From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

"What do you want to ask?"

Liu Yin gave Jiang She a cold glance.

Jiang She smiled slightly and said gently, "As I said before, do you think there's some misunderstanding here?"

Liu Yin nodded: "There is a slight misunderstanding."

"But that's a private matter between my fellow disciples. What business is it of yours, an outsider?"

As she spoke, she turned her head to the side and stared at the man with her big eyes.

Madam Xu was immediately displeased upon hearing this:

"Hey! Jiang Se isn't an outsider. He's in cahoots with me, in cahoots, understand?"

As she spoke, she angrily stepped forward and flicked Liu Yin's fair forehead on the forehead.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, her fair forehead instantly flushed red.

Liu Yin groaned softly, clutching his forehead without crying out in pain.

She glared at Jiang She again, but Jiang She pretended not to see it and went straight to the point:

"I'm not afraid of offending you, young lady, but in my opinion, you've probably been tricked by Zhao Jiaren. Several months ago, the Black Army did indeed set up an ambush in the morgue, but the result was not as Zhao Jiaren claimed. Instead, the Black Army lost both their wife and their troops, and two sixth-rank martial artists were implicated, one dead and the other wounded."

"..."

Liu Yin remained silent for a moment.

She knew in her heart that since the assassin who had attempted the assassination months ago was Xu Lian, the assassination attempt on that day would certainly not have failed.

It seems that someone has been spreading rumors.

But why do we do this?

How to ruin one's reputation?

Or is it to protect the authority of the corrupt government?

Liu Yin couldn't figure it out, so he frowned and said, "I know Zhao Jiaren is deceiving me, but... I accepted his deposit, and I can't kill him myself before he orders me to assassinate him."

"These are my rules, and they cannot be broken."

After Liu Yin finished speaking, he fell silent again.

She was usually taciturn, but tonight's words were almost a summary of everything she had said in a year.

Upon hearing this, Jiang She questioned:

"What if it wasn't your intention, but someone offered you money to kill him? Would you still not kill him?"

Liu Yin shook his head:

"That's fine, it doesn't break any rules."

Uh... it really is a case of getting paid to do something.

Jiang She raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

at that time.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the horizon gradually turned a pale white.

The group chatted for a while longer inside the temple.

Liu Yin frankly stated that since she had already accepted the money, she would not touch Zhao Jiaren for the time being. However, as she spoke, she glanced at Jiang She a few times, her eyes seemingly implying to Jiang She that "you can pay more to buy me."

Jiang She ignored this.

Before long, they all dispersed.

On the way back to the mansion, Madam Xu couldn't help but ask:

"Jiang Se, you're not buying Liu Yin, so why are you asking those people? I think she's hinting that you should buy her."

"Oh, Madam Xu, you don't understand, this is called fishing."

"Fishing? I know how! I can fish!"

"..."

Watching Madam Xu raise her delicate hand as if casting a fishing rod, Jiang She remained silent, head bowed, as he walked along.

Before long, the two arrived at Xu's residence.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he bumped into the young lady.

Xu Qingyue did not wear her usual floral-patterned silk robe today, but instead changed into a more dignified and noble long dress.

Her upper body was a vermilion wide-sleeved cross-collar jacket, embroidered with gold thread, featuring intricate peony patterns with fine stitches that stretched from her shoulders to her slender waist. When the sunlight shone on the fabric, the peony patterns shimmered with golden light.

The collar stood up, trimmed with a circle of snow-white fur that clung softly to her slender neck, making her skin appear even whiter and more delicate.

Her long skirt trailed on the ground, the hem made of dark blue cloud satin, embroidered with a hundred butterflies among flowers using five-colored silk threads. The butterfly wings fluttered and were hidden in the folds of the skirt, swaying slightly as she walked, like a flock of butterflies dancing among flowers.

Her attire was luxurious and elegant, exuding a dignified and graceful aura, which made her already stunning beauty even more unapproachable.

only......

