UGB Chapter 54 Expansion
Chapter 54 Expansion
Instead of going to his master's residence, Zhou Qiuyuan changed into a hempen robe and disguised himself as a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, walking alone through the western market.
The market was even more bustling than before, with people coming and going in front of the stalls.
Zhou Qiuyuan did not look at the items being sold at the stall; his gaze fell on the boy begging along the street with a broken bowl not far away.
In all his years of life, he had rarely seen beggars in Blackswamp City.
The Blackwater Sect and the Heavenly Craft Academy fought a great battle, leaving countless mortals homeless and their entire possessions lost.
The government's porridge distribution lasted for less than three days, and the tenement buildings charged the refugees of Tianqiao City exorbitant rents and taxes.
Those who fled with their belongings could still manage, but refugees who had nothing could only beg on the streets.
People who survive by begging for a long time will stop at nothing to survive.
Although such people are highly capable, they cannot cultivate loyalty. Once someone offers a higher price, they will not hesitate to sell their employer. They are not suitable candidates for Dark Night.
People who have just become beggars have not yet picked up the bad habits of stealing chickens and dogs, and they can't lie without thinking, so they are still useful.
Zhou Qiuyuan was not a savior; he had no surplus grain to help the large number of beggars, and all he did was exploit each other.
He selected over thirty clever young beggars, gave each of them twenty copper coins, and had them search the streets for information about making money. They agreed on a time and place to meet that evening.
This is a threshold; only those who successfully bring back intelligence and arrive as agreed are the ones Dark Night needs.
Those who think they've received a reward for nothing, those who try to get by without doing anything, and those who don't keep their appointments on time will be ruthlessly eliminated.
Zhou Qiuyuan did not place his hopes on the beggars in the city, whose living conditions were harsh and whose lives were precarious, and who could die at any moment.
To obtain more intelligence, Dark Night needs to recruit people from all walks of life to ensure the diversity of its intelligence sources.
Zhou Qiuyuan walked from the market to the West District, finding more than fifty targets in total, whose identities were all different.
Oil seller, porter, pharmacy clerk, prostitute, kitchen helper...
He used the same rhetoric on everyone, asking them to gather useful information for him and giving them twenty coins in return.
Before he knew it, Zhou Qiuyuan arrived at the West Gate. Just as he was about to turn back, he vaguely heard cursing coming from afar.
"Cao San, he used to rely on the Green Snake Gang's influence to freeload at the noodle stall, and I tolerated it."
"The Green Snake Gang is gone, and you still want to eat fancy food? You're asking for death!"
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cao San being kicked to the ground by the noodle stall owner, who then proceeded to punch and kick him.
Zhou Qiuyuan saw that Cao San's left foot was broken. The wound was not new; it was already rotting and oozing pus, and a strong stench could be smelled if you got close.
He took out a hundred coins and tossed them over, saying loudly, "I'll pay for his noodles."
The noodle stall owner picked up a string of copper coins from the ground, bowed and scraped to Zhou Qiuyuan, and said, "Since you have a benefactor today, I will spare your dog's life."
Cao San limped to his feet, carefully examining the stranger in front of him, but did not recognize him as his childhood friend.
"Sir, could you lend me some money?" Cao San pressed his advantage.
Zhou Qiuyuan never kept idle people around, and out of respect for his old friend, he didn't mind giving him a hand.
"I can give you the money, but you have to gather useful information for me." Zhou Qiuyuan took out one hundred coins and tossed them over, and they agreed on a place to exchange information that evening.
Cao San nodded hastily in agreement, "It's a piece of cake. I've been in gangs for many years, so this is nothing to me."
Zhou Qiuyuan deliberately changed his voice and said, "I used to live in a nearby tenement for a period of time in my early years, and I met you a few times. I moved away after becoming a body cultivator."
"I remember you used to learn how to make paper horses? How did you end up like this?"
Cao San was surprised that this person knew him and was also a body cultivator; a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes.
"The refugees of Tianqiao City are extremely hostile to those living in the tenement courtyards. They fight at the slightest disagreement, and many people have been killed. Although the murderers have been driven out of the city, the dead cannot be brought back to life..."
