Zhu Yujian jerked his head back into the carriage as if burned, fingers snapping the curtain shut with more force than necessary.
Had he not reacted like that, the carriage would have blended naturally into the flow of Luoyang's crowded streets. Merchants shouted prices, mule carts creaked forward in uneven lines, hawkers waved skewers of steaming food under passing noses, and soldiers patrolled with lazy authority. In such chaos, a passing carriage meant nothing.
But the instant he ducked back and pulled the curtain tight, the movement cut through the crowd like a stone tossed into still water.
And Gao Jie noticed.
Inept in many things, perhaps. Subtle in courtly matters, certainly not. But he was still a general, and once upon a time he had been a drifting rebel with no stable ground beneath his feet. A man who survived that kind of life learned to distrust shadows, sudden movements, and especially people who tried too hard not to be seen.
His eyes narrowed.
"Hm? That carriage is strange. The moment they saw me, someone inside hurriedly pulled the curtain shut." His tone hardened. "There's a problem. A big one. Lads, stop that carriage. Search it. There's something illicit inside."
Soldiers moved at once, stepping into the road with practiced coordination. Spears lowered. The traffic stuttered to a halt.
The carriage stopped.
Inside, Zhu Yujian felt his limbs turn cold. His heart pounded so loudly he feared it might be heard through the wood panels.
"It's over," he whispered hoarsely. "We're going to be caught."
"What are you panicking for?" Zhu Cunji replied, sounding almost amused. "I'll handle this."
Without waiting for further argument, he lifted the curtain and leaned his straw-hatted head out of the window, his posture relaxed as though this were an accidental street reunion.
"Well now," he said with a lazy smile, "isn't this General Gao? What are you doing blocking my carriage?"
Gao Jie frowned at the unfamiliar face. "Who are you? Do we know each other?"
From inside the carriage, Zhu Piaoling chuckled lightly before answering in a tone that carried just enough theatrical flair to feel deliberate.
"The Roaming Hero of the Four Seas, Zhu Piaoling. Surely you have heard my name echoing through the martial world?"
Gao Jie genuinely had not.
He had met Wang Jiayin in person. He had seen Zijing Liang. He had crossed paths with the Chuang Wang and the Chuang Jiang. Those were names that carried weight, names that shook battlefields and rearranged provinces. But this so-called Roaming Hero of the Four Seas seemed to have risen from some obscure corner of Jianghu he had never bothered to visit.
"I can see from your expression you do not recognize me," Zhu Piaoling continued smoothly. "No matter. Simply ask Mr. Bai Yuan. He will tell you."
That name made Gao Jie hesitate.
Mr. Bai Yuan was not someone to be dismissed lightly. The circles Gao Jie moved in were not necessarily the same as Bai Yuan's. It was entirely possible that different layers of the martial world produced different heroes, and not knowing one did not automatically make him insignificant.
Gao Jie weighed the matter for a moment, then stepped back.
"Very well. Let them pass."
The soldiers withdrew. The road cleared. The carriage resumed its journey.
Only after they had rolled a safe distance away did Zhu Yujian finally exhale, his shoulders sagging as though a blade had been lifted from his neck.
"That was close," he murmured. "You truly have many friends in the martial world. I never expected you to be acquainted with Mr. Bai Yuan. I have seen him fight. He is extraordinary. Even his militia seems stronger than the regular army."
Zhu Cunji's chest swelled with pride.
"Ever since I chose the right side," he said, "the world has felt completely different."
Zhu Yujian caught the phrase immediately.
"The right side? You are on Mr. Bai Yuan's side? And which side is he on? The Donglin Party? The Eunuch Party?"
Zhu Cunji laughed, the sound full and unrestrained.
"Those factions? Forget them. Do not just stare at the street before your eyes. Raise your gaze. Look beyond the rooftops."
Zhu Yujian followed his instruction and lifted his head.
Only then did he truly see them.
In the heart of Luoyang stood two colossal glass bottles, towering more than thirty meters high, rising like transparent pillars toward the sky. Sunlight glinted off their surfaces. They loomed over tiled roofs and wooden beams alike, dwarfing everything around them.
Zhu Yujian sucked in a sharp breath.
"What… are those?"
"Immortal treasures," Zhu Piaoling replied, his tone deliberately grand. "And like Mr. Bai Yuan, I now stand with the immortals. We are under divine protection."
Zhu Yujian stared at the massive glass structures, unable to reconcile what he saw with the world he thought he understood. Objects of such scale and clarity did not belong to mortal craftsmanship.
