Chapter 150
Looking at the two unlucky fools in front of her, Hong Li froze for a moment.
Were they here to make a joke out of themselves?
She turned her head and glanced behind her at the other two.
All four of them were weaker than her, but if they joined forces against her, she wasn’t confident she could take them all down at once.
Under the wary gazes of the two behind her, Hong Li squinted slightly and casually tossed the flame in her hand forward.
The chubby man clutching his stomach and howling noticed the flame hurtling toward him and quickly dodged out of its path. Fortunately for him, Hong Li seemed to only want to scare them off, so the flame, though searingly hot, wasn’t particularly fast.
However…
A sudden mountain breeze blew past.
The wind fueled the fire, and what had been a head-sized flame expanded rapidly, changing direction in midair!
The now massive ball of fire landed squarely on the chubby man.
He let out a miserable scream and sprinted toward the lake.
The skinny man, who hadn’t anticipated this development, was blocking his path. He was quickly engulfed by the fire’s licking tongues as well.
Panicking, he dropped to the ground, rolling frantically in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
But the mountain breeze only fanned the tiny embers, causing them to burn brighter. In no time, he was engulfed, turning into a blazing figure.
Amidst the anguished screams, the skinny man followed his companion’s lead, dragging his flaming body toward the lake at the mountaintop.
Hong Li was completely stunned.
All she wanted was to clear the road by scaring them off. After all, she wasn’t yet ready to confront those old foxes. Who would have thought these two could somehow set themselves on fire like that?
“You’re amazing, Sister Hong Li!” Tang Yu’an clapped enthusiastically, trying to mask his own nervousness.
What terrifying bad-luck marbles!
Next to him, Zhou Qi watched the two blazing figures retreating in the distance and swallowed hard before joining in the applause.
Bad-luck marbles—well-deserved reputation!
And then a thought struck him: If there were marbles for joy and sorrow as opposites, could there be… lucky marbles?
Hong Li felt a bit embarrassed by the two kids’ clapping.
After all, this was entirely the fault of those two fools. Claiming it as her victory would only lower her standards!
“Hong Li, you’re going too far!”
The two remaining ability users glared at her, their faces dark.
Hong Li glanced at them, flames once again igniting in her palm. With a scoff, she said, “Care to join them?”
The two ability users instinctively stepped back.
Without their two companions, they knew they couldn’t take Hong Li down. They’d be lucky to escape unscathed.
“You… you’ll regret this!”
After some deliberation, they spat out a threat before pushing past the guards to leave.
Watching the two storm off, venting their frustration by kicking the fallen guards, Tang Yu’an frowned.
Bad guys like these deserved a good lesson!
Bad-luck marbles, activate!
A black orb flashed briefly and struck the two before disappearing back into Tang Yu’an’s storage space.
Rip—
As one of the ability users raised his foot to kick another guard, his pants tore unexpectedly. Losing his balance, he tripped and fell to the ground.
The slope they were on was steep, and he tumbled all the way down.
His companion tried to grab him, only to trip over a stone himself. The result? Both rolled down the mountain path together.
Hong Li: “…”
She frowned slightly and turned to look at the two kids.
Tang Yu’an blinked innocently, while Zhou Qi stared at the tumbling figures, equally wide-eyed in surprise.
Hong Li shifted her gaze back.
Maybe she was overthinking it. These four were just too dumb. Reflecting on how cautious she had been earlier, she couldn’t help but shake her head.
“Let’s go inside.”
She led the two children into the Guard Post and to the room where Jin Fu was being held.
Jin Fu had heard the commotion outside and was questioning the guards when Hong Li entered. Seeing her, he plastered on a smile—until he noticed the two boys following her.
His lips twitched briefly, but his grin didn’t falter.
“Ah, Mountain Lord, you’ve finally arrived!” he said ingratiatingly. “This is all just a misunderstanding. You’ve got the wrong person!”
“Hah, whether I’ve got the wrong person or not, you know full well.”
“Mountain Lord, everything must be based on evidence! If you have proof, I’ll gladly accept whatever punishment you and these two young gentlemen deem fit.”
