Chapter 354 - 353: Secret Meeting of Stone Gate

Chapter 354: Chapter 353: Secret Meeting of Stone Gate

"He’s human, or at least, everyone thinks he’s a living person. Rumor has it that the Gan Family’s caravan was only able to leave the swamp alive because Steward Zhao pleaded with that young man, and the Spider Queen showed them mercy."

The servant added, "I also heard a detail: the Token for entering and exiting the Demon Nest Swamp is in that young man’s possession. After they left the swamp, he took it back."

’The Pass Token is no longer in the Gan Family’s hands?’ The two bosses’ eyes lit up. "Where is this young man?"

"Steward Zhao probably invited him to the Gan Residence."

"Why Zhao Fu?"

"The Grand Steward, An Xing, was killed along with Boss Gan, so Steward Zhao took over."

The big boss wrung his hands. "An Xing is dead? That makes things easier. Zhao Fu is a man who listens to reason. Second-in-command, find someone to invite him over."

The servant let out a soft "ah." "He’s probably at the Gan Residence right now."

But the second boss said, "Simple. I’ll have his brother-in-law go invite him."

Unable to contain his excitement, the big boss paced back and forth in the hall for several laps. "With Gan Qing’s sudden death, our chance has come."

The second boss smiled. "The Gans are nothing to worry about."

"They’re not worth a damn," the big boss scoffed. "We have to be quick, get ahead of everyone else!"

...

As Hee Lingchuan was on his second pot of wine, he suddenly saw two men hurry out from a back alley of the Gan Residence. One of them was Steward Zhao.

He thought Steward Zhao was coming to find him, but to his surprise, the steward walked past the Yuanzhi Restaurant without entering and continued on.

’At a critical time like this, where could Steward Zhao be going?’

An idea sparked in Hee Lingchuan’s mind. He took out a jet-black, goose-egg-shaped stone and whispered, "Follow Zhao Fu closely. Go."

The smooth, round stone suddenly grew a head and eight legs, then crawled along the table and out the window.

Steward Zhao hadn’t gone far. With a light leap, it landed on his back, slid down his clothes, and burrowed into his sash.

It was the most concealed spot; Steward Zhao wouldn’t find it unless he took off his clothes.

Hee Lingchuan rubbed his eyes. When he put down his wine cup, the scene he saw with his left eye was different from his right.

The image in his left eye was a bit blurry and constantly moving, offering a 270-degree panoramic view. If Steward Zhao’s body hadn’t blocked most of the sightline, the experience would have been fantastic.

The perspective of an Earth Cave Spider was just that wide; after all, it had twelve eyes.

Hee Lingchuan was finally getting a taste of the Spider Queen’s vision.

That’s right, this was his first time using the Eye Spider gifted to him by Second Madam Zhu. With the Spider Queen’s Demon Power amplifying it, he could tap into the Eye Spider’s sight and hearing, monitoring Steward Zhao’s every move from his seat in the restaurant.

He had spent more than ten days in the swamp, so upon entering a restaurant in the Mortal World, he couldn’t resist ordering a good meal. Unfortunately, the food and wine at this establishment were mediocre. Only a plate of braised dried tofu and a dish of smoked rabbit meat suited his palate.

Just as he tore off a piece of rabbit meat, Hee Lingchuan heard Steward Zhao say to the person beside him, "You can go back. I’ll go on my own."

The man complied and left.

Steward Zhao walked through a few more alleys before stopping in front of a black door. He looked left and right before knocking.

CREAK. The door opened immediately.

A spider’s perspective is several rungs lower than a human’s, so all he could see were chins. From the clothing, Hee Lingchuan judged that the person who opened the door was also an attendant. He led Steward Zhao into a hall where an Eight-Treasure Cabinet held several pots of orchids.

Only two people were seated in the seats of honor in the hall.

Steward Zhao addressed them as:

"Big Boss, Second Boss."

