Immortal Cultivators had intervened.
Coupled with the previous arms theft cases across various commanderies, it wasn't hard to imagine that some hidden organization had already reached its tentacles into every region, perhaps even with local officials acting as inside agents.
Ordinary martial artists would be one thing; no matter how formidable, they could never stand against the imperial court.
Yet this matter involved Immortal Cultivators, and who knew what kind of entities existed behind them.
Prince Fu felt helpless and somewhat panicked about this.
Ever since his Imperial Elder Brother became obsessed with cultivation, the imperial court had clearly adopted a laissez-faire attitude toward them, the vassal princes. The court hadn't even given an official stance on his assassination attempt yet.
Perhaps he could use the Sun Family Pharmacy to kill the chicken to scare the monkey and demonstrate his might.
As for what to do if he genuinely wronged them?
Well, they could just consider themselves unlucky. Did they expect a prince like him to apologize?
"But Your Highness, there is no evidence for this?" Yu Xian returned Prince Fu's exact words.
"Consort Yu's words are evidence. I shall leave this matter entirely in Consort Yu's hands, and I will have others cooperate with you fully."
Prince Fu intended to make Yu Xian play the vanguard.
Prince Fu actually had mixed feelings about Yu Xian—a guy of unknown origin, with a shady background, who joined the estate halfway through yet possessed formidable strength—and didn't quite know how to place him.
A Xiantian Grandmaster was a tremendous asset to the estate, especially after Yu Xian announced his breakthrough to the Xiantian Mid-stage; the estate was all the more reluctant to let him go.
This time, he would just use the Sun Family Pharmacy incident to deepen Yu Xian's ties to the estate.
Yet he didn't expect Yu Xian to refuse naturally: "I'm not going."
Prince Fu: "……"
"Consort Yu, you were the one who personally reported the Sun Family Pharmacy to this Prince. Don't you think it inappropriate for you not to take action?"
Prince Fu suppressed the irritation rising in his chest.
Shrugging off duties in ordinary times was one thing, but daring to act like this right to his face—wasn't this showing complete disrespect to him as a prince?
Did he still want to clear his name of suspicion or not?
Yu Xian, however, put on the look of someone torn between loyalty and righteousness, appearing thoroughly distressed:
"To not hide it from Your Highness, the old manager of that Sun Family Pharmacy and I hit it off immediately and were once considered confidants. Reporting him this time has already left me feeling quite terrible.
If I were to go and arrest him personally, I truly wouldn't know how to conduct myself.
I beg Your Highness to find someone more capable. For instance, Consort Ding possesses supreme martial arts and seasoned experience in the rivers and lakes; this subordinate believes he is the very best candidate.
Of course, if Your Highness insists that I go and intends to place me in a state of injustice, this subordinate naturally can go. It's just that I would never again have the face to remain in the estate and would be forced to wander the rivers and lakes in search of another refuge."
Seeing that things had reached this point, Prince Fu knew that if he pushed any further, he would indeed be putting someone in the wrong and driving him away. What more could he say?
Damn it! If not for the fact that you've already broken through to the Xiantian Mid-stage!
In the end, Prince Fu couldn't bear to lose a Xiantian Mid-stage Martial Grandmaster who could permanently anchor his estate. Thus, he forcefully suppressed his anger, squeezed out a smile, and said:
"How could this Prince be that kind of person? Since Consort Yu is unwilling, then you needn't go. We'll leave this matter to Consort Ding to handle."
Yu Xian wore an expression of deep gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your understanding."
Ding Le, who was recovering from his injuries in Building No. 3, Heaven Section, suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and then said impatiently to the Changle Sword Sect disciples standing before him:
"Deliver the silver to that fellow surnamed Yu. Remember, don't say a single word."