Chapter 39: Stealing into the Night with the Wind

Lu Chuan lifted one of the kraft paper covers, inspected it carefully, and then said, "Not bad, the quality is acceptable. But I need a large quantity; this little bit might not be enough."

As he spoke, Lu Chuan swaggered through the warehouse, examining the bamboo baskets. He rummaged through them one by one, but his brows soon furrowed. Turning to the proprietress, he said, "Proprietress, are you playing a joke on me?" His tone was cold and laced with displeasure.

"What do you mean?" The proprietress was baffled. She couldn't understand why Lu Chuan, who had been excited just a moment ago, had suddenly become angry. She hadn't provoked him, had she?

"If you didn't have enough stock, you should have just said so clearly!" Lu Chuan lifted one of the baskets and tossed it aside casually. "There was no need to fill the place with empty baskets to make up the numbers."

"This..." The proprietress seemed to realize something. She hurriedly stepped forward and tore off the kraft paper covering the basket. Sure enough, the basket was completely empty. Her face turned pale, and her eyes widened in shock. This was impossible! Only she had the key to this warehouse, and no one else ever came here. How could so much coal have simply vanished?

Unwilling to accept it, she hurriedly opened several other baskets, only to discover that more than two-thirds of the nearly one hundred shi of coal were gone.

Lu Chuan looked at the proprietress with a grave expression. "So, after all the effort I made to come here, I only find a dozen shi of coal?"

The proprietress clenched her fists tightly. She suddenly realized she was finished. Zhou Zheng would not let her off the hook. While coal didn't have many daily uses, it held significant value, and there were always wealthy, powerful people looking to buy it. Now that it had all vanished, how was she supposed to explain this to Zhou Zheng?

Furthermore, where had things gone wrong? Could this man in front of her have done it? Unlikely; he had been under her watchful eye the entire time. Besides, he appeared to be a novice who had never set foot in the black market before.

"Sir," the proprietress said, taking a deep breath, "how much do you need? We can prepare it for you!"

"At least a hundred shi," Lu Chuan replied, watching her steadily.

"No problem," she gritted her teeth. "This was our mistake. If you are truly interested, the price will be nine taels of silver per shi. One hundred shi will be nine hundred taels. One month from now, we exchange payment for goods. How about that?"

Lu Chuan looked at her, calculating in his mind. Earning nine hundred taels in a month by hunting would be difficult, especially since he also needed to buy land deeds. However, the die was cast. He could figure out another way to make money when the time came. As for the coal, he couldn't use it directly; it would need processing. By mixing it with charcoal, he could reach the required temperature without drawing too much attention.

Thinking of the coal already in his portable storage space, Lu Chuan felt a surge of excitement. This item was incredibly useful. For this world, his portable storage was like a dimensional strike, and he could collect things according to his will.

After bidding farewell to the proprietress, Lu Chuan wandered through the black market once more. To be honest, the variety of goods was eye-opening: armor, weapons, precious herbs, salt, iron ingots, and even powerful bows. However, the bows were only average—better materials than his, perhaps, but he knew he could craft superior ones if he had the same quality of materials.

"How much for this iron ingot?"

"Sir, you have a keen eye! We went through great trouble to get this. One tael of silver—a fair price, I assure you!" a little old man said hurriedly.

Lu Chuan paused. One tael of silver, or a thousand coins, was not expensive. The ingot was substantial and would be very useful back home. He nodded and said, "Fine, I'll take it." He handed over the money, tucked the ingot away, and left the black market.

He would definitely need to retrieve that map, but not right now. He calculated his next move: the black market was crowded and full of prying eyes, and he couldn't be certain if the old man was a lure set by Zhou Zheng. Biting into that bait would be dangerous.

After leaving the black market, Lu Chuan did not leave Hongtu County. Instead, he took Sun Laizi to an inn to stay for the night.

After the midnight curfew, Lu Chuan carefully opened the window and vanished into the darkness of the streets. The patrols were listless; some were even sitting on the ground chatting.

"Damn this luck. The boss is off enjoying himself at Chunxiang Pavilion, leaving us here to stand guard. As if there's anything worth guarding."

"Well, he is the county magistrate's nephew!" another replied with a sneer. "If it weren't for that connection, would he be fit to be our captain?"

"Enough, keep your voices down. It’s not peaceful these nights. Those cultists from the Fire Karma Sect have been raiding homes under the cover of darkness. If something happens, we'll all be in deep trouble."

"To hell with it. We haven't been paid in half a month, yet they expect us to risk our lives!"

Lu Chuan’s brow relaxed. It had been easier than expected. Zhou Tong was actually at Chunxiang Pavilion! Without hesitation, he headed toward the pavilion, which was still filled with the sounds of revelry and women in thin clothing greeting guests.

Lu Chuan slipped into the backyard, grabbed a servant from behind, and covered his mouth. His voice was cold: "When I let go, do not turn around and do not scream. Answer whatever I ask. If you dare to resist, I will end your life. Nod if you understand."

The servant nodded desperately, signaling his compliance.