He changed Tiwat

Rouran smiled but remained silent, while Zu Tao laughed heartily, first pouring Ziyuan a cup of wine before replying, "Isn't this what we came here for today? Ningguang wants to take our chess piece, and what we give her in return is the 'Tiger'."

He pointed to the chessboard and explained to his old friend, "In Go, life and death depend on a single breath. If there are breaths, the game is alive; if there are no breaths, the game is dead. This is like a tiger's mouth surrounded from three sides. If she dares to step into it, it will be like 'a lamb entering a tiger's mouth.'"

Ziyuan frowned and asked, "What if she doesn't go into the tiger's den?"

Rou Ran poured herself a full cup, and after drinking it, she said, "How could she bear to part with such a huge bait as Yinyuan Hall?"

Ziyuan looked at Rouran suspiciously: "So, Brother Rouran, you're willing to part with it?"

Rou Ran smiled and said, "There is an old saying in Liyue: 'You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.'"

Zu Tao smiled and placed a piece on the board, saying, "In this game, if she attacks, she will fall into a trap; if she doesn't attack, we can take advantage of the outside to launch a counterattack. We can attack and defend as we please. Brother Rouran, playing black, has already made his move and is confident of victory."

Rou Ran gently stroked her wine cup and recited a poem: "The poem says: 'Alas, you gentlemen, do not rest in peace forever. Be respectful in your positions and cherish uprightness. The gods will hear you and bestow upon you great blessings.' There is no god greater than the transformative power of the Way, and no blessing longer than the absence of calamity. Ning Guang was able to amass such a vast fortune because of her greed—with such greed, wanting everything, how could she not invite disaster?"

Ziyuan asked, "You mean that a trap has already been set up in Yinyuan Hall for Ningguang, and if she is greedy enough, she will walk right into it?"

“As Brother Jiang said,” Rou Ran smiled. “Ning Guang has perhaps been in Tianquan’s position for too long, so long that she has forgotten how a barefoot fishmonger girl on Yaoguang Beach became rich twenty years ago—she wants to settle scores with Yinyuan Hall, but Yinyuan Hall can also settle scores with her in return. She can’t trace the scales of two hundred years ago, but we can trace Ning Guang back to twenty years ago.”

“She wanted to investigate Yinyuan Hall, so let her investigate. She probably thought that since there was no evidence left from that year at Yaoguang Saltworks and the clerk who traded with her had passed away, she could rest easy... Little did she know that her former employer, the head of the Cha family of Yaoguang Beach, was not senile yet. The fishermen she arrested this time were members of the Cha family.”

"I see." Ziyuan smiled broadly, then thought for a moment and said, "But Ningguang is no ordinary person. If she really knows when to stop, what should we do?"

Rou Ran got up, spread out a roll of Xuan paper on the desk next to her, picked up a brush and wrote, reciting in a low voice: "With a flick of the brush, the scroll is opened again, and I leisurely gaze at the misty scenery."

Ziyuan couldn't understand her meaning for a moment, and could only watch Rouran draw strokes on the paper.

"Hehe, now that she's in the game, she has no choice." Zu Tao chuckled. "Look, this tiger's mouth is formed by three black pieces, representing three forces. If this one is Yinyuan Hall, then what about the other two?"

Rou Ran smiled and recited two more lines: "Tilting towards the orchid, I respectfully invite you, and sigh, I laugh at myself for being so foolish with a single word."

Ziyuan slapped his thigh and suddenly realized, "Inviting Lan to... Landa! That's right, we have two more allies! The Fools and the Abyss Order won't let this opportunity pass by. They can sit back and watch the tigers fight and reap the benefits."

"Those who ride horses are not necessarily swift of foot, yet they can travel a thousand miles; those who use boats are not necessarily good swimmers, yet they can cross rivers. A wise man is not born different, but he is good at making use of things," Rou Ran said with a smile.

Zu Tao then raised his cup and said, "Come, let's drink to our great plan."

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves while drinking and drinking.

After the two left, Rouran sat down at the table and wrote another letter.

This letter was addressed to Landa, the "Mondstadt merchant," and conveyed the matter they had just discussed.

However, the handwriting on this letter was not the smooth, rounded style that Rou Ran was used to writing.

Rouran were skilled in calligraphy and adept at imitating the handwriting of others.

If this letter were to be received by someone other than Landa, then the Rouran would hope that the letter would be directed to someone other than him.

The handwriting on the letter was slender and varied – it was the handwriting of that Tianxuan Star.

After he finished writing and sealed the letter, someone knocked on the door of the private room.

Rou Ran responded, and Luo Xia, the manager of the Pearl Pavilion, pushed open the door and entered.

Luo Xia bowed to Rou Ran and said, "Master, Miss Ling Jun asked me about her father."

