In the era preceding the Age of Discovery, the Sorensen Mountains hadn't been shrouded in miasma as it was today. During those times, these mountains witnessed not only the passage of numerous caravans each year but also the vibrant activities of exploratory and adventuring teams from various regions. These teams brought vitality and a constant influx of business opportunities to the small town of Weisshem, situated close to the Sorensen Mountains.
However, this prosperity gradually waned with the advent of the Age of Discovery.
Two main factors contributed to this decline. Firstly, maritime transportation proved to be more cost-effective than land transportation. Apart from the caravans that needed to trade with inland countries, the majority of long-distance trade routes saw a shift toward maritime transportation, transforming traders from land-based to maritime enterprises.
Secondly, the Sorensen Mountains became increasingly impassable. Except for a few areas where the terrain was rugged or, for other reasons, passage was still possible, most parts became covered by thick miasma. This not only led to a reduction in the number of passing caravans but also caused a decline in the gatherings of explorers and adventurers.
About a century ago, local inns and hotel business owners, affected by the changing climate and circumstances, began fleeing to the thriving city of Indahl. Consequently, Weisshem, once a bustling commercial town, rapidly degenerated into a quiet and obscure border town.
Relying solely on somewhat underdeveloped agriculture and sporadic handicrafts couldn't address the employment issues of thousands of the town's households, and the outflow of labor, both youth and adults, from Weisshem became a natural trend.
In most small towns, young girls like Caroline would find work in cities around the age of 15 or 16 with the help of their families and help supplement the family income with their wages. By the time they reached around 23 or 24, marriage couldn't be delayed any longer, so their families would arrange suitable marriage partners, and they would marry into another family. The few years before marriage were considered the girls' last moments of repaying the upbringing they received from their families.
Caroline was 23 this year and had been in a high-end Indahl restaurant for the past eight years. Her mother, Winnie, loved her dearly and had been seeking out a prospective partner for her daughter since last year. According to their family agreement, she was supposed to resign and return home this winter for an arranged marriage.
Caroline harbored no discontent with regard to how her life was arranged according to others. After all, most of the small town young ladies she knew led similar lives. Were it not for the negative rumors about Weisshem the past half month causing her constant worry, Caroline wouldn't have thought about taking leave to come back and check things out—the restaurant, known for its demanding standards, would surely dock her pay for any leave taken.
The three young men that returned to town along with Caroline had similar circumstances. Most of them were introduced to apprenticeships in the city around the age of 15. And for this homecoming visit, each of them paid a price in some form or other.
Upon entering the town gate and seeing the town as calm and peaceful as when they had left last winter, the four young returnees secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether the territory's lord had changed, everything was fine as long as their hometown remained unchanged.
And then… they saw the undead on the streets, walking calmly amongst the townspeople.
It was evident that the townsfolk were afraid of these terrifying skeletons. When the undead approached, even the tipsy drunkards would hurriedly step aside. However, that was it.
There was no panic, no scattered fleeing. It was as if, as long as a one- or two-meter distance was maintained from these undead, the townspeople tacitly accepted the reality of being on the same street with them.
The four young people stood dumbfounded at the intersection, watching the two undead that had initially scared them walk confidently out of the town gate.
These two undead hadn't gone far when another bunch of undead came out from the direction of Martin Street, conversing nonchalantly with some weird "KABAKABA" noises.
All the undead had gleaming steel knives at their waists. Some of them had glaring scars on their bones, while the strange scale-like armor on others showed clear signs of battle… In any case, not a single one of them could be described as kind or friendly.
However, the townspeople on the streets appeared like they didn't know they should be afraid of them. Several housewives carrying baskets of vegetables even brushed past these undead barely half a meter apart.
A dumbfounded Caroline stared with wide eyes at the inexplicable scene unfolding before her, and her mouth wouldn't close…
"I-I need to hurry home and see my family." One of the young men broke the silence, his face now completely pale.
"Me too!" The other two finally snapped out of their daze and echoed.
"Wait," Caroline called out to them as they were about to disperse.
The ashen-faced lady glanced around, then pulled the three to the side of the street and said softly, "L-let's not split up for real. Everyone goes home to have a look… and then we meet back up."
Adversity is the most significant life experience that fosters growth.
Having to leave home in their teens and face discrimination, exclusion, and bullying because they were the lowest in Indahl made these small town youths rapidly mature. Although Caroline hadn't expressed it explicitly, the three other young men understood what she meant. They nodded solemnly, making arrangements to meet again at a specific time and place.
The situation in their hometown was just too strange, and these four returnees couldn't help worrying. If the black mage backing the new lord had used some strange magic to make all the townsfolk drop their vigilance against those terrifying undead, then they should at least stay alert!
