Chapter 36

The small town was called Yancheng (鹽湖城). It was named after a nearby saltwater lake, as the town was known for the salt harvested from it, which was the city's main product. It seemed that this salt, with its unique flavor, was quite popular in the Central Plains.

To Zhang Jian, it just tasted less astringent, and he couldn't understand what made it so delicious.

"Does the imperial court have nothing to say about it? Salt is something they manage directly, right?"

"Of course, it's a topic of discussion. That's why all the salt produced here is officially sold in Tianhou City under the supervision of the imperial court. Officially, that is."

"···Ah, officially."

The innkeeper, who was wiping a glass behind the long table, chuckled.

"The money from this business is really no joke. It's like gold from the water, real gold. More reliable than gold dust. But does it make sense to sell it all to the imperial court?"

Zhang Jian, sitting at the table, raised his glass and said, "The imperial court must be underpaying, I suppose."

"···No, not that. They keep trying to control the sales volume. Those guys think we're draining the Central Plains' wealth and are trying to stop it. So we just sell it secretly in Xinsanchuan. It's an open secret around here."

Zhang Jian laughed in disbelief at the innkeeper's answer.

"If you get caught, the imperial army won't just sit by, will they? Are you sure it's okay?"

"What can they do? In this vast land, how many imperial soldiers are there? As long as we're careful in Tianhou City, there's no problem. And the emperor isn't really interested in this place, so he won't send the imperial army just because a bit of salt is being smuggled."

Zhang Jian shook his head slightly and sipped his wine. The emperor's intentions were known only to himself. The current emperor seemed as indifferent to the New Continent as his father had been, but how long that would last was anyone's guess. If one day he decided to colonize the new land, tens of thousands of imperial soldiers would cross the sea in junks.

Thinking this, Zhang Jian shook his head again. The salt produced here wouldn't even compare to the salt produced in the Central Plains. That's why even in Tianhou City, the management was lax. To the emperor, it was just like ants squirming under his feet.

He tilted the bottle to fill his glass and took a sip. Whatever happened, it wasn't a problem for Zhang Jian to worry about.

He had already spent several days in this inn. Originally, he planned to rest a bit and then leave, but the unexpectedly cold weather and the warm stove had made him linger. Moreover, after a few days, he found the town wasn't bad. The abundance of salt made the food salty and the rent cheap, which Zhang Jian liked.

The town's security was managed by the Jianlong Sect, a martial arts sect affiliated with the Wu Lin Alliance. It was common for such sects to manage the security of towns and large villages, so it wasn't unusual. The Jianlong Sect earned a lot of money by overseeing the salt trade and reinvested it in the town's development.

"By the way, don't you have a job or something?"

The innkeeper asked casually as Zhang Jian was drinking. Zhang Jian wondered if he had somehow incurred a debt during his stay.

"···Didn't I pay for four days of lodging yesterday?"

"No, no. I just noticed you've been here for a few days and haven't done anything but relax. I thought you came here to work as a salt laborer."

Zhang Jian scratched his chin. He was taking a break and exploring martial arts, but apparently, he looked like a loafer. After a moment's thought, he took out a new pack of tobacco he had bought, rolled a cigarette, and lit it with a nearby lantern. As he exhaled a puff of smoke, the innkeeper laughed.

"Seeing you relax like that, I bet you made a big score somewhere, didn't you?"

"A big score... I did make one, but the problem is that it was an empty can."

"Ah. Tell me the story. Listening to travelers' tales is my only pleasure in running this inn."

Zhang Jian, holding the cigarette in his mouth, smiled at the innkeeper. Was this man, like the Ye family in Qingcun Village, a peddler of minor information? From what he had observed, he seemed to enjoy listening to others' stories.

"An empty can, what more is there to say? Just give me another bottle of wine."

As Zhang Jian seemed to be ending the conversation, the innkeeper grumbled and brought out a new bottle.

"Do you need any snacks?"

"No, I'm fine."

Actually, he would have liked some snacks, but his pocket wasn't in good shape. As the innkeeper had said, he needed to start making money soon. He didn't want to starve to death.

Zhang Jian puffed on his cigarette and thought. At least he hadn't lost all his money gambling this time, so there was no need to rush. He had a general idea of how the town worked after a few days. If he really needed to, he could visit the Jianlong Sect and show off his sword skills to become a guest, or if that didn't work, he could become a salt laborer as the innkeeper had suggested. Zhang Jian wasn't too worried.

At that moment, a man entered the inn.

"Welcome. Are you here to stay?"

"···Just for a meal."

The man, who had entered alone, sat at a long table like Zhang Jian. Zhang Jian noticed he was a well-built, handsome young man with a headscarf. His slightly melancholic eyes and demeanor suggested he would be popular with women.

Zhang Jian, who had glanced at him, found himself looking back. The man, who seemed a bit uneasy, noticed Zhang Jian's gaze and looked at him.

"···Is there a problem?"

"No. I just haven't seen your face before. Where are you from?"

The young man frowned at Zhang Jian's question.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, why are you curious? You're a traveler too, right?"

The innkeeper, who was bringing warm tea, interjected.

"Just because I like your face. I thought we might have met somewhere before."

"That's impossible. I'm here for the first time. I couldn't have met you before, so it must be a mistake."

"Right. It must be a mistake."

Zhang Jian glanced at the young man and the innkeeper and raised his glass. The reason he couldn't take his eyes off the young man wasn't significant. It was just that the well-trained body visible through his clothes and hands caught his attention. He rarely saw such a well-trained body in the New Continent.

But in this vast land, there could be any number of skilled people with their own stories, so it wasn't worth worrying about.

The young man, who had been watching Zhang Jian, seemed to decide he was just a drunk and started eating the noodles the innkeeper had brought. He seemed very hungry and ate quickly. The innkeeper, feeling sorry for him, added a bit more noodles.

