Chapter 133: The Special Forces Soldier Returns!

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The next day, Li Yi once again made the rounds of the three shops, casually settling a few disputes along the way. Since the Merchant Alliance had only been open for a single day, no one had yet made a move against it. After all, against shops with a background like the Merchant Alliance’s, one had to be certain of delivering a fatal blow in a single strike. Otherwise, the Alliance’s retaliation was more than anyone could bear. For now, they were simply waiting for an opportunity.

That afternoon, Li Yi went nowhere. He remained at the Jiang residence, because this was the day the special forces would return to Chang’an.

At dusk, the setting sun draped Chang’an in a romantic crimson glow. Suddenly, nine men appeared on Vermilion Bird Avenue.

Their clothes were tattered and torn, riddled with holes. They looked exactly like beggars. Yet not a single person mistook them for beggars. Their backs were ramrod straight, their gazes sharp and chilling, and their movements disciplined and orderly. Their muscles bulged like little hills. The instant they stood there, they gave the impression of nine savage beasts capable of killing at any moment.

While the surrounding citizens wondered where these men had come from, a group of fine horses slowly emerged from the opposite end of the avenue. A man sat astride the magnificent white horse at the head of the procession. Only when the horses drew nearer did the citizens recognize him.

“Look! It’s the Jade Qilin, Li Wenyong!” an excited young man in his twenties shouted.

A wealthy merchant dressed in silk quietly asked, “Who is this Li Wenyong?”

The young man shot him a contemptuous glance. “Is this your first time in Chang’an?”

The merchant scratched his head awkwardly. “Yes. I’ve come to Chang’an for the first time to do business and see whether there’s any money to be made.”

The young man shook his head. “Then I advise you to go home. You’re doing business in Chang’an and have never even heard of the Jade Qilin? If you don’t lose every copper you own, I’ll write my surname upside down!”

The merchant’s repeated taunts stirred his anger, but the young man’s words sounded so alarming that he dared not walk away. He had wagered his entire fortune on this trip to Chang’an. If he lost it all, he would not even know where to begin crying.

Suppressing his displeasure, the merchant forced a smile. “Please, brother, tell me more.”

The young man seemed kindhearted enough, though somewhat loose-tongued.

“Very well, I’ll tell you. This Jade Qilin, Li Wenyong, is the eldest grandson of Duke of Wei Li Jing. He was separated from his family as a child and only returned home at the beginning of this year. Yet the moment he came back, he caused quite a stir. When he returned, he actually made one condition. Can you guess what it was?”

The merchant’s curiosity was piqued. “Could it have been related to the family fortune?” As a businessman, money was naturally the first thing that came to mind.

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The young man smiled mysteriously. “You’re right. It was related to the family fortune—but not in the way you think. In fact, everyone who heard the condition was astonished, because the Jade Qilin’s condition for returning home was to relinquish all rights of inheritance to the dukedom and the Li family fortune!”

“What? How could that be?” The merchant was genuinely shocked.

“Heh. That’s Li Wenyong for you. He never does things according to convention. He once said, ‘功名但在马上取，富贵何须曲中求’—fame and glory should be won on horseback; why seek wealth and honor through devious means? He gave up everything for the sake of sincere family affection!”

“Fame and glory should be won on horseback; why seek wealth and honor through devious means? What kind of heroic spirit must a man possess to say something like that? He gave up everything for sincere family affection! It seems the Jade Qilin truly has an innocent heart.”

“Exactly! At first, some people claimed that Li Wenyong was merely putting on an act, that he had given up everything only to win people’s sympathy. But no one expected that, afterward, the Jade Qilin would cause one sensation after another. He became a master of calligraphy, a genius equally unmatched in poetry and verse, and a prodigy at solving cases. In less than half a year, relying solely on his own abilities, he was granted the titles of Founding County Baron, Court Discussion Grand Master, and General of Pacifying the Far Reaches by His Majesty. That is what you call true mastery of both letters and arms!”

“This... Is there really such a divine man in this world?” The merchant felt as though his entire understanding of the world had been overturned. Could there truly be people born with knowledge of everything?

The young man raised his head and glanced ahead. “The Jade Qilin is almost here, so I won’t go into further detail. Otherwise, I could talk for three days and three nights without finishing. Instead, I’ll tell you about his business ventures.”

“He’s in business too?”

“Heh. If he weren’t, why would I have advised you to go home? Tell me, have you heard of Golden Tripod?”

The merchant nodded hurriedly. “How could I not? The moment I entered Chang’an today, I heard everyone talking about Golden Tripod. Restaurants, shopping centers, wine—and yes, bars too! At noon, I even made a special trip to the Golden Tripod Restaurant for a meal. The taste was unforgettable!”

“Heh, at least you have some sense. Let me tell you this: every establishment bearing the name Golden Tripod was founded personally by the Jade Qilin. And every talented employee was trained by him himself!”

“That... That’s impossible!”

