Chapter 17: The Gathering of Merchants
Cultivators sought immortality, merchants sought profit, and rulers sought authority.
Yet even in a world where a single powerful expert could overturn a kingdom, none of these pursuits existed independently of the others.
By sunrise, the rain had stopped.
The streets of Lanyue City were filled with merchants preparing for the upcoming auction.
Caravans from neighboring provinces crowded the western gates. Innkeepers raised their prices, restaurants extended their opening hours, and even the smallest roadside stalls displayed goods that had been gathering dust for months.
The auction would begin the following afternoon.
For most visitors, however, the real business had already started.
Private negotiations, exchanges of information, and agreements between merchant houses often determined the outcome of an auction long before the first item appeared on stage.
Inside Moonfall Pavilion, Luo Xinyi was reviewing a stack of documents when an attendant entered.
"Young Mistress, the representatives from the Southern Merchant Association have arrived."
"Already?"
"Yes."
Luo Xinyi glanced toward the window.
The sun had barely risen.
She sighed.
"Merchants truly have no respect for sleep."
The attendant suppressed a smile.
"Shall I ask them to wait?"
"No. Prepare the eastern reception chamber."
"Understood."
As the attendant departed, Luo Xinyi returned to her documents.
Among them lay the revised transportation agreement proposed by Qin Zhaoming.
The negotiations had progressed smoothly, but one problem remained.
The Qin family's shipments were being delayed.
Three times in two months, discrepancies had appeared in their transportation records.
The incidents were small enough to be dismissed individually.
Together, however, they suggested a pattern.
Luo Xinyi had no intention of accusing the Bai family without evidence.
The Bai family was an important trading partner, and damaging that relationship over a suspicion would be foolish.
Still, she had quietly instructed her steward to examine Moonfall Pavilion's own shipping records.
If someone was interfering with western trade, she wanted to know before the Luo family became involved.
She closed the document.
"Business is becoming troublesome."
Then she stood and went to welcome her guests.
At the southern marketplace, Lin Qingyue was having a different kind of trouble.
She stood before a stall selling spiritual ink.
The merchant had placed three small bottles upon the counter.
"Ordinary spiritual ink, eight spirit stones. Refined spiritual ink, twenty. Premium spiritual ink, fifty."
Lin Qingyue examined the bottles.
"What's the difference?"
The merchant smiled.
"Quality, naturally."
"That isn't an explanation."
His smile stiffened.
She picked up the second bottle.
"The spiritual energy is more concentrated, but the binding agent seems identical to the ordinary ink."
The merchant blinked.
Lin Qingyue examined the third.
"And this one..."
She frowned.
"Why does it smell like crushed moonvine?"
The merchant's expression changed.
"You recognize moonvine?"
"Of course."
He straightened.
"Then you should understand why the premium ink is expensive."
Lin Qingyue nodded.
"Moonvine improves the stability of certain water-attribute inscriptions."
"Exactly!"
"But I'm constructing a defensive formation that uses balanced spiritual channels."
The merchant hesitated.
"So?"
"So the moonvine would make the ink less suitable for my formation."
Silence.
The merchant looked toward Ye Wuchen, who stood beside her.
"Senior Brother, perhaps you could persuade your junior sister to purchase something?"
Ye Wuchen glanced at the bottles.
"She seems to be doing fine."
The merchant sighed.
Lin Qingyue placed the premium bottle down.
"I'll take the refined ink."
"Twenty spirit stones."
She paid.
As they left, she looked toward Ye Wuchen.
"Was that the correct choice?"
"Why are you asking me?"
She frowned.
"Because you know more about formations."
"Then why did you spend ten minutes examining the ink?"
"To determine which one I needed."
"And did you?"
"Yes."
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"Then trust your judgment."
Lin Qingyue considered his words.
After a moment, she smiled.
"All right."
They continued through the marketplace.
For several streets, Ye Wuchen said nothing.
Then Lin Qingyue noticed that he was carrying a small paper bag.
She looked at it.
"What did you buy?"
"Chestnuts."
She blinked.
"Chestnuts?"
"Roasted."
"Why?"
Ye Wuchen looked at her.
"To eat."
Lin Qingyue stared at him.
Then laughed.
"Sometimes I forget you're a normal person."
Ye Wuchen considered correcting her.
Instead, he offered her the bag.
"Want some?"
She accepted one.
"Thank you."
Near the western gate, Qin Zhaoming stood beside a row of newly arrived wagons.
His steward, Old Chen, was checking their cargo.
"Seventy-two crates," the steward announced.
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"And the declaration?"
"Seventy-two."
"Good."
Old Chen looked relieved.
"At least this shipment arrived without trouble."
Qin Zhaoming examined the documents.
"Not quite."
The steward froze.
"Young Master?"
Qin Zhaoming pointed toward the seal at the bottom of the declaration.
"Who authorized this?"
Old Chen leaned closer.
"The Western Transport Office."
"Look again."
The steward examined the mark.
It was a small red seal bearing the character for approval.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.
Then he noticed the border.
"This isn't the current seal."
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"The Transport Office replaced its official seal six months ago."
Old Chen's face paled.
"Then these documents..."
"May have been processed using an outdated authorization."
"Could someone have forged them?"
"Possibly."
Qin Zhaoming folded the papers.
"But the cargo itself is legitimate."
Old Chen frowned.
"Why would anyone interfere with valid shipments?"
"That's what I intend to discover."
He turned toward the city.
"Send someone to the Transport Office. I want copies of every authorization issued for our caravans during the past two months."
"Yes, Young Master."
"And Old Chen."
"Yes?"
"Don't accuse anyone."
The steward nodded.
"Understood."
Qin Zhaoming watched him leave.
A forged seal could delay a caravan.
Repeated forged seals could damage a merchant house's reputation.
But there was something strange about the incidents.
Whoever was responsible had not attempted to steal goods or demand money.
The disruptions seemed designed to create uncertainty.
And uncertainty, in trade, could be more expensive than theft.
By midday, the central marketplace had become so crowded that city guards were stationed at every major intersection.
Merchants from the eastern provinces displayed refined weapons and spiritual artifacts.
Alchemists from the southern territories advertised rare pills.
Traveling cultivators sold materials recovered from mountains, forests, and abandoned ruins.
Near the auction house, a temporary pavilion had been erected for registered merchants.
Inside, representatives from dozens of trading organizations exchanged information.
Luo Xinyi arrived shortly after noon.
She was accompanied by two attendants and the Moonfall Pavilion's senior steward.
As she entered, several merchants approached to greet her.
"Young Mistress Luo!"
"An honor to see you."
"Will the Luo family be participating in tomorrow's auction?"
She answered each question politely.
After several minutes, she finally reached a quieter corner.
A familiar voice greeted her.
"Young Mistress Luo."
Qin Zhaoming approached.
Luo Xinyi smiled.
"Young Master Qin."
"Have you considered our revised agreement?"
"I have."
"And?"
"There are still several terms worth discussing."
Qin Zhaoming sighed.
"I expected that."
She laughed softly.
"Then you won't be disappointed."
He gestured toward an empty table.
"Shall we?"
Before either could begin discussing contracts, another voice interrupted.
"How fortunate. Both of you are here."
A middle-aged man in green robes approached.
He possessed the calm bearing of an experienced merchant.
Luo Xinyi recognized him immediately.
"Bai Shoulin."
The man smiled.
"Young Mistress Luo. Young Master Qin."
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"Elder Bai."
Bai Shoulin was a senior manager of the Bai family's commercial operations.
He handled medicinal herb shipments and maintained relationships with several major alchemy organizations.
His appearance was not surprising.
The Bai family had considerable interests in the auction.
Still, Luo Xinyi noticed the way his gaze moved between the documents on their table.
"Discussing business?" Bai Shoulin asked.
"Naturally," Luo Xinyi replied.
"May I join you?"
Qin Zhaoming smiled.
"That depends on what you wish to discuss."
Bai Shoulin chuckled.
"Nothing particularly complicated."
He took a seat.
"The Bai family is interested in expanding its western transportation arrangements."
