The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

"It won't be long."

Zhang Shiwu nodded, his gaze shifting to the cleared area at the canyon entrance, which had been cleaned but still bore traces of dark red blood.

"Based on my observations and the training guidelines for behavior, those 'woodcutters' and 'vagrants' who died outside the mountain gate were not innocent; they had different identities."

"They must be assassins kept by the Zheng family of Jiaodong?"

A deep disgust flashed in the old palace maid's eyes: "Under the rule of these powerful clans, there are hundreds of thousands of similar 'consumables,' chips that can be discarded at any time. They live like grass and die like dust. Using lives as bait to frame others is a common trick of theirs."

Zhang Shiwu remained silent.

This is Changling, this is the Qin Dynasty. Beneath the dazzling imperial power and powerful clans lay countless lives crushed into dust.

If the "death warriors" hadn't been willing to exchange their lives for resources, and had even mortgaged their relatives to sign life-or-death contracts, how could he, with his cultivation level, have been unable to stop or save them in time?
Although it was called a "test," such sacrifices were not warranted.

"Fortunately, following Zhao Qing's earlier plan, this hall of gold and jade paved with corpses, this dazzling display of flesh and blood, will not last long and is about to undergo a complete change..."

The old palace maid continued Zhang Shiwu's unfinished thoughts, "The answer may lie in Xue Wangxu's promise to make ice."

"'Refined Ice,' monthly supply of two thousand vehicles..."

Zhang Shiwu repeated the words he had just heard, pondering as he replied, "This is no ordinary ice and frost technique. It is probably related to the 'cold chain logistics' concept that Zhao Qing revealed at the time, which is a system that 'uses extreme cold to preserve fresh food, maintains its original flavor, and transports it thousands of miles away.'"

"Indeed! Xue Wangxu's move, seemingly benefiting the people and responding to the new policies, is in fact... aimed directly at the lifeline of Jiaodong County!"

The old palace maid chimed in, her voice tinged with admiration, "Jiaodong County is the richest place in the world. What is it that makes it so wealthy? It's the sea! It's the inexhaustible supply of sea fish, and the salted fish and preserved goods that are sold throughout the world and have penetrated into every military camp and kitchen in Qin territory!"

"The advantage of salted fish lies in its self-sufficiency in salt, its ability to be stored and transported easily, its low price, and its capacity to supply the army with meat. Within the Qin territory, how many border troops, county soldiers, and even ordinary people rely on this to fill their stomachs? It not only satisfies nearly one-third of the Qin state's meat supply, but also feeds countless drying yards, workshops, fleets, and trading companies in Jiaodong County!"

"The profits are enormous, easily exceeding tens of billions of dollars annually."

"More importantly, those seemingly inconspicuous salted fish vendors who roam the streets and alleys are Zheng's most hidden eyes and ears! A cart of salted fish is a hidden line; a stall is a node. The population of Jiaodong is in the millions, and countless people rely on this industry. It has long been intertwined and formed its own system."

“However,” a sharp glint appeared in Zhang Shiwu’s eyes, “when this kind of freezing and preservation technique spreads widely, coupled with the recent influx of cheap and high-quality ‘snow salt’ from the Chu Dynasty… it’s like cutting a hole in the vast network that Jiaodong relies on and that spans many counties, a hole that is hard to mend.”

"Salt is the king of all flavors and the foundation of pickled foods."

"Since Chu salt is cheap, the price of salt in our Great Qin will naturally suffer. At first, it may only affect a small corner, but in the long run, it will surely soak the entire land. Those small vendors, pickling workers, porters, and even large merchants in Jiaodong who make a living by pickling and drying salted fish and coarsely salted goods are now sweating profusely on their abacuses, and you can hear the crisp sound."

"The brilliance of this plan lies in its 'silent influence.' It doesn't involve fighting, yet it's more effective than a massive army. Deep-sea mackerel, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and even beef and mutton from the northern frontier can all be chilled and preserved, transported thousands of miles to Changling, and presented in perfect color, aroma, and taste! As one side grows while the other grows, the market for salted fish will inevitably be gradually eroded."

