Chapter 055 – The Road to Wealth

Li Yuan glanced at Qian Er, who stood there with his head bowed, rubbing his hands in a clear display of unease.

Meanwhile, three more figures approached at a brisk pace from not far away. They bore some resemblance to Qian Er in their facial features, though their heights and builds varied.

The man in front was especially striking. Despite the lingering chill of early spring, he wore a fitted outfit and sported short-cropped hair. His eyes shone with a fierce glint, and his posture was ramrod straight. A fine steel blade was strapped to his back, and a hovering 8~9 figure glowed by his side.

The two men trailing him carried 5~6 and 6~7 over their heads, indicating they were no easy pushovers either. Li Yuan recalled that before he reached entry rank, his strength had been around the same level.

Compared to those three, though, Qian Er’s measly 0~1 looked rather pitiful.

“Second Brother, what’s going on here?” a booming voice came from a distance.

Upon hearing it, Qian Er lit up as though he’d spotted a lifeline. He quickly turned his head and called, “Big Brother, this...this is Li Yuan, err...Sir Yuan.”

“Li Yuan?” Qian Da recognized the name. Ever since he’d returned to his hometown, it was nearly impossible not to hear about Li Yuan.

All he knew for certain was that Li Yuan had joined the Blood Blade Sect. Qian Da had only just come back and hadn’t delved deep into the black market circles. He had no clue about the young man’s real status, nor that Li Yuan was the direct disciple of Senior Li who oversaw the black market.

Qian Da stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Qian Er. He gave Li Yuan a cautious once-over. Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted the beautiful woman standing beside Li Yuan.

She stood out all the more amid the drab surroundings, dressed in silk and brocade, her figure poised with an undeniable elegance. A healthy flush on her cheeks suggested she was doing quite well for herself. The sight of such a beauty in a dusty old place created a striking contrast.

Yet Qian Da was no fool. He’d been around enough to recognize danger. Standing closer, he felt the subtle yet powerful aura emanating from Li Yuan.

It was the kind of pressure only a true martial artist could exude. And someone like that...well, you certainly didn’t want to covet his woman. He only spared a single quick glance at the beauty before immediately lowering his gaze.

In a respectful tone, Qian Da bowed his head and said, “If my younger brother ever offended you in the past, please accept our apologies.”

Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to draw his blade if Li Yuan showed any sign of hostility. Time seemed to slow; Qian Da’s nerves were on edge, each second an eternity. Yet Li Yuan said nothing. The silence only intensified that crushing sense of pressure.

Finally, after a long pause, Li Yuan spoke in a casual tone. “He hasn’t offended me. Qian Er just let his worries get the better of him. I came back with my wife today to revisit old places, nothing more.”

Qian Da breathed a sigh of relief and hastily bowed once again. Li Yuan returned the courtesy with a polite nod. Qian Da hesitated for a moment, then gave a curt nod of his own before hustling his three brothers away from the scene.

Once they were at a safe distance, Qian Si let out a snicker. “Big Brother, that kid was scared of us.”

But Qian Da paid him little mind. His gaze flicked back momentarily to where Li Yuan stood, unease and reverence flickering in his eyes.

Qian Wu’s eyes gleamed. “That wife of his is gorgeous... Did you see those legs...”

He barely finished speaking when Qian Da smacked him hard across the face. As Qian Wu stood there, stunned, Qian Da leaned in and growled, “Cut it out, you idiot! He’s already a ranked martial artist!”

Grabbing Qian Wu by the collar, Qian Da continued fiercely, “Fifth Brother, if you keep running your mouth like this, I’ll cut your tongue out. Better that than you losing your life and dragging the rest of us down. We’ve all been around the block. Don’t you know the rules by now? Women, women, women...you really can't help yourself, can you?”

Qian Wu’s cheek stung bright red. He lowered his head and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Big Brother. I was wrong...”

Ignoring him, Qian Da turned to Qian Er. “Second Brother, how did you get mixed up with a martial artist of that caliber?”

Qian Er looked utterly defeated, his face twisted in distress. “I...I didn’t. It was Third Brother who crossed him. Back then, he wasn’t even ranked...”

Qian Da nodded thoughtfully. “Well, he doesn’t seem to be here looking for trouble today. But if you ever see him again, steer clear. Though...chances are we won’t be running into him much.”

“Understood, Big Brother,” Qian Si muttered. Then he ventured, “But we can’t keep on like this forever. We need to find ourselves a solid group to side with.”

Qian Da let out a sigh. “You think it’s that easy to join a faction?”

“What’s so hard about it?” Qian Si retorted. “We brothers aren’t exactly pushovers. Plenty of groups would want us.”

Qian Da snorted. “Yeah, so they can use us as cannon fodder?”

Qian Si fell silent. Qian Da shook his head. “It’s chaos out there right now. Our old connections in the county were wiped out by those Red Lotus Rebels. We’ll just have to wait and see...”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Meanwhile, Li Yuan strolled arm-in-arm with Yan Yu along the narrow lanes of Little Ink Village. Those who recognized him, close acquaintances or otherwise, either greeted him with anxious smiles or hurriedly slipped into their houses, not daring to meet his eye.

“This place feels so different now...” Yan Yu murmured softly. “Coming back this time makes me realize I don’t really want to return here again. It’s not like I have many fond memories of this place to begin with...”

Li Yuan smiled faintly, scanning their surroundings. He had come here with two main objectives. One was to lay the groundwork for a new source of income. The second was to find a better way to buy demonic beast meat from the black market.

If he didn’t want to head to the black market himself at night, he’d either need to send someone in his stead or go during the day. After weighing the options, he decided the best approach was to go in disguise under daylight and slip in unnoticed.

