Yu Lie was startled by Old Yu's excited shout.
He quickly snapped out of his daze and grabbed the old man's robe, urgently asking, "What's going on?"
Old Yu, hearing the question, coughed and seemed to regain some composure.
He muttered to himself, counting on his fingers, "What's today's date again... Perfect!"
Instead of answering Yu Lie directly, Old Yu decided to play coy, exclaiming with joy, "Don't worry, Brother Yu! Just follow me, and you'll see something good!"
With that, Old Yu opened a small hidden door in the room and pulled Yu Lie outside.
After waiting for Old Yu to finish some business at the Dao Registry, the two of them headed toward Ghost Street.
By now, the sky was pitch black.
As they approached the entrance of Ghost Street, they saw many early risers entering the alley, standing in front of a beast-headed door knocker, and shaking their money pouches to wake it up.
Yu Lie and Old Yu joined the crowd.
When Yu Lie took out his money pouch and jingled it to wake the beast head, Old Yu suddenly disappeared into the wall without a sound.
Yu Lie turned his head, slightly surprised, and thought to himself, "This old man must be rich. Does he have spirit stones? No wonder he has a high-level VIP card for the teahouse."
Recently, Yu Lie had become a regular at the teahouse and had a VIP card of his own, but his was only a lower-tier one.
Once inside Ghost Street, Yu Lie was immediately dazzled by the colorful sights and deafened by the noisy shouts.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed his sleeve and pulled him forward.
It was Old Yu, who whispered urgently, "Hurry, hurry! Time is of the essence!"
Old Yu was much more familiar with Ghost Street than Yu Lie.
He led Yu Lie through twists and turns, taking shortcuts until they arrived at a row of shops.
They passed by several small but exquisite stores and stopped in front of a shabby, signless shop.
Old Yu knocked on the side of the shop.
A cautious voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
Old Yu shouted back, "It's me, your old man!"
There was a sound of rummaging inside, and soon a small hidden door opened.
Both Yu Lie and Old Yu had to crouch to enter.
Inside, a figure cloaked in black robes appeared before Yu Lie.
The person's face was hidden in shadow, possibly covered by a mask, making it impossible to see any features.
Yu Lie was similarly dressed.
The black-robed figure stared at Yu Lie for a moment before turning to Old Yu and saying, "Oh, it's you, old man. What brings you here today? Are you here to check the accounts or introduce a big client?"
Old Yu didn't answer directly but said, "Close the door first. We have urgent business."
The black-robed figure, puzzled, activated a mechanism in the shop.
Yu Lie heard the sound of gears turning, and the noisy sounds from outside immediately vanished.
The black-robed figure then stomped their foot, revealing a hidden hole in the ground with a ladder leading down.
The black-robed figure climbed down the ladder, and Yu Lie followed without needing any instructions.
Once underground, Yu Lie realized that the space below was much larger than the shop above.
The shop above was like a face, while the underground space was like the body—spacious and capable of holding goods.
Seeing this, Yu Lie understood that besides the dark alleys, the fixed merchants in Ghost Street must have other ways to enter and transport goods.
The three of them sat around a small wooden table.
The black-robed figure asked, "So, what's the matter? You can speak now."
Yu Lie also looked at Old Yu, eager to know what this was all about.
Old Yu whispered, "The Great Mobilization has been moved up. We only have two or three months left."
"What?" The black-robed figure stood up abruptly, staring at Old Yu.
"Is this true?"
Yu Lie observed the two of them, noticing that the black-robed figure was just as excited as Old Yu, their voice trembling not with fear but with excitement.
Old Yu pulled back his hood and nodded firmly, then pointed at Yu Lie, saying, "This young man brought the news. As for who he is, you don't need to know, but I can assure you he's reliable and holds a decent position."
The black-robed figure paced around the room, letting out a strange laugh.
"Hehe! I knew it. The other towns started half a year ago. Our town couldn't wait until next year. But having only two or three months left is a bit rushed."
Old Yu replied, "The rush is good. The fewer people who know, the more money we can make!"
The black-robed figure clapped his hands.
"Damn it! No wonder some prices went up today. I thought the goods from those shops were stolen by the neighboring town! Those guys must have known yesterday..."
Old Yu and the black-robed figure continued to chatter excitedly.
As Yu Lie listened, his expression grew more and more peculiar.
He slowly understood what the two were discussing and what Old Yu meant by "something good."
It turned out that Old Yu had a significant stake in this shop, and the black-robed figure was likely a Daoist apprentice from the Artifact Hall.