Jin Fu spoke with confidence, knowing full well he had covered his tracks. He had only incited someone to stir trouble, and that person was conveniently trampled to death in the riot—leaving no evidence behind.
With no witnesses left, Jin Fu stood tall, confidence radiating from him.
However, Hong Li had no intention of debating evidence. She already disliked this wretched salt merchant and had long wanted to teach him a lesson.
So, regardless of whether he was guilty or not, she was determined to pin this incident on him.
“This is the guy who destroyed your shop,” Hong Li declared. “Do whatever you want to vent your anger—just don’t kill him.”
Jin Fu hadn’t expected Hong Li to be so unreasonable. This was far beyond his calculations.
“You can’t treat me like this!” he protested indignantly. “Without me, Jufeng Town would have run out of salt long ago!”
“Salt is a simple transaction. You think I owe you gratitude?” Hong Li sneered, swinging a whip toward him.
“If you hadn’t monopolized the salt route from Linhai Town, would I have had to endure your interference?”
Jin Fu swiftly dodged back.
Though not as strong as Hong Li, he wasn’t defenseless. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to safely travel between towns as a salt merchant.
His eyes darted toward the two boys behind Hong Li.
“Gentlemen, did you see that?” he said, putting on a pitiful expression. “This is the kind of cold-blooded, ruthless, and unreasonable person managing Jufeng Town. Do you really want to keep working with her?”
To Hong Li’s surprise, Jin Fu attempted to sow discord between her and Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
“You’re asking for death!” Hong Li’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Her gaze was so fierce it seemed like flames might erupt from her eyes. Zhou Qi, noticing a faint red shimmer on the back of her hand, lowered his gaze slightly and saw a hint of scales emerging on her skin.
“Sister Hong Li, don’t act impulsively!” Zhou Qi quickly interjected.
Hong Li froze, looking at Zhou Qi. The red light in her eyes gradually faded, and her expression returned to its usual calmness.
Frowning, she tucked her hand behind her back. “You’re different from him. Don’t listen to his nonsense,” she said, before adding, “He’s yours to deal with.”
She then excused herself, citing pressing matters, and quickly left the room.
Zhou Qi watched her retreating figure thoughtfully.
Jin Fu, unsure why Hong Li had suddenly departed, was relieved. Facing her brute force and irrationality, he had no means of resistance. Now, with her gone and only two kids left, what was there to fear?
“Oh, dear gentlemen, this is all just a big misunderstanding!” Jin Fu exclaimed, attempting to leave the room but being stopped again by the guards at the door.
He turned to Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, putting on a pitiful expression. “Remember when we met at the base of the mountain? Didn’t I invite you to visit Linhai Town with me? Surely you remember?”
“I sincerely wanted to befriend you both. Why would I ever harm you? Don’t you agree?”
His pathetic defense made Tang Yu’an hesitate, and he glanced toward Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi frowned and shook his head slightly.
Hong Li might not have had concrete evidence, or she wouldn’t have resorted to such unreasonable methods. It made the situation hard to judge.
Still…
Tang Yu’an turned back to Jin Fu, scrutinizing him closely.
He looked the same as when they first met—always smiling, seemingly kind and approachable. But something felt off this time.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t pinpoint what had changed, but looking at Jin Fu gave him a sense of unease.
He didn’t like this man.
No matter how honest and friendly he appeared, Tang Yu’an instinctively felt his words couldn’t be trusted.
After some thought, Tang Yu’an stepped forward, extending his hand. “Let’s shake hands.”
Jin Fu’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, yes, let’s shake hands and make peace. A handshake makes us friends!”
He eagerly grasped the boy’s small, pale hand, noticing something round and smooth within his palm.
As Jin Fu let go, he saw a small, pitch-black marble resting in his hand.
The marble was perfectly smooth and exquisitely crafted, its fine texture suggesting it was made from some rare gemstone.
Jin Fu was instantly captivated by the object.
As he picked up the black marble to examine it, Zhou Qi, who had been ready to protect Tang Yu’an, suddenly stepped back three paces.
“What is this?” Jin Fu asked, fiddling with the black marble. “A gift from you?”