The old palace maid added, "As a grandmaster, Xue Wangxu personally condensed ice and took the lead in demonstrating it. His appeal and influence are extraordinary. Cultivators in Changling and even other prefectures, those sects and families that practice ice and frost techniques, such as the Minshan Sword Sect, may also get a share."

"I've actually seen the so-called 'refined ice' at the fish market before. It's nothing more than a small amount of black ice woven into a cage, then filled with regular ice to make it difficult to melt... Regular ice can only keep things fresh for two or three days, while fresh ice can last for more than ten days."

"...For disciples above the sixth level of Minshan, this is nothing more than a piece of cake, or even... a 'byproduct' of their sword cultivation! Baili Suxue is probably happy to see it happen."

"Although the opening Xue Wangxu made was small."

Zhang Shiwu sighed and said, "Even with a few thousand truckloads and tens of thousands of dan of fresh food per month, it only occupies a few percent of the total market share, like a mark on the sand, insignificant. But when a centipede is stiff but not dead, what it fears most is that this little insect will bore into its insides."

"The fundamental business of Jiaodong Prefecture is built upon the 'lowly' foundation of salt, fish, and human lives. Ordinary people cannot see through the intricate schemes behind Chu salt, but how could those powerful families who have dominated Jiaodong for generations not be wary?"

"They may have already sensed that the 'sword of livelihood' hanging over their heads has developed its first, almost imperceptible crack."

"Financial resources dry up, and connections scatter."

The old palace maid concluded, "The collapse of a great edifice is not something that can be accomplished in a day. However, today, Xue Wangxu's Ice Sword has just been revealed, and the undercurrents of Chu Salt have just begun to surge. The scales on that behemoth of Jiaodong, which are relied upon for transmitting messages, controlling the local area, and even influencing the military's expenses, are quietly loosening, and its momentum is already showing signs of chaos!"

“Once the army’s meat supply is replaced by fresher and more abundant frozen food, the local generals’ reliance on and gratitude for the ‘cheap salted fish’ of Jiaodong County will quietly shift. This implicit ‘connection’ and this potential ‘military morale’ will also be absorbed by Baiyangdong and the ‘new benefits’ represented by Miss Zhao Qing.”

Their eyes met in mid-air, and they both saw the heavy understanding in each other's eyes.

"When the foundation is damaged, chaos arises." The old palace maid slowly exhaled a chilling breath. "When the Zheng family of Jiaodong is preoccupied with their own problems, it is precisely at this time that all sorts of people mingle. The Bashan Sword Arena can also take advantage of this situation to rise again..."

“That kid Ding Ning… I, Zhen Hongli, have accepted him as my grand-nephew!”

She clenched her fists, her tone carrying an indescribable complexity, "As expected of that person's successor, the inheritor of the Nine Deaths Silkworm. Slaying seven realms from four realms... Such a feat is unprecedented."

"His temperament, wisdom, methods, and ruthlessness are all top-notch. However... this path is destined to be filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

It was probably because Zhao Qing's teaching level was too high that he secretly deciphered countless secret swords and techniques. In fact, it was the old palace maid Zhen Hongli, who joined Bashan midway, majored in the Heavenly Golden Body and Qin Sword, and was proficient in Yin Sha Techniques, who did not have the guess that Ding Ning was the "reincarnation" of Wang Jingmeng himself.

While the White Lotus and the Flower of Sin are indeed stunning, they cannot prove the incredible conclusion of resurrection.

Zhang Shiwu smiled gently and looked towards the distant southwest horizon, where a poplar forest lay on the outskirts of Changling, and a cluster of low-rise houses built along a tributary of the Wei River. It was also the location of the most heavily guarded prison of the Qin Dynasty—the Great Floating Water Prison.

"Xue Wangxu stabilized the situation, and Ding Ning also passed this test." His voice was low and resolute. "In this 'test,' they have delivered a decent performance. So... shouldn't we old bones, the embers of the former Bashan, also get moving?"

Zhen Hongli also looked in the same direction: "You mean..."

"Lin Zhu Jiu" (林煮酒).

Zhang Shiwu uttered three words, his tone resolute:
"He has been imprisoned in the deepest part of the water dungeon, in darkness and suffering excruciating torment for far too long. The old Bashan troops have all perished. Now, a new generation is beginning to emerge... Perhaps it is time to bring our brothers home."

“Nephew Lin? The last time I saw him was more than 20 years ago. He was still as sunny and cheerful as ever, and he liked to brew wine and drink to his heart's content. But now my memory of him is all blurry.”

Zhen Hongli smiled gently. As the most senior person in the Bashan Sword School, she was already over seventy years old, but when she showed joy, she still had a touch of unparalleled elegance and charm. She didn't look like an old woman at all.

Few people know that in the era before Wang Jingmeng rose to power, when the Qin Dynasty was still regarded as weak and bullied, her musical skills and beauty had spread throughout the seven dynasties, and her reputation was not much less than that of Zheng Xiu now. After removing the disguise of a palace maid, she regained her true appearance.

Because she was not competitive, had a detached nature, and rarely took action, Zhen Hongli, despite having reached the upper level of the seventh realm before the age of thirty, did not spread much outside. Few people even knew that she had joined Bashan, and even Yuan Wu and Zheng Xiu were not very familiar with her.

Most practitioners of that time only knew that this illegitimate daughter of the Zhen family of Chu had fled her home at a young age, hiding in the countryside to make a living by washing clothes, and married a teacher with a good reputation.

However, though she was innocent, she was guilty of possessing a treasure. Although her husband was also taught cultivation methods by her and was a rare genius, his beauty attracted the covetous eyes of local powerful families, and he was framed and murdered.

She fled to Linzi in the Qi region, where she played a mournful zither for three days. The music was like weeping and lamenting, reaching straight to the deepest hell, and resonated with the earth's energy. This finally alerted a hidden sect deep in the Qi region, which led the sect leader, who was also a woman, to take her as a disciple and teach her the wonderful method of "Twin Netherworld Flowers".

However, Zhen Hongli herself had already had a miraculous encounter and had cultivated an indestructible body. The reason why she also practiced this unconventional Yin Qi ghost technique was mainly to conceal her presence and reduce her perceptibility, like a ghost sneaking around, so as to avoid the endless troubles caused by her beauty.

Once she had mastered her cultivation, she quietly returned to her old haunts. In front of the clan patriarch and a hall full of guests, she threw a flying sword and killed her enemy. Then she disappeared into the crowd, and no matter how furious the enemy was, how much he searched and how much he offered a reward, he could never find her again.

After that, Zhen Hongli vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated from the face of the earth, and even the Zhen family could not find a single clue. People only said that the once stunningly beautiful zither player had long since passed away.

Decades have passed, and perhaps due to limitations in talent and conflicting cultivation methods, she has never been able to advance further and come into contact with the wonders of the eighth realm. However, Zhang Shiwu is very clear that this senior uncle's strength is definitely above his own, and by a significant margin.

It would take no more than two punches to kill Zheng Bainiao at his peak.

She appears gentle and refined, but is actually extremely violent.

The Great Floating Water Prison is heavily fortified and guarded. According to reliable sources, it would require at least five Grandmasters of the seventh realm or above to work together to break through the magic array inside.

However, the Yin Sha Ghost Sword has the advantage of terrain, and the Heavenly Heavy Golden Body is indestructible. If it weren't for the concerns about possible support and Zheng Xiu's backup plans, one person alone would probably have the strength to break through the prison.

"Saving lives is urgent and cannot be delayed." Zhen Hongli's smile faded slightly. She spread her fingers, and her true essence naturally condensed into a black flower, which gradually transformed into seven colors, demonstrating the profound mystery of yin energy returning to yang: "However, before setting off, I need to see someone first."

"Is this Miss Shang?" Zhang Shiwu asked.

For some reason, he always felt that after the other party let go of a knot in his heart, his cultivation seemed to begin to grow rapidly, and his aura became more and more profound.

