“Now then, Uncle Liang mentioned you wanted to make some sort of deal involving iron?” Governor Ming asked, his tone shifting to business.

Shun nodded, reaching into his bag to pull out the piece of iron he had brought as a sample. “Yes, Governor. Recently, we discovered a small iron deposit near our base by the river,” he said, smiling with a touch of pride. “We’d like to offer it here in Hisu Town, as a steady supply.”

Ming’s eyes widened with interest. “An iron mine, you say?”

Liang, who had been standing quietly beside them, nodded. “I inspected it myself, Governor Ming. This piece here is genuine iron.”

Ming leaned forward, examining the metal piece in his hand. “This could be a significant find. Iron is exactly what we need. If we’re to train the young men properly and fortify the town against the Greenwood bandits, having a local source of iron for weapons and tools would be invaluable.” He paused thoughtfully. “With the recent disruptions, merchants have grown wary of traveling to Jing Mountains. We’ve had difficulty securing resources, especially iron. It’s a top priority for us.”

Shun’s smile grew as he realized the governor was taking his offer seriously. But then Ming’s face turned somber.

“However, as you might imagine,” Ming continued, “without trade flowing freely between the mountains and the mainland due to the Greenwood Brotherhood’s hold, our town has very limited funds. The merchants fear traveling here, and the bandits prevent any of us from leaving the mountains to sell goods. We’re facing a severe shortage of Coins.”

The realization hit Shun hard, his earlier optimism waning. He hadn’t considered the town’s lack of funds. Even if Hisu Town wanted the iron, they wouldn’t have the money to buy it in large quantities.

Ming must have seen the disappointment in Shun’s eyes because he added, “We may have a solution. If you’re open to it, the mansion could issue your brotherhood a promissory note—a formal document guaranteeing payment once trade resumes and money flows back into the town.”

Shun looked at Ming with renewed interest, feeling a spark of hope again.

“The promissory note would serve as a form of credit,” Ming continued. “You’d be able to use it to purchase goods from local merchants here in Hisu Town. In essence, this note would act as currency within the town until we can resolve the bandit situation. It allows us to buy iron from you while also giving your brotherhood access to supplies without needing immediate Coins.”

Shun considered the offer carefully, recognizing the opportunity it presented. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. They’d be able to trade iron and secure supplies for their needs even without direct currency, bypassing the current trade barriers.

“I’ll need to discuss this arrangement with my senior brothers,” Shun replied, smiling. “But it’s a promising start.”

“Is there anything else?” Governor Ming asked.

Shun nodded and reached into his bag, pulling out a small wooden box. As he opened it, the scent of sweetness wafted into the room, revealing several chunks of crystalline sugar. “We recently discovered an old recipe for crystallized sugar in one of our storage caches,” Shun explained, extending the box toward Ming. “Please, try it.”

Ming eyed the sugar with mild curiosity, about to sample a piece, when Liang, ever cautious, intercepted. He took a small piece and tasted it first, his eyes widening with surprise. “It’s sweet!” Liang exclaimed, the flavor surprising him with its purity.

Governor Ming took a piece and tasted it himself, his expression changing to one of astonishment. “This... this tastes exactly like sugar! Mister Xing, where did you get this?”

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Shun smiled. “Our brotherhood found the recipe among old records—likely from the Frost Kingdom. After some trial and error, we succeeded in making a batch. We were hoping the town might be interested in purchasing it.”

Governor Ming leaned back, stunned. “You mean to tell me you’ve managed to produce sugar locally here, in the Jing Mountains?” Liang, still processing the discovery, added, “So, this wasn’t imported from the Frost Kingdom?”

Shun shook his head. “No, this was made right here. If the town is interested, we can sell it at half the price of Frost Kingdom imports, since there’s no need for costly transport through their territories.”

Governor Ming’s mind was already spinning with the possibilities. Sugar, a luxury commodity typically reserved for nobility and religious offerings, could bring unprecedented wealth if they found a path to sell it beyond the mountains. The income would not only stabilize the town’s economy but could elevate it to an entirely new level.

“It’s an incredible offer, Mister Xing,” Ming replied, though he seemed thoughtful. “But as things stand, we can’t facilitate large-scale trade in luxury goods. Iron is essential, but sugar… given the cost and the challenges we face with trade routes, it may be more difficult to sell in large quantities, especially in Jing Mountains where nobles are scarce.”

Shun nodded, understanding the dilemma. Unlike iron, which had immediate defensive uses, sugar was a luxury item, and most locals were unlikely to afford it under current conditions. Selling to the mainland would be immensely profitable, but the lack of merchants willing to brave the bandit-occupied routes made it seem impossible.

Suddenly, a thought struck Ming. “But there may be another way. Mister Xing,” he said, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, “the Governor’s Mansion could arrange contact with the local temple. The monks would likely be interested, especially if we offered it at a lower price than Frost Kingdom imports.”

Shun raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You think the monks would be willing to take it to the mainland?”

Ming nodded. “Precisely. Sugar is widely used by the temples in religious offerings. If the monks agree, they could distribute it through their network, bypassing the mainland’s trade monopolies and securing a steady demand for your sugar.”

Liang also nodded, smiling at the thought. “It could work. The Greenwood bandits and other groups wouldn’t dare interfere with monks on religious duty. The temple’s influence alone would protect the shipments, and since the temples operate outside imperial trade restrictions, this path could provide secure, reliable trade for your brotherhood’s sugar.”

The temple’s sacred status provided them with privileges even the Greenwood Brotherhood dared not challenge. Any disruption to their operations would risk an armed response from the temple, and few would provoke the continent’s largest religious army.

Governor Ming smiled, realizing the possibilities. “Since the Governor’s Mansion will handle negotiations with the temple and assist in transporting the sugar, we would ask for a share of the profits. Please take this back to your senior brothers for discussion.”

Shun, sensing the enormous potential, bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Governor Ming. I’ll relay everything to my senior brothers and return with their decision. This is all I have to discuss for today.”

Ming nodded, extending a hand in agreement. “I look forward to a prosperous partnership, Mister Xing.”

With a respectful bow, Shun took his leave with Liang, but he paused just outside the Governor’s chamber. “Ah, Mister Liang, would you mind taking a look at this design? It’s something one of our senior brothers requested to have made.” Shun produced a flat wooden plate from his satchel. The plate bore a rough design drawn in charcoal, accompanied by brief instructions—Minho’s latest project, which She asked Shun to have crafted in town.

Liang examined the design, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. “This is quite unusual. I can’t discern its purpose.”

Shun shrugged, holding up his hands. “You’re not alone—I haven’t the slightest idea what it’s for, either.”

They shared a brief chuckle before stepping out of the Governor’s Mansion and making their way through town toward the square where Liang’s store was located. As they neared the area, they noticed an unusually large crowd gathered near the town’s entrance. People were murmuring in alarm and disgust, some raising their voices in anger and concern.

“What’s going on here?” Shun asked, frowning at the commotion.

Liang, equally curious, called out to a young man in the crowd. “Hey, lad! What’s all this fuss about?”

The man turned, his expression grim. “I’m not sure of every detail, but it seems the Greenwood Bandits are making a sick display—they’ve hung corpses near the entrance.”

Liang’s face contorted in shock. “Corpses? Whose bodies are they?”

The man nodded solemnly. “It’s said they’re members of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood. They’ve been dead for weeks, but the Greenwood Bandits hung them up to taunt any survivors.”

A chill ran through Shun as he processed the man’s words. His heart pounded as he pushed through the crowd to get a better look. The grisly sight met him like a punch to the gut: the decomposing bodies of fallen Thunder Sky Brotherhood members hung from makeshift gallows, swaying slightly in the breeze. The air reeked of decay, and the bandits had painted a cruel message in red on the ground nearby.

A loud voice rang out from one of the Greenwood Bandits stationed near the display. “These are the bodies of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood!” he declared to the crowd. “Any rats still hiding from this so-called brotherhood better show themselves, or we’ll keep dragging their dead out for the vultures in every town and village across these mountains! Either they join us… or join the dead!”

Shun’s hands clenched into tight fists, his body trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow. These were his brothers, his family—people he’d grown up with and fought alongside. To see them dishonored in death, displayed like trophies, was a vile mockery of everything they had stood for.

Beside him, Liang grimace in disgust, shaking his head. “Savages. Even in death, they won’t let them rest in peace.”

Shun swallowed hard, forcing down the fury that burned inside him. His voice was cold and quiet when he finally spoke. “Let’s go, Mister Liang,” he said, his gaze fixed on the bodies for a final moment before he turned and walked away, holding his pain close to his chest.