“Uncle, did you order someone to rob and burn down the Jufeng General Store?” Tang Yu’an asked innocently.
“Yes…” Jin Fu blurted out, then abruptly stopped himself. But the sudden halt caused him to bite his tongue, drawing blood.
Jin Fu yelped in pain but quickly put on a forced smile under the boy’s scrutinizing gaze, stammering, “No, no! That was a slip of the tongue just now!”
“How could it possibly be me…?”
Before he could finish, his tongue betrayed him again, and he bit it for the second time, instantly filling his mouth with blood.
Tang Yu’an kindly suggested, “Uncle, maybe it’s best if you stop talking for now.”
Despite the pain, Jin Fu forced a trembling smile. “You’re such a good kid… ahhh…”
When Jin Fu bit his tongue a third time, even the two guards standing nearby furrowed their brows, their expressions a mix of sympathy and confusion.
This was bizarre—how could someone keep biting their tongue, not once, not twice, but three times?
By now, Jin Fu didn’t dare utter another word.
Tang Yu’an studied him carefully, then finally reached out and took the black marble back from Jin Fu’s hand. The marble had been in his possession for over thirty seconds.
If the marble’s effect lasted ten minutes per touch, and Jin Fu had touched it twice, the accumulated time should be enough to teach him a memorable lesson.
“You can go,” Tang Yu’an said.
Jin Fu was delighted that he was being let off so easily. He wanted to express his gratitude, but remembering how he had bitten his tongue multiple times, he quickly covered his mouth instead.
Smiling awkwardly, he nodded enthusiastically and moved toward the door. However, as he stepped over the threshold, he tripped on it.
Fortunately, he managed to regain his balance just in time, narrowly avoiding a humiliating fall.
“We’re leaving now,” Tang Yu’an said, ignoring him as he and Zhou Qi walked away to find Hong Li.
Watching their retreating figures, Jin Fu’s amiable smile slowly faded, replaced by a glint of malice in his eyes. Covering his mouth, he turned to leave.
“Hey! Watch out!” someone shouted behind him.
Jin Fu turned his head just in time to see a wooden bucket flying toward him, landing squarely on his head.
Though it didn’t hurt much, an overwhelming stench engulfed him instantly.
The guard pushing the wheelbarrow nearby froze in shock before rushing over to remove the bucket. He mumbled apologetically, “I don’t know what happened—the wheel must’ve gotten stuck, and the bucket just flew off…”
Luckily, the bucket had just been emptied. If its contents had spilled, Jin Fu would have been in much worse trouble.
When Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi found Hong Li, she had returned to her usual composed self.
Seeing them approach, she didn’t ask how they had dealt with Jin Fu. Instead, she said, “The arrangements for rebuilding the Jufeng General Store are in place. You can handle the details yourselves.”
Tang Yu’an nodded and thanked her.
“Anything else you need?” Hong Li asked, noticing they seemed to have something to say.
Tang Yu’an smiled and asked, “Sister Hong Li, does your Guard Post have a tailor?”
This was something Shi Tou had suggested.
Hong Li nodded.
Tang Yu’an continued, “It’s getting colder at night, and I saw that some people in town have frozen to death…”
“What’s your point?” Hong Li raised an eyebrow.
“Does the Guard Post need cotton fabric or raw cotton?” Tang Yu’an got straight to the point. “We can make quilts with them. They’d keep people warm at night and help prevent frostbite.”
Hong Li seemed surprised. “You sell cotton?”
Tang Yu’an nodded. They had originally planned to sell it through their store, but after the incident, rebuilding the shop would take time, so they decided to negotiate directly with Hong Li instead. She had a large stock of soybeans they could use for bulk trade.
After some thought, Hong Li asked, “Did you bring a sample?”
“Of course!” Tang Yu’an opened his backpack and placed a bundle of cotton and several pieces of cotton fabric on her desk.
Hong Li picked up the fabric and ran her fingers over it. Even within the fortress, the fabric’s quality stood out—soft, smooth, and durable. The raw cotton was clean, white, and fluffy, with a texture so pleasing it was hard to put down.