At this moment, Xu Qingyue's pretty face darkened slightly, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were staring straight at the man who had just entered the courtyard. Her gaze was like autumn water covered with frost, so cold that it made people shiver.

"Miss."

Jiang She raised his hand in a salute.

Madam Xu also curtsied.

Xu Qingyue remained silent, still secretly jealous.

Originally, after a night's rest, most of her pent-up frustration had dissipated. She was thinking of sparing Jiang She the hardship of working on the construction site today. But before she could even say anything, she saw Jiang She return from outside early in the morning with a woman by his side. She was curvaceous with a wide bottom.

"Who is this woman?"

Xu Qingyue sensed a strong sense of crisis.

Qiao'er whispered in her ear, "Miss, she is a cook in the kitchen, fifteen years old, named Xu Lian."

"The fifteenth? It's the fifteenth again?!"

Upon hearing the word "fifteen years old," Xu Qingyue's almond-shaped eyes widened as if she had discovered some unspeakable secret.

She suddenly remembered that Zhao Qiaoling was also fifteen years old, and now there was another fifteen-year-old Xu Lian.

They were all five years younger than me.

Could it be...?

Does Jiang Langjun prefer young girls?

Does he really think I'm too old?

No... that's impossible.

He also said the chicken soup I made was delicious...

Xu Qingyue comforted herself in her heart.

The more she tried to comfort herself, the more confused she became. So she glared at the man with wide, almond-shaped eyes and gave him a vicious look.

He said in a sarcastic tone:

"Young Master Jiang only returned so early this morning; he clearly didn't stay out all night. He must have been enjoying himself so much that he forgot all about home and was exhausted after a long night's rest?"

Ok?

That sounds a bit strange.

Jiang She paused for a moment, then remained silent.

Madam Xu, however, brought up the very thing she didn't want to talk about:

"Oh! Miss, do you even know?"

"Jiang Se didn't sleep a wink last night, he's perfectly healthy! And besides, Jiang Se is such a good person, even though I took off all my clothes last night, he didn't even look at me."

Take off...take off your clothes?

They've all taken their clothes off?!

Xu Qingyue's lips were slightly agape, her eyes staring blankly at Jiang She, her gaze filled with disbelief.

She was stunned for a long time before she suddenly came to her senses, her pretty face flushing red, burning from her ears all the way to her neck.

"Qiao'er!"

Xu Qingyue was extremely jealous: "Isn't Gaotai still short of people? Young Master Jiang went there yesterday, so let him go again today. There's no need to send someone else."

He finished speaking.

She grunted twice, then turned away in a huff, her long skirt sweeping across the bluestone path as she headed straight for the inner courtyard.

Only Jiang She and a few others remained, looking at each other in bewilderment.

...

...

East Market.

The intersection of Yunshuifang and Liyangfang.

The place was bustling with activity and filled with the sounds of people.

In the center of an open space spanning several tens of feet, a high platform has already risen from the ground.

From a distance, the high platform resembles a black tower, majestic and imposing, standing tall in the world.

The craftsmen worked quickly and efficiently.

In just one night, the platform was completed, with only the wooden planks on top remaining to be laid.

Look up.

The platform has a pyramidal roof with slightly upturned eaves. Rafters have been installed and a layer of waterproof tarpaulin has been laid on it.

The surrounding area is covered with layers of bamboo frames, and craftsmen swarm on them like ants: some squat by the eaves, holding chisels, clanging and banging, repairing the mortise and tenon joints; some carry buckets of ash, carefully filling the gaps between the boards with trowels; some carry new tiles, slowly climbing up the bamboo ladder, their steps heavy, making the bamboo frames sway slightly.

On the open ground below the stage, miscellaneous items were piled up.

The remaining timber and bricks were sorted and neatly stacked; sawdust and shavings were swept into several piles, which have not yet been cleared away.

Several craftsmen are gathering and binding the disassembled bamboo frames and ropes.

"Go and clear that pile of rubble in the west corner immediately!"

