Zhang Rang

Li Fan witnessed this guy's 'connections' along the way, following Eunuch Zhang through all the checkpoints and straight into the deep palace.

There was no scenery to be seen on either side of the walkway; all that could be seen were high walls covered with arcane runes, red walls and golden tiles, stretching all the way to the horizon, seemingly endless, and even Divine Sense could not penetrate them.

Taiwei Yuan was, after all, a proper government institution. After passing through the heavily guarded gates, those coming and going inside were mostly elderly civil officials carrying official documents, eunuchs, and palace attendants. I didn't see any concubines swinging on swings in only a bodice, or female Daoist priests practicing asceticism with their hair tied in lace fairy dresses. So, in this situation, it would be a pity not to be able to indulge in some impulsive poetry.

Li Fan followed Eunuch Zhang along the palace path. When they were alone, he tentatively asked,

"Eunuch Zhang is a big shot in the Three Palaces. He has such a wide circle of friends. Even the Weaving Bureau, a lucrative and fiercely contested government office, has your sworn brothers helping you. Everyone coming and going is your trusted friend. Surely, not only in the Taiwei Yuan, but in the entire Three Palaces, nothing can be kept from you?"

Zhang Rang quickly turned to the side and smiled apologetically.

"My lord, you're quite the joker. We servants are all of meager fortune and lowly status. We serve our lord with utmost care and dare not be negligent. I'm just worried that my dullness and clumsiness might delay your orders, so I try to make friends so that I can help you when needed and stay informed, lest I make a mistake and upset the officials of the Three Palaces. Please understand, my lord."

"Hehe, you think you're so dull? Are there no clever people in the world?" Li Fan laughed. "Besides, I think you're exceptionally bold, daring to sell genuine silk from the Heavenly Market. If the Three Lords knew about this, would they really be happy?"

Zhang Rang glanced at Li Fan cautiously and laughed, "My lord, don't scare me. The adults live in the heavens, watching over the mountains. How would they know about such trivial matters?"

Li Fan chuckled and showed him the Grand Tutor's jade pendant. "I caught you red-handed. I took you sworn brothers to confront the Grand Tutor, and that's how you found out."

Heh, smuggling fairy silk, at least deserves a beheading, right? By the way, have you ever seen someone beheaded? Before they die, they can still write three "miserable" characters for you. Do you even know how to write the word "miserable"?

Zhang Rang's face immediately fell, and he pleaded with a mournful expression, "My lord, please don't frighten me! I have been diligent and loyal, and I have never meant to neglect you!"

Li Fan smiled and patted Zhang Rang on the shoulder, saying, "You really are a bold guy, not even flinching at this. You're definitely capable of great things. Alright, alright, we're both smart people, let's not beat around the bush. You took me into the palace earlier, going through two extra detours and overcoming two extra hurdles. With your connections, you should have already found out my background, right?"

This eunuch is quite something. If Li Fan hadn't had a photographic memory and hadn't used his mental discernment technique to remind him that a gatekeeper had appeared twice, he probably would have been fooled right under his nose.

Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Rang's forehead. Trembling, he forced a smile and said, "My lord, your eyes are discerning; nothing can be hidden from you. I never imagined you were a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain Lou Guan Dao."

I've been serving in the palace since I was a child, and I've never seen anything outside the Three Enclosures. I imagine Ink Bamboo Mountain must be a beautiful and blessed land, truly a place of outstanding people and spirits! Only such a sacred mountain could give birth to such a dashing, handsome, wise, and powerful hero as you, my lord!

Li Fan laughed and said, "Haha, good, I like honest people like you who speak the truth the most. Then let me ask you, what are the prices of the raw silk from the Weaving Bureau, how much stock is there, and which companies are bidding for the silk to be shipped to Tianshi Yuan tonight?"

Zhang Rang, crouching low, darted around three times before answering, "Could it be... that Your Excellency doesn't intend to use it for yourself, but rather to purchase immortal silk for Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

Li Fan looked at him with a smile, "So what if it is? With your sworn brothers helping me this time, I have to seize this opportunity to buy tens of thousands more bolts of silk, enough to make a bellyband for my Dao Companion! What, are you afraid I can't afford it?"

Zhang Rang opened his mouth, then chuckled awkwardly, "Tens of thousands of bolts... My lord, is this your first time handling silk-gathering duties?"

Li Fan frowned. "Just say what you want to say. Don't beat around the bush."

Zhang Rang was ashamed. "My lord, please forgive me. In fact, the work of the Weaving Bureau has been split into many parts. In Taiwei Yuan, only silk reeling is left. Every season, the personal guards of the Grand Tutor Manor transport the cocoons of immortal silkworms cultivated by secret methods in other grottoes to the workshop of the Weaving Bureau in Taiwei Yuan Enclosure. After mixing, peeling, sifting, selecting, boiling, and reeling, the cocoons can be transformed into silk. Then, the Imperial Guards escort it to Tianshi Yuan for auction."

In the process of silk reeling, losses are inevitable, also known as reeling losses. Even with the current high yield rate of the Taiwei Weaving Bureau, to produce 100 jin of raw silk, the consumption of raw cocoons is usually over 400 jin. And 100 jin of raw silk is usually used for tailoring, which can only be woven into a dozen or so bolts of silk. If it is used to weave talismans and make treasures, the consumption will be even greater.

But Wanyu are inherently difficult to raise, let alone require secret methods to refine them into Nascent Soul Stage and Divine Transformation. Where can one find so many Divine Transformation Realm immortal cocoons to harvest? Even the so-called top-grade Divine Transformation Realm Wanyu Immortal Silk contains 30% pure Nascent Soul Realm silk mixed in. And among the Nascent Soul Realm Heavenly Market Silk, the proportion of Golden Core Realm spiritual silk mixed in is even higher, sometimes reaching as high as 50%.

However, the Weaving Bureau has a long-standing tradition and a secret method for refining silkworms, so the quality and quantity of raw silk far exceed those of the Three Feudatories. Moreover, the demand from Yuntai Peak is so great that the immortals in the mountains have compromised on the quota, barely accepting any silk as long as the quality is acceptable...

When Li Fan heard him speak with such certainty, as if it were not mere idle talk, he knew in his heart that something was wrong.

As expected, Zhang Rang continued, "If it is for your own use, my lord, I will simply ask my sworn brothers in the Weaving Bureau for help. They can just wield their pens and take a hundred or so catties, which will be included in the reeling report."

But if it's a sect-level procurement, the Nine Great Xuan Sects all know how much immortal silk the Three Realms produce. With so many eyes watching, there are too many wolves and not enough meat; the smaller sects can't help them..."

Wow, isn't that a complete waste of time and effort?

Li Fan frowned. "Tell me first, what is the actual output of the Weaving Bureau?"

Zhang Rang quickly calculated in his mind and replied, "According to the usual practice of previous years, this batch can probably yield 10,000 catties of immortal silk, 400,000 catties of real silk, and 2 million catties of spirit silk. Among them, the Wanyu silk will be used by each of the Nine Great Xuan Sects, and the rest will be sent to Yuntai Peak for future use. It is absolutely forbidden to touch it."

The 400,000 catties of silk was the main part of the bidding among the Central Plains immortals. Major sects of the Xuanmen gathered, and it was recently heard that Emei Mountain was closed and would probably be absent this time. However, according to the usual practice, Songshan, Hengshan and Penglai would definitely not miss out and would probably take half of it. Moreover, without Emei bidding, Penglai might even get more.

As for the remaining spirit silk, that's when the noble families can choose. How about I ask a few more questions and get twenty or thirty thousand spirit silk for your esteemed mountain?"

Li Fan frowned. "Huh? Wait a minute, doesn't Penglai have silk from Zhen? Why does he want to take more?"

Zhang Rang shrugged. "Penglai is rich, that's why. Now every duke and marquis has a gourd of Changchun Pill."

Damn! Manifestation is a complete rip-off! Even the Changchun Pill are causing inflation! What kind of nonsense is this bidding for Ink Bamboo Mountain?!

Well, this bidding for Heavenly Treasure truly reveals which forces are currently at the top of the world. Other sects may buy according to their needs, but the top four sects of the Xuanmen sect never miss out, and even with their own abundant resources, they continue to squeeze other forces out of their space. The competition among the forces lagging behind can only become more intense, and the gap between the top and bottom will only widen.

While the Immortal Palace seemed to have all the advantages, being able to bid and auction, in reality, they didn't. They couldn't keep a single drop of their own produced Celestial Silkworms; these Heavenly Treasure were completely traded for Changchun Pill made from common herbs. What advantage did they have? They claimed that relatives could choose first, but they still had to use the guise of silk reeling to secretly and stingily obtain a little to make a few new outfits...

Alas, if the Celestial Venerable knew this in heaven, seeing the imperial descendants reduced to such a miserable state, he would probably weep...

But this is a bit tricky...

Li Fan frowned. Since the bidding at Tianshi Yuan involved competition between Xuanmen sects, seeking favors from these Immortal Palace wouldn't be very useful. It seemed that by taking advantage of the Weaving Bureau Textile Bureau's preferential treatment of the imperial family, the eunuchs could profit from it and earn some commission, but that would only be done on the premise that it wouldn't affect the overall distribution of profits among the Xuanmen sects.

