Chapter 1487: The crypt of dreams (1)
"Open my own auction house?" Li Gang asked in disbelief, before breaking into an awkward laugh. "Why would I open my own auction house when I already work here?" he followed immediately, his eyes subtly darting to Han Bai and Meng Song before going back to Yang Qing.
His first thought after the surprise was that Yang Qing was teasing him. From the few interactions he’d had with him, he’d come to note that the judge was an easygoing person with a slight propensity for teasing and joking around. As such, Li Gang had assumed this was one of those moments, but as he looked at Yang Qing and saw the seriousness in his gaze, he was forced to abandon that thought, which made him all the more nervous, given that Yang Qing had dared make such a comment in front of the leading figures of the place where he was currently employed.
Not to mention that one of them was his master. Han Bai may not have been his master when it came to the transmission and cultivation of Dao, but he had been his master nonetheless in guiding and nurturing him into a proper merchant. And beyond that, there was also the wisdom of daily life he had come to learn from both Han Bai and Meng Song.
So in Li Gang’s eyes, given all he had learned from the two and the care he had received, the place they held in his heart was no less than that of his own family. Han Bai held the same space of respect and admiration that his real grandmother from the Li Family held in his heart. He revered them both greatly for the instrumental role they had played in his life.
Leaving the Li Clan to venture out on his own in pursuit of some vague dream and youthful passions was not something Li Gang had done lightly. He’d agonized over the decision greatly. He loved his clan. He loved his family. Choosing to leave everything he knew and loved had not been easy. Had his grandmother not supported him as wholly as she did, even encouraging and praising him when he told her his intentions, he likely would never have left. Had she offered even a single word of protest, or simply asked him to stay, it would have been enough for his resolve to leave to0 completely crumble.
He wasn’t sure he had it in him to do the same thing again. The Vast Blue wasn’t quite like the Li Clan, given the veiled and unveiled hostilities he’d had to deal with over the years, but as hostile as the environment was, the merchant company had grown on him far more than he’d even expected, and it was in no small part thanks to the two elders sitting to his right. Had he gotten frustrated enough to think about leaving? Yes. Countless times at that. But had he actually considered following through on it? Never. He couldn’t do that to them. Not after everything they had done for him. Going even as far as falling out with Fan Jie and others over him. He was neither thankless nor spineless enough to leave, especially now.
A good merchant was one who could squeeze profit from almost anything, at any time and anywhere, and part of how they did that was by minimizing cost and debt. He owed the two, and the Vast Blue, a great deal. He couldn’t leave.
Yang Qing, seemingly reading his thoughts, asked gently, "Can I ask, why did you decide to become a merchant?"
Li Gang didn’t immediately answer. As a merchant, or more so as someone who had to eke out a place in an environment hostile to him, it had become second nature to analyze every question and interaction he had with people, so as to glean their intentions. His mind on instinct immediately tried to glean Yang Qing’s motives for asking, but as soon as it kicked in, maybe because he was too exhausted from hosting the auction, or maybe because his master and Auntie Meng were present, or maybe because Yang Qing wasn’t someone from the Vast Blue, he stopped himself from trying to figure out the intention behind the question, or conjuring up a calculated reply that would keep things close to his chest while allowing him to read the other person.
For the first time in a long while, he decided to be straightforward. "I haven’t always dreamed of being a merchant. I only went for it because it was one of the few things that was.... different," said Li Gang.
"Different?" asked Yang Qing.
"Yes. Different," Li Gang repeated. "Our clan is a sword-cultivating clan. So everything the clan does, including its environment, is crafted towards the sword. Alchemy is for the sword. Talisman making is for the sword. Artifact refinement is for the sword. Formation arrays are for the sword. Herbology is for the sword. Meditating is done in front of a sword.
Everything is for the sword," said Li Gang, smiling dryly. "It gets boring and monotonous, especially if you don’t have that much love for the sword," he added softly, looking down almost as if embarrassed to voice that part.
Maybe that embarrassment was what prompted him to take a long sip of his wine. Yang Qing had come to the sagely discovery that there was no better tonic for shame, embarrassment, or dread than good wine.
Li Gang seemed to have come to the same discovery, looking up once more with more ease in his expression. "Yes, I wanted something different, and being a merchant was as different as I could get from the sword," he said.
"I am sorry, master," he added, flashing Han Bai an apologetic smile.
Just as Yang Qing had once asked him why he decided to be a merchant and why he settled on the Vast Blue, his master had too. His response at the time had been that being a merchant had a charm he couldn’t find anywhere else. The thrill of being a connector that brought different groups together to fulfill their needs and dreams by trading what one had that the other lacked. That feeling was unmatched. It felt like weaving the threads of fate and destiny for people.
Of course, when he said that, he’d been paying lip service and meant not a single word of it. He was only trying to butter himself up to one of the illustrious founders of the organization he wanted to join. Clearly, he hadn’t known Han Bai all too well at the time, given what he went with. He would have been better served by saying he was there for wealth. He had no doubt his master saw through it, and thankfully didn’t call him out on it, and since then neither of them had ever brought the matter up... until now.
As for why the Vast Blue, at least that response had been truthful. He’d settled on the Vast Blue because he felt that if he was striking out on his own, it was better to do so somewhere his clan would have little to no influence, so whatever achievements he made would truly be his own. And there was no better place than a merchant company founded by rogue cultivators that was also stronger than his clan. It checked off all the right boxes.
But being a merchant.....
Li Gang felt his face redden in shame as he recalled the scene. He went for another much-needed gulp, emptying his cup in one go, which brought about another bout of embarrassment as he hadn’t even realized how deeply he was drinking. Luckily, the present company didn’t seem to care much about his drinking habits, with one of them even seeming to encourage it, moving quickly to refill his cup in one smooth motion, almost as if they had been waiting, bearing a look that seemed to say: Don’t hold back. There is plenty of wine to be drunk.
"So it wasn’t to weave destiny and fate?" Han Bai remarked softly in his customary even tone, not sparing Li Gang a glance as he reached for his wine.
"Don’t tease Gang’er like that," Meng Song said in mock chastisement. "You did look adorable when you said it, Little Li. It moved my heart," she followed immediately, laughing as she placed one hand over her heart to show how touched she was. Li Gang didn’t dare look up.
Way to go, Auntie Meng! Yang Qing internally cheered; his sentiment apparently sensed as Meng Song smiled back at him. You too, Owner Han Bai. I didn’t know you had it in you, he added inwardly, his gaze subtly shifting to the man, who also seemed to read his thoughts as he smirked slightly, his gaze drifting to the thoroughly embarrassed Li Gang.
After he’d had his fun watching Li Gang suffer, Yang Qing became the unexpected rescuer, moving the conversation along.
As though channeling Han Bai’s spirit, Yang Qing’s next question mirrored the founder’s. "Why the Vast Blue, then?"
"It was one of the few places that felt like it would truly allow me to stand on my own two feet without relying on the influence of the Li name," said Li Gang. "Whatever achievements I made would come from the effort I put in as solely Li Gang, and not Li Gang of the Li Family of Yue State."
"Mmh, I can see that. Though..." Yang Qing said. "If you wanted an achievement that was solely yours, wouldn’t it have been better to start your own merchant company and build it from the ground up? There is no better ’this is Li Gang’s effort’ than starting something that is truly your own."
"I didn’t know much about being a merchant at the time," Li Gang said awkwardly. "And had I started then, with no clue, I would have had to rely on my clan in those early phases, and then it wouldn’t be my project but the Li’s."
"But it’s not any different with the Vast Blue Merchant Company, is it?" Yang Qing asked with a gleam in his eyes. "The Vast Blue is another Li Family, only the name is different. But the overall concept..." Yang Qing paused. "That is the same. Whatever gains you have made are built off their resources and the Vast Blue name. If you look at it closely, you switched one reliance for another. If you had truly wanted to set out on your own, you could have started your own company once you felt you’d learned enough to have a feel for it."
Yang Qing clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. "And given the attitude and treatment you received here, I am fairly certain they would have been all too glad to see you leave. You could have left in the early periods, once you’d gained a preliminary understanding of what it took to be a merchant."
Turning to Han Bai, he asked, "You did not accept him immediately as your disciple, did you?"
Han Bai shook his head slightly. "I accepted him after he had been with us for three years. By then, the person I had thought was a soft persimmon surprised me," Han Bai said, his gaze shifting to Li Gang. "You have more of your clan in you than you know, Li Gang. You may not like the sword as much, but you reflect its nature in your conduct. Decisive and unyielding in its momentum."
"Master..." Li Gang said emotionally. He could feel the pit at the base of his stomach grow as he looked at him. He could already tell, by now, where all of this was headed.
"Three years," Yang Qing slowly said. "Three years is more than enough time for someone as smart as you to learn all he could to become a competent merchant. I think even one year would be more than enough, given the talent you showed. Yet you stayed," Yang Qing said, his voice lowering gently toward the end. "And you continued to stay," he added.
"And now, you are aiming for the seat at the top, even though you know the chances of it happening are low. It is admirable," Yang Qing praised.
