Swallow Return

The local government is lax in its administration, and doing business is not difficult as long as money paves the way. However, once caught up in the power struggles of the court, one may become an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. Therefore, merchants must have sufficient foresight and vigilance when traveling.

This wasn't the information that Liu Yun was particularly interested in, so he simply smiled and nodded.

Then the middle-aged, short, stout merchant paused for a moment and then talked about Da Meng, saying that the sea ban was still strictly enforced, and it was difficult for outsiders to enter and leave. They could only get goods from a few heroes who were half merchants and half pirates. They worked hard to sail down the ship, but all the profits were in other people's hands, so it was not very interesting.

Liu Yun was somewhat interested in this, but hadn't yet figured out a starting point, so he just kept it in mind.

Then the short, stout middle-aged merchant began to talk about Japan. He said that a large number of young boys and girls had just been transported from the Kinki region by human traffickers to be sold to sea merchants and pirates as soldiers and concubines. The number was as high as tens of thousands.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun finally became somewhat tempted.

Tens of thousands of boys and girls were trafficked from Kinki to Kyushu at once? What went wrong with Oda Nobunaga?

Liu Yun first asked a few unrelated questions, and then steered the conversation back to the business of "job placement for minors".

The answer was: The daimyo in the Kinki region suppressed a large-scale "Ikki" (rebellion), massacring over a hundred villages, beheading tens of thousands, looting and burning houses, and arresting, detaining, and selling children to human traffickers.

Liu Yun thought to himself that such a situation could not possibly be described as "peace and prosperity for the people".

To prevent misjudgment, they pretended to be interested in taking over and specifically inquired about the situation of the boys and girls who were being transported.

Interspersed among them was a question asking if any of them were followers of the Ikko-shu sect.

The short, stout middle-aged merchant thought for a moment, then shook his head, saying he hadn't heard of such news. He added that the Ikko-kyo sect was notoriously unruly, often destroying everything in their path, and very few members were captured and sold into slavery.

Chapter 281 Two Thousand Boys and Girls

The peasant uprising was suppressed, hundreds of villages perished in flames, and tens of thousands of boys and girls were sold to Kyushu.

Moreover, he is not a disciple of the Ikko-shu sect.

This is really not right.

Although Liu Yun hadn't written a detailed and insightful "Investigation Report on the Peasant Movement in Japan" like his teacher, he had still traveled extensively and gained considerable knowledge. He knew that the Kinki and Tokai regions under Oda's rule had relatively fertile land and developed commerce, and were now in a rare period of peace and unification. Logically, these should be places where "class contradictions" were relatively mild. So why had the situation suddenly become so intense?

If this is due to Nobunaga breaking his promise, acting recklessly, and going against the tide, then we must go to his door and have a good talk with him.

Liu Yun thought to himself.

Two days later, the rain stopped and the weather cleared up completely. Shipping resumed, and from the high platform of the mansion, one could see some human trafficking ships sailing by on the beach.

Groups of boys and girls, the oldest looking only ten or so, the youngest probably only two or three, were all bound together with rough hemp ropes like pigs and sheep, crammed into the deck and cabins. They were all ragged, dirty and smelly, sallow and thin, with bluish-purple external injuries on their bodies. Their eyes were all dull and their faces were numb, like walking corpses.

Some boatmen even untied the bodies of recently deceased people from the ropes and threw them into the water without batting an eye.

The children, treated like merchandise, remained completely unmoved by this scene, as if they had been rendered mentally impaired by long-term cruel abuse.

As the ships approached the dock, a nimble man leaped over, eagerly shouting at the top of his lungs: "Just brought back from Kinki! Six ships, two thousand boys and girls! Gender, age, build, and appearance don't matter, all for only 150 Yongle coins! All for only 150 Yongle coins! First come, first served!"

Then he shouted it out again in both Korean and Chinese, and then played it on a loop.

Within a few hundred steps of the beach, anyone who heard this loud shout would inevitably come over to see what was going on.

Of course, not every customer actually boarded the ship immediately to select "goods," but the advertising effect was definitely achieved. It's estimated that someone will come knocking soon to discuss this large transaction.