Caroline's house, like Bosha Laurie's, was located in the northern block, just two streets away from the town hall.
The houses in the northern block were mostly century-old detached houses, similar to those in Martin Street, built during the final periods of Weisshem's last prosperity. After that, buildings that collapsed or were demolished were primarily replaced with row houses. Before Weisshem turned into a red-light district, the town hadn't seen any new buildings.
Three generations lived together in the house belonging to Caroline's family. Two uncles occupied the second floor, while Caroline's family and grandfather lived on the first floor.
The eldest patriarch of the household was still alive, which exempted Caroline's uncles and father from taxes.
However, her grandfather's health had been deteriorating over the past two years. When he passed, the three sons would be recognized as independent male household heads, incurring additional taxes each year. This was also why Caroline's mother was anxious to marry her off. If they waited until her grandfather's death, the family wouldn't be able to prepare a slightly more lavish dowry for Caroline.
"Caroline?" Winnie Meghan was washing vegetables by the well in the yard when she saw her daughter push open the gate and enter. She quickly wiped her hands on the apron and greeted her daughter with a mix of joy and concern, "Darling, why are you back early? Did something happen at work?"
"Mom." Caroline embraced her mother tightly. "I'm fine, Mom. Where's Grandpa?"
"Your grandpa is at the sanitation bureau. Are you really okay?" Winnie asked with concern.
"I'm fine, really. I just wanted to come back and see you all." Caroline led her mother into the house and did a quick scan of her home, seeing her two younger cousins and aunt mending clothes in the hall. She waved at them with a smile and then continued looking around.
"Mom, is everyone in the family okay?"
"Everyone is doing great… Oh, did you come back because you heard about Weisshem's new lord?" Winnie suddenly had a realization.
"Yes, everyone's doing great?" Caroline repeated her question somewhat nervously. "By the way, you just mentioned Grandpa is at the sanitation bureau? What is that?"
Winnie understood her daughter and by now had a pretty good idea why Caroline had rushed back with such haste. She couldn't help but pat Caroline's hand with a smile. "Silly girl, don't pay attention to the rumors swirling outside. A new lord or not doesn't matter much to us. In earlier times, when your grandpa was still young, the lord of this town wasn't even from the Markus family."
Caroline's mood didn't lighten; instead, her worry intensified… Could her conjecture be correct? Had even her mother's mind been influenced by the black mage that backed the new Weisshem lord?
"Enough about this. Mom has something nice to show you." Winnie pulled Caroline into a room and took out some beautiful fabric hidden in the cupboard. "Take a look at this, such beautiful colors and patterns! When you get married, we'll use this to make a long skirt that covers your ankles. You'll be the most beautiful bride for sure!"
Caroline's attention was momentarily captivated by the fabric. Its smooth surface, vibrant colors, and vivid patterns were unlike any she had seen before.
But Caroline couldn't bring herself to feel happy and blurted out, "Mom, is this the undead fabric that has made everyone drop their guard?"
"What undead fabric? Don't spew rubbish. This was sold to us by the new lord. It has nothing to do with those undead," Winnie exclaimed.
Caroline shook her head in anguish and moaned, "I knew something was wrong in the town. Think about it, Mom. I've worked in Inadahl for so many years, and I've seen many ladies from the city. Even their dresses aren't as pretty as this undead fabric. How could such high-quality fabric fall so easily into our hands?"
Winnie didn't know whether to laugh or cry and immediately placated her daughter, "Calm down first, my dear. It isn't only our family that has this sort of fabric. The townsfolk and even those farmers from neighboring villages have bought quite a bit themselves. You just didn't see the lord's men selling these fabrics. If you think it's to deceive us, then how much losses would the new lord have made?"
"If it isn't to deceive everyone, how could they sell us this sort of fabric that is only sold at high prices in Indahl's best shops?" Caroline kept shaking her head. "Trust me, Mom, something's definitely not right."
Winnie was in a dilemma.
To Mrs. Winnie, a small-town lady, completely accepting Weisshem's current bizarre situation was impossible. Not to mention the new undead mayor and these skeletons on the streets that startled her whenever she left the house.
But on the other hand… she really didn't think that Weisshem's new lord was all that bad. She had lived under Mr. Rex's jurisdiction for the last ten days, and although she couldn't help but be frightened, it couldn't be said that it was any less safe than before.
"I should have gotten someone to write you a letter early on; you wouldn't be so suspicious then." Mrs. Winnie was torn. "But the thought that the money for a letter could buy half a meter of fabric made me reluctant… One meter of fabric only costs 10 copper coins."