If Li Fan tries any tricks and steals too many, the Xuanmen will definitely notice. It's better to follow Xuantian's plan and just openly steal them...

Xuan Tian said, "Hey, who told you to blatantly steal it? I meant you should have started a sword fight and killed all the bidders. That way, we'll keep things separate. You killed them yourself, but the sect paid for the items. Don't act like we're forcibly taking things from you and being unreasonable."

Yes, the money spent was also ransom money from the kidnapping, right? It's truly self-sufficient, with a self-consistent cause and effect, a logically closed loop. I'm impressed; experience really pays off...

Xuan Tian, "Roar! Roar! Roar! That's not it!"

Unfortunately, Li Fan cannot currently employ the bidding strategy of the Beichen Sword Sect.

As the Sword Ancestor Xuantian Sect, he could certainly rely on the sharpness of his sword to do whatever he wanted. But now, Ink Bamboo Mountain was practically surrounded by enemies on all sides; how could it withstand such turmoil? Moreover, Li Fan still had the heads of all his fellow disciples from Mo Zhu Mountain in his arms, their bodies barely cold...

At this moment, Zhang Rang cautiously asked, "Is Your Excellency truly concerned about raw silk? But I have heard that Lou Guan has allied himself with the Grand Tutor, and your title was also recommended by the Grand Tutor. Why not ask the Grand Tutor to intervene and speak with the Immortal Lord of Mount Song to relinquish some of your share?"

Li Fan glanced at him and asked in return, "Yeah, why don't you think so?"

Zhang Rang was indeed clever. His eyes darted around, "I see. Firstly, the Grand Tutor's primary task is to wage war against Zhen, and there's also a major battle to be fought in Kun. The south isn't the main concern. Secondly, the alliance with Songshan is ultimately closer and more important. We should treat those with different degrees of closeness differently, and it's not worth offending old friends. Thirdly, although Ink Bamboo Mountain is newly annexed, we shouldn't be too lenient with them. Weakening them a bit, suppressing them, and then appeasing them would be beneficial. That's the way to manage subordinates."

This guy is quite shrewd. It seems even those who serve tea and water at Sanyuan are quite knowledgeable about world affairs...

Li Fan was also at a loss for what to do, so he said, "How about this, let's not waste time here. Take me to the Weaving Bureau to check out the terrain. Your sworn brother is eager to escape, right? Maybe they have some connections to get me some more goods."

Zhang Rang, the eunuch, was taken aback for a moment, then immediately put on a smiling face and agreed, leading the way.

Li Fan followed him, but the further they went, the further they strayed from the path, and the more strange it seemed. It was as if he were going in circles, like being trapped in a maze. He didn't find anyone lying in ambush, nor did he sense any illusions or poisoning. It was probably...

"Zhang Rang, are you looking for death?"

Realizing he had been exposed, the eunuch suddenly turned around, knelt before Li Fan, and banged his head on the ground with a loud thud.

"I have suddenly forgotten the way to the Weaving Bureau, please forgive me, my lord!"

Li Fan's gaze instantly turned cold; seeing the other party's expression, he immediately understood.

Goodness, in a place like Miyuki, you really can't reveal your true intentions at all...

"... Are you worried that I might lose my temper and try to seize the raw silk? Or cause trouble at the Weaving Bureau, implicating you and your servants? So you're leading me in circles, trying to keep me here until that batch of raw silk being auctioned is escorted to the Tianshi Yuan, right? Heh, how about this, you take me to the Weaving Bureau, and I'll just look at it from the entrance, I won't go in."

Zhang Rang gritted his teeth, a layer of cold sweat seeping down his back. "My lord, please forgive me, I truly don't remember."

Li Fan sneered, "When we get out and Bei Gong Wuji asks, you'll also say you suddenly can't remember the way?"

Zhang Rang stood in the middle of the palace road, blocking Li Fan's way, without uttering a sound.

Li Fan crouched down, coldly staring at him, "You think just because this is the Taiwei Immortal Palace, I wouldn't dare cut off your head and fight my way out?"

Zhang Rang was covered in cold sweat, clenching his teeth.

"I am a crippled and lowly person, yet I have been promoted and appointed by you, my lord, and regarded as a trusted confidant. I have no way to repay your kindness! I am also grateful to my brothers for not abandoning me, for forming a sworn brotherhood, and for sharing life and death! How could I not go through fire and water to follow you? It is all because I am useless! If you want to vent your anger, please cut off my head!"

Li Fan chuckled and said, "Oh, Zhang Rang, you're so loyal! It seems you've made up your mind that your young master won't blame his trusted servant for a mere acquaintance? You've made up your mind that a mountain dweller from the South Border can't do anything to a duke's servant, haven't you?"

