Chương 42: The Price of Workers

"It's not human trafficking," Qin Hao explained.

"I suspect Xiangshi City's textile mills have too many workers. They want to send their trained textile workers to nearby cities. That way, the workers have a place to go, and Xiangshi City's officials can pocket a referral fee." Fang Cheng nodded after hearing this. He thought he might have been overthinking it. Under the Hall of Eternal Life's requirements, the Great Sheng court strictly controlled population movement. This was tied to the production of Immortal Crystal.

More people meant more crystals, and a city's population was also a metric for evaluating magistrates. Especially in these special times, the magistrate of Xiangshi City would not dare commit the serious crime of human trafficking.

"So what do you think, Brother Fang? When should we go to Xiangshi City?" Qin Hao urged. He was eager to bring skilled workers to White Flower City. Once the population grew, all kinds of business would become viable. Fang Cheng thought for a moment and asked, "If I give you enough funds, can you handle the negotiations yourself?" After all, his superior Pei Tang had ordered him to stay in White Flower City and not cause trouble.

He also needed to keep an eye on Old Xu and make sure that the old man did not stir up any trouble. Qin Hao looked worried.

"Brother Fang, Xiangshi City is close to the Everlasting Mountains. I am just a small cultivator. If I carry a large amount of Immortal Crystals and get targeted by spirit beasts or demonic cultivators in the mountains..."

"You are right." Fang Cheng nodded. He had almost forgotten. There were still plenty of rogue demons in the Everlasting Mountains. Though he and Qin Hao had traveled back from Lianshan Prefecture through the Everlasting Mountains without encountering any demons or demonic cultivators, that was because he had killed three great demons and made a name for himself in the mountains. All the demons were terrified and dared not show themselves. If Qin Hao went alone, there was no guarantee he would not run into danger.

Fang Cheng decided to go with Qin Hao. But first, he needed to send a flying sword letter to his superior, Pei Tang, explaining why he was leaving White Flower City. He took out paper and a brush from his storage ring and quickly wrote a letter. In it, he painted a grim picture of White Flower City's dire state. The message was clear: if he did not go to Xiangshi City to bring in people, White Flower City would fall apart, and his position as City God would be over.

At the end of the letter, he also mentioned Xu Yongchang, the guardian of White Flower City, saying that the old man was highly suspicious. After finishing the letter, Fang Cheng took out the "Pei" sword talisman, retrieved a flying sword, and placed the letter inside the sword's storage compartment. He activated the array on the sword's surface. The sword lit up brightly and shot into the sky as a beam of light, disappearing beyond the clouds. After some time, the flying sword returned.

Fang Cheng opened the letter inside. There was only one sentence:"You may go, but be cautious in word and deed." Pei Tang had approved his request.

"Be cautious in word and deed" meant he should not meddle in other matters. Xiangshi City had once been under Hu Tong's jurisdiction as City God of Dongyang City. If Fang Cheng caused a commotion and alerted Hu Tong, it could disrupt Pei Tang's plans. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Additionally, Pei Tang had made no comment about the guardian Old Xu. Perhaps it was not within his duties, or he did not want to interfere. Fang Cheng did not overthink it.

He immediately called Qin Hao and prepared to leave. Before departing, he went to the Yamen to find Magistrate Li Sanshui. He told Li Sanshui he would be away from White Flower City for a few days and ordered him to do his job well and boost the people's morale. If he had enough manpower, he should send a few people to the villages outside the city to spread word of the City God's great deeds. Li Sanshui saw how seriously Fang Cheng was giving these instructions and quickly agreed, promising to carry them out.

After finishing his orders, Fang Cheng set off with Qin Hao on the road to Xiangshi City.... Xiangshi City was located northwest of the Everlasting Mountains. After leaving the mountains and flying for half a day, they arrived at the city. It was afternoon when Fang Cheng and Qin Hao reached Xiangshi City. A squad of guards stood at the city gate. Both entering and leaving required strict identity checks. Fang Cheng approached the squad leader and revealed his identity as a cultivator.

The squad leader immediately became respectful and ordered his men to clear a path for the two gentlemen to enter. Fang Cheng frowned and asked, "What is going on in Xiangshi City? Why are there so many soldiers checking everyone?" The squad leader, surnamed Zhang, smiled and replied, "Nothing is wrong, sir. Xiangshi City has always been like this. It is not just us. Dongyang City and Shuili City next door also have tight security." Qin Hao interjected, "That is not right. I have been to Xiangshi City before.

I remember there were no guards at the gate at all." Squad Leader Zhang laughed heartily.

"It seems this gentleman has not been here for a long time. Ever since Xiangshi City's textile industry took off, merchants, peddlers, street performers, and tourists from nearby cities have been flooding in. The city is overcrowded, and petty crime has increased. The Yamen naturally had to arrange soldiers to maintain order."

"I see." Qin Hao nodded in understanding and asked no more questions. Fang Cheng looked at the soldiers behind Squad Leader Zhang with suspicion. They all looked tired. One young man had heavy dark circles under his eyes, as if he had stayed up all night.

"Something is definitely going on in Xiangshi City," he thought to himself. But Pei Tang's letter had emphasized caution. Fang Cheng did not press further. He simply asked the squad leader for the location of the Yamen. Squad Leader Zhang told him that the Yamen was on the edge of the southern market district, not far away. It was about fifteen minutes' walk. Anyone in the market could point them in the right direction. Fang Cheng nodded and walked with Qin Hao toward the south. They soon reached the market.

Looking at the bustling crowds, Fang Cheng relaxed a little. At least for now, things seemed calm here. If something serious was really happening in Xiangshi City, he could not stand by as a righteous cultivator. They asked a street vendor for the Yamen's location and headed straight there. After about fifteen minutes, they finally saw the Yamen gate. Two Yamen runners stood guard at the entrance. Seeing strangers approaching, they looked at them warily.

"No loitering. Do not blame us for being rude!" one of the Yamen runners shouted sternly. Fang Cheng stepped forward and said, "I am the City God of White Flower City. I have come today to discuss with your magistrate the possibility of recruiting some skilled textile workers from Xiangshi City to White Flower City. Please inform him."

"City God? A cultivator!" The two Yamen runners exclaimed in surprise. They exchanged glances, hesitation in their eyes. Qin Hao saw them standing there and shouted, "Hey, you two! What are you standing around for? Go report us! Are you going to turn away business?" The two Yamen runners did not dare to get angry. They turned and ran into the Yamen. After a moment, two men in official robes walked out. One was older, in his fifties, with a beard. He was the magistrate of Xiangshi City, Liu Defu.

The other was a young man in his thirties, with a refined, scholarly air. He was the magistrate's secretary, Zhou Zhixin. Magistrate Liu Defu clasped his hands and said, "Greetings, honored cultivators. If I may be so bold, are you certain you are from White Flower City and not some other city?" Fang Cheng could not figure out what they were playing at. He simply showed them his City God appointment letter. Secretary Zhou Zhixin stepped forward and examined it carefully for a long time.

Finally, he nodded to Liu Defu, confirming it was genuine. Liu Defu laughed heartily, stepped forward, and took Fang Cheng's arm.

"City God, please come in! Your visit to Xiangshi City brings great honor to our humble city!"