Dispelling Doubts

"I know you," Lu Qiying said in surprise. His face was flushed, and he reeked of wine. He had just closed several big deals, so the camel train wouldn't be returning to Shule Kingdom with empty packs. "You're... the guard I hired."

"My name is Gu Shenwei. The Dragon King sent me to discuss some business." Gu Shenwei calmly told a truthful lie.

Lu Qiying stared at the man, who looked to be around thirty, and gradually sobered up. He raised a hand and wiped his face. "I heard the Dragon King was in seclusion?"

"Yes. For a month."

Lu Qiying felt somewhat reassured. In the solemn yet phony tone particular to merchants, he said, "Well, first of all, I thank the Dragon King for his generous help in getting my silver back from the bandits. But I have to admit that I have nothing to repay him with. The Dragon King now commands powerful troops and is the strongest force in the Western Regions. I'm just a camel breeder. My capital is small and my profits meager; I can barely scrape by. I don't know what the Dragon King sees in me."

"The Dragon King once had an agreement with you."

"Yes, he asked me to help him move gold and silver in Shule Kingdom. Unfortunately, before I could get a foothold, Shule fell, and the Dragon King went missing around the same time. There was no business to be done. You could say Heaven didn't grant my wish. Now all my money is tied up in camels. Even if I wanted to help, there's only so much I can do."

Lu Qiying kept evading the matter, and he could tell his excuses were becoming too obvious. He added, "I have just over a hundred camels left. If the