Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 44 First Contact

Summer Solstice in the 48th year of the Wanli reign.

The plum rain season in Jinan Prefecture arrived earlier and was thicker than usual.

The entire city seemed to be submerged in an over-fermented sauerkraut vat, the air thick with moisture, pressing heavily on people's skin, making it hard to breathe. Dark green moss grew rampant in the cracks of the cobblestone streets, emitting a nauseating, musty smell.

South of the city, Lu's Carriage and Horse Shop.

The atmosphere here was even more somber than outside. Despite the rain, trucks continued to come and go in a steady stream, the sounds of wheels rolling over the mud, the snorting of mules and horses, and the clanging of craftsmen hammering on axles mingling together to create a unique industrial hustle and bustle.

In the back hall, a precious styrax incense burner was quietly burning in a Boshan censer, trying to suppress the pervasive earthy smell, but with little effect.

"Master Lu, it's been raining for half a month, and the water level of the canal has risen quite a bit. I see that the drainage ditch in your yard is exquisitely designed; the streets outside have become rivers, but here you've only gotten the ground wet."

The man sitting in the guest seat picked up his teacup and gently skimmed off the foam, his movements as refined as an old scholar.

He was around forty years old, wearing a faded blue scholar's robe, a square headscarf, and a pair of thick-soled cloth shoes for traveling, with some yellow mud on the uppers. The soles of the shoes were very thick and badly worn, clearly indicating that he was a person who traveled frequently.

The calling card he handed over had only one name on it: Mr. Bai.

With no place of origin or courtesy name, it was as if it had appeared out of nowhere from the endless rain.

Lu Yan sat in the main seat, casually twirling two lion's head walnuts in his hands, making a crisp "crackling" sound.

He didn't respond immediately, but instead looked the uninvited guest up and down with the same scrutinizing gaze one would use to examine a tender document.

"Rising water levels are good for boatmen. But for us laborers who repair the land and drive heavy trucks, this rain is a disaster."

Lu Yan's voice was calm, carrying a hint of aloofness. "Mr. Bai, you came here today in the rain, surely not just to praise the drainage ditch I dug? I heard you have a batch of fine furs that you want to export beyond the Great Wall. If that's what you're talking about, we can contact the shopkeeper."

"Fur is a small business; it's just for making a living."

Mr. Bai put down his teacup, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a fervent and profound expression. His gaze was fixed on Lu Yan, as if trying to see through the young scholar's soul.

"Master Lu's business is so large, his vision is naturally far-reaching. Look at the Ming Dynasty now, doesn't it resemble this endless rainy day?"

He pointed to the gloomy sky outside the window. "Officials are corrupt and tyrannical, factional strife in the court is like mad dogs, and the defeat in Liaodong is like a landslide. People are exchanging children to eat, and white bones are exposed on the roadside. Shouldn't the sky clear up a bit?"

The walnut in Lu Yan's hand paused for a moment, then resumed spinning.

Whether the sky is clear or not is God's business. I only care about keeping my little plot of land from being flooded.

"Master Lu, you are mistaken. If the sky doesn't clear, no matter how well you manage this low-lying area, it will eventually become a vast ocean."

Mr. Bai smiled slightly, took out a plaque that was neither gold nor jade from his pocket, gently and solemnly placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Lu Yan.

"What I want to talk about is a big business of saving the world."

Lu Yan glanced at the sign.

The material of this object resembles some kind of special animal bone, polished to an extremely smooth finish. It is engraved with a budding white lotus, surrounded by intricate Bagua (Eight Trigrams) patterns. The craftsmanship is exquisite, far beyond what a common artisan could have made.

More importantly, the faint sandalwood scent clashed with the styrax in the room.

"The Unborn Mother, the Realm of Emptiness."

Mr. Bai's voice suddenly became deep and magnetic, with a strange rhythm, as if he were reciting some ancient scripture, "Master Lu, the Red Sun Calamity is approaching, and Maitreya Buddha will soon descend to earth to save all living beings and reopen the chaos. You are a prominent figure in Jinan Prefecture, not only with a large business, but also with an elite guard. If you can join my sect and receive this 'White Sun Talisman,' you will surely have a place in the position of 'Founding Hero' in the future."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Only the sound of rain outside the window pattered on, like the whispers of countless wronged souls.

Lu Yan looked at the sign, his mind perfectly clear.

The White Lotus Sect. Or, in the Shandong area, they called it the Fragrance Sect or the Mahayana Sect.

In the eyes of most people in this era, this is a mysterious, powerful, and even sacred underground organization. But in Lu Yan's eyes, it's nothing more than a series of money-grabbing scams. They use the apocalypse to scare the masses, use false promises of the afterlife to win people over, and ultimately turn their followers into cannon fodder.

Their business model is simple: sell anxiety (eschatology), offer false hope (vacuum homeland), and then harvest membership fees (donation money) and cannon fodder (believers).

Lu Yan didn't touch the sign, nor did he even change his posture. He simply picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and moistened his throat.

"Mr. Bai, I am just a businessman."

Lu Yan's voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, as if he were discussing an unsuitable order. "Merchants value harmony for profit, buying low and selling high, and risk control. Those 'calamities,' 'Maitreya,' and 'new dynasties' you mentioned are too risky, with too long a return cycle. And, if I may be frank, your strategy is too shallow and your calculations too crude."

"What did you say?" Mr. Bai frowned.

"I mean, the business of rebellion... oh no, 'saving the world' is too difficult to enter."

