Master of Kaidan
Chapter 270 Yan State Anecdotes (Introduction)

Chapter 270: Chapter 270 Yan State Anecdotes (Introduction)

In the autumn of 322 in Great Chu, a merchant caravan entered Yan State from Si Province via the Jade Gate. Although the caravan leader made this journey every year, this year something seemed different.

"Father, in past years we always brought in herbs and grain, but this year it’s all silk! That’s the stuff of rich families. In a place like Yan State, filled with Jianghu folks who live by the sword, even if they can afford it, they wouldn’t use it!"

In the middle of the caravan, within a horse-drawn carriage, a young man around twenty-something looked around at the somewhat desolate land and thought about the news he had heard, puzzled by his father’s sudden decision to change the merchandise this year.

"All you do is go to tea houses, listen to storytelling and watch operas. Why don’t you pay attention to some real news!" The merchant, almost fifty years old and already calling himself an old man among the non-martial folk, glared at his son but didn’t reprimand him too much. As the son had always been sent to gain experience in various shops, he wasn’t familiar with running a caravan, so the father had no choice but to explain:

"Those storytellers, their stories are mostly fictionalized, and even if there’s some Anomaly from the Jianghu, it’s old news. ’Commerce’ is nothing but buying low and selling high. If you want to know where to buy low and sell high, you must grasp the latest news. That requires developing specialized information channels. Otherwise, what do you think all the money I scatter along the way is for? Just to show off? Without those expenses, how would they give you the latest information?"

"Father, your lesson is well taken." The young man, despite his somewhat impetuous nature, had some years of experience in commerce and naturally understood the principle in his father’s words. However, before he could ask about his family’s connections, he heard his father sigh:

"Actually, this old man’s methods are outdated. Nowadays, the Yue Lai Inn is a great deal. Just spend a few taels of silver, and you can buy any information you want, which is convenient and fast. But remember, information is the lifeblood of a merchant. Even if they’re convenient and useful, you still need to develop your own channels, even if they’re slower and less reliable; they must be there."

The young man nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, but then he asked:

"Father, you mentioned Yue Lai Inn; is there one in Yan State as well?"

"I’ve heard that every state and province has one..." The old merchant, following his son’s gaze out the window, saw an inn that looked almost like a small village, composed of several small buildings nestled by the roadside with "Yue Lai Inn" written prominently on the signboard.

"What time is it now?" The old merchant squinted his eyes and scanned the signboard and flags a few times before asking the carriage driver.

"Boss, it’s already the hour of Shen!" The carriage driver checked the position of the sun and turned his head to reply. The old merchant estimated the time and announced:

"Discuss with the Darts Masters and decide to rest here for today."

"Alright!"

The news spread quickly, and several Darts Masters escorted the merchant father and son into the main hall of the inn.

The great hall was extremely spacious. There was enough room with over a dozen tables for a hundred people or more. Going up the staircase, there were several private rooms, looking no different from the main branch in the Capital.

"How many guests? Stopping by or staying over?" The inn’s waiter immediately greeted them. Seeing the familiar layout, he immediately said:

"Our caravan has six carts, about forty people. Do you have any rooms available?"

"There might not be enough upper rooms, but there’s definitely enough space in the common sleeping areas and standard rooms!" The waiter immediately replied. The old merchant nodded, pulled out a bar of silver, and handed it to the waiter:

"Serve us a table of food and wine, and help settle the people outside, and make sure to feed the animals too."

"Of course, folks, please come this way!" The waiter promptly signaled to his colleagues, and someone went out to help settle the animals and attendants. The old merchant, along with his son and bodyguard, chose a spot by the window to sit down. He signaled to his caravan and observed the situation inside the inn.

But then, he noticed something amiss.

Although there used to be no Yue Lai Inn in Yan State, there were actually quite a few wilderness inns in Yan State. Most of them would host Jianghu individuals deformed by the Erosion of Demonic Qi. However, at a glance, the guests in the inn appeared to be very normal.

No, that was beyond normal.

They didn’t have the coarse skin typical of ordinary Jianghu travelers; instead, each one had skin smooth as congealed fat, resembling less the rough travelers of the Jianghu and more like the pampered nobility from the Capital. Compared with them, the Grandmasters among their own Darts Masters looked downright like dirt-stained farmers.