The Big Boss gestured respectfully. "Steward Zhao, please have a seat."

He sat, and tea was served.

Steward Zhao understood the situation as soon as he saw the setup. He sat down, drank his tea, and said, "If you two have something to ask, please just say it."

"I heard about Gan Qing’s misfortune. It is truly a great loss for our Wuze County."

The three of them sighed in unison.

The Second Boss spoke up. "I wonder what Steward Zhao’s plans are for the future?"

"Me?" Steward Zhao hadn’t expected the topic to suddenly shift to him. But after a moment’s thought, he understood what the two were implying.

"With Boss Gan dead, there’s no one to run the Gan Family Commerce Association. What are your plans going forward, Steward Zhao?"

"Ah, this?" Steward Zhao chuckled. "Master Gan’s passing was too sudden. I haven’t had time to think about it."

The Second Boss pressed on, "Then who do you think will take over the Gan Family’s business?"

This time, Steward Zhao pondered for a long while before saying, "Perhaps... it should... it’ll probably be Third Master Gan?" It wasn’t that the choice was difficult, but that it was hard to say aloud.

There wasn’t a single suitable candidate.

"Gan the Third?" The Second Boss burst out laughing. "That Luo Xunyi, who hangs around with Gan the Third all day, is always making things difficult for you. If Gan the Third takes over, who do you think he’ll appoint as Grand Steward? You, or Luo Xunyi?"

The Eye Spider couldn’t see the expression on Steward Zhao’s face directly above it, but Hee Lingchuan guessed it wasn’t pleasant, because the steward was silent for a long moment before saying, "Most likely that villain Luo."

"Back when An Xing was around, things were fairer. In the future, with Gan the Third in charge and Luo Xunyi at his side, the Gan Family is in for some real trouble."

Steward Zhao stood up and bowed to each of them. "Big Boss, Second Boss, please speak your minds."

"Alright. We’d like to invite you, Steward Zhao, to join Stone Gate and take the position of Vice Chief Steward."

Steward Zhao seemed to hesitate before saying, "Master Gan just passed away. If I jump ship to Stone Gate now, won’t it be bad for my reputation?" Wuze County was a small place, and merchants all knew each other; he didn’t want to ruin his good name.

"Then wait until after Gan Qing’s forty-ninth day of mourning. The position will be waiting for you," the Second Boss said in a low voice. "However, you must help us obtain the Passage Command for the Demon Nest Swamp."

This was the real purpose of today’s meeting. Steward Zhao understood this well and didn’t try to evade the issue. "The Passage Command isn’t with me. It’s in the hands of Young Master Hee, who left the swamp with our caravan."

The Big Boss spoke at the opportune moment. "Then tell us about this Young Master Hee."

Steward Zhao nodded. "The Spider Queen designated Master Gan as her contact for the trade, so he had to be the one to lead the expedition to the Demon Nest Swamp. As it happened, not long after we set out this time, we ran into bandits..."

He recounted the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

The two bosses listened attentively, occasionally interrupting him with questions.

"So, although this Young Master Hee is from the Yuan Kingdom, his actual origins are unknown. He wants to get an identity here so he can go to the Beiga Capital City and search for a treasure for the Spider Queen, correct?"

"Exactly."

"The Spider Queen giving him the Passage Command means she no longer trusts the Gan Family," the Big Boss said, hitting the nail on the head. "You could say that whoever he gives the Passage Command to will become the designated trader for the Demon Nest Swamp."

"We can’t miss this opportunity," the Second Boss continued. "Is this Young Master Hee at the Gan Residence already?"

"Er, no. He’s still at the Yuanzhi Restaurant right now, waiting for me to introduce him to the Gans."

Hearing this, the Big Boss immediately turned to his brother. "Second-in-command, go right now."

"I know," the Second Boss said, standing up.

Steward Zhao also stood up. "I only managed to come out by claiming I had urgent family business. I have to get back to the Gan Residence now to discuss the arrangements for Master Gan’s funeral."