They had partnered to run the shop, with Old Yu bringing in clients and the black-robed figure handling the buying and selling, each with their own connections.
What they were discussing was taking advantage of the upcoming price hikes to hoard goods and make a fortune before the prices skyrocketed!
Yu Lie couldn't help but curse inwardly.
When he had heard the news from She Shuangbai, his only thought had been to save his own skin and maybe pick up some bargains.
But these two were planning to make a killing and even drive up prices themselves!
What a bunch of scoundrels!
But then, Old Yu suddenly said, "This news came from my friend here, so he deserves a cut."
The black-robed figure turned to Yu Lie and asked, "Of course. By the way, do you have any capital?"
Yu Lie's ears perked up.
He coughed lightly and confidently replied, "Yes, I do."
The black-robed figure nodded.
"Good! That makes things easier."
He paced around the room, muttering, "It's a shame we don't have a high-level Daoist apprentice among us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to pay tribute and could even monopolize a few goods. We could set whatever prices we wanted and make a fortune that could last us ten years!"
He then added with a chuckle, "But I know a few guys who stocked up at the beginning of the year and are now in deep trouble. No one dares to take their goods. This is the perfect time for me to step in and 'help' them out!"
The three of them quickly made their plans around the small table.
Of course, Yu Lie was mostly just listening and mentioning what goods he could provide.
This was a golden opportunity to make big money, and Yu Lie was willing to empty his poison stash for it!
Once the plan was set, the black-robed figure rushed off, muttering, "Time is money!"
Seeing how excited the two were, Yu Lie, still cautious, suddenly spoke up, "Fellow Daoists, the Great Mobilization is dangerous. Making money is good, but don't forget to prepare for your own safety."
He cupped his hands toward the black-robed figure and said, "Fellow Daoist, if you have any life-saving items, please save a few for me!"
The black-robed figure, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yu Lie.
"Heh!" The figure let out a strange laugh and then pulled back his hood, revealing a square-jawed face with graying temples.
The man looked serious, a stark contrast to his earlier sly tone.
The square-faced man said solemnly, "So, you're a young one who hasn't participated in the Great Mobilization yet. Since you're willing to share such news, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you!"
He cupped his hands toward Yu Lie and prepared to leave.
But after taking a few steps, he suddenly pulled out a booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Yu Lie.
"This is the inventory list from the shop. It has everything. If you have any questions, Old Yu is here, and you can ask him."
With that, the square-faced man put his hood back on and hurried away.
Now, only Yu Lie and Old Yu remained in the room.
Old Yu cleared his throat and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a teapot.
He took a sip and began to explain to Yu Lie, "The Great Mobilization happens every twelve years and is related to the Daoist disciple exams. It's meant to push more high-level apprentices to the forefront."
Yu Lie's heart skipped a beat.
"So, the Great Mobilization is a training exercise, related to the life-and-death trials of becoming a Daoist disciple!"
Old Yu continued, "Every twelve years, the nearby towns join forces to hold this exam. As for me and that greedy fellow, we're both old and have been settled in this town for over twelve years. Even if we're selected, we'll be stationed at outposts outside the town, so we won't have to fight for our lives. Instead, it's a great opportunity for business..."
Yu Lie instantly understood.
All his guesses were correct—the Great Mobilization was indeed a trial.
This realization calmed his nerves and even gave him a sense of excitement.
"So, this is also an opportunity. The previous three batches of apprentices didn't get to experience this kind of trial in their first three years!"
Yu Lie sat in the underground room and chatted with Old Yu for a while longer.
He asked all his questions about the Great Mobilization, and Old Yu answered as thoroughly as he could, providing more concrete and straightforward explanations than what Yu Lie had found in the library.
Yu Lie also learned that the square-faced man's business wasn't limited to Blackwater Town.
The early Great Mobilization in Blackwater Town would also affect neighboring towns, especially regarding goods unique to Blackwater Town.
However, most people wouldn't think that far, and even if they did, they wouldn't have the means or connections to capitalize on it.
They wouldn't even get a taste of the profits.
After this exchange, Yu Lie felt incredibly fortunate and grateful for his decision to seek out Old Yu today.
He also silently thanked She Shuangbai once more.
He thought to himself, "Kind-hearted people are rewarded by heaven. Big money is coming my way!"
As he spoke, Yu Lie flipped through the inventory list the square-faced man had given him.
His eyes suddenly lit up as he spotted something on the list.
After a moment of thought, a look of great joy appeared in his eyes.
Yu Lie realized that he had just found the perfect means to ensure his survival!
(End of Chapter)