Chapter 293: Tangent (5)

Qing gracefully leapt up with her semi-gravity walk and landed lightly with a click! Exclamations of admiration burst out from all around.

Of course, the common people’s discernment only reached about ankle level, so they didn’t recognize the peerless footwork of slowly rising and slowly falling.

But they had seen an otherworldly, fairy-like movement with their own eyes, so people emerged here and there clasping their hands and calling her Heavenly Maiden or Immortal Maiden.

At this, Qing stepped forward boldly and the crowd parted left and right, opening a path.

While not quite comparable to someone parting the sea, it was still quite an impressive scene.

As Qing walked proudly through with clicking steps, people followed behind as if entranced, keeping their distance.

Seeing this sight, Geol Taran’s eyes turned red and tears welled up inside.

The Heavenly Demon Lord is leading the people!

She’s laying the foundation for conquering the Central Plains not through the path of tyranny, but through goodness and virtue, ah the future of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult shines with only glory!

However. If only she could go while exuding a bit more sacred dignity…

The reason Geol Taran didn’t burst into tears of emotion was because of that lewd and bewitching gait that naturally stole men’s souls as she walked.

Anyway, Geol Taran quickly came to his senses, pushed through the crowd to catch up with Qing, and took up a position one step behind on her right, clasping his hands in a respectful posture.

As if he had become the Heavenly Demon Lord’s right-hand man like this, he felt so moved and elated that he wondered if he was already dead and in paradise. Was this a dream or reality?

“Geol Taran. Which merchant group in this town has the most grain?”

“That would obviously be Jangheung Trading Company.”

Jangheung Trading Company.

Weren’t they the company in charge of construction?

She should visit them, but not now.

Originally, you should save the most delicious part for the last bite. That’s the rational way of connoisseurs who know taste well.

“We’ll go to them later. Who’s next?”

“Then of course it’s Nakryeong Merchant Group.”

“Good. Let’s go there. Where is it?”

“Well…”

At this, Geol Taran hesitated and couldn’t quite open his mouth.

“What, why?”

“We came in the opposite direction. It’s back that way.”

Damn, I went the wrong way.

It was hard to turn around with the crowd following behind, and after taking the lead so boldly, she couldn’t just say “Ah, I guess this isn’t the right mountain” and turn back.

“Damn. It would look bad to go backwards now. What’s ahead?”

“The fourth large gate ahead is Daewan Trading Company.”

“Good.”

So Qing headed towards Daewan Trading Company’s gate.

Originally, in any city, the merchant district roads are hard-paved and very wide to allow multiple carts to pass.

The wall of people marching filled that wide road that could easily fit six cargo carts side by side.

As that wall approached, the gatekeepers of the merchant district estates were all barely standing with tingling knees and trembling legs.

The gatekeepers of the three estates Qing and the crowd had passed by sighed deeply in relief, while Daewan Trading Company’s gatekeeper prayed to Buddha, the Lord Above, nature deities, and all sorts of divine beings to please just pass by.

However, humans must save themselves.

No matter how divine, the gods don’t save humans.

“Hello there?”

“Y-yes!”

“This girl is called Ximen Qing. I have something I’d like to tell the owner of Daewan Trading Company. Yes. I’ve come to deliver good news.”

“Uh, did you make an appointment in advance…”

“Oh my, I was in such a hurry. But it’s an urgent matter that can’t wait, and it would be good news for the branch leader? Group leader? Company leader? Anyway, could you let me in to see that person?”

“Well, this is troublesome…”

At this, Qing smiled sweetly and said:

“Do you want it to be more troublesome?”

“No, no.”

There’s no business in the face of numbers, and in front of the crowd already filling the street, the gatekeepers were just powerless individuals.

So the gate opened wide and Qing entered proudly with clicking steps as if it was only natural.

The people followed behind, filling up the spacious merchant estate, when suddenly a group of martial artists blocked Qing’s path.

“Stop!”

“Okay.”

Qing obediently stopped walking.

“This is Daewan Trading Company’s business premises. No matter how bad the city’s situation is-“

“I am Ximen Qing. May I ask your name, great hero?”

“Ahem. I am Li Banzhao, first-grade disciple of the Yijia Sword Sect. Miss Ximen, what business do you have bringing so many people here?”

It’s very common in the Central Plains for merchant groups to donate money to city martial arts schools and “invite” their experts to stay as guests.

This is absolutely not a case of martial arts schools having their disciples guard other people’s houses, but always just staying as guests receiving hospitality.

Of course, this is almost always the orthodox factions.

The unorthodox factions take donations for granted, and inviting them just causes trouble without any help, so there’s no point.

And if they’re orthodox faction members, well.

“If you ask what business I’ve come for, I should first tell you about my participation in the Murim Conference.”

Qing suddenly brought up a story no one asked about.

“With my meager skills, I won the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition and received the excessive title of Heavenly Flower Sword. Wouldn’t I be on my way back to deliver this joyous news to my sect?”

Li Banzhao muttered “Heavenly Flower Sword.”

Thinking that whether it meant heavenly flower or most beautiful under heaven, either way it suited her very well.

“On my way back, when I entered the city, I found a great calamity had struck, so this girl decided to use her private funds for relief efforts. However, I only have gold and silver, so I came to ask the merchant leader to sell them for me.”

“Ahem. You’re, you’re doing a good deed.”

“Yes. So won’t you heroes please not worry and open the way?”

“Well, of course, you’re doing a good deed.”

