Free Web NovelChapter 372: Chapter 213: Meeting an Acquaintance Again
He knew full well his nephew was solely focused on cultivation and cared nothing for anything else. Even peculiar items that could affect Sixth Grade Martial Artists, or the topic of Poison Physicians in general, didn’t seem to interest him much.
In the end, he just sighed and didn’t press the matter.
Similarly, once they were out of the Li Courtyard’s gates, Zhou Zhendong proactively asked about the situation.
Cheng Zongyang answered him point by point, explaining matters related to the Li Family and Li Mingxin’s rules.
After Zhou Zhendong learned of Li Mingxin’s rules, he was a bit puzzled. "Are there really people who only want to focus on cultivation?"
Cheng Zongyang shrugged and said as they walked,
"Who knows. Some people might genuinely only want to cultivate, solely pursuing greater strength without being swayed by external matters. But others have higher aims and grander ambitions, which is why they have no interest in trivialities that don’t affect the grand scheme of things.
Regardless, as long as we don’t break the rules he has set, he’ll let us develop as we please.
Just remember that in your future dealings. As long as we don’t violate his rules, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the County Town is ours—even if we were to wipe out the other three factions, provided we pay him his due tribute."
Zhou Zhendong nodded solemnly, committing those words to memory.
He glanced at the sun’s position in the sky; it was nearly noon.
Just as Cheng Zongyang was preparing to grab a quick bite at the restaurant with Zhou Zhendong, two plainly dressed individuals suddenly approached them on the street.
However, when Cheng Zongyang saw one of them—a middle-aged man—his eyes flickered and he stopped in his tracks. Staring at the man, he said to Zhou Zhendong, "You head back first. I’ve run into an acquaintance; I’m going to have a chat."
Zhou Zhendong glanced at the approaching men and nodded slightly. "Be careful."
’They probably aren’t enemies.’
Cheng Zongyang took the initiative and walked up to them. A smile bloomed on his face as he looked at the man and said with feeling, "I never expected this. After almost a year, Master Chen, who left so quietly back then, has actually returned."
The man was none other than Chen Kaishan, the blacksmith from back then.
"I also never expected that the little hunter from back then would now possess such strength and influence," Chen Kaishan said, staring at Cheng Zongyang with a glint in his eyes and a broad smile.
But when Cheng Zongyang saw the man with the bushy beard standing behind him, he found him somewhat familiar.
"It’s been a long time." The man looked at Cheng Zongyang with a complex expression. "I wasn’t wrong about you back then. You were so young, yet your talent was exceptional. And now you’ve established your own foundation here in the County Town. My older cousin would be thrilled if he knew."
With that, Cheng Zongyang finally recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, "Chief Zheng!"
Zheng Tianhai laughed. "I’m surprised you still remember me."
’Cheng Zongyang never imagined these two would end up together.’
"Kid, shall we find a place to talk?" Chen Kaishan asked with a smile.
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "A chance meeting is better than a formal invitation. Let’s go to the restaurant—my treat."
"Alright," Chen Kaishan agreed with a smile.
「A quarter of an hour later, on the third floor of Cheng’s Restaurant.」
"This restaurant is yours?" Chen Kaishan asked, somewhat surprised.
Cheng Zongyang nodded. "It is."
"In less than a year, everything has changed," Chen Kaishan said, filled with emotion. "You truly are no ordinary person. Most people would be lucky just to survive the recent turmoil, but you... you’ve managed to build an enterprise like this. And your cultivation has progressed so far. It’s simply incredible." He finally asked, "How did you do it?"
Cheng Zongyang poured them both a cup of wine, unbothered by the direct question. He smiled. "Master Chen, that’s a rather personal question. Besides, I doubt the two of you showing up here is as simple as just ’passing through,’ is it?"
At this, Zheng Tianhai spoke up. "We were, in fact, just passing through. We figured since we were in the area, we’d stop by and have a look. But we didn’t expect to see such astonishing rice paddies outside. After asking around, we learned they belonged to the Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang, so we came to find you."
But Chen Kaishan, at his side, was staring intently at Cheng Zongyang, a strong desire to probe in his eyes. This desire had nothing to do with the rice Zheng Tianhai had mentioned—it was aimed at his cultivation!
Cheng Zongyang ignored him and turned to Zheng Tianhai. "Chief Zheng..." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"You know my cousin. Just call me Uncle Zheng," Zheng Tianhai interrupted.
