Book 10: Chapter 20: Bandits Ringleader and Underground Trading Company Leader

“It isn’t only bandits.”

When facing Chen Feirong’s questions, Lin Xi shook his head in a certain manner, “An underground black market on this kind of scale isn’t something a few bandit groups can support. The border army is definitely assisting in this private business. They also wish to obtain more medicines and military equipment, exceeding the amount the royal court provides, so they will definitely try to think of their own methods to achieve this.”

“I’ve stayed in Dragon Snake Border Army for quite some time. Letting those ordinary soldiers carry some more life saving and illness treating medicines will never be a bad thing.”

After a slight pause, Lin Xi gave Chen Feirong a look and continued, “Dragon Snake Border Army and Great Desolate Swamp’s ores and medicines can bring astonishing profits as well. These types of businesses will always be done by someone. Even if we act with incomparable radiance and completely uproot these underground black markets Qin Zhiyan recorded, soon afterwards, they will still reemerge. You can call it selfish motives, crazy is also fine. When I returned and decided to do these things, I already thought things through. This type of wealth, in our hands, will always be better than being in the hands of others. Also… the most crucial thing is that I have connections with the cave barbarians, I might be able to bring our Auspicious Virtue into Great Desolate Swamp’s world.”

When she heard Lin Xi’s completely undisguised words, the face of Chen Feirong who had already experienced who knew how much wind and rain turned pale from shock.

She already heard that Lin Xi was a key figure in the great battle at Dragon Snake Border Pass before, but everyone knew that Lin Xi was a heroic high-ranking military officer. Not even she expected Lin Xi and the cave barbarians to have a deeper level relationship.

Cave barbarians and Great Desolate Swamp were places and people even Yunqin Empire couldn’t conquer, equivalent to a country of its own as well. If…

Because the shock she felt in that instant was too great, to the point where she couldn’t continue thinking, she couldn’t help but say with a trembling voice, “Sir, could it be that you wish to have trading relations with the cave barbarians?”

“The cave barbarians are not actually the man-eating vicious bests Yunqin’s people portray them as, what they need is even more simple and primitive, as long as they can eat their fill in the winter, make it through this season.” Lin XI thought about that green-eyed girl, slowly nodding his head. “If we can truly do business with the cave barbarians, their strength can also be controlled. If there was no one who could completely subdue all of the cave barbarians, if I didn’t have confidence, I might not have set my hand in this direction, but there is someone who these cave barbarians have faith in, even willing to sacrifice their lives for. Moreover, this person is completely deserving of trust.”

Chen Feirong was immediately even more so shocked beyond words.

Lin Xi’s reply not only gave her a positive response, the meaning behind them… stated that him and the cave barbarians’ absolute leader already shared mutual trust?!

“Sir.” Chen Feirong spoke out after great difficulty, doing her best to calm herself down as she said, “If Auspicious Virtue really can have trading relations with Great Desolate Swamp… then it is basically controlling a business on the scale of an entire country, we will definitely become Yunqin’s number one trading company, but this is only the most ideal situation. Sir, Auspicious Virtue is a trading company that does honorable business after all. Regardless of whether it is business with the bandits, the border armies, or with Great Desolate Swamp, they are businesses that do not see the light, they go against the law.”

“You do not need to think that complicated for now.” Lin Xi shook his head calmly. He looked at her and said, “Trading with Great Desolate Swamp is still a far off matter. As for the underground black market, many segments are honest businesses. Only the deals at the very end with the bandits and border armies can be considered businesses that truly violate the law.”

Nangong Weiyang was always listening blankly. Lin Xi’s words, in others’ ears, might seem too daring, too crazy, but she instead felt that these were new and novel things, filling her with interest.

Originally, for someone like her, only some things no one dared do would stir her interests.

“Lin Xi, you’ve served as a Judicial Sector official before, so you obviously understand the law extremely well. However, are you going to use this knowledge of the law to instead exploit it?” When she heard everything up to here, she couldn’t help but give Lin Xi a look, coldly saying, “You previously said that doing things on a small scale won’t do. What is the point in being all constrained in these matters? As I see it, it might be better off to just do dirty on another villain, steal from those bandits and merchants who do business with the bandits at the very end.”

Lin Xi chuckled. After coming out from Jadefall City, he rarely laughed, but right now, his smile was still bright and radiant. “What you say has reason, but they also go against the law.”

“I like Auspicious Virtue and some ideas of yours a lot.” Nangong Weiyang thought quitely for a bit, and then said seriously, “Auspicious Virtue feels like some things go against the law, so they cannot do it… If I feel like it’s fine, then it does not go against the law, so it can be done. I wanted to take a look around Great Desolate Swamp to begin with, so I’ll go and do these things.”

In the end, Chen Feirong didn’t understand Nangong Weiyang as well as Lin Xi. Towards her words ‘if I feel like it is good, then it doesn’t go against the law’, she was shocked to a speechless state once again. However, Lin Xi knew more about Nangong Weiyang, he knew what kind of person Nangong Weiyang was, that she didn’t feel much restraint while doing things at all, the laws of this world didn’t have much restraint on her either. He was only a bit surprised, saying, “You have an interest in doing these things?”

