Chapter 45: Is this what a big shot is like? Such flattering words! |
"Zixiao Heavenly Thunder Escape?"
Among the three Celestials who had already rushed to the skies above An River, the garrison commander Wei Wenxun recognized the escape technique almost instantly.
His heart skipped a beat, sensing trouble.
Zixiao Heavenly Thunder Escape was the secret art of the Purple Mansion Clan's Zixiao lineage within Lingyun Holy Land. How could someone from Lingyun Holy Land appear in Changning Garrison, and in such a disheveled escape?
Before he could react, Wang Shouzhe on the ferry loudly said, "I'm grateful for the support from the garrison commander, Ancestor Lei Yuanzhou, and Ancestor Beichen. Did the venerable ancestors see the bald monk who clashed with the Qian Clan elder? That man is the notorious wanted criminal—'Evil Vajra.' I implore the ancestors to join forces to capture him and share the spoils."
Evil Vajra?
Both Lei Yuanzhou and Xu Beichen's eyes lit up.
Celestial Realm ancestors often secluded themselves and rarely managed affairs; neither had heard of "Evil Vajra." But since he was a mid-stage Celestial Realm wanted criminal, he was certainly valuable.
Typically, a bounty for an early-stage Celestial Realm criminal could reach two to three hundred thousand Top Gold. For a mid-stage criminal, the bounty would be at least four to five hundred thousand.
Even the garrison commander Wei Wenxun was tempted.
A garrison commander was human too, and whether it was for cultivation or family, money was always needed.
With the addition of three Celestial Realm cultivators, what chance did Evil Vajra have against four opponents? After a fierce group beating, he was captured alive with broken limbs and his sea of energy sealed.
However, Evil Vajra was much poorer than the average mid-stage Celestial Realm criminal, possessing only a pair of low-grade magical fist weapons and a mid-grade storage ring. The total estimated value of the spoils was only four hundred and thirty thousand Top Gold!
"Thank you to the three ancestors and Master Wang Shouzhe for your assistance," Elder Qian Jingde landed back on the ferry deck and bowed endlessly to Wei Wenxun and the others, "Since this person targeted our Qian Clan, I will not take a share of the spoils; they all belong to your four families."
Qian Jingde was quite adept at handling relationships, including the Wang's Clan when calculating the spoils.
It was only fair. If not for the Wang's Clan's involvement, relying on Qian Jingde, Qian Xuehan, and the Qian Clan's guards and followers, none would have escaped today.
Moreover, the strength displayed by Wang Long Yan this time was enough to shock Qian Jingde, greatly elevating his view of the Wang's Clan.
Given enough time, their potential for growth was immense.
Lei Yuanzhou said, "In this battle, we merely gilded the lily; the Wang's Clan was the main force. In my opinion, the Wang's Clan should take fifty percent. The garrison commander can take twenty percent, and our Lei Clan and Xu Clan each take fifteen percent. How does that sound?"
"Very well," Ancestor Beichen nodded in agreement, "Then it's settled."
Fifteen percent was not a small amount, roughly equivalent to about one hundred thousand Top Gold. Moreover, it was almost like picking up money for free. If such good fortune happened every day, it wouldn't take long for the Changning Xu Clan to become wealthy.
In just a few words, the ancestors had neatly divided the spoils.
Wang Shouzhe inwardly praised their decision.
The Lei and Xu Clans were reliable allies, acting with propriety and not greed, dependable in critical moments, worthy of long-term cooperation.
The only regret today was not being able to keep Cao Youqing.
It was just that his wife Liu Ruolan had recently entered seclusion; otherwise, that "Holy Land prodigy" might not have escaped.
But, let bygones be bygones. The priority was to handle the aftermath properly to avoid future troubles.
In a flash of thought, he had a plan.
Wang Shouzhe's gaze fell on the garrison commander Wei Wenxun, and with a smile, he bowed and said, "As an official, the garrison commander must have better intelligence than us country tycoons. Have you recognized the identity of the one who escaped?"
