Chapter 148: Lama, Tread Carefully
Chen Shun’an himself was not in a hurry to take a task, instead casually strolling around as if aimlessly.
In reality, he quietly activated a bit of the 【Formless and Shapeless】 effect.
Listening in all directions with his ears, observing everywhere with his eyes, paying attention to the conversations of various small groups, and the details and tricks of the tasks others were taking.
Plan before acting—that is the way of the seasoned.
“How come two more water demons came ashore last night? This Three Forked Road is just too eerie!”
“Who says otherwise? The other places haven’t seen them this frequent either. Aren’t the monsters at the bottom of the water supposed to stay at the bottom? Have they changed their nature instead?”
“That nine-headed great demon comparable to a True Intent Master, half of them emerged at the Three Forked Road…”
“Forget it, forget it. I’ll just take a job gathering herbs in the Reed Marsh—survival comes first…”
Chen Shun’an’s ears suddenly perked up.
His heart stirred.
There is treasure hidden here at the Sancha River!
Water demons are not fools; the older they get, the craftier they become. The Grand Canal’s riverside is vast and unfathomable— if they really wanted to come ashore, couldn’t they just pick any low-lying water beach?
Why keep coming one after another, specifically to this Sancha River spot?
Chen Shun’an gazed into the distance, looking through the main hall door, vaguely seeing boats on the river surface, sampans coming and going.
One after another, martial artist figures leaped into the water, diving to hold their breath for treasure, seemingly searching for something.
Clearly, he, Chen Shun’an, was not the only smart person in the world.
Quite a few people had thought of it.
But they tacitly chose to keep it hidden, turning it into an open secret, each hoping to find it quickly themselves, pocket it for private gain first.
Even the Wuqing Stick Bureau had specially built a public office here, probably with the intention of holding the hub and seeing just what treasure it was.
All sorts of information quietly converged in Chen Shun’an’s mind; he unraveled it thread by thread, discovering many secrets that ordinary people could not detect.
Then, Chen Shun’an suddenly noticed something—a not insignificant oddity.
Jade Faced Duck, where is Zhou Qing?
As Zhao Guangxi’s top enforcer, the True Intent Master most obedient to his command, aside from appearing at the Jindu riverbank some time ago to slay a great demon.
He had suddenly vanished from the face of the earth during this period, whereabouts unknown.
That’s why Lin Shou Zhuo had come to fill in.
And during this critical time, the whereabouts of every True Intent Master carried profound meaning…
As Chen Shun’an was thinking this, he saw Sun Xiao and the others storm back in a fury.
“Hmph! These bastards, they turn on you in an instant!”
“Something’s off. They were all agreeable just a moment ago—how did they all change their minds in the blink of an eye?”
“What happened?” Chen Shun’an frowned.
Sun Xiao snorted coldly: “Those damn bastards were playing with me, your grandpa. We had all agreed to act together and even registered at the Banner Officer!”
“Who knew those people from Mingqing Street—Peng Lang, Wu Yan and the rest—would pop up, and who knows what they stirred up saying, but those bastards’ faces changed immediately, and they ‘escorted’ us out.”
Mingqing Street borders the Grit Well and falls under the jurisdiction of other water stations; the landlord is called Guo Guanfu.
The water wells in this jurisdiction, and the number of clients, were far more prosperous than in Zhao Guangxi’s territory.
Peng Lang, Wu Yan and the others were all veteran second-rate martial artists.
Chen Shun’an had heard that Guo Guanfu’s subordinate general, Jiu Chan Hui, had also come to the Three Forked Road.
Jiu Chan Hui was originally from the Western Regions, reportedly from a lineage of Esoteric Buddhism, and had even briefly served as a lama at Mount Sumeru Longevity Temple, though he broke the precepts and was expelled.
He cultivated the 《Kasaya Subduing Demons Merit》, had Slay Two Thieves strength, and was said to have mastered some unique Esoteric Buddhism secret method—his strength was no trifle.
The nine major landlords of Wuqing County actually formed several factions based on differing backgrounds and experiences.
One faction was led by Zhao Guangxi—those who rose from nothing through their own means, step by step from water carriers and shopkeepers to landlords.
Another was like Liu Ru Yue, backed by the Wuqing County government and court; their background might not be grand, but they had just the right connections in Wuqing County.
The water station business also needed support from these locals.
There was yet another faction of inherited positions, passed from grandfather to father to son, one generation guarding the landlord’s rice bowl after another, turning it into a family business.
Guo Guanfu was one such.
Of course, for someone like Zhao Guanghui, who directly threw money and vast amounts of silver to buy a landlord position without even a few fresh water wells, the other eight landlords might not say it openly, but they secretly looked down on him.
An outsider insisting on joining the fun!
Nouveau riche!
“You all wait here. I’ll go ask.”
Chen Shun’an’s expression hardened slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he flicked his sleeve and walked up to the group that had just extended an olive branch, about to make trouble.
What tomcat or mongrel could bully me, Chen Mou?
However, before Chen Shun’an could speak, someone came forward with a look of utter despair, his face deathly pale as he repeatedly cupped his hands in apology,
“Senior Chen, please don’t make things hard for me. You’re bound to become a True Intent Realm great expert sooner or later, so naturally you’re not afraid of trouble. But I’m just a mere second-rate martial artist scraping by—how dare I get involved in the affairs between Landlord Zhao and Landlord Guo… Please be magnanimous, senior, and find another errand.”
With that, the group hurriedly burrowed into the crowd and vanished in an instant.
Chen Shun’an frowned but did not stop them, scanning the surroundings.
