Leli the Clown, the Weapons Tycoon

The sun had sunk completely below the horizon, leaving the sky dim, but fortunately, a crescent moon still hung overhead, shedding a little cool light over the earth.

"Man, it feels good to let it all out. Thanks, Old Zhou. It's getting late, so I should get going."

After pouring out his troubles and venting the frustration in his heart, Xiao Yan wore a faint smile again as he spoke to the boy across from him, who had listened to all his grumbling.

Zhou Changqing waved him off disdainfully. "Get lost already. I need to rest too. I've got to get up early tomorrow."

"All right, then I won't keep bothering you."

Xiao Yan stood up to leave, but suddenly paused and turned back to ask curiously, "By the way, Old Zhou, how much money have you saved now?"

"Almost five hundred. Why?"

Zhou Changqing had no idea why Xiao Yan was asking, but answered honestly anyway.

Is he looking to borrow money?

Surely not. He doesn't have anything to spend money on right now, does he?

Besides, given Xiao Yan's character, he would never borrow money from a friend whose family was of ordinary means.

His gaze flickered, and Xiao Yan nodded. "Nothing, I was just curious. Didn't you mention before that you were saving money? So I thought I'd ask."

"All right, I'm really leaving now. No need to see me out."

"See you out, my ass. In your dreams. Get lost."

Amid Zhou Changqing's laughing curses, Xiao Yan left the little courtyard.

Shaking his head, Zhou Changqing stood up, stretched, and headed toward his bedroom.

It was only around a quarter past eight in the evening, an hour when nightlife would barely have begun in his previous life, but Zhou Changqing was already getting ready for bed.

Just as he had said, he needed to get up early tomorrow.

Outside the courtyard.

Standing on the bluestone path, Xiao Yan gazed at the courtyard's tightly closed door, his thoughts unreadable.

Old Zhou, thank you for treating me as a friend all these past three years, never distancing yourself from me because of my reputation as a "good-for-nothing." You gave me a little sanctuary and made these three years a little easier to bear.

You've never said it, but I know what you're saving money for.

I'm already a cripple now. Keeping that money won't do me any good, so let your brother lend you a hand.

I just hope you won't turn your nose up at it. After all, that little bit of money is all your brother has left now. There's nothing else I can help you with.

Your talent is no less than mine. Once you've saved enough to buy a cultivation method, you'll surely make something of yourself!

It's just a shame that, from now on, you'll have to see the view from those heights alone.

A thousand thoughts churned through Xiao Yan's mind. With a long sigh, he turned and walked farther and farther away...

Early the next morning.

Zhou Changqing rose early. After washing up, he began sorting the iron weapon blanks leaning against the courtyard wall.

Once he had loaded all the blanks onto the handcart parked nearby, Zhou Changqing pushed it out through the courtyard gate.

Along the way, the cart's wheels rumbled over the bluestone paving.

Before long, Zhou Changqing reached the main street.

As one of the Jia Ma Empire's major cities, Wutan City had a large population, so even early in the morning, its streets were bustling with people.

Traffic streamed along the broad street. Shops lined the buildings on both sides, while vendors occupied the open spaces with their stalls, their cries ringing out without end.

Among the crowd, Zhou Changqing looked no different from the other busy passersby.

Dressed in blue cloth garments, his long hair tied up and wrapped in coarse cloth, he pushed the handcart with his sleeves rolled up.

Of course, his handsome, jade-like face still drew plenty of attention.

Quite a few women out shopping even stopped to look, covering their mouths as they giggled and whispered among themselves.

Ignoring their gazes, Zhou Changqing pushed his cart down the street and soon arrived at the entrance to a workshop compound.

The two guards at the gate merely glanced at him before letting him through.

Following a familiar route, Zhou Changqing pushed his cart around several turns within the compound and reached his destination.

Before him stood a large warehouse.

Its doors were wide open, and workers went in and out from time to time.

There were also plenty of people at the entrance lining up with handcarts just like Zhou Changqing's.

He joined the back of the line and waited silently to enter.

Time passed.

The weather gradually grew hotter, and before he knew it, noon was approaching.

Finally, after waiting in line for nearly three hours, Zhou Changqing reached the warehouse doors.

"Heh, so it's you, kid."

To the left of the entrance was a registration desk, where a middle-aged man recorded the accounts while two young men inspected the goods.

Upon seeing Zhou Changqing, one of the young men, an ordinary-looking fellow with a few scars on his face, spoke with a chuckle.

Though he was smiling, there was a trace of hostility in his tone.