Wei Wenxun gave Wang Shouzhe a deep look.
He had inexplicably earned a bounty of over one hundred thousand Top Gold, which was almost equivalent to his salary of five or six years. He should have been happy, but he couldn't muster a smile.
The situation was clear.
Wang Shouzhe had set off a "Sky-Piercing Cannon" to drag him into the fray.
As the garrison commander, he was obliged to support immediately upon sensing the cannon, or else he would be derelict in his duty. Wang Shouzhe had exploited this rule to pull him into a vortex he wanted no part of.
"Master Wang Shouzhe..." Wei Wenxun's tone was filled with resentment, "I, as the garrison commander, have never offended the Wang's Clan, have I?"
Truth be told, he was quite frustrated.
After ascending to the Celestial Realm, he was appointed as the garrison commander of Changning Garrison by the Commandery Office. Initially, he was full of passion, eager to achieve something. But once the initial fervor died down, he felt the constraints and pressure from the local noble clans.
In Changning Garrison, all the clans looked up to the Wang's Clan, even the other two major Celestial Clans, the Lei and Xu Clans, united around the Wang's Clan.
Even the officials under the garrison commander's command had intricate relationships with the three major Celestial Clans.
In name, Wei Wenxun was the garrison commander, but in reality, he had little say.
To put it crudely, in the entire Changning Garrison territory, even a fart from Wang Shouzhe would be louder than Wei Wenxun's roar.
Like the Changning Ferry, Wang Shouzhe took control under the pretext of official inaction, paying only a symbolic "contract fee." There were many similar situations.
Of course, as the garrison commander, he also took his share of benefits. And whether he liked it or not, he did indeed gain quite a bit of merit.
Over time, Wei Wenxun resigned himself to the situation.
Let the Wang's Clan do as they please. After another decade or so, he would have enough seniority to transfer elsewhere.
But he never imagined that one day he would be caught in the whirlpool of internal strife within a fifth-rank clan and the involvement of Lingyun Holy Land, all because Wang Shouzhe dragged him into it.
Was he, the garrison commander, destined to be the scapegoat?
"Your words are mistaken," Wang Shouzhe bowed and smiled, "Our Wang's Clan has always held the garrison commander in high esteem. However, this matter is of great importance, and we ask that you handle it impartially."
"Impartial handling?" Wei Wenxun's eyelids twitched, and a bad premonition surged, "What does Master Wang Shouzhe want me to do impartially?"
"Of course, to file the case, submit the complete details to the Longzuo Commandery Office. State the facts as they are, neither shielding nor slandering. Issue the sea arrest warrant if needed, and conduct interrogations," Wang Shouzhe declared with an air of righteousness, "We must capture the fugitive as soon as possible."
Wei Wenxun nearly fainted from anger.
The one who escaped was a prodigy of the Purple Mansion Clan's Zixiao lineage from Lingyun Holy Land. Was he expected to issue a sea arrest warrant for a Holy Land prodigy? He was just a minor garrison commander; how could he afford to offend such a significant figure?
Why involve him, an innocent, in the battle of immortals?
However, Qian Xuehan, who was quite astute, quickly grasped Wang Shouzhe's intentions.
He immediately rushed over and hugged Wei Wenxun, weeping bitterly, "Garrison commander, save me! I am Qian Xuehan, the direct heir of the Purple Mansion Qian Clan. I want to report a crime; I want to file a case!"
Wei Wenxun was startled by his cry, feeling a chill run down his spine.
But he knew he couldn't escape this matter.
Given his position and stance, the best approach now was to handle everything according to the law, as Wang Shouzhe had said, neither shielding nor slandering.
After all, he was just an innocent garrison commander caught in the middle of a significant affair, and such decisions were not his to make. Let the Commandery Lord worry about it.
But Master Wang Shouzhe, could you be any more treacherous?
***
While Wang Shouzhe and the others were dividing the spoils, deciding how to file the case legally, and preparing to issue a sea arrest warrant for Cao Youqing, hundreds of miles away from the scene, in a part of the East Sea.
A purple lightning bolt, accompanied by thunderous roars, streaked across the sky and plunged into the churning sea like a meteor.
"Zzzzap~"
As the electric light flickered, a group of fish swimming nearby were electrocuted, floating belly-up on the surface.
After a while, a disheveled figure emerged from the water.
Naturally, it was Cao Youqing.
Her veil had long been lost, revealing a face that was fair and delicate, with almond eyes and a delicate nose, her beauty unparalleled.
But at this moment, her complexion was extremely pale, and her eyes burned with raging flames, filled with anger and unwillingness: "Damn Wang Long Yan! Damn Qian Xuehan! I, Miss Cao, will never coexist with you!"
By now, how could she not guess that she had fallen into a trap set by their joint scheme?
What she thought was a surefire plan not only failed but nearly cost her life.
Compared to this humiliation, the loss of "Evil Vajra" didn't bother her much. He was merely a subordinate she had casually recruited while on a mission for the Holy Land, hardly worth her concern.
Who was Cao Youqing?
She was the "Fairy Youqing" of the Holy Land, a prodigy destined to become an Ascendant of the Purple Mansion. Countless young talents were willing to grovel at her feet and act as her simps. How could she tolerate such humiliation and failure?
"Wang Long Yan, Wang Shouzhe! I will remember you!" Cao Youqing slapped the sea surface in fury, causing waves to surge, "I will reclaim this debt with interest."
"Puh!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, a sweet taste rose in her throat, and she violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Having used "Zixiao Heavenly Thunder Escape" while her cultivation was far from sufficient, she had already suffered significant backlash, with severe damage to her internal organs and meridians. This reckless exertion of profound energy only added injury to injury.
After a while, she finally spat out all the accumulated blood, and her chest felt much less congested.
Cao Youqing wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her expression ugly.
Her injuries were more severe than she had anticipated, and even with the holy medicine for healing she carried, she would not recover quickly. Worse, if she wasn't careful, she might even damage her foundation, leaving hidden dangers.
With no other choice, she found an unnamed small island on the sea and secluded herself to heal.
For now, she would remember this debt.
Once her injuries were healed, she would seek out Wang Long Yan and Wang Shouzhe to settle the score.
***
Several days later.
At Dingpu Ferry, Wang Shouzhe, accompanied by Ancestor Long Yan and several important members of his clan, bid farewell to Qian Xuehan and Elder Qian Jingde, who had come on a diplomatic mission to the Wang's Clan.
After several days of negotiations, the Qian Clan and the Wang's Clan, under mutual understanding, finally reached a series of preliminary agreements.
The first clause of the agreement granted the Qian Clan the right to sell several major products of the Wang's Clan alliance in Longzuo Commandery, taking only a fifteen percent profit. Sales outside Longzuo Commandery were not the Qian Clan's concern.
The second clause was that the Qian Clan would invest five million Top Gold for a twenty percent stake in Shouda Trading Company. They would also lend one thousand million Top Gold interest-free to Shouda Trading Company, to be repaid after five years. This fund was to be used solely for investment to expand business operations.
The Qian Clan left satisfied.
Wang Shouzhe was also quite pleased with the final outcome.
As the flying carriages gradually became the preferred mode of transportation for the noble clans, the original thirty flying carriages became insufficient.
Expanding the number of flying carriages was imperative.
Wang Shouzhe set a goal for Shouda Trading Company to increase the number of flying carriages to one hundred within five years, with at least twenty being owned assets.
The cold chain system, premium courier system, and high-end travel system formed by the flying carriages were gradually becoming a major trend for future development. More and more clans were realizing the potential within.
During this period, among the major clans of Longzuo Commandery, there were ambitious ones trying to get a piece of the pie. A letter from Liyao mentioned that the Purple Mansion Clan was attempting to leverage the Yuanshui Ascetic's connections to snatch the thirty flying carriages from Changning Wang's Clan.
