The Blade-Wielding Legend-Chapter 1266 - 660: Cipher Deciphered, The Surging Tide of the World (Part 2)

Thinking of this, he continued to ask, "And what next, what else did it say?"

Kong Shangzhao felt a bit embarrassed, "Time is too tight, it might take ten days or more to fully decipher it."

"No problem."

Li Yan said gravely with a fist salute, "Please, sir, assist in completing this matter. This time the reward will be fully returned, consider it as your remuneration."

"Also, remember to keep this matter confidential!"

"Ah?"

Kong Shangzhao was visibly shocked, his face turning crimson, "This... this is too much."

His father had emptied most of his savings to hire the Twelve Primordial Spirits.

He hadn't expected that the messy notes he took could be worth thirty thousand taels.

"Not too much, it's very worthwhile for us!"

After some comforting words from Li Yan, Kong Shangzhao relaxed and quickly nodded in agreement.

The young scholar returned to his room and soon lit a candle.

The candlelight flickered as he sat at the table translating through the night.

Li Yan gave a signal, and everyone immediately set up defenses.

Lv San summoned a swarm of rats to monitor the nearby streets and alleys, Long Yan'er gestured and released Gu Worms, hiding them in various corners of the courtyard, and even Wang Daoxuan placed warning talismans at several entrances.

In no time, the whole courtyard was brimming with danger.

This Linqing City was bustling, with hidden threats; even staying a single night required caution.

After all, the black hand that killed and robbed in Zhangqiu Town was still lurking in the shadows.

They took the "Seeking Immortality" piece; the opposition surely wouldn't rest easy...

Li Yan returned to his room, but he didn't undress to sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged, placing the Duan Chen Blade on his legs, meditating and training while staying vigilant.

In the visualization space, Luo Feng Mountain had just been reshaped and still needed to stabilize.

The good news was that nothing happened overnight.

...

The next morning, a disciple from the Cao Gang came to call.

"Honored heroes."

The Cao Gang disciple wore a face full of apology, "The procedures for clearance are complicated; Brother Liu mentioned it would take the whole day. We can leave by dusk. Linqing City is bustling, would you like me to show you around?"

"No need."

Li Yan directly shook his head to refuse, "The time is too short, and we've been rushing for days. We're not in any hurry. Just have some food delivered, and that'll suffice. Thank you, brother."

"What are you saying, Hero Li."

The Cao Gang disciple quickly nodded, saluted, and departed.

After he left, Li Yan said seriously to the group, "Earlier at the dock, I heard civil grievances boiling over, and Zhao Wanfang also came with masters accompanying; Linqing City definitely has issues."

"We've already been delayed enough on the road; it's better not to stir up trouble."

"Brother Yan speaks rightly."

Wang Daoxuan turned to look at Kong Shangzhao's room, his face serious, "This Linqing City is bustling, but nothing more than court struggles over fame and killing for profit. Protect the 'Seeking Immortality' piece, figure out the 'Jianmu' plan quickly, that's the priority!"

The Daoist was right, but the undercurrents in Linqing City were far fiercer than they imagined...

...

At Linqing Pass, inside the Tax Supervision Office.

These years, living in privileged comfort, the increasingly plump eunuch Ma was no longer the same humble figure as before in the palace.

But without a smile on his face, none below dared even to breathe heavily.

Ma the eunuch slouched in the Taishi Chair, his fingers sliding along the rim of a green porcelain cup, casually flipping through the "Canal Tax Secret Account," and spoke sharply without lifting his head:

"The daughter of Manager Wang from the cloth shop, sent to the Music Bureau?"

"Replying to the master, that girl bit her tongue and committed suicide..."

"What bad luck!"

He suddenly flew into a rage, throwing the expensive teacup in his hand.

The porcelain cup shattered on a tax collector's forehead, blood beads mixed with tea splashed onto the "Linqing Merchant List."

"Tomorrow impose more 'Fire Loss Silver,' tell those mud-legged fools, what's flowing in the canal isn't water, it's the Royal silver!"

He continued, seemingly still unsatisfied, cursing in anger, "People speak of scholars, farmers, merchants; these merchants are crafty and deceitful. If I don't show them some color, they'd really turn the heavens!"

"They even dared to complain about me to the Capital, don't they see how much I've shouldered for His Majesty!"

The words were fierce, but the worry in his eyes never lessened.

Since the Great Xuan Dynasty opened the trade at sea, the national treasury grew increasingly filled, and last year's tax revenue from Fujian and Guangdong surpassed Linqing Pass. Suzhou, Hangzhou, Jinmen and others closely followed, likely to be on par this year.

Ma the eunuch felt a sense of crisis.

His wisdom for surviving in the palace, if useless, could lead to being discarded.