Nangong Weiyang looked at Lin Xi like she was looking at an idiot, seriously saying, “I merely feel like by following you, I can do more interesting things. Why else do you think I am following at your side? Otherwise, do you really think I’ll just follow you for the rest of your life?”

Lin Xi released two awkward coughs, thought for a bit and then seriously suggested, “If you really have an interest in doing these things, I feel like it’s better if you don’t do this type of dirty on villains, instead find a way to control these bandits, find a way to become the boss of these bandits, become the boss of the black market.”

“To raise them just like how Wenren Cangyue raised Xiyi’s people.” Nangong Weiyang’s brows furrowed slightly, thinking for a bit and saying this.

“You can interpret it like that. Control those bandits to look for ores, medicinal materials will be better than having them rob or seize goods from the border army. There is no way the border army will give bandits any benefits, they are unable to do business with bandits, naturally, they can only suppress bandits. They cannot control these bandits. However, you do not have so many restrictions, you have the chance of doing this. Moreover, even if it is just having those bandits become like ordinary workers, transport goods and do business, it is better than having them kill. It’s enough as long as they don’t find out who they are working for.” Lin Xi looked at Nangong Weiyang and seriously said, “If this black market business wanted to enter Great Desolate Swamp and do business there, we need people to carry out the transactions. What Chen Feirong said before is correct, Auspicious Virtue is an honest business, from top down, everyone in Auspicious Virtue are law abiding Yunqin people. I naturally don’t wish to drag them into the water, so the biggest issue in trading with the cave barbarians, for me, is where to find people to carry out the transactions.”

“Having someone like me who is willing to go into the waters, it is just perfect for you, right?” Nangong Weiyang gave Lin Xi a look and said, “Moreover, you don’t have to use your connections with Green Luan Academy at all, so no outsiders will know at all. You can do this all in secret.”

When faced with the direct Nangong Weiyang, Lin Xi could only helplessly chuckle. “Precisely… moreover, the key lies in that only someone like you could do something like this.”

“Fine.”

Nangong Weiyang nodded in a bit of a high-spirited manner. “I will go and become Dragon Snake Border Army’s greatest bandit leader, become the secret business who can enter Great Desolate Swamp.”

Lin Xi said affirmatively, “As long as you can do it, this secret business together with Auspicious Virtue, will definitely become Yunqin’s greatest merchant company in the future.”

Nangong Weiyang gave Lin Xi a look. “It will definitely happen?”

Lin Xi released a bitter laugh, “I can’t be that sure, but none of the other Yunqin Sacred Experts are as free as you, the powers backing them also extremely clear. Moreover, not even the princess will know that you are doing this type of thing… that is why I felt that you are the one who has the highest chance of accomplishing this type of thing in Yunqin.”

Chen Feirong’s original shock returned to calmness. When she heard Lin Xi say the words Sacred Expert, at this time, she only released a light sigh inside, only feeling amazement that her fate actually ended up being tangled with the people before her.

“What other questions do you have?”

Right at this time, Nangong Weiyang instead recalled why she sought out Lin Xi to begin with. She turned around to ask Chen Feirong.

Chen Feirong knew that from today on, she was already inextricably linked to Nangong Weiyang. She gave a serious bow of respect and said, “I do not have any other questions.”

“In a bit, I want to take a look at the so-called operations you spoke of.”

Nangong Weiyang returned the greeting and gave those notes in Chen Feirong’s hands a look. Then, she looked at Lin Xi, saying seriously and with a bit of annoyance, “I have some questions to ask you.”

Lin Xi felt like Nangong Weiyang’s mood was a bit strange. His brows couldn’t help but furrow slightly. “What questions?”

Nangong Weiyang looked at his eyes, seriously asking, “Why is it that not even I can do more than ten days of meditation cultivation in a row, but you can? On matters of cultivation, I do not believe I am inferior to you.”

Lin Xi calmed down. He looked at Nangong Weiyang under the autumn glow, at her bright and confused gaze, inwardly releasing a sigh and saying, “This is only related to emotions… just like how the more interested you are in something, when you do it, you will do it a bit better.”

“Emotions?” Nangong Weiyang frowned, seriously thinking over Lin Xi’s words.

Lin Xi nodded. He looked at her and said, “Love and hatred, these should be a person’s two most powerful emotions. You should have never truly felt love, nor have you truly hated anyone… If you have, you will understand that sometimes, these emotions will make you feel so bad you cannot breathe. Compared to this type of pain, continuously cultivating in lonesomeness, cutting yourself off from the rest of the world, all other pain seems a bit easier to bear.”

“Turns out it was like this?”

Nangong Weiyang thought to herself for a bit, quietly saying to herself, “In that case, I should try to love someone, or hate someone?”

When Chen Feirong heard Nangong Weiyang say this, she was momentarily between laughter and tears.

Lin Xi’s face also produced a forced smile, he looked at her and said, “For this type of thing, it’s best to let nature run its course right? Best not to try randomly?”

Nangong Weiyang frowned, seriously saying, “I have to at least understand what type of emotion this is.”

Under the autumn light, Lin Xi was left speechless. His face had a bitter smile as he looked at this young lady who was about to set off to become Yunqin’s biggest east border bandit boss and the greatest underground merchant company leader, feeling quite the headache.

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