Chapter 90 - Consequences (Final) (Patreon)

Inside a merchant shop, a trio of rough-looking men groaned in pain on the ground, bruises spreading across their chests, faces, and arms.

“Ruo Clan’s business is under the protection of the West Bo Merchant Chamber,” Wang Chen said with his arms behind his back. “Spread the word.”

Hearing his words, three men nodded and stumbled away into the crowded street.

Meanwhile, behind Wang Chen, two children stared with shining eyes at the fleeing thugs before turning excitedly toward him.

“Big Brother, you are so strong!” the smaller boy shouted, pumping his fist into the air.

“They won’t even recognize each other’s faces anymore!” said the older one with a stupid grin.

Wang Chen laughed and ruffled their hair until it became a complete mess. While the three joked together, an old man emerged from the back of the shop, grumbling under his breath.

“Watch your language, you little ruffians,” he scolded before turning toward Wang Chen and offering him a small nod. “This Ruo Fei thanks Grand Cultivator for the assistance.”

“Old Ruo, I told you I’m just another merchant like yourself,” Wang Chen chuckled, shaking his head. “Forget about it and tell me if you have reconsidered my proposal.”

Old Ruo Fei clicked his tongue and shook his head stubbornly.

“I refuse to associate myself with islanders,” he spat onto the floor. “You are a fine citizen of the Empire, smart and capable. Those barbarians are merely fools with oversized muscles. My shop is doing well enough without them.”

“Old Ruo, think carefully.” Wang Chen sighed patiently. “You wouldn’t owe the Merchant Chamber anything. Besides, Chairman Bo Qing has lived within the Empire for decades. He is only an islander in name.”

Old Ruo Fei waved dismissively before turning around to organize his stone decorations on the shelves.

With a helpless shrug, Wang Chen smiled and said, “Then I’ll visit another day, Old Ruo.”

The children tried to stop him from leaving, but after tossing them into the air several times and making them burst into laughter, Wang Chen departed. After walking several blocks, he entered one alley, then another, and then waved his hand toward a small hooded figure waiting in the shadows.

“Little Crab,” Wang Chen greeted warmly. “Are your boys alright? Did I beat them up too badly?”

Little Crab stared at him with a strange expression before shaking his head.

“No clue,” Little Crab said with a shrug. “They were paid to get hurt, anyway. More importantly, did it work?”

“It didn’t,” Wang Chen answered with a sigh. “I’ll keep trying. No worries.”

With a click of his tongue, Little Crab kicked a wall.

“Why does the Boss even need connections with potters, stonecutters, carpenters, and seashell scavengers?” he grumbled. “No, I have a better question! Why don’t you pay them directly? It’s been nearly two months, and you act like you’re trying to court them instead of doing business. Do you need some girls to warm your bed or what?”

Wang Chen scratched his cheek awkwardly and said, “I’m confused.”

“Confused about what?” Little Crab asked suspiciously.

“Did Benefactor Lu place you in charge of building these connections, or me?”

Little Crab threw both hands into the air, groaning loudly.

“You and that woman are both lunatics,” he said before sighing deeply. “Fine. Do whatever you want. Boss will eventually return, and then you can explain everything to him yourself.”

After a brief silence, Wang Chen changed the subject. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about transporting the corpses?”

“Already handled,” Little Crab yawned lazily. “I paid people for that. Everything's going smoothly...Well, kind of. The last batch was followed, and one of the transporters disappeared afterward. Boss made the right call changing the delivery points and assigning different crews and routes.”

“When did he even have time to plan all that?” Wang Chen muttered before shaking his head. “I mean, why does he need so many corpses?”

Little Crab stared at him in disbelief before snorting. “You must be eating grass lately if you dare ask questions like that,” he said. “Anyway, I have things to do. Bye.”

“Wait.” Wang Chen poked Little Crab’s shoulder. “You told me I could come along.”

“Whatever,” Little Crab grumbled while walking away.

With a smile, Wang Chen followed him through the shopping and warehouse streets, eventually reaching the inns and restaurants near the noble district. Entering a restaurant beneath one of the inns, they sat at a table meant for three, and Little Crab dismissed the approaching waitress with a shooing motion.

Less than an hour later, a woman wearing a black robe hurried down the inn’s stairs and sat beside Wang Chen. Then, she immediately pinched his belly beneath the table.

“What are you doing here?” Bai Xiaomeng whispered through her teeth. “Our meeting was supposed to happen next week.”

“I missed you, Little Meng,” Wang Chen whispered back, holding the hand pinching him.

Bai Xiaomeng lowered her head, the hood of her robe hiding her flushed cheeks.

Rolling his eyes at the duo, Little Crab coughed loudly. Wang Chen and Bai Xiaomeng glared at him.

“You wrote down that you had something important to report,” Little Crab said with a crooked smile. “Go on so the two of you can rent a room upstairs afterward.”

Flustered, they awkwardly pulled their hands apart. Then, after calming herself, Bai Xiaomeng leaned closer to the table and lowered her voice even further.

Wang Chen had no trouble hearing her, yet still leaned in until their shoulders nearly touched, while Little Crab practically folded himself across the table to listen.

“One of the students is being transferred to another city,” Bai Xiaomeng whispered. “Apparently his father received a promotion and will be stationed somewhere west, in one of the minor kingdoms.”

Little Crab frowned impatiently, clearly waiting for the relevant information.

“Soon after the kid departed, something happened,” Bai Xiaomeng continued. "A janitor came into the kitchen asking about a strange written character. He was laughing because he thought it meant something ridiculous, like ‘grabbing vapor with your bare hands'. He thought it was a kid's slum.”

Wang Chen scratched his head in confusion, waiting for some big reveal.

“Look,” Bai Xiaomeng said, pulling out a sheet of paper and showing them.

Little Crab and Wang Chen both frowned at the writing. After staring for a while, Wang Chen finally spoke uncertainly.

“This character here looks more like the one for ‘sword’.”

Scratching his chin, Little Crab nodded in agreement.

“Yes, and this one here resembles the character for Qi,” he said while taking the paper. “This says Sword Qi, doesn’t it?”

Bai Xiaomeng smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes,” she said softly. “But the janitor can barely read. He glanced at the paper where this was written after picking it up from the floor. It was found on a piece of baggage the student forgot. After the janitor left the kitchen, I followed him and spent several minutes talking to him until I found the right characters.”

Wang Chen still looked lost. Unable to understand why this should be reported, he asked,  “But why is this important? What does Sword Qi have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know.” Bai Xiaomeng admitted, though her eyes shone with excitement. “But it’s the first clue related to cultivation I’ve found since I started searching the Sailor School. Wasn’t Grand Cultivator Lu Xian specifically looking for a swordsman there? Maybe this matters. I found no Zhi Jian, but I found clues about this Sword Qi.”

The three exchanged glances. Through their gazes, they silently decided to report the matter to Lucian once he returned.

With that settled, Little Crab left first, while Wang Chen and Bai Xiaomeng ordered food and quietly enjoyed the rare opportunity to spend time together.And it would become even rarer.