"Check the scaffolding carefully again. Are the mortise and tenon joints loose? Remember to lay the asphalt lining flat, without any wrinkles!"

On the construction site.

He Dayong shouted in a rough voice, giving orders with composure.

The sun rose higher overhead, casting its light upon the high platform.

Looking up, it was as if the sun was shining brightly on a high platform, its golden light dazzling and intensely hot.

Jiang She stood at the edge of the construction site, looking up at the enormous structure.

Qiao'er followed beside him, stood on tiptoe and looked for a while before blinking and saying:

"Young Master Jiang, it's getting late. I need to go back and prepare for tomorrow's ritual with Miss."

Upon hearing this, Jiang She realized that tomorrow... would be the day Dong Yunqi "borrowed the tiger's might" to lord it over others.

Yes, they're just riding on the coattails of the powerful.

Jiang She originally wanted to gain something for nothing.

He planned to wait until Dong Yunqi "borrowed power" the next day, and then, just like he had previously confiscated the Xuanjin Bracelet from the Third Madam, he would take all the slaves' hidden possessions into his own pocket.

But I don't know why.

A sense of unease arose in his heart.

Or rather... I feel ashamed.

He was ashamed that this so-called mountain god messenger was something he had made up at will, but unexpectedly, it was spread by word of mouth and became a rumor.

In fact, many people in the community believe in it.

Will doing this really attract worshippers?

Jiang She planned to visit the mountain god temple.

But fearing he might displease the young lady, he had no choice but to finish his work first.

Just as I was pondering this, voices drifted over from afar.

"Brother Jiang!"

When He Dayong saw Jiang She approaching from afar, he quickly put down what he was doing and jogged over to greet him.

As he approached, he raised his hand in a gesture of respect.

Jiang She returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute, then turned and glanced around. He looked even more like a foreman than He Dayong, the foreman himself, and said calmly:

"Brother He, you guys are really efficient. You've already finished most of the work in just one night."

"Haha, yes, only some finishing touches are left." He Dayong rubbed his hands together, a deep smile on his face.

"Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

Jiang She asked directly.

Upon hearing this, He Dayong didn't think much of it, assuming it was a leader inspecting the construction site. He pointed to the warehouse and said, "There are still some loose pieces of timber in the warehouse. They need to be neatly arranged and transported out of the construction site."

"Where to send it?"

"Transported to Yushan."

Yushan is not a very high mountain, but it has a forest farm.

The remaining timber from this batch of timber, after leaving the forest farm, must be neatly arranged and transported back to the warehouse in the forest farm for management.

This can be considered an unwritten rule of the Xu family.

Jiang She had just been planning to go to Yushan, and this job was exactly what he wanted.

So he volunteered, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Brother He, I'll go and make some."

"Um?"

He Dayong was taken aback, thinking that this rich kid wanted to slack off, but he didn't dare to say anything because of the other party's status.

He had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Brother Jiang, to take good care of me."

Jiang She agreed and drove the mule cart to the warehouse.

The warehouse was extremely large, with a thatched roof and bamboo frame. There were no walls on the four sides, only straw curtains tied with thick hemp ropes that partially covered it. The interior was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, slicing diagonally across the mountain of timber like a knife.

This area is mostly filled with scraps and odds and ends.

There were short pine sticks, about the thickness of an arm, of varying lengths, piled up into mounds, with rough surfaces and still bearing burrs; there were cedar planks, about the width of a palm, of varying thickness, haphazardly stacked, with shavings still visible on the surface and clear grain.

Large chunks of wood shavings, fluffy like snow, piled up high, almost touching the roof. When the wind blew, the wood shavings fluttered down, dancing like dust in the beam of light.

Jiang She walked into the shed.

The air was filled with a strong scent of pine resin, mixed with a faint musty smell from the damp wood.

He wrinkled his nose.

Yes.