Qin Zhaoming's expression remained unchanged.
"How interesting."
Bai Shoulin continued.
"We've heard that the Qin family has experienced some difficulties with its shipments."
Luo Xinyi quietly lifted her teacup.
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"Minor administrative issues."
"Of course."
Bai Shoulin smiled.
"Still, delays can be costly. Our family has been considering alternative transportation arrangements."
"Then I wish you success."
"Thank you."
The conversation remained perfectly polite.
But Luo Xinyi could sense the tension beneath it.
Bai Shoulin was testing Qin Zhaoming.
He wanted to know whether the Qin family's transportation problems were serious enough to affect its contracts.
Qin Zhaoming, meanwhile, was refusing to reveal anything useful.
Luo Xinyi watched the exchange with growing interest.
After several minutes, Bai Shoulin rose.
"I won't disturb your negotiations."
He bowed slightly.
"May tomorrow's auction prove profitable for us all."
Luo Xinyi smiled.
"Indeed."
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"Likewise."
Once the man departed, Luo Xinyi looked toward Qin Zhaoming.
"Well?"
He sighed.
"That was subtle."
"Not particularly."
Qin Zhaoming laughed.
"You're difficult to impress."
Luo Xinyi placed her teacup down.
"Did you notice something?"
"What?"
"He never asked whether your shipments had been delayed."
Qin Zhaoming frowned.
"He already knew."
"Precisely."
"That doesn't prove anything."
"No."
She smiled faintly.
"But it tells us the Bai family is paying attention."
Qin Zhaoming nodded.
"Then perhaps we should pay attention as well."
In the Bai family's medicinal garden, Bai Ruyan was examining a list of auction items.
She had spent the morning comparing the catalog against several alchemy manuals.
The Seven-Leaf Moon Orchid remained her primary interest.
But another item had caught her attention.
A damaged medicinal furnace.
According to the catalog, it had been recovered from an abandoned alchemy workshop in the western mountains.
Its exterior was cracked.
Its inscriptions were incomplete.
And the auction house had classified it as a miscellaneous artifact.
Bai Ruyan studied the description.
"A damaged furnace..."
She frowned.
"Why would anyone sell this?"
Her attendant, a young girl named Xiao Lan, looked up.
"Because it's broken?"
Bai Ruyan shook her head.
"Not necessarily."
She pointed toward the illustration.
"Look at the ventilation channels."
Xiao Lan leaned closer.
"They're unusual."
"Exactly."
Bai Ruyan's eyes brightened.
"The furnace may have been designed for low-temperature refinement."
"Is that valuable?"
"For certain medicinal ingredients, yes."
She examined the catalog again.
"If the internal chamber is intact, it could be useful."
Xiao Lan smiled.
"Then should we purchase it?"
Bai Ruyan hesitated.
"Only if the price is reasonable."
"How much is reasonable?"
"That depends on its condition."
Xiao Lan sighed.
"Everything depends on something."
Bai Ruyan laughed.
"Welcome to alchemy."
That afternoon, Lin Qingyue and Ye Wuchen visited the Formation Association.
Lin Qingyue wanted to ask the examiners about advanced certification.
The association occupied a modest three-story building near the eastern marketplace.
Inside, several cultivators were discussing formation designs.
An elderly receptionist recognized Lin Qingyue immediately.
"Ah, the young lady who passed yesterday."
Lin Qingyue bowed.
"Senior."
"Here to register for another examination?"
"Not yet. I wanted to learn about the requirements for second-grade certification."
The receptionist nodded.
"An excellent ambition."
He retrieved a booklet.
"Second-grade formation masters must demonstrate proficiency in defensive, offensive, and auxiliary formations."
Lin Qingyue examined the requirements.
Her expression gradually became serious.
The examination involved far more than constructing a single defensive array.
Candidates had to identify formation flaws, repair damaged inscriptions, and demonstrate an understanding of spiritual energy circulation.
The final assessment required constructing a functioning second-grade formation within a limited time.
She looked up.
"How long do candidates usually prepare?"
"Several years."