Rou Ran strolled over to the table where they had just played chess, picked up a few giant clam shell chess pieces, and played with them casually.

The chess pieces are as white as jade, with a gold line in the center, exuding an air of nobility, just like the gold-inlaid jade cheongsam that Ningguang loves to wear.

Rou Ran listened to the crisp clinking of the chess pieces in her hand and smiled: "Tell her that her father has already gone back, and she can spend as much time as she wants on the ship."

"Yes," Luo Xia replied.

Rou Ran released her grip, and the chess pieces fell from her hand onto the chessboard with a clatter, disrupting the previous game's outcome.

“People say that many children bring many blessings, but that may not be the case for those two. Their descendants are unworthy, what can be done?” Rou Ran covered the chessboard with her hand. “Even when you sit on the mountain watching tigers fight, you have to be careful that the tiger doesn’t hurt you. If you don’t have the ability to protect yourself, the line between the spectator and the prey won’t be very clear.”

Luo Xia knew these words weren't actually meant for her, so she remained silent.

Rou Ran looked up at Luo Xia and handed her the letter, saying, "Deliver this letter to where it should be delivered."

Luo Xia dared not meet his gaze, bowed her head to accept the envelope, and respectfully asked, "Does Master have any further instructions for me?"

Rou Ran tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Please tell the elders in my family that I want to take out 'Salt Sorrow' on a chosen day."

Luo Xia's pupils contracted, but she still bowed her head and responded.

Rouran paused for a moment, then said, "Have someone else go to the 'Rock Tea House' and convey the invitation and sincerity of the Pearl Pavilion to its owner."

After Luoxia left to receive her orders, Rouran got up, opened the window, and looked down at the singing and dancing on the Pearl-Inlaid Boat. She once again softly recited the two lines of poetry: "I wield my brush and paint, then open the scroll again, drunkenly gazing at the misty scenery. I lean towards the orchid and respectfully invite it, sighing and laughing at myself for being so foolish with a single word."

A picture was flashing through his mind—the great feat of his ancestor, the "King of Mortals," in slaying gods.

That sword pierced the heart of the Salt God from behind.

There are fishermen on Yaoguang Beach, and of course, there are also fishing villages.

The wealthiest family in the fishing village was the Cha family.

The Cha family is so large and powerful that they can no longer be considered fishermen; in the eyes of ordinary fishermen, they are more like "local gentry." The Cha family established themselves generations ago, owning shops in Liyue Harbor and relatives and friends in all eight gates. They could easily have acquired property in Scarlet Cloud Slope. However, it is said that the Cha family, to avoid forgetting their roots, chose to return to their ancestral home in Yaoguang Beach and also employ local fishermen for their fishing.

In Yaoguangtan fishing village, about half of the fishermen's boats are registered under the Cha family's name.

The head of the Cha family, Cha Yingshan, is over sixty years old. He is a well-read scholar who once held a minor official position in Baishui Hall, rising to the rank of deputy director. Later, due to illness, he retired and returned to his hometown to recuperate. In his old home in Yaoguangtan, he built a library called "Huihai Lou," meaning "wisdom as deep and vast as the sea." Cha Yingshan finds great pleasure in gazing upon the "Wisdom Sea" from the seaside.

The "fisherman" who bought salt at the "Yaoguang Saltworks" that Bai Wen arrested this time was none other than Cha Yingshan's only son.

His only son was named Cha Youqi. He had a son late in life and doted on him. He passed on the family business to his son to manage at a young age.

Although he had heard about Bai Wen detaining Cha Youqi for investigation, he was not particularly alarmed. It was just a difference of a few hundred catties of fish and salt, and he could just pay the fine. It wasn't until the news of the corruption of 60 billion Mora at the Yaoguang Saltworks was published that Cha Yingshan realized the matter was serious.

Chapter 361 Two Tigers Fight, One Acts as an Accomplice [4k5]

"Cha Sanbiaozi! Wake up!" A guard gruffly banged on the iron bars of the cell with a stick.

The man, who had been lying dazed on the straw mat, got up in a daze, and it took him a long time to focus his eyes.

This person was none other than Cha Youqi, who was being held in custody by the General Affairs Department.

Cha Youqi had a fair complexion and wore very fine clothes, looking like a young master, except that his hair was a bit messy—after all, there were no maids in the prison to help him with his grooming.

"Cha Sanbiaozi" is a nickname, a derogatory term for someone who spends money recklessly, and is synonymous with spendthrift.

Not only do the villagers of Yaoguang Beach call him that, but many people in Liyue Harbor also know his reputation.

This reputation stems from the foolish things he did over the years at "Xiguju".

The antique shop "Xiguju" on Scarlet Cloud Slope is a long-established Liyue brand that gathers rare and precious treasures from all over the world. It has a great reputation among antique collectors and is often visited by refined guests.

