The guards at the door were a little confused when they heard the shouts from below. They rubbed their eyes, thinking they had misread it.
In the early spring in the capital, the days are short and the nights are long. Although it was already past dawn and almost morning, there was still no sign of daylight. Normally, the city gates should be opened at this time, but the guard, being an old hand, knew very well that very few people would come to the capital to do business during this period. So most of the time, he would lie down on a soft bed by the stove and sleep comfortably until dawn. This had been the case for the previous two months, but today was an exception.
Just the two of you?
The guards were clearly reluctant to leave their warm beds. They put on their cotton armor and reluctantly came to the city walls, opened the gates, and realized that it would be difficult to continue sleeping upstairs once the gates were open. They had indeed come at the right time.
However, they were taken aback when they opened the city gate and saw that only two old men were carrying the goods.
These days, the world is far from peaceful. There are man-eating demons everywhere, especially in winter. Many thirsty demons attack caravans. Nowadays, most of those who dare to go out to do business are from powerful families who can afford to hire bloodline soldiers and sorcerer masters to guard them.
The guard became nervous. There were plenty of demons disguised as humans these days, and if he let one in, he would lose his job. The capital was overcrowded with refugees, and the higher-ups were trying to find ways to drive people out. His family was only able to live in the safe capital because of his job. If he lost his job, he would probably be kicked out of here the next day.
He had no desire to go back to his hometown. His relatives there had written six months ago saying they wanted to come to the capital to stay with relatives, but six months had passed and they still hadn't arrived or been heard from. They were probably eaten on the way.
"Haha, brother, don't be nervous. We are merchants from Jiangnan, not the kind of monsters you're thinking of." One of the old men seemed to understand the other's feelings and quickly comforted him with a laugh.
The soldier frowned, still hesitant for a moment. If the other party was truly a demon, he wasn't really sure he could stop them. His brothers who were changing shifts hadn't arrived yet, and at such close range, his three-clawed cat-like skills could very well make him someone's snack.
However, his expression softened slightly when the other party said they were merchants from Jiangnan.
These days, if you're asking where small-scale merchants dare to do business, Jiangnan is the only answer. The exorbitant profits there, in a place rife with temptations, make it a tempting destination for many willing to risk everything. After all, the greater the risk, the higher the value of the goods, especially since most goods in Jiangnan are hard currency. There are quite a few daredevils willing to take the plunge, but... two old people? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?
Suddenly, his pupils contracted as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
"You... you are..."
The soldier suddenly recognized something: the old man in gray, the scar above his left eye—a long-forgotten memory flooded back.
" Lord Mu?" The guard's voice was cautious, somewhat incredulous.
"Hmm?" One of the two old men paused slightly upon hearing this, looking at the other man. After about two breaths, the old man addressed as Lord Mu smiled and said, "Oh, it's Young Master Jiang! How is your sister? Has she recovered?"
"It really is Lord Mu!" The soldier immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "It really is you!"
Mu Hongqing is someone many people who have been involved in the maritime business know. Among the thirty-odd educational officials of the Great Jin, he is the most pragmatic one. Whenever any supernatural event occurs, the older generation of maritime merchants will go to him for help.
Back then, he was a cargo smuggler. That year, fearing his stepmother would persecute his younger sister, he secretly took her with him on a voyage. As a result, all the crew members on the ship became pregnant with a sea ghost that year. Experienced ship merchants said that once a woman is targeted by a sea ghost at sea and becomes pregnant with a ghost child, she basically has no chance of survival; the sooner she dies, the sooner she is free.
But he refused to give up and fought off a group of peddler bodyguards to save his own sister.
The merchant shipman, seeing his bravery and loyalty, offered him a solution: he had heard that the Imperial Education Commissioner Mu Hongqing was staying in West Sea City. If they could persuade him to intervene, the women on board might still have a chance of survival!
The Provincial Education Commissioner was a high-ranking official of the Third Rank, someone they, as commoners, could never hope to look up to in their entire lives. But that time, for the sake of his family, he gritted his teeth and went to their door.
Unexpectedly, although the official was strict, he was very decisive when it came to dealing with demons, and he rescued all twenty-odd women on the ship who were pregnant with evil spirits.
After that incident, he lost all interest in continuing his maritime cargo business. After making a fortune, he brought his sister to the capital and used the money to bribe officials and secure a job as a gatekeeper.
As for that academic official, although they hadn't seen each other for many years, he had always kept the life-saving grace in his heart.
"You still remember me, sir?" The soldier immediately became excited and quickly said, "Thank you for remembering me, sir. Thanks to your good fortune, my sister's health has almost recovered in the past two years. I plan to arrange a marriage for her after the New Year."
"Good, good, that's good." Mu Hongqing's serious face broke into a smile, which appeared exceptionally gentle, instantly warming the soldier's heart.
The old man standing nearby chuckled coldly to himself as he witnessed this scene.
Everyone thinks Mu Hongqing is an upright and honest person, but only those who truly understand him know that he is a cunning fellow no less ruthless than Lu Ming.
His art has the power to bewitch people, amplify certain emotions, and plant seeds of karma in ordinary people. Those who have received his kindness will be even more grateful to him. The greater the kindness and the longer the relationship, the more grateful they will be to him. They may even be directly brainwashed by him and become his puppets.
The young man in front of me is one of them. Why were they able to reach the city gate at this time? And why was he the only one who opened the gate at this exact moment?
Because Mu Hongqing's technique allows him to predict where the person who planted the seeds of karma he once knew would be and offer them help.
No one in the sorcerer world wants to owe Mu Hongqing a favor; only those unaware of his abilities would. This is a very dangerous technique, which is why the emperor valued him so highly in the first place.
Perhaps Chen Qing didn't even know that he actually owed Mu Hongqing a huge favor, and the bargaining chip for that favor was his beloved disciple whom he had raised since childhood: Chen Ying!
Thanks to the soldier's gratitude, the two entered the city gate without incident. At this hour, when everyone was staying home, they didn't attract much attention.
"No wonder you're willing to help these ordinary people everywhere. It turns out that ordinary people can sometimes play such a big role?"
"Sow good seeds and reap good fruit, hasn't Your Excellency heard that?" Mu Hongqing said calmly, "Do more good deeds and you will naturally receive more help from others."
"Hahahaha." Liu Yu burst into laughter. "What a wonderful saying, 'Those who have the Way find many helpers.' I just wonder if your disciple will still remember you, his mentor, so fondly after learning about your surgery?"
"That's none of your concern, Duke of Song," Mu Hongqing said coldly. "Let's focus on the important matter. Duke of Song specifically requested that I come; surely he's not here to dig up my past?"
He was quite surprised that Duke Liu Yu of Duke of Song had come to him. According to Liu Yu, Lord Ziyue had asked him to do something very important, and he had chosen him as her sole partner.
In this world today, there are countless Transcendent. He, a mortal still hovering around the Above First Rank sorcerer, actually managed to catch the eye of this Evening Effigy sorcerer. He was quite curious about it.