Chapter 139: Tell Me, What’s With Him?
Bai You Ruo: "Be extremely careful. If it’s impossible, just focus on keeping yourself safe."
Tang Wen was touched. He placed his other hand over hers. "Alright! You two take care as well."
Bai You Ruo gave him a deep look but said no more.
Bai Xue came in, and the three of them talked late into the night.
「The next morning.」
The two of them were gone, leaving the house empty. Tang Wen looked at the empty courtyard, an inexplicable melancholy washing over him.
Alone in a strange city, fighting all by himself.
And he had to find a map to a mineral deposit with enormous interests at stake.
A place like Ganshan City could very well be life-threatening.
’This is no job for a human.’
’Even worse than my old 996 grind without any benefits!’
After breakfast, he took the rare step of lying back down on his bed.
His mind raced, quickly reviewing his next steps and the major factions of Ganshan City.
Bai You Ruo had suggested he join the Boat Gang.
Between what she knew of Ganshan City, Elder Ya’s accounts, and the words of the escort from the Four Seas Inn today, Tang Wen had formed a basic impression of the Boat Gang.
Ganshan City bordered a river, with docks and a fleet of ships.
The Boat Gang, as its name implied, was a gang composed of sailors, dockworkers, and the like.
After years of development, it had become a formidable power.
Their members practiced Water Department Techniques, and some were even said to practice Wind Department Techniques.
The Gang Leader of the Boat Gang practiced the Water Department’s Boundless Ocean.
From the looks of it, the most complete inheritance within the Boat Gang must be the Water Department’s Visualization Martial Arts—the Great Sea Infinite Technique.
The Boat Gang was relatively loosely organized, and its rules weren’t so strict.
If Tang Wen joined the Boat Gang as a Beastmaster, his daily tasks would be nothing more than taming carrier pigeons, Water Monkeys, and Aquatic Exotic Beasts.
For him, that wouldn’t be difficult.
Unfortunately, the Cultivation Techniques weren’t a good fit.
Tang Wen considered another option—the Black Water Gang.
The Black Water Gang had "Water" in its name.
But in reality, it had little to do with water.
Rumor had it that the name was chosen simply because the Gang Leader’s surname was "Shui" (Water), and on top of that, he practiced the Night Divine Fist.
Thus, the name Black Water Gang was chosen.
As for why they didn’t call themselves the "Water Black Gang"...
Tang Wen guessed it was mainly because that sounded awful.
The Black Water Gang owned vast amounts of farmland; much of the mountainous terrain and plains outside Ganshan City belonged to them.
Slaves worked the land, Farming and handing over the harvest.
Within Ganshan City, the Black Water Gang ran various grain shops, vegetable stalls, butcher shops, and restaurants.
They were primarily in the food and entertainment industries.
Joining the Black Water Gang would probably mean a busy daily life.
But he’d have a chance to learn the Night Divine Fist.
The third option was the Commerce Association.
The Ganshan City Commerce Association.
In any society, merchants tend to form their own power bloc.
The Commerce Association in Ganshan City was controlled by several merchant families, and the Cultivation Techniques they practiced were a mixed bag.
They had the Dark Division’s Night Divine Fist, the Fire Division’s Celestial Fire Scorches the Earth, and the Earth Division’s Mountain-Shattering Force.
As for what Cultivation Technique the association’s president practiced, Tang Wen had no idea.
After thinking it over, he first ruled out the Boat Gang.
He had already begun to transform and had awakened a Dark Ability. Practicing a Dark Division Cultivation Technique was set in stone.
The Boat Gang didn’t have a corresponding technique, so it was off the table.
As for the remaining two, he hadn’t decided which to join.
In the end, he just had too little information.
After practicing Martial Arts in the courtyard until dusk, Tang Wen went to a Stone Tower in the Four Seas Inn.
"Four appetizers and a pot of wine."
This place was a tavern.
It was filled with dancers in bold, flimsy clothing. A casual glance revealed a sea of pale skin.
"Sir, it’s hard to drink alone. Why not call a couple of girls to keep you company?"
’Escorts?’
’Wouldn’t that be carousing with courtesans?’
At once, Tang Wen nodded emphatically. "Find me someone knowledgeable to come talk with me."
The young servant in the green hat was taken aback. He asked tentatively, "An older one?"