The young man gave a sly laugh. “There’s nothing impossible about it. Besides, everything I’ve said so far has nothing to do with you. What concerns you is the Golden Tripod General Business Charter posted outside the headquarters. I can’t explain it clearly myself, but I do know that ever since the charter appeared, every merchant in Chang’an has been ‘cheated’ terribly by it! Oh? The Jade Qilin is here. Go and see for yourself. In any case, I advise you not to enter the business world until you have thoroughly understood that charter. Otherwise, you will certainly lose everything you own.”

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The merchant was left utterly stunned by the young man’s words, and cold sweat broke out all over him. When he looked up and saw the young man preparing to leave, he hurriedly took out a string of copper coins to thank him. To his surprise, the young man refused.

“I admire Li Wenyong so deeply not because of his abilities. Those depend on opportunity and talent—things others cannot simply learn. What is truly worth learning from him is the spirit he embodies. Fame and glory should be won on horseback; why seek wealth and honor through devious means? That is no empty phrase. At least now I understand which money I ought to pursue.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the coins in the merchant’s hand.

With firm resolve, he said, “And which money I ought not to take.”

With that, the young man headed straight toward Li Yi.

The merchant watched him go, then looked at the money held suspended in his own hand. Finally, he turned his gaze toward the refined and scholarly Li Yi and the nine towering figures standing behind him. Suddenly, the merchant slapped himself hard across the face.

He realized that over the years, in his pursuit of money, he had lost far too much. He decided that he would immediately copy the Golden Tripod General Business Charter in its entirety, return to his hometown in Bingzhou, and never set foot in Chang’an again until he had fully understood it.

Li Yi, who had come to welcome his little demons, had no idea how profoundly his Merchant Alliance had shaken the business world. At that moment, his eyes held only the nine men standing before him.

After more than four months, he had finally trained them into what he wanted them to become. What comforted him most was that not one of them had fallen behind. Every one of them had proved worthy.

Li Yi did not offer any lengthy words of encouragement. He merely said in a calm voice:

“Let’s go home.”

The men mounted their horses and rode at full speed. Before long, they arrived at the Jiang residence.

After entering the estate, the nine men swiftly formed a line. Li Yi regarded them with a solemn expression. They had long grown accustomed to that stern face of his, so none of them reacted. They merely widened their eyes and waited for him to issue their orders.

After a long while, however, Li Yi suddenly smiled and called out loudly:

“Congratulations! You little demons have finally been reborn through fire! You are warriors who have returned from hell. You have succeeded!”

The nine men did not react at first. More than a full minute passed before Chang Dong suddenly let out a thunderous roar. Only then did the other eight understand what Li Yi had said. They all threw their heads back and shouted toward the heavens.

After that came shouting, cheering, screaming, and even crying.

Li Yi did not stop them. At that moment, they needed to release everything inside them. Only he knew what these nine men had endured during those four months.

Even in the modern era, training a special-forces soldier required a long time. In this ancient age, where every aspect of life was underdeveloped, the demands of their training had been even greater than those faced by modern special forces.

Yet the physical pain was not the greatest obstacle. With clenched teeth, one could endure physical suffering. The real trial was the uncertainty in their hearts.

Modern special-forces soldiers understood exactly why they had chosen that path: to defend their homeland and fight for their country. They also knew that even if they failed, they could return to their original units and remain elite soldiers.

These men were different. They had no clear goal. Defend their homeland? Fight for their country? Perhaps, after several months of Li Yi’s unceasing political instruction, they could now feel the honor in those words. But during the early stages of training, when their suffering was at its worst, they could never have understood what those words meant.

This was ancient times. Speaking to ancient soldiers about national honor was meaningless. Their eyes held only grain and money.

They had come here and persevered for one reason alone: a promise Li Yi had made. They also knew they had no way back, because Li Yi would not permit one. Before the Great Tang had risen, he absolutely could not allow the methods of special-forces training to be leaked.

They had only one path—to endure.

It could be said that their success had been forced out of them by Li Yi and by their own determination. That was precisely what made their achievement so extraordinary.

Only after everyone had finished venting their emotions did Li Yi send them to take hot baths and change into clean clothes. Then he took them directly to the Golden Tripod Restaurant, where he had already prepared a feast.

It was what they deserved.

Their only task that day was to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

The group entered a private room called Iron Blood. Since it was their first time there, they were deeply curious and asked question after question. Li Yi patiently answered them all.

Only when every dish and jug of wine had been served did the nine men finally turn their attention to the sumptuous feast and fall silent.

Li Yi raised a cup of wine and smiled at them.

“Warriors, do you remember what I told you before? I said that I would remember your names only after you passed my test. Now you have succeeded, so I must fulfill my promise. Let us raise this first cup to that very occasion.

“Chang Dong, Jiang Lichen, Xie Junhao, Shen Lingxiao, Yang Wuqing, Lu Qingshu, Chen Mo, Su Pan, Lei Gang—gentlemen, cheers!”

Li Yi finished speaking and drained his cup in one swallow.