Chapter 1 The Flow

The melodious piano music flowed through the room, strings of nimble notes like mischievous children, chasing and giggling. The greatest characteristic of music is its ability to change the atmosphere of an environment in an intangible way.

Winter enjoyed this feeling very much. Even though the blind man with the erhu had been led in by a servant, he still didn't stop his performance.

The blind man sat down on a chair by himself. The servant retreated knowingly, closing the door, because he knew that his master, when enjoying music, disliked people who didn't understand music disturbing him.

When the piece ended,

Winter stood up,

And bowed halfway to his left and right,

As if he wasn't in a room with only two people, but in a grand theater facing a massive audience after just finishing a performance.

This pleased the blind man very much.

Like a neat freak meeting another neat freak,

Both understood the importance of the ritual of life, and naturally, there was a sense of mutual appreciation.

Finally, Winter's gaze fell on the blind Eastern man.

"You are the Eastern musician who understands the piano?"

Xia Zi Bei nodded.

"Heh."

Winter walked to the table. This time, he didn't pour tea, but poured himself a glass of wine.

"Want some?"

Xia Zi Bei continued to nod; he was indeed a little thirsty.

"Play a piece, and then I'll treat you to a drink."

Xia Zi Bei got up, one hand holding the erhu, the other reaching forward.

One step, two steps, one step, two steps,

Slowly and gropingly, he came to the piano. After placing his hand behind him to confirm the position of the chair, he sat down with confidence.

This was a very retro piano. After all, the era was what it was; you couldn't modernize it even if you wanted to.

But when his ten fingers were placed on it, making intimate contact with the keys, that familiar feeling returned.

Xia Zi Bei breathed a sigh of relief,

And Winter, standing beside him drinking wine, narrowed his eyes.

At this moment,

He clearly felt the aura of the Eastern blind man in front of him undergo a tremendous change.

That confidence, that temperament, that perfect combination of man and instrument.

It was as if at this moment, he himself was the superfluous burden in this area.

The performance began.

This was "Bagatelle in A minor," more commonly known as "Für Elise."

Xia Zi Bei didn't know if Beethoven existed in this world, but it didn't matter. Half of his soul was now immersed in this familiar rhythm and feeling.

As for the other half of his soul, it was constantly roaring at him:

You still have something to do!

When the piece ended,

Winter, holding his glass of wine, had been in that position for a long time without moving.

After a short while,

He reached out and placed his hand on his chest,

And sighed,

"I have witnessed the miracle of music."

Xia Zi Bei shook his head, somewhat regretfully, and said, "This piano is a bit out of tune."

But just like a person who has been without a cigarette for a whole day, any cigarette is a huge psychological comfort. Xia Zi Bei was now thoroughly satisfied.

"What can I do for you? As long as it's within my power, I will definitely do it."

Winter knew that the blind man in front of him was definitely not an ordinary street performer.

"I'm here to discuss a business deal with you."

"Many people want to do business with me. Which kind of business are you talking about? Information, or goods?"

"Goods."

"What kind of goods?"

"I smell its fragrance on you."

Winter was stunned for a moment.

Then he laughed,

"Hehehehe..."

However, he didn't show any fear. In fact, his expression remained as amiable as before. You couldn't tell that he had just sent someone to capture the man, who was now entering his home.

"Whether it's perfume or soap, the value is enormous. As long as we get the goods out there before the alchemists at the academy figure out its ingredients, we can make a huge fortune.

I must say, you have courage, you have魄力 (po li, boldness/drive), and you have talent that I admire.

But I still have to ask,

Just like that,

You want to discuss business with me?"

Xia Zi Bei turned to face Winter and said,

"How do you like to discuss it?"

"I'm not very sure. That's what you need to show me."

"I understand."

"What do you understand?"

"Be a cheapskate."

Xia Zi Bei's ten fingers returned to the keys,

The next moment,

The notes started again!

Winter immediately released a white fighting spirit, and his entire body flashed to the left.

"Bang!"

The table that Winter had been standing at was instantly shattered into pieces.

Winter lowered his body slightly, ready to pounce.

"Heh, your piano playing is very interesting. Are you a rare space-type magician?"

However,

Just as Winter was about to make a further move,

An icy sensation appeared on his neck.

Xue San had already appeared behind him, the poisoned dagger in intimate contact with Winter's skin, only a tiny bit away from a penetrating experience.

Winter was very forthright.

He decisively removed the fighting spirit he had just activated,

Raised both hands,

And slowly straightened his body,

And said helplessly,

"For the first time, I've discovered that my home really can't give me any sense of security."

Xia Zi Bei shook his head earnestly and said,

"Actually, I wanted to have a good business talk."

"Then can you tell me why, after delivering the perfume and soap to me, you hid your location and didn't show your face for so long?"

"Because we were waiting," Xia Zi Bei replied.

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting to recharge."

Waiting and waiting, waiting and waiting,

Xia Zi Bei and Xue San had been in Tuman City for some time. They had selected their target and delivered the goods, but the next extremely awkward scene was,

The Lord's advancement was slower than expected.

In fact, if Si Niang hadn't been clear that if the Lord didn't advance, both the blind man's side and Liang Cheng's side might encounter difficulties, she wouldn't have chosen to help Zheng Fan to speed up the process.

So, now Xia Zi and Xue San were probably still continuing their game of hide-and-seek.

Tuman City was not comparable to Tiger Head City. Even a chamber of commerce here could not be compared to the gangs in Tiger Head City. What's more, the target Xia Zi Bei had chosen this time was a... big fish in a merchant group's disguise.

Through investigation and analysis, as well as using some means to抓舌头 (zhuā shé tóu, capture tongues) and interrogate, Xia Zi Bei finally determined that the person in front of him could be his business partner.

"Okay, I'll get the perfume and soap goods from you, so what do you want to get from me?" Winter asked.

"We have indeed prepared a batch of goods. In fact, we can even give you the recipe. What we want is some silver, six hundred top-quality warhorses, three hundred sets of armor and weaponry, everything must be modeled after the Zhenbei Army's equipment."

"Too expensive, really too expensive. If you convert it all into money, there might be a possibility of discussing it. Top-quality warhorses and excellent armor are priceless. I can't get them."

"You can get them," Xia Zi Bei said with certainty.

The person in front of him had deep connections in Yan, in the barbarian tribes, and in the West. His energy was not to be underestimated.

"I think you probably have a little understanding of my identity, but really, I'm just a businessman. I get perfume and soap from you for my own business.

I can't share this business with those greedy old men in the Council of Elders, so what I can use is only my own capital.

I'm sorry, I seriously considered your proposal, but I really can't do it."

Warhorses and weapons, unless this was Rome, he could spend gold coins to have people scavenge and forge them.

But this was Yan. Smuggling so many warhorses and weapons here, did they really think the 300,000 Zhenbei Army iron cavalry in Beifeng County were just for show?

"Actually, it's not just business, you can treat it as an investment."

"Investment?"

"I know you wanted to contact the Princess, but you haven't been successful."

"You even know that? I really suspect you're a secret agent of the Yan court."

Xue San, who was holding a knife to Winter's neck, immediately nodded in agreement:

"I think so too, but unfortunately Yan doesn't have a Directorate of Ceremonial or Eastern Depot."

"The Princess doesn't think much of you, because neither you nor the Western Empire behind you have the need to be looked at squarely by her 300,000 iron cavalry."

Winter sighed, tilted his head slightly, and said to Xue San, "Can I wipe my sweat?"

Xue San nodded and moved the dagger a little, saying:

"Please, help yourself."

"Mm."

Winter stroked his forehead a few times and said, "Your words are too hurtful."

"This is the truth, so I think that instead of painstakingly trying to win over someone who looks down on you, you should personally invest in cultivating a new force."

"Is this new force your force?"

"It's the force of my Lord."

"What are the benefits of investing in you?"

"We will betray our own people, we will be collaborators. In fact, I have always felt that because of the distance, if your empire wants to extend its reach to the East, even if your troops are sent here, you must have local natives to act as your lackeys.

This is a very cost-effective way, and I believe you have used similar methods a lot in the process of your empire's expansion."

"I understand, but I have another question. There are so many warlords in Beifeng County, why don't I buy them off and choose to invest in you from scratch?"

"Because of investment value."

"Because you have my life in your hands now?"

"That can also be considered a reason."

"Then that reason is no longer valid."

A rough voice came,

Er Ha's figure appeared silently behind Xia Zi Bei.

Winter shrugged and said,

"Now, we're even. My life is in your people's hands, and your life is in my dog's hands.

Hiss, thinking about it that way, I still have the advantage."

Saying that,

Winter said to Er Ha, who appeared behind Xia Zi Bei:

"Be careful, he's a space-type magician, but since he's already so close, the magician shouldn't be much of a threat. But you came too late, were you deliberately waiting until after it was over to come save me?"

Er Ha stuck out his tongue and licked his nose, dissatisfied, and said:

"What space-type magician, he's clearly a mental-type magician. My talent is mental detection. He has placed so many mental probes inside and outside this house. It took me a lot of effort to avoid these probes and sneak behind him."

Saying that,

Er Ha also stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, as if he was still savoring the taste of that Tibetan mastiff,

And said:

"It's a pity, didn't expect it, I'm a demon beast, it's true, but my talent is mental, today, it's your bad luck."

Being approached by a demon beast, they could almost smash his head with a paw,

But Xia Zi Bei was still not flustered at all,

Instead, he said calmly:

"There's a sad story, I think it would be a little cruel to tell you; in fact, you were already mentally affected by me before this."

"Are you kidding me? Is this what you Easterners call... stubborn as a mule?"

"You don't believe me?"

"You have to give me a reason to believe you."

Er Ha had great confidence in his mental talent.

"If you hadn't been affected by me in advance, you should have discovered that the Tibetan mastiff that was sent to you before..."

"What happened to that Tibetan mastiff? In my eyes, she's very beautiful. I like wild and spicy tastes, so there's a sense of conquest."

"It's male."

Er Ha: "............"