“With this fabric for quilt covers and this cotton as filling, you’d have a perfect quilt,” Tang Yu’an explained. “You could also make cotton-padded clothing to keep your guards warm during night patrols.”
For most people, cotton clothing wasn’t a high priority; they typically stayed indoors at night to keep warm. However, for guards on night duty, the need was significant.
“How much can you supply?” Hong Li asked.
At this point, Tang Yu’an stepped back, letting Zhou Qi handle the negotiations.
“That depends entirely on how much you need,” Zhou Qi replied smoothly.
Hong Li pondered for a moment and asked, “What’s your price?”
“Each meter of cotton fabric and each 500 grams of cotton both cost 10 points, while 500 grams of soybeans is worth 25 points. So…” Zhou Qi explained, “The cotton fabric is 1.2 meters wide, and we charge by length—1 meter for 500 grams of soybeans. Cotton is also priced by weight—500 grams of cotton for 500 grams of soybeans.”
Hong Li did some quick calculations.
If a quilt requires 1.2 meters by 2 meters of fabric and 1.5 kilos of cotton, then it would cost at least 2.5 kilos of soybeans per quilt.
A cotton-padded jacket would use 2 meters of fabric and about 500 grams of cotton, costing at least 1.5 kilos of soybeans per jacket, not including labor costs.
Compared to the value of salt, the exchange didn’t seem particularly worthwhile. However, since the salt at the Jufeng General Store was cheaper than Jin Fu’s, the comparison wasn’t entirely fair.
Based on current soybean production, after daily consumption, the stockpile could leave about 50 kilos of soybeans per day.
This meant that in a day, they could exchange enough soybeans for 20 quilts or over 30 cotton-padded jackets.
To be honest, Hong Li was tempted.
Even if the quilts weren’t distributed to the townsfolk, they could be given as rewards to outstanding guards. Their families would surely appreciate them, and it would boost morale and cohesion among her team.
However, she had just spent 500 kilos of soybeans on salt. Now, in less than two days, she was faced with another significant expense?
“What do you need so many soybeans for?” Hong Li asked, looking at them skeptically.
Zhou Qi smiled but didn’t answer.
After a moment of contemplation, Hong Li sighed. “Alright, I’ll take 50 meters of cotton fabric and 30 pounds of cotton for now.”
She planned to prioritize outfitting the night patrol guards with cotton-padded jackets. This would prevent illnesses and frostbite while enhancing their combat effectiveness during nighttime missions.
Due to the recent floods, many animals had sought refuge in Jufeng Mountain, increasing the likelihood of night-time conflicts. Losing even one guard would be a significant blow to her resources.
“Alright, we’ll fetch it for you,” Zhou Qi said.
Hong Li gave them a knowing look, smirking. “Your store burned down—where exactly are you fetching it from? Don’t tell me it’s from that underground storage.”
Zhou Qi pressed his lips together, about to reply, but Hong Li cut him off. “You have spatial abilities, don’t you?”
Zhou Qi fell silent.
Hong Li glanced at Tang Yu’an, who was standing behind Zhou Qi with his head lowered, avoiding her gaze. Smiling, she said, “Your cover is full of holes—it’s hard for me to turn a blind eye.”
She had sent ten 50 kilos of soybeans to the Jufeng General Store, but only one bag had been found in the store yesterday.
Where had the other nine gone?
And while salt could be explained away, how had they managed to transport so much cotton fabric and cotton to Jufeng Town under the noses of her guards and those old foxes?
Spatial abilities were the only logical explanation Hong Li could think of.
“Since you’ve figured it out, what do you plan to do?” Zhou Qi asked.
Tang Yu’an peeked out from behind Zhou Qi, looking at Hong Li with wide, expectant eyes, waiting for her reaction.
This was a deliberate test on their part.
The store’s destruction had likely made Hong Li aware of the missing soybeans. Claiming they were hidden in a basement wouldn’t hold up. And with the roads blocked by floods, others would assume they were “trapped” in Jufeng Mountain.
Unless they avoided doing business with Hong Li entirely until the floods receded, it would be hard to explain how they could produce so much inventory.