Whether it's the exquisite clocks of Fontainebleau, the incense of Sumeru, the wine jug left by the old royal family of Mondstadt, the wooden bench where the immortal sat for half an hour, the jade cup where the Rock Lord once tasted a cup of tea, or the celadon wine bottle that the wind god of the neighboring country accidentally broke... all of these are neatly displayed in the shop, just waiting for the right customers to visit.

According to the shop owner, Linlang, it should be described as a fat sheep with a destined connection.

The young master of the Cha family was one of the lucky sheep who had a chance to be caught.

The rule of "Xiguju" is to close its doors to guests during the day and only open at moonrise. It also serves not ordinary customers, but discerning connoisseurs.

—But this is nothing more than a gimmick, a publicity stunt by "Xiguju" to raise its own value.

Boss Linlang isn't some nocturnal vampire. She goes out shopping during the day too. If you want to discuss business during the day, just wait for her on the streets she frequents and invite her for tea.

Those familiar with the owner of Linlang Antique Shop generally follow this routine: negotiate with her during the day, and then pick up the goods when the shop opens in the evening.

But Cha Youqi, who had lived in Yaoguangtan for a long time, was unaware of the trickery involved.

A few years ago, he came to "Xiguju" in Feiyunpo, hoping to pick out an antique inkstone for his father, but he found that "Xiguju" was closed to visitors during the day.

When Boss Linlang heard someone banging on the door, she impatiently explained the rules to Young Master Cha through the crack in the door. Whether Young Master Cha was a bit slow or wanted to show off his uniqueness, he insisted that he was in a hurry and that "Xiguju" should open its doors to receive him during the day.

The owner of Linlang found him too noisy, so he set a condition: if "Xiguju" wanted to open the door for him alone, the opening fee would be 20 million Mora.

Twenty million Mora is a sum that would take an ordinary person in Liyue Harbor several years to accumulate even without eating or drinking. Giving it away as an entrance fee is something even the wealthiest young master wouldn't do.

Linlang thought this guy would back down, but to her surprise, Young Master Cha signed a bank draft worth 20 million Mora and stuffed it into the crack in the door without saying a word.

Opening the door would bring in twenty million for free; Linlang would be a fool not to do this business. So Linlang immediately opened the door for Young Master Cha. Young Master Cha walked into the shop with his head held high and picked out an antique inkstone for his father that was said to be nearly a thousand years old, which he bought for ten million Mora.

Later, another enthusiast found an identical antique-style inkstone at Ying'er's shop, the owner of "Chunxiang Kiln". Both were made by Ying'er herself and were priced at 10,000 Mora, with a 20% discount for wholesalers.

Cha Youqi, this "foolish son of a landlord," did many foolish things like this in Liyue Harbor.

The nickname "Cha Sanbiaozi," referring to the simple-minded man from the countryside, spread from there.

"Get up! Someone is looking for you," the guard shouted at Cha Youqi.

Although Cha Youqi was a proud and arrogant man, after spending two days in the prison cell, he lost his arrogance and asked in a low voice with a forced smile, "Brother guard, who is looking for me? Is it my family?"

It was nearly midnight, and the guard, who was sleeping, was naturally in a bad mood after being woken up. He glared at him and said irritably, "If your old man counts as a family member, then that's it."

After saying that, he turned around and went out.

After a while, an old man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, entered the prison. He was none other than Cha Yingshan, the head of the Cha family.

"Father! Father, please get me out of here!" Cha Youqi cried out in overjoyment, shaking the fence.

Cha Yingshan shook his head: "Xiaoshan, this matter involves our entire Cha family, so it's not something we can easily deal with."

Cha Youqi's childhood name was Xiaoshan. His father rarely called him that since he came of age. This time, he called him that to emphasize the seriousness of the situation to his unruly son.

Upon hearing his father's words, Cha Youqi was secretly alarmed. He tried his best to hide his panic and nodded, "Father, please speak."

Cha Yingshan slowly said, "This time, our family has been drawn into the struggle between the Seven Stars. This Yinyuan Hall is the battlefield chosen by Tianquan Ningguang, and 'Yaoguang Salt Field' is just the first battle."

Cha Youqi's expression darkened.

"How...how could this be? Doesn't Ningguang have any feelings for the past?"

With a loud "bang," Grandpa Cha raised his cane and slammed it against the fence, startling Cha Youqi.

"Idiot! What past relationship does Ningguang have with our family? Is her surname Cha?"

"...She almost..." Cha Youqi retorted timidly.

"Shut up!" Old Master Cha made the good-for-nothing swallow the rest of his sentence.

