The Martial God who started at Mantuo Manor

Page 128

Even the imperial laws, when applied to this misty dock, must yield a degree of respect to the gang's rules. The black horse galloped like the wind.

Before long, they arrived at the canal wharf east of Jiaxing City.

Even before you get close, the noisy, bustling atmosphere is already overwhelming.

Hundreds and thousands of porters carried heavy sacks, moving between the dock and cargo ships. The shouts of the boat captains, the cries of the merchants, and the long chants of the boatmen blended into a unique and vibrant symphony.

Wang Meng reined in his horse, and the black horse neighed and stopped under a large willow tree at the entrance of the dock.

He ignored the bustling scene and, like the most experienced hunter, coldly and meticulously surveyed the porters on the dock—men who were clearly different from ordinary porters, with bulging waists and fierce eyes.

Then, without stopping, the black horse galloped straight into Jiaxing City.

Guided by Zhou Zhiruo, they reined in their horses in front of a secluded alley in the south of the city.

At the entrance of the alley, a very tall blue stone archway stands quietly.

The entire archway is built of huge bluestone blocks. Judging from the color of the stone and the traces of weathering, it has stood here for at least several decades.

The pillars and beams of the archway are carved with intricate cloud patterns, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. However, due to years of wind and rain erosion, the edges have been somewhat worn down, and dark green moss grows in the gaps, adding to its ancient and solemn feel.

However, what is most eye-catching is the plaque in the center of the archway, which should have been inscribed with the family name or merit inscription in a flamboyant style.

There, however, it was a completely bare spot, without any words or name.

Ordinary families erect memorial archways to display their glory, wishing they could inscribe the achievements of their ancestors for eighteen generations on them and proclaim them to the world.

This wordless archway, however, is like a silent declaration, a more extreme and restrained domineering presence—I am here, and you need not know my name.

Those who understand will understand.

Those who don't understand have no right to understand.

It is like a silent giant, guarding the deep and quiet alley behind it, isolating it from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and the mundane atmosphere of the world, making everything in the alley seem more mysterious and unfathomable.

Passing through the archway, you enter a rather spacious courtyard with a sign that reads "Wang's Silk Shop" hanging at the entrance. It looks no different from an ordinary shop, but the few shop assistants guarding the entrance have bulging temples and sharp, restrained eyes, clearly indicating that they are all experts in internal martial arts.

This was the property of Mantuo Villa in Jiaxing Prefecture. Ostensibly a silk shop, it was actually a secret warehouse where the villa stored and transported various materials.

"Brother Wang... this is the place."

Zhou Zhiruo said softly, her legs still feeling a little weak as she dismounted from the horse.

Wang Meng dismounted, tossed the reins to a waiter who came to greet him, and walked straight toward the inner courtyard.

A middle-aged woman who appeared to be in charge had already rushed over upon hearing the news. When she saw Wang Meng, all the color drained from her face, and she knelt down with a thud: "This servant... I deserve to die!"

"I failed to protect the provisions you entrusted to me, please... please punish me, young master!"

Wang Meng didn't speak, but walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. Zhou Zhiruo hesitated for a moment, then stood behind him.

"Get up and talk!"

Wang Meng's voice was unreadable: "Tell me everything about the ins and outs of Jiaxing City, down to the smallest detail."

The steward stood up tremblingly, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and then began to recount the inner workings of Jiaxing Prefecture.

Jiaxing Prefecture has been a prosperous place in Jiangnan since ancient times.

More importantly, the Grand Canal, which runs through the north and south, passes through this city, making it a veritable "throat" of vital waterways.

With such immense wealth and power, the world here is like a pot of boiling oil—seemingly calm, but teeming with all sorts of ferocious fish and shrimp beneath the surface.

Among them, the most famous is the so-called "first official, second gang, third guild," which is the most concise summary of the power structure in Jiaxing.

"One official" naturally refers to the government.

The prefect of Jiaxing was closely connected to Hangzhou and Suzhou by blood, and backed by the imperial court, making him the apparent ruler.

However, wherever the law reaches, there is always a shadow.

The government wanted to manage things on the water, but often lacked the power to do so and could only maintain the general peace within the city.

"Second-hand helper"

This refers to the two major gangs that occupied this area: the Canal Gang and the Salt Gang.

The Caobang, led by "One-Eyed Dragon" Feng Xifan, had tens of thousands of followers, all of whom were desperate outlaws making a living on the docks.

They controlled the loading and unloading and towing of the canal, and were known for their domineering and arrogant nature. They were the "local tyrants" that everyone in Jiaxing Prefecture feared.

They were the ones who robbed the grain this time.

The Salt Gang, on the other hand, was even more mysterious; they engaged in the illegal trade of salt, which was strictly prohibited by the imperial court.

The Salt Gang members are secretive and ruthless, making money at the cost of their lives. Therefore, although the gang has few members, they are all ruthless and vicious.

They have deep connections with certain figures in the government and are truly man-eating "river crocodiles".

As for the "Three Guilds," they refer to the three wealthiest merchant guilds in Jiaxing: the Silk Guild, the Timber Guild, and the Grain Guild.

These three families represent the wealthy merchants and gentry of Jiaxing. They are rich, have extensive connections, and have dealings with both the government and the "secondary cliques."

They dislike fighting and killing, but they can use money to get others to fight and kill for them.

