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Chapter 411 A Joyful Start (Three-in-One)

Regarding cocoon eating.

The Gao family and other cargo owners... have a route in Siam, which is risky, but the profits are very high.

Then, over a million worth of goods were lost from the warehouse at the Champa Canal wharf.

We still haven't figured out what happened.

Gao Wanli's visit to Champa was likely motivated not only by a desire to compete with Xu Yuan for the position of law master, but also by a secret investigation into this matter.

However, once she arrived in Champa, she was subjected to all sorts of "bullying," and it is highly likely that she never actually began to investigate the matter until she died in the Ghost Mountain...

However, this also forced the cargo owners behind the scenes to temporarily abandon this route.

Xu Yuan had already secretly inquired with the river supervisor, who, under the control of the lice, truthfully reported in his mind: "In the past few months, no one has been smuggling cocoons from our area."

Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for Gao Wanli.

If this woman is still alive, we can follow her lead and trace back to the source of the cocoons.

After seeing Geng Jiu off, Xu Yuan suddenly thought of something: In the past few months, no one has been smuggling cocoons, so has anyone been openly transporting cocoons?

This item is not prohibited from being traded in the Ming Dynasty, but the tax levied on it is extremely high.

This time, Xu Yuan first took out the tortoise shell for divination.

After being burned with fire inside its abdomen, the tortoise shell crackled and popped.

May your day be filled with good fortune and all your wishes come true!
This artifact is not only for magical duels.

However, Xu Yuan rarely uses his powers unless he's engaged in magical combat.

It is true that divining for oneself every day seems to bring good luck.

But don't forget that the artifacts themselves are also part of the eeriness.

The more times it is used, the higher the possibility of it becoming treacherous.

If it casts a divination every day... this tortoise shell will probably greedily try to absorb Lord Xu and make him a part of itself in less than a year.

The reason I used it today is because Lord Xu really felt that he needed some "good luck".

After putting away the tortoise shell, Xu Yuan secretly inquired with the river supervisor.

The river supervisor replied, "I need to investigate."

Cargo ships passing through the Champa wharf would be registered at the government office.

However, the sheer number of cases makes it impossible for the river supervisor to review them every day.

Xu Yuan then came out of the yamen and headed leisurely toward the dock.

About half an hour later, he sat in the back hall of the "Yuansheng".

When Uncle Yang saw the owner arrive, he immediately prepared the account books and presented them to him.

"I'm not here to check the accounts," Xu Yuan waved his hand.

Uncle Yang smiled and said, "You may not need to investigate, but we cannot fail to prepare."

Xu Yuan smiled and casually flipped through the pages.

"Yuansheng" is doing well.

It's not exactly making a fortune overnight, but the gross profit is around 40%.

Xu Yuan's "business law" thus steadily improved.

The amplitude wasn't large, but it was persistent.

At this rate, even without business on Guanghuo Street, the level of commercial law can be raised to the fifth rank in another six months.

Uncle Yang said from the side, "Only 1,500 taels of silver are kept in the counter each day, and the rest are deposited in Dahe Money House."

This is the ticket stub; please take a look, boss.

We currently have 70,000 taels of silver in our accounts, mainly tied up in goods. The various goods in the warehouse are worth approximately 200,000 taels.

Dahe Qianzhuang was established in reliance on the Grand Canal.

Wherever the Grand Canal of the Ming Dynasty reached, the Dahe Qianzhuang (Great River Bank) followed.

Businessmen in Huangming all knew that the real owner behind Dahe Money House was the Dragon King of the Grand Canal, so they felt very safe depositing their money there.

Other money shops and banks were far inferior to Dahe Money Shop in terms of reputation and convenience.

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and closed the ledger: "Well done."

Uncle Yang, observing the landlord's expression, noticed the joy on his face and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought it was because of his good management that the employer was quite satisfied.

Little did Xu Yuan know that he had already received the River Supervisor's report: "There is indeed a business that deals in cocoons."

Today's good luck has come true!

With the river inspector present, the details of this business were quickly uncovered.

The business was called "Rongshunhou," and the owner's surname was Wang.

But the origins should be in Nandu, a business jointly run by several old nobles in Nandu.

Every two weeks, a cargo ship passes through Champa, carrying various popular Ming Dynasty goods such as porcelain, tea, and silk.

