Supreme Emperor of Mist

"Who knew the reason for old Xuan for gathering everyone here? Don't tell me he had no idea all of us can't be seen together?" one of the smugglers in his middle-aged appearance said. In his hand was a jar of average quality wine.

"Did you not listen to what he said at all? Someone is looking forward to seeing us tonight, which is why we're gathering here. I wonder who is this individual to get old Xuan calling everyone in a hurry." another similarly aged smuggler interrupted.

"Bah! Who cares who he is. As long there's money to be earned, then I'll work. My Black Shark Smugglers Cove was well known for doing all kinds of jobs anyway. Having one more employer is not a problem, but having one less income is!" a guy with a club attached to his severed right arm said.

"Hei-Sha, your people are well known for causing trouble around our water area. Can you cause less trouble and let everyone smuggle in peace?" the smuggler with wine in hand said.

"Old Xiong, just blame yourself for moving slowly. If you're navigating around the sea fast enough, you won't get into these problems at all." Hei-Sha, the one with a club replacing his right arm, said.

"Mind your words, Hei-Sha. What do you mean my people are navigating slowly? At least on volume alone, my Sea-Bear Island can deliver three times what your small little boats can do." Old Xiong said. He's also known as Hai-Xiong, a notorious smuggler that's been active around these waters for more than five years.

More smugglers were gathering as time goes, but in terms of ability, none of them were as good as Hei-Sha and Hai-Xiong. Even the similarly aged middle-aged man was quite a famed smuggler previously, that was before the arrival of Sea-Bear Island and Black Shark Smugglers Cove.

"How long more we have to wait for Old Xuan? If he's not coming, then don't blame me for not giving him some face here in this City of Ye!" Hei-Sha yelled as he got bored waiting for more than an incense stick worth of time.

For the time he spent here, it was more than enough for him to feed his seeds inside the women back in the smuggler's cove for few times.

"We've been here for a while. It's just nobody noticed us." Qin Lan, disguised in his personal of Pharmacist Lu, said as he opened his mouth. Xuan Wenjie also removed the cloak covering his head as he revealed his face to the smugglers.

"Huh?" the smugglers were alarmed by Qin Lan's sudden arrival without any of them noticing. Some of them, with the cultivation of Bone Layer experts, also realize that something wrong here.

'Not even a half-step Bone expert... How can he have such a concentration of Foundation Qi?" they asked themselves.

"I will be your new employer." Qin Lan said.

"Those that willingly follow me as we earn what we could from the others may stay. As for those unwilling, you may leave. But don't blame me if our path crossed. I can guarantee that those with me will get a free pass in and out of this county's port, but those not with me... You might have to speak with our friend old Xuan here..." he added before walking over to one of the stacked crates where the meeting is held.

*Bang!*

Qin Lan slapped the crate's lid open to reveal two dozens of wine in their respective jars. Using his Foundation Qi to control where the wine goes, Qin Lan distributes them to the 22 smugglers around him. As for the two remaining bottles, it was for himself and Xuan Wenjie.

"Drink it if you're staying. In the future, we'll have better wine than this as we cooperate. For those unwilling, just take this as your compensation for a waste journey here." Qin Lan said.

"Without head and tail, you're expecting us to choose either to follow or not? This guest seems to be a little too confident on your own strength. Do you think that we only have one or two Bone Layer experts in our respective gang?" Hei-Sha asked. The wine landed in his hand anyway after what he said to Qin Lan.

"Strength? When does strength determine what you could get in life?" Qin Lan chuckled as he replied to Hei-Sha's sentence.

"To smugglers like you, weren't money was the most important thing?" Qin Lan asked. But before he allowed the smuggler to answer, Qin Lan waved his hand across the crates surrounding him.

The Luminescent Lotus Flower of the highest grade was taken out one after another and decorated where he stands.

'How did he get his hand on the bloom? Not even our own member is capable of getting one of them from the Lianshui Village because of its limited number.' Hai-Xiong thought.

"I believe each of you knows the value of this flower. Now, do you think that I am qualified to behave this way in front of everyone?"

"Let's not waste each other's time as there's more for us to talk about. Decide now. Those that drink the wine in your hand will be a member of the Ye-Guang Alliance. As for those that not, you may leave."

"This is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Choose." Qin Lan said as he poked a hole over the oil paper covering the jar and took a sip.

Since everyone had their own mentality and thought, it was hard for Qin Lan to change their mind from a single meeting. Out of the twenty-two lead smugglers, only ten decided to join the alliance. The other twelve left with the wine in hand after they held themselves from persuaded by Qin Lan's wealth.

After he solemnly enjoyed the wine in his hand, Qin Lan turned around to remember the face of the ten smuggling heads who stays with him. It seems that both Hai-Xiong and Hei-Sha were present.

"Since the bystanders are gone, let us get to the main topic, shall we?" Qin Lan said and tossed the wine jar away until it shattered from the impact.

"I don't care what way you take... I want you to bring me all the ores collected from Wuyue County. Your task will last until you clear what they had. Can you do that?" Qin Lan asked.

"Ore? Please forgive this head for not getting what you mean but do you mean ores, the one that people use to make swords and protective gears?" Hei-Sha asked.

"Yes. Mineral ores. I want you to empty their coffer and make them rich. Can you do that?" Qin Lan asked.

"I don't know what's your reason for asking for this, but... The Black Shark Smugglers Cove accepts this deal. How will we get paid? These rocks you want might cost you considerably because smugglers deal through weight and crates." Hei-Sha was the first one to agree to Qin Lan's suggestion.

But at the same time, business dealing is business dealing. No matter how confident Hei-Sha was, a deposit for hiring them is a must.

"This is a hundred Qiankun Pouches. And here, it's a hundred Blood Genesis Pills. I'm sure I don't need to tell you about its medicinal effect. As long the pouches were filled to the brim each time you come to deliver, I'll throw in a hundred pills and another Luminescent Lotus Flower as an incentive."

"I'm sure this offer was attractive even to the Sea-Bear Island." Qin Lan turned his gaze at Hai-Xiong, who was standing beside Hei-Sha.

"Since the offer was so attractive, I see no reason for the Sea-Bear Island to say no. I'll be taking the offer too. But the Sea-Bear Island's volume is quite huge... This young sir... Are you sure you can afford to feed us?" Hai-Xiong asked.

Looking at Hai-Xiong's grinning face, Qin Lan has the urge to try burying him under the Blood Genesis Pill he had.

"Here, If you're confident, then take as much as you think you can handle. But remember, the repercussion is as great as what you promise to do. We're operated by the trust. I believe you understand this rule." Qin Lan tossed another Qiankun Pouch on Hai-Xiong's hand for him to inspect its content.

"Wh - What?" it seems Hai-Xiong was surprised by what's inside the pouch.

"This head will... Take five hundred to start first," he said as he politely returned the pouch back to Qin Lan. His attitude changed significantly after inspecting the Qiankun Pouch's content.

"Everyone else, what do you think?" Qin Lan asked.

The remaining smuggler heads came forward and collected their deposit and also supplies of Qiankun Pouch they can get.

"Huh..." Xuan Wenjie exhaled after the smugglers left the portside with something in their hand. Although there was no reason for him to get nervous from all these, this was still the first time he was doing it in front of someone else.

Furthermore, this individual wasn't other people, but the new landowner on this land he's responsible for. To his surprise, it seems that Qin Lan was quite experienced in how he handled these things.

"Milord, is this not your first time?" Xuan Wenjie asked.

"Less bullshit. Now the smuggler's issue was solved, start arranging trusted personnel to be posted around the border between our Shuiyue County and Wuyue County. I want this operation to begin as soon as possible."

"Also, make sure you renovate the Magistrate's Smithy to increase the capacity of ores we can process daily. If there's no enough space to do so, build another one on the outskirt of the city. Money won't be a problem."

"And... Xuan Wenjie..." Qin Lan gave him a few instructions to accomplish. But when it comes to the last one, he seems to be a little reserved.

"Yes, Milord?" Xuan Wenjie immediately answered.

"Send some of your competent administrative personnel to the villages and start recruiting more soldiers." Qin Lan said and walked after with his hand crossed on his back.

"Yes, Milord!"