met free Chapter 264 Business Travel Life 1
Chapter 264 Business Travel Life 1
"Have you found out?" Bhutto stood up and asked Shadow Three, who had gone to investigate.
“They’re all gone!” Shadow Three replied.
"I never expected that Count Kuzan would have such an elite force of knights under his command!"
The group set off again. Blue sighed, explaining that they had stopped here just now so that Shadow Three could inquire about the fate of those bandits. Given Shadow Three's speed, it wouldn't take long.
"Just keep this to yourself, don't let it get out!"
Bhutto nodded and gave a warning look to her son and the other teammates.
"Don't worry, Dad, we won't tell!"
"Brook said with a grin."
"Are these kinds of things common?" Cheng Jiu asked curiously.
"Hey, Xiao Jiu! This road isn't for just anyone; it's far from safe! But don't worry, we've fought our way here, and no bandit we deal with will ever block our path!"
Even if they did, Dad's here! They can't beat him!
Bru winked and comforted him, saying that after all, they hadn't encountered any bandits on the way from Cheng Jiu's lodging to the border, at most they had been attacked by wild beasts. However, encountering such a thing as soon as they crossed the border might not give Cheng Jiu a good impression.
The furry beast continued on its way. The roads in the Kingdom of Snakelo were in good condition. At least along the way, it rarely took shortcuts and mostly traveled on the main roads.
Few wild beasts stray onto the main road; any passing wild beasts will avoid it from a distance.
On the main road, besides encountering mercenary caravans, you'll also encounter mercenary groups doing missions.
When people meet on the main road, they all tacitly refrain from fighting and even consciously leave a gap between each other.
Compared to mercenary groups, mercenary caravans have more advantages and higher entry requirements.
At least when the two groups met, there was never a case of mercenary caravans giving way to mercenary groups.
The road will also pass through some villages, which are very welcoming to mercenary caravans. They have even built special houses for them, and the reward is either cash or silver, or the mercenary caravans help to clear out the wild beasts that always attack the villages.
For such simple requests, Bhutto and others were more than happy to help.
Mercenary groups don't receive such favorable treatment. Most villages prohibit mercenary groups from entering. According to Bru, this is because the members of these mercenary groups are mostly of mixed quality, and there have even been incidents of mercenary groups massacring entire villages. Villages are very reluctant to allow mercenary groups to enter without knowing their character.
Why not exclude mercenary caravans? Because mercenary caravans have more profitable business, they rarely stay in one place for long, and they have to follow the rules when doing business.
Imperial law forbids atrocities such as massacring entire villages. If the imperial authorities discover such acts and we are stripped of our merchant license, it would be a huge loss!
In comparison, mercenary caravans are much safer, and they are also more generous. The houses in these villages used to accommodate mercenary caravans were earned from them.
Villages are not the primary targets of mercenary caravans like Bhutto's; they typically stay for one night and then leave.
Accommodation in the village is very cheap, and with the addition of the furry beast, thirty kasi silver is enough to cover all expenses, which is already a huge amount of income for the village.
Along the way, the caravan also encountered several bandit groups like the Skumir Mountain King. Some bandits retreated on their own when they saw them from afar, while others were easily dealt with by the caravan.
The closer you get to the city, the safer you are. You can often see knights on tall horses patrolling the roads to protect the safety of caravans.
The second city, Bhuto and his group did not enter. Instead, they went to an empty city outside the city, which was covered with sheds. The furry beasts were there, and a wide variety of goods were displayed. Naturally, nobles and merchants from the city who specialized in purchasing came to select and buy.
Yan Ji's jewelry business was unexpectedly popular. Basically, everyone who came to buy jewelry would take a few pieces home, whether to sell or keep at home. No one was left empty-handed.
These items were purchased from some small desert countries and look quite interesting. Once resold in this city, they can generate nearly ten times the profit.
It's incredibly profitable!
After the crowd of shoppers gradually dispersed, Bhutto and his entourage packed up the remaining goods, went into the city, and found a hotel to rest.
Safe overnight.
They didn't stop the next day either, purchased some goods, and set off again!
The next village, the next city, and the cycle continues!
Cheng Jiu gradually adapted to this kind of life, and her cultivation level also broke through. She is now a mid-level second-tier expert.
Cheng Jiu's rapid breakthrough in cultivation drew attention from the mercenary caravan; his talent was truly extraordinary!
Besides some villages, caravans would also deliberately pass by some noble estates. With Viscount Buto's knocking token at the door, these estates did not refuse entry to caravans.
These manors possess a unique aristocratic pride; they only receive mercenary caravans with noble titles, excluding all other mercenary caravans.
Even when facing Bhutto, they were very condescending, as if they looked down on her for doing this kind of business and felt that Bhutto could not be associated with them.
These estates are very generous; they are willing to pay high prices for anything rare, precious, or valuable.
However, according to Bru, that's because they only selected large manors and noble families, deliberately avoiding the small, declining manors and noble families.
Although these nobles were very proud, they were also very high-quality customers. Bhuto's status as a viscount and his ability to trade with them were the envy of many in the mercenary caravan.
Besides selling rare and exotic items, Buto would also trade with them for some of the manor's specialties, which these nobles would mostly sell to Buto at very low prices. Sometimes, if she could win the favor of the master, they would even give them away for free.
Of course, apart from Buto and Bru, who could get an audience with these nobles, everyone else depended on the mood of the manor owner.
They would usually be seated in a small reception room, eating pastries while waiting for the captain and his men.
Yan Ji and the others had no complaints about this; they were used to it, as long as they could make money.
But as soon as they leave the manor, Yan Ji and the others will complain about the manor's owner and gossip about the nobles' romantic affairs.
Cheng Jiu's eyes were opened to a whole new world.
For example, the noble estate we just left, the Earl of Teshbumir. This guy lost his mother at a young age. Although the old earl had many lovers, he never married and had many illegitimate children. His only heir was the Earl of Teshbumir.
As a result, in his old age, as if his old house had caught fire, he married a sixteen-year-old commoner girl from the Xue ethnic group.
Thus, Count Tashbmir had a stepmother who could be his great-granddaughter.
Before the old count was even dead, this count seduced his stepmother and made her his lover. When the old count discovered their affair, he was so angry that he died!
Later, someone leaked the story, and the House of Nobles impeached the count for it.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence.
The only two parties involved, his stepmother, insisted that nothing of the sort had happened.
The count's title was thus preserved, and his stepmother, though without evidence, was ordered by the House of Nobles to go to the old residence of the count of Tashbmir to observe mourning for him as punishment.
It hasn't come out yet, and the Earl of Teshbmir, who inherited the title, seems to feel ashamed of it and avoids the matter at all costs, forbidding anyone from discussing it in his presence.
Cheng Jiu was stunned when he heard this gossip. Thinking of Count Teshbumir, whom he had only met once, with his rigid eyes, serious and deep face, meticulously dressed formal attire, and arrogant gaze, he looked like a conservative old man who was almost in his coffin.
Never expected it!
This old-fashioned man actually has such a past!
"Wait, why didn't we see his wife?" Cheng Jiu asked curiously.
"Although there is no evidence, everyone knows that he did such a thing."
His wife, who was also an imperial viscount, was ashamed to associate with him after learning about this.
"Although we haven't divorced, she's moved out with her child. We'll pass through this lady's territory after crossing two more cities," said Yan Ji.
"There is no proper mistress in the manor, only mistresses. Count Tashbumir would never send out a mistress to entertain Boss Bhutto."
Because the other party couldn't bear to lose face, and it wouldn't fit the aristocratic education they received from childhood.