Ten Directions Sword Master

Ten gold ingots and some loose coins were bundled together in one bag.

A copy of the Five Tigers Severing the Gate Knife Technique was also found in the man's package. He flipped through a couple of pages and found that the technique involved wide, sweeping movements, but it was not of high value.

If placed in Bailu Academy, it wouldn't even qualify for inclusion in the bottom level of the library.

Another gain was the three fine horses, which were also worth a considerable amount of money.

Gold and silver in the Compass World cannot be directly taken back to the real world; they must be taken away by paying a certain amount of merit through the Nebula Palace.

Otherwise, it will automatically remain in the hall and can be retrieved the next time you enter.

Only items obtained from the Nebula Palace can be freely traveled to every world.

"This rebel army, including Zhao Sanqin, is slightly weaker than the garrison army, but they are still capable of fighting... It seems that the key to the mission is to help Zhao Sanqin win, while keeping the time limit within one month."

In this way, the chances of survival were reduced from almost certain death to only one in nine.

"Intelligence is still scarce. The secret history of the Northern Wei Dynasty that I know is of no use in this small city of Bingzhou. How to gain the trust of Zhao Sanqin and how a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator can get involved in the battle between Foundation Establishment experts are also problems."

Gu Jingyu, the academy's headmaster who appreciated Lu Li, was a Foundation Establishment cultivator at its peak and had given him guidance twice.

After achieving enlightenment, even if Gu Jingyu suppressed his internal energy to the Qi Induction level, regardless of the difference in swordsmanship, his keen perception and super-fast reaction alone could easily crush those below the Foundation Establishment stage.

Joining this level of combat could easily result in losing your life from the aftershocks.

Ideally, one should remain far away and wait patiently for Zhao Sanqin and He Zheng to engage in a fierce battle until the mission is finally accomplished.

They lit a pile of firewood and burned the body together.

After selecting a fine horse, Lu Li mounted it and, holding the other two reins, set off towards the prefectural city.

……

Bingzhou Prefecture City.

Compared to the outside, the city still maintains basic order, except that there are emaciated beggars everywhere on the streets.

The government has already banned refugees from entering the city, otherwise it would be even more appalling.

Lu Li spent two days touring the entire city and found that many things were quite different from what he had expected.

The government was now a mere formality, with all government affairs confined to the government offices. The city was now managed by three powerful families.

The rebels, unhindered by popular opposition, openly rented two shops on Central Street, converted them into teahouses, and welcomed righteous heroes from all walks of life.

On the contrary, everyone feared He Zheng's name as if it were a snake or a scorpion.

"The imperial court's control over the local areas has weakened to an extreme degree. There are refugees and uprisings everywhere, and the military leaders in various prefectures are arrogant and domineering... No wonder the rise of the Great Chu was so easy. After a few key battles, many areas were pacified with just a proclamation."

Lu Li pulled out a token from his waist pouch. The front of the token featured a white dragon, while the back had three seal characters engraved in relief.

"The rebel army and the military settlement have been at odds for two years, and I have less than a month left... Without extraordinary measures, it will be difficult to succeed. Anyway, once it's done, I can just walk away and leave. No matter how big the loopholes or how much trouble I cause, it will be none of my business."

The yamen runners in the prefectural city had long been replaced by the private soldiers of the three major families, including the city gate guards and the street patrol constables.

However, in such a large city, there are always areas that the three major families cannot manage, which has given rise to a large number of underground gangs.

In terms of strength, they are not particularly powerful; they may not even be able to find a single Foundation Establishment martial artist. However, they have a large number of members and are involved in all aspects of the lower levels of society.

If you want to get something done, it's much more useful to go to them than to the government.

In the real world, the Lu family of Pengcheng started out as a boatmen's guild and has not produced many powerful figures, but no one in Pengcheng dares to underestimate them.

During festivals and holidays, the city lord would often come to visit the head of the household.

There was no other reason than that, based on Lu's single word, the 10,000 laborers at the seven wharves on both sides of the Lansha River and the thousands of boatmen on more than 300 cargo ships all had to obey his orders.