Some people have already been secretly observing or quietly estimating this.

At that time, Liu Yun dismissed the women and refused to be served. He sat alone on the terrace, silently drinking mediocre local sake. Suddenly seeing all this, his mood instantly turned extremely negative.

Living in the 16th century, he was well aware that the surrounding environment would seem barbaric and backward, incomparable to his previous life.

I've seen human trafficking before.

Kyoto had a market for trading prisoners of war year-round. Adults who could work generally cost around five kan, while women with outstanding looks would fetch more, sometimes ten or even a hundred kan. Underage children cost around two kan.

The area was small and the supply of goods was limited, so they paid more attention to relatively expensive "goods." Although the slave traders were fierce and cruel, they did not commit indiscriminate killings and would occasionally provide medical treatment.

After all, prisoners of war who are capable of working and have value are easier to sell.

Liu Yun saw it in Kyoto at that time. Although he felt that the human trade was wrong, he was not too angry.

Ultimately, given the limited productivity of the 16th century, how much freedom could ordinary people enjoy while confined to their small plots of land? Selling themselves to wealthy families as slaves or servants didn't necessarily make their lives much worse.

It can only be regarded as a "limitation of the times" and forcibly accepted.

Although he possesses various superpowers far exceeding those of ordinary people, Liu Yun knows that he is not as great as his teacher, capable of changing the times, nor does he have such great ambitions. He can only do his best in some details.

And now?

On the six ships approaching, the merchants showed no regard for the children's lives, revealing the ruthless cruelty of human traffickers.

It's not surprising; you can tell why they did it from the price.

Regardless of gender, age, weight, or appearance, the price was only 150 Yongle coins, roughly equivalent to 600 bad coins, which was less than one-third of the price in the capital city!

Clearly, the sudden surge in supply led to a significant drop in prices, prompting merchants to adopt a strategy of low profit margins and high sales volume to quickly clear inventory, thus paying less attention to the storage of individual "goods".

In the realm of trade, this is simply a matter of course.

but--

The goods they are selling are living, breathing people!

And they were all children under ten years old!

After transmigrating to this bizarre and supernatural Japanese Sengoku period world, Liu Yun had no choice but to adjust his moral values ​​according to the local conditions. His bottom line has been constantly lowered, and he has become a class enemy who is extravagant and licentious.

But no matter how much it's reduced, it won't drop to this level.

Seeing yet another fresh child's body being coldly thrown into the water by the boatman, Liu Yun could no longer remain calm.

His first thought was—

What on earth was Oda Nobunaga doing? How could he create so many war victims all at once?

The idea had come to me the day before, but I hadn't truly experienced it until I saw the children's plight firsthand.

Today I actually encountered it, and my mood became much heavier again.

Given the current situation, it is imperative to go to the Kinki region to investigate and determine if face-to-face communication is necessary.

But before that, the most important thing is to save these poor children.

But how can we save them?

He went straight to their door, single-handedly, killed the hateful human traffickers, and snatched the young boys and girls.

It's not that it's impossible, it's just... not quite appropriate.

Because their business is actually legal in this era. Even the evil camp can't simply "kill those who are evil."

Merchants who trafficked in young boys and girls simply bought prisoners of war at low prices from victorious daimyo, then transported them to places where manpower was needed and resold them at higher prices.

Actually, they can't really be called the culprits.

So why not just pay to buy the children?

The balance on hand should be enough, but it was still too lenient on the slave traders.

Ultimately, they weren't good people either.

So, why not combine the two?

Liu Yun silently finished the last bit of sake—the already mediocre sake became even more difficult to swallow because of his bad mood.

But he still poured it all into his mouth.

Then, Liu Yun called over Iori and Asagi, the two women in the family who had leadership qualities, and told them: "Gentlemen, please make preparations as soon as possible to temporarily take care of two thousand orphans. Clothing, food, lodging, and medicine all need to be purchased. Although it is very sudden and difficult, please do your best to help me complete it."

Iori was quite surprised to hear this, but out of her usual obedience to Ryuun, she didn't say anything more and bowed down in a low voice to agree.

After bowing and paying her respects, Asagi respectfully inquired about the reason.