Lin Qingyue nodded slowly.
"Several years..."
The receptionist smiled.
"Some take longer. There's no shame in that."
She looked toward Ye Wuchen.
He was examining a decorative formation diagram hanging on the wall.
The receptionist followed her gaze.
"Your companion?"
"Yes."
"Is he also a formation enthusiast?"
Lin Qingyue hesitated.
"Something like that."
Ye Wuchen looked toward them.
"The fourth junction is incorrect."
The receptionist froze.
"What?"
Ye Wuchen pointed toward the diagram.
"The fourth junction. It should connect to the western return channel."
The elderly man stared.
"That diagram has been hanging there for twenty years."
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"Then it's been incorrect for twenty years."
Silence.
Lin Qingyue slowly covered her face.
Not again.
The receptionist hurried toward the diagram.
He examined it carefully.
Then frowned.
After several moments, his expression changed.
"Wait..."
He retrieved a measuring instrument.
The spiritual channels flickered.
His eyes widened.
"He's right!"
Several nearby cultivators turned.
Lin Qingyue sighed.
Ye Wuchen looked mildly surprised.
"Was that unexpected?"
She stared at him.
Ye Wuchen considered the request.
"Probably."
"Probably?"
"If the formations are correct."
Lin Qingyue groaned.
The receptionist, meanwhile, had already begun calling for a senior examiner.
Later that evening, the Moonfall Pavilion hosted a small gathering for visiting merchants.
Luo Xinyi had arranged the event to strengthen relationships with several trading organizations.
The atmosphere was lively.
Musicians performed near the central courtyard.
Servants carried trays of food and wine.
Merchants discussed prices, shipping routes, and the upcoming auction.
Ye Wuchen and Lin Qingyue attended at Luo Xinyi's invitation.
Mu Cang, Han Zhen, and Shen Yulan had declined, preferring to spend the evening examining manuscripts at the House of Quiet Ink.
Lin Qingyue looked around.
"There are so many cultivators."
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"Yes."
"Most of them seem wealthy."
She glanced toward a nearby table.
A merchant was boasting about purchasing a spiritual weapon for several thousand spirit stones.
Another was describing a profitable investment in medicinal herb cultivation.
Lin Qingyue shook her head.
"I don't think I'll ever understand how people spend so much money."
Ye Wuchen looked at her.
"You spent forty spirit stones on formation flags yesterday."
"That's different!"
"How?"
"Those were necessary!"
"Perhaps the merchant considers his weapon necessary."
Lin Qingyue paused.
Then sighed.
"You're making a point, aren't you?"
"Occasionally."
She laughed.
As they approached the courtyard, Luo Xinyi greeted them.
"Fellow Daoist Ye. Miss Lin."
Lin Qingyue bowed.
"Young Mistress Luo."
"I'm glad you could attend."
She looked toward Ye Wuchen.
"Did you enjoy the Formation Association?"
Lin Qingyue froze.
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"It was educational."
Luo Xinyi smiled.
"So I heard."
Lin Qingyue stared.
"You heard?"
"Apparently, someone discovered an error in a twenty-year-old formation diagram."
Ye Wuchen looked toward the musicians.
"An unfortunate oversight."
Luo Xinyi laughed.
"Master Duan was particularly interested."
Lin Qingyue sighed.
"Of course he was."
Luo Xinyi gestured toward the banquet.
"Please enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, let the attendants know."
She departed to greet another group of merchants.
Lin Qingyue watched her go.
"She's very capable."
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"She seems to be."
"Managing a pavilion like this must be difficult."
"Probably."
Lin Qingyue looked toward the gathering.
"Everyone here wants something from her."
"Most people want something from someone."
She considered his words.
Then nodded.
"I suppose that's true."
Near the far end of the courtyard, Qin Zhaoming stood beside a table of refreshments.
He had been observing the gathering for some time.
When Luo Xinyi approached, he smiled.
"Young Mistress Luo."
"Young Master Qin."
"Your pavilion is impressive."
"Thank you."
He glanced toward Ye Wuchen and Lin Qingyue.
"Those two are your guests?"
