Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 129: Chapter 125 Unexpected Visitor in the Night

Yang Zhenshan kept his thoughts to himself, but outwardly, he pretended to be indifferent and put the gift list aside.

“Does the Liang family also have business in An Yuan State City?”

“We do, and quite a lot at that. We’ll inevitably need Master Yang’s care in the future!”

“Of course, of course!”

Yang Zhenshan chuckled along.

Liang Rong had been scrutinizing his expression the entire time, yet Yang Zhenshan masked his well; he couldn’t discern anything at all.

“Master Yang, I have a batch of goods that need to leave the city, I was wondering if you might be able to lend a hand?”

He spoke up again.

This made Yang Zhenshan feel even more suspicious.

Goods leaving the city?

They just need to be transported out of the city, why involve him?

The Liang family must have been conducting business in An Yuan State City for more than a day, right?

If that was not their first day, then they should have their own connections, there’s no need to specifically seek out Yang Zhenshan.

“What goods?”

“Oh, nothing valuable, just some grains,” said Liang Rong.

Yang Zhenshan’s heart tightened.

Grains!

Cao Han had also requisitioned a large quantity of grains before.

Does the Liang family have a connection with Cao Han?

With that thought, Yang Zhenshan couldn’t help but brace his mind.

“What help do you need? It’s just grains, the city gates shouldn’t prohibit their exit!”

An Yuan State City was not a fortress; goods were allowed to be transported out through all four gates.

“Indeed, it’s not prohibited, but with a word from Master Yang, our business would be much smoother, wouldn’t it!” Liang Rong spoke softly.

Yang Zhenshan revealed a look of understanding, “It’s a simple matter, I’ll have someone go and pass the message along in a moment!”

He spoke very generously, as if it were an inconsequential trifle.

However, in reality, he had no control over the city’s garrison.

With Xu Wanfu around, his position as the garrison commander was merely for show.

But he couldn’t say that.

“Then I thank you greatly, Master!” Liang Rong seemed very pleased, rising to bow in thanks.

“Haha, it’s nothing, nothing,” said Yang Zhenshan, stroking his long beard with a smile brimming with joy.

The two seemed to be in perfect harmony, as if they were merely relatives helping each other out.

After finishing the tea, Liang Rong suggested taking his leave. Yang Zhenshan even made a show of trying to keep him for lunch, but Liang Rong declined.

Once he had seen Liang Rong out, Yang Zhenshan’s expression instantly became grave.

Liang Rong seeking him out at this time was definitely not just about business.

Was this a probe?

It was also courting his favor!

His suspicions grew, and his thoughts weighed heavier.

Colluding with the enemy, that was a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire family.

Though Mr. Liang had separated from the Liang family, if the Liang family were to be exterminated, Mr. Liang would not be able to escape punishment.

Not to mention Mr. Liang, even the Liang family would not be able to avoid it.

Yang Zhenshan had never imagined this matter would also drag the Yang family into it.

Picking up the gift list, a chill flashed through Yang Zhenshan’s eyes.

…

In a small, unremarkable courtyard in the western part of An Yuan State City,

Liang Rong stood respectfully behind a man in a green shirt, softly recounting his encounter with Yang Zhenshan today.

“He accepted the gift?”

The man in the green shirt, in his early forties, had an average appearance and dress, the sort easily overlooked in a crowd.

“He did, and he also agreed to help!” stated Liang Rong.

The man in the green shirt pondered for a moment before asking, “Was there anything unusual?”

“No,” Liang Rong thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, saying, “The Yang family comes from a farming background. If it weren’t for Zhou Lan’s favor, Yang Zhenshan would be naught but a farmer right now!”

“Sir, I’ve looked into the Yang family. Their holdings aren’t extensive, just a little over a hundred acres of good farmland, and those three shops are already wealth beyond their wildest dreams!”

“It’s not surprising that Yang Zhenshan would desire them.”

Though merchants are the lowest in social status among scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants, this is not absolute.

When wealth reaches a certain level, one can break the rules.

For a rich merchant family like the Liang family, they wouldn’t give a second glance to ordinary officials and clerks.

Moreover, the Liang family is not a mere merchant family; many officials are implicated behind them.

Don’t be fooled by the lowly demeanor he displayed in front of Yang Zhenshan. In his heart, Yang Zhenshan and the Yang family are simply beneath his notice.

If it hadn’t been for Yang Zhenshan’s arrival in An Yuan State City, where he held a useful position, he would not bother acknowledging the Yang family as kin.

The Yang family is trivial, not worth mentioning at all.

The man in the green shirt nodded slightly, “Then do you think we can win him over?”

“Of course, he wants money, and we can give it to him. Moreover, he is related to our Liang family by marriage. With this connection, it shouldn’t be hard to win him over!” Liang Rong stated confidently.

The man in the green shirt still seemed somewhat hesitant.

“Sir, the people from beyond the border have urged us many times. If we continue to delay, they will probably become very dissatisfied!” Liang Rong tried to persuade him.

“Dissatisfied! Hmph, what about it?” The man in the green shirt said with disdain.

“But every day we delay, we lose a lot of silver. We’ve already delayed for three months; we can’t afford to delay any longer!” A sharp glint flashed in Liang Rong’s eyes.

