Night Talk at the Restaurant (Part 2)

Wang Meng counted on his fingers, his expression serious. "County Magistrate Lord Zhou is a peak Bone Forging Realm expert. Word has it he has ties to the Prefecture Zhou Family. He doesn't usually meddle in day-to-day affairs, focusing entirely on cultivation to break through his bottleneck."

"The one who truly commands the county yamen's armed forces is County Lieutenant Lord Gao, also in the Bone Forging Realm. He's fairly upright, but he still has to balance the various factions."

"Under him are the Patrol Inspection Division, Taxation Division, Criminal Affairs Office, and so on. The armed departments like the Patrol Camp, Bandit Capture Division, and Pinghai Division are mostly staffed by martial arts examination graduates, considered the yamen's direct force."

"Besides the government, the biggest local powers are a few major families." Sun Yun picked up the thread, her mind sharper and her information more thorough. "Top of the list is the 'Sihai Shipping Company'."

"Our Third Senior Disciple Brother serves there as the guard captain. Their shipping business is enormous. They monopolize over seventy percent of the county's cargo and coastal passenger transport, with tentacles stretching into several neighboring counties. They even cooperate with major merchant houses in the prefecture."

"The company's owner, Old Master Hai, is a Great Accomplishment Bone Forging Realm expert. He has deep connections with the Prefecture Navy and the Grain Transport Yamen. I hear Second Master Hai is even more outstanding, but he's been living in the prefecture for a long time, so I'm not sure of his situation."

"Besides their massive fleet, the company controls the 'East Port Shipyard' and the many laborers and shipwrights who depend on it for survival. Their influence is immense; even the County Lieutenant has to show them respect."

"Next is the 'Zhangji Fish Market'." Wang Meng gnawed on a crab leg, speaking indistinctly. "Don't let the name fool you. They control nearly eighty percent of the county's seafood procurement, processing, and sales channels. The biggest fish markets and dried goods shops in the city are all theirs."

"Behind it is the local Zhang Family. The family head, Zhang Kui, is a peak Tendon Changing Realm expert. He's domineering and is said to be attempting a breakthrough to Bone Forging, though I don't know if he's succeeded."

"Also, the fish market keeps a large number of thugs for escorting shipments and collecting debts. They're deeply entangled with fishing village bullies and low-level gangs, specializing in crushing smaller fish markets, controlling fish prices, and exploiting fishermen. Ruthless and vicious."

"Hmph, those gangs..." Sun Yun snorted coldly, a trace of disgust on her pretty face. "There's one called the Black Tide Gang, just a guard dog raised by the Zhangji Fish Market. They handle the Zhang Family's dirty work."

"Their boss, 'Muddy Water Flood Dragon' Li Hui, is only at Great Accomplishment Skin Grinding Realm, but he sure talks big. Relying on the Zhang Family's backing, he bullies the market and acts arrogantly."

She seemed to recall something, her tone turning even colder. "He even dared to speak rudely to a close friend of mine. Next time I run into him, I'll teach him a proper lesson!"

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. Black Tide Gang... Scarred Liu... Zhangji Fish Market... The threads were becoming clear in his mind.

"Then there's the 'Hundred Refinements Iron Shop'." Wang Meng continued. "This shop is no small fry either. Most of the weapons, tools, and ship fittings for the city and surrounding towns are forged and repaired by them. They can even craft low-grade magic tool blanks. For example, our martial hall's standard-issue blades and the linings of Arrow Bone Fish Scale Armor mostly come from their shop."

"The owner, Master Liu Tie, is an old-school Bone Forging Realm expert, but he's obsessed with forging and doesn't bother much with business. The shop is run day-to-day by his son, Steward Liu, who's in the Tendon Changing Realm. The shop has close ties with the government, martial halls, and shipping companies—after all, everyone needs weapons and armor. They hold a special status."

"Similar to the iron shop is the 'Lingxi Pharmacy'," Sun Yun added. "As the name suggests, the only masters in the entire county who can consistently refine pills are the few at Lingxi Pharmacy. Getting them to work for you costs a fortune and depends on connections and luck."

Wang Meng nodded and finally said, "Lastly, there are martial arts schools like ours, Blackwater Martial Arts School, along with 'Town Mountain Martial Arts School' and 'Cloud Sea Martial Arts School'."

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching by the author's name. Maybe it just changed names!

At this point, he looked at Chen Yuan, his tone carrying some weight. "Junior Disciple Brother, do you know that while a martial hall's foundation is training disciples and producing talent, at the end of the day, practicing martial arts is an extremely expensive endeavor?"

Chen Yuan nodded. "I've heard a little." Medicine baths, meat, weapons, even the master's guidance—none of it came cheap.

Sun Yun spoke steadily, taking over the conversation. "Without strong financial backing, where would the secret medicine baths and fierce beast meat to nourish disciples come from? How could they sustain the cultivation expenses of a Bone Forging Realm expert? Every martial hall has its own industries and revenue streams."

She paused briefly, seeing Chen Yuan listening intently, and elaborated, "The Martial Hall Master himself is a Bone Forging Realm expert, the top-tier combat power in this county, his word is law. Our Blackwater Martial Arts School's foundation is in the west of the city. We've been co-owners of the 'Myriad Treasures Shipyard' for over twenty years."

Wang Meng chimed in with a hint of pride. "That's a solid asset. Its scale now even surpasses the Sihai Shipping Company's East Port Shipyard."

"They not only repair and build small and medium fishing boats but occasionally take orders for Magic Ships. That's where the real skill and big money are!"

"The good ships built at the shipyard, besides using them ourselves or selling them, are also rented out to trustworthy, reputable old fishermen or the families of poor senior apprentices from the hall. The rent is cheaper than the market rate, considered a benefit from the hall to its disciples. Just this one item brings in a very stable income."

Hearing "Myriad Treasures Shipyard" and "Magic Ship," Chen Yuan was slightly startled, recalling his own "Wave Rider Shuttle." No wonder Dockmaster Zhao had been so enthusiastic and offered so many discounts. So there was this connection behind it.

"Furthermore," Wang Meng closed half the window, lowering his voice to a secretive tone, "the martial hall has long-term partnerships with several reputable medium-sized fish markets in the city, like 'Hengyuan Trading Company' and 'Old Lin's'."

"The quality seafood they provide, we get first pick at a fair price. Part of this seafood goes to the hall's cafeteria to nourish the disciples' blood and qi. The best cuts are used for medicine baths or special supplies for the Martial Hall Master and his Personal Disciples."

He paused, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Also, I've heard... just heard, mind you, that the Martial Hall Master has some old ties with a force outside the city called the 'Blood Shark Society'."

"They say the Blood Shark Society isn't exactly a friendly bunch. They mainly operate in the deep sea, far from the coast. Wild methods, tough means. Occasionally, they get their hands on some... 'goods' of questionable origin but astonishing value."

"I hear the martial hall secretly takes some of it off their hands and flips it for huge profits. Of course, this is all unsubstantiated rumor, just hearsay. Don't take it seriously, and don't you go spreading it around."

Chen Yuan listened carefully, a ripple stirring within him.

So the Blackwater Martial Arts School wasn't just a quiet place for teaching martial arts. It had its own complex, interwoven network of industries.

The Myriad Treasures Shipyard was the pillar above board, the partnered fish markets were stable channels, and the possible secret connection to the Blood Shark Society carried a hint of danger.

Together, these formed the school's deep foundation and rolling source of wealth.

No wonder the treatment for Personal Disciples was so generous. All of it required a massive amount of resources to sustain.