As for earning money, the simplest plan was hunting and then selling what he caught. He had access to a reliable supply, and the Ginger Tavern was more than happy to purchase quality goods from him.

Li Yuan’s biggest concern now was finding someone to transport his goods. He needed the money but couldn’t afford to personally oversee every run. Whoever he hired had to be able to handle ordinary threats—unlike Tian Bao before, who hadn’t survived a run-in with just a couple of bandits. That single loss would’ve spelled the end for Li Yuan’s whole operation.

That was why Li Yuan had come back to Little Ink Village. He needed someone reliable, and this was where he knew the people best. But after making the rounds, he found no one suitable. Bear, Xiao Hu, and the other able-bodied young men he used to know were likely gone, casualties of war. Unlike Qian Er, most hadn’t had the money or connections to buy someone else to take their place on the battlefield.

So Li Yuan circled back to the Qian Family’s place. Inside, the four Qian brothers were drinking and eating when a sudden knock came at the door. They all paused mid-bite, confused.

Naturally, the least capable of the bunch, Qian Er, got up to peer through the crack. At the sight of who was outside, he visibly trembled, looking back at his older brothers like he’d just seen a ghost.

Qian Da, Qian Si, and Qian Wu immediately reached for their blades. Qian Da called out in a low voice, “Who is it?”

“It’s...it’s Li Yuan...” Qian Er stammered.

Qian Da froze in surprise, then shoved Qian Er aside. “Why haven’t you opened the door yet, you fool?” He glared at Qian Si and Qian Wu, jabbing a finger at their blades in silent command to put them away.

Among the brothers, Qian Da had always been the anchor. He’d managed whatever connections their family once had in the county; the others respected him enough to do as he said, even if that meant taking a beating now and then.

Putting on a broad smile, Qian Da opened the door. “Li Yuan!” he greeted warmly.

Li Yuan returned a polite nod. “Having a drink, I see?”

Qian Da rubbed his head sheepishly. “Just some cheap swill for us to pass the time. If we’d known you were coming, we would’ve sent Fourth and Fifth Brother to the county for better liquor.”

Li Yuan waved it off. “No need for that. Besides, if you’re near the black market these days, you can find all sorts of good stuff.”

“You’re...running things at the black market now?” Qian Da ventured.

“No, nothing like that,” Li Yuan replied.

“Huh?”

“I’m still on probation there,” Li Yuan explained.

Qian Wu, unable to help himself, snickered from the back. “So he’s just a trainee.”

Qian Da whirled on him, eyes burning, and threatened him with a gesture. Then he turned to Li Yuan, bowing his head in embarrassment. “Sorry, Li Yuan. I’ve already smacked him a few times to teach him manners. I’ll give him another one later if you want.”

“It’s fine,” Li Yuan said with an easy smile. “He’s right. I am just an apprentice.”

Even so, Qian Da was curious. “If you don’t mind me asking...who’s your master?”

Li Yuan looked at him steadily. “Have you heard of Senior Li?”

Qian Da’s entire body jolted, his eyes going wide. “You mean Senior Li—the one who guards the black market's north gate?”

Li Yuan nodded. “He’s my master.”

The words hung in the air, leaving Qian Da momentarily at a loss. His expression shifted through surprise, awe, and a hint of excitement. After a long pause, he gave a big thumbs-up. “That’s incredible, really incredible!”

Li Yuan came straight to the point. “I’m here today to talk business.”

Qian Da’s eyes flickered with interest. Without missing a beat, he said, “If you’d be willing to give the four of us a chance, we’ll do the transporting for you. As for payment, whatever you decide.”

“I heard from Qian Er you used to work for the Fortune Trading Company?”

Qian Da scratched his head with a sheepish grin. “Ah, that’s old news. We’re not with them anymore. We’d be happy to follow you from now on.”

Li Yuan explained, “I go hunting, and there’s a restaurant in town that’s ready to buy my catches. But I need someone to transport them.”

Qian Da nodded eagerly. “Understood. If you give us the job, we’ll take it, even for just one or two large coins.”

From behind him, Qian Si interjected, “But, Big Brother, that’s too—”

Qian Da turned and barked, “Shut it! Do you want me to smack you like I did Fifth Brother? This is none of your business!”

That shut up Qian Si and Qian Wu at once.

Li Yuan added, “You’ll get five large coins per cart. That’s not a bad rate. If you happen to have your own haul from hunting, you can add it in with mine and use my channel to sell. Just be sure it doesn’t exceed half of my share.”

Qian Da nodded vigorously. “Absolutely! We know better than to push our luck. And, truth be told, that’s more than fair. But, Li Yuan...hunting in the mountains isn’t easy. I tried once before, and just tracking one animal took a lot of doing.”

Li Yuan smiled. “That’s exactly why the meat is worth more. The tougher it is to hunt, the higher the price. Tomorrow morning, I’ll come by and find you.”

He turned to leave, and Qian Da respectfully waved him off. “Safe travels, Li Yuan. Safe travels, Yan Yu!”

Once Li Yuan and Yan Yu were out of earshot, Qian Da looked back at his three younger brothers. “From now on, Li Yuan’s our benefactor. Whether we make anything out of this or not depends on us. If any of you, especially you, Fourth and Fifth, run your mouths again, I’ll deal with you myself.”

Qian Er scratched his head, still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation. “Big Brother, sure he’s talented, but is it really that big of a deal?”

Qian Da snorted. “So you think I’m overreacting?”

“No, I didn’t mean—”

“Then remember this,” Qian Da cut in sharply. After a moment, he continued, “Fourth Brother, tomorrow night you’ll go poke around the black market a bit. Just make sure we’ve got the right story. It’s probably true, but I want confirmation. If Li Yuan really is Senior Li’s direct disciple...then we’re sticking to him from here on out.”