Chapter 206 - The Operation

In the days he spent waiting for the Blackscale troops to muster, Xu Yuan did not sit idle. During the day, he left Ran Qingmo in their room to cultivate with source crystals, then took Xu Xinyao around the streets of Myriad and taught her how to get things done.

At night, he sat alone in his room, reading the intelligence Yuan Hao had sent over concerning the Myriad Manifestations Sect. He rarely went to bed before 3 AM.

Busy days always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, four days were gone.

At noon on the fifth day, the streets of Myriad were as crowded as ever.

Xu Yuan and Xu Xinyao emerged side by side from an apothecary named Renhe Hall. The shopkeeper followed close behind, his enthusiasm practically radiating from him. “Mind the step, Young Master. I’ll contact my suppliers about the goods you requested. If the herb farms can fill the entire order, come by tomorrow and we can sign the trade contract.”

Xu Yuan nodded faintly, his expression calm. “Very well. There’s no need to see us any farther, Shopkeeper Li. If they cannot supply the full amount, simply prepare as much as possible. I’ll visit a few other apothecaries as well.”

With that, the two of them walked away and soon vanished down the street.

Several blocks later, the crowds around them remained just as thick.

Xu Yuan was inspecting the grander shops lining the road when Xu Xinyao suddenly sent him a voice transmission. “Third Brother, why have we spent the last few days wandering around places like these? Do you actually intend to buy all those goods?”

“Of course not.” Xu Yuan answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, his gaze continuing to sweep across the signboards lining the street.

This district had almost nothing to do with ordinary commoners. It was effectively the luxury quarter of this world.

Medicinal herbs, weapons, pleasure houses, restaurants, and several sprawling merchant guilds that dealt in a little of everything.

Xu Xinyao’s slender brows drew together. “Then why have you been visiting so many of them?”

“Fieldwork, of course.” Xu Yuan smiled. “When negotiations begin, if the Myriad Manifestations Sect cannot afford to pay us in silver, they can settle their debt with these properties instead.”

Xu Xinyao fell silent for a moment before asking softly, “Don’t you already have intelligence reports? They contain detailed information on the Myriad Manifestations Sect. I remember there being a section on their business holdings too.”

“You peeked?” Xu Yuan glanced at the heroic-looking young woman beside him.

“Ahem.” Xu Xinyao cleared her throat. “I had nothing else to do, so...”

“It’s fine. Of course you’re allowed to read them.” Xu Yuan waved a hand, telling her there was no need to explain.

Just then, a deep voice sounded simultaneously in both their ears. “So what exactly are you trying to do, brat? This old man has been watching you run around for days.”

Xu Yuan paused for a moment when he heard the voice, then chuckled under his breath. “Old Luo, the Heavenwatch Pavilion was so powerful ten thousand years ago. You were a Sage Venerable yourself. Didn’t you ever manage anything?”

The Sage's remnant soul thought back for a moment, then laughed without the slightest hint of shame. “This old man had no interest in that nonsense, and I certainly wasn’t about to fight that pack of lunatics for power. As long as I remained neutral, whenever I needed something, those dozen-odd old fossils would trip over themselves to deliver it to me. Why would I bother dealing with all that tedious work?”

“The intelligence reports only give estimates on paper. That doesn’t mean those estimates reflect the assets’ real value. Good assets and bad assets are entirely different things. Take the Mountain Sea and Raydrop Merchant Guilds, for example. Their properties covered roughly the same amount of land, and their estimated value was almost identical. But one was bustling with customers while the other was practically deserted. Do you think they earned the same amount of money?” Xu Yuan sighed and explained in a low voice.

“Besides, what I want is their entire supply chain. Take that apothecary we just visited. If nobody supplies it with medicinal herbs, what use would I have for an empty building?” Xu Yuan then smiled and said, “Though, to be fair, property in a district like this is still worth a decent sum.”

Xu Xinyao gave him a peculiar look as she listened. “You’ve thought this through rather carefully.”

“There wasn’t enough time. Otherwise, I could have been even more thorough.” Xu Yuan shook his head and glanced up at the sun, already high in the sky. “Judging by the time, the investigations in the other commanderies and counties should be nearly finished. We ought to have a complete list by tonight.”

“Tsk, tsk. What a complicated business.” The Sage's remnant soul clicked his tongue and asked with amusement, “Where did you learn all this, brat?”

“Old Luo, people were given brains so they could think.”

The Sage's remnant soul fell silent.

After Old Luo withdrew into a sulk, Xu Yuan visited two more high-end restaurants and one brothel.

The restaurants were both promising. The brothel, however, left something to be desired.

When they came back out, Xu Xinyao watched disdainfully as Xu Yuan expertly purged every trace of makeup and perfume from his clothes. “Third Brother, you certainly seem practiced at that.”

Xu Yuan patted down his robe and shrugged. “I had no choice. Xu Changge has the nose of a dog. If I came home smelling even slightly of perfume, I got beaten. After enough practice, naturally I became good at it. Besides, this time it was official business.”

