Since the first message was false, the contradictory second message must be true. Human instinct led Yuan Huatou astray. Just as he was about to send someone out to verify the message, the city lord of Linzhou ordered the city gates closed, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving. This was because a third message had already thrown the entire city of Linzhou into a state of panic: "There are traitors in Linzhou; they are conspiring with the defeated Chen army to plunder Linzhou."
For everyone in Linzhou City, the millennia-long war outside seemed like a completely different world, except for the influx of orphans and vagrants. They were utterly unprepared for war. Thus, taking advantage of the vagrants' ubiquitous presence, Li Jun had already dealt Linzhou City a heavy psychological blow. The first to bear the brunt was Yuan Huatou, who was now unable to distinguish the truth from falsehood in the news.
The lord of Linzhou, who was ordering his soldiers and civilians to prepare to defend Linzhou to the death while secretly packing his valuables to escape, was probably the most terrified person. Just when he was at his wit's end, an advisor came to his house that night.
"Congratulations, Lord City Lord." The advisor's first words almost made the city lord furious, but the next sentence made him overjoyed. "According to reliable sources, those approaching our city are just remnants of mercenaries who were wiped out by the Central Army a few days ago. They are just passing through here."
The city lord's obese body stopped trembling, and he let out a long sigh: "Ah, that's great, quickly issue the order to pacify the people."
The advisor revealed a cunning smile: "Wait a minute, I have a brilliant plan."
The city lord saw more behind his advisor's smile; whenever his advisor showed that smile, it meant that his already heavy purse was about to be filled even more.
After dismissing the servants, the advisor whispered to the city lord, "There is indeed a spy from the State of Chen in the city. Only by catching this spy can we bring peace to the people."
The city lord was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood his advisor's meaning and revealed an ambiguous smile: "So, who is this spy?"
He cursed the city lord under his breath, and his advisor bluntly said, "Yuan, that slippery fellow, he's the most likely spy."
Both men laughed heartily. Although the former sly man often offered gifts, it couldn't compare to acquiring all of his wealth. Of course, while laughing, the city lord secretly praised the advisor who came up with the idea, while the advisor secretly thanked the stranger who had treated him to dinner.
They were, of course, unaware that their so-called conspiracy was merely a performance on a stage pre-arranged by Li Jun. Everything unfolded exactly as Li Jun had predicted; everything was just a trial run for him. From that moment on, Li Jun realized that some troubles in the world could not be solved by force.
When the city lord led his soldiers to surround the Yuan family overnight, the Yuan family father and son had already received the news. In a panic, they could only abandon their home and flee with their confidants. Although the Yuan family had some influence in Linzhou, it was not enough to stand against the city lord. Moreover, the people they usually colluded with were only after their money.
Not long after Yuan Huatou quietly slipped away through the back door, the city lord encountered an informant on the way. So the city lord led his soldiers to the south gate to intercept him. During this period, the Yuan family was temporarily without a master.
After a small-scale battle, all the Yuan family members who "resisted arrest" died, and when the city lord took over the Yuan family's property, he did not notice that the Yuan family was missing a considerable amount of cash.
The following morning, news that the Yuan family were traitors within the Chen state spread throughout Linzhou, and some clever people claimed they had seen it coming. But trouble soon followed. The Yuan family's shops occupied one-fifth of Linzhou's businesses, and their closure disrupted daily life in the city.
For the city lord, these shops were of no use. His status did not allow him to engage in commerce. His advisors then suggested selling all of the Yuan family's shops to the citizens, which would solve their daily living problems and turn the real estate, which they could not embezzle, into gold coins that they could use for personal gain.
Zhao Xian and the homeless people he recruited became the biggest beneficiaries.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
More than half a month later, as Linzhou City grew smaller and smaller behind Li Jun, he himself never imagined that one day he would see Zhao Xian and Wang Erlei again, and how much help these two people would bring him at that time.
He embarked on his new journey with a relatively relaxed attitude. He already knew from the financial incentive that Xiao Lin and Luger had safely escaped, and the fire he had set had prevented the ensuing chaos. But Li Jun wasn't in a hurry to return to the mercenary group; there wasn't much more they could teach him there. For the sake of the ambition he had ignited in Linzhou, he needed to learn much more.
Therefore, he set his sights on Haiping City, the capital of Hong Kingdom. It was one of the best seaports in the Divine Continent, comparable only to Yuquan, the largest port of Su Kingdom. He had heard that many extraordinary people and events took place there; perhaps he could find what he was looking for there.
"What exactly am I looking for?" A new worry arose in Li Jun's heart. Like other precocious teenagers, he was puzzled by his goal. "What method can help me achieve my goal?"
Sitting in the carriage carrying passengers, Li Jun approached the driver and gazed at the boundless mountains on both sides. The mountains were connected and accompanied each other. Looking at the mountains, Li Jun couldn't help but sigh softly. He felt that compared to these unmoving mountains, he, who was moving, was lonely.
A small businessman traveling with him, somewhat condescendingly, said, "Young man, is this your first time traveling? Already homesick?"
Li Jun gently shook his head: "No."
The businessman sensed from his brief reply that he was unwilling to talk, and chuckled awkwardly: "Young man, at your age, it's best not to wander around outside, where there's chaos and conflict everywhere..."
