After casually dispatching a minor demon on her way back to the city, Senior Sister Zou Lian said no more and retired to her room at the inn to rest.
The Little Snake Demon sprawled across the table, still savoring her words.
What kind of experiences could have led Senior Sister to say such things? Why was her hatred for demons, devils, and ghosts so much fiercer than Du Xuan’s?
So much fiercer than Du Xuan’s…
A Senior Sister who was so powerful and harbored such intense hatred—she was simply too captivating! The Little Snake Demon really wanted to snuggle into her arms and act spoiled.
Yin Luan lay there giggling foolishly when she spotted the caravan leader sighing dejectedly as he trudged past.
“What’s wrong, Lao Hu? Is business not going well?” she asked.
“Miss Yin, alas… we’ve run into some trouble,” he replied.
According to their original plan, the caravan would sell off portions of their cloth bolts in each city they passed, traveling lighter onward until they reached the Mine Mountain. There, they would load up on ore and return to East County.
But for some reason, the merchants in the recent cities had shown far less interest in buying cloth from East County compared to previous years. Several carts full of top-quality fabric remained unsold.
If they couldn’t offload according to plan, they would have to slash prices in the cities ahead and sell quickly. Otherwise, with the carts tied up, the losses would only mount.
“Why’s that?” Yin Luan asked in confusion. “Clothing, food, shelter, transport—surely the people of West Commandery aren’t going naked now?”
“I’ve sent people to gather some information,” Lao Hu said.
Seeing that this “honored guest” of the caravan was easy to talk to, Lao Hu the Leader opened up.
“Word is, a caravan from a neighboring country to the west has arrived. Their cloth is both beautiful and cheap, so many West Commandery merchants have already bought them out. That’s why they’re passing on ours… Honestly, I don’t buy it. East County’s fabrics are fit for tribute to the royal court. How could some minor nation have access to such materials and weaving techniques? Even if they did, hauling it all this way just to sell at a loss? Who does that?”
A dozen or so small nations bordered West Commandery of the Great Zhou Kingdom, all dependent on the Great Zhou for survival and required to pay regular tribute.
A caravan coming from afar to undersell cloth like that was hardly commonplace.
Because sales were sluggish, the leader planned to linger in the city a couple more days. He even checked with the Little Snake Demon to make sure she wouldn’t mind the wait.
Little Snake naturally had no objections. Her matters weren’t urgent; a little more rest wouldn’t hurt.
“Good,” Lao Hu snorted. “If I get the chance, I want to see just what kind of people these foreign merchants are. Lao Hu’s been in this trade for decades, and I’ve never seen such rule-breaking!”
Speak of the devil and he shall appear—as it happened, that very foreign caravan peddling cloth arrived in the city.
Ever the one for excitement, the Little Snake Demon tagged along with the others to take a look. When she returned, she chattered on to Senior Sister, who was resting with her eyes closed in the room.
“It’s true! Clothes made from their fabric really are stunning! I checked the material itself—it’s not as good as Lao Hu’s—but the finished products are just so eye-catching! Lao Hu’s crew is in for a rough loss this time…”
The Demon Subduing Division’s Eldest Senior Sister had no interest in the mundane affairs of mortals. She didn’t even twitch an eyelid as the Little Snake Demon prattled on.
“Oh, right—there’s a really beautiful young maiden in their caravan. Wheat-colored skin, red lips and white teeth, slim waist and long legs. She’s wearing a short top and skirt made from that fabric—gets the blood pumping just looking at her. She glanced at me with those purple eyes, and I felt like my soul was about to fly away…”
Zou Lian opened her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at the Little Snake Demon.
“O-Of course,” the Little Snake Demon quickly backpedaled, “I still think Senior Sister is prettier—more in line with Great Zhou tastes! Relying on skimpy clothes to attract attention is just heresy. Someone like Senior Sister is the true ideal!”
“Purple eyes,” Zou Lian asked. “This caravan—is it from Sand Valley Kingdom?”
“Uh, yeah, something like that name. I didn’t catch it exactly…”
“Take me there.”
Yin Luan hadn’t expected the Demon Subduing Division’s Eldest Senior Sister to take an interest in something like this.
After some coordination, she followed Zou Lian to the foreign caravan’s lodgings.
Spotting two beauties, the hosts greeted them warmly.
“Excuse me…”
“Demon Subduing Division.” Zou Lian flashed her Identity Token. “Have that Innate Expert come see me, or I’ll go to her.”
The Demon Subduing Division’s fierce reputation extended beyond the Great Zhou Kingdom; even people from neighboring lands feared it.
They ushered the two women into the courtyard, and soon someone dashed off. Moments later, the exotic beauty Yin Luan had seen earlier approached, draped in a thin shawl.
“Welcome, Demon Subduing Division Lord. Unfortunately, this isn’t home, so we can’t properly entertain the two of you.”
The other woman’s voice wasn’t the crisp tone of an ordinary young maiden. Instead, it carried a raspiness that gave it distinct layers, lending it a unique charm.
“Demon Subduing Division, Zou Lian.”
The busty senior sister stared at her without a shred of courtesy.
“Little Attendant,” Snake stood by her side, straightening her back as she chimed in cooperatively. “Yin Luan!”
“Zou Lian of the Demon Subduing Division’s Secret Investigation Hall—the top expert there. I never imagined we’d cross paths here,” she said with polite respect. She glanced at Yin Luan before withdrawing her gaze. “Sand Valley Kingdom, Gu Li. To what do we owe this visit, milady? Has our business broken any rules?”
“Did you file a report upon entering Great Zhou Kingdom?” Zou Lian asked.
“Naturally,” Gu Li replied with a nod. “We’re well aware of Great Zhou’s regulations. Unreported Innate Experts can be taken down on the spot by the authorities.”
She waved a hand, and a subordinate promptly delivered a document bearing the official seal of Great Zhou Kingdom.
Zou Lian didn’t even glance at it before pressing on. “Why is an Innate Expert like you traveling with a caravan?”
“You’ve got it wrong, milady. We’re not a caravan at all—we’re an envoy group. We’re en route to Luo City for the celebration in a few months, and selling goods is just something we’re doing along the way.”
She handed over another document, this one stamped with what appeared to be the royal insignia of Sand Valley Kingdom.
“Lately, quite a few ‘things’ have been sneaking in from West Commandery. Any connection to your Sand Valley Kingdom?” Zou Lian stated her purpose.
“Impossible,” Gu Li said with a laugh. “We travel the official trade routes—our path is well-documented, and we’ve passed through layer upon layer of inspections.”
“Layer upon layer of inspections…”
The senior sister’s tone didn’t sound friendly at all.
The little snake demon stood off to the side, unsure what was going on.
Senior Sister Zou wasn’t much of a talker, but she always observed basic etiquette. Even when she’d stubbornly latched onto her, she’d at least pretended to ask for her opinion first. So why was the air so thick with tension here?
“Uh, um,” Yin Luan looked left and right, trying to smooth things over. “How about we all sit down for a cup of tea and talk it out?”
The other two women turned their gazes on her in unison.
“Fine, no tea then—don’t glare at me like that…”
“Let’s have a cup,” Gu Li said. “Sand Valley tea is quite good.”