Zhang Rang gritted his teeth, then suddenly looked up at Li Fan and asked, "Does Lord Li even consider my young master a friend?!"

Li Fan was taken aback.

Zhang Rang kowtowed to the ground, almost roaring, "I wish to inform you, my lord, that my young master is kind and generous, respectful to the virtuous and humble, and upholds righteousness and benevolence! He always keeps his promises to his friends!"

But now, the Ziwei Yuan fears the young master's talent, the Taiwei Yuan is wary of his wisdom, and the Tianshi Yuan is jealous of his reputation! Countless eyes are watching the young master, searching for his weaknesses! Today, my lord helps the lord with a small favor, but tomorrow there may be the risk of being killed!

Moreover, this time, it is clear that you, my lord, are acting on behalf of your sect by forcibly seizing the true silk of the Nascent Soul Realm! This is an act that offends the Xuanmen sect no matter what!

Although Zhang Rang is a lowly, disabled man, he knows the meaning of loyalty and righteousness! He cannot bear to see his lord be dragged down by his friend for the sake of loyalty, and be involved in such a deadly disaster! He only begs that his lord could understand his friend's predicament!

Li Fan was speechless for a moment after being retorted like that.

"No, what do you mean by that? I just wanted to buy a few pounds of silk, I wasn't trying to get your family to rebel, how did that mean I'd be in mortal danger??"

Zhang Rang replied, "My lord, you are unaware of the dangers of the Three Enclosures! Today you can drink and make merry, tomorrow you can have your entire clan slaughtered! Such trivial matters can lead to the extermination of entire tribes, and such trivial matters are all too common!"

My lord, you know that the Grand Tutor possesses the shrewdness to rule the world and the ambition to conquer all four seas. But do you know that the Grand Tutor's eldest son, the Changping Xianghou the Central Guard, has long harbored rebellious intentions? He is an exceptionally resolute, patient, cunning, ruthless, and cold-blooded tyrant!

This villain has many friends in the streets and alleys of Sanyuan. I have secretly learned that he has raised a large number of assassins and death squads, and with the help of the Beichen Sword Array, he has repeatedly targeted the nobles and dukes with potential. The young master is his number one target! His wolfish ambitions are obvious!

Now that the Celestial Dynasty has suffered a defeat in the Kun Country, the Three Dukes have resigned, the world is in turmoil, and many Heavenly Lords and Spirit Officials have disappeared without a trace! There is no one left in the court who can restrain the Grand Tutor Manor! The Three Enclosures and Four Directions Guards have all fallen into the hands of the Sima family!

The young master now has many friends in the Xuanmen sect, who are his last resort. How could he possibly get involved in this mess at this time, cut off his own arm, and give the Central Guard a handle to use against him!

"Please, my lord, spare my master's life! If you must take a man, take my head instead!"

Li Fan was speechless. How could the world be full of paranoid lunatics? But what could he say? That was just how the world was.

Li Fan stared at Zhang Rang's back of the head for a while, then sighed, "Fine, if you're not going to help, then forget it."

Zhang Rang remained kneeling on the ground, saying, "Thank you for your understanding, my lord! I will certainly prepare a hundred catties of pure silk and ten thousand catties of spirit silk and deliver them to your residence tomorrow!"

"Come on, you're trying to fob me off like a beggar."

Li Fan rolled his eyes. After all, he had drunk a cup of wine and received a reward from the man. He felt rather embarrassed to actually kill his trusted confidant, especially since...

"What do you mean by saying that the Central Guard received assistance from the Beichen Sword Sect?"

Zhang Rang raised his head, looked at Li Fan, and paused for a moment. "Lord, aren't you afraid of getting involved in the conflict between the imperial family and the Grand Tutor by asking this?"

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Stop whining, I really want to kick you... Okay, okay, just consider it a casual inquiry from a friend who heard another friend was in trouble, alright?"

Zhang Rang looked at Li Fan for a while and nodded. "These people are experts under the command of the Central Guard. They all practice the secret manuals of the Beichen Sword Sect and have repeatedly used the Beichen Sword Sect's signature sword techniques, such as the Invisible Sword Qi, the Seven Stars Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword Formation of the Heavenly Gang, and the Beichen Sword Sect, as well as various flying swords and secret swords to kill people."

Over the years, within the Three Forbidden Zones, they have repeatedly assassinated qualified members of the imperial family, and even masters of the Xuanmen sect have been repeatedly killed by them, but the origins of these assassins have never been traced.

I only heard rumors that the Changping Xianghou received the inheritance of the Sword Ancestor Xuantian at Yuntai Peak, which is why he gained the loyalty of these sword sects' outer mountain lineages.

He is the eighteenth generation leader of the Beichen Sword Sect.

Li Fan, Xuan Tian, "... Damn it."