Zan Buliu arrived at the Eight Directions Pavilion as promised. He did not disappoint Hu Xiaotian, bringing him a lead: the Red Mountain Guildhall.
The Red Mountain Guildhall had been the most popular gathering place for Black Hu merchants. After war broke out between Black Hu and Great Yong, those merchants had gradually withdrawn out of concern for their safety, leaving the guildhall vacant. Merchants from the Yulan Kingdom had then taken it over, gradually replacing the Black Hu merchants of old. Once full-scale war erupted between Black Hu and Great Yong, Great Yong's demand for warhorses increased dramatically. Most of its horses had previously been imported from Black Hu, but with the two countries at war, Black Hu naturally could not continue supplying its enemy with warhorses. The Yulan Kingdom stepped into the breach and all but monopolized Great Yong's horse market.
Zan Buliu sat in the private room, watching the world outside the window with wary eyes. He was clearly uneasy.
"Don't worry," Hu Xiaotian said. "I've stationed men around here. If anything unusual happens, they'll report it to me immediately."
Zan Buliu nodded and said quietly, "I've also found out what happened to Liu Changsheng and his son. Liu Changsheng is dead. Liu Yucheng is still alive, but he's been transferred to the Ministry of Justice Prison. I doubt he'll escape a death sentence either."
The news of Liu Changsheng's death brought a wave of grief over Hu Xiaotian. Although he had expected this outcome, a thread of hope had still lingered in his heart. Remembering Liu Changsheng's warmhearted chivalry and his eagerness to champion justice, Hu Xiaotian felt all the more keenly how unfair the world was. Why did good people receive no good in return? One resolve grew ever firmer in his heart: this time,