Of course, with Liyao there, their scheme was bound to fail.
But this also served as a wake-up call for Wang Shouzhe.
Changning Wang's Clan had taken advantage of the Purple Mansion Academy to seize the market early. If they became complacent, they might be surpassed one day.
Among those clans trying to find a breakthrough at the academy, the Qian Clan was certainly one.
It was only because the academy route was blocked that they turned to cooperate with the Wang's Clan. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have given the Wang's Clan a second glance.
Of course, most people in the Qian Clan's position would do the same; there was nothing to criticize.
What Wang Shouzhe needed to do was to consolidate the current advantages and not give other clans a chance to surpass the Wang's Clan. Therefore, owning flying carriages was essential, and the number could not be too small.
This cooperation with the Qian Clan showed enough sincerity. Although some shares were diluted, sufficient funds were obtained to expand the flying carriages, greatly accelerating the growth of Shouda Trading Company.
For Wang Shouzhe, it was far better for everyone to make money together than to monopolize it.
Shared interests would firmly unite allies. Especially now, what the Wang's Clan lacked most was time for stable development.
The clan's prodigies needed time to grow, and during this period, what the family needed most was stability.
For the sake of the clan, Ancestor Long Yan had given up a promising future and the chance to become a Celestial. Wang Shouzhe did not want the younger generation to go through the same experience.
So, stability was paramount.
The development of the clan could not rely solely on momentary passion; Wang Shouzhe needed to consider all aspects comprehensively.
Among the noble clans, as long as there was no deep-seated hatred, there were no eternal enemies.
If this opportunity could preliminarily bind the Qian Clan to the Wang's Clan's chariot, it would be all benefit and no harm to the Wang's Clan.
Of course.
What both parties had agreed upon was only a preliminary intention.
The specific details still needed to be discussed further by both sides and signed in a formal agreement under the witness of the academy and the Commandery Office.
Thus, the agreement's enforcement could be ensured from both the legal system and reputation perspectives.
For this purpose.
Led by Wang Shouzhe, the shareholders of Shouda Trading Company once again arrived at the county seat and stayed at the "high-end inn" operated by Longzuo Wang's Clan—Purple Mansion Palace, to negotiate the final details of the agreement with the Qian Clan.
Everything went very smoothly.
Until a few days later, when the Commandery Prince of Longzuo Commandery, Wu Dianshan, sent an invitation to Wang Shouzhe, saying that he had not seen his young friend for a long time and missed him dearly. He invited him to the Commandery Prince's mansion for a visit, to also discuss techniques for using a lure rod.
As soon as Wang Shouzhe received the invitation, he knew that discussing lure rods was just a pretext; it was most likely about Cao Youqing.
He was not surprised.
Although Daqian had laws, it could not escape the intricacies of human relationships. Not to mention the status of Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan, Wang Shouzhe also owed him a favor, and he could not refuse this matter.
Immediately, Wang Shouzhe ordered a carriage full of local specialties from Changning Garrison and went to visit Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan as agreed.
Longzuo Wang's Mansion.
This mansion had a history of nearly a thousand years. From its construction to the present, it had undergone countless renovations and reconstructions, yet it still stood tall.
Compared to many Purple Mansion clans, the architectural style of the mansion was not particularly luxurious, but it was very imposing. The area it covered was also vast, with pavilions, towers, hills, and lakes all present. The furnishings used in the mansion were particularly exquisite, seemingly unremarkable at first glance, but upon closer inspection, almost all were made of spiritual wood, even the wind chimes hanging in the corridors were crafted from spiritual materials.
Indeed, true grandeur lies in the details.
As a descendant of the royal family, the depth of the royal heritage behind Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan was something ordinary Purple Mansion clans could not compare with.
As soon as Wang Shouzhe's carriage arrived at the mansion gate, he was warmly welcomed by the steward and taken directly to the inner courtyard, a place only close acquaintances could enter, riding on a shoulder carriage through the main hall of the front courtyard.
