Chapter 2641: Storm over Xiaoyao Market (Part 1)
"Li Guangyuan has ascended to Immortal status. The Eight Immortals Society has finally gained momentum in this region. Their influence spreads like wildfire." The man speaking casually tossed his fishing hook into the river. "What comes next?"
The one who asked was draped in a straw raincoat and wore a bamboo hat—the very image of an old river fisherman. This was none other than Taoist Wood Stone (Mu Shi Dao Ren).
He narrowed his eyes, watching the float bob and drift in the current, and let out a soft laugh.
"Next, we sit back and watch Li Guangyuan perform his grand opera."
The questioner was Gou Xunli, also known as Walrus Monk. He had been dispatched to Li Family Enclosure to fan the flames and stir up trouble, helping the Eight Immortals Society seize control of the territory. Now that his mission was complete, he had earned deep respect within the Enclosure. Yet he harbored considerable doubt about Taoist Wood Stone's arrangements. Helping the Eight Immortals Society make such a grand, conspicuous debut—wasn't he worried about Xue Tu growing jealous? After all, the Eight Immortals Society was merely a small sect, a minor player in the Anti-Kun League.
True, supporting the Eight Immortals Society served to check and balance the Xue Tu branch of the Heaven Way League (Tian Dao Meng). But with the Kun Thieves as their current great enemy—cunning and ruthless as they were—engaging in such divide-and-conquer tactics seemed rather ill-timed.
Confusion aside, this Taoist Wood Stone before him commanded the entire strategic situation. He was Old Stone's agent, and for years he had appeared and vanished like a ghost throughout the Two Guangs region, repeatedly slipping through the fingers of the Kun Thieves' Depot Guards. He hadn't merely survived—he had operated calmly within the enemy's layered dragnet, weaving together various factions and managing the Anti-Kun forces with remarkable skill. Old Stone's full support went without saying, but without this man's tireless efforts, the current situation would have been impossible to achieve.
Whatever his current arrangements, there was surely some deeper purpose behind them. Yet this very inscrutability often made Gou Xunli feel a thorn in his back. Serving under such a formidable master meant being a chess piece that could be sacrificed at any moment...
He hesitated, unsure whether to press further. But Taoist Wood Stone spoke first: "The louder the commotion at Li Family Enclosure, the better. It will draw all their attention to Panyu and Dongguan. That way, they'll have no time to attend to Nanhai and Sanshui—which is exactly where we need to accomplish something important."
Gou Xunli dared not ask what this important matter was. He simply kept watching the float, pondering for a long while before finally asking:
"What else needs to be done at Li Family Enclosure?"
Taoist Wood Stone didn't answer immediately. He lifted his fishing rod, baited the empty hook, and cast it back into the water. Only then did he say in a low voice:
"You still have a few tasks to complete there..."
Xiaoyao Market sat at a crossroads of water and land routes, making it a bustling commercial hub that drew travelers from all directions. Among them, naturally, were the Hakkas—one of the Three Great Communities of Guangdong.
Unlike other places where Cantonese formed the majority, Xiaoyao Market was a Hakka enclave. In its southwest corner stood several square earthen fortresses called Tu Wei Lou, collectively named "Four Points Gold" (Si Dian Jin). These two-story structures had outer walls of rammed earth, with no windows on the ground floor and only small apertures on the second. At each end of the main building rose Gathering Mountain Style (Cuan Shan Shi) square towers, taller still, fitted with shooting holes and observation ports. Bows and crossbows were kept at the ready inside. Several such fortresses were scattered in strategic positions, able to both seal themselves off and support one another. They had protected residents from bandits and river pirates on many occasions.
Living conditions within the earthen buildings were inconvenient, however. Wealthy families had long since built separate manor houses nearby. Later arrivals constructed smaller dwellings around the periphery, gradually forming a settlement centered on the original fortresses.
As the population grew, the local Hakka gentry recognized the area's convenient water and land access and established a market. An earthen road ran straight from the riverside ferry crossing and pier, branching into several side streets lined with trade signboards. The place hummed with activity.
Recently, a Kun Thieves barracks had been erected near the pier. The punctual bugle calls each day added a desolate, martial air to Xiaoyao Market.
Since the barracks appeared, Australian fleets had been arriving every few days, unloading large quantities of goods. According to the short-term laborers who carried the cargo, most of it was construction materials—timber, lime, sand. The Australians apparently intended to build something substantial here.
The Chen Hour (7-9 AM) had just passed. The streets were quieter than usual, with fewer day laborers gathered at the snack shops and tea stalls waiting for work. Only the ragged beggars went about their usual business, wandering before the various establishments and singing auspicious songs in hopes of earning a few coins.
"Baoyu Pawnshop, truly splendid, ah~ truly splendid! Green mountains and great rivers rejoice together, na~ rejoice together! Gold and silver fill the house as the God of Wealth arrives, ya~ the God of Wealth arrives! Pixiu guards the gate..."
"Enough, enough—stop singing. The shop owner has important matters to attend to. Try the next door." A young apprentice wiping down a table heard the Lotus Fall singer (Lian Hua Lao) and came out to greet him. Pawnshops considered it unlucky to turn away someone singing auspicious songs at their door, so rather than driving him off, the apprentice pulled out a paper note and tossed it into the beggar's cracked pottery bowl.
The beggar grinned. "Paper notes now, is it? Without the ring of copper coins hitting the bowl, the song loses its spirit."
