Chapter 119: Chapter 119: The Zhou Family’s Wealth, What is the Commodity?_1
The Zhou Family’s trade convoy used a Soul Device known as the Soaring Divine Shuttle, likely a product from a unique Secret Realm associated with the Fantasy and Xuanhuan genres. Its speed was extraordinarily fast, even surpassing the speed of sound.
Wang Linchi was not exactly sure by how much it surpassed the speed of sound, but he was certain it did not reach light speed.
If it truly reached light speed, using it for trade would be impossible.
Given the Soaring Divine Shuttle’s speed, it rarely fell victim to robberies, as flying through the sky made many nefarious activities inconvenient. This was also a testament to the resources of a Big Aristocratic Family.
Of course, that was the situation in the past; that certainty didn’t extend to the present. After all, the events in Yingzhou and Yi State had thrown the world into chaos.
It was unlikely that the Rebel Army would choose to target a trade convoy. Most rebels were Demonic Inheritance Successors. To them, people were far more valuable than Natural Treasures. Not only were people easier to obtain, but it was also more efficient. Conversely, attacking a trade convoy meant dealing with resources like Natural Treasures and Soul Devices, which they couldn’t easily assimilate.
Wang Linchi was somewhat curious: how did the Zhou Family’s trade convoy actually make money?
He had arrived early and helped load the cargo. Using his strong spiritual power, combined with his Soul Vision and Thought Field, he had managed to get a rough idea of the goods. They might have seemed precious, especially to an Awakener at the bottom rungs of society. However, in Xuan Spirit Heaven, the core of a domain, these items weren’t particularly valuable. Transporting them would yield some profit, but not a substantial one. The value of the Soul Kind consumed as fuel by the Soaring Divine Shuttle alone represented a huge sum; it would be more profitable to sell the goods nearby.
Wang Linchi thought, There might be some secret to all this. Even with such low profit margins, the trade convoy had to be making money somehow.
He considered, Therefore, the most likely scenario is that these items are a decoy, and the real goods are stored elsewhere.
The word ’smuggling’ sprang to his mind. Who would benefit most from smuggling? The answer was obvious: powers like the Baylong Religion and the Shadow Covenant. The Dajing Court might not have had external enemies, but internal threats abounded.
The shuttle traveled for the first day. Wang Linchi wasn’t sure where they had arrived, but they eventually stopped.
"Guards, follow me! The first batch of goods has arrived. Protect the laborers as they unload," a manager shouted.
Wang Linchi rose with the other guards. The laborers had already reached the designated area and were struggling to unload the cargo.
After disembarking from the Soaring Divine Shuttle, he saw people on the other side ready to receive the goods. Wang Linchi observed the convoy manager speaking with the opposing party’s manager before they both headed into a building. Meanwhile, the men from both sides continued their tasks, some unloading goods and others standing guard.
Wang Linchi focused on his work, not attempting to uncover the truth.
Later, I just need to check if the Zhou Family’s manager is missing any Storage Soul Devices. After all, valuable merchandise wouldn’t be left in a warehouse guarded by temporary hires; the manager would keep it himself.
Unloading this batch of goods took about half an hour. Including inventory checks and other procedures, the entire process took about an hour and a half. Still, Wang Linchi was quite relaxed. The other party provided them with water and cigarettes. Seeing others accept, Wang Linchi did too, though he didn’t partake.
It was then that Wang Linchi recognized who these people were.
They were indeed Cult Followers of the Baylong Religion, though not from the Blood Dragon Lineage he was familiar with, but rather the Green Dragon Lineage. Cult Followers of this lineage inherited the Green Dragon’s cruelty and aggression, specializing in corrosive abilities.
Fortunately, this group showed enough self-control, betraying no impatience or violent urges, proving they weren’t entirely witless.
After the goods were unloaded, they naturally returned to the Soaring Divine Shuttle. Only then did the Zhou Family’s manager finally make his appearance.
To Wang Linchi’s surprise, not only was the manager not missing a Storage Soul Device, but he had actually acquired an additional one.
This further confirmed the nature of their transaction. He had overlooked one thing: a sale involves a buyer and a seller. However, transactions between Awakeners were unlikely to be settled with money, as currency held little value in their eyes. They had most likely bartered, exchanging their goods for special products from Dragon Island, a Secret Realm controlled by the Baylong Religion’s backers. Gaining an extra device was also understandable; while the space within a Storage Soul Device is fixed, the volume of items stored can differ.
