Chapter 293

Qing gracefully leaped into the air with anti-gravity walking, *tak!* As she landed softly, gasps of admiration erupted from all around.

Of course, the common folks’ standards were set pretty low, likely only to their ankles, so they weren’t exactly the ones to appreciate the top-tier martial arts form that rose and fell like a heavenly beauty.

But seeing her otherworldly, ethereal movements made them spontaneously clasp their hands and murmur about heavenly maidens.

With that, Qing boldly stepped forward, and the crowd parted like the Red Sea.

It wasn’t quite a scene worthy of legendary status, but it was still a pretty impressive sight.

As Qing strutted confidently through the opening, people trailed behind her like they were hypnotized.

Seeing this, Geoltaran’s eyes turned misty, and tears welled up inside.

The Supreme Heavenly Demon was leading the people!

Not by force or coercion, but by virtue and goodness, laying down the foundation for unifying the Central Plain—ah, bright days ahead for the Heavenly Demon Sect!

But would it kill her to show a bit more solemn majesty?

The only reason Geoltaran didn’t burst into tears was that Qing’s swaggering silhouette, naturally captivating and somewhat provocative, was doing wonders for her otherwise distracted mind.

Anyway, Geoltaran quickly gathered herself, pushed through the crowd, caught up to Qing, took a step back, and adopted a respectful posture with her hands clasped.

It felt as if she’d become the right-hand woman to the Supreme Heavenly Demon, and it almost made her feel like she was in a paradise, floating in bliss. Was this reality, or merely a dream?

“Geoltaran. Which merchant group has the most grain around here?”

“That’s obviously Zhangxing Company.”

Zhangxing Company, huh?

That was the one tasked with the grain supply, if she remembered correctly.

She’d have to pay them a visit, but perhaps not just yet.

After all, the most delicious part should always be saved for last. That’s how true connoisseurs do it.

“Let’s skip them for now. What’s next?”

“Well, then it’s definitely Nakyung Group.”

“Great! Let’s head there. Where is it?”

“Um…”

At that moment, Geoltaran hesitated, struggling to spit it out.

“What’s up, why the pause?”

“You’ve gone the wrong way. It’s behind us.”

Aw, shoot, I forgot my bearings!

With the crowd surging behind them, it wasn’t exactly easy to turn around, and there was no way she could just admit, ‘Oops, wrong mountain!’ and pivot back now.

“A lady doesn’t just backtrack like that. What’s ahead?”

“The fourth large gate up there is the Great Prosperity Association.”

“Cool.”

So, Qing made her way toward the Great Prosperity Association’s gate.

While every street in any city is bustling with enough carts trundling about to make the ground sturdy and spacious, the road ahead was no exception.

A wall of people marched forward, easily filling the massive pathway as if six wagons could fit without a hitch.

Out of sheer anxiety, the gatekeepers from the Great Prosperity Association stood trembling with wobbly legs.

The three gatekeepers from the manor that Qing and the crowd brushed past sighed in relief, while the one from the Great Prosperity Association prayed fervently to all the divine beings to just let them pass.

Yet, humans must save themselves.

Regardless of how divine they may be, gods don’t swoop in to rescue humans.

“Good day!”

“Yes, indeed!”

“The girl here is Seomun Qing. I’ve come to relay a message for the Association Head. Good news to share, you see.”

“Ah, um, did you have an appointment…”

“Oh dear, I got caught up in the moment. But it’s a pressing matter. Whether it’s the Master? The Lord? Head of the Association? Whatever, it’s something that would benefit them as well, so could you let me in?”

“Um, this is rather difficult… .”

With that, Qing smiled sweetly and replied.

“Do you want to make things even more difficult for yourself?”

“N-no, I don’t!”

As the saying goes, numbers trump strength, and the gatekeepers were nothing but helpless individuals in front of the mass of people that filled the streets.

Thus, the gates swung open wide, and Qing nonchalantly strolled in, confidently making that *tak!* sound again.

The populace poured in behind her, flooding the massive grounds of the merchant organization, when suddenly a group of warriors blocked her path.

“Halt!”

“Yes.”

Qing stopped obediently.

“This is the Great Prosperity Association’s business area. No matter how dire the city’s situation is—”

“I am Seomun Qing. May I ask for your name, great hero?”

“Cough. I am Ibanjo, a top disciple from the Iga Sword Sect. What business do you have here, bringing such a large crowd with you?”

It was quite common for merchant organizations to contribute silver and gold to city warriors and invite them as “guests” for hospitality.

This wasn’t the case with disciples being assigned to protect someone else’s place, as they would remain guests, graciously accepting favors indefinitely.

Of course, this usually applied to the Orthodox sects.

The Heterodox members, even if gifted gold and silver, would take it for granted and stir up trouble without offering any real help.

And if they were from the Orthodox sect, well.

“If you’re asking for my reason for being here, I should start with my participation in the Martial World Tournament.”

Qing launched right into it, sharing something unprompted.

“I, with my humble skills, managed to win at the Potential Martial Arts Competition and received the grand title of Cheonhwa-geom, returning to deliver this delightful news to my clan.”

Ibanjo muttered “Cheonhwa-geom” under his breath.

