Chapter 257: Chapter 259: eting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land
Ka City is located in the south, and even the pastries are different from those in Chu City. The tea is butter tea, and the pastries are various milk cakes.
“I thought that a place like Ka City must have a cheap thod of making candles. Now it seems, the candles sold here in the market are half the price of those in Chu City. But they’re still made of beeswax, which isn’t very useful.”
Feng Bailing spoke just as the waiter brought over the tea.
He saw several candles on Feng Bailing’s table and thought she was a rchant selling candles, and casually ntioned,
“Guest, are you looking for cheap candles? You won’t find them on the market, you have to buy from the rcenary Corps people to get a good deal.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Bailing gave the waiter a little small silver change.
“Waiter, clarify for , what’s this about the rcenary Corps? And what’s the deal with cheap candles?”
“Guest, is this your first ti in Ka City? You don’t even know about the rcenary Corps; they are the ones who take people’s money to rid them of their troubles. Our teahouse often has mbers from the rcenary Corps coming in for tea. Especially recently, for so reason, there’s always warfare among the nations, and the activities of the rcenary Corps have beco even more frequent. They have thods to obtain cheap candles.”
After the waiter finished speaking, the shopkeeper called him over to make tea, and with a nod and a bow, he walked away.
“rcenary Corps? I’ve also heard about them, those rcenaries who lick blood on their knife’s edge.”
Ouyang Chenchen noticed Feng Bailing’s interest and recalled.
The rcenary Corps, as the na suggests, are paid helpers.
They are mostly martial artists, and mostly have their own corps, acting together. They live off commissions, providing services from protecting civilians to joining the military for combat. As long as it can earn them money, the rcenary Corps are willing to do it.
This kind of corps was initially a concept from other nations and gradually spread to Great Chu.
In a frontier city like Ka City, rcenaries are frequently seen.
“rcenary Corps roaming from the south to the north indeed might have so unconventional thods. The candles they have could be ill-gotten or made with special thods. If we really want to buy, we should inquire a few rcenaries. However, those people are quite rcenary, and we must be cautious when dealing with them.”
Ouyang Chenchen warned.
While they were speaking, they heard soone yelling loudly.
“Shopkeeper, bring a pot of tea.”
The man who entered the door looked like a savage, with tattoos on his arms, clearly Dugu Wu’s brother Dongfang Yong.
What’s he doing here?
Feng Bailing was puzzled.
Ouyang Chenchen gave her a aningful glance.
“Speaking of the devil, these few are rcenaries; look at the corps totems on their arms.”
Feng Bailing had not encountered rcenaries in her past life.
Rumors had it that rcenaries were introduced from abroad, initially composed of ex-soldiers from foreign lands.
They took on civilian protection tasks and, over ti, grew in numbers, establishing a reputation among both the public and officials.
So of the larger rcenary Corps could even gain national recognition and participate in various battles.
Different rcenary Corps were distinguished by their totems, with n on the left and won on the right, their arms adorned with tattooed totems.
The teahouse was crowded, and Feng Bailing and Ouyang Chenchen blended in, not drawing any attention from the others.
The group entered and happened to sit next to Feng Bailing and Ouyang Chenchen.
Dongfang Yong.
On closer inspection, Feng Bailing beca even more certain of the man’s identity, and couldn’t help but feel surprised.
“Ah Ling, doesn’t that person look sowhat familiar?”
Ouyang Chenchen vaguely rembered seeing that person at Prince Shun’s Mansion.
Seems like he was Dugu Wu’s brother?
At the banquet, everyone was dressed to the nines except for Dongfang Yong, who stood out with his beard, looking even older than Dugu Wu.
Ouyang Chenchen rembered asking Lu Yin about it out of curiosity.
With an expression that suggested he was hiding sothing, Lu Yin divulged a few details while under the influence of alcohol.
“Dongfang Yong and Dugu are half-brothers with the sa father. Dongfang Yong is the illegitimate son and isn’t highly regarded within Prince Shun’s Mansion. He thinks of Dugu Wu as an illegitimate wild seed, yet Prince Shun holds Dugu Wu in high regard. Especially after Dugu Wu ‘married’ Nalan Chun, Dongfang Yong completely fell out with him. He didn’t accept an official title, choosing to venture out and join so rcenary Corps, spending most of his ti abroad.”
From what Lu Yin said, Dongfang Yong and Dugu Wu didn’t get along at all, almost like sworn enemies.
Feng Bailing stopped talking and just paid attention to the movents at the next table.
She and Ouyang Chenchen were new to Ka City and needed to build connections.
Dongfang Yong’s left upper arm indeed bore a totem, resembling both a wolf and a dog, likely the symbol of his rcenary Corps.
“Gentlen, here’s your tea.”
The waiter greeted the rcenaries with a big smile.
The rcenaries were generous with their money, far more so than so traders.
The n accompanying Dongfang Yong tossed so small silver change to the waiter. After sitting down, Dongfang Yong gulped down his tea and spat out a mouthful of tea leaves.
“What lousy tea this is, it has a strange taste.”
“Brother Yong, you’re not used to the yak butter tea of Ka City; this is how it tastes. You’re from Chu City; how could you get used to drinking this rough stuff?”
The rcenaries were old acquaintances of Dongfang Yong and were familiar with his temperant.
Dongfang Yong had just returned from Chu City, supposedly on a family visit.
But on his return, his temper had only worsened.
“Brother Yong, I don’t understand. You co from a good family, why suffer with us? We were born into poverty, without a family to support us, that’s why we lead this life on the knife’s edge. Isn’t your elder brother a high official in Great Chu?”
One of the rcenaries teased.
“Don’t bring him up in front of .”
Dongfang Yong said irritably.
His visit to Chu City was so he could see Chunchun.
But that heartless bastard Dugu Wu had the nerve to disown him.
And that newcor, Feng Bailing, was no better.
Now Chunchun was mad and in the nunnery, surely being bullied by others, but his words fell on deaf ears with Dugu Wu who just sent her away regardless.
If he hadn’t been so weak back then, Chunchun wouldn’t be in this state.
Dongfang Yong stared into his cup, where the turbid tea reflected a beautiful face.
He rembered it very clearly.
The day he took Dugu Wu’s place at the wedding, lifting the veil to see those innocent, deer-like eyes.
If only he had been stronger, defeating Dugu Wu, he would have been the one to marry Chunchun.
“Ah, my apologies, my mouth runs ahead. Let’s drop it. Speaking of this mission, what do you think? We’re transporting sothing and we still don’t know what it is. I’ve heard that several rcenary Corps are vying for this mission. After all, a hundred thousand taels of patterned silver is no small sum.”
“It must be sothing valuable if they’re requiring a series of tasks just to accept the mission. The client is certainly cautious.”
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