For orthodox martial artists, justification is like life itself.

Of course, they’re also fiercely uncompromising when it comes to justification, so if they wanted to refute such shallow tricks, they could.

But, wasn’t she the winner of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition?

The strongest among the rising stars, and the greatest prodigy recognized by the Murim Alliance.

From the grand title of Heavenly Flower Sword, the dignity of very high-ranking people could be felt.

So there was no benefit in making an enemy here, and no reason to block someone trying to carry out relief efforts.

Not only was there no reason, Li Banzhao even went a step further.

“Since you’ve set such an admirable goal, our Yijia Sword Sect will join in as well. What are you all doing, there might be disturbances, disciples should protect the people.”

While saying this, he naturally switched sides and took up a position in front of the crowd.

So Qing once again led the people across the estate, making crisp clicking sounds with her neat steps.

And in front of the main hall.

“What is this commotion? There was no prior appointment, how can you barge in so rudely?”

“This girl is Ximen Qing. I know it’s rude, but the matter was urgent so I had no choice but to be impolite. Might you be the owner of the company?”

“Ahem. I am in charge of general affairs for Daewan Trading Company.”

“This girl wants to carry out relief efforts with her gold and silver, so I came to ask if you would sell me grain. Could I meet the company leader?”

“I’ll, I’ll ask.”

When the other party rudely barged in but their attitude wasn’t rude, the general affairs manager who had awkwardly responded disappeared into the building.

And after a while, he came out and said:

“The company leader has agreed. For now, if Miss would come inside to talk-“

“No. Didn’t I come to make a request together with all these people here? I know it’s rude, but I’d like to invite the company leader out here.”

Qing cut him off.

If she was going to go in and negotiate one-on-one, she wouldn’t have brought the crowd in the first place.

She could have just slipped in alone, shown how her sword force sparkles, and politely asked – how could they refuse to sell then?

But doing it that way, they could just pretend not to know later, and if they tried any tricks it would be a headache, and most importantly, she couldn’t go around asking individually with the mountain of grain she needed to buy.

If she brought the crowd and dealt with just a few of the biggest merchants, the smaller shops would naturally have to follow suit.

“That, that’s difficult. Bringing so many people like this, isn’t it no different from intimidation?”

“Intimidation? I said it was a request, didn’t I?”

“How is this a request-“

“Ah. Suddenly sword force is coming out. Manager? Do you know about sword force? This is something that can be used from the Transcendent Realm.”

The common people of the Central Plains don’t have the discernment to recognize martial arts names or levels.

However, they are well-versed in realms and terminology, naturally learning it from childhood as common knowledge while ranking martial artists in the Central Plains’ underdeveloped entertainment culture.

So the manager’s heart sank when he saw the chilling starlight sparkling.

Whether that was really sword force, or some kind of trick using a technique, there was no need to confirm.

The Yijia Sword Sect martial artists who were paid to protect the house had clearly switched sides, and they were all staring at the woman’s sword with sparkling eyes full of admiration, surprise and respect, mouths agape.

“When is the company leader coming? I’m weak so it’s hard to hold a sword for long. When my arm gets tired, I don’t know where it might swing?”

“No, that’s really a threat-“

“Ah, that pillar! As a swordsman, I have a strong urge to cut such a thick one! It would obviously be cut if I use sword force, right?”

Now it was just blatant threats.

The manager cried out in panic:

“I’ll bring him! I’ll bring him!”

The leader of Daewan Trading Company was all smiles.

Crisis is opportunity, and a great disaster befalling the city was truly a heaven-sent chance for merchants’ assets to increase tenfold.

Of course, he was upset in the morning.

Because of news that some unqualified merchant bastards called Taecheong Trading or whatever were making a fuss about distributing relief grain.

But that was only for a moment.

How much grain could a new merchant group that had just crawled in procure anyway?

Once their warehouse stock runs out, it’s over, and from then on grain becomes truly worth its weight in gold, comparable to the price of gold.

Of course, those impoverished commoners don’t even have money to buy grain.

But that’s not a problem, they can be given credit, and if they have daughters they can be taken to recover the debt, or they can be sold as slaves, or their land deeds can be seized – anyway it all comes back as huge profits.

This was the reason why merchant groups that suddenly grow after major disasters appear and open branches.

However, that smile only lasted until now.

“They’ve come in droves like a pack of dogs and are making a fuss demanding to see the company leader. I think you need to go out now…”

“No, what are those bastards doing barging in here? What are the Yijia Sword Sect guys doing?”

“The Yijia Sword Sect guys have joined their side.”

“How much gold and silver did I give them! Do they think they can go back to being a martial arts school after doing this!? Then who would pay protection fees and make donations!?”

Can’t you avoid donations, but don’t you have to pay protection fees anyway? If thugs with swords demand it, how can you not give it?

The manager thought this, but wasn’t tactless enough to say it out loud.

“The authorities, we should call the authorities!”

“Even if we call them, how can we stop them if they suddenly turn violent right now? For now, the company leader needs to go out and appease them or make an agreement-“

“You call that talking! If I go out there and say I can’t sell, what will happen to me! I won’t be able to set foot in Nakryeong ever again!”

But he couldn’t not go out either.

After all, so many people had gathered, and Central Plains people can turn into robbers in an instant if just one person shouts.

So what could he do? For now, go out and somehow try to buy time or something.

“What on earth did I do wrong…”

The company leader muttered.

If Qing had heard, it was grumbling worthy of enduring a million flicks to the forehead.