The people of the city said—
"The Merchant Guild has won."
But Li Tian knew—
winning is one thing,
devouring is another.
---
The Game of Timing
The Eastern Caravan Alliance was trapped in an investigation.
The Black River Trade Union was bleeding from the price war.
The Golden Scale Merchants were breaking apart due to internal disputes.
All three groups were still alive—
but wounded.
Li Tian simply waited.
"The most expensive resource in the market isn't money,"
he told Mu Qinglan.
"It's liquidity—at the right moment."
---
First Bite — Eastern Caravan Alliance
Under the pressure of the investigation,
the Eastern Alliance began selling off its assets.
Warehouses.
Trade routes.
Caravan contracts.
Through proxy merchants, Li Tian bought them—
at half the market price.
On official records, the names were different.
But control… rested in a single hand.
The Eastern Alliance—
quietly dissolved.
---
Second Bite — Black River Trade Union
Black River thought the price war would save them.
But their cash flow had turned negative.
Workers went unpaid.
Suppliers grew angry.
Li Tian directly approached their biggest supplier—
a long-term contract plus stable profits.
The supplier abandoned Black River.
Within three weeks,
the Trade Union came on its own.
"A merger,"
their leader said in a weary voice.
Li Tian read one page—
then signed.
The name Black River remained—
but the decision-making power was gone.
---
Final Bite — Golden Scale Merchants
Golden Scale was the most stubborn.
But cracks already ran deep within.
Li Tian secretly showed an upgraded version of the arithmetic book
to their junior managers—
concepts only.
The numbers revealed the truth—
their leaders had been exploiting them.
A revolt erupted.
The board collapsed.
To survive, Golden Scale accepted
coming under the Merchant Guild.
---
Manhua Moment — The Ledger
One night in the Guild Hall, three ledgers lay on the table.
Three names.
Three emblems.
Mu Zhengyuan took a deep breath.
"Three rival groups… finished."
Li Tian closed the ledger.
"Consumed,"
he said calmly.
"Without bloodshed."
---
Aftermath — A New Order
Now there was only one flow in the city—
Salt
Sugar
Chilies
Routes
Pricing
All under Merchant Guild standards.
No competition—
only coordination.
Mu Qinglan looked at Li Tian,
for the first time with a hint of fear.
"You're no longer just a merchant,"
she said.
"You've become a system."
Li Tian gave a faint smile.
"A system is something
that's hard to break."
---
End Panel
A map of the city appears.
Three merchant flags slowly fade away.
At the center, only one emblem remains—
heavy, stable.
Caption:
> "When three prey end up on the same plate,
the law of the jungle changes."
Next Chapter: Power Beyond Trade — Politics Enters the Game.