The man in the green shirt stroked his goatee, “Then give him a hint about something, and test his reaction again. If he really can be won over, then we’ll open up that passage!”

“Yes, I’ll go tomorrow!”

“No, wait two more days to see if he makes any moves before we talk about it.” The man in the green shirt was still very cautious; although he was eager, he knew matters could not be rushed.

Liang Rong also understood that such matters could not be rushed, so he agreed.

…

Nighttime.

Yang Zhenshan entered the Spiritual Spring Space to check on the medicinal herbs he’d planted.

The area of the Spiritual Spring Space had expanded considerably, with the land surrounding the stone pool now nearly two zhang (about 7 meters) in width.

Calculating the area, it was roughly over two hundred square meters.

And with time passing, the expansion rate of the Spiritual Spring Space seemed to be increasing.

According to Yang Zhenshan’s observations, the expansion of the Spiritual Spring Space seemed to be based on the radius.

The Spiritual Spring Space’s ground was circular, and the expansion rate was approximately one centimeter per day in radius.

Yang Zhenshan had been in this world for over two years, and now the radius of the Spiritual Spring Space was about two zhang and five chi (approximately 8 meters).

The manner of expanding by growing the radius meant that as time went by, the expansion rate of the Spiritual Spring Space would accelerate.

Looking at the herbs in the space, Yang Zhenshan nodded with satisfaction.

The earliest planted herbs had already matured. However, the value of such medicinal herbs is based on their age, like ginseng and Golden Blood Vine; the older they are, the more valuable.

And it takes three years for the Notoginseng to mature, with other medicinal herbs also needing several years.

Yang Zhenshan had planted prized medicinal herbs, and while the Spiritual Spring Space could meet the environmental growth requirements for these herbs, it couldn’t shorten their growth cycle.

That meant, if Yang Zhenshan wanted to grow a hundred-year-old ginseng, it would take a hundred years.

However, the potency of the herbs grown within the Spiritual Spring Space should be stronger than those outside, perhaps an eighty-year-old ginseng might be equivalent to a century-old one thanks to the nourishment from the Spiritual Spring Water.

According to Yang Zhenshan’s estimation, he should be able to harvest the first batch of medicinal herbs by the end of next year.

This first batch wouldn’t be very large and wouldn’t include those legendary Treasure Medicines, but they would certainly sell for a good amount of silver.

And as the Spiritual Spring Space expanded, his harvests would become increasingly abundant.

After planting another batch of medicinal herbs, Yang Zhenshan left the Spiritual Spring Space, reappearing in his bedroom.

He had now replaced his pearwood bed with a heated brick bed, though the pearwood bed hadn’t been sold yet, still waiting in the storeroom.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t sell it, but because the bed was too large and moving it out for sale could easily draw attention.

At this critical juncture, Yang Zhenshan decided that it was better to deal with the smaller items first, so he had Wu Hai move the bed to the storeroom.

Lying in the warm comforter on top of the heated brick bed, Yang Zhenshan almost sighed in pleasure.

The comforter was warm, and he didn’t need anyone else to warm his bed for him, how wonderful.

In the dead of the night, just as Yang Zhenshan was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly opened his eyes.

The cold moonlight cascaded through the carved wooden window, casting a pale light onto the blue brick floor, adding a touch of chill to the dim room.

Yang Zhenshan sat up swiftly, his eyes piercing as he gazed out the window.

Someone was there!

He had just heard a very slight, very soft noise, possibly the sound of footsteps on the roof tiles.

He couldn’t possibly have heard wrong. His hearing was far superior to ordinary Martial Artists now, not to mention those of the same realm; even a Martial Artist three or four levels higher in the Postnatal Realm couldn’t match his hearing or sight.

Quickly, Yang Zhenshan heard the faint sound again, which was getting closer, and soon would reach the roof of his bedroom.

Yang Zhenshan got out of bed, quietly stepping off the heated brick bed, picked up the Gold-plated Flying Fish Spear leaning against the wall, and then concealed himself in the dark corner of the room.

He was eager to see who it was!

Whoever it was must be no ordinary person to slip to his place.

He had arranged many Protectors, after all.

Holding his breath, Yang Zhenshan waited quietly.

After what felt like a few breaths, a figure appeared at the door to his bedroom.

The intruder’s Light Body Skill was very impressive; they jumped down from the roof with barely a sound.

Only with Yang Zhenshan’s extraordinary hearing was he able to detect that faint noise.

The intruder did not enter the room right away but stood in front of the door for a long time, likely observing the situation inside.

After being assured there was no movement within, a short blade was slipped through the door gap, followed by a gentle fiddling with the door bolt.

Soon, the bolt was unlocked, and the door was slowly pushed open.

The cold moonlight spilled in, and a figure floated into the room.

The entire process was nearly silent.

Clearly, this uninvited guest had extensive experience in stealth.

However, the person did not enter the inner chamber but stood next to the recliner in the outer chamber.

The recliner was where Yang Zhenshan would rest and read or drink tea before sleeping.

Yang Zhenshan stayed motionless in the corner, quietly watching him enter the room, quietly watching him take out a book from his bosom and set it on the coffee table by the recliner.