Thus, he had intensified the customs extortion over the past two years, along with the gains for himself and his subordinates, inevitably offending many, there were truly many complaints in the court.

The ones discussed for reprisal earlier were merchants who came to complain.

In the past, this method always kept those merchants in line for a while.

But now, for some reason, he felt uneasy.

"Have those people who delivered gifts to the Capital returned?"

"Reporting to the eunuch, not yet."

"Go and see to it, prepare some more and send it to the palace..."

...

East of Linqing City, Jin Merchants' Clubhouse.

"We can't endure this any longer!"

Zhang Mingyuan, a cloth merchant from Jinzhou, slammed the abacus down heavily, the brass beads rolling into the charcoal brazier, sparking a fire.

His face was contorted with rage, "This month's 'inspection silver' swallowed up thirty percent of our profit, that despicable eunuch is cutting off our trade routes!"

"Boss!"

The accountant's face was deathly pale as he hurried into the hall, trembling as he unfolded a bloodstained letter from his chest, "Last night, Boss Chen from Pingyang Prefecture threw himself into the Wei River. When they fished him out, he still had the tax bill on him..."

Zhang Mingyuan's eyes turned red with anger, "Go, call for the other Chambers of Commerce!"

Outside in the shadows of the corridor, the informant from the Golden Swallow Sect quietly departed...

...

East of Linqing City, in Cooperman Alley.

Clang! Clang!

The bamboo craftsman Wang Chaozuo squatted on the damp bluestone slabs, the sound of his bamboo knife scraping was grating to the ears.

"Master Wang, all the fabrics from Yuan's Cloth Shop were taken by the tax dogs..."

"Old Yuan hung himself on the tax office flagpole, saying it was 'suicide against tax burdens'."

The bamboo strips snapped suddenly, Wang Chaozuo stuffed a blood-stained handkerchief into his apprentice's hand:

"Tell Old Liu at the smithy to make thirty cable-cutting hook blades tonight."

At the mouth of the alley, steam rose from the bun stall, a lame beggar tapped his chipped bowl and hummed:

"The Canal is murky, the Wei River is muddied, on the Nine Heavens squats the God of Wealth..."

Linqing City remained bustling, but a storm was brewing.

Of course, Li Yan and the others knew nothing about these events.

They stayed busy in the small courtyard, and the day passed by in a flash.

As dusk approached, a disciple of the Cao Gang finally came to notify them to board the ship.

Everyone departed immediately, and by the time they reached the dock, it was near dusk. Big and small boxes were loaded onto the ship, causing quite a stir, but fortunately, all the necessary travel documents were ready, allowing them to leave the pass smoothly...

In the city, on the second floor of Baixiang Building.

Zhao Wanfang stood by the window, quietly gazing at the riverbank.

Behind her, the door creaked open and a cold-faced man entered, placing a stack of secret reports on the table.

"Miss, these just arrived."

Zhao Wanfang nodded and turned to the table to examine them.

She saw seven secret letters laid out, detailing the Jin merchants' strike manifesto, the craftsmen's weapon inventory, the garrison's rotation schedule, the movements of Tax Supervisor Eunuch Ma's men...

After reading them, Zhao Wanfang shook her head slightly and chuckled:

"That Eunuch Ma probably won't live past the Awakening of Insects..."

"Quickly send these things away, the Capital is still waiting."

"Yes!"

The cold-faced man gathered the reports and left with a bow.

After he left, the round-faced maid gossipingly said, "Miss, Mr. Li just left, are you really not seeing him off?"

"What's there to see him off for..."

Zhao Wanfang shook her head indifferently, "Over in the Capital, the storm is even bigger, no need to cause him more trouble." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"In the turbulent times, we're all like rootless duckweed, it's enough to take care of oneself..."

With that, she lifted a wine pot, took a few sips, and leaned against the red lacquered railing, watching the white sails of the Cao boats disappear into the sunset.

The southeast wind brought the sound of string music, and below, the storytelling troupe was performing a new version of "Jingyang Ridge":

"Speaking of acting on behalf of Heaven, talking about loyalty and righteousness, Grandpa's blade can cut the tiger in the mountain, but can't cut the wolves in human disguise..."

...

The journey on the Grand Canal from Linqing to the Capital mainly comprised four sections.

The first section was from Linqing to Dezhou on the north segment of the Huitong River; the second from Dezhou to Jinmen on the south canal segment; the third from Jinmen to Tong State on the north canal segment; and crossing the Tonghui River segment from Tong State would lead to the Capital.

The merchant ships of the Cao Gang traveled day and night, and in a few days, they reached the south canal segment.

"Young Hero Li, we've reached Cangzhou!"

A disciple of the Cao Gang shouted loudly from the deck.

Li Yan and the others stepped out of the cabin, and in the distance on the riverbank, they saw a huge Iron Lion gazing steadfastly at the river...