"Yes."
"Are they important?"
Luo Xinyi smiled.
"All our guests are important."
Qin Zhaoming laughed.
"A diplomatic answer."
"A necessary one."
He studied Ye Wuchen.
The black-robed young man possessed no detectable cultivation aura.
Yet Luo Xinyi seemed to treat him with unusual respect.
Qin Zhaoming had learned not to judge cultivators solely by appearances.
Some concealed their cultivation.
Others possessed unusual inheritances.
And occasionally, someone who appeared ordinary was simply ordinary.
Without evidence, there was little reason to assume anything.
He turned back toward Luo Xinyi.
"Will they attend the auction?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"No particular reason."
Luo Xinyi smiled.
"Then perhaps you should stop staring."
Qin Zhaoming chuckled.
"Fair enough."
As the gathering continued, Ye Wuchen wandered toward the outer courtyard.
A small pond occupied the center.
Several ornamental fish swam beneath floating lotus leaves.
He stood beside the water, watching them.
For a moment, the noise of the banquet faded into the background.
The pond reminded him of something.
A courtyard from long ago.
A quiet place where he had once spent several decades studying a cultivation technique.
He could remember the shape of the pond.
The arrangement of the stones.
Even the sound of rain striking the water.
But the people who had once visited that courtyard were long gone.
Ye Wuchen looked toward the fish.
Time had always been strange.
For ordinary mortals, a century was an impossibly long period.
For cultivators, it could pass during a single retreat.
And for someone who had slept through billions of years, entire civilizations could become little more than fragments of memory.
Yet here, in a city he had never visited before, people continued living as they always had.
Arguing over prices.
Competing for resources.
Pursuing ambitions.
Building relationships.
Making mistakes.
Learning.
He found the familiarity comforting.
"Fellow Daoist Ye?"
Lin Qingyue approached.
She carried two cups of tea.
"I thought you might be here."
Ye Wuchen accepted one.
"Thank you."
She stood beside him.
For a while, they watched the fish.
Then she spoke.
"I've been thinking about the second-grade formation examination."
"Hm?"
"I want to attempt it eventually."
"Good."
"But I don't want to rush."
Ye Wuchen nodded.
"A sensible decision."
She looked toward him.
"Will you help me prepare?"
He considered the question.
"Yes."
Lin Qingyue smiled.
"Thank you."
They continued watching the pond.
After a moment, she added:
"But could you stop making me discover every mistake myself?"
Ye Wuchen looked at her.
"No."
She sighed.
"I thought so."
The banquet ended shortly before midnight.
Guests gradually departed.
Servants began clearing the tables.
Luo Xinyi returned to her study, where several reports awaited her.
One concerned the transportation negotiations.
Another listed the auction's confirmed participants.
The third contained information gathered by her steward.
She opened it.
Her expression changed.
The steward had examined Moonfall Pavilion's shipping records.
Two shipments had experienced unexplained delays during the past month.
Both had passed through the Western Transport Office.
Both had been authorized using an outdated official seal.
Luo Xinyi stared at the report.
Then slowly placed it down.
The Qin family's problems were not isolated.
Someone was interfering with multiple merchant houses.
She considered informing Qin Zhaoming immediately.
But it was late.
And she wanted to verify the information first.
She took out a blank sheet of paper.
Then began writing a letter.
At the western edge of Lanyue City, a small administrative office remained illuminated.
Inside, a middle-aged clerk sat alone behind a desk.
Several stacks of documents lay before him.
He examined one.
Then another.
Finally, he removed a small wooden box from beneath the desk.
Inside lay an old official seal.
The clerk stared at it.
His expression was troubled.
After a long moment, he closed the box.
Then opened a ledger.
Several names had been written inside.
Some belonged to merchant houses.
Others belonged to individual transport agents.
Beside each name was a date.
And beside several dates was a small mark.
The clerk picked up his brush.
He hesitated.
Then added another mark.
Outside, the city bells announced midnight.
The clerk extinguished his lamp.
And Lanyue City fell quiet.
Tomorrow, the auction would begin.
End of Chapter 17