Chapter 33 — The Merchant and The Master
The Walk to Meng City
Long Tan walked down the frozen dirt road leading to Meng City.
On his back, he carried a massive wooden crate filled with the new batch of "Golden Honey Soap."
It weighed 200 pounds. To the old Long Tan, this would have been a burden.
To the new Long Tan—the Third Grade Warrior—it felt like carrying a backpack of feathers.
He kept his head down, wearing a bamboo hat to hide his face.
He approached the city gates, his muscles tense, ready for a fight. He expected the Zhou Family guards to be waiting for him. He expected an ambush.
He scanned the gate.
There were guards, but they were the City Lord's men, not Zhou private soldiers.
The Zhou guards were missing.
"Strange," Long Tan whispered. "Did they give up?"
He didn't know that Yan Bo's lie about the 'Premium Batch' had kept them away for one extra day.
It was pure luck. Or perhaps, the Ding Luck System was finally smiling on him.
He walked past the checkpoint, paid the entrance fee, and vanished into the crowded streets.
The Yan Trading House
Long Tan kicked open the door of the Yan Trading House.
Thud.
He dropped the heavy crate onto the counter. The wood groaned under the weight.
Yan Bo, the fat merchant, was pacing behind the counter, sweating and biting his nails. When he saw Long Tan, his face turned red with relief, then immediately purple with anger.
"You!" Yan Bo shouted, rushing forward. "Do you know what time it is?! You are two days late! I had to lie to the Zhou Family to save your skin! I told them you were making a 'Premium Batch'!"
Yan Bo grabbed Long Tan's sleeve.
"Why were you late? Were you sleeping? Do you have any idea how close we came to losing everything?"
The Revelation
Long Tan didn't flinch at the merchant's shouting. He calmly removed his bamboo hat.
He looked Yan Bo in the eye.
His eyes were clear, sharp, and held a golden glint that wasn't there before.
"I wasn't sleeping," Long Tan said, his voice calm but heavy. "I was busy."
"Busy with what?" Yan Bo snapped. "Hunting rabbits?"
Long Tan placed his hand on the solid oak counter.
"I was breaking through."
Yan Bo paused. He blinked. "Breaking through? To what? The First Grade?"
Long Tan didn't answer with words.
He channeled a tiny fraction of his Qi into his hand.
Sun-Moon Energy.
The air in the shop suddenly felt heavy. The temperature rose.
Yan Bo felt a pressure on his chest, like a heavy stone had been placed there. He stumbled back, gasping.
CRACK.
Long Tan pressed his fingers into the solid oak wood.
The hard wood, which usually required an axe to split, crumbled like dry tofu under his fingertips. He left five deep, perfect finger holes in the counter.
Yan Bo stared at the holes. He stared at Long Tan.
"That... that is not the strength of a hunter," Yan Bo whispered, his voice trembling. "That is..."
"Third Grade," Long Tan stated simply. "I reached the Third Grade Martial Artist realm."
The Merchant's Shock
Yan Bo's jaw dropped.
"Third Grade?" he squeaked. "You? A slum rat? Impossible!"
He grabbed Long Tan's arm, feeling the muscle density. It was like touching steel wrapped in silk.
Yan Bo was a merchant. He had seen many warriors. He knew the signs.
The clear eyes. The controlled breathing. The immense physical pressure.
"He is telling the truth," Yan Bo realized. "He is a Master. And he is only sixteen."
Yan Bo's attitude changed instantly. The anger vanished, replaced by a greedy, respectful smile.
"My apologies, Master Long! I didn't know you were cultivating in seclusion! This... this changes everything!"
The Truth About the Zhou Family
Long Tan didn't smile.
"I didn't do it for fun, Yan Bo. The Zhou Family attacked me."
Yan Bo's smile faded. "Attacked you?"
"Two days ago. Their Captain. He tried to kill me in the woods," Long Tan lied smoothly (hiding the fact that he killed the Captain days ago). "I had to break through to survive. That is why I am late."
Yan Bo nodded, stroking his chin. "I see. I suspected as much. The Zhou Steward was very aggressive yesterday."
Long Tan looked at the merchant seriously.
"You know them better than I do. How strong are they really? If they send their army, can I fight them?"
Yan Bo let out a short laugh. He walked around the counter and poured two cups of tea.
"Sit down, Long Tan. Let me tell you the truth."
"The Zhou Family is rich," Yan Bo explained, sipping his tea. "But they are a merchant family, not a Martial Sect. They use money to buy power, but they don't have infinite warriors."
Yan Bo held up three thick fingers.
"They have a private army of fifty men. Most of them are trash—First Grade bullies who only know how to beat up farmers."
"But," Yan Bo's eyes narrowed, "they have Three Commanders. These are their main force."
Long Tan leaned forward. "How strong?"
"Second Grade," Yan Bo said. "They are Peak Second Grade warriors. They have practiced martial arts for twenty years. They are the Zhou Family's dogs. The Patriarch keeps them close to guard the mansion and the warehouse."
Yan Bo grinned, looking at the finger holes in the counter.
"Before today, I would have told you to run. A Second Grade warrior can lift 500 Jin. They would have crushed you."
"But now..." Yan Bo chuckled. "You are Third Grade. You have the strength of 1,000 Jin."
Yan Bo slammed his cup down.
"Long Tan, you don't need to worry. The Zhou Family won't send their Three Commanders easily. They are too valuable. And even if they do..."
Yan Bo looked at Long Tan with admiration.
"A tiger does not fear a pack of dogs. You can take care of them."
The New Deal
Long Tan sat back. The tension in his shoulders relaxed.
Only Second Grade?
He had worried the Zhou Family had hidden monsters. But it seemed his rapid growth had put him ahead of the curve.
He was now the strongest predator in the local food chain.
"Good," Long Tan said. "Then let's talk business."
He pointed to the crate of soap.
"The Zhou Steward came to my house this morning. He was rude. So I doubled the price."
Yan Bo laughed loud and hard. "You doubled the price? Ha! You have guts, kid. Fine! With your strength backing it up, we can demand whatever we want."
Yan Bo pushed a heavy bag of silver across the table.
"Here is your payment for the previous batch. And a bonus for reaching the Third Grade."
Long Tan took the bag. It was heavy.
"I'm going back," Long Tan said, standing up. "If the Zhou Family comes looking for trouble..."
His golden eyes flashed.
"...tell them I am waiting."
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