The back garden was already prepared with fruits and dishes, ready to receive guests. Wu Dianshan warmly invited Wang Shouzhe to sit and introduced him to another guest.
It was a middle-aged man in casual clothes, with a dignified face and a tall stature. His demeanor was as steady as a mountain, and just standing there, he exuded an imposing aura as if he were as majestic as Mount Tai.
His gaze swept over Wang Shouzhe as if he could see through him.
In fact, without Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan's introduction, with Wang Shouzhe's sharp mind, he had already guessed who this casually dressed man was Indeed, Wu Dianshan then said, "Young friend Wang Shouzhe, let me introduce you. This is our Longzuo Commandery's stabilizing force—the Commandery Governor, Grand Historian Ankang."
Wu Dianshan's demeanor was very warm and friendly, as if he held Wang Shouzhe in high regard.
Before Wang Shouzhe could speak, Grand Historian Ankang took the initiative to bow to Wu Dianshan with modesty, "Your Highness, the Commandery Prince, please don't overpraise me. Longzuo Commandery is your hereditary domain, and I am merely the steward of this land. I do not deserve the title of 'stabilizing force.'"
"Far from it, all under the heavens are blessed and protected by His Majesty. I am merely assisting His Majesty in sharing the burden," Wu Dianshan spoke with equal humility.
Their exchange seemed inconsequential, but in reality, it reflected the governance structure of the Great Qian. Although Longzuo Commandery was nominally the Commandery Prince's fief, in terms of authority, the Commandery Governor appointed by His Majesty held the greatest power. Of course, the Commandery Governor could not act arbitrarily and was still subject to the checks and supervision of Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan.
Together with the independent Purple Mansion Academy, the three formed a delicate balance.
However, this was of little concern to Wang Shouzhe.
Whether it was the Commandery Governor or the Commandery Prince, neither was someone he could afford to offend. Likewise, he was far from being on equal footing with them.
After the two finished speaking, Wang Shouzhe stepped forward and bowed to the Commandery Governor Grand Historian Ankang, "Wang Shouzhe, head of the seventh-rank Changning Wang's Clan, greets the Commandery Governor."
"Master Wang Shouzhe, please rise," Grand Historian Ankang kindly helped Wang Shouzhe up, smiling, "I have heard of Master Wang Shouzhe's reputation long ago. They say that Master Wang Shouzhe is young and promising, handsome as jade, with limitless prospects. Seeing you today, I realize that rumors cannot be trusted. Master Wang Shouzhe is not merely young and promising but rather a celestial being among men, peerless among the younger generation, making me regret not meeting you sooner~"
Is this what a big shot is like? Such flattering words!
Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself that a big shot was indeed a big shot; the Commandery Governor could speak such flattery without even blinking an eye.
If it weren't for his experience from two lifetimes and his broad knowledge, he might have actually been taken in by those words.
"Commandery Governor, you are too kind~ Your demeanor is the one that is majestic and towering, like a profound and lofty mountain," Wang Shouzhe returned the compliment sincerely, "Upon seeing you, I feel as if bathed in warm sunshine and a gentle breeze, filled with admiration, and reminded of my late father..."
Grand Historian Ankang's mouth twitched slightly.
No wonder this Wang Shouzhe was able to manage the Changning Wang's Clan to such a degree in a short time; just his thick skin was not something ordinary people could compare with. He had met his match.
"Enough, enough!" Seeing Wang Shouzhe ready to continue his endless flattery, he quickly stopped Wang Shouzhe's unscrupulous praise and said seriously, "Young friend Wang Shouzhe, let's speak frankly. Do you know who Cao Youqing is?"
"I do."
Seeing this, Wang Shouzhe also put away his "sincere" demeanor and reverted to his original expression, speaking earnestly.
"She is a suspect of a public murder. I personally witnessed her actions; truly lawless, vicious, and brutal, with no regard for the law! If the Governor is mentioning her, have you captured her? If you need me to testify, I will not hesitate."