Yet what stood out most on these Jianghu travelers wasn’t their healthy complexion, but the pale yellow satin capes with capes they wore—

Currently, visitors in the inn, seventy percent of them, were clad in such satin garments, differing only in shades of color. As for the remaining thirty percent, they too donned yellow capes with hoods but made from materials like wool, cotton, and linen, instead of satin.

"Dad, are these people that rich? Why do they all like to wear satin?" The young man was equally shocked, then complained:

"Old man, you could have gathered more complete information. These people here like satin, that’s true, but they’re into yellow satin!"

The old merchant was somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this. The information network he relied on had indeed reported a significant shortfall in silk fabric within Yan State, but he had never heard that it was specifically yellow silk that was in demand! Or perhaps these people were all from the same Sect, which was why they all wore yellow silk?

But before he could speak, the Darts Master beside him warned gravely:

"Boss, be careful, something’s not right here!"

Upon hearing the Darts Master speak in such a manner, the merchant immediately grew serious. He positioned himself to be easily hoisted away by his Darts Masters in an emergency and made eye contact with his son. Once the latter also assumed a similar "ready-for-action stance," he cautiously said:

"Let’s hear it."

The Darts Master frowned and said:

"These Jianghu folks are too young, and their strengths vary greatly. A few of them have only just developed their Inner Strength, such people shouldn’t be in Yan State!"

"Are you suggesting that these individuals might be members of the Demon Sect?" The merchant’s face tensed instantly, but the Darts Master just shook his head:

"No, the Inner Qi within them is calm and refined, serene and solid. They don’t bear the characteristics of Demon Sect’s Demon Cultivators. I’m not sure what to make of them..."

The merchant internally grew anxious, but upon noticing a waiter who had nothing much to do, yet was pacing back and forth in the main hall, he immediately gestured for him to come over.

Upon seeing a customer signaling him, the waiter quickly approached, wearing a service-industry smile:

"This esteemed guest, please be patient; your dishes will be ready shortly."

The old merchant, familiar with protocols, immediately took out two taels of patterned silver and laid them on the table. The waiter’s fawning smile vanished, replaced by a more serious demeanor, and he promptly inquired:

"What would the guest like to know?"

"Why are all these people wearing yellow silk? And since when did Yan State have Martial Artists below the Grandmaster Realm?"

The merchant asked tentatively while inching closer to the window. Seeing this, the waiter chuckled and said:

"These individuals were originally locals from Yan State who joined the Mystical Lord Sect. Thanks to their practice of the ’Mystical Lord Secret Scripture,’ they are immune to the erosion by Demonic Qi and can move freely in Yan State. Though their strength may not be at the level of a Grandmaster, they are sufficiently capable of dealing with peripheral members of the Demon Sect and providing security for logistics and supplies. As for the yellow silk capes they wear, those are the Sect’s weaponized garments, known as ’Yellow Robe Eighteen Falls.’"

"That name sounds like it refers to close-quarters combat techniques." The young man spent his days listening to stories in teahouses and had heard of a Kung Fu style called "Cloth Touching Eighteen Falls."

Hearing this, the waiter explained with a smile:

"Sir, what you don’t know is that the Kung Fu handed down by Mystical Lord is called ’Heavenly Demon’s Various Forms Fist,’ a style that studies the attack methods of Demon Cultivators to achieve a counter-technique effect, belonging to the ’Elephant Form Boxing’ category. And this ’Yellow Robe Eighteen Falls’ is all about that yellow garment. It is said that this technique imitates how Demon Cultivators infuse their Demonic Qi into weapons, but reverses the process by incorporating one’s True Qi into their robe. Over time, the robe gains a Spiritual nature. When combined with the Cultivation Technique, it acts like a living creature, causing anyone it touches to fall instantly, and it can even protect the wearer automatically. Look at those robes; the closer their color is to golden yellow, the more proficient the practitioner is in this particular technique. However, due to the current shortage of silk in Yan State, many have to resort to using instead less effective cotton, linen, or wool..."