Gongsun Jing's eyes shone faintly.
He had placed the Lost Treasure at a relatively prominent position upon the Jade Plaque, its value not particularly precious but hard to come by, requiring a fortuitous coincidence. He had long since set his subordinates throughout North Martial State to search for it, and only today had they found a result. He felt a slight relief in his heart, his expression clearing as he said,
The burly man lifted his head upon hearing this and respectfully said,
"We brothers have searched the vast North Martial State, and even the Exquisite Antiques Pavilion had no sight of it. However, in a jade shop, we found a clue. It's really a coincidence, the brothers found a fine piece of jade, intending to sell it for some silver coins, and just so happened to encounter the shopkeeper pondering over that bead."
"Upon closer questioning, it indeed seems to be that Lost Treasure, and it appears there's quite a bit of stock."
Hearing that there might be a substantial number of Lost Treasures, Gongsun Jing felt a surge of joy, but then he remembered something and his brows furrowed slightly. He tapped his finger lightly on the table and inquired,
"Is that shopkeeper clean, or could it be affiliated with any gang or Noble Clan's front?"
As a gang member, he placed great importance on these matters, more so than the average person, especially now as the head of a faction. He had to consider his actions carefully, for an unintentional move on his part could trigger numerous reactions from those below. In this critical moment, just after having taken over territory and business, he was especially cautious.
The burly man appeared to have anticipated this question, baring his teeth in a grin as he said,
"Gang Leader, please be at ease."
"This store is an old brand, it's been on that street for about fifty or sixty years. The original owner was over sixty years old and had long stopped managing the shop, retiring to the countryside. Though he was a benevolent man, for some reason, he never married, had no children, and handed over the shop to a distant nephew, who is also of a kind nature."
"I dare say, it's certainly not a gang front."
Hearing this, Gongsun Jing slightly nodded, alleviating most of his worries. The man before him had been with him for five or six years, appearing brash yet hiding a keen and delicate mind. Though his martial arts were only at Ninth Grade, Gongsun regarded him as his right-hand man, and not without reason.
He considered the matter for a moment and then stood up and gave out some orders. Mounting a horse and shouldering that short spear, he and the burly man rushed out of North Martial State City.
Both men possessed Internal Strength Martial Bodies of a certain grade, unlike ordinary folk, and were capable of controlling galloping steeds. Riding furiously along the official road for about two or three hours, they arrived at a county under the jurisdiction of North Martial State City. They tightened the reins to slow their horses and after about a quarter of an hour, the burly man said,
"Gang Leader, we have arrived."
Gongsun Jing gently spurred his horse and looked up to see a rather quiet bluestone alley with several shops, one called Stone Hall exuding an ancient charm.
The wooden door was half-open, revealing a few branches of flowers and a reclining chair, on which a young man in a long robe lounged. Around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a clean-shaven face and slender eyes, he had a gentle smile when laughing. With one hand, he fingered an ancient book, his entire demeanor quite handsome and carrying the depth of the old cobblestone lanes.
The burly man dismounted from his horse with a loud laugh,
"Shopkeeper, shopkeeper! Your brother here has come again, is the merchandise still here?"
The young man looked up at his words and smiled,
"Ah, it's Hall Master Wang. Merchandise? Ah, you mean those Lost Treasures?"
He lazily got off the reclining chair, stretching and sighing,
"Of course, they're still here. These Lost Treasures might not be very useful and their material is average, but their rarity is what makes them pricey, not easy to sell, not easy at all..."
"Have you brought a customer this time?"
He then looked up at Gongsun Jing atop the black horse, beaming and saying,
"Is it this gentleman here?"
"I am Gu Yuzhai, at your service."
Gongsun Jing took in the appearance of the young man, his demeanor stiffening slightly, but soon he composed himself, maintaining his serious and unsmiling mien as he dismounted, greeting with a fist and palm salute,
"I am Gongsun, and I have seen Mr. Gu."
The young man shook his head, casually tossing the ancient book back onto the reclining chair.
With a beckoning gesture, he said with a smile:
"I am but a humble countryman, not worthy of the title 'sir.' If Master Gongsun doesn't mind, please come inside."
"Though I have no wine, there are flowers, the fragrance of books and ink, and a cup of light tea to moisten the throat."
Gongsun Jing clasped his hands in a salute and said:
"I am imposing upon you, sir."
On his face was the composure of the leader of the foremost gang in North Martial State, but in his heart, he was suspended high, as if on a cliff's edge— a single misstep could mean shattered bones.
He had seen the young man before.
He had indeed seen him before.
Gu Yuzhai invited the two to sit down, then went into the inner chamber himself, returning with a teapot and cups, serving tea for them. The rising steam, mingling with the faint fragrance of flowers, obscured the young man's features, causing them to overlap with the boy from ten years ago in Gongsun Jing's eyes.
The battle on that day was the most perilous situation he had faced since following the general. That's why he had never forgotten the face of the young man before him, even after so many springs and autumns had passed.
Back then, he served as a trusted aide in the Great Qin Iron Cavalry, his face hidden behind iron armor, never revealing his visage.
The man before him was a youth with a deep and serene air, the owner of this Stone Chamber, the same mad youth who had wielded the Great Qin Horse Saber and killed five Ninth Grade warriors from the Iron Cavalry, and also the disciple of a master from an evil sect, who had already achieved the rank of Fifth Grade more than ten years ago, famously known in the surrounding states as a malevolent figure.
Not to mention the present, ten years later.
There was no chance of reaching the Upper Third Rank.
But to ascend to the Fourth Rank Martial Taoist Realm was not beyond imagination.
Especially when backed by a powerful force.
Gongsun Jing's thoughts spun rapidly, organizing the tumult in his mind. Though he was tense, fear did not overtake him. Not even the thought of dread arose, allowing his mind to remain lucid and unblundering.
He found that his coping abilities seemed to have grown stronger.
After experiencing those incredible events, after facing that dire spear, the sight of the Green Dragon's head, and confronting his own hall master, the hidden Middle Third Rank Martial Artists could no longer invoke terror in his heart.
A secret Jianghu force?
The man's face was expressionless as he lifted his hand to take a sip of the clear tea.
In the midst of such a mix of frustration and indiscernible pride, not a single flaw was exposed until the transaction was completed. Setting down the teacup, he drew a silver note issued by the Great Qin Ancient Jin State from within his clothes and placed it all in Gu Yuzhai's hands, saying:
"These silver notes are likely insufficient. The rest of the final payment will be delivered to you today."
The young man accepted the notes with a chuckle, wetting his thumb and carefully counting them. His demeanor became even friendlier, a winning smile on his lips as he saw Gongsun Jing and his group out the door. Only after watching them depart did he turn and go back inside.
Realizing it was already midday, he fetched a small iron pot and boiled tiny fish the size of a finger in the small courtyard behind the shop, filling the air with their fragrance. Then came the soft meowing, and heads of stray cats peeked out from above the courtyard.
The young man's eyes narrowed slightly, humming a cheerful tune as cats of black, white, spotted, and orange stepped down and formed a long queue behind him. With tails gently lifted, the young man finished cooking the fish, turned around with a simpler, cleaner smile under the sunlight, and one by one fed the fish to the cats, appearing quite content.
Elsewhere, Gongsun Jing rode on a black horse, galloping at speed alongside his subordinate.
His eyes narrowed in recall; the image of that young man with a long saber, his eyes bloodshot in madness, became clearer in his mind, and a formidable urge to kill rose uncontrollably within him.
It wasn't just against that young man, but also against his mentor and the evil sect behind them.
PS: Today's first update…