He grumbled internally, ’So this lord is into older, married women? He doesn’t look that old himself.’
"Fine. Find us a corner!"
"Right away! This way, please."
The young servant in the green hat instantly understood.
’A quiet corner? Looks like this one wants to get his hands on her right here in public?’
’How impatient.’
Tang Wen sat down, and tea was immediately poured. A moment later, a fragrant breeze announced an arrival.
A young woman in her late twenties with an oval face gave him a slight bow and was about to sit down right next to him.
"Sit there."
Tang Wen pointed to the long bench on the side.
The young woman didn’t dare disobey, though she felt it was a bit strange.
’This one’s really something,’ she thought. ’Coming here for a good time and still putting on airs. Is there any need?’
She poured wine for Tang Wen, and he gestured for her to drink as well.
After three rounds of drinks, the young woman’s fair cheeks were faintly flushed.
Tang Wen said, "My next stop is Ganshan City. Tell me what you know about it."
"To be honest, sir, I’ve never left this camp. Everything I know is just hearsay." She glanced at the carousing men around them.
"Tell me what you’ve heard, just as you heard it."
The young woman said, "Many people from Ganshan City come here for fun, but I can’t trust what men say when they’re drunk. Please don’t blame me if I get something wrong."
Seeing Tang Wen agree with a smile, she finally opened up.
Sure enough, she hadn’t been lying. Some of the things she said were contradictory.
Tang Wen listened casually, holding his wine cup and taking an occasional sip.
The young woman saw this and grew anxious.
She was here to earn money, but this lord was giving her no chance to play to her strengths.
How was she supposed to earn a tip?
Storytelling wasn’t her forte. Wouldn’t it be much better to move to a private room and let her demonstrate her *other* talents?
Another pot of wine was ordered.
The young woman couldn’t sit still any longer. Her collar somehow slipped lower and lower, and her full hips seemed to inch closer and closer of their own accord.
A soft warmth pressed against his arm. Tang Wen understood. She was done telling stories; she wanted to "sing."
"Hey! Sit back, and just tell me things you’re sure about!"
He took out a few silver coins from his waist.
The young woman snatched them up and thanked him profusely.
It wasn’t that she was impatient; it was that she was getting older, and business was slow.
Her regular customers who used to be so eager had all disappeared.
Plus, she had an illegitimate child to raise.
When she finally got a chance to work, she always tried to earn a bigger tip.
After getting the silver, she frowned in thought for a moment, then downed her cup of wine before speaking.
"The Commerce Association in Ganshan City is raising a White Tiger. They say their president owns it. The White Tiger can change its size. When it’s big, it’s larger than three houses put together. When it’s small, it’s smaller than a Big Cat..."
"The Boat Gang has a giant turtle and a Flood Dragon. They say every time their fleet sets out on a long voyage, they have to bring them along to ensure the fleet’s safety."
A White Tiger, a giant turtle, and a Flood Dragon.
’It seems the Commerce Association and the Boat Gang might have High-tier Beastmasters among them.’
’They might even have a Beastmaster lineage.’
These two pieces of information alone were worth the price.
The silver coins hadn’t been wasted.
She spoke continuously for more than ten minutes.
Her mouth grew dry from talking, and the young woman picked up her tea to take small sips.
"The men from the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall are huge and burly. Their arms are thicker than my thighs, and their legs are so long and sturdy, they look like the pillars that hold up a roof."
The Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall was another one of the factions in Ganshan City.
Tang Wen wasn’t sure what exactly they did.
She babbled on for another half an hour.
Seeing the young woman’s stories grow more and more outrageous, Tang Wen interrupted her impatiently, "Think carefully. No making things up. It has to be something you’re sure of, even if it’s a small detail."
As he spoke, he revealed two more silver coins, tossing them playfully in his hand.
Not daring to slack off, the young woman spouted a few more useless tidbits.
Just as Tang Wen was about to settle the bill and leave, the young woman suddenly saw something. Her expression changed slightly, and she lowered her head to say, "I see an acquaintance. He’s from the Black Water Gang."
The person was right there in the room.
Judging by her expression, something seemed unusual.
Tang Wen reached out, grabbed the young woman’s hand, and pulled her close. "Tell me. What about him?"
The young woman took out a white handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, and began to speak in a hushed voice.