v7c10: The Virtuous’s Reward

Guan Chyou of the Azure Jade Trading Company loved what was becoming a semi-annual journey north; it was a full third of her year that was spent traveling, and yet, every moment was worth it.

The wind in her hair, the strain of travel, the feeling of adventure… all of it was fantastic. She could tell why her ancestors chose this profession. It was freeing.

They traveled light, making very good time on their horses… and better time on their carts. Their last trip north had allowed them to purchase some miraculous new equipment from Mengde’s Crystal Emporium.

Master Jin had shown them Lady Biyu’s newest creation, the Partial Storage Array. They had tested the new arrays extensively… and now the trading company was buying as many of them as the crystal carvers were selling. The demand was so high they were using their new contacts outside the province to purchase both defective storage crystals, and any spare scraps people had.

Another lucrative venture for them both. They increased the speed at which the caravans could move by over fifty percent when fully laden. Axle and wheel breakdowns were being reduced to a fraction. Animal wear? The beasts practically skipped along the road, and now they could run while fully laden, in case anything went wrong.

It also took nearly five days off the trip north. The gates of Verdant Hill soon were upon them, and they went straight to their warehouse to prepare everything for their meeting with Master Jin.

Lady Biyu had crafted an absolute wonder—and it was quite something to see just how far things had come.

Last year they had delivered one thousand bales of Gold Grade Rice to the most secure compound the trading company owned.

And not just rice. They had bushels of wheat, baskets of root vegetables, and even some barrels of preserves.

It had certainly been an arduous journey transporting it. Their cultivator guards had been on edge the entire time, and they had not just one, but two Spirit Beast encounters. Unlike the disciples of Master Jin, these had not been kindly creatures. They had desired nothing but to kill everyone and devour the bounty they had been escorting.

The thunderous roars had been terrifying, sending Chyou’s heart racing, her palms sweating, and taking all her effort not to grin at the sheer excitement of the event.

The sectless guards they had hired had been paid well for their trouble afterwards, and each and every one put in a polite request that the trading company think of them every time they took the northern route; for they would be happy to accompany them.

Staring out over the vast warehouse with her family, each bale in an individual strongbox, her grandfather had remarked:

“Heavens above; did we raid the Celestial Treasury?”

They may as well have.

It was good that Master Jin was their lord. He understood the matters of merchants, and allowed them to take their profit—money was, after all, not what he desired. Instead, he wished for food, seeds, books, and medicine.

Their people had swiftly become squirrels, hunting down seeds and sprinting back to their quarters. They took great pains to speak with farmers throughout the Azure Hills, and the traders from other provinces, so they could tell Master Jin what they had gathered for him.

While they did that, they continued the preparations for the southbound expedition. Their partners at Shipbreaker Coast from the Wave Piercer Trading Company were nearly as eager as they. The fleet expanded to six ships. The route was finalized; and the timetable was set.

Guan Chyou would be heading to the southern reaches of the Empire at the end of summer, this year.

The thoughts danced in her head of the wondrous places she would visit; the first in her family to see them. She was practically vibrating from excitement, even now.

Chyou woke up every day thinking that their patron was so benevolent.

“Bo! Chyou! Good to see you two!” And speak of Cao Cao, here he was. “I was in town and heard you arrived, how have you two been?”

Master Jin was as jovial as ever, his smile wide as he clasped wrists with Bo. Lady Meiling was with him, and the short woman walked forward to greet Chyou herself, treating her like an old friend.

They made small talk about the journey, and Master Jin apologised that due to unforeseen circumstances, the maple syrup yield would be slightly smaller this year.

“Worry not, Master Jin!” Bo waved off all the concerns. “Leave it to us, we’ll soothe over any ruffled feathers. It just drives home how rare your product is and will drive up demand!”

“Good man,” Master Jin said, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’ll catch up more at my place… but for now, do you have any information on that… stuff, I asked you about?”

His tone remained jovial, but Chyou abruptly felt a chill pass over her spine.

Benevolent did not mean without teeth, as they had been reminded.

After the Solstice his First Disciple, Fa Bi De, had arrived in the city along with the Demon Slaying Orchid; he had come with a box and a message, couched in polite language, and then the man had left after delivering a primed firework into their midst.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The Wu Clan had offended Master Jin. They had tried to harm those under his protection… and come spring, there would be a reckoning.

The Wus were one of the trading company’s biggest customers, not to mention one of the preeminent powers in the Azure Hills. Their clan was truly ancient. They boasted a history that traced their line back to the Age of Heroes, and they had money and prestige to match. They were powerful, and even more so since most of their rivals had been cut off at the knees in the Grass Sea City incident. The power bloc that had been founded, in part, to fight against the Wus’ overwhelming might was now in ruin.

The answer they had, and the path forward was obvious… especially when they opened the box.

There were Spiritual Herbs in it. Not rice, but actual Spiritual Herbs.

Spiritual Herbs so powerful Chyou could feel the Qi on them, and she was mortal.

What came next was only natural. They began the process of decoupling themselves from the Wus, and the Plum Blossom’s Shadow did brisk business.

Though, to her surprise, at reduced rates. It appeared that the Wus had well and truly messed up.