Whether it meant the flower from heaven or the most beautiful under the sky, either way, it suited her well.

“As I entered the city on my way back, I encountered an unexpected calamity. Thus, I decided to utilize my own funds for a relief effort, but since all I have is gold and silver, I thought I’d ask the Association Head for assistance in selling it.”

“Cough. What a noble endeavor.”

“Yes. So, would the martial artists please clear a path for us?”

“Of course, that’s a good deed you’re undertaking.”

For an Orthodox warrior, having principles is akin to life itself.

Of course, the competition to adhere to those principles can be fierce; they could always challenge such shallow acts.

However, who wouldn’t concede when it came to a Martial World Tournament champion?

One of the strongest contenders of the later stages, and recognized by the Martial Alliance as a supreme figure.

Just from that impressive title of Cheonhwa-geom, one could perceive the influence of high-ranking individuals.

So it made no sense to get on her bad side here when she planned to carry out a relief effort. There was no reason to block her.

In fact, Ibanjo went a step further.

“Your aspiration is commendable, and we from the Iga Sword Sect will support you in this. What are you all doing? Supervisors, protect the citizens from any disturbances.”

With that, they switched sides naturally, placing themselves firmly among the masses.

Thus, Qing marched on, making that *tak-tak!* resound again as she led everyone across the manor.

Finally, in front of the main hall.

“What’s this ruckus? There’s been no prior agreement, and here you’re barging in—what is this madness?”

“I am Seomun Qing. I know it was rude, but due to circumstances, I had no choice but to inconvenience you. Are you the Head of the Association?”

“Ahem. I serve as the chief officer of the Great Prosperity Association.”

“I wish to carry out a relief effort using my funds, and I’ve come to ask if you could sell me some grain. May I meet the Association Head?”

“Well, allow me to check…”

If the opponent had been brutally rude, it would only have worsened the situation. However, since they were relatively polite, the chief officer hesitated awkwardly and vanished inside the building.

Moments later, he returned to say.

“The Association Head has agreed. For now, young lady, please step inside and speak—”

“Not just me, but with everyone here. It’s not just a request from me, but we’d like to ask for everyone’s help. I know it’s rude, but I hope we can have the Association Head join us here.”

Qing interrupted him.

If she had intended to go in alone and negotiate one-on-one, she wouldn’t have bothered dragging everyone along.

She could have just slipped in, showcased her remarkable sword aura, and asked respectfully to buy what she needed. Surely, they would sell it to her.

Yet if she took that route, they could conveniently ignore her later if they wanted, and that would be a headache. Furthermore, she couldn’t chase after and plead with every single place for the grain she desperately needed.

If she could just storm into the largest merchant groups and grab grain from there, naturally, the smaller shops would follow suit.

“That would be rather difficult. Bringing this many people here feels more like a threat than a request.”

“A threat? I clearly said it was a request!”

“Surely this isn’t how requests are made—”

“Oh! Look at that pillar! It’s so thick! As a swordsman, I feel compelled to test my skills on it! My sword aura would surely slice through!”

At this point, it was outright a threat.

The chief officer jumped in alarm, shouting.

“I’ll call him! I’ll get him here!”

The Association Head found himself smiling brightly.

Crisis breeds opportunity, and when a major disaster strikes a city, merchants stand to gain exponentially—truly a golden chance bestowed by the heavens.

Of course, it had left him a bit grumpy in the morning.

He received word that some no-name merchants, who didn’t even qualify as real traders, were just clamoring about their relief grain.

But that was brief.

After all, how much could a brand-new merchant group possibly supply, having just opened? Eventually, their stocks would dwindle, and then grain would become as precious as gold, skyrocketing in price.

Sure, the impoverished common folks couldn’t even afford to buy the grain.

But that wasn’t a problem; he could always call in debts, grab some daughters to recoup losses, or even sell someone as a servant… By confiscating land deeds, he could always turn a great profit.

That’s why merchant groups often expand dramatically after major disasters occur.

But that smile wouldn’t last long.

“They’ve swarmed in like a pack of dogs, demanding to see the Head of the Association. You should probably go out now…”

“What’s got them hot-headed enough to storm in? What’s the Iga Sword Sect doing?”

“The Iga Sword Sect is mixing in with them.”

“After all I’ve provided? How can they act like this? Who’s footing the protection fees for all the donations!?”

Sure, he could refuse to contribute, but they undoubtedly had to pay protection fees. If bandits demanded something, how could he not comply?

The chief officer contemplated this but was too wise to say it out loud.

“Call the officials!”

“Even if you do, how are you going to stop them if they turn rowdy? It’ll need to be you, the Association Head, to calm them down and negotiate—”

“Does that even count as negotiation? If I go out there and say we aren’t selling, what will happen to my status? I won’t be able to set foot in Nakyung again!”

But no way could he just let it slide.

After all, there were too many people here already, and any one of them could turn into a bandit with just a single shout.

So what could he do? He had to step out and find a way to buy time at the very least.

“What did I even do wrong…?”

The Association Head muttered.

If Qing had heard it, she’d probably feel like slapping him ten times over while holding back laughter.

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