"The Green Snake Gang and the Black Shark Gang, established by refugees from Tianqiao City, clashed fiercely outside the city. Both sides fought a real battle with swords and spears, resulting in numerous casualties. The Black Shark Gang had many body refiners stationed there, and the Green Snake Gang was no match for them. The territory of the West City has changed hands."
"I saved up over ten thousand coins, intending to use it to awaken my spiritual energy and refine my body, but those beasts from the Black Shark Gang stole it all. People I offended in the past took the opportunity to kick me when I was down..."
His expression was sorrowful, and there was deep regret in his eyes.
The Green Snake Gang was gone, and the Black Shark Gang only robbed an unknown guy like Cao San of his money before sparing his life.
Cao San had been encouraging people to gamble and forcing women into prostitution at the gambling den. In the past, these people didn't dare to cause trouble because of his identity as a member of the Green Snake Gang.
What goes around comes around. Just as he fell on hard times, all the troubles he had faced came knocking again. His left leg was broken, and his family also suffered the wrath of others.
Cao San was filled with remorse, regretting that he hadn't listened to Zhou Qiuyuan and left the Green Snake Gang; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
It was too late for regrets.
Zhou Qiuyuan was inexplicably glad that he had moved away from this place of trouble in time; otherwise, he would have been stuck in the quagmire like Cao San, and would have been struggling at the very bottom.
As long as Cao San is willing to gather intelligence for him, Zhou Qiuyuan doesn't mind providing financial assistance. Cao San may have a chance to become a body refiner in the future.
He's already been given a chance; it's up to him to seize it.
Zhou Qiuyuan strolled around the West Market, scattering over two thousand coins like a generous benefactor.
Zhou Qiuyuan does not plan to develop in the eastern, southern, or northern urban areas.
One person's energy is limited, and Zhou Qiuyuan is unable to handle the intelligence of the four urban districts, so he does not plan to expand to the other three major urban districts for the time being.
After Zhou Qiuyuan finished this task, he went home to practice his secret techniques.
He waited until it was dark before bringing the paper and pen he had prepared to the dark alley where they were supposed to meet.
Forty-three people had gathered in the dark alley, the vast majority of whom were beggars, along with men, old men, and women with sorrowful expressions.
They walked in groups of three or five, their eyes filled with wariness as they looked at the others.
Upon seeing the arrival of the person in charge, fearing that someone else would steal their hard-won opportunity, they all rushed forward to report the news.
Zhou Qiuyuan glanced around and spotted the lame Cao San.
He took out the paper and pen he had prepared in advance and wrote down the information provided by more than forty people and their corresponding names.
I'll need to spend time verifying the authenticity of the message tomorrow.
The next day, Zhou Qiuyuan gave them a sum of money based on the verified information and retested those who passed the test to confirm that they had not provided duplicate or false information.
After three rounds of selection, a group of usable elites will remain. At that time, we can awaken their spirits, prepare secret techniques and cultivation resources as incentives, and tie them to the ship of darkness.
The next morning, after having breakfast, Zhou Qiuyuan tied the deadly short sword to his right calf and hid it in his wide trousers.
As the season gradually transitioned from late autumn to early winter, Zhou Qiuyuan added a thick layer of cotton clothing, minimizing the risk of exposing his Thunder Spirit Tool.
He first went to the market to verify the information and gave twenty coins to everyone who provided accurate information.
Of the 43 intelligence reports provided, 24 were verified as true and valid, while 10 could not be verified due to time conflicts.
Nine people provided false information in an attempt to swindle him out of his money, thus eliminating them all from the Dark Night candidate pool.
Newcomers are all novices, and the inside information they provide is not very valuable; some of the intelligence they provide cannot generate any profit.
Even so, Zhou Qiuyuan spent 2,020 coins and made 18,500 coins in return.
Although the money wasn't much, it was a good start, signifying that Dark Night was on the right track.
After finishing everything, Zhou Qiuyuan returned to his sect's residence, and as usual, refused Lu Chengping's exchange proposal, and silently began to cultivate.
He left his master's residence in a hurry after lunch, and would come back when it was his turn to cultivate.
This cycle repeated itself, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.