The apprentice laughed. "You still want copper coins? These days, even silver has turned to paper! Forget silver ingots or small silver pieces—you can barely find a silver dollar anywhere! What a wonder the Great Song has become. They boast endlessly about their wealth, yet everything's turned into paper money!"
The Head Counter shot him a glare. "Have you eaten too much? Spouting such useless nonsense. Get back to sweeping. The Shopkeeper and the East Owner will be out shortly."
Seeing no further generosity forthcoming, the beggar moved on to the next establishment.
"His profession seems rather pleasant, actually," the Fourth Counter remarked with a smile. "He eats his fill and answers to no one. No mental strain, no physical labor. You couldn't trade him for an emperor."
"What do you know?" the Second Counter sneered. "Even beggars have their rules. There's a Big Bone—a boss—above them. Whatever money they collect must first be offered up. If you can't pay tribute, you'll get beaten at best, driven out at worst. Then you won't even have a place to beg."
"They won't be able to keep at this profession much longer anyway," the Head Counter said. "Once the Australians reached Guangzhou, they destroyed the beggars' old networks! The Big Bones were all beheaded, and the beggars themselves were exiled to Taiwan to work the land. Even in our own county, the beggars in town have been swept up. Only out in the countryside do they still have any refuge."
"Once the Australians arrive here properly, even that refuge will vanish."
"Without these people pestering us, the Master will save quite an expense. Don't underestimate those small amounts—they add up."
"Then why does the Master glare at the Australians from morning to night?" the Fourth Counter asked curiously.
"Who knows? The Master thinks deeply about many things. We can't fathom it..."
"The reason he's displeased? It's surely because of Master Fan..." the Second Counter said with an air of mystery.
This "Master Fan" was the Market Owner of Xiaoyao Market. Indeed, the market's very name derived from him—Master Fan's given name was Fan Xiao, and he had simply named the market on his land "Xiaoyao." The earthen fortresses in the southwest corner belonged to his family. Though Li Guangyuan was the "local snake" of the region, Master Fan commanded Xiaoyao Market, which brought in a peck of gold daily. His financial resources were abundant, and crucially, his family held scholarly degrees—they were recognized gentry in the county. Though the Li family had more people and more land, Master Fan was powerful enough to rival them locally. The two families maintained surface politeness, but whenever their interests intersected, schemes and counter-schemes played out in the shadows.
The arrival of the Australians had introduced new variables to this balance of power. When they first passed through Xiaoyao Market, the whole place was thrown into panic. Even with Master Fan's people maintaining order, the shops closed their doors for two days. Only after the Australians issued a Peace Notice and the shopkeepers negotiated a "Reasonable Burden" through elected liaisons did business resume.
However, the Australians never stayed long—no more than three to five days at a time. Though they passed through occasionally afterward, they never established a permanent presence. Gradually, people half-forgot about them. They only knew that Master Fan had been appointed "Head Pai Jia" of Xiaoyao Market. Privately, he remained the Market Owner; officially, he served as the Australians' local administrator. Either way, he continued to lord it over his countryside rival, Li Guangyuan.
Later still, the Australians promoted their New Currency locally, recruiting shops to accept it and ordering compliance. Exchanging silver for Silver Coins was tolerable enough. Though the weight seemed slightly unfavorable, the Australian coins were of fine quality and attractive craftsmanship—accepting them wouldn't cause any loss. But these "Silver Yuan Notes"—now those made the old moneybags grumble.
Among Xiaoyao Market's first-class establishments, Li Guangyuan's Baoyu Pawnshop had originally been one of the accepting business houses. But when Li Guangyuan heard he would have to accept Silver Yuan Notes, he firmly withdrew from the arrangement. The Australians responded with cold treatment. When the market's Chamber of Commerce was established, Baoyu—despite being one of the largest businesses—was relegated to ordinary "Member Enterprise" status. They didn't even secure a Director's seat. This slight festered in Li Guangyuan's heart.
His decision to stake everything on the "Anti-Kun Great Enterprise" was partly driven by the accumulated sting of such small humiliations.
While the apprentices idly chatted, the Shopkeeper escorted several guests from the backyard to the front gate. He directed the Fourth Counter's apprentice to lead them toward the pier. Among the group were Luo Heying and Li Guangfa, who had arrived at Xiaoyao Market the previous day and quietly lodged in the backyard of Li Family's local establishment—Baoyu Pawnshop.
They had set out early this morning to reconnoiter the Kun Thieves' barracks by the riverside and to scout potential locations for a new shop.
The Fourth Counter had only recently graduated from apprenticeship himself. Seeing the Master bring such distinguished guests, he was extremely attentive. Pawnshop apprentices had always enjoyed generous treatment, but the work demanded exceptional ability. Those who completed their training and became full partners were not only thoroughly versed in business—they possessed a worldly wisdom beyond ordinary people.
When asked whether anything noteworthy involving the Australians had happened recently, the apprentice replied: "Repairing roads and building houses isn't exactly news. But they have issued a new type of currency."
Li Guangyuan stopped abruptly, his expression sharp. "New currency?"
"Yes, new currency." Seeing the Master's grave demeanor, the apprentice dared not speak lightly. After a moment's thought, he continued: "This money only started circulating this Monday. There isn't much of it on the market yet. The Shopkeeper had been planning to report this to the East Owner in the coming days..."
(End of Chapter)