In addition, there are several rare commodities such as cocoon food.

However, the amount each time is not large.

Between three ounces and half a pound.

The river supervisor secretly reported to Lord Xu: "I'm afraid they've tampered with the numbers."

"Many well-connected businesses in Zhengzhou do the same thing."

"On the surface, we abide by the law and regulations, and if the imperial court sends people to investigate, we can get away with it."

"But in reality, the three or four cocoons declared at customs may actually contain twenty or fifty catties hidden on the ship."

"These old nobles only have the reputation left by their ancestors, so they are more restrained in their actions."

Xu Yuan understood.

The term "old nobles" refers to the nobles who served during the founding of the Ming Dynasty or the Jingnan Campaign.

Except for a few families, most have now declined, and all that remains in their households is the inherited title, not an important official position.

Most of them could only hold nominal positions such as general or commander-in-chief in the army.

Some are even worse off; their titles weren't high enough, and as their descendants inherited them, the titles decreased with each generation, until they were now commoners.

They held no official rank but only a noble title. If they really committed a crime, no one could help them resolve the situation, which is why they kept a low profile.

"Judging by the time, one of their cargo ships will be arriving tomorrow."

"I just don't know if there will be any cocoons on board."

Upon receiving this news, Xu Yuan instructed Uncle Yang: "I'm not going back today. Arrange a room for me and send someone to the yamen to let them know."

"Yes." Uncle Yang then went to make the arrangements.

At night, Xu Yuan secretly released Pi Long, who then lurked at the bottom of the canal.

The next day, Xu Yuan used the divination tortoise shell again.

I prayed for good luck today:

Good news is coming your way! Something wonderful is sure to happen today!
Around noon, the cargo ship "Rongshunhou" arrived.

The people at the canal office were somewhat surprised, because the canal supervisor had suddenly become very diligent in his duties today.

He came to the dock early in the morning to personally oversee things.

Xu Yuan received the report from the river supervisor as he had hoped: "There are four ounces of cocoon food on the boat."

Xu Yuan came out and instructed Uncle Yang: "Prepare some silver."

With Xu Yuan's instructions, He Jian discussed with Rong Shunhou's men about buying this batch of silkworm cocoons.

Although Rong Shunhou was not very willing, his own boats had to pass through the Champa port all year round, so he had no choice but to agree.

However, a relatively high price was charged.

Xu Yuan agreed and instructed Uncle Yang: "Take the silver to the dock, and someone will contact you."

Uncle Yang immediately set off without asking any questions he shouldn't have.

If Rong Shunhou refused to sell, Xu Yuan could only release lice using the leather dragon and secretly take some cocoons back to eat.

When Uncle Yang saw that the person who came to "meet" with him was actually the chief attendant of the River Supervisor, he was also surprised.

Then came a secret joy.

Knowing that their business would be based at the docks in the future, they could rest easy.

Uncle Yang returned with a box: "Boss."

Xu Yuan put away the box, then stood up and said, "Alright, I'm going back now."

When they returned to the Champa government office and opened the box, they found it full of cocoons.

Each weighs half an ounce, and there are eight in total.

Xu Yuan picked up one and swallowed it in one gulp, refining it with the fire bait in his stomach.

Aunt Wang once said that cocoons are fruits from uncivilized lands, such as peaches, apricots, pomegranates, and chestnuts. After ripening, they do not fall from the tree but hang on the branches, enduring the wind, frost, snow, and rain of winter. Then, in the spring of the following year, some evil insects crawl inside, spin silk, and become cocoons.

Having experienced several cycles of life and death, it carries a strong sense of the 'boundary between life and death'.

Divine cultivators can use cocoons to directly upgrade Yin soldiers into divine generals.

The twelve bronze figures, wooden oxen and flowing horses crafted by artisans need to be consecrated with cocoons so that they can possess their own 'life'.

Some martial arts practitioners, after reaching the fifth rank, will consume large amounts of cocoon food beforehand to increase their chances of success in passing the "life-or-death test".

In the Ming Dynasty, the uses of silkworm cocoons were all related to "life and death".

After refining the cocoon, Xu Yuan gained a certain understanding of its properties.

"After taking the secret medicine, the practitioners of the Western Regions can communicate directly with the so-called God of the Profession. Could it be that... they are hovering on the edge of life and death and are experiencing some kind of hallucination?"

Xu Yuan muttered to himself.

Then it took another bait.

Half of the eight cocoons in the box were quickly eaten.

The medicine seemed to have finally worked. Xu Yuan suddenly realized that he no longer held the Yin-Yang Guillotine, but he could see the world that was originally only visible through his "right eye".

Furthermore, they even saw the "turbid realm" of Champa!
In the turbid space, the first to sense it was the Yin-Yang Python. It turned its two heads together and its gaze fell on Xu Yuan from a distance.

At first, he showed a hint of confusion, then suddenly he understood.

After a moment's thought...

The Yin-Yang Python's enormous body shrank back and disappeared into a chaotic void waterfall.

The Fighting Ghost was floating above a murky pool of blood, in which countless strange, evil creatures, half-fish and half-insect, floated and sank.

The masked demon, with its gaping, blood-red mouth, seemed to be roaring something at these evil spirits.

Suddenly sensing something, he looked in Xu Yuan's direction.

But then he realized the abnormality of the Yin-Yang Python and revealed a meaningful, sinister smile.

On a desolate stretch of Gobi Desert, a black, oily evil spirit suddenly condensed rapidly from the cracks in the sand and gravel, and with a "poof," it transformed into a cloud of blood.

The blood-red clouds surged and changed, and in the middle, the shape of an eye appeared.

It stared at Xu Yuan for a while, then suddenly turned into gray mist, swirling towards Xu Yuan in a hazy, confused manner.

Within the gray mist, all the evil spirits that Xu Yuan had ever seen materialized in an instant!
Xu Yuan was startled and his whole body trembled violently as a fire surged in his abdomen.

Before the gray fog swept in, Xu Yuan finally broke free from that state.

"Hoo—" Xu Yuan exhaled a breath of yin energy.

A dark gray aura churned and dissipated.

Xu Yuan's body slowly warmed up from being cold, and he could feel his heart beating again.

What you see before you is the normal world of the living.

"Could it be that the Westerners' so-called communication with the god of their profession is actually communication with these great evil spirits in the turbid realm?"

"But... are there also Tsukima in the Western Regions?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes again: "What was that thing that attacked just now? Find some time to ask Yin Yang Python about it."

……

At this moment, the menacing gray fog in the murky space suddenly lost its target.

It exploded on the spot, then turned back into a clump of writhing black oil. The masked ghost watched the spectacle from afar.

The Yin-Yang Python reappeared from the waterfall of void, its two heads looking at the black oil together.

"He is the head of the Champa law department of the Exorcism Bureau."

"Neither you nor I are Lord Ruan Tian; we don't have the ability to make the Ming Dynasty wary of us."

"If you eat him, the Ming Dynasty will hunt us down to the death!"

A deep, cave-like mouth emerged from the black oil.

Roar and roar:

"You two cowards!"

"This is our world!"

"The Little West Temple has already been corrupted by strangers; must it also be eroded by them?!"

The two faces of the Yin-Yang Python simultaneously sank down, using its tail to hook through the waterfall of void.

Within the turbid space, it was as if a layer of void membrane had been lifted, enveloping the three great evil spirits together.

"to be frank!"

There are only these three here.

Both the Fighting Ghost and the Yin-Yang Python were very knowledgeable about black oil, and they stared at it together.

The deep, terrifying opening of the black oil cave shrank to its normal size.

His voice became muffled, as if he were speaking through a mouthful of liquid: "I'm scared too."

"But after he appeared in the Necromancer's Lair, I sensed that he seemed to have some connection with 'Deep Void'!"

The Yin-Yang Python and the Fighting-Faced Ghost exclaimed in surprise, "Deep Void?!"

"He's only a fifth-rate player, how could he possibly have come into contact with the Deep Void!"

But suddenly the black oil sank down, passing through the void membrane hooked up by the Yin-Yang Python, and submerged itself again in the desolate Gobi Desert.

"Oh no!" the two evil spirits exclaimed in unison.

The Yin-Yang Python once again swiftly retreated into the void waterfall.

In the blink of an eye, the Fighting Ghost shrank to the size of a copper coin and floated to the bottom of a pile of brick ruins.

Above the turbid realm, in the endless void, a wound slowly opened up.

You can see the starry sky directly from that wound.

