“Each county in the Guangshan Region doesn’t supply much material.” Thomas Reed spoke up, “Mr. Harris wrote a letter, planning to have materials transferred from the Yuan Tian Region, but something went wrong along the way.”

“What happened?” Samuel Brooks asked.

“The shops of Qingyan Pavilion are spread throughout both Guangshan and Yuan Tian Regions, and materials are regularly delivered.” Mr. Harