A Maiden's Strange Voyage

And the man responded with sending them a single letter. A time and a meeting place. It was good enough for them to make the move. And a good option if they had none.

Entering into the house had been a reckless move. Something that most will agree. Hence ruling it out at the end of the day. Until they had no options or been a.s.sured that it was a great choice. Something that most knew was a good answer. Which ensured that they were here.

Yuan Shao took the chance to really decide on eating something. And also managing to order everything since they found out it was reserved. She knew the look in his eyes, the eyes of a customer who had seen a good deal. Or in this case simply taking advantage of the entire situation for their own benefit.

As much as she did relish the food. It was delicious and knowing that they didn"t need to sh.e.l.l out the money being a bonus. "This is his treat as we have uncovered a lot of information."

And figured that this will have been a good option. Before the man arrived down here. It was bizarre to see him realize that they had capitalized on it. Although he held himself back since they had helped him a great deal. Although he had helped himself to the delicacies of the restaurant. Which was one of the best in the city alone.

Before he took a seat. "The information had been more than enough. I"m surprised at the results and wanted to thank him. But he told me that it was you."

Yuan Shao put down his chopsticks. Although Dianyu could see that he had found it baffling. But accepted it as they had just helped his family avert certain disaster. And even though they had not completed the progress was immense.

"But it has changed. They are no longer allowing us to negotiate. It was to accept that the wealth our father acc.u.mulated is in their hands." He had held his hands together. "His entire business which has been in my hands for the last few years is also facing the same situation. Even if it brought more good to families than that d.a.m.ned temple."

"What does that have to do with you?"

He gave a grimace. "They are using their influence to prevent any business for us." Even if they were to somehow grapple back their fortune, the entire reputation was gone. It was difficult to recuperate. Why her mother had chosen to dedicate an endless amount of time to addressing the needs of her customers above anything else. Because a good name meant everything in any business. Even if they were money lenders or trader, they still needed trust for contacts.

"There has been almost no one. They wield a considerable power over the consumers, making it tough for me to attract any customers."

"What do you work in?"

"Carpentry. And I need to sell them, as my next round of stock was coming in as it is." That was certainly true. Wood, but what will it affect them.

"The name of your family."

"The Yang family." He was bewildered but figured that perhaps this could go somewhere to figuring out the situation. Or at least gaining a clearer picture while they were here.

It meant that they will lose everything. Even if it made no sense. "I"ll find out why. This has been a common approach but there has never been such a blatant hatred against any family."

Yuan Shao leaned into her ear. "They mostly choose to empty a family"s wealth, but such a move is almost unprecedented."

"Thank you. Also, if you have a need of anything feel free to come to us. Take this in advance. This was my own savings." And in hopes of recovering a larger more ma.s.sive inheritance. It was a large amount of money. Enough to last them for quite a while.

"Either way this is a change. We need more than just two strayers and one apprentice." And this meant something more sinister. She knew that from observing her face itself.

"It certainly is. And it means that we need more people to investigate it. Zhixun will likely be sent out. And the rest on high alert and standby." She could see why it was important. This could mean that they had access to a huge amount of wealth.

"Their methods of swindling often comes in the form of suggesting that it will guarantee a pa.s.sageway to Nirvana or to Heaven. It is something that is painless and only require a physical amount to trade. And that this donation was to help the work of the G.o.ds." It was something that will penetrate many, if they feared retribution.

"It works like a charm on many old men and women. Many of whom had made plenty of foolish mistakes, the same things that will doom them if they were to be judged by the King of h.e.l.l."

It was the very sense of uncertainty that made them think of this. "Not all do, but most demand that it was so. Many families lost their immediate wealth but retained any properties or businesses they owned."

Until now where this included that, and if the conditions were not met they were simply pressured to cave. To leave with nothing on the table.

"Such things are most ironic. Temples suggest donations, not make them forceful. This isn"t that, it"s extortion." She knew it because of how it had been done while back home. Her mother never donated and was looked down upon by the more devout townsfolk. Even on the other hand she provided a lot more charity than they did, often helping the dest.i.tute and the sick when it was necessary.

The answers as to why they often stayed away from it ranged from mostly being either the person being undeserving and we"re the cause of their own predicament. Her mother had done everything right and still never married, something that many others sought to highlight when it came to her. As though that one thing was to remain a stain on her, a flaw on her moral character that can never be erased.

"Well, donations is to persuade one to give the money while what they were doing is simply forcing them to do so regardless of whether they were willingly into it." The former was something that varied and depended on the person. But in most cases it had been their own fault.

Before realizing that they had lost Feiyu for a moment and thus needed to catch up to her first. Before she noticed that they were talking. Or she did but didn"t comment about it since Yuan Shao took on the job of filling in all the details for her. Even if they were to go off topic.

"But some of those don"t even know better. They were taught to follow the temple and whatever it did was right." He stopped for a moment. "I was raised to think of myself and where I wanted to be. Something that few other did. For a daughter it was one of the few things that were encouraged to take upon. Daughters were expected to be obedient, to obey the men in their life with any semblance of complaint.

To marry decrepit old man or even boys before they age because it was their father"s wishes. Even if it was contrary to the reality. As they were walking through the streets. With full intentions of heading back to headquarters.

She recognized it as it was the same streets they pa.s.sed for the past few days. The shops were in the same lineup. And the past few days she was mostly waiting with them. This had been the only difference in her routine for these few days. Something that she disliked a great deal. She listened in, but was not allowed to do much.

"That is most certainly true. Only few will wonder why is it we do things these ways? And not take myths and tales as the answers to them." And they were rare. She kept those questions to herself because of the looks they shown her. The same sort that dictated that it was just the way it was. And no one should really question it. It just was.

An accepted part of their life and they followed it without questioning. "You know as a child I was told that I will repay my debts in h.e.l.l. I believed them but I could not follow their example, because all they said was useless to me. My family was barely surviving, if I didn"t choose to take more desperate measures there was no hope for them."

There was something that reminded her of Xiao Yan. Who had been found out by her mother stealing the food. He was afraid that he will have been beaten. Only to find that he was going to work to pay for the food he paid, but paid in the same amount for his own family. It was a punishment but it was something that benefited him at the end.

The arrangement led to her eventually employing him when the time came. And gave him something to rely upon, all the while giving him books to read and helping to look after them. And insisting on Dianyu looking after him. And helping him when it was necessary.

The desperation drove most of the children to stealing. It was something that requires a keen eye, but mostly the ability to be blend in. Children were the perfect fit because they were small, and at the same time they could feign innocence if they were caught.

"You were a thief?"

He stopped for a moment before nodding. "I"m a thief." There was something wary about him admitting it. As though he expected her to look down upon him.

"It"s not like I can return. I"ll be facing the same wrath because I"m a runaway bride. As the boy I was marrying was going to be a future scholar who came from a good family."

Before she saw that tension ease. She had not replied with any condescension. And that was enough to convince him that she didn"t judge him.

He gave a smirk once more. "You both can talk all you want once we reach there." Was the harsh words of Feiyu.

"She"s probably stressed. This just changed our situation considerably." Before running forward to her. And she followed as well. This was something that they could not have done anything about.

Even as they were almost on the edge of finally reaching the end. The house was almost in their sight. Feiyu had reached first, with a curious Liu Jin sitting down there curious to see just why they were coming back.

"Feiyu insisted on seeing Madame Yuan, anyone reason for that?"

"Well an order is extorting a family, they want everything that belonged to them. Their property, their wealth and now their trades.

"I see, that is worrying." If it was the first. The woman stood up. "She is entertaining her as well, and this is something that needs to be investigated."

"But it isn"t the first thing today. Xianlie had came here with the same situation as well." Which made it even more different.

Yuan Shao"s eyes widened. "It can only mean one thing. They are moving forward for their plan and suggesting that it was time to go for more extreme measures."

This was something new. But they didn"t seem to be reasoned with. "So, you mean that they are intending to convince others that people who stray are becoming more common?"

"And is an evil that must be rooted out. They can cite many things, the sudden rise of many families, the gain of wealth. And attribute it to not being the will of Fate." And simply let others think that it not end well. Or that it was not the will of it as well. "Advising the families losing the money is good is not enough. They need to convince others that such things are not normal."

That they were unnatural and defying their given lot. Which was why this is happening. It also meant one more thing there was no wag to head back.

He was in a difficult spot. "Of course. We"ll do our best. But I feel that we need to be at your house to know more." A certainty that things had changed.