"Uncle Zheng." Cheng Zongyang didn’t mind the familiarity. "Then how is Steward Zheng doing now? I was fortunate to have received his help back in the day."
Zheng Tianhai shook his head. "When chaos broke out in Xiangyang, the entire Zheng Family evacuated. The Celestial Fragrance Tower is a Zheng Family business with branches all over Xiangyang, so naturally, they pulled out too. Though their losses were heavy, their foundation remains intact. He’s now back to being a steward for the Celestial Fragrance Tower in Beiding."
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "That’s good to hear."
Once the war began, the various Gate Valves and Noble Families in the former Land of Four Mansions all suffered devastating losses. To say they were grievously wounded would be an understatement.
Cheng Zongyang also learned a few things from Zheng Tianhai about the current situation in Da Liang.
The powers of the three factions had settled into a stable stalemate. The Royal Family would not retreat, Da Liang could not reclaim its land, and everyone was just waiting for an opportunity.
That opportunity was the Su Family’s chance for a breakthrough.
After Cheng Zongyang had listened for some time, Chen Kaishan interrupted him. "Cheng the kid, your talent and strength meet our requirements. Join us!"
’Cheng Zongyang was completely baffled. The conversation was going just fine, so what’s this nonsense about joining them?’
"What do you mean?"
Chen Kaishan said, "I’ll be frank with you. We’re members of an organization now, and I think you fit the requirements, so..."
"Sorry, not interested." Cheng Zongyang rolled his eyes, speechless, and cut him off. "I’m doing perfectly fine as a boss. You want me to give all this up to become an employee? How can you even say that with a straight face?"
Hearing this, Chen Kaishan had to admit he had a point. He said awkwardly, "This organization isn’t just any ordinary..."
"Hold on. What’s this organization called?" Cheng Zongyang was now a bit curious. "What kind of group managed to recruit you two? What do you do?"
Chen Kaishan didn’t hide the details. "While we call it an organization, it’s actually a massive commerce association. It’s named the Da Yi Commerce Association. It has a presence throughout Da Liang, the Royal Family’s territories, the Jin Kingdom, Xiliang, the Chen Kingdom, Bei’an Country, and more.
We are currently members of the Da Liang branch. We’ve come here for three reasons: first, to find a location for a new branch; second, to recruit talent; and third, to open up trade channels and assess the material needs of the various county and commandery cities."
’So many places... it’s a multinational commerce association.’ But Cheng Zongyang was still puzzled. "Why have I never heard of this commerce association before? In the past, did its branches only exist in commandery or prefecture cities, not county towns?"
Chen Kaishan smiled and nodded at Cheng Zongyang’s guess. "You’re right. The Da Yi Commerce Association doesn’t set up new branches lightly. When it does, it usually only establishes one in a key location to cover an entire area.
In Da Liang, every prefecture city would have one, but there were none in the commandery or county towns. Things are different now, though. The establishment of a new branch depends on the prosperity of the city. The more stable and flourishing a place is, the better its chances."
Understanding dawned on Cheng Zongyang, and then his eyes lit up. "You just said you sell goods and materials?"
Chen Kaishan nodded. "That’s right. With Royal Influence now established throughout the former Land of Four Mansions, the demand for all sorts of goods is enormous. We’ve come to assess the situation."
This was like a godsend. Cheng Zongyang’s attitude warmed considerably. "So, what do you typically sell? This county town has quite a few needs."
Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai looked at each other and shared a helpless smile. Chen Kaishan sighed.
"Are you sure you won’t reconsider joining us? You’re a real talent. If you joined the Commerce Association, you’d have incredible opportunities for growth. This county town is a decent place, but it’s small and out of the way. The world outside is vast; staying here can’t possibly compare to joining us."
Cheng Zongyang said, "Let’s drop it. I’m not going to consider it. However, I am very interested in your goods. If you want to discuss a partnership, then we can talk."
Seeing this, Chen Kaishan sighed softly. He took a small booklet out of his bag and placed it in front of Cheng Zongyang.
"Just think about it. As for trade, this booklet is for our internal use. It has a list of what we offer. You can have it. It also contains an introduction to the Da Yi Commerce Association and the scope of our operations.
Also, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. That rice outside the town... I heard you were the one who supplied it for planting? What variety is it? The yield is astonishing!"