"Mom, these undead fabrics—"
"Alright, dear, listen to me first." Mrs. Winnie stopped her anxious daughter. "Your mom has always been living in this town. I know much more about what's going on here than those Indahl folk who are just making random guesses.
"Yes, Weisshem's new lord is different. Mr. Rex even appointed an undead as mayor. But I believe Mr. Rex definitely… isn't a bad person. He certainly doesn't have any ill intent toward us." Mrs. Winnie spread her palms in earnest. "You know, dear, Mr. Rex takes very good care of those poor folk from the town's main street. If he can be so gentle with those unfortunate souls, how could he possibly harm us?"
Caroline had been worried sick about her family when she heard the strange things about her hometown. The fate of those unfortunate souls trapped in Weisshem's main street never crossed her mind, and hearing about it now surprised her.
Children who grew up in the town had, more or less, witnessed the dismal fate of sex workers, both male and female, kicked out of those establishments due to getting on in age or declining attractiveness.
Every winter, as soon as it snowed, the townsfolk would hear rumors about bodies of such people being dragged out from an establishment on the main street…
Some people felt disgust toward these individuals due to their aversion to the red-light district, but others held sympathy for these unfortunate souls who couldn't determine their own destinies. Putting oneself in their shoes, would there be anyone who would willingly be sold to a distant place far from home, undergo such painful hardships, and die miserably?
"Your grandpa personally witnessed it when he started working at the sanitation bureau. Those people are all concentrated in two large buildings, and the undead prepare food for them every day. The two meals provided for sanitation workers at the bureau each day are also prepared by the undead. He would keep some broth every day and bring it home in a jar. Your aunt will add this broth to the soup for dinner. It's really delicious," said Mrs. Winnie with a smile.
Before Caroline could ask what the sanitation bureau was, Mrs. Winnie continued, "The sanitation bureau is a new office established by Weisshem's new lord that employs elderly like your grandpa or widows and orphans. They take turns cleaning the town's streets each day. Did you notice when you came? The heap of rubbish at the entrance of our alley is gone. That is the work of the sanitation bureau.
"At first, we didn't agree with your grandpa going to the sanitation bureau. It was he who reckoned he should see what the new lord truly wanted with the town…" Mrs. Winnie sighed. "Now, that undead mayor and the new lord have posted notices about hiring laborers with daily wages. If your dad, uncles, and cousin were back, your grandpa would definitely support them signing up."
It was currently the autumn harvest season, and each year, willing adult men from Weisshem would form groups to take up odd jobs in the countryside during this period, either helping farmers harvest crops or working in the estates for a couple of months. It was tough work but allowed them to earn a considerable amount.
In a decent and hardworking family like the Meghans, five able-bodied men toiling in the countryside for a couple of months could earn enough to cover the entire family's expenses for nearly half a year.
Of course, not all men would go for seasonal work in autumn. Those with artisanal skills, lazy widowers, alcoholics, or those whose family had their own businesses would not subject themselves to such toil.
Caroline hesitated, caught in the tumult of her thoughts.
She held immense respect for her grandfather. Even her grandfather didn't view the changes to Weisshem as unfavorable and the new lord, Mr. Rex, as a nefarious schemer, and this revelation left Caroline somewhat shaken.
"That's not all." Mrs. Winnie noticed her daughter's wavering and grinned knowingly. "Mr. Rex, the new lord, has posted notices in front of the town hall. Starting this year, he's abolishing the population tax for all town residents and will no longer collect the agricultural taxes that farmers had to pay. Currently, Weisshem only levies two types of taxes: a business tax and a high-income tax for those earning over 1800 copper coins per month."
"1800 copper coins?!" Caroline exclaimed upon hearing this figure. "Doesn't that mean everyone who doesn't engage in business won't have to pay taxes anymore?!"
What did a monthly income of 1800 copper coins mean?
It's the equivalent of earning 18 silver coins a month!
In terms of gold coins, it's in excess of one and a half!
Generally, large denominations like gold coins didn't circulate among the common folk. The majority of people used copper coins as primary currency, with silver coins as a secondary.
Caroline had worked at an upscale restaurant in Indahl's main South Street for eight years, rising to the rank of senior server, and her monthly income was seven silver coins.
This was already close to the service industry's ceiling. Beyond this point, only maids working in wealthy households earned a bit more. With clever budgeting, seven silver coins were enough for a family of four to live comfortably for a month in Weisshem; in Indahl, a similar-sized family could manage a month as long as they didn't use gas and stuck to burning coal.
