At last, Sun Desheng rose from his chair, walked to the table, picked up the empty teacup and examined it, then set it back down. He turned to Lin Taichu and said one thing.
"Then we'll do as you said."
After saying that, Sun Desheng stood in the room for a while before walking to the door and calling Zhou Lin over. He told Zhou Lin to pass on the order: remove the checkpoint at the city gates, take down the notice about tolls, and never charge merchant caravans another coin.
Zhou Lin froze for a moment. He looked at Sun Desheng, then at Lin Taichu seated in the guest chair. He asked no further questions and turned to carry it out.
Lin Taichu remained at the City Lord's Mansion for another quarter of an hour, settling some details with Sun Desheng. Sun Desheng did not bring up the mountain trail again, nor did he mention Immortal Soldier Island.
The two of them sat in the main hall and roughly sorted through how the goods would be transported, how people would be assigned, and how the money would be settled. Then Lin Taichu rose to take his leave.
After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, he did not linger in White Cloud City. When he reached the city gates, he glanced at the notice board on the wall. The sign listing the toll rates had already been taken down.
He withdrew his gaze and headed out of the city. After following the official road south for a while, he flew into the air on his sword toward Luofeng City.
Su Yao waited for him in the main hall of the Zhao Family Mansion. When she saw him enter, she rose from her chair and looked him over from head to toe.