Zhou Changqing knew this young man. His name was Leli, and he was merely a worker assigned to watch the workshop's warehouse, hardly anyone important.

Zhou Changqing glanced at Leli without responding, simply standing there quietly while he waited for his goods to be inspected.

Seeing Zhou Changqing ignore him, Leli's expression immediately darkened.

He loathed Zhou Changqing. He had hated him from the very first time they met.

There was no other reason: the kid was too good-looking, and the sight of him irritated Leli. Otherwise, he would never have spoken up to give him trouble.

Besides, the kid was clearly just an insignificant ordinary blacksmith, yet he always wore that cold, superior expression. It made Leli's blood boil!

Feeling that he had lost face, Leli was about to curse him out.

But before he could speak, the middle-aged bookkeeper seated nearby snapped impatiently.

"What are you two standing around for? Get on with the inspection! It's almost noon. If you haven't finished before lunch, I'll skin you alive!"

At the middle-aged man's rebuke, Leli and the other young man, who had been ready to enjoy the show, both trembled, fear creeping into their eyes.

Leli reluctantly swallowed the curses he had yet to utter, then briskly began inspecting the iron blanks on the cart with the other young man.

"Steward, there are a hundred and twenty saber and sword blanks in total. None are defective."

Once the inspection was complete, the young man addressed the middle-aged man respectfully.

The middle-aged steward entered it into the accounts, then waved a hand. "If there's no problem, put them in storage and pay him."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

After a round of nodding and bowing, the young man led Zhou Changqing into the warehouse, put away the iron blanks, and handed him ten Gold Coins.

Leli could only watch resentfully from the entrance, not daring to say a word.

Once he had received his money, Zhou Changqing left without looking back.

He paid Leli no mind.

This fellow had tried to make things difficult for him more than once, but he was the sort who looked fierce while lacking any courage. There was nothing to fear from him.

Simply put, he was a lunatic and a complete clown.

Besides, with Zhou Changqing's strength, why would he take a clown who was not even a Dou Zhe seriously?

Watching Zhou Changqing leave, Leli's expression turned sinister. His fists clenched, and his eyes filled with malice.

You little bastard. You'd better not give me an opening, or sooner or later, I'll ruin that face of yours. Then let's see you act so high and mighty!

He stepped out through the workshop gates.

Zhou Changqing felt the ten Gold Coins tucked inside his clothes, then looked back at the workshop with a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

How long will I have to keep saving before I can afford a yellow tier low grade cultivation method?

Fuck. No matter what world you're in, there are always heartless capitalists squeezing the common people dry!

Though he cursed inwardly with considerable bitterness, Zhou Changqing could do nothing about it.

This workshop belonged to Weapons Tycoon Che'erluo of Wutan City and was one of the many Weapon Workshops under his control.

Che'erluo was a three-star Da Dou Shi who controlled nearly all of Wutan City's weapons sales channels. He possessed immense wealth, along with a large number of Weapon Workshops.

Although his influence fell short of Wutan City's Three Great Families, he stood at the very top beneath them.

Why say he squeezed the common people dry?

Because of his monopoly. A monopoly meant having the final say, so when it came to weapons, whatever Che'erluo said went.

Che'erluo's presence left almost every blacksmith in Wutan City with only two choices.

Either sell their forged weapons to Che'erluo at a low price or change trades.

Yet while it seemed they had a choice, in truth, they had none at all.

Some had resisted, but their efforts had achieved little.

First, almost no one would buy weapons made by independent blacksmiths. Second, anyone who dared enter the weapons business was swallowed up by Che'erluo, and most ended up with their families ruined and their loved ones dead.

That was not even the most shameless part. Most shameless of all was Che'erluo's rule that weapons sold to his workshops had to be weapon blanks. He would not accept finished weapons.

As a result, the purchase prices were driven very low.

Zhou Changqing, for instance, had forged a hundred and twenty weapon blanks in a month, which was considered high output, yet they had fetched only ten Gold Coins.

Meanwhile, Che'erluo could assemble the purchased blanks into finished weapons and resell them for ten times the price!

Otherwise, even if they had been bought at somewhat below market value, Zhou Changqing would have saved enough to purchase a cultivation method long ago.

Unfortunately, Zhou Changqing did not yet have the strength to resist. Otherwise, he would make Che'erluo understand the vengeance owed for obstructing his path: skin him and stuff his hide with straw!

Dispelling the bitterness in his heart, Zhou Changqing shook his head and left.

(End of chapter)