“Besides inheriting the skills of her father’s Ghost Bamboo Sect, she also received the true teachings of my sect’s techniques and zither skills… That was when I first arrived in Changling and heard about Wang Jingmeng.” Zhen Hongli explained, “Now I have innovated on the original methods and created some new and wonderful techniques, which I will teach to her.”

"Okay!" Zhang Shiwu gently stroked the flower shears. "I'll wait for you."

The mountain wind howled, swirling pine needles that fell in a rustling sound.

The two reclusive grandmasters exchanged a glance, then vanished silently from their spot, as if they had never existed.

……

About an hour or two later, as the sun began to set, it bathed the rows of stalls in a lazy golden glow.

Aside from the clandestine function of the underground black market in Changling, the fish market on the east bank of the river is also the largest distribution center for aquatic products in the area. The air is filled with the smells of fish, sweat, and mud, as well as... the heavy salty smell that has been ingrained in the flesh of the piles of salted fish from Jiaodong over the years.

The shouts, the haggling, the clatter of fish baskets, the creaking of wheels rolling over wet wooden planks, and the crackling of fish tails slapping wildly all intertwined to create a noisy and vibrant symphony.

Since it's called a fish market, the most sold item is naturally fish.

Besides the fresh fish that had just been caught from the Wei River and Jing River and were jumping around in the wooden basins, there were also many salted fish from the distant Jiaodong County, which had been repeatedly pickled with coarse salt and dried until hard.

Compared to fresh fish, salted fish is cheaper and can be stored for months without spoiling, making it the first choice for ordinary families to add a touch of meat to their meals. Even the blandest soup can be made more flavorful and appetizing with the addition of some chopped salted fish.

However, the atmosphere in the fish market seems to have changed subtly recently.

"Manager Wang, the usual, another fifty catties of top-quality Jiaodong golden thread cod!" A man who looked like a purchasing agent for a restaurant patted a fish stall owner on the shoulder familiarly.

"Alright, Mr. Li! I'll pick out the driest ones for you, guaranteed to be flavorful!" The fish stall owner smiled broadly and quickly began weighing the fish.

"Make way! Make way! This is a procurement office for Caiyunlou! Excuse me!"

Just then, a small commotion arose at the entrance of the fish market, with a few impatient shouts rang out.

An elderly man dressed in brocade, with a shrewd face, walked straight toward the largest fresh fish stalls deep inside the fish market, surrounded by several well-dressed men who looked like shop assistants.

They walked briskly, not even glancing at the mountains of salted fish stalls, until they finally stopped in front of a larger stall with a "freshly chilled" sign.

"Boss Liu! How much Wei River perch, Qingjiang carp, and Yellow River knife fish did you get today? Caiyunlou wants it all! They all need to be packed in iceboxes!"

The head purchasing manager spoke in a loud, authoritative tone.

The fish shop owner, known as Boss Liu, was a burly man. Upon hearing this, he was taken aback, then overjoyed, nodding and bowing repeatedly.
"All...all of them? Manager Zhang, are you kidding? These fresh fish aren't cheap today, and Yellow River knife fish are especially rare..."

"The price is negotiable!" Manager Zhang waved his hand dismissively, interrupting him with an air of nonchalance. "As long as they're fresh and in good condition! Hurry up and pack them into the covered boat; our distinguished guests are waiting inside!"

Just then, a familiar salted fish vendor approached. It was none other than Manager Wang, who had just been weighing fish for "Master Li," and he offered himself up with a fawning smile:

"Manager Zhang, would you like some more salted mackerel? We also have some excellent Jiaodong products here, their stewed tofu is absolutely superb... to add a side dish to the restaurant..."

"So it's Wang Laosan," Manager Zhang turned around, flicked his sleeve, and subtly pushed away the money bag that the other party had secretly handed him. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it made the hearts of several fishmongers around him tighten. "This salted fish... you don't need to send it to our Caiyunlou anymore."

"Huh?" Wang Laosan's smile froze instantly, thinking he had misheard. "Manager Zhang... what is this? Salted fish is a traditional delicacy of Changling, cheap and delicious..."

"It's not that the product is bad."

Manager Zhang waved his hand, interrupting him, "It was the owner who spoke. The tastes of the distinguished guests in the restaurant have changed these days."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the pile of salted fish behind Wang Laosan, and his voice clearly reached the ears of those around him: "Those noble people nowadays are all about 'freshness'! They say things like 'only when fish leap in living water can you taste them, and only when shrimp and crabs are chilled can you truly appreciate their value.'"

"Hehe! Our Caiyunlou restaurant has recently hired a master chef from the south, who is most skilled at cooking river and seafood. The owner has invested a lot of money to bring in an ice cellar with a magic array that can 'freeze fresh' seafood! From now on, our main focus will be 'live fish killed on the spot' and 'fresh ice delivery'!"

"Freshly killed fish, slices as thin as cicada wings, laid on crushed ice, dipped in ginger and vinegar... the taste! Who would still eat that salty and hard dried fish? It's so cheap and tacky!"

“But… Manager Zhang, fresh fish is expensive and difficult to preserve…” another old man selling salted fish couldn’t help but mutter.

"Expensive?" Manager Zhang glanced at him sideways, as if he had heard a joke. "That was before! What's the situation now? With the ice from Immortal Xue of Baiyang Cave, there's less spoilage, and the fish can be transported farther, so the price of fresh fish has naturally come down!"

"Besides, who cares about spending a little more money when they can dine at our Caiyunlou restaurant? What they want is the novelty and the prestige! This is what a high-end banquet on the 'famous food list' should be like!"

He patted Wang Laosan on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of "goodwill" as he reminded him: "Old Wang, you should also think about changing careers. This salted fish... it's probably going to be harder and harder to sell in the future, and the price will plummet! It's so salty, it can only be chopped up and used to make soup to add flavor, it's not presentable anymore!"

After saying this, Manager Zhang ignored the stiff-faced salted fish vendor and urged Boss Liu to hurry up and load the goods.

Several large baskets of still-living, fresh fish, along with crabs and shrimp with their claws outstretched, were quickly lifted onto specially made wooden crates lined with thick straw and... faintly visible white, chilly air. These crates were then placed into boats moored along the waterway and hastily sailed away.

"You only accept fresh fish...frozen fish?"

"If Caiyunlou is in this state... what if other grand restaurants follow suit..."

"Ice? Where did you get so much ice? And for preservation?"

"I heard... about Baiyangdong..."

"I was hoping to stock up on more supplies as the year draws to a close... but now..."

"Why is the salt from the Chu Dynasty so cheap? Can't the court stop it from entering and protect our Qin people's livelihood?"

Whispers spread like a plague among the pile of salted fish, quickly transforming initial shock and doubt into uncontrollable panic.

Wang Laosan stood there, dejected, still holding the bag of copper coins he hadn't been able to give away, as if carrying his future as heavy as lead.

Then, he turned around abruptly, staggered back to his stall, looked at the mountain of stock piled up on the shelves, and then looked down at his hands, which were rough, cracked and calloused from years of contact with salt. His face gradually turned ashen.

With trembling hands, Wang Laosan pulled an old, worn-out abacus from his greasy pocket and began to fiddle with it.

“Buying price…320 coins per bag…shipping fee…100 coins…stall fee…interest on the loan…” The abacus beads clicked and clattered, each strike feeling like a blow to his heart.

“The selling price... used to be around 530 or 540 coins in the winter... now…” He looked up, bewildered.

In the market, there are far fewer housewives who used to haggle over the salted fish stalls. Even those who are there are picking and choosing and trying to bargain hard.

Old Zhong, who runs the stall next door, was sighing as he loaded bags of salted fish onto his cart, saying he was going to try his luck in a more remote rural area.

"Four hundred?...Three hundred and eighty?...Even three hundred and fifty is difficult!"

Wang Laosan's fingers trembled more and more, and the sound of the abacus beads clashing became chaotic and desperate.

"Even if... even if I sell all 350..." Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, his fingers freezing on the last abacus bead, "After deducting the principal... interest... the stall... I'd still... still be losing money? My wife's medicine money... the kids' tuition for spring..."

"Go and collect the imperial winter relief rations? The soup kitchens in the east of the city provide two meals of thin porridge every day, which should be enough to keep us alive... But things are never that simple."

"It's over...it's all over..." Wang Laosan muttered to himself, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead, as if he could already hear the cries of his business going bankrupt and his creditors coming to his door.

Unexpectedly, his small stall, which he had painstakingly built up over many years, collapsed like a fortress on the beach, turning into dust under the impact of the wave called "fresh ice".

I'm afraid I can't stay in Changling any longer.

Besides the heavy rent and debt, what terrified him even more was something else: the collapse of his identity.

If even big customers like Caiyunlou have completely abandoned salted fish, and if those high-ranking officials only recognize "freshly chilled" fish, then what value do small fishmongers like him, who rely on truckloads of salted fish to make a living as "Jiaodong informants," still have?
Without the cover of "goods" and the legitimacy of "trading," these "undercover agents" lurking in the streets of Changling were like fish out of water, exposed to the light of day—too conspicuous, and too... dangerous.

What would happen to an "idle person" who has lost their value but knows a lot of inside information in the eyes of those "higher-ups"?
Unable to bear thinking about it any longer, he painfully threw down the abacus, his back hunched, and squatted in front of his mountain of salted fish, like a forgotten, salt-covered reef.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on him, but instead of bringing warmth, it stretched his shadow long and distorted, like a dead fish stranded on the mudflats, struggling desperately.

"Afraid of being silenced? Why not report it to the authorities? Go find Sun Bing, the sword seller; he can handle this."

In a shed a few waterways away, an old man leaning on a black bamboo cane seemed to notice Wang Laosan's predicament. He glanced at the woman in red beside him and kindly sent a telepathic message to remind her—of course, without revealing her identity as the merchant's old servant and the behind-the-scenes manager of the fish market.

The introduction of this "chilled" product was the result of his overcoming all objections and having discussed and signed a contract with Baiyangdong many days in advance.

Wang Laosan was not qualified to be involved in such deep matters, but he could easily understand that in order to save himself, he had to make a crucial decision as soon as possible. After all, there were many fishmongers in Jiaodong like him. If he was too late, the big shots would change their tactics and replace him with new pawns.

"Understood!"

He gritted his teeth and replied, "I'll set off right away!"

The fish market remains bustling, but the era of salted fish seems to be quietly receding, accompanied by an invisible "cold wave."

The fish were drawn to the food.

People act based on profit.

The ripples newly stirred up at Changling have only just begun to spread.

……

At almost the same time, the weather turned cool at Zushan Stone Hall.

Zhao Qing, carrying a colorful flower floating in the void, looked at Zhan Mohe, whose arms were broken, and Tang Xin, who was quite curious beside him, and calmly spoke:
"It turns out that the former royal family of the Tianliang Empire migrated from the icy plains of the Northern Sea. They discovered this 'ancestral land' in the northern desert and then established a vast dynasty."

"For the Wu clan and the other tribes under the rule of Tianliang, this place is a sacred 'ancestral land,' but in the eyes of the earliest Tianliang people, it is merely the place where their families rose to prominence, a place where numerous spiritual veins converge and which is extremely suitable for cultivation, far from their true origin..."

"To be more precise, the Tianliang people were a powerful army stationed in the northern polar region at the time of the fall of the You Dynasty. They were stationed at the desolate ends of the earth, not only to demonstrate the divine power of the You Emperor, but also to monitor the movements of the strange beasts under the ice and to map the changes in the celestial map."

"When Emperor You passed away, the Central Plains were thrown into chaos, and heroes vied for power. But who would turn their attention to the bitterly cold, spiritually sparse, and even rebel armies would not bother to visit the far north? As a result, the isolated border guard under the Northern King was... completely unharmed."

"However, fortune may be a blessing in disguise." Zhao Qing's tone carried a hint of desolation. "Heaven and earth are merciless. A hundred years later, the calamity of 'the end of the Dharma and the exhaustion of spiritual energy' that swept across the entire cultivation world finally descended."

...(End of chapter)