The starlight shimmered with all sorts of eerie colors, completely different from the brilliant stars that people in the mortal world see!
A moment later, something floated over the wound.

It lingered several times, seemingly searching for something.

The masked ghost deeply regretted that he hadn't hidden himself well enough!
But now, they dare not make the slightest move.

Not only them, but all the other evil spirits in the turbid realm dared not move.

Time has slowed down in a practical sense.

The thing in the deep void finally left in disappointment.

The “wound” began to heal slowly.

After a long while, the three great evil spirits dared to show themselves again.

The Yin-Yang Python once again stirred up the void membrane, enveloping everyone inside.

Black Oil, enraged and furious, roared, "Now you believe me, right? That... is the one who came looking for him!"
We must do something to stop that guy from running rampant in the murky world!

He didn't know how terrifying the Deep Void was, but we did!

The masked ghost's face was incredibly gloomy; he had truly been terrified.

Yin Yang Python was very unwilling, but the Fighting Ghost and Black Oil pressed him together: "Go and warn that guy!"

Of those present, only Yin Yang Python had ever interacted with Xu Yuan.

The Yin-Yang Python snorted coldly, flicked its tail, and turned to leave.

I didn't agree on the spot because Yin Yang Python is proud. You two are forcing me to agree.
But not refusing means acquiescing.

……

After consuming four cocoons, I personally experienced the feeling of being on the "line between life and death".

Xu Yuan then checked the changes in himself.

For the professionals from the Western Regions, it was like taking a "secret medicine," while Xu Yuan was the "bait," having absorbed certain characteristics of the cocoon into himself.

The first change is that the speed of cultivation has increased.

The change wasn't obvious, but Xu Yuan was already a fifth-rate expert, so he could accurately grasp any subtle changes in himself.

For example, when practicing the "Five Cauldrons Cooking" technique, after consuming the cocoon, the original fifty-day course can now be completed in about forty-eight and a half days.

As Xu Yuan further investigated why this change occurred, his expression quickly hardened.

This increase comes from the fact that one's body is more "affinity" with yin energy!

The origin of cultivators is most likely mysterious.

The power absorbed into the body during cultivation is actually yin energy.

Therefore, rapid progress or continuous, uninterrupted practice may lead to strange changes.

The cultivators of Huangming all control their own corruption.

Keep your body in a low-infection state as much as possible.

However, it is impossible to be completely free from contamination.

After each molt, Xu Yuan would be in a state of "perfect purity" for a very short period of time, a state that was probably unique among all cultivators in the entire Huangming Dynasty.

But it's only "very likely".

The higher the level of contamination, the better the absorption and assimilation of yin energy; this is common knowledge among cultivators.

But no one dared to...

The second change is that the connection between Xu Yuan and the craftsmen feels more "intimate".

This was the first time Xu Yuan had felt this way.

Some of the crafted items even gave Xu Yuan a feeling that was almost like "pets"!

It will be smoother to use, as easy as using your own arm, and its power will increase dramatically.

This gave Xu Yuan the illusion that the "life weight" required for these craftsmen's objects had been reduced!

"This isn't a reduction in weight," Xu Yuan realized, "the craftsmen are stealing weight! If I fall for it, over time, they'll steal my life!"

Ultimately, this change is due to increased internal contamination.

The origins of craftsmanship lie in the bizarre.

As the influence increases, one naturally becomes closer to the craftsman's work.

At this moment, Xu Yuan dared not take out his fourth-rate "bell-shaped long thorn".

In my current state, I might even hear that thing speaking in my ear!

Another change is that the Six-Eyed Nethermoth's Demonic Pill is stirring within its own body.

It seems they have ideas about breaking the Dragon Ball's inner core.

If we were to express this with a famous quote, it would be:
He can take his place!
All these changes stem from the increased infection of the body.

After consuming four cocoons, he was momentarily plunged into the turbid realm.

It was as if the "passing through the underworld" effect that Aunt Wang had mentioned before she left had been achieved.

"The silkworm cocoons originated from the Ming Dynasty. Our ancestors discovered this material long ago, but they used it with extreme caution, and the reason for this is probably because of this!"

The drug is very effective, but the side effects are too severe.

"The professionals from the Western Regions need to take a secret medicine containing cocoon food for each promotion, so it seems that the residual infection on their bodies will be very high."

If we can induce infection, then we will win without a fight.