But even maids in wealthy households wouldn't have a monthly income of a gold coin. It would take achieving the rank of a housekeeper at least…
"At least your grandpa doesn't have to pay taxes. The sanitation bureau also pays him a salary of 800 copper coins a month." Winnie put a hand over her mouth and chuckled.
Caroline's jaw nearly dropped. Street cleaning, a job that old folks and young children could do, paid more than her upscale restaurant job?
"Wouldn't everyone clamor for openings in the sanitation bureau, then?" Caroline asked incredulously.
"Hard to say… When your grandpa joined, there wasn't much competition," said Winnie with a complicated expression. "People thought it was a trick and worried the new lord wouldn't pay up before being driven out… If the money actually gets paid, your aunts and I might consider applying too."
Mrs. Winnie's words laid bare her true sentiments—she wasn't entirely confident that the new Lord, Mr. Rex, was reliable enough to hold Weisshem for long. While she secretly hoped for this new lord's stability, a small-town woman like her held no influence in such matters.
Caroline pondered over the circumstances her mother had described and similarly found herself in a tangle.
It was apparent that Mr. Rex, Weisshem's new lord, was indeed a benevolent gentleman. If Weisshem could remain under his jurisdiction, it would undoubtedly be beneficial for everyone living in this land.
However… Mr. Rex had ascended to lordship with the support of a formidable black mage. And were it not for the undead that roamed the streets, captured the former mayor that turned Weisshem into a red-light district, and drove away Baron Markus, Mr. Rex wouldn't have gotten this territory either.
Accepting Mr. Rex's rule meant getting accustomed to the presence of those undead.
"Good luck always comes with bad luck." Caroline sighed, echoing the Rhine saying that Bosha had once said.
———
Meanwhile, the man himself, who was in the complicated thoughts of many townsfolk, Mr. Rex, was holding a contract in a daze.
When Yang personally came to the town hall to meet him, Rex assumed Yang had some ideas for him to implement. Instead, without saying anything, Yang handed over a contract.
This contract was none other than a long-term supply agreement between Yang, Lord of Taranthan, and Charlie Rex, Lord of Weisshem (Yang Qiu had taken that the Indahl city lord didn't exist). The contract listed various general goods that Yang had secured on Earth, ensuring a stable and long-term supply.
For example, these currently popular curtain fabrics.
The textile factory, which had transitioned to producing trendy clothing for online platforms while battling numerous competitors on Taobao, still had several warehouses of such fabric stocked up. Upon learning that Yang Qiu hoped for a stable supply, the boss of the factory promptly guaranteed that they could provide as much as Yang needed. Even if their own inventory ran out, there were fellow struggling factories in the same boat waiting to be rescued…
There were also the plastic products, not as popular as the curtain fabrics but still a solid "essential." The plastic factory that supplied these items was a downstream unit of a chemical enterprise. Regardless of whether the production line was running or not, raw materials were always promptly delivered. The head of the plastic factory, eager to expand their market, was even negotiating with Indian clients. But dealing with Yang Qiu was much easier than those Indian clients…
Having secured suppliers for curtain fabric and plastic products, Yang hadn't even started looking for the next one when the prison enterprise (which he had previously collaborated with) came knocking, or rather, brought along a bunch of fellow units suffering from a lack of sales…
Most people were unaware of the massive scale of prison enterprises in China. If not nationwide, prison enterprises in G Province at least processed a wide range of labor-intensive products, including clothing, electronics, furniture, mechanical components, and more. The little wallets and backpacks Yang Qiu had bought from the prison enterprise before were just a drop in the ocean.
In short, it wasn't that Yang Qiu was stingy about using the gold in his pockets to win over the people of Weisshem. Rather, it was that after purchasing the magical materials needed for the teleportation array, paying up for the road construction equipment, and putting down deposits for the long-term supply contracts with various manufacturers, all of it had been spent.
The gold coins in this world were impure; a 10-gram gold coin contained only 60% to 70% gold, with the rest being alloy. After receiving gold coins or gold jewelry, Yang Qiu had to use magic to "purify" them before they could be used on Earth. The total quantity shrank, rendering them practically useless…
Yang Qiu, unable to even produce the funds for the next month's budget-friendly bulk purchase of freeze-dried noodles, remained as steady as a rock.
"I'll offer you a wholesale price for all goods, which is twenty percent below the prevailing market transaction price," Yang Qiu calmly declared, placing his teacup down on the table. "Other than the fabrics and items that were previously sold locally, you may set the retail prices for the new products yourself. I don't care about the profit margin; just ensure my payments are made on time. Of course, I don't want copper coins or silver coins; I only accept settlement in gold coins."
The dumbfounded look on Rex's face froze as if he was completely unable to snap out of it…