Chapter 4016 — Heavenly Chan?!
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Having pocketed the spirit jade, Steward Song suddenly gave a smile that was not quite a smile. "This Song has always done things with a generous hand. This time I failed to intercept the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's goods, yet I accepted your fifteen thousand spirit jade for nothing—though it was my due, in private I still feel somewhat uneasy about it. So I may as well give you a piece of information instead."
At once everyone's faces turned strange. If you truly felt uneasy, then why the hell did you pocket the spirit jade so briskly?
"What information might that be? Pray speak plainly, Steward Song," Manager Hao said, cupping his hands in salute.
Steward Song smiled faintly. "You gentlemen have been cloistered here all day deliberating great matters and paying little heed to the world outside. I daresay you have not yet heard—half an hour ago, the Hong Clan Merchant Guild joined the ranks of those exhibiting goods for auction."
"What?!" At these words every face in the company changed at once; jaws dropped, tongues stilled, and for a long while no one could utter a sound.
They had gathered today to discuss, from first to last, how to deal with the Hong Clan Merchant Guild; they had considered every level and every facet, and had even, to guard against the remotest sliver of possibility, laid out a great sum of spirit jade to bring the Northguard Garrison into play. Never once had it crossed their minds that Hong Zhong might still have the wherewithal to take part in the exhibition!
"Take part in the exhibition? How could he possibly still have goods to put up for auction at this point?" Manager Hao and the others could not help crying out in disbelief.
The two crates of goods he had brought had gone overboard into the sea, and the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's stockpiles and supply lines had been severed besides. By any reckoning, such a thing simply could not have happened.
Unless someone had sold Hong Zhong ahead of time the very goods meant for auction!
No one present was a fool, and they swiftly hit upon this possibility. Then, one after another, their faces turned savage and ugly. "To dare do such a thing behind our backs—do these people take our Anti-Hong Alliance for thin air?"
Steward Song could not help laughing. "You gentlemen are likely mistaken. What Hong Zhong has put out for exhibition this time is quite astonishing, I assure you—nothing any ordinary merchant guild could produce. Nor would anyone be fool enough to sell him strategic goods like these in bulk on the sly. Which shows that my old friend has in fact been prepared all along, and has been making fine sport of you all."
At these words the faces of Manager Hao, Wang Tong, and the rest grew uglier still. Without another word they rose and made for the door—they would go and see for themselves just what goods this old villain Hong Zhong could possibly produce!
Watching their expressions, Steward Song cursed inwardly: a pack of fools—whose spirit jade was there to fleece, if not theirs?
The whole crowd swept along in grand procession and soon arrived at the exhibition pavilion the Hong Clan Merchant Guild had reserved. Because his deputy had perished along the way, Hong Zhong, though a manager of the guild, had no choice but to take the field himself this time and bustle about in person; even Wei Zhao lent a hand at his side.
The pavilion was not especially large, and the goods the Hong Clan Merchant Guild had brought out for exhibition were not especially large either—together they barely filled a single row of display racks. Yet the articles arrayed upon that row made even these well-traveled managers of great merchant guilds stare, their eyes gone wide and fixed.
"How... how is this possible?!" Wang Tong, the least able of them all to hold his temper, was struck dumb on the spot.
"More than a hundred of them—all top-grade pills?" Even the seasoned, steady Manager Hao felt his temples throb and his heart nearly burst with fright.