Chapter 458

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Chapter 458: The Young Master’s Head?

Longyao City, the only city in the middle of the Small Dragon River. Going downstream is Leopard Eye, and going upstream is Yanwei.

This city is also a strategic transportation hub, located in Longyao, and is a must-pass route for entering and exiting Liu State.

Leopard Eye City is now under the control of Ba Xia, and the territory of Liu State has also been greatly reduced due to the loss of Leopard Eye.

This city has both land and water trade routes, with continuous flow of merchants. It is located on a strategic transportation route, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Therefore, it has been relatively well-preserved. Even after the extinction of the Bi Fang clan, this place has not been greatly affected.

The lord of Longyao City is originally the county governor of this place. As one of the leaders of the noble families, in order to consolidate his power, he married a woman from the Bi Fang clan. However, after the extinction of Bi Fang, the lord severed ties with this woman to distance himself. He let her leave Longyao City and fend for herself. There is also a saying that the lord directly strangled his wife as a show of loyalty, which allowed him to secure Longyao City from the watchful eyes of Ba Xia and Qiongqi.

Whether it is true or not, no one knows. It’s all misinformation. But since then, no one has seen this wife from the Bi Fang clan.

Most merchants seek a favorable business environment, in terms of stable prices, steady business, ability to purchase and sell goods, and sufficient supply and demand. That is what makes a good market. Longyao City is like a large container market. Many merchants dare not directly enter Leopard Eye because they fear being exploited by Ba Xia. Moreover, the downstream route is difficult and far away. Using Longyao as a transit point is quite appropriate.

Therefore, Longyao City relies on Ba Xia, exporting various goods, earning considerable intermediary fees through repeated transactions. Although it may not have a large scale, when the quantity accumulates, even small scattered markets can have significant economic effects. For Liu State, which is in a declining state, Longyao City is a pretty good place to live. Therefore, the housing and commodity prices here also fluctuate dramatically.

Bai Wei found an inn, which cost more than three times as much as the already expensive Yanwei City. This was the result of comparing prices from multiple places. He knew that there must be some hidden costs here, but as a stranger to the place, he had no choice but to accept it. At least the inn that raised prices could earn money from clear sources. He was afraid that in this high-priced land, there might be budget accommodations, and who knows what reasons they have to sustain their business of losing money every day.

After paying, Bai Wei left them here, but after thinking about it, he wasn’t at ease, so he left the Crouching Tiger Sword with Chao Lu.

She seemed restless, and Bai Wei understood the reason, but it wasn’t appropriate for him to offer comfort. Hatred is not something that can be easily resolved.

The safety in Longyao City is good. There are many merchants and a lively night market. The security here depends on how fast people can earn money. Because they earn a lot of money, the security is extremely good. No one dares to cause trouble on the streets, because if you smash a shop today, you might disturb the financial path of a powerful family. Most of the troublemakers don’t live long in the city. Even if they are lucky enough to leave, they often end up being shot or stabbed in the back, or dying by suicide.

Bai Wei said they could go to the night market to take a walk, and also planned to see if there was anything good inside.

The three of them left the inn together and went their separate ways.

Bai Wei stopped briefly, and a waiter from a nearby shop took the opportunity to come over and try to sell him something, asking if he wanted to go to a good place.

A good place, where there are charming streets and prosperous merchants who earn money to spend. The biggest attraction in this place is naturally some unspeakable places.

After Bai Wei politely declined, the waiter’s face changed immediately, and he went to find the next customer who was leaving to go to the night market. This waiter must receive a commission to be so eager to help.

Holding the compass, Bai Wei wandered aimlessly in the city.

This Bi Fang feather only points to a specific place. Following the route, Bai Wei walked straight ahead for twenty minutes and arrived at an alley. There was a restaurant operating at this time, with people coming and going, and the smell of alcohol lingering. Bai Wei bypassed this lively restaurant and walked into a plain-looking side alley. He saw a shop at the entrance of the alley, its interior illuminated by soft lights. There were green plants on both sides of the shop entrance and a Pixiu pasted on the front. The main entrance was not made of wood but a semi-transparent glass. Looking through the glass, he saw many different objects placed on shelves of varying heights.

The compass in Bai Wei’s hand became warm, then hot. If he wasn’t a puppet that didn’t fear high temperatures, he might have let go by now. It seems like he has reached the destination.

Bai Wei pushed open the door and heard the old-fashioned bronze bell make a sound, like a chime being struck. This was an antique shop.

The sound of the bronze bell caught attention, and an old man wearing scholar robes walked towards Bai Wei. The old man, in his old age, wore glasses and looked gentle and ordinary.

"Sir, it’s almost closing time at this late hour, what can I help you with?" the old man asked.

Bai Wei said, "I would like to have an item appraised."

The old man hesitated and said, "Now? Appraising an item is not an easy task."

Bai Wei said, "Let’s have a look first."