...

A street vendor was hawking licorice-cured fruits. A diner on the second floor called him up and bought a whole large bowl.

It was a local street snack made by soaking washed mountain peaches, plums, and starfruits in licorice juice for one or two double-hours. Seeing how much the other person was enjoying it, Hee Lingchuan also called the vendor over and bought a serving.

This particular licorice juice also contained hawthorn, Chinese plums, and other herbs. The fruits soaked in it were sweet, sour, and refreshing, instantly cutting through the greasiness of the wine and food.

He was enjoying his snack when he suddenly heard the CLIP-CLOP of hooves from below. Looking down, he saw more than a dozen riders coming down the street. The young man surrounded in the center was not yet twenty, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, the picture of flamboyance.

They laughed and talked loudly, and wherever they passed, pedestrians immediately made way, and vendors quickly picked up their baskets and left.

’With that kind of swagger and aura, I wonder which rich family’s young wastrel is out for a stroll.’ Hee Lingchuan’s lips twitched at the sight.

Up ahead was the entrance to the market, where a hunter was leading a horse with two large yellow goats on its back.

A yellow dog trotted at his feet.

It looked like he had just caught the goats in the wild and was heading to the market to sell them. The meat, hide, horns, and even the beards would all find buyers.

Hee Lingchuan’s original body had also enjoyed hunting. He could tell with a single glance that these two wild goats could be sold for at least one or two taels of silver.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the market. People scrambled to the sides. Before the hunter could react, he heard his beloved horse whinny in alarm and his dog bark nonstop.

He turned his head just in time to see one of the yellow goats being dragged off his horse’s back.

The hunter didn’t have time to think, grabbing the goat’s leg and pulling it back. But the force pulling from the other side was immense, slamming him hard against the horse’s belly. The startled horse spun around, nearly trampling him.

The yellow dog, protecting its master, barked furiously and charged forward to bite the opponent.

Only then did the hunter and Hee Lingchuan, up in the restaurant, get a clear look: the goat thief was a giant, pure-white Long-tusked Pig!

Ordinary wild boars were gray, but this one was snow-white all over. It was actually smaller in size, only a little over two hundred pounds, but it was a mass of toned muscle, looking exceptionally stout. Its eyes were blue.

The hound bit its hind leg. Enraged, the Long-tusked Pig charged forward and sent the hound flying.

Its pair of tusks were like crescent moons, their tips honed sharper than an awl. Anything they gored would be left with two large, bloody holes. The hound’s belly was pierced, and it yelped in pain.

Next, it charged at the horse.

The hunter, both shocked and furious, drew his axe and swung.

Unexpectedly, the axe bounced off the Long-tusked Pig’s back. Its opponent’s hide wasn’t even broken, but the axe’s blade was now bent.

’This pig’s hide is really thick.’

The Long-tusked Pig turned its head and began to gore and bite him.

In just a few breaths, the hunter was covered in wounds.

The surrounding commoners were all crying out in alarm. Who would dare to step forward?

The angle was perfect. Upstairs, Hee Lingchuan dropped his fruit, pulled out two Flying Blades, and threw them smoothly.

With such a large target, he couldn’t miss.

His weapons were no match for the hunter’s hand axe. The Flying Blades precisely pierced the Long-tusked Pig’s hind neck and abdomen, making it scream in pain.

This Long-tusked Pig was surprisingly intelligent. It spun around twice on the spot, then suddenly looked up at the second floor of the restaurant, its eyes meeting Hee Lingchuan’s.

’Huh, it actually found me?’

The Long-tusked Pig took off on all fours, charging toward the restaurant.

The commoners in its path scrambled to get away. Hee Lingchuan heard utter chaos erupt in the restaurant’s main hall—customers screaming, tables and chairs overturning, bowls and plates shattering. The sound of CRASHING and BANGING was endless.