Then Xu Yuan suddenly thought of another question: "The silkworm cocoons were all sold from Huangming to the Western Regions."

Only with cocoons can one find the secret medicine; only with the secret medicine can one find professionals…

Doesn't that mean that the Western Barbarians appeared much later than the Ming Dynasty's cultivators?
Or perhaps the Western tribes had other alternatives before?

Xu Yuan had no idea.

After he finished preparing the dish, he used the fire in his abdomen to steam himself and cleanse his body of the contamination.

It took more than an hour to get back to the original level.

However, one advantage has been retained: the affinity with ghosts has slightly increased.

In the future, when using the Six-Eyed Nethermoth to release the ghost soldiers within, the ghost soldiers will not be so resistant to you.

Xu Yuan carefully collected the remaining cocoons.

There are only four left. I wonder how much they are worth to the Westerners. Maybe I can bribe a mole?
"I'm afraid it's a bit too little..."

Xu Yuan guessed.

This box of four ounces of silkworm cocoons cost Lord Xu three thousand taels.

According to Rong Shunhou, they sold it to the Western Regions for at least 40,000 taels of silver!

But the river supervisor also told Lord Xu that "Rong Shunhou" was exaggerating.

Four ounces of silkworm cocoons in Zhengzhou would cost approximately two thousand taels.

The price would be ten times higher if it were transported to the Western Regions, which would be 20,000 taels.

However, when the merchants from the Western Regions resell the goods to the professionals, they add several times the price.

The two taels of silkworm cocoons that Lord Xu had left were roughly equivalent to ten thousand taels of silver in the Western Regions.

This amount of money sounds like a lot, but the delegation has come to the Ming Dynasty with a mission to serve the country. In Lord Xu's opinion, 10,000 taels of silver is probably not enough to entice them.

Lord Xu glanced at the time; it was almost dinnertime. He got up, opened the door, and went out.

As soon as the door opened, Old Qin burst into the courtyard, shouting in a loud voice, "Sir, sir, come out and take a look! Red-haired barbarians! This is the first time I've ever seen red-haired barbarians, and these barbarian devils are really ugly..."

Xu Yuan was taken aback: "Red-haired barbarians? Where are they?"

“Outside the gate, they say they want to see you.” Old Qin grinned, it just so happened that it was his turn to guard the gate today. “These foreign devils don’t understand the official ranks of our Ming Dynasty at all. They just say they want to see the highest-ranking official in our city.”

Xu Yuan wondered why the red-haired barbarian had come here.

They are often seen along the coast, but Champa is several hundred miles from the sea.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty and the foreigners had fought several battles in Southeast Asia, so they could hardly be considered friendly.

"Bring it in."

"Yes!"

Qin Ze returned with his men not long after he left.

All along the way, I could hear Lao Qin rambling on: "You bunch of foreign devils speak Chinese quite fluently."

"On our Ming Dynasty's territory, we must observe our Ming Dynasty's etiquette. When we see an official, we must kowtow and kneel..."

There were five red-haired barbarians who came. Their skin was rough and reddish, clearly the result of spending many years at sea, exposed to the sea breeze and intense sun.

The one in the lead wasn't tall, and he was almost two heads taller than Lao Qin.

It's true that Old Qin is a martial arts practitioner, so he's naturally large. But even among ordinary people in Huangming, his height is only slightly below average.

He had a full head of reddish-brown curly hair, and even his beard was curly.

He had a hooked nose and a sinister, arrogant look in his eyes.

He refused to kneel before Lord Xu, instead placing his hand on his chest, leaning slightly forward, and speaking in broken Chinese: "Viscount Alejandro of the Kingdom of Gansila pays his respects to His Excellency the City Lord of the East..."

Qin Ze snapped: "Kneel down!"

Seeing that this barbarian brat ignored his previous warnings and refused to kneel, he stretched out his large palm-leaf fan and was about to press the other man's shoulder down.

Huang Ming did not actually have the habit of kneeling; they did not kneel when they saw Lord Xu.

But Lao Qin just felt that you foreign devils should kneel!
But when he pressed down with his large hand, Alejandro's body turned into a cloud of black mist with a "poof," and then reformed seven feet away.

Old Qin was taken aback: "There's something to it..."

Alejandro said with a grim face, "I, the Viscount, am here to help you!"

(End of this chapter)