Lu Li was very familiar with the operating rules and the logic of this kind of gang. With a few large sums of money, he found the headquarters of the Gray Wolf Gang, the most influential gang in Bingzhou City, through a street hustler.

Bingzhou is mountainous, so there are naturally many wild animals. Fur, medicinal herbs, and timber are the three major sources of income for the mountain people.

Regardless of which village, people can only sell their mountain products in Fucheng through the Grey Wolf Gang.

Those who violate this rule will have their legs broken and be thrown into a stinking ditch.

This rule has been in effect for over twenty years, with numerous attempts to resist it, all to no avail.

In addition, the Grey Wolf Gang's purchase price was only 40% lower than the market retail price, so the mountain people's resentment was still within a controllable range.

"What would you like to choose, young master? We have a few new, intact tiger skins; would you like to take a look?"

The gang's headquarters was built like a large trading company, with several halls arranged according to the categories of mountain products.

As soon as you enter, a capable waiter comes forward to greet you.

"Is anyone in charge here? We have a big deal to discuss, starting at a thousand taels of silver."

Lu Li changed into a wide robe with a flowing, layered design, exuding luxury and elegance.

"Please come to the private room immediately. I will invite Master Liu to speak with you right away."

The waiter was startled, thinking he had misheard. A single transaction of this amount was usually negotiated by a big shot in the business, and it was something that happened only a few times a year in a casual setting.

Judging from his demeanor and bearing, he didn't seem like a spoiled brat looking for fun, so he quickly had someone lead him into the courtyard while he went to invite the deputy gang leader.

As Lu Li sat down and drank his second cup of tea, there was a knock on the door, and someone strode in.

"My name is Liu Zhang, and I am in charge of this area. Did you say you have a business deal worth over a thousand taels of gold that you wish to do with our gang?"

Liu Zhang didn't look like a member of the underworld, especially not the leader of a gang like the Gray Wolf Gang, which was shady and involved in dirty work.

He was refined and gentle, with a fair complexion, and looked like a frail scholar.

Judging from the speed of his breathing, he has cultivated internal energy and has just entered the Qi-inducing stage.

"I want to buy grain, the more the better, coarse grains and old rice, I'll take them all... I'll buy as much as your family can raise, even if it's 10% more expensive than the grain store."

Lu Li took out a gold ingot, placed it on the table with a clang, and said with a smile.

"These days, grain is a scarce commodity. Where are you coming from, young master, and how are the shipping costs calculated?"

Liu Zhang's breathing quickened slightly, and he immediately recognized it as a standard sixteen-tael gold ingot.

If exchanged for the Great Wei gold-thread dragon pattern coins, they would be worth at least sixty pieces.

The term "one gold" commonly used in the market refers to a single gold-threaded dragon-patterned coin.

"You don't need to transport it. Just deliver it to the nearby warehouse, and someone will come to pick it up."

Lu Li gently tapped the gold ingot on the table, drawing attention to his fingers.

"Seventy percent of the grain in Bingzhou belongs to the Shen family, while the young master only increases it by one-tenth. I'm afraid the final amount received will be limited."

Liu Zhang put aside his thoughts and began to seriously discuss business.

The visitor was mysterious, generous, and had an impressive demeanor; he was also purchasing a large quantity of grain, a highly sensitive commodity.

No one would dare to double-cross such a person, and even his elder brother would be in a difficult position, having to consult the higher-ups behind the scenes.

He just needs to do what he's supposed to do and treat it like a normal business transaction.

"If the Grey Wolf Gang can't do it, I'll have someone buy it from various grain stores, but it'll be a bit slower... You'll make a lot of money on a thousand-gold amount."

Lu Li stood up abruptly, without even glancing at the gold ingot.

"This is a deposit. I'll come back in three days and hopefully hear a specific amount then."

"Please leave your name, young master, so we can contact you if we have any news."

Liu Zhang hurriedly got up. The business deal had been inexplicable, and he had been led around by the other party the whole time.

"No need, no one in the Great Wei dares to cheat me out of my property!"

Lu Li smiled, waved his hand and slammed something onto the table, then left gracefully.

Liu Zhang looked down, his face deathly pale. He grabbed the chair to keep from falling, his mind completely blank.

There was an engraving on the table.

Imperial City Guard.