In the endless night continent, the branch of the noble family was another powerful force besides the expeditionary army. They were so arrogant that they often disregarded even the city lord and the expeditionary army.
Qian Ye had no interest in dealing with such people. He took out a jade ring and said calmly, “This is the steward’s emblem of the Supervisory Office. Please ask your manager to come out.” The ring did not have any primordial force infused into it, so the crossed swords could not be seen, but the eagle head carving of the Wei family of the Far East was clearly visible.
A guard said slyly, “We haven’t received any contact letters. Who knows where you got this from? How dare you come to the Wei family’s territory and…”
Before he could finish, another guard covered his mouth. Then the guard bowed slightly to Qian Ye and said, “Please wait a moment. I will go and fetch the manager right away. We are not qualified to authenticate this emblem, regardless of which elder it belongs to.”
Qian Ye nodded calmly. The Wei family of the Far East was a high-class clan, known for their strict family style and rigorous discipline over their servants. By observing the behavior of the outermost servants, one could roughly tell the state of the family. If even the servants couldn’t be controlled, then the downfall of the family wouldn’t be far off.
The guard rushed inside. After a short while, a middle-aged man hurried out. When he saw the ancient jade ring in Qian Ye’s hand, his eyebrows twitched. The Supervisory Office steward was the highest-ranking external officer in the Wei family, several levels higher than a mere branch manager in the city. They usually came down only for important matters; how could there be no prior notice?
The middle-aged man introduced himself first to Qian Ye. He was Wei Cheng, the second manager of the Far East Heavy Industries branch in Broken River City. He currently managed all affairs, as the main manager had returned to the upper continent for an audit a month ago.
Wei Cheng courteously invited Qian Ye into the hall and then took the ring to examine it. “The steward looks unfamiliar. May I ask what business brings you here?”
Qian Ye had been observing Wei Cheng for a while. Though he seemed respectful, he was actually quite shrewd. His words were probing, suggesting that he was not an easy person to deal with.
When Wei Cheng asked, Qian Ye smiled and said, “Wei Qiyang gave me the emblem for convenience in daily affairs. If resources need to be mobilized, this should provide sufficient authority.” He unfastened the silver necklace from his neck and placed it on the table.
Wei Cheng was shocked. Wei Qiyang was the name of the son of the Marquis of Bowang. Although they shared the same surname, the son of the marquis was a world apart. Normally, he would never set foot in such a small city.
Wei Cheng now put aside all his thoughts. He handed the ring back to Qian Ye and then took the necklace with both hands, injecting a wisp of primordial force into the eagle-head pendant. The array within the square plate lit up, and a single-layer feather crown appeared on the eagle’s head, the mark of the son of the marquis.
“Indeed, this is the son of the marquis’s token! What can I do for you, young master?”
“I have a group of people who need accommodation. Do you have a camp outside the city?”
Wei Cheng hurriedly said, “Young master, do you have attendants outside the city? I will arrange for someone to bring them in. Although Broken River City is small, we can still tidy up a few residences to accommodate them properly.”
Qian Ye shook his head and said, “There’s no need to bring them into the city. It would be best if they could be accommodated outside. I have quite a few people, and they need clothes, bedding, and food.”
“How many attendants do you have, young master?”
“About seven hundred or so.”
Wei Cheng was startled, but he didn’t press further. After a moment of thought, he pulled out a map and pointed to a location. “How about this? Twenty kilometers east of the city, there’s a Wei family mine. There’s a small town nearby. During this season, there’s not much work at the mine, and most of the houses in the town are empty. If we squeeze a bit, we should be able to accommodate them, though the conditions might be a bit harsh.”
“That’s fine, it’s already good. Let’s go with that.” Qian Ye examined the map carefully, memorizing the surrounding terrain and road conditions out of habit.
Wei Cheng immediately sprang into action. He called in the sub-managers responsible for various supplies one by one and assigned tasks in front of Qian Ye, arranging the living conditions for the seven hundred people very properly. He even considered the need for security, ordering the armory to provide a batch of firearms and ammunition. Although they were just powder weapons, they were sufficient for general situations.
Although the ability to quickly provide such resources demonstrated the Wei family’s strength, Wei Cheng’s orderly management in such a short time also showed his competence.
After settling these people, Qian Ye felt a weight lifted off his mind. He also had Wei Cheng send a message, informing Wei Potian of his presence here.
Not letting these people into the city was a decision Qian Ye made on the way. This batch of captives was extremely valuable, and it was unlikely that the Dark Flow Defense Zone alone could gather such a quantity and quality. He suspected that other expeditionary divisions might be involved.
Broken River City was under the jurisdiction of the 10th Division of the expeditionary army. The Far East Heavy Industries here was like a trading company, with a sizable elite private army, but it could not compare to the expeditionary army in terms of power. Thus, bringing the captives into the city would be like delivering oneself to a trap. Even if the 10th Division was innocent, it was uncertain whether there were any connections between the neighboring defense zones. Only after reuniting with Wei Potian would Qian Ye feel truly safe.
Qian Ye did not stay long in Broken River City. Early the next morning, he left the city and disappeared into the vast wilderness.
The captives Qian Ye brought were all taken in by Wei Cheng, who guaranteed to handle them properly. Wei Cheng’s usual method was to send most of them to more remote mines to work, and sell the particularly vicious ones to slave traders. As for these methods, Qian Ye did not inquire, and Wei Cheng did not mention them.
Meanwhile, Qian Ye was busy with something else. He spent three days alone in the wilderness, retracing the route he had taken to Broken River City. If any dark races or others were following him, they would likely fall into his ambush. After confirming that there were no pursuers, Qian Ye returned to Broken River City.
The Far East Heavy Industries occupied six mines around Broken River City, four of which were black stone mines and two metal mines. The people Qian Ye rescued were settled in a small town near a black stone mine. After learning their identities, Wei Cheng sent an additional hundred or so private soldiers to protect them, but in reality, to keep an eye on them, fearing that some might escape when Qian Ye was not around.
Apart from forbidding them from leaving the mine area, everything else was well-arranged. Men, women, and children had their own places, and the soldiers were organized into a separate unit.
Usually, the miners lived in the mining area, and the town was for the supervisors and their families during the peak mining season, so it was not large. After cramming seven hundred people, the living conditions were similar to those in a slave camp. Therefore, starting from the next day, Wei Cheng arranged for the people to cut wood and build houses, expanding the town to twice its size.
When Qian Ye returned, everything in the town was running smoothly.
As he walked down the street, Qian Ye saw a familiar face: Song Zining.
The seventh son of the Song clan was with the children, his expression as gentle as always. He was talking to them, and the children, big and small, surrounded him, listening intently.
Qian Ye hurried over and called out, “Zining!”
Song Zining looked up and saw Qian Ye. His warm, intoxicating smile became genuine. He bent down and said a few more words to the children, dismissing them. Then he welcomed Qian Ye with a hug and laughed, “I thought I was acting fast, but you’ve acted even faster.”
Hearing this, Qian Ye knew that the investigation into the source of the black crystal behind Wu Zhengnan was making progress. He smiled and explained a little. He hadn’t intended to act initially, but the fact that the trade goods were humans changed his mind.
Song Zining didn’t take it to heart. “It doesn’t matter. Things like this can be unpredictable. Act as fast as possible, just make sure Wei Potian doesn’t drag his feet.”
Qian Ye looked around. “Let’s talk in my room.”
Wei Cheng had naturally arranged the best small house in town for Qian Ye, but the town was simple, and the best was not much to speak of.
Song Zining circled the house, tutting. “The esteemed Wei family of the Far East, and they give their son’s friend such a place to stay? It’s not much different from the mine foreman’s quarters.”
However, Song Zining did not come alone. At his command, thirty or forty servants, maids, and guards poured in from outside the town. The servants quickly cleaned and arranged the simple house, and Song Zining even brought two cooks, who were already preparing meals in a makeshift kitchen.
Seeing Song Zining’s display, Qian Ye finally understood why he preferred to camp outside the town. Perhaps his camping conditions were better than those in the town.
Qian Ye shook his head helplessly. “It doesn’t matter much whether we stay in good or bad conditions. I wanted to stay here to avoid trouble.”
Song Zining nodded. “Not entering the city is wise. With you outside, the 10th Division can pretend to be unaware. If you led so many people into the city, they wouldn’t be able to pretend anymore.”
At this, Song Zining looked at Qian Ye and added, “Such a valuable batch of seedlings, and in such a large quantity. The total value of the entire transaction could reach tens of thousands of gold coins. Just the 7th Division alone wouldn’t have the means. It’s likely that several nearby divisions are involved. You’ve really hurt Wu Zhengnan this time.”
Qian Ye suddenly felt a bit apologetic. “Zining, it seems things are getting deeper and deeper. I’m sorry to drag you into this.”
When Qian Ye first thought of dealing with Wu Zhengnan, it was just a vague idea. He wasn’t entirely clear on how to proceed. As he moved forward with the help of his friends, he realized that it was a complex web, and pulling one thread revealed a thousand more. Qian Ye himself was not afraid, but he worried about his friends.
Song Zining laughed and said nonchalantly, “Even if it’s troublesome, it’s just a commoner-turned division commander of the expeditionary army. Compared to you going to kill Gu Liyu, it’s much easier.”
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