Liu Yun offered a brief explanation.

After Iori understood what had happened, a hint of fear appeared on her face, but she dared not say anything.

Asagi, on the other hand, was instantly filled with a lofty sense of mission. Her spirits were greatly lifted, and she patted her very impressive chest, saying with great enthusiasm that she must do a good job.

Chapter 282 The leader of the Chamber of Commerce is actually a nun

After explaining the situation to Iori and Asagi, Ryuun took some gold and silver and went out alone to the port. He found a sailor who had just disembarked from a ship and asked to meet with the person in charge of the merchant guild.

Such a direct visit, without any prior appointment or preparation, is not in accordance with business rules in this day and age, and could even be considered quite impolite.

However, Liu Yun possesses the soul of a 21st-century time traveler, is accustomed to dealing with top-tier officials and nobles, and also possesses powerful mental abilities. If he doesn't deliberately conceal them, his aura is far beyond that of ordinary people.

Although the naked and sweaty boatman was crude and uncultured, he had some experience from working with the caravan and was not an ordinary person who had never seen the world. When he saw the newcomer standing tall and imposing, like a towering peak, with an aura of authority and authority, he felt that he was an extraordinary person who could not be offended. He dared not take him lightly and quickly asked the responsible officials above to come out and receive him.

A moment later, a middle-aged man with a small mustache, dressed as a tea master, slowly strolled out. He wore a dark brown Taoist robe with short sleeves, a white brocade cap, a square scarf on his head, and carried a folding fan.

This outfit clearly indicates that the person is a senior manager in the chamber of commerce.

As a senior manager, he was naturally skilled in abstract discussions. After meeting him, he didn't rush to the main topic. Instead, he greeted him with a playful smile and engaged in indirect conversation, asking about his purpose while probing his identity.

Liu Yun didn't want to waste words. He simply opened his money bag a crack, revealing its glittering gold color, and said directly, "I wish to buy all two thousand boys and girls from your side."

The middle-aged man with the mustache was taken aback. He paused for a few seconds, then was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply, saying, "So it's a big customer! My apologies! You're very welcome!"

He probably gets a huge commission from it.

Then, regaining his composure, he became somewhat suspicious and cautiously asked, "The total price for these two thousand boys and girls you requested is three hundred strings of Yongle coins. That's equivalent to three hundred taels of gold or one thousand five hundred taels of silver. I wonder how you plan to pay? If it's bad money, please forgive our humble shop for charging an extra 10% for losses according to regulations, so it will have to be one thousand three hundred and twenty strings."

Without saying a word, Liu Yun handed over the money bag in his hand.

The middle-aged man with the mustache carefully accepted the money, opened it, glanced at it, and after weighing it in his hand, exclaimed, "This is nearly a hundred taels of gold! You can easily take out such a large sum of money and buy two thousand boys and girls without any problem."

That's what he said, but his eyes darted around violently a few times, and his face showed a mixture of greed, ruthlessness, and hesitation. After a long while, he bowed his head and made a gesture of invitation, saying respectfully, "Honored guest, please follow me."

Clearly, seeing such a large pile of gold had given him the idea of ​​murdering and robbing.

After all, a chamber of commerce whose main business is human trafficking, even if legal, is immoral, and its upper management must not be good people.

I just don't know if they've given up on the idea of ​​committing the crime, or if they want to be more cautious and contact someone higher up before taking action.

Liu Yun then followed them onto the boat.

They had only walked a few hundred steps when they saw that the deck and cabins were filled with children tied together. Needless to say, they were emaciated and ragged, and nearly half of them had external injuries. They all had a numb and despondent look on their faces.

I didn't sense any supernatural power; I was simply tortured and abused in a physical way.

Around the corner, two large black hunting dogs were tearing apart a pile of rotten bones and scraps of flesh.

Liu Yun glanced at it but couldn't see clearly. This made her think of something horrifying, and she felt a surge of murderous intent in her heart. She thought that her original idea was probably too lenient on the human traffickers.

As they got closer, they could tell that the pile of rotten bones and bits of flesh looked like some kind of sea creature and did not come from humans, which eased their anxiety a little.

……