Section 5, as if falling into an ice cellar

Are you saying that these bandits do not dare to provoke the Shanxi and Shaanxi grain gang

Run along the riverbank from here, take Drum Tower Street, over there is where the various families of the Liang Gang are located. No one in the city dares to provoke the people of the Shanxi and Shaanxi Liang Gang, as they are quite formidable. Perhaps one can still seek safety there

The thin, dark-skinned youth kicked the ruffian, who had already been thrown against the wall by Feng You and was half-dead and unconscious, with great force. After rummaging through the ruffian's clothes, he found a silver ingot. Then, he casually picked up a brick from the side and smashed it hard onto the ruffian's head, causing brain matter to ooze out, clearly indicating that he would not survive.

Before the bamboo pole could sweep across, Feng You advanced, wrapping his left arm around the man's head and, taking advantage of the momentum, threw him away

The thin, dark-skinned youth stuffed silver coins into his bosom while holding the bundle he had snatched from the entertainer's arms, appearing somewhat hesitant, which greatly puzzled Feng You and Feng Ziying.

"Alright, then we will take Drum Tower Street, you lead the way!" Feng You's expression darkened as he noticed the thin young man seemed somewhat reluctant. He said sternly, "If you can take us to Yongqing Street, you will not be short of silver!"

Do not proceed!

Feng Ziying and Feng You were both taken aback, not knowing when a thin, dark-skinned boy had emerged from the side wall. He wore a short jacket that was greasy and mixed with mud, the original color no longer discernible. One of his pant legs was torn to shreds, as if he had just run out from somewhere with a book.

However, to this day, there has been no sight of the guards being mobilized, and the city is in complete chaos. It would be expected that various merchant groups would have some protective forces, yet surprisingly, very few have been seen. At most, there are only a few individuals armed with knives and guns guarding the front of the shops.

It is hard to say, but the members of the grain gang almost all have guards at home, and everyone is armed with knives and guns, with some of the masters even possessing firearms. The thin black-haired youth clearly has a thorough understanding of the situation in Lingqing City. If I were them, why would I need to confront those people? There are plenty of places on Zhongzhou Street to rob.

These two major merchant groups essentially control the main commercial trade in Linqing Prefecture, making it difficult for local merchant groups as well as the Dongting merchant group from Southern Zhili and the Shaoxing merchant group from Zhejiang to compete with them

Hmph, those who are not afraid of death, come up here. When I was killing the Tartars in Datong Prefecture, you were probably still nursing at your mother's breast

The previous knife strike from Feng You had already left him feeling cold all over. At this moment, a little beggar who seemed to be one or two years younger than him dared to take lethal action right in front of him. This could not help but make him suddenly realize that everything he had witnessed today might be the most authentic aspect of this world, while the leisurely days he spent recuperating at the Feng residence a few days ago were merely an illusory facade.

"Do you know how to get to Yongqing Gate?" Feng You asked while nervously glancing around.

"I don't care about your money, but if you help me kill my enemy, I am willing to help you!" The thin, dark-skinned youth hesitated for a moment before speaking.

However, he has also heard that the grain trade in Linqing is primarily controlled by merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi, and the influence of the Shanxi-Shaanxi grain guild is substantial

With a crisp sound, the great head struck against the white wall, collapsing to the ground without a single utterance.

As the blade passed through, blood from the neck suddenly splattered over a foot high, spraying the adjacent white wall, a sight that was shocking to behold

The four or five individuals following behind the two were taken aback, suddenly halting in their tracks, shouting and waving the wooden sticks and bamboo poles in their hands. The foremost among them even brandished a wooden spear fitted with an iron tip, shouting in a fierce yet cowardly manner: "You there, man, hurry up and put down your knife, or I will leave you with a complete corpse!"

The two of them were now too preoccupied to inquire further; they were only concerned about the man's statement that they could not take the side streets to the cotton market. They wondered how to detour to Yongqing Avenue, as only by taking Yongqing Avenue could they reach Yongqing Gate and find a glimmer of opportunity to enter the inner city

However, the problem is that the situation is becoming increasingly chaotic, and it is evident that the previous assumption of merely a civil unrest forcing tax authorities to make concessions was somewhat misguided

But do you intend to enter the inner city through Yongqing Gate? I advise you to give up this thought as soon as possible. The guards left the city two days ago, and there are hardly any soldiers left in the inner city. They definitely will not open the gate at this time, no matter who it is! Previously, I saw Master Xi wanting to enter the city through Guangji Gate. In the past, the military officers in the city would have welcomed him in, but today they are absolutely unwilling to open the gate... Previously, I saw Master Xi wanting to enter the city through Guangji Gate. In the past, the military officers in the city would have welcomed him in, but today they are absolutely unwilling to open the gate...

A group of people dispersed in a rush, and Feng You also realized that it was not suitable to stay here for long. Although these ruffians were insignificant, the bandits pouring in from outside the city were no trivial matter

Outside the city, bandits have surrounded it, and the situation inside the city is even more chaotic. What is more critical is that the guards are nowhere to be seen, which is quite perplexing.

If someone is dragged here and surrounded by bandits, it would be fine for Feng You himself, but it would be troublesome for this Keng Ge'er

Feng You, indifferent, struck directly with his blade, the chilling edge revealing a murderous intent that nearly paralyzed his opponent's body, who instinctively dropped the bamboo spear and turned to flee

The question is, when facing the clearly organized bandits outside the city, what can this fragmented and piecemeal security force accomplish?

Feng You was not particularly concerned; having witnessed countless brutal battles in the border villages, he was accustomed to situations ten times more cruel and ruthless than this. He was merely slightly surprised that this little beggar could be so fierce and vicious. However, when had Feng Ziying ever encountered such a bloody scene

The Shan-Shan Grain Gang is the most powerful group among the Jin merchants operating in grain trade within the city of Linqing. Even Feng You and Feng Ziying, who are quite unfamiliar with the situation in Linqing, are aware that there are two major merchant groups in the city, both of which wield significant influence

Hurry up, take a detour through the side street to the firewood market, pass through the cotton market, and head towards Binyang Gate. Feng You was too anxious to think much and - map - book, once the bandits entered the city, it would be difficult to find an opportunity to escape.

Before Feng You could think much, two ruffians at the front lunged forward, one wielding a whistle stick as tall as a person, while the other charged with a bamboo pole as thick as an arm and a length of ten feet.

Under ordinary circumstances, even if these few people were to rush at him all at once, Feng You would not be at a disadvantage

A silver ingot is regarded as a precious treasure, yet this bundle contains silks and satins, as well as valuable items far exceeding the mere two taels of silver. Why then does this fellow appear to be so indifferent?

In the borderlands, coming and going in the wind and rain, such skirmishes hardly qualify as a battle; dealing with these petty rascals is as easy as turning one's hand.

"Little beggar, why can you not leave?" Feng You became increasingly impatient

The founding emperor of this dynasty came from a merchant background, which is why his attitude towards merchants after establishing the dynasty differed from that of the previous Ming dynasty

Although those rascals have retreated, they are not far away. Perhaps with a little support, they will come back to surround us again. At that time, it will not be difficult for me to escape, but it will be challenging for Keng Ge and Rui Xiang.

With just a cursory glance, Feng You could tell that although the over a thousand people were a disorganized mob, numbers were power, and a multitude could easily dominate. Moreover, he could see that those individuals exuded a fierce momentum, and the few leaders among them likely had some influence. If they were to enter the city, it would likely lead to significant chaos

The increasingly heavy sense of crisis urged him to leave this dangerous place

Feng You knew that this was not the time to show mercy. He leaped down from the yoke of the cart and swiftly sidestepped to avoid the fierce strike of the whistle stick. With a sharp upward flick of the narrow blade at his waist, he countered the attack.

I am not a beggar! The cotton market over there has already been taken over by those ruthless and unscrupulous workers. You few going over there is simply seeking death.

Although Feng You has visited Linqing several times, it was mainly to deliver messages and people for the master, coming and going in a hurry, leaving little time to stay in Linqing. At most, he would rest in the city for one night and occasionally go out to relax with his companions, thus he is not very familiar with the situation in Linqing.

At this time, fires still broke out all over the city, and all the shops on the streets were closed and shuttered. Groups of ruffians, along with bands of beggars and vagrants, began to mingle together, shouting and smashing the doors of the shops. With their eyes reddened, they started to indulge themselves like madmen.

Jin merchants primarily dealt in salt, grain, silk, timber, medicinal materials, coal, ironware, and money shops, while Hui merchants mainly focused on cotton cloth, tea, fruits, salt, southern goods, pawnshops, and medicinal materials, particularly holding a monopoly in the cotton cloth industry and tea trade

Although the gentry's discriminatory attitude towards merchants remains unchanged, the imperial edicts have indeed relaxed significantly. In many regions, the gentry have seized this opportunity to engage in commercial activities and seek substantial profits

The Jin merchants, primarily composed of merchants from southern Shanxi and based in the Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall, and the Hui merchants, primarily composed of merchants from southern Zhili and based in the Huizhou Guild Hall

The words of the thin, dark-skinned youth left Feng You and Feng Ziying feeling as if they had fallen into an ice cellar