Chapter 388
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Chapter 388: The Merchant Caravan’s Movement
A few days later, Shen Jun departed conspicuously with his merchant caravan.
There was no need for deliberate promotion; many merchants within Myriad World Civilization were quite shrewd.
As a leader among merchants, Shen Jun’s every move naturally captured the attention of other merchants, for where Shen Jun went, there was often profit to be made.
Listening to his subordinate’s report, Xu Cheng, one of the few wealthy merchants in Myriad World Civilization, stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
“Judging by that direction, Shen Jun’s caravan is headed towards the beastman tribes?”
With this thought, Xu Cheng glanced at his attendant.
“Earlier, about the beastmen tribes, were people truly sent to thoroughly confirm everything?”
“Master, it was indeed confirmed. It’s a place of barren mountains and harsh waters, truly impoverished. Even the least developed city within our Myriad World Civilization is dozens of times better than those beastmen tribes.”
The attendant said, his voice carrying clear contempt, evidently looking down on the beastmen’s meager territory.
Xu Cheng frowned upon hearing this.
After a long pause, he shook his head.
“Impossible. If there were no profits to be made, how could Shen Jun organize such a large caravan to go to that impoverished place? You must have overlooked something!”
“Then, Master, what is your intention?”
“We will also organize a merchant caravan and follow them to see!”
At this point, Xu Cheng’s voice paused again.
“However, just in case, this caravan doesn’t need too many people. Send a small caravan, and at the same time, have some people continue to monitor Shen Jun’s movements to figure out what he intends to do.”
“Understood, I will go handle it now.”
On this day, similar events unfolded simultaneously in many places.
A day or two later, numerous large and small merchant caravans successively departed from Mirror City during these two days, heading towards the beastmen tribes’ territory.
Undoubtedly, the beastmen tribes’ lands were about to become lively.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after only spending a day in the real world, Luo Ji, upon learning this news after returning online, a clear curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
It seemed he had chosen the right person to entrust this matter to Shen Jun.
With this thought, Luo Ji immediately issued two more commands, instructing Li Ke to ensure public order within the beastmen tribes.
At this critical juncture, any serious incidents would certainly dampen the merchants’ enthusiasm.
At the same time, he also needed to quickly transcribe the contents he had memorized so that the printing workshop could print them into books.
Time slowly passed, and the end of the truce period drew nearer day by day.
As per custom, Luo Ji would take a holiday during the last 2 days, partly to adjust his state for the upcoming invasion battle.
However, in recent months, the fishing industry on Mirror Lake has been busy.
After the closed fishing season, the fishermen were now busy catching fish, so it was better for His Majesty the Emperor not to disturb their livelihood.
With this in mind, Luo Ji simply changed into a light, soft leather armor, brought his bow and arrows and guards, apparently intending to go hunting outside the city to relax.
Following closely on horseback, He Liang, the captain of the guard, caught up to Luo Ji ahead, a little worried.
“Your Majesty, the north has been restless recently. Those barbarians often appear around White River City. Perhaps we should choose another place to hunt.”
“White River City…”
He Liang’s mention reminded Luo Ji.
Earlier, there had been quite a few reports from White River City, stating that they were frequently harassed by northern barbarians.
However, they hadn’t posed any threat, as they were basically all forcibly repelled by Liu Meng, the defending general, with his sword-shield troop.
And Luo Ji, to be on the safe side, had also dispatched several hundred additional troops to White River City to assist in its defense.
With the northern barbarians abandoning their territorial advantage and encroaching upon White River City’s territory, defeating the regular army he had stationed in White River City was undoubtedly a fool’s errand.
Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Luo Ji glanced at the few large trees by the roadside that had inexplicably become bare.
A flash of understanding crossed his eyes.
“The North is a cold and barren land, scarce in resources. It’s likely that with winter approaching, those northern barbarians, due to food scarcity, are frequently appearing around White River City, intending to plunder more food and stockpile provisions for winter.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
“He Liang, you’ve become increasingly good at flattering lately.”
Luo Ji said, glancing at He Liang, his mood complex for a moment.
“Your Majesty, without rules, there can be no order. These are your own words. As your personal guards, we must set an example. How could we take the lead in breaking the rules?”
How could He Liang not understand the meaning behind Luo Ji’s words?
Yet, Luo Ji’s majesty was growing, and even He Liang and others who had followed Luo Ji for years sometimes felt pressure when facing their Emperor, daring not to relax.
“Good. It seems you’ve been reading quite a bit lately. It’s a good thing to read more.”
Luo Ji said in a calm tone.
Subsequently, he suddenly lost all interest in hunting.
“Never mind, no hunting today.”
As he spoke, Luo Ji pulled on Liaoyuan Huo’s reins.
“Let’s make a trip to White River City. It’s a good opportunity to inspect White River City’s current situation while we’re out.”
All the guards hearing Luo Ji’s words immediately responded in obedience, and He Liang, as the captain of the guard, also quickly signaled two guards to lead the way.
The group rode at full speed and soon arrived at White River City.
Upon learning of Luo Ji’s arrival in White River City, Liu Meng quickly put down his military duties and rushed to the city gate to welcome him.
“This humble general, Liu Meng, pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
“No need for formalities, rise.”
Luo Ji raised a hand, signaling Liu Meng to dispense with the salute before directly stating.
“I’ve heard that White River City hasn’t been peaceful lately, so I’ve come to check on the situation.”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. The situation is as follows…”
As he spoke, Liu Meng reported the recent conditions of White River City in detail.
Luo Ji listened as he entered the city with his guards.
The city itself appeared peaceful, suggesting that a group of barbarians posed little threat to them.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t allow these barbarians to continuously harass the northern border of his Myriad World Civilization.
With this thought, Luo Ji pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Let’s wait a bit longer. The day of the foreign invasion is fast approaching.”
“After repelling this wave of invaders, before winter officially sets in, we’ll wipe out these northern barbarian tribes in one go.”
“Until then, do not act rashly. Preserve your military strength well.”