Li Jun ignored him, but the merchant seemed to love to talk, saying to himself, "However, it's good to go to Haiping City to broaden your horizons. Be careful not to get conscripted by the officials."
An old man in the carriage sneered, "Heh, what's the use of being careful? If the officials want to conscript people, will you be able to avoid being conscripted just because you're careful?" Seeing that the merchant and Li Jun were both staring at him, the old man spat out of the carriage and continued, "I have four sons, and one after another they've been conscripted into the army by the officials. How can we ordinary people prevent these things by being careful?"
The driver didn't turn around, and a leisurely voice came from his mouth: "Don't say anything. Although the mountains don't have ears, it will still cause trouble if it gets out."
The people in the carriage fell silent. Li Jun carefully examined the old man. His wrinkled face and unkempt beard obscured his actual age, but he certainly looked much older than his years. His withered arms were exposed, and the veins on his arms revealed his profession. Li Jun felt no pity whatsoever. In chaotic times, there was no room for pity. Perhaps this old man's son was one of the enemy soldiers he had fought against.
The driver cracked his whip and pointed to the highest mountain in the distance, saying, "See that? That's Yue Ren Ridge. Beyond that ridge lies the territory of the Yue people (Note 1)."
Li Jun turned his gaze to the mountain range that was half-hidden in the clouds and asked, "It doesn't look very far. Are the Yue people often active in this area?"
He shook his head and said, "It doesn't happen often. The Yue people have their own set of rules. Besides, that mountain looks close, but it's actually far away."
Li Jun wasn't very interested in the Yue people; his gaze was drawn to some dark dots on the long slope ahead.
"Huh?" the driver exclaimed in surprise, and the carriage slowed down.
As they drew closer, Li Jun could see the cold glint of the weapons in the hands of these dark figures. He had a feeling that something big was about to happen, but at the same time, he also felt that something was not right.
The driver sped up the carriage, and Li Jun wondered why he was being so bold. He quickly realized why he felt something was wrong.
The group of black dots were mostly small-statured Yue people, difficult to see from a distance but easy to spot up close. No wonder the driver wasn't afraid they were bandits; the pride of the Yue people would never choose that profession. Moreover, it was quite obvious that these people were divided into two groups facing each other. Because they were blocking the middle of the road, the carriage had to stop.
The only one who wasn't from Yue was a man dressed in a Confucian long robe. The dark blue robe had no trim, indicating that he was merely a Confucian scholar (Note 2). He stood with his hands behind his back, facing Li Jun and the others. He was tall and thin, appearing especially tall among the Yue people. A faint, mocking smile played on his thin face—a smile that would make anyone who saw him for the first time dislike him. He looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, yet Li Jun vaguely sensed a dangerous aura emanating from him.
Standing before the scholar, arms outstretched to block the Yue man, was a young Yue girl. Judging from her expression, she was probably around twenty-one or twenty-two, but an unsuspecting observer, seeing her petite frame, would mistake her for a child of thirteen or fourteen. Her long braid was tied into a ponytail, stubbornly hanging behind her head, her neat bangs concealing her raised eyebrows, her angry eyes brimming with spirit. Her skin was slightly dark by normal standards, but considered relatively fair among the Yue people. The Yue man she had blocked, though brandishing an axe, showed no immediate intention of attacking.
"Rongrong, move aside!" a relatively tall young Yue man shouted, speaking in the Yue language, which Li Jun couldn't understand at all.
The girl also firmly replied in the Yue language, "No!"
"Are you really going to protect this swindler who kidnapped you?" an older Yue man began to scold. "I told your father long ago that girls only need to cook and do housework, but he went crazy and wanted to teach you casting. Only a stupid father could have an ungrateful daughter like you!"
The girl's eyes widened even more: "Don't speak ill of my father! He is the best craftsman among the Yue people, and his daughter is also the best craftsman among the Yue people!"
The Yue people chuckled, and although Li Jun didn't understand what they were arguing about, he could tell it was mockery. Another Yue man shouted, "A woman can be the best craftswoman? She's more like the best craftswoman!"
"What a pity. Your father was the most skilled craftsman in our tribe, but his daughter is an unfaithful woman." Someone else said coldly. The taller young Yue man who had spoken first blushed and began to defend the girl: "Rongrong is a good girl. It's all this swindler's fault!"
“If today weren’t a full moon,” the scholar, who had been sneering, spoke slowly, his voice short and sharp, like the grinding of metal, “you would all be a pile of roast meat right now.” He spoke in common language, which Li Jun understood.
The young Yue men wanted to rush forward, but hesitated when they reached the girl. The girl's sharp eyes swept across their faces like arrows, and she said slowly but firmly, "I went out with this gentleman to prove to you that my father's daughter, the daughter of the great first craftsman Mo Xiu, is also a first craftsman. I swear by the names of the great god Gongshu Ban and my father, I will never return until I become the first craftsman!"
Faced with the girl's fearless gaze, the Yue people hesitated. The Yue man swore an oath in the names of the great god Gongshu Ban and his deceased father, proving his resolve was unwavering. To force him to retract his oath would be disrespectful to the god and the dead. All eyes were on the young Yue man's face, his expression complex and flustered. Suddenly, as if making a decision, he said, "Alright, I'll go with you!"