These various forces are intertwined and deeply entrenched in Jiaxing, engaging in both open and covert struggles, as well as collusion and checks and balances, forming a complex and dangerous web.

Any outside force that tries to establish itself here will be caught in this net and crushed to pieces if it is not careful.

After the woman in charge finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Wang Meng's expression, her heart pounding with anxiety.

She had been away from the manor for a long time and knew nothing about her new master, but the things that had happened to him in the martial arts world recently were getting bigger and bigger, and more and more terrifying.

Just the fact that Nan Murong's fate is unknown, and the fact that Yanziwu Canhezhuang was razed to the ground overnight, is enough to make any famous figure in the Jiangnan martial arts world lower their voice by three points when mentioning the name "Wang Meng".

That wasn't a simple feud between gangsters; it was a complete and utter annihilation of an entire family, leaving no way out!

It means uprooting a martial arts family that has been passed down for centuries and erasing it from the world completely!

And now, the man was sitting in front of her, tapping the stone table lightly and rhythmically with one finger.

The soft "thump" sounds, in this quiet courtyard, seemed not to be striking a stone, but rather striking the heart of everyone present.

Wang Meng raised his eyes, a cold, emotionless smile curving his lips.

"The Grand Canal Gang..."

He uttered those two words slowly, as if savoring some interesting delicacy.

"……very good!"

He did not give the order immediately; his eyes, which seemed to see through people's hearts, slowly fell on the trembling stewardess.

"One million dan of grain and fodder!"

Wang Meng's voice was so calm it was devoid of any emotion, but every word was like a heavy stone striking everyone's hearts: "How much was transported?"

The woman in charge shuddered suddenly, her face turning even paler than before.

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and replied in a trembling voice, "Reply...Replying to Young Master, the matter...the matter is much more troublesome than before..."

"Of the originally planned one million dan, only 70% was actually loaded onto the ship."

Wang Meng raised an eyebrow slightly, and the finger that had just stopped fell on the stone table again, tapping it gently and rhythmically, making a "tap, tap" sound.

He didn't urge her, but simply looked quietly at the woman in charge with his unfathomable eyes, as if to say: Continue.

The woman felt as if the knocking sound was a heavy hammer, each blow striking her heart. She dared not hide anything and told the whole story like beans spilling from a bamboo tube: "What was forcibly taken away by the canal gang at the dock was a portion of the grain that had already been obtained."

Compared to a million dan (a unit of weight), the quantity is actually nothing... The bigger problem is the remaining... 30% is still unaccounted for.

She swallowed hard, lowering her voice even further: "Those big players in the Jiaxing grain market, as if they had planned it all along, suddenly sent word that the weather in Jiangnan has been bad lately and that grain prices are going to rise."

"We paid the full amount for the order, but they only accept 70%. The remaining 30%... will be calculated at their newly inflated, exorbitant price; otherwise... they won't send us a single grain of rice!"

The air seemed to freeze in that instant, becoming heavier than lead.

Robbing grain by the grain transport gangs is a matter of the martial arts world, a business where life and death are at stake, and it's done cleanly and decisively.

But the grain store launched an attack, which is the cutthroat world of business. You can't see the blood, but every cut can cut to the heart of the matter!

Behind the Jiaxing Grain Store stood the gentry and wealthy merchants of the entire prefecture. Their network of relationships was intricate and intertwined, connecting the government at the top and all industries at the bottom, so that a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

Going against them means making an enemy of the entire business community in Jiaxing, which is a hundred times more dangerous than fighting with those desperate gangsters from the Grand Canal!

"Son!"

The woman in charge's voice was already tinged with sobs: "The canal gangs and the grain merchants, the former are domineering and the latter are greedy, and they have always kept to themselves. But now they are like grasshoppers on a rope, attacking us from both sides at the same time. This is no coincidence!"

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Everyone understood that this was no longer a simple robbery, but a meticulously planned siege.

A vast network, woven by local thugs, wealthy businessmen, and possibly even government forces, has been quietly unfurled.

In the suffocating silence, Wang Meng's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.

He slowly raised his head, his face showing no anger, but rather a hint of amusement and a cold smile.

"Price increase?"

He uttered those two words softly, as if he were savoring something interesting.

"……interesting."

"Send out invitations. I want to treat all the grain store owners to dinner. Tell them... all prices are negotiable!"

After a pause, Wang Meng sneered, "I'll deliver it myself!"

"Tong Si Hai" is the largest grain store in Jiaxing City.

What should have been a bustling scene is now frozen solid.

The owner of this place is Madam Ruan, a wealthy businesswoman known to everyone in Jiaxing Prefecture.

A beautiful widow who is guarding her deceased husband's vast estate.

Madam Ruan was around thirty years old, possessing a captivating and alluring appearance, and her figure was as juicy as water, nourished by the years.

Today she wore a fitted, lake-green silk robe with a low neckline that just revealed half of her fair and plump neck.

The long robe was made of the finest fabric, tightly wrapping around her curvaceous body. It accentuated her ample breasts, which were bulging as if about to burst, her slender waist that narrowed sharply below, and her strikingly plump mounds, creating an alluring curve that would make any man's mouth dry.

However, at this moment, the usually shrewd and charming female boss was sitting in the main chair with a deathly pale face, and even the hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly.

Because sitting opposite her was an uninvited guest.

He was a handsome young man, almost otherworldly, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and playing with a folding fan with white jade ribs in his hand.