Reborn as a Cube Man in the Late Ming Dynasty

Linjin County.

The group got up one after another and sat down around the table. Wang Mazi personally poured them wine.

The group of people quickly began eating and drinking.

The traveling merchant, who had been so cautious outside, started telling anecdotes about his trade routes, making the group laugh heartily.

The atmosphere at the table grew increasingly lively.

Bai Li was initially quite interested in the table laden with food and wine, but as he looked around, his gaze fell on the plate of roast chicken.

Then look at that bowl of bright red stewed meat, especially watching Wang Mazi sip wine and eat meat with such relish.

Bai Li remained silent.

They also got hooked on mukbang (eating broadcasts).

He teleported back to Licheng, strolled around the streets, and noted down the location of any shops that looked good.

Finally, he casually called over a villager and asked him to buy the item and bring it over.

After a short wait, a table of food was placed in front of Bai Li.

Watching others eat is nothing compared to the pleasure of eating yourself!

Bai Li didn't stand on ceremony and quickly finished eating. Calculating the time, it was about time, so he turned his attention back to Linjin County.

Wang Mazi's group had already gone through several rounds of drinks, and most of the food and drinks on the table had been consumed.

The traveling merchants and several locals all had flushed faces and spoke much more relaxed than before.

Wang Mazi also looked a bit tipsy, leaning back in his chair with half a bowl of wine in his hand.

But a shrewd glint remained in his eyes.

Seeing that the time was right, he casually asked in a low voice, "By the way, brothers, weren't you saying outside that transporting grain to Shaanxi would result in a loss?"

"Isn't Shaanxi suffering from a severe drought? Logically, food should be in short supply, so why isn't there a shortage?"

"I really don't understand this matter."

He dragged out his words, his tongue twisting, looking like he was drunk.

The traveling merchant picked up a piece of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, swallowed it whole, drank a cup of wine, and grinned, "You don't know."

He lowered his voice mysteriously: "The situation in Shaanxi right now is not what you think."

Wang Mazi quickly moved closer.

The traveling merchant's face grew even more flushed with drunkenness: "That place...?"

Before he could speak, a local quickly stopped him, saying, "You've had too much to drink."

The traveling merchant shook his head: "What did I drink too much of?"

"Say less."

The local man's smile vanished, and his eyes turned serious: "You can't say that."

"Brother, some things you say can get you into trouble."

Wang Mazi looked enlightened and asked cautiously, "Is it that serious?"

"That's right," the man shook his head. "Anyway, we ordinary people shouldn't get involved; it's all fake anyway."

The traveling merchant was displeased upon hearing this.

He was always fond of talking and arguing. He had seen the Immortal Realm before when he was a merchant, but he was holding back on such a big matter. No one would believe him if he spoke up, and he had been feeling anxious. Hearing this, he couldn't hold back any longer after drinking.

"I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?"

"If you want to drink, then drink! Stop talking nonsense!"

The traveling merchant said bluntly, "You're such a coward. I've told you so many times, why don't you believe me?"

The local glared back: "Shut up."

The traveling merchant, however, became intrigued: "What's wrong with what I said? If you don't believe me, just go and see for yourself in the direction of Shaanxi, and you'll know whether what I said is true or false."

"That place is incredible!"

The locals scoffed: "What would I go see? I'm doing just fine here, with enough to eat and wear. Why would I bother going that far?"

"Outside, there's chaos and turmoil, with refugees and bandits everywhere from Shaanxi. Do you think I'm going to die?"

The traveling merchant shook his head: "You're just naive. That place is completely different from what you imagine. If it were really a remnant of the heretical White Lotus sect, could it have such wondrous sights, teeming with life?"

The locals got angry after being confronted, and with the smell of alcohol rising in their lungs, they became increasingly blunt: "Isn't this just a way to fool those poor people who can't even get enough to eat!"

Shaanxi has suffered from severe drought for years, leaving people unable to survive and desperate. Naturally, they are willing to believe in any kind of divine miracle!

"If it were truly that effective, why are countless bandits still fleeing? It doesn't make sense!"

The locals got more and more excited as they spoke: "Besides, why would I not worship the perfectly good City God, but instead worship some wild god? We have a City God and a Land God here, why bother believing in those who-knows-where things?"

"That's not entirely true..." Old Liu said abruptly, holding his wine bowl.

"cough!"

Wang Mazi coughed heavily.

He elbowed Lao Liu, then waved his hand apologetically at everyone, saying, "Everyone, calm down! It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought this up and caused the brothers to argue."

"Since this brother said he'd cause trouble, let's not mention it again! Just pretend I never asked, and don't let me spoil our drinking mood."

He was sincere and took the initiative to back down, even offering a toast to everyone.

Seeing that he was sensible, the tense expressions of the crowd eased.

Another local put down his glass and said in a low voice, "It's not that we don't want to talk about it, it's that we really don't dare to."

"Several weeks ago, the county magistrate personally issued a decree, which was posted throughout the city, strictly prohibiting the people from discussing any unusual occurrences on the Shaanxi border in private."

"Anyone who spreads rumors or makes unfounded comments about strange things in private will be punished with caning if the allegations are verified, and will be detained or imprisoned if the allegations are serious."

"That's why we say this matter is absolutely untouchable."

The traveling merchant opened his mouth, took a slurred gulp of wine, and stopped arguing.

A glint flashed in Wang Mazi's eyes, but his face showed bewilderment and lingering fear. He nodded repeatedly, "So there was an official ban. Luckily, my brother reminded me, otherwise, as an outsider, I might have unwittingly caused a great disaster."

As he spoke, he poured everyone a full glass of wine and said with a smile, "Come on, let's drink and not talk about anything else."

Seeing that he was sensible, the others lowered their guard.

The traveling merchant gulped down two mouthfuls of strong liquor, still seething with anger. Head bowed, he muttered almost to himself, "Actually, it's not like nobody's inquiring about this..."

The voice wasn't loud; only Wang Mazi, who was closest, heard it. The other two companions heard it vaguely and assumed it was drunken rambling, so they didn't bother to respond.

Wang Mazi's heart skipped a beat, and he casually asked, "Is someone else asking?"

The traveling merchant nodded, slightly drunk: "A few days ago, while I was out trading, I overheard some of my fellow traders talking. They said that the Fan family was also inquiring about what was happening in Shaanxi."

"The Fan family?"