This kid has never been interested in managing the family business. He basically just goes through the motions and lives off his savings. It's impossible to expect him to turn the Cha family into a prosperous and powerful family in Yujing.

Although the Cha family was far from being a prestigious family like the one in Yujingtai, they were still a family with a history of several hundred years. In previous generations, there were officials in the Eight Gates, so they were a prominent family. The family fortune accumulated by their ancestors over the generations, if not huge, was enough to support "Cha Sanbiaozi" to continue "marking" things like this without being completely squandered.

Although Mr. Cha prided himself on being a man of integrity, he was well aware of how his ancestors had amassed their fortune and how his family business had been maintained. He was already grateful that his descendants could enjoy a comfortable life. Hoping his descendants would start a business? Heh, it would be a blessing if they didn't end up in jail. —And here he is, Cha Youqi, already in prison.

Grandpa Cha had two main expectations for his only son: first, that he wouldn't squander the family fortune before he passed away; and second, that he would give him a grandson.

Cha Youqi is quite proactive in this regard. If you were to ask where Cha Youqi focuses his attention, it would be on women.

For example, when he spent 30 million Mora at "Xiguju", everyone thought he was stupid, but Old Master Cha knew exactly what his son was thinking - it was nothing more than winning the favor of the beautiful woman who owned the Bona Linlang.

Unfortunately, "Xiguju" is a thousand-year-old tradition. The first shop owner from a thousand years ago, Wen Gui, was said to be a ruthless character who could use her silver tongue to trick the Geo Archon into spending a lot of money to buy fakes. Her deeds are recorded in "The Travels of the Geo Archon". She was also very famous in the Liyue merchant circle.

As the heir to "Xiguju", Boss Linlang's family business is no less than that of the Cha family. Moreover, most of her customers in Liyue Harbor are nobles from Yujingtai. How could they possibly look down on Cha Youqi, this country bumpkin?

As for the Mora that Cha Youqi gave away... that was a gift, so why not take it?

Cha Youqi was not short of women. He kept twelve stunningly beautiful maids in his room, each with bright eyes and white teeth, and each with a different charm and allure. Many of these maids were famous actresses he bought at high prices from the Pearl Pavilion. He had spent over a hundred million of his fortune on these women.

Cha Youqi used all the literary talent he inherited to write about this. He named the twelve maids after scenes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. For example, the maid in the "spring" room was named Yangliu (Willow), and the maid in the "summer" room was named Yingtao (Cherry). He would also write some pretentious phrases from time to time, but they were all erotic words like "Cherry lips, willow waist".

Moreover, Cha Youqi is also a... cosplay enthusiast, and the "uniforms" he gave the maids are quite unique. The three maids in the Spring Chamber wear Liyue cheongsams, the three in the Summer Chamber wear Inazuma yukatas, the three in the Autumn Chamber wear Mondstadt nun's habit, and the three in the Winter Chamber... wear men's clothing.

However, a maid is still a maid, not a wife, and the position of mistress of the Cha family remains vacant to this day.

Old Master Cha himself regretted this matter—regretted letting this young man have unrealistic expectations.

Cha Youqi... has always had a crush on Ningguang.

Ningguang is stunningly beautiful, and as the Tianquan Star and richest person in Liyue, she has countless suitors. Cha Youqi is not even among Ningguang's suitors. In fact, Ningguang may not even have a memory of him, Young Master Cha.

However, it cannot be said that Cha Youqi's mention of "past feelings" is entirely unfounded.

That was twenty years ago, when Ningguang was still a young girl living in the fishing village of Yaoguangtan.

At that time, Ningguang had not yet made his fortune, but he had already earned his first pot of gold through certain means—the so-called certain means were bribing the clerks in the salt fields who "brought in with large scales and sold out with small scales" to smuggle salt.

However, Ningguang's capital was limited, and the money she earned using this method was still a long way from her dream of building the Qunyu Pavilion, so she thought of seeking investment.

The first "investor" she found was the Cha family, who were her "bosses" as fishermen.

The Cha family's rise to power was actually the same as Ningguang's, but over the past few centuries, the Cha family had become a stable "partner" of the Yaoguang Saltworks. The Cha family's fish market in Liyue Harbor was actually an underground operation selling smuggled salt.

To put it bluntly, the Cha family were just "front men" for the saltworks managers in Yinyuan Hall to make money.

There are quite a few such "white gloves" throughout Liyue, but back then Ningguang only knew about the Cha family—it's obvious that a poor place like Yaoguang Beach Fishing Village couldn't produce a golden phoenix. If Cha Yingshan, who prides himself on being a scholar and refined gentleman, didn't embezzle a single penny when he was an official, where would his family's money come from?

Therefore, Ningguang went to Ningguang's door and asked to become an "accomplice".

For Ningguang, this marked the beginning of her business legend.