Zhu Piaoling guided the carriage directly toward the base of the soy sauce bottle, where a Soy Sauce Bottling Plant had been established. Normally, entry was restricted, guarded carefully to prevent unauthorized access.
At the gate, however, they encountered a sailor from the Xiaolangdi militia. The man had once ferried Zhu Piaoling to Nanjing and recognized him as someone favored by Dao Xuan Tianzun. His attitude immediately shifted to respectful familiarity, and he waved them inside without hesitation.
Zhu Piaoling led Zhu Yujian through the facility with the bearing of an inspecting official.
Inside, workers moved efficiently between massive vats, ladling dark, fragrant soy sauce into ceramic bottles. The scent filled the air, rich and savory, clinging to clothes and hair alike.
All of it was immortal soy sauce bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Yet the packaging varied dramatically.
Premium soy sauce, intended for the wealthy elite, was poured into elegant ceramic bottles adorned with vivid blue-and-white porcelain patterns so lifelike they seemed almost painted by spirits. On each bottle, the words "Immortal Brew" were inscribed in bold characters, lending an air of prestige that matched the price.
Each bottle cost several taels of silver, and the rich paid without hesitation. For them, the bottle itself was already a collectible treasure.
Meanwhile, the economy version was packaged in plain earthenware containers, simple but sturdy, designed with practicality in mind. As long as they did not leak, appearance was irrelevant. These sold for a handful of copper coins, affordable even to common households.
There was also a special batch prepared for foreign markets.
The bottles were sturdy, built to survive long journeys, but visually unremarkable. Inscribed upon them was a peculiar phrase:
"Five millennia of heritage, handcrafted by artisans of the Great Eastern Nation."
Even Zhu Piaoling blinked at that.
"Is this not a divine gift from Dao Xuan Tianzun? How did it become five millennia of heritage? And handcrafted by artisans? That sounds like complete fabrication."
The factory manager chuckled.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun personally instructed us to label it this way. He said it would bewilder foreigners and allow us to fleece foreign markets. We do not fully understand either, but we obey."
Zhu Piaoling stared at the bottles for a moment longer before deciding that understanding the thinking of immortals was above his pay grade.
After completing the tour, they exited.
"Well?" he asked Zhu Yujian. "Impressive, is it not?"
Zhu Yujian nodded slowly.
"I do not fully comprehend what I have seen," he admitted, "but it is undeniably formidable."
They reentered the carriage and departed Luoyang, heading toward the Xiaolangdi Water Stronghold.
Upon arrival, they spotted Bai Yuan in the distance, personally training a group of fresh recruits. His voice carried across the grounds as he corrected stances and adjusted grips with patient authority.
Zhu Yujian felt a surge of emotion and nearly stepped forward at once, but hesitation stopped him.
"If I approach him openly, will it bring trouble upon him?"
Zhu Piaoling waved a dismissive hand.
"This is a militia-controlled military zone. Unauthorized persons cannot enter. Your presence here will not leak."
Reassured, Zhu Yujian walked forward and bowed respectfully from a distance.
"Mr. Bai, it has been a long time. Your bearing remains as splendid as ever."
Bai Yuan turned, surprise flickering across his face.
"Prince of Tang? Wait… the news reported that you were…" His gaze shifted to Zhu Piaoling, understanding dawning. "So it was you. You rescued him?"
Zhu Piaoling straightened proudly.
"That is correct."
Zhu Yujian had expected reproach. Instead, Bai Yuan merely smiled faintly.
"A good rescue."
He turned back to Zhu Yujian and returned the salute.
"Your Highness, your initiative in raising troops to support the emperor was commendable. The imperial clan's rigid rules are many, and you have indeed suffered injustice."
Zhu Yujian let out a long breath, as though a weight he had carried alone was finally acknowledged.
"To have you understand me, Mr. Bai, moves me deeply."
At that moment, a young scholar stepped forward from the side, eyes bright with conviction.
"The rise and fall of the realm concerns every common man," he said solemnly. "I am Gu Yanwu. Upon hearing the Prince of Tang's story, I was profoundly stirred. By all logic, Your Highness should have been the least inclined to raise troops for the emperor, yet for the salvation of the nation you advanced without hesitation. You are a model for our generation."
He bowed.
"I wish to record your deeds in a book, so that future generations may learn to do good without seeking personal gain."
And for the first time in many days, Zhu Yujian felt that perhaps his choices, reckless and costly though they had been, were not entirely in vain.