"This is the place!"
Chen Jichuan put down Chen Shaohu. The two brothers pretended not to know each other and mixed into the crowd one after the other.
...
"Brother Zhang."
"Come over to eat something with us?"
Bao Zhongliang glanced at the nearby 'Zhang Liao' and called out.
It wasn't out of kindness.
But rather because his entire family left in a hurry, bringing plenty of provisions but growing tired of plain tasteless food. When he saw the 'Zhang Liao,' who had just joined the group not long ago, carrying two mountain pheasants obtained from who-knows-where, he couldn't help drooling. Observing how 'Zhang Liao' seemed uneasy with his surroundings, Bao Zhongliang's eyes glinted as he beckoned him over.
"Ah—"
"Alright, thank you so much."
Chen Jichuan feigned excitement and ran over to Bao Zhongliang's family, scratching his head and laughing awkwardly. "I lost my firestarter along the way. I caught these mountain pheasants, but I can't cook them."
As he spoke,
he held up the two pheasants in his hand.
"Oh hey."
"That's no problem at all. Meeting here is fate. Here, bring out a set of tableware for Brother Zhang."
Bao Zhongliang instructed a domestic servant to fetch a bowl and chopsticks for Chen Jichuan, along with a large bowl of rice topped with several pieces of salted meat. Feeling a bit guilty, he said, "Out in the wild like this, all we have is some salted meat to get by, Brother Zhang, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, not at all."
Chen Jichuan quickly waved his hands, but thinking it over, he felt a bit awkward. Hastily, he offered the two pheasants in his hand, saying, "Brother Bao, why don't you cook these two birds too."
"Ahhh."
"How can I possibly accept this?"
Though Bao Zhongliang expressed hesitation, he furtively signaled to his domestic servant.
"In this hot weather."
"Leaving these pheasants uncooked will spoil them, what a waste."
The domestic servant chuckled and took the two pheasants, saying, "Brother Zhang, wait just a bit. I'll boil water and cook these for you right away."
"Alright, alright."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Chen Jichuan smirked inwardly but kept up his foolish and naive facade, accepting the bowl of rice and shyly spooning it into his mouth.
While he wolfed down his food,
he quietly observed Bao Zhongliang's family.
Although they called it a family,
there was actually only Bao Zhongliang himself. Aside from him, there were two domestic servants and two burly men—one pair serving as housemaids, the other as bodyguards.
Bao Zhongliang appeared wealthier, and though his outfit was simple, it was clearly intentionally understated.
Hiding his wealth.
"Brother Zhang, where are you from? Are you heading north too?"
Seeing Chen Jichuan focusing on eating, Bao Zhongliang struck up a conversation.
"Yes."
"My family used to live in Yongfeng, but we moved to Jianling a few years ago. My parents have passed, so I'm on my own now. Jianling is at war, and I'm scared, so I thought I'd head north to hide."
Chen Jichuan put on an innocent and straightforward demeanor.
Bao Zhongliang asked, and he answered without hesitation.
"Jianling, huh."
"That place is indeed chaotic, better to leave early."
Bao Zhongliang smiled at Chen Jichuan, feeling pleased with himself. "Not long ago, Liding County just broke out into war, so I had my family relocate to Yangshuo. If it weren't for the two properties I still have in the city, I wouldn't have delayed my departure until now."
"Liding County is at war too?"
Chen Jichuan inquired.
"It's over."
"The Lishui Gang couldn't beat Wusheng Sect and withdrew just a few days ago."
Bao Zhongliang curled his lips as he spoke.
Listening curiously, Chen Jichuan asked again, "If the wars are over, why are you still leaving, Brother Bao?"
"You just don't understand."
"I dealt in the grain trade in Liding. Now that Liding is occupied by the Wusheng Sect, all grain commerce has been nationalized. We're no longer allowed to get involved. If I stayed, I'd starve!"
Bao Zhongliang's eyes gleamed sharply as he went on to say, "You're making the right choice by heading north. Up north, grain is abundant, unlike the south. The Golden Sun Sect sells grain outside of its territory, and Wusheng Sect is so impoverished they have to barter arrowheads and spear tips with the Golden Sun Sect for food. If you go south, you'd better prepare to starve."