He took out a compass and placed it on the table made of marble.

The old man looked down, placed his hand on it, and felt the intense heat. He gazed at the feather with a slight change in his eyes, and asked, "Sir, may I ask where you obtained this item?"

"A friend gave it to me, saying that I could make use of it."

"Which friend?"

"Last name is Wang."

"Where is the high place?"

"Yingzhou."

"This Miss Wang must be exceptionally beautiful."

"He is a lazy man who enjoys lazing around, fishing, drinking tea, and taking advantage of online shopping deals."

The old scholar remained silent for a moment, stepping aside and saying, "Guest… let’s talk somewhere else."

The old scholar closed the antique shop’s door, turned off the lights, and led Bai Wei to a room on the second floor.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "What is your last name?"

"Bai Wei."

"What?"

"Stop fighting."

"Young Master Bai, I am Liu Tingyun," the old scholar introduced himself.

"Are you a strategist?"

"No, I just studied with Mr. Nalan for a few years and became a servant. I came to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom with the young miss," Liu Tingyun sighed. "With the great changes in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, I can’t go back to the Ming Country. I stayed here to take care of a antique shop that the young miss left behind. Life has been okay, but I never thought that someone would really find this place."

"No wonder, after all, Wang Yu is not involved in these disputes. He was just placed in the Yingzhou Consulate as a backup candidate for the strategist family, fearing that all the strategists here would disappear and the Ghost Valley Master’s lineage would end," Bai Wei said. "I also came here because of his introduction."

"It’s not easy for Young Master Bai to come this far," the old scholar sighed and spoke candidly.

"It wasn’t that difficult," Bai Wei said truthfully. "It took just over ten days from the Ming Country, so it’s quite fast."

"Uh…" Liu Tingyun was shocked for a moment.

"I want to meet Mr. Nalan Jinghuai," Bai Wei said, "Can you recommend me?"

"I’m afraid that’s not possible," Liu Tingyun shook her head.

"Why? I have Wang Yu’s token," Bai Wei pointed to the compass, "This can’t be fake."

"It’s not that I don’t trust Young Master Bai, but the situation is special," Liu Tingyun paused, "You probably don’t know the current situation of my lady, do you?"

"Wang Yu said that the Vertigo family is spread throughout the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, plotting for the country, creating schemes and chaos among the nations. It’s a secret struggle between the Vertigo families, hurting the kingdom’s power and making it unable to resist against the Great Ming," Bai Wei said, "But no one knows the internal situation well. I only know that there is a Wang Ran from the Vertigo family on Xiangliu’s side."

"The Vertigo family’s arrangement is like a game of chess, where even they themselves are one of the pieces. They have no regrets in sacrificing themselves for the fate of the kingdom. We are not afraid of death, neither me nor my lady. We planned to protect the princes of Bi Fang, but unexpectedly we fell into a trap. Lord Bi Fang perished, and the lords became exiled states," Liu Tingyun straightened her back, "Mr. Nalan is the strategist and advisor under Lord Bi Fang?"

Bai Wei asked in astonishment.

Liu Tingyun nodded, "Given the miserable state of Liu State now, I originally wanted to persuade my lady to leave Liu State, but she insists on staying."

Bai Wei paused for a moment and said, "What does this have to do with me not being able to see her?"

"This is the rule set by Miss. Since Lord Bi Fang’s death, Miss has also suffered from a serious illness and doesn’t want to show herself to outsiders," Liu Tingyun explained. Whether his reason is true or false, Bai Wei didn’t want to force her, so the old scholar continued, "If you have any business, I can pass on the message. Young Master Bai came all this way through hardships, so it must be something important."

"The Bai Ze Kingdom is going to collapse."

"We all know that."

"I want to save Bai Ze from destruction. That’s why I came to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom," Bai Wei said.

Liu Tingyun was shocked for a moment, then he forced a smile and said, "How can we help you with that? If it was the past, it would be different, but now, in the Liu State…"

"Wang Yu said that if anyone can help me, Mr. Nalan would probably have a good plan… Since you two have stayed in the Liu State for so long, I believe you haven’t given up or lost hope. Although I don’t know what you’re planning, if you help me, I will also help you. It won’t be a good thing for Lord Qiongqi to continue growing stronger. If it takes over the Bai Ze Kingdom, the Liu State will soon be devoured, and then… the Bi Fang Principality will truly become history," Bai Wei said slowly and emphatically.

The old scholar fell silent upon hearing this, and he politely explained that this matter was not something he alone could decide. He needed to discuss it with Miss.

Bai Wei said, "I’ll wait here."

The old scholar left the second floor and returned after a little while.

He solemnly said, "The young lady said that planning is like walking on thin ice. She hopes that Young Master Bai will keep his word and bring something to show her."

"What thing?"

"A head." Liu Tingyun said, "The head of the Tiger General."

Bai Wei was stunned… Young Master Bai… offering a head?

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