A few nights ago, a torrential downpour soaked a lot of wood. If this happened to anyone else, they would definitely feel the pinch. But the Xu family is so wealthy that they can just throw away several pieces of top-quality cedar and birch.

"Let's do it."

Jiang She watched for a while, and was about to bend down to move the wood when he heard a series of heavy footsteps coming from outside the shed.

"Brother Jiang, hold your hand!"

"Um?"

Looking back, I saw He Dayong calling out in a gruff voice; his voice had arrived even before he did.

Immediately, the straw curtain was lifted by a strong arm.

Sunlight poured in, illuminating the dust and debris as they drifted away.

He Dayong stepped in first, followed by six or seven strong men.

These men were all dressed in coarse cloth short brown shirts with the sleeves rolled up high to their elbows, revealing their bronze forearms, muscles as tough as cast iron, and veins bulging out like earthworms.

They wore matching trousers, loose-fitting with rolled-up cuffs that revealed their calves, showing clear muscle definition. They also wore straw sandals with thick soles, making them very convenient for going up and down the mountain.

Jiang She glanced at the men.

Seeing that the men had dark skin, broad shoulders and thick backs, and exuded a heavy sense of strength when they stood still, one could tell that these strong men were laborers who made a living by selling their physical strength year after year.

"Hehe! Brother Jiang, why would you need to do such heavy work yourself?"

He Dayong stepped forward, his face beaming with a warm smile, and patted the shoulder of the most burly laborer beside him:

"These guys are all top performers on our construction site, specializing in moving heavy objects."

"Old Hei, take a few brothers and load all these loose pieces of timber onto the mule cart. Make sure it's securely tied up, so it doesn't fall apart halfway and crush our Brother Jiang."

The man called "Old Black" was in his early thirties, with a broad back and a burly build. Upon hearing the voice, he clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell, ringing loudly in the ears of the group.

"Don't worry, foreman, we've got it covered!"

After saying this, he turned around and waved to the laborers behind him, signaling them to move the timber.

The others didn't waste any words, they all rolled up their sleeves, revealing their muscular arms, and strode into the pile of timber.

Their movements were clean and efficient, like tigers entering a flock of sheep.

Two people work together, bending down, lowering their waists, and reaching out to each grab the ends of a short pine stick about the size of a bowl.

"rise--!"

With a low shout, the two exerted their strength simultaneously.

The thick log was lifted off the ground with a thud, then steadily carried horizontally to the shoulder, and transported out step by step.

"Thump!"

The timber made a dull thud as it was loaded onto the mule cart.

Three other people surrounded the pile of cedar planks.

One person crouches down, bracing his shoulder against the bottom of the pile of planks, while the other two stand on either side, each grabbing the edges of several planks.

"Heave-ho!"

With everyone exerting their strength simultaneously, their waists and legs tensed, and the veins on their foreheads bulged slightly. A whole stack of planks was slowly lifted up by the three of them.

They walked with steady steps, as if carrying a giant cauldron. Although their steps were heavy, the planks did not sway in the slightest.

When you reach the mule cart, carefully tilt it and arrange the planks neatly next to the pine sticks.

then.

Then they took out thick hemp rope, and after the wood was piled up to a certain height, they intertwined and tied it.

With skillful knot-tying, the wood was tightly bound with a pull and a tug, remaining completely still.

In just a short while.

The scattered timber that was originally piled up like a mountain was reduced at a visible rate, and was sorted and neatly stacked on the mule cart.

The mule carts gradually filled up, resembling a small, moving hill.

Jiang She stood quietly to one side, watching with his hands behind his back.

He Dayong moved closer to Jiang She, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of ingratiation:

"Brother Jiang, transporting goods is hard work, so these laborers are yours to manage."

Jiang She nodded.

He knew that He Dayong was driven by greed, which was why he was so obsequious to him.

But he did not find it repulsive.

After all, those who have ulterior motives are always better than those who offer unsolicited flattery.

“Gagaga—”

The wheel hubs creaked and groaned.

Gradually, they left the market town and headed into the mountains.