Xu Xinyao let out a soft laugh. “I understand. I won’t tell Sister Qingmo tonight.”

“It wouldn’t matter even if you did. She already knows about all the disgraceful things I did before.”

Xu Xinyao’s eyes curved into two crescents. She leaned her head closer, smiling brightly. “Oh? It really wouldn’t matter?”

Xu Yuan immediately shot back, “You’re a young woman who walked into a brothel without so much as blushing. How do you have the nerve to criticize me?”

Xu Xinyao blinked her beautiful eyes and replied sweetly, “And whose fault is that, Third Brother?”

“Mine?” Xu Yuan froze for a moment.

Xu Xinyao began counting on her fingers. “Whenever it was almost time for dinner and neither you, Eldest Brother, nor Second Brother was home, I was the one who had to go drag you out of the brothels. And then there were all those women you used to bring back to the estate—”

“That’s enough. You know you can’t beat me anymore.” Xu Yuan resorted directly to threats of violence.

Xu Xinyao put on an aggrieved little pout and said nothing more, though her eyes were brimming with laughter.

The two continued chatting as they made their way toward the carriageway. The Department of Exotic Beasts had established several stations there for beast-drawn carriages.

It was, in a sense, public transportation provided by the government.

Of course, calling it public transportation was rather generous. Ordinary people could never afford to use it. A single ride within the city cost roughly as much as an average commoner earned in an entire month.

Ordinary carriages were far cheaper, but even then, few commoners were willing to spend the money.

After walking for another fifteen minutes or so, Xu Yuan and Xu Xinyao had still not reached the station when someone suddenly stepped into their path.

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow at the man in the conical hat who had suddenly appeared before him. “How did you find me?”

It was Yuan Hao.

“Third Young Master, there is a marvelous invention in this world called the carrier pigeon. There are also Blackscale troops stationed throughout this district,” Yuan Hao answered through voice transmission.

Xu Yuan immediately understood.

Yuan Hao glanced in the direction Xu Yuan had been heading.

“Aren’t you going toward the carriage station? Where are you planning to go?”

“The Willowcreek River in the upper town,” Xu Yuan answered honestly.

Yuan Hao was silent for two seconds before cupping his fists. “Visiting brothels in broad daylight. The Third Young Master certainly knows how to enjoy himself.”

The Willowcreek River was Myriad’s most infamous den of extravagance. The town’s Bureau of Entertainment and several of its most renowned brothels were all located there.

Xu Yuan’s expression turned solemn. He corrected Yuan Hao in a stern voice. “Yuan Hao, this is official business.”

“Pfft—” Xu Xinyao failed to hold back her laughter.

Yuan Hao said nothing.

Xu Yuan slowly turned and glared at his little sister before asking bluntly, “What was so urgent that you had to come find me?”

Yuan Hao’s expression sobered as well. “Third Young Master, everything on our end has been arranged. We are preparing to leave the town, so I came to inform you beforehand.” ℯℯ𝘭.

Xu Yuan frowned. “Everything is ready already?”

Yuan Hao nodded seriously. “Yes. Word arrived from outside the town half an hour ago. The troops have nearly finished assembling. Everything was arranged in advance, but it would still be best for me to head over early in case something unexpected happens. Please send me your orders as soon as possible.”

Only around thirty percent of the Great Flame Empire’s territory was inhabited. Aside from the official roads crisscrossing the land, the rest was largely wilderness.

However, many flying demonic beasts passed near Myriad every day. An army of 40,000 men would be difficult to conceal from anyone looking down from the sky.

Even if they shot down every flying demon beast that passed overhead, they could not keep the gathering hidden for long.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Yuan nodded. “Go. And remember to take Bai Zhao’s entire family with you.”

“Rest assured, I have not forgotten.” Then Yuan Hao added pointedly, “Third Young Master, I shall await your message outside the town.”

Xu Yuan waved him off, refusing to humor the madman.

Yuan Hao grinned, turned around, and left.

Only after he had gone some distance did Xu Yuan let out a slow sigh. “We’re going to the message relay point. I need to contact Father.”

“We’re not going to the Willowcreek River anymore?” Xu Xinyao asked quietly. “Yuan Hao still needs time to reach the army, and I’m sure the businesses over there will be easier to investigate.”

Xu Yuan shook his head. “There’s no need. I asked around while visiting the other shops. Their managers have no reason to lie to me about something like this. Contacting Father comes first.”

Xu Xinyao gave a soft snort. “So your visit to the pleasure district really wasn’t official business. No wonder you didn’t bring Sister Qingmo. What is there to see in a place like that, anyway? Isn’t Sister Qingmo far prettier than any of those women?”

She paused, seemingly remembering something, then suddenly asked, “Oh, right, Third Brother. I seem to recall there was also a woman named Su Jinxuan at Stillwater. I heard one of the stewards there say that you and she—”

“That’s enough.” Xu Yuan cut her off, his expression perfectly composed. “Come on. We’re going to the message relay point.”