She was, after all, as sharp as ice and snow, and she had pieced things together: "What exactly does Shang Xinci have that makes you go to such extraordinary lengths?"
Previously, she had assumed Fang Yuan coveted Shang Xinci's beauty. Now she had discarded that notion entirely. She understood Fang Yuan — only significant profit would drive him to such elaborate efforts.
But after spending so many days together, Bai Ningbing had already learned of Shang Xinci's background. She was marginalized within the Zhang Family, and she herself was merely an ordinary mortal with no aptitude for cultivation whatsoever.
Shang Xinci was indeed beautiful as a flower, but such looks, on her, were not an advantage but a liability.
Such beauty would attract the grasping claws of greed and evil. And she had no power to protect herself. If not for a loyal Third Transformation Gu Master by her side, Shang Xinci would have long since been captured and reduced to a plaything.
What value did such a person even possess? Her business talent? Compared to Fang Yuan, it was nothing at all.
Bai Ningbing racked her brain but couldn't figure it out.
Fang Yuan said nothing, not answering Bai Ningbing.
"You two over there — move it! Stop dawdling!" Not far away, a Gu Master pointed at the two of them and barked.
The pair quickened their pace. Bai Ningbing lowered her voice: "Aren't you afraid of being exposed, pulling stunts like this? If someone finds out, heh, these people will never stop hunting you down!"
"Have they found out?" Fang Yuan countered.
"Uh..."
The two set down the wooden crate and walked back.
To eliminate suspicion, Fang Yuan had sacrificed his own goods the first time he lured the beast tide. After several waves of attacks, the Zhang Family had suffered the heaviest cargo losses. Many people sympathized with Shang Xinci, and she had even sought out Fang Yuan to console him.
But now, upon careful reflection, Bai Ningbing suddenly realized that while Fang Yuan's goods appeared to have been heavily sacrificed, the truly valuable merchandise had actually been preserved all along. These goods accounted for more than half of the total value — his actual losses were minimal!
His methods were extraordinarily well-hidden. If she hadn't stumbled upon it by coincidence, she would have remained completely in the dark.
Thinking of this, Bai Ningbing felt a surge of indignation — "That bastard, he was even hiding it from me!"
The two lifted another crate.
Fang Yuan seemed to read Bai Ningbing's thoughts and let out a soft chuckle: "To deceive your enemies, it's best to start by deceiving your own people. Besides, I didn't deliberately hide it from you. You have your role to play."
"Oh? What role?" Bai Ningbing couldn't help but ask.
"A warning signal. You're the person closest to me. If you've noticed something suspicious, then others probably have too."
"But I only noticed because of a coincidence today..."
Fang Yuan shook his head: "Coincidences represent a certain trend. But it's about time anyway."
Bai Ningbing's eyes lit up: "What are you planning?"
The Cold Jade Owl-Cats ultimately failed to reach the third defensive line. The second line stood firm, routing the attacking flock.
After the battle, the survivors tallied their casualties and cleared the battlefield.
"How many beast tides have we endured now?"
"I want to go home!"
"This trip's luck has been absolutely wretched."
"Should we even keep going? Maybe staying put and waiting for help from another caravan would be a better idea."
……
The group's morale was extremely low. Many grumbled openly, and the prevailing sentiment was that the future was uncertain — no one wanted to press on. Fear of death, anxiety, dread, and other emotions pervaded the entire camp.
"Leader Jia, why do you always assign my Chen Family to hold the first defensive line? What exactly are you plotting!"
"Deputy Leader Chen, I have always been fair and impartial. Your Chen Family is the strongest — now that we're all in the same boat, helping each other, those with the greatest ability naturally bear more responsibility."
The sound of their argument suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of many.
Jia Long and Chen Family deputy leader Chen Shuangjin glared at each other, the atmosphere thick with tension.
"My Chen Family is the strongest? Heh. Leader Jia, you're lying through your teeth. Everyone here knows exactly how many capable fighters your Jia Family has left!" Chen Shuangjin sneered.
"Bullshit! Even a fighter like my Jia Ping was sacrificed! What about your Chen Family?" Jia Long cursed bitterly.
"Gentlemen, now is not the time for quarreling." The Lin Family deputy leader walked over and tried to mediate.
In the end, Jia and Chen parted on bad terms.
"Even Lord Jia Long and Lord Chen Shuangjin are at each other's throats. I thought the Jia and Chen Families were close."
"Sigh, at a time like this, everyone is looking out for themselves. Everyone's thinking about how to preserve their own strength — no friendship can withstand that."
"Latest news — the two young masters of the Jia Family are fighting each other tooth and nail. The Chen Family seems to have fully sided with Jia Gui."
"So that's it. Lord Jia Long is Jia Fu's subordinate. No wonder he has no goodwill toward the Chen Family."
Several Gu Masters whispered among themselves nearby. Fang Yuan felt a slight stirring within him.
Several days later, the merchant caravan — its cohesion thoroughly broken — pressed onward to Ivory Mountain.
Ivory Mountain soared high into the clouds, home to vast herds of elephants. The climate here was unique — from the base to the mid-slope, it was humid and sweltering, blanketed in dense rainforest. From the mid-slope to the summit, pristine white snow blanketed the ground under dry, freezing air, with snow pines standing in solemn ranks.
Everyone proceeded with utmost caution. To their delight, in the days since entering Ivory Mountain, they had not been hit by any beast tide.
"Has our luck finally turned?"
"After hitting rock bottom, things can only improve. It's about time."
"It's a shame the goods are almost completely gone. We're going to lose a fortune on this trip."
"Hmph, count your blessings — making it out alive is more than enough!"
"After Ivory Mountain, we cross Tombstone Mountain and Twin General Mountain, and we'll reach the Zhao Family Stronghold. When I get there, I'm sleeping for three days straight."
……