Lu Yan put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and instantly released the oppressive aura of an "engineering manager," shattering the charlatan-like aura emanating from Mr. Bai.

"Mr. Bai, have you done the math? How much grain does it take to support one soldier for a year? How many kilograms of wrought iron are needed to forge a usable suit of armor? How will you maintain supply lines along the way when an army marches from Jinan to the capital? If the government troops cut off the Grand Canal, how will you solve your logistics problems?"

Lu Yan extended a finger and tapped the table lightly: "Relying on a few incantations and drinking two bowls of talisman water is just something in operas. In reality, that's suicide. When the government troops charge, they won't stop just because you chant 'Eternal Mother.' Their sabers are fast and sharp."

Mr. Bai's expression changed.

He hadn't expected this young scholar, this legendary merchant who was only good at scheming and making money, to be so straightforward, so naked, even with a kind of cold-blooded detachment. The arguments he had prepared about miracles and destiny seemed pale and powerless in the face of this man who only talked about data.

"Silver? Data?" A hint of contempt flashed in Mr. Bai's eyes, the scorn of a fanatic for worldly reason. "Master Lu, when the great calamity strikes, gold and silver will be as worthless as dirt. When the floodwaters rise, your small fortune will be nothing more than easy prey to the authorities, and a mobile granary to the refugees. Without the protection of gods and Buddhas, without the support of countless believers, can you hold on?"

Whether I can hold out or not is my business.

Lu Yan stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to Mr. Bai, and looked at the continuous rain outside.

"Mr. Bai, let me also give you a piece of advice. I started out as a contractor, so I know how to build roads, how to construct bridges, and how to train a motley crew into capable workers. I also know what kind of projects are destined to fail."

He turned around, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing Mr. Bai: "Your project has a weak foundation; it's all just a pile of bubbles. I, Lu, may love money, but I don't make money off the dead, and I certainly don't want to become one myself."

Mr. Bai suddenly stood up, his originally refined face turning ferocious.

"Master Lu, watch your words!" His voice turned cold, carrying a chilling murderous intent. "Some opportunities, once missed, mean certain death. I know you've taken in many refugees in the south of the city and are also privately manufacturing weapons. If this gets reported to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner or the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

"Threatening me?" Lu Yan laughed, a laugh tinged with contempt.

"You can file a complaint. Go to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office, the Governor's Office, or even to the capital to appeal to the Emperor. But I guarantee that before the government officials come knocking, you and your 'fellow believers' will disappear from Jinan City first."

Lu Yan pointed outside the door: "See that guard standing under the eaves? His name is Zhao Changying, he came back from Liaodong. The knife in his hand has killed real Jurchens. Do you think your talisman water is more powerful, or his knife?"

"Moreover, the government..." Lu Yan leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Do you really think that the thousands of taels of silver I give to those eunuchs and civil officials every year are just for show? In this area, if I say you're a rebel, you're a rebel; if I say you're a law-abiding citizen, you're a law-abiding citizen."

Mr. Bai stared intently at Lu Yan, his chest heaving violently. After a long while, he took a deep breath and reached out to pick up the domino on the table.

"Good. Mr. Lu is a shrewd man, and also a ruthless one."

Mr. Bai cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone icy, "Since our paths diverge, let us not work together. I only hope that when our armies are pressing in, Mr. Lu will not regret his decision today. At that time, don't blame my mother for being merciless."

"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off."

Mr. Bai's figure disappeared into the rain, like a drop of ink merging into the Blackwater River, leaving no trace.

Zhao Changying emerged from behind the screen, her hand gripping the hilt of her goose-feather saber tightly, her eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Master, should we get rid of him? This man knows too much and is a menace."

"Need not."

Lu Yan waved his hand, sat back down in his chair, picked up the two walnuts and continued to play with them, though his knuckles were turning white.

"If we kill Mr. White, there will be Mr. Black and Mr. Red. The White Lotus Cult has been operating in Shandong for decades, its roots are as deep and intricate as the roots of a tree, and it's impossible to wipe them out completely. Moving against them now is like stirring up a hornet's nest; we're not ready yet."

"What do we do then? What he just said clearly means he's targeting us." Zhao Changying said with some worry, "These lunatics don't follow any rules."

"He's just bluffing," Lu Yan sneered. "They're not ready to start an uprising yet, and they don't dare to fight us tough guys at this critical juncture. They prefer to incite starving refugees or win over disgruntled low-ranking officers."

Lu Yan picked up the glass of cold tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

"However, this contact also served as a wake-up call for me. The powder keg beneath Shandong is nearly full. The fact that the White Lotus Cult dares to so openly come to our door to recruit people means they feel the time is almost right. This rain is likely to turn into a rain of blood."

"Long Tassel".

"exist."

"Pass down the order: immediately raise the security level of the carriage and horse stables by one level. Relax the exterior but tighten the interior, add double guards for night patrols. Also, send our 'groundhogs' to find out the background of this 'Fragrance Cult'."

Lu Yan's eyes gleamed with a light that seemed to pierce through the complexities of engineering, a light so calm it was almost frightening.

"I need to know where their 'incense altars' are, where their supplies come from, and how their followers communicate. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Since we are destined to be adversaries, I will first get my hands on their 'blueprints.' When that day comes, I will personally demolish this illegal structure."

The rain outside the window grew heavier, and the rumble of thunder echoed across the sky, like the distant sound of war drums.