Last night, they had consulted Chi Hao, asking what his sister’s reaction might be if she discovered their portable storage. He assured them she would likely assume it was spatial abilities, a rare subset of supernatural powers.
Chi Hao also explained that if not for his connection to them, Hong Li might detain them outright. But with him vouching for them, she would likely let them go.
With this analysis in mind, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to take the risk.
They had some confidence in their escape abilities, thanks to the Shadow Umbrella and Mystery Marbles.
Hong Li looked at the two boys and sighed again.
“You’re here to do business, not work for me. Isn’t that right?”
Zhou Qi nodded. Tang Yu’an added, “Sister Hong Li, we’re good friends. If you ever need help, we’ll definitely support you.”
Hong Li couldn’t help but laugh.
She reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair, but Zhou Qi pushed Tang Yu’an behind him, blocking her hand.
Seeing Zhou Qi’s guarded expression, Hong Li shrugged and withdrew her hand. “Alright, I get it.”
She gestured toward a corner of the room. “Leave the cotton fabric and cotton there. I’ll inspect them and then send 40 kilos of soybeans over.”
Zhou Qi still seemed wary, prompting Hong Li to wave her hand impatiently. “Relax. You saved my little brother—what could I possibly do to you?”
“But we’re clear on one thing: if I need your help in the future, you can’t refuse.”
Tang Yu’an grinned. “Thank you, Sister Hong Li.”
Unable to resist, Hong Li reached out and gently pinched the boy’s chubby, baby-fat cheeks. This time, Zhou Qi didn’t stop her.
“You’re lucky to have run into me. If it had been anyone else, you wouldn’t be walking away.”
Hong Li paused, then added, “On second thought, let’s head to the warehouse. This place is too crowded—if anyone sees, it could be troublesome.”
Soon, Hong Li led them to an underground warehouse.
Tang Yu’an checked the map and noted that, apart from the guards at the entrance, there was no one inside. It was indeed an ideal place for discreet transactions.
He quickly exchanged for the cotton fabric and cotton, placing them in the spot Hong Li had designated.
“I really envy you guys with these mysterious-type abilities,” Hong Li remarked casually before leading them out. She then took them to the soybean storage room, where she personally weighed out 40 kilos of soybeans for them.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” has completed a profitable transaction with a long-time customer. Experience +1, Points +1200.]
1200 points earned!
After Hong Li handed them the soybeans, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a glance before saying, “Can we leave them here for now?”
“Huh?” Hong Li looked puzzled.
Tang Yu’an scratched his head. “The space is almost full. If we leave them here, we can pick them up later when we need them.”
Crossing her arms, Hong Li replied, “I’m under no obligation to provide storage.”
“Right, right.” Tang Yu’an nodded enthusiastically. “If the guards need soybeans for food, they can use these first. When we come to retrieve them, we’ll replace them with fresh ones.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a notebook, wrote an IOU, and handed it to Hong Li.
“Sister Hong Li, could you sign here, please?”
Hong Li looked down at the note. The arrangement was clearly beneficial to her, but still…
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll just deny the debt?”
The points had already been credited—what was there to worry about?
But Tang Yu’an still smiled sweetly. “Someone as strong and honorable as Sister Hong Li would never do something like that!”
Unable to resist, Hong Li pinched his adorable, chubby cheek. “You smooth talker!”
In the end, Hong Li signed the IOU.
[You have completed a loss-making transaction with a long-time customer. Experience +1.]
Tang Yu’an, holding the signed IOU, looked utterly pleased with himself.
When he eventually came to redeem it, the 40 kilos of soybeans would likely have been consumed, and Hong Li would hand over fresh soybeans as replacements—counted as new stock.
In doing so, the transaction wouldn’t violate the system’s trade rules.
This meant he had effectively earned 40 kilos of soybeans for free, netting him 2,000 points!
A win-win situation!
Just then, Hong Li spoke up again. “In that case, why don’t I pledge the rest of the soybeans in the warehouse to you as well? How about that?”
Tang Yu’an: !!!
Seeing the boy’s stunned expression, Hong Li felt a little awkward. She averted her gaze and said, “Well? Can you accept that?”
Of course, he could! Absolutely no problem at all!
