Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1275 606: Cloud Gate Skill (4)

"I know it has nothing to do with you," Liao Zihui laughed, "Now everyone in Puluo State knows this matter has nothing to do with you. Everyone knows that He Jiaqing, the eldest son of the He Family, is committed to rebuilding the family business. Your strategy is truly impressive.

I think this state of affairs is quite positive, and you should continue to maintain it. The boundaries of Puluo State have always been controlled by the local Defense Agency. I trust their work in this regard is very effective. We don't want to see anyone meddling at the borders under any circumstances."

The two clinked their wine glasses. Having finished discussing business, all that remained were trivial matters of family gossip, and they enjoyed a pleasant meal together. The next day, He Jiaqing returned the Hundred Flower Garden to Zhang Xiuling.

Duan Shuqun felt uneasy: "The Hundred Flower Garden is the face of the Hundred Flowers Gate. If we return it, I fear it will be hard for the Hundred Flowers Gate to manage."

"Manage what?" He Jiaqing was flipping through the accounts and roster of the Hundred Flowers Gate, "The Hundred Flowers Gate is well-known, but it lacks proper business and staff.

Their business should be managed by you. Keep the ones that are passable for use, and sell off what you can't use. As for the staff, keep the useful ones and send the rest away."

Duan Shuqun asked again: "The Hundred Flowers Gate has mountain land in the east of the city, not small in size. Whether to keep or sell, you have to decide."

He Jiaqing really didn't know about this piece of land. Duan Shuqun drew a few strokes on the map, and after He Jiaqing saw them, he nodded repeatedly: "With this piece of land, we won't return empty-handed. Get some workers, we'll build a manor here, and it should be bigger than the Lotus Study!"

Duan Shuqun was quick and immediately gathered workers to start construction. In Puluo State, hiring good craftsman cultivators speeds up the progress tremendously. Within less than a week, the manor already had its initial shape.

He Jiaqing personally went to the site to oversee the construction. When the craftsman cultivators saw the boss, they worked diligently. A foreman shouted to a worker: "Hey, whoever you are! Bring over the blueprints for the boss to see!"

He Jiaqing was somewhat displeased with the foreman's attitude. The worker had a name, and he looked older than the foreman. You may not have remembered it, but calling him 'whoever' implies what exactly?

The worker carried a stack of blueprints and walked towards He Jiaqing. When he was less than ten meters away, he stopped. He stood still, glanced at He Jiaqing, and his figure vanished without a trace.

The foreman was terrified: "Mr. Qing, that worker has been working with us for several days. He seemed quite honest, I have no idea what's going on with him..."

He Jiaqing couldn't speak for a long while. Being able to escape so smoothly in front of him was extremely rare. Just as that person was leaving, He Jiaqing couldn't even see his shadow.

Who could this person be?

The first thing He Jiaqing thought of was Xiao Qianshou.

The two were so close just now, and He Jiaqing had no defense at all. If Xiao Qianshou had acted directly, He Jiaqing could have been dead. He might have become one of Xiao Qianshou's gloves.

But why didn't Xiao Qianshou take action?

He Jiaqing was still contemplating Xiao Qianshou's intentions when suddenly he heard someone far away shouting for sales:

"Soap, snow cream, matches, candles, iron shovels..."

He Jiaqing let out a deep breath. No wonder Xiao Qianshou fled; it was because the Peddler arrived.

Why did the Peddler enter Greenwater City this time?

Previously, the Peddler would go to Greenwater Bay on schedule but rarely entered the city. He usually appeared near villages outside the city.

He Jiaqing hurried to the Peddler and clasped his fists: "Senior, thank you."

"Thank me for what?" The Peddler waved his hand, "I'm just a vendor selling odds and ends. Tell me what you want to buy."

He Jiaqing bought a bunch, practically emptying the Peddler's cart to make him happy.

The Peddler was indeed quite pleased, he glanced around the construction site: "With so many buildings, what are you planning to build?"

He Jiaqing replied truthfully: "I want to build a manor, bigger than the Lotus Study."

"Good, ambitious," the Peddler pointed to a construction site ahead and asked: "The foundations are dug so deep, is this for a building?"

He Jiaqing nodded: "Yes, it's a building, a six-story high building."

"Six stories! That's quite tall for Puluo State!" The Peddler tidied up the cart, "Once the building is completed, put up a notice below saying that those who go upstairs should not keep staring down at the earth skin. If they feel dizzy, they may fall.

Even if it doesn't make them dizzy, they shouldn't jump down themselves. Jump once or twice might be fine, but further jumps will definitely lead to fatal falls. Did you catch that?"

He Jiaqing nodded repeatedly, understanding the Peddler's intended warning.

The Peddler warned him not to keep focusing on the earth skin, or he might lose his life.

As the Peddler pushed his cart away, He Jiaqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Qianshou will certainly not dare to come back soon; his life is spared.

But the Peddler's warning must be heeded. Originally, he had his sights set on the Three Heroes Gang, but now he must pull back.

However, Shen Jinzhong didn't know that He Jiaqing had pulled back. He was at Xiaoyao Lodge, apologizing to Li Qi for matters related to Qin Tianjiu.

Li Banfeng was disgusted by Shen Jinzhong's attitude: "Little Fatty has been missing for over a month, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I have been sending people to search ever since that previous incident. I have been especially worried about Little Fatty...

Puluo State's three major gangs, He Jiaqing destroyed two. How could Shen Jinzhong not be afraid? He explained carefully, fearing any misstep could offend Li Qi.

Li Banfeng assigned a task to Shen Jinzhong: "You can help me find some medicinal herbs. Once you gather them all, this matter will be considered settled."

He wrote a list that included dozens of rare herbs, among them was Water Snake Grass.

Shen Jinzhong checked the list and hurriedly sent his people to gather them. Just as he left, the Peddler entered directly through the window with his cart.

Li Banfeng sat at the bedside, looked at the Peddler, and then at the cart; he took interest in a feather duster on it, and said to the Peddler: "I'll take this."

"What do you mean 'you'll take this'? You think I'm here to sell you goods?"

"What are you saying? Haven't you sold goods to me before?"

The Peddler pulled the feather duster from the cart and looked at Li Banfeng: "Did you just say you wanted it?"

Li Banfeng smiled indifferently: "I have several feather dusters at home, I was just browsing."

The Peddler stuffed the feather duster into Li Banfeng's hand: "I'm giving this to you as a gift, now answer my question honestly!"

Li Banfeng earnestly said: "When have I ever lied to you?"

The Peddler asked: "Have you practiced the Cloud Gate Skill?"

"What is the Cloud Gate Skill?"

"It's about opening the door in the clouds, allowing oneself to walk above them and store things inside."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and found the Peddler's description quite close: "I haven't thought about walking above the clouds yet, storing things is even more impossible,

What I'm currently aiming for is using the Mind Traverse Thousand Mountains Technique to bring the clouds down. I'm still learning and haven't mastered it yet. Once mastered, we can study it together."

"Stop practicing it." The Peddler shook his head repeatedly.

"Why?" Li Banfeng felt he had made great progress these days.

"Why are you asking why?" The Peddler said angrily, "There's a patch of cloud nearby that's mine, I've built a house on it where my sweetheart lives,

You keep running to the clouds every day, lighting fires around my house, and after lighting them, you leave. What's the reason for this?"