At once, the water carriers from the nearby other jurisdictions scattered like they were avoiding the plague god, hastily taking tasks and slipping away.
The water carriers under Zhao Guanghui, meanwhile, stood with arms crossed, watching coldly from the sidelines, their faces full of undisguised schadenfreude.
Only the water carriers from the same faction showed some closeness; as one passed by Chen Shun’an, he paused slightly and whispered,
“Be careful of Guo Guanfu’s faction, especially Jiu Chan Hui—they might cause you trouble. Hurry and get Senior Lin back.”
With that said, he too did not dare linger and hurried off.
The duck knows when spring comes to the river.
Seeing this scene, how could Chen Shun’an not feel that the water stations of Wuqing County seemed about to change hands?
A chill had already been released ahead of time, affecting Chen Shun’an and the others.
After that, Chen Shun’an took a task protecting Tanka Fishermen during pearl gathering, which would take half a month; he only needed to sit in a sampan in the shallow water area at noon, watching for underwater activity.
Once he spotted a water demon appearing, he would just ring the bell and pull the rope to haul the Tanka Fishermen up.
He only had to be on duty for one hour each day; the rest of the time was unrestricted—he could go home or push a cart for water delivery.
There was even some profit to be made.
It was a fairly decent errand.
After all, the chill over the water stations could not reach the Wuqing Stick Bureau; with his Inner Department identity, Chen Shun’an could naturally ‘find a bargain’.
Sun Xiao and the others were not so lucky; treated strictly by the book, they got errands that were laborious, low in merit, and far from home.
After registering the Fourth-Class Minor Merit for slaying water monkeys, Chen Shun’an and the others stood outside the public office and did not leave immediately, as if waiting for something.
Sure enough, after the time it takes to burn one incense stick, a water carrier from the Grit Well hurried over to inform Chen Shun’an and the others of some news—
The position of next Wellhead Supervisor was rumored to go to Guo Guanfu, so Chen Shun’an and the rest should watch their words and actions, avoid rashness, and weather this turbulent period.
……
“Congratulations, Brother Guo. I didn’t expect you’d pull the firewood from under the cauldron on Zhao Guangxi. The Wellhead Supervisor position must already be in your pocket.”
“Hahaha, you’re too kind, bosses. Just a minor trick. But the official document hasn’t been announced yet—these things can’t be spoken carelessly. Drink up, drink up!”
Night was as dark as ink, with no starlight or moonlight.
Yet the Guo Mansion was brightly lit, warm and inviting, with cups being raised and clinking.
Guo Guanfu reclined diagonally on the main seat’s soft couch, his pale face flushed with an unnatural red from the alcohol.
Three or five friends surrounded him, all local merchants and gang leaders of note.
These past few days, the entire Guo Mansion had been on high alert, with sentries every three steps and patrols every five.
Guo Guanfu had even recalled all three of his other True Intent Masters, aside from the one dispatched to the Sancha River, Jiu Chan Hui.
All to safely pass these few days until the official document was announced, avoiding any incidents.
Even hosting guests for dinner was done in his own mansion.
As for why he was holding a banquet at such a sensitive juncture…
The three great joys of life: the day one returns home in brocade clothes, the moment one’s name is listed on the golden roll, and the wedding night.
Guo Guanfu had toiled for over half his life and was now a quasi-Wellhead Supervisor draped in brocade clothes—he had finally made it, so why not bask in the glory?!
“Master Guo taking charge of the Guanjing Sword and overseeing Wuqing’s water transport is just what everyone hopes for! In the future, we’ll have to rely on you for support!” An ice cellar boss flattered with a toast.
“Heh, of course, of course.”
Guo Guanfu twirled his wine cup, looking at the sycophants in the room, and couldn’t help feeling the thrill of wielding great power.
Unable to contain their curiosity, someone probed: “May we ask, Master Guo, what earth-shattering scheme did you use to snatch the Wellhead Supervisor position from Zhao Guangxi’s mouth?”
After three or five cups of yellow wine, Guo Guanfu felt lightheaded and didn’t hide it, laughing heartily,
“Nothing earth-shattering—just a honey trap… Zhao Guangxi is deluded with lust, and his brother Zhao Guanghui is blind to treasure; it was fated for me to pick up this huge bargain! Hahaha…”
The crowd was puzzled upon hearing this— they hadn’t expected Zhao Guanghui to be involved too?
Then they heard Guo Guanfu, with a touch of pride, explain it in detail.
It turned out that the prostitutes and actors used by Guanghui Money House for their traps and schemes were mostly plundered and forcibly bought from various prefectures and counties by Guanghui Money House.
In the Fujian region, at Taiwu Mountain, there was a wild temple called the Nuns’ Temple.
This Nuns’ Temple was also of long standing, dating back hundreds of years; the nuns inside were versed in the doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, while also entertaining incense-burning pilgrims who came up the mountain.
They would compose poetry with scholars, appraise martial arts manuals at night with martial artists, and for lecherous guests, throw in some witty banter.
In short, they catered to every taste, appealing to both man and ghost.
Before age thirty, the nuns dressed as ordinary women; whether as slaves or prostitutes, in male-female dalliances, the temple turned a blind eye—even running off with a man was fine.
But after thirty, if they stayed in the temple, they had to take vows, shave their heads, renounce the seven emotions and six desires, and inherit the Nuns’ Temple mantle.
And some time ago, this Nuns’ Temple had offended the local county magistrate.
Conveniently, the money house’s street runner had taken a fancy to several nuns in the Nuns’ Temple and thus mediated to resolve the conflict between the Nuns’ Temple and the county magistrate.