So that's his business.
Chen Jichuan's mind turned over this newfound detail. Hearing what Bao Zhongliang said after, he gained further insight into the Golden Sun Sect, Wusheng Sect, and Lishui Gang.
At the same time,
his suspicions deepened.
It was understandable that Wusheng Sect had surplus arrowheads and spear tips to trade, thanks to their Black Prison and the Iron-repellent Ore, which provided seemingly limitless resources.
Labor was the only real cost.
Given Wusheng Sect's control over just three counties, their struggle to feed five thousand soldiers of the Wusheng Army made sense.
But the Golden Sun Sect only controlled Lingui and Quanyi Counties. Before being sent to the Black Prison, Chen Jichuan hadn't heard of these counties yielding better harvests than Yongfeng or Muhua. Where was all this grain coming from to supply Wusheng Sect?
"Could they also have a space similar to the Black Prison?"
With these doubts in mind,
and wary of revealing his ignorance,
Chen Jichuan refrained from asking further questions.
Luckily, Bao Zhongliang, being a merchant, was naturally talkative.
And since their discussion was hardly classified information, Bao Zhongliang didn't mind and candidly said, "Brother Zhang, don't be fooled by Wusheng Sect's current dominance. In my view, hunger will break them in the end. They're clinging to the Iron-repellent Mine and relying on their alliance with the Golden Sun Sect to obtain grain for now. But mark my words—once the Golden Sun Sect strengthens its forces and no longer needs Wusheng Sect, they'll cut off supplies, and Wusheng Sect will fall apart overnight."
The mountain pheasants were cooked.
Their enticing aroma wafted out.
Bao Zhongliang chuckled, eating as he enthusiastically lectured Chen Jichuan. "If we're talking sustainability, it's Golden Sun Sect and Lishui Gang that have the upper hand. The Golden Sun Sect possesses a Hidden Peach Valley—a land so fertile you could squeeze oil from the soil. Grain supply is never a problem for them. And the Lishui Gang has a unique secret technique to make fertilizer. Using it can raise yields to be seven or eight times higher than even prime water paddies."
Hidden Peach Valley.
Fertilizer.
Chen Jichuan listened intently, internally pondering, "The Golden Sun Sect's 'Hidden Peach Valley' might be like the Wusheng Sect's 'Black Prison'—another dimensional space. As for the Lishui Gang's 'fertilizer'—"
He hadn't worked out what it could be yet.
Bao Zhongliang ate heartily, his mouth dripping with oil, and clicked his tongue as he commented, "Nowadays, people aren't fools. Look at these folks—they were all robbed of their grain by Wusheng Sect, so they packed up their families and moved to Yangshuo. Better to leave now than starve later!"
Bao Zhongliang was a merchant from Liding.
The other people here were also common folk from Liding County.
Days prior, Wusheng Sect and the Lishui Gang had waged war over Liding County, coinciding with the summer harvest season. First, the Lishui Gang levied the summer tax. Then, after Liding County fell into Wusheng Sect's hands, another grain collection occurred.
Their tactics were harsh.
Many families were left with no surplus grain. Coupled with prior rumors about Wusheng Sect's severe food shortages, even those who had hoped to remain in Liding couldn't bear their attachment to their homeland any longer. Gritting their teeth, they all headed north.
"Wusheng Sect."
"It won't last."
Remembering Bao Zhongliang's words, Chen Jichuan quietly shook his head.
In these times, it wasn't grain but military strength that mattered most. With endless supplies of arrows and spears, Wusheng Sect could simply pillage if they lacked food.
If their leaders were competent,
they might even vanquish Lishui Gang or Golden Sun Sect, unifying Shi'an County. Then, with access to the Golden Sun Sect's 'Hidden Peach Valley' and Lishui Gang's 'secret formula,' Wusheng Sect could possibly even contend for supremacy in the land.
"Wusheng Sect."
"Lishui Gang."
"Golden Sun Sect."
As Chen Jichuan listened and contemplated,
he turned to glance at the inconspicuous Chen Shaohu in the distance. When he turned back, the pot of cooked chicken meat and soup had been completely emptied.
...