From atop the wall, Dao Xuan Tianzun quietly observed.
The opposite courtyard was neatly divided.
On one side, guards chatted lazily in thick Shanxi accents—laughing, complaining, scratching bellies. Men who believed danger only existed when the pay stopped.
On the other side sat a dozen men who did not speak.
They were taller. Broader. Still as rocks.
Manchu cavalry.
In the Central Plains, speaking was a liability, so they played mutes. Their eyes, however, were loud—sweeping corners, counting exits, measuring shadows. One of them suddenly stiffened, gaze locking onto the puppet perched on the wall.
A low sound escaped his throat.
The others followed his stare.
For a brief moment, twelve pairs of eyes pinned Dao Xuan Tianzun in place.
Ah, Li Daoxuan thought calmly. So this is what it feels like to be decorative.
He froze completely.
Wooden. Silent. Obedient.
After a long inspection, the men relaxed. A puppet, half a man tall. Some Han eccentricity. Probably feng shui. Or a rich man's joke.
They returned to their corner.
Dao Xuan Tianzun almost laughed.
A puppet survives by being underestimated. A useful lesson.
Just then, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.
A Shanxi guard opened it to see Tie Niaofei, hands clasped, posture respectful.
"This one is Tie Niaofei, a salt merchant," he announced smoothly. "I've long admired Squire Huang Yunfa's reputation and came to pay my respects—perhaps discuss some business."
The word business worked better than a bribe.
The guard didn't hesitate. He went inside at once.
Moments later, Huang Yunfa emerged.
He recognized Tie Niaofei immediately. A small-time smuggler. Dozen men. Sharp eyes. Nothing threatening.
Huang Yunfa's tone was cool, faintly bored.
"So it's you. What brings you here? Enlighten me."
Tie Niaofei glanced around cautiously, then stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"Squire Huang," he said solemnly, "I've come to pledge myself to you."
Huang Yunfa blinked.
"…What?"
From the wall, Dao Xuan Tianzun was entertained.
Ah. The classic maneuver. Kneel first, bite later.
Tie Niaofei continued without pause. "The salt trade is finished for people like me. Shanxi is crawling with bandits. Salt workers hide in cities like rats. I came this time empty-handed—not a single catty to sell."
Huang Yunfa knew this already.
In fact, the salt Tie Niaofei should have had was now sitting neatly in Huang Yunfa's own warehouses.
Tie Niaofei sighed. "I need a new road. I hear Squire Huang does business beyond the passes. Big business. I wish to follow you."
Huang Yunfa smiled thinly.
"And why should I open that road for you? Northern trade eats people. I give you access today—you swallow me tomorrow."
This was the crux.
Tie Niaofei leaned in.
"I can introduce you to a source of arquebuses."
The word landed heavily.
Huang Yunfa's eyes sharpened.
"A few pieces are worthless."
Tie Niaofei smiled.
"Hundreds. And steady production after."
The courtyard felt colder.
Huang Yunfa's voice dropped.
"If you're lying, I don't care where you run. I'll still hang your head at my gate."
Tie Niaofei didn't flinch.
"Squire Huang, I wouldn't dare. Truthfully—I've found a mountain village. Remote. Hidden. Full of blacksmiths who fled government workshops. Starving men. Skilled hands."
He tapped the saber at his waist.
"They made this. They've made weapons for my men before. And yes—arquebuses. Hundreds. Already forged. Looking for buyers."
Huang Yunfa listened carefully.
Artisans fleeing was nothing new. Government workshops were hells without walls. A village of runaway smiths was… plausible.
And the Manchus had asked him for arquebuses.
Repeatedly.
The problem was supply.
The Ming treasury was dead. Soldiers weren't paid. Workshops barely functioned. The few arquebuses that existed were hoarded by elite units. Even corrupt officials couldn't leak them.
Commoners producing them?
In quantity?
That strained belief.
Huang Yunfa hesitated.
Tie Niaofei chuckled softly.
"I also trade iron."
That settled it.
Iron explained everything.
Protection. Supply. Blacksmiths loyal to a patron.
Huang Yunfa nodded slowly—but his caution remained.
"Bring them," he said. "Let me see the goods. Then we talk."
"No trouble at all," Tie Niaofei replied smoothly. "Stay in Hedong a few days. I'll arrange it."
Huang Yunfa frowned.
"Hundreds of arquebuses aren't feathers. You'll carry them with a dozen men?"
Tie Niaofei grinned.
"By boat."
From atop the wall, Dao Xuan Tianzun watched the predator smile at another predator.
Good, he thought.
When sharks trade promises, blood always follows.