"Thank you, True Person!"
"You've truly been a towering kindness to us!"
The merchants' surprise and gratitude surpassed even that of the merchants from Shu Village. At least they hadn't known in advance and hadn't been prepared for it. Getting back what they'd lost all at once nearly brought them to tears.
Doing business on the road was no easy thing in these times. Whether they went to Jiangnan or the Capital City, a round trip took far more than three or five days. Add the dangers along the way and the wind and rain they had to endure, and it was hard work. Merchants weren't held in high regard, either; only the most diligent and hardy could stick with it. That was why many trading caravans were made up of people from the same village or clan, so they could support one another.
Making money was difficult. After getting back what they'd lost, they had to check it over and over before the unreal feeling in their hearts gradually became real again.
"Where do you cultivate, True Person?"
"Mount Yi, at Floating Hill Temple."
"Mount Yi?"
"It's rather remote, unknown to most people."
"Does True Person know what kind of spirits and monsters those thieves were? This humble one only heard from people in the city who saw them that they were little people no higher than a knee!"
"They were a group of Rat Demons."
"Rat Demons?"
"They weren't particularly powerful, though they did have a few meager abilities. They could make people fall asleep, that was all. If someone had vigorous blood and a resolute will, and could resist falling asleep without being afraid of them, they wouldn't be hard to deal with."
"May I ask, True Person, did you get rid of them?"
"I don't know