While Zhang Jian finished his last cigarette, the young man burped contentedly after his meal. The innkeeper laughed.

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Yes, thank you, innkeeper. The broth was excellent."

The young man, seeing the innkeeper's smiling face, took out some money and handed it over. As the innkeeper collected it, the young man continued.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

"Hmm? What is it? Looking for a job? I can connect you with the salt laborers."

The young man shook his head.

"My name is Jin Yuanshang. I'm looking for someone."

"Ah! Looking for someone? I know a lot of people here."

The innkeeper's casual response brightened Jin Yuanshang's face.

"The person I'm looking for is a girl named Yang Suo. Well, she's not a girl anymore, but a woman named Yang Suo."

"Yang Suo?"

The innkeeper tilted his head.

"Is that all you know?"

"Well, she has a very beautiful smile and is very kind."

The innkeeper chuckled at Jin Yuanshang's words.

"Friend, when you're in love, everyone seems beautiful and kind. How can you find someone with just that? There are so many people coming and going in Yancheng, and so many who stay."

Jin Yuanshang hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Um, she probably has a daughter... who is sick. Her husband is likely a laborer who does dangerous work. And... she might have changed her name."

The innkeeper was speechless for a moment. He had thought Jin Yuanshang was looking for a lover when he saw his expression when he mentioned the woman's beauty. But why was he looking for a woman with a husband and a daughter? And why had she changed her name?

After a moment, the innkeeper said, "Ah, are you looking for a separated family member? A sister?"

"···Yes, that's right. A separated family member. A sister."

The innkeeper, who was looking at him strangely, scratched his head.

"Sorry, but I don't know. If she changed her name, it might be faster to search for her yourself."

"···I see."

Jin Yuanshang's expression was gloomy. He seemed to be losing energy at the thought of meeting many people and searching around. But he forced a smile and said, "Yes, it was a difficult journey to get here, but since I've come, I will find her eventually."

Zhang Jian, who had been sipping his wine, had inadvertently overheard their conversation. He looked at the dejected young man, specifically at the pocket where he had just taken out the money. Imagining the heavy purse, Zhang Jian thought of a way to make some money without much effort.

"You'll need a guide to search around like that."

Jin Yuanshang, who had been looking gloomy, frowned at Zhang Jian's sudden words.

"···What do you mean?"

Zhang Jian, extinguishing his almost finished cigarette in the ashtray, continued, "This is your first time here, right? It won't be easy to search for someone in an unfamiliar place."

"···That's true, but it's not your concern, is it?"

"Maybe, but I think we can help each other."

Jin Yuanshang blinked for a moment, then frowned again as if he understood.

"You're offering to help me find someone for a fee? But you're a traveler too, right?"

"I've been here longer than you."

Jin Yuanshang chuckled at Zhang Jian's matter-of-fact answer.

"If that's the case, it would be better to hire a local. A local would be much more reliable than someone who just drinks in the inn."

"You've practiced martial arts."

Jin Yuanshang was taken aback by Zhang Jian's sudden words but quickly laughed and continued, "···There are many people who know basic martial techniques. It's not that impressive—"

"You seem to have mainly practiced fist techniques, so you're not from a New Continent sect. You learned martial arts in the Central Plains and haven't been here long. Your palms suggest you've also learned other martial skills, probably spear... no, staff techniques. Your body suggests you've practiced a powerful fist technique, strong enough to break rocks. And, as far as I know, there are very few sects in the Central Plains that practice both powerful fist techniques and staff techniques together."

Zhang Jian smiled and pointed at Jin Yuanshang's headscarf.

"That's a nice headscarf."

In that moment, Jin Yuanshang's expression turned pale and rigid. He stammered, "···Your eyes are... very good. You noticed all that just from me entering the inn and having a meal?"

Zhang Jian, without answering, smiled faintly and raised his glass. The innkeeper, who had been listening, quietly placed a new cup of tea in front of Jin Yuanshang and interjected.

"Whatever it is, it seems he's right. I didn't know he had such skills. What do you think about working with him?"

When Jin Yuanshang looked at him, the innkeeper continued, "He's been here for a few days, and from what I've seen, he's not a bad person. He's not a scammer or a thief. Why don't you try working with him for a while? If it doesn't work out, you can always find someone else."

Jin Yuanshang, deep in thought, clasped his hands. Zhang Jian, surprised by the innkeeper's support, looked at him. The innkeeper subtly winked and showed three fingers, as if saying, "Help me, and I'll take a third of the fee."

Zhang Jian shook his head and showed two fingers. After a moment's thought, the innkeeper nodded. At that moment, Jin Yuanshang, having made his decision, raised his head.

"Alright. Your observational skills seem extraordinary, so you'll likely be a great help in finding her. How much will you charge?"

"Let's see. How much do you have?"

Jin Yuanshang, taken aback by Zhang Jian's indifferent response, took out his money pouch. After a moment's thought, he handed the entire pouch to Zhang Jian.

"···You're giving me all of it?"

"Yes."

This time, Zhang Jian was surprised and hesitated.

"···I might not find her, you know?"

"Then I'll have wasted my money."

Zhang Jian looked into Jin Yuanshang's eyes. They were pure and resolute, not like stone or steel, but a reflection of his unwavering will. Zhang Jian liked the look in his eyes and smiled. He took the money pouch.

"Alright. Let's start now."

"Right, right? Right now?"

Zhang Jian, rummaging through the money pouch and placing a few silver and copper coins on the table, strode out of the inn. Jin Yuanshang, taken aback, quickly drank the tea the innkeeper had prepared, bowed, and followed him.

The innkeeper, watching the door swing as they left, collected the coins.

"Interesting fellows. They'll make some noise."