Chapter 26: The Merchant's Gamble
Wei'an woke up to the scent of sandalwood and the rhythmic sensation of a jade comb passing through his hair. Lian'er was behind him, her touch light but possessive.
"Master, you were screaming in your sleep again," she whispered, leaning down to press her cheek against his. "Something about 'Interest Rates' and 'Keynesian Economics.' Should I be worried about this woman named Keynesian?"
Wei'an groaned, rubbing his face. "Modern life was a vacation compared to this," he muttered. "Whoever said medieval life was all about nature and poetry was a liar. I'm just surrounded by beauties who are either trying to poison me or bankrupt me."
"Master, who would dare poison you?" Lian'er hugged him from behind, her grip tightening.
Ideally, no one, Wei'an thought. As long as you don't start poisoning other women for looking at me. He stood up, smoothing out his white robes. The cat-like courtesan followed at his heels, adjusting his collar with a proprietary air that didn't go unnoticed.
In the corridor, they collided with Shen Yao. Her eyes flickered from Wei'an's tired face to Lian'er's smirking one. The air pressure in the hallway dropped instantly.
"I will not calm down, Wei'an," she said before he could even open his mouth.
"I didn't ask you to."
"I am raging! My house is being mocked by that old vulture from the Capital, and you are... playing house with a zither-player!"
"Calm down, Yao'er."
"I will not!"
Wei'an sighed. He stepped forward, caught her chin, and planted a firm, lingering kiss on her cheek. The sudden warmth of his lips stunned her into silence. He pulled back, gave her a tired, lopsided smile, and walked past her toward the gates.
Yao'er stood frozen, her hand flying to her cheek. "You... you scoundrel! What was that?!"
"I'm a husband saying goodbye to his wife," he called back over his shoulder, his mind already shifting to the shady deal ahead.
Lian'er, seeing the victory, hurried to his side. "Master! Master, I want one too!" She pouted, leaning in. Wei'an, distracted by a mental ledger, pulled her close and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as well. "There. Now, let's go. I have a soul to sell."
As he walked away, he muttered, "Did an astrologer predict I'd have the worst luck with women? I just kissed two of the most dangerous people in the province and I feel like I'm walking to my execution."
Chapter 30: The Collateral of the Soul
The meeting with the Grey-Vulture Gang took place in a cellar that smelled of damp earth and old blood. Wei'an didn't bring the Shen family name to the table. He didn't link his wife's house to this filth. He brought himself.
"30,000 silver taels," the gang leader rasped, eyeing the documents Wei'an laid out. "And you offer your shops, your caravans, and your own life as collateral? No Shen family backing?"
"If I fail, you take my businesses and you take my head," Wei'an said coldly. "The Shen family has nothing to do with this. Here is 2,000 silver as the first month's interest, paid in advance."
He had liquidated several of his secondary warehouses to secure that down payment. When he walked out of that cellar, he was a man walking a tightrope over an abyss, but he had a chest of 30,000 silver taels behind him.
The machine began to move.
"Steward!" Wei'an barked. "Take 10,000 silver. Buy every grain of wheat and rice you can find. I don't care about the price—just secure the supply. I want twenty carts moving back and forth from the city starting tonight."
"Master, that's enough to feed a small army!"
"Exactly."
Wei'an then rode into the chaotic heart of Jianghe City. He headed straight for the Iron-Shield Guild, a mid-tier adventurers' organization that was currently falling apart. The Guild Leader was packing his bags, terrified of the anarchy.
"1,500 silver for 50% equity," Wei'an stated, slamming the pouch on the table. "I want your 120 active adventurers. Give them new equipment and a clear objective: they aren't 'mercenaries' anymore. They are the 'City Safety Task Force.'"
In the chaos, assets were cheap. The Guild Leader, desperate for an exit, signed the papers immediately. Wei'an didn't stop there. He bypassed the high-level elders who were too busy hiding and went for the Low-Level Clerics and Guard Captains.
He didn't offer them millions. He offered them a week's salary in advance and a promise of protection for their families if they returned to their posts. It was strategic bribery—fixing the foundation of the city while the rival Yan family was still trying to buy the roof.
While Wei'an was buying the city's bones, the atmosphere in the Shen Estate had turned glacial.
In the private solar, Lord Shen Tai, the Head of the Main Branch, sat sipping tea while the Patriarch, Wei'an's father-in-law, stood by the window.
"The King is weak, brother," Shen Tai said, his voice smooth and dangerous. "The Imperial Regent is mobilizing. In two days, the Su family will declare independence. We need the Silver Mine to secure the northern pass for the Regent's troops."
"The mine belongs to the branch family," the Patriarch said, his voice strained.
"Not for long. Give me the mine, or watch as the 'wrath of the Main Branch' erases your name from the registry. I am not asking. I am informing you." Shen Tai set the cup down with a sharp clack. "You have twenty-four hours to decide. If I don't have the deed, I will consider the Shen Viscounty a traitor to the new order."
The Patriarch said nothing. He stared out at the gardens, his mind drifting to his son-in-law. Wei'an, you scoundrel... you'd better be building a miracle in that city, or we're all dead by dawn.
The Hook
Back in Jianghe City, Wei'an was walking through a dark alley after meeting a guard captain. Suddenly, the torches at both ends of the street were extinguished.
The silence was broken by the sound of twenty crossbows being cocked in unison.
"Li Wei'an," a voice echoed from the rooftops. "The Yan family heard you were buying up the city. We decided to offer you a different kind of deal: a quick death, or a slow one."
Wei'an looked up, his white robes a stark target in the dark. He didn't reach for a sword. He reached for his ledger.
"I've already accounted for this 'expense'," Wei'an whispered.
Next Chapter Hook:
The Yan family's ambush is interrupted not by guards, but by a sudden explosion of pepper-smoke. Meanwhile, at the estate, Shen Yao discovers the "Grey-Vulture" loan contract and realizes her husband has literally put his neck on the line for her family's land.