The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 146 - 140 Linchuan Prefecture

Chapter 146: Chapter 140 Linchuan Prefecture

Linchuan Prefecture, located at the border between Daqian and Northern Zhou, is a city known for its unique geographical position and commerce, built beside water.

Linchuan Prefecture was established next to the only river that runs directly from the inland to the sea—the Luoshui River. Due to this river, water transportation in Linchuan Prefecture was extremely well-developed.

Linchuan Prefecture also had a unique feature, as it was located at the border between Daqian and Northern Zhou, becoming the essential route for commercial exchanges between the two countries. The surrounding geography was not suitable for stationing troops, and without military deterrence, commerce in the city thrived even more.

Though no military forces suppressed it, Linchuan Prefecture was no Yang City; essential government institutions such as the government office and the Six Gates were indispensable.

"To this day, I still don’t understand why Daqian and Northern Zhou haven’t gone to war. This so-called border between the two countries is bustling, lacking the anticipated atmosphere," Qing Yu casually tossed aside the information on Linchuan Prefecture and said to the pharmacist beside him.

This question had arisen when Qing Yu had casually crossed the border between the two countries to study at the Mountain River Academy.

It wasn’t surprising for Qing Yu; Daqian and Northern Zhou, one strong, the other weak, had been at peace for three hundred years despite their disparities. Now, the border city of Linchuan Prefecture seemed unnaturally peaceful.

Scholars from Northern Zhou, after having their fill of fun at Tianyue Workshop, would worry about Daqian suddenly attacking during their idle worries about their country and its people. But Daqian had never come, even when Emperor Martial Art surfaced; Daqian had still not taken direct military action but had instead used Literary Arena contests to indirectly seize control.

The pharmacist merely smiled without a word and handed over another set of documents, saying, "My lord, this is information about the forces within Linchuan Prefecture."

Qing Yu took it and looked it over.

Linchuan Prefecture, being part of Daqian’s territory, had everything except for a military presence. Prefecture Magistrate Zhu Xuan, with a name more fitting for a pig, was corpulent and hardly moved without being carried due to his size, sitting and waiting for various people to present him with gifts to sustain him like a lucky mascot.

However, the various forces in Linchuan Prefecture liked this kind of hands-off mascot. As long as Zhu Xuan didn’t mess things up, they treated him like a Buddha, venerating him as the Maitreya Buddha.

It is said that they were so satisfied with Zhu Xuan that they ambushed and killed officials coming to replace him three times. If true, it must be said that Zhu Xuan was quite a talent.

The legitimate forces included the government, the Six Gates, and the Linchuan Alliance formed by merchants.

The Six Gates’ institution in Linchuan Prefecture was now managed by a Silver Seal Level Divine Origin Realm arrest officer named Lin Tengyuan, a veteran constable who had already served in Linchuan Prefecture for fifteen years. He had been serving in Linchuan Prefecture since he was just a regular constable.

The Linchuan Alliance, mainly led by the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and the locally residing Zheng family, along with other various merchant forces, controlled about eighty to ninety percent of the commerce in Linchuan Prefecture.

In terms of worldly society forces, the Cao Gang essentially monopolized the top spot. The Luoshui River was Linchuan Prefecture’s primary trade route, with at least half the labor force relying on water transport for their livelihood, and many merchants also relying on this waterway, reaching a quarter of the Central Plains, to transport their goods.

Thus, the worldly society forces in this area were openly dominated by the Cao Gang.

However, in secret, there was another force that Qing Yu had touched upon but had never truly come to know—Shadow Pavilion. In this major commercial city of Linchuan Prefecture, it was natural for this force, known as the "shadow of Daqian," to exist.

Unlike the Shadow Market in Yang City, which never opened, here in Linchuan Prefecture, the Shadow Market was open every night. Its auctions, held every three months, were always well-attended, with both reputable and infamous forces and worldly wondering cultivators, nearly everyone of note present.

"Looking at this, it seems you really have it tough," Qing Yu put down the documents, "Though Linchuan Prefecture is the best route to distribute Longevity Powder into Daqian, the various forces have already divided the profits cleanly among themselves, forming a chain of interests more solid than iron, leaving no room for outsiders to share their pie."

"Yes," the pharmacist sighed deeply, his hair falling out abundantly during these times.

Longevity Powder, though considered a newly emerged luxury item, due to its inherent risks, belonged to the underworld market. To sell it, one must pass through the worldly forces, the Cao Gang, and the Shadow Pavilion, which sold illicit goods.

Furthermore, the visible Business Alliance would also be very interested in Longevity Powder, for after all, which merchant wouldn’t be tempted by substantial profits?

Thus, in such circumstances, small-scale dealings were still manageable, but for large-scale transactions, it was impossible to bypass these big, blocking predators.

However... Qing Yu’s thoughts shifted, and he wasn’t overly worried about the sales channels for Longevity Powder. Ties of interest, sometimes stronger than iron, can also be as fragile as paper. As long as one presents enough benefit and proves their value, even the most ironclad chains of interest could be corroded by money.

"Let’s set that aside for now and talk about your issue. So, does the Sixth Prince still not trust you?" Qing Yu inquired.

Qing Yu’s visit to meet the pharmacist had also taken some effort. Per the pharmacist’s message, Qing Yu couldn’t directly come for a meeting but had to sneak in, arriving like a thief in the night for a secret meeting in a hidden room.

The pharmacist shook his head, saying, "Since I actively offered the recipe for ’Three Corpses Brain God Pill’ and took the ’Three Corpses Brain God Pill’ administered by the Sixth Prince himself, he has trusted me greatly. I’ve handled affairs everywhere very carefully, revealing no flaws.

"The one who doesn’t trust me isn’t the Sixth Prince; it’s Han Wenxin."

"Han Wenxin, huh..." Qing Yu recalled this senior brother whom he had once tricked, "He’s truly no slight character; it was an opportune moment when I tricked him. Has he caught any leverage against you?"

"Not really," the pharmacist replied with a bitter smile, "If he had really caught any leverage, he would have informed the Sixth Prince by now. However, he suspects me, not because of any leverage, but simply because of his intuition—he just believes I harbor ulterior motives."

Intuition... That was somewhat unreasonable.

Sometimes, this kind of intuition is very vexing for malefactors. I’ve covered my tracks perfectly, so why do you still know it was me?

Qing Yu also thought of Senior Brother Han’s two moves: disguising himself to return to the academy at the Guest House and testing Qing Yu before leaving. Thinking about it now, it might have been Han Wenxin acting on a sudden intuition and then following through, especially his testing at the academy gate before leaving. If not for Qing Yu’s vigilance, Han Wenxin might have discovered his machinations.

Of course, Qing Yu didn’t really believe in such esoteric things as intuition, but it could be said that Han Wenxin was particularly sensitive in certain areas, able to detect others’ disguises.

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