173: Chapter 174 Launching a War?

A Mercenary picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, smacked his lips, and smiled.

"The wine is average."

"But this meal is satisfying."

Someone nearby immediately chimed in: "No kidding. They're practically treating us like their own fathers. How could it not be satisfying?"

"Don't say that." Another person laughed heartily. "Our own fathers wouldn't give us this kind of treatment."

"Makes sense!"

The group burst into laughter.

The people from Heyang couldn't quite understand what they were laughing about, but they joined in with polite smiles, making the atmosphere even livelier.

The young captain of the Leihu Mobile Unit sat in the crowd, holding his wine bowl, and looked up at the warm, bustling atmosphere around him, feeling a wave of emotion.

Heyang's conditions certainly couldn't compare to Flower City.

But the human warmth was truly palpable.

This meal lasted from noon until the sun began to slant across the sky.

City Lord Qin Fang had originally thought that since they were already here, he might as well ask them to stay for a few days to fulfill his duties as a host.

So, halfway through the meal, he smiled and said: "If you don't mind, why not stay in Heyang for a few days?"

"Although the city isn't large, we can still manage to clear out some decent courtyards."

"Let me treat you to a few more good drinks."

Hearing this, the young captain looked at the sky and shook his head.

"We appreciate City Lord Qin Fang's kindness."

"However, we won't be staying."

"It's getting late."

Someone nearby immediately chimed in: "That's right, I still have to go home and cook."

"Me too. My spouse is probably waiting for me to go back and get the fire started."

Another tall, burly Mercenary slapped his thigh, looking very serious: "My wife can't manage our hundred acres of land by herself."

"I've already lost half a day on this trip. If I don't go back, the seedlings will be cursing me by tomorrow."

This remark left City Lord Qin Fang stunned.

"...What did you say?"

The Mercenary replied matter-of-factly: "Farming."

"We have a hundred acres at home; my wife and I usually work it together."

Several Heyang officials nearby felt their eyelids twitch.

A Bronze-level Mercenary.

Going home to cook.

And having to plow the fields.

Putting these things together felt indescribably absurd.

Yet, the Hua City Mercenaries didn't think anything was wrong with it at all. On the contrary, they were all very natural, as if "going home to farm after finishing an escort mission" was simply the most ordinary way of life.

City Lord Qin Fang didn't know whether to laugh or sigh, and in the end, he could only shake his head helplessly.

"Very well."

"Since that's the case, I won't insist."

"But you must at least eat and drink your fill before you leave."

"That's a given!" someone laughed. "How can we have the energy to plow the fields if we're not full?"

There was another round of laughter.

As the sun dipped lower, the Hua City Mercenaries finally rose to prepare for their return journey.

City Lord Qin Fang personally escorted them to the city gate.

This time, no one at the city gate dared to act out; instead, they stood straight, and their expressions were much more respectful than before.

City Lord Qin Fang first ordered someone to bring up a heavy, large chest.

"Inside is twelve thousand gold coins."

"The payment for the goods."

As he spoke, he looked at the young captain and solemnly cupped his hands in a salute.

"Please convey this to Minister Wang Fugui on my behalf."

"And pass along a message from me."

"Thank him for his trust in allowing me to receive the goods first and pay later."

The young captain accepted the chest and also solemnly cupped his hands in a salute.

"Very well."

"I will certainly deliver the message."

City Lord Qin Fang nodded, then took another, smaller money bag from his side and handed it over.

"This is the payment for your escort along the way."

"Thank you all for your hard work."

The young captain didn't even look down, casually taking it and hanging it at his waist.

The action was very natural, as if he were just accepting some ordinary little item.

"You are too polite, City Lord Qin Fang."

"If you have any needs in the future, feel free to post a request at the Flower City Mercenary Guild."

"As long as it's posted on the board, someone will always take it."

City Lord Qin Fang felt a stir in his heart and nodded with a smile.

"Good."

"With those words, I can rest easy."

The Mercenaries didn't linger any longer, mounting their horses or reorganizing the caravan.

Soon, the Flower City escort team of over a hundred people slowly left Heyang amidst the light clatter of armor and the sound of hooves.

City Lord Qin Fang stood at the city gate, watching them move further and further away, only withdrawing his gaze once the group had dwindled to a thin line at the edge of the wilderness.

Beside him, Minister Zhao had been holding back for the entire journey.

Once they were far away, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer, tentatively leaning in to ask in a low voice: "City Lord..."

"If I'm not mistaken, the small money bag from just now... that was the ten gold coins in petty cash you took to Flower City before you left, right?"

City Lord Qin Fang nodded: "Correct."

"Record this amount in the accounts as well."

"Count it as the escort fee."

Minister Zhao had only intended to confirm, but upon hearing this, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Ten gold coins..."

He subconsciously repeated it in a low voice, then began to count on his fingers.

Ten gold coins. That is one thousand silver coins.

And that escort team just now, at most, had over a hundred Bronze-level Mercenaries.

As he counted, his movements suddenly slowed.

Then, his entire face slowly stiffened.

"One thousand silver coins... divided among over a hundred people... that means..."

He suddenly looked up, his voice cracking: "On average, each person gets less than ten silver coins?!"

Several officials nearby hadn't reacted at first, but upon hearing this, they all stood frozen in shock.

Less than ten silver coins. What kind of concept is that?

Those are Bronze-level Mercenaries!

In Heyang, let alone hiring over a hundred Bronze-level Mercenaries for an entire escort, the price for hiring even a single Bronze-level Professional for one job would far exceed this amount.

Yet, in Flower City, over a hundred Bronze-level Mercenaries escorted such a long caravan over such a long distance, and the final payment, when divided among them, didn't even come to ten silver coins per person?

Minister Zhao stood there, his fingers still in the position of counting, unable to lower them for a long time.

After a long while, he slowly took a breath and turned to look in the direction the Hua City Mercenaries had left, his eyes filled not with shock, but with a dazed, blank expression.

"What kind of place... is this Flower City, exactly?"

... Three days later. Flower City, Military Department.

The room wasn't noisy; in fact, it was quite quiet.

Several recently delivered records were spread out on the long desk. There were reports on the flow of goods from the Trade Department, as well as news gathered by the Mercenary Guild along the way. It was all scattered information; at first glance, there was nothing special—just ordinary words.

Which city had a caravan arrive. How much leather armor and weaponry a city bought this time. Which city requested an additional batch of medicinal herbs and Demonic Beast meat.

Outside the window, the sounds of training could be faintly heard, coming in waves, steady and disciplined.

Lei Lie sat at the desk, his thick fingers flipping through the top pages. The more he read, the tighter his brow furrowed. By the end, he simply pulled one of the documents out and handed it to the person opposite him.

"Strategist."

Strategist Zhu Ge was looking down, writing something on another map. Hearing this, he raised his hand to take it, swept his gaze over it, and his movements stopped.

The paper was simple. Qinghe City purchased three hundred sets of Black Iron Rank standard leather armor, two hundred long swords, eighty light bows, and a quantity of arrows.

Liefeng City purchased a batch of Bronze Rank weapons, a large quantity of Black Iron Rank weapons, and some leather and armor plates.

Nanchang City purchased Demonic Beast meat, medicinal herbs, and weapons. Maple Leaf City purchased leather armor, blades, bows, and healing medicine.

Flipping further down, there were supplementary records for a second and third batch.

After reading, Strategist Zhu Ge didn't speak immediately; he simply closed the pages slowly and set them aside.

Seeing his reaction, Lei Lie's lips moved as if he wanted to say something. He held back for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't resist.

"Strategist." "Yes?"

"I don't quite understand." Lei Lie leaned forward slightly and said in a hushed voice, "We've already sold them the goods. Whether they trade with other cities later or how they use the things they bought... why are we still keeping an eye on these things?"

"Isn't this unnecessary?"

When he said this, there was no dissatisfaction in his tone, only confusion.

In his view, business was business. Once the goods were sold and the money was in the account, the transaction was finished.

What others did afterward was their own business.

After listening, Strategist Zhu Ge simply smiled.

The smile was faint, as if he had thought of something, yet also as if he hadn't fully figured it out.

He raised his hand and tapped lightly on the records beside him.

"I also wish it were unnecessary."

Lei Lie's expression paused.

He hadn't just started working with Strategist Zhu Ge yesterday, and upon hearing this, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Strategist..." His eyes darkened slightly. "Did you discover something?"

Strategist Zhu Ge didn't answer immediately.

He rolled his wheelchair to the window and took a look outside.

In the courtyard, several messengers were rushing back and forth. Further away, on the training ground, rows of Mercenaries were practicing formations.

Sunlight fell on the armor plates, creating a scatter of reflections—bright and steady.

Strategist Zhu Ge watched for a moment before saying: "It's hard to say for sure right now."

"But among these five cities, besides Heyang, the other four cities have mostly bought things related to the military from us."

"The quantities are not small, and the total value is quite high."

"They've bought so much, yet one can hardly see what they are selling. At least, not openly."

At this point, he turned back to look at Lei Lie.

"Don't you think this is something that should be noted?"

Lei Lie frowned and followed his line of thought.

Weapons, leather armor, arrows, healing medicine, and even Demonic Beast meat.

Looking at these items separately, they seemed like ordinary purchases.

But if they were all piled in one place... the implication would be different.

Lei Lie pondered for a moment and said slowly: "They are all military-related supplies..."

"Perhaps... they are planning to launch a war against some city?"

Strategist Zhu Ge smiled: "That is inevitable."

"Preparations of this scale are no longer just for city self-governance."

He spoke very calmly. But because it was so calm, it made one's heart feel even heavier.

Lei Lie's fingers tapped lightly on his knees, and he couldn't help but think one layer deeper.

"Then who will they attack?" "Nearby cities?" He frowned. "Or... each other?"

Strategist Zhu Ge didn't answer directly.

He walked back to the table, picked up the records, and flipped through them again, as if looking at the words, or perhaps tracing those words to see further ahead.

"Attacking the surrounding areas is the most likely choice."

"It's close, troop mobilization is convenient, and the logistical pressure is low. If a war actually breaks out, winning means they can annex territory, and losing won't cause fatal damage."

"Minister, which city do you think is most likely to be their target?"

"How would I know that?" Lei Lie twitched the corner of his mouth.

"I've only just started dealing with them recently; I don't even know them well. To say who has old grudges with whom, or who is targeting whom—how could I guess that?"

At this point, he paused and continued to think along the lines of Strategist Zhu Ge's words.

"But it is indeed as the Strategist said; they will inevitably prioritize attacking their surroundings..."

Strategist Zhu Ge nodded: "Yes."

"And as it happens."

His tone remained gentle, and his voice was not loud, but when the second half of his sentence landed, it was like a needle, silently piercing into the quiet of the room.

"Flower City is also one of their surrounding cities."

The room went silent. The sounds of training outside continued.

The wind blew in through the window gap, gently flipping the record paper at the corner of the desk, making a very slight sound.

Lei Lie had originally only been frowning, but at this, his eyes changed abruptly.

He sat up straight abruptly, his chest feeling as if it had been struck by something.

"Then what are we waiting for?" "We must immediately report this to the City Lord!"

He blurted it out and stood up, ready to walk out.

Strategist Zhu Ge raised his hand to stop him: "No rush."

Lei Lie's footsteps paused, and he turned to look at him: "Strategist, is this not urgent?"

"If they really set their sights on Flower City..."

"That is also an 'if'." Strategist Zhu Ge looked at him, his tone still very steady. "There is no conclusion yet. We only have the flow of goods in our hands; we can see the signs, but it doesn't count as evidence yet."

"Reporting it rashly is likely to disturb the people's morale."

Lei Lie's brows were knitted tight, and he stood there without moving.

Of course, he knew that Strategist Zhu Ge's words made sense.

But when he thought about how four cities were secretly preparing for war, and that Flower City was very likely in their calculations, the tension in his heart simply wouldn't relax.

Seeing him like this, Strategist Zhu Ge smiled: "Besides."

"Even if someone really has designs on Flower City..." He paused and looked toward the direction of the City Lord's mansion, the smile in his eyes deepening slightly. "Zhou Yun should already have a contingency plan in place."

Lei Lie was stunned.

He looked in the direction of Strategist Zhu Ge's gaze, his expression slowly calming.

That's right. While others might be caught off guard by this slight stir, Zhou Yun would not.

From the establishment of the Mercenary Guild to the creation of the Supervision Department, to One Mind of Heaven and Earth, and then to external trade and opening up commissions—Flower City's journey, while seemingly following the flow, had actually been taken with every step firmly planted when looking back.

It was as if he had long since calculated the storms that would come later.

Thinking of this, the sudden rush of urgent fire in Lei Lie finally subsided a little. But suppressing it didn't mean he truly let it go.