Wang Linchi made a mental note, This is the Green Dragon Lineage’s base, or possibly just a front. If an opportunity arose later, he would seek retribution from them, treating it as payback against the Baylong Religion. After all, they shared the same roots as the Blood Dragon Lineage. If no chance came, so be it; Wang Linchi wasn’t overly concerned. Seeking revenge didn’t mean risking his life; he wasn’t desperate to vent his anger.
"Alright, everyone return to your areas. The next shipment is the day after tomorrow. You can relax until then," the manager said, his face beaming.
It was clear this transaction had netted him a considerable profit; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so cheerful. Previously, he had always worn a stern expression.
Wang Linchi made no comment, merely glancing at the duty roster. In two hours, his shift would end, and the guard would change. Whatever happened then wouldn’t be his concern.
Adhering strictly to his work schedule was his principle. Slacking off whenever possible was his way of ’earning his keep’ without overexerting himself.
So, he found a quiet spot and began his Cultivation. The other Black Iron Level Awakeners either chatted or cultivated; no one disturbed him. They weren’t well acquainted, just temporary colleagues, so naturally, no one would cause trouble right away. Cliques certainly existed, but these were pre-formed groups, not ones that had banded together after arriving. Nor did they intend to recruit others. They didn’t know anyone else well—what if they invited trouble?
The two hours passed in a flash. Wang Linchi finished his shift and returned to his room.
The Soaring Divine Shuttle was enormous, roughly the size of an aircraft carrier. It wasn’t just for transporting goods; it also possessed formidable offensive and defensive capabilities. He hadn’t known this before; he only found out after boarding the Soaring Divine Shuttle.
This, however, raised another question: with such a powerful Soul Device, comparable in strength to the Morning Star Level, why did they still need these low-strength guards? Although each state had at least one Morning Star Level Awakener stationed there, this didn’t mean Morning Star Level individuals were rare. On the contrary, with the Soaring Divine Shuttle alone, the Zhou Family’s convoy could traverse the entire Jing Room Domain with impunity. Even if other states didn’t show deference to the Zhou Family, they had to show deference to the Soaring Divine Shuttle.
The suspicious point was clear then: why hire a group of liabilities and even give them Soul Kind, as if afraid they’d flee?
Returning to his room, Wang Linchi instantly understood. Damn! It’s the cargo!
If this group of people weren’t guards and laborers, but a type of ’cargo,’ then everything made sense. As for the explanation upon returning? Naturally, they’d claim to have been attacked by the Rebel Army and suffered heavy losses. Among the Awakeners who applied to be guards and laborers for Great Families, how many possessed backgrounds or connections? So, their deaths would mean nothing. This kind of thing hadn’t happened before, not because there was no threat from the Rebel Army, but because no one had placed such ’orders.’ Now that there were, the Zhou Family had evidently arranged it.
The powers placing the ’orders’ aren’t necessarily just the Rebel Army; they could also be Great Families and Sects, or even official entities. If it were the Rebel Army, the Zhou Family might even be more inclined to kill them and take their goods.
The Heritage of the Sky Devil wasn’t exclusive to the lower classes; members of middle and upper-tier Great Families and Sects could also obtain it. If such an individual was also the legitimate eldest son and a prodigy, their backing forces would undoubtedly offer full support. Buying ’human cargo’ for their offspring to practice on and enhance their strength? For those ’human cargo,’ it was supposedly an ’honor.’
No wonder it was so easy to get in. Damn it, I must have had a brain fart; I didn’t consider these things! This was Wang Linchi’s first encounter with such a situation, so it was normal for his lack of experience to lead him into this trap. This trap, however, was rather significant, leaving Wang Linchi feeling somewhat helpless.
He didn’t know at which stop they would unload the ’human cargo,’ nor could he prepare in advance.
Judging by the fact they didn’t bring dedicated unloaders, the drop-off could be in a state near Xuan Spirit Heaven. However, given the influence required for such an operation, it’s more likely within Xuan Spirit Heaven itself, the Territory Mansion of the Jing Room Domain.
It was precisely because the other party was a major power in Xuan Spirit Heaven that they dared to be so brazen. If they were merely Great Families from other states, they wouldn’t have the influence, backing, or strength to dare openly purchase ’human cargo’ from the Zhou Family, who were based far away in Xi Zhou. To wield such influence as to procure ’human cargo’ from across the entire Jing Room Domain—without sufficient martial might, they wouldn’t dare attempt it.
After all, if they were sourcing from Xi Zhou, wouldn’t they acquire from other states too? The ’cargo’ from Xi Zhou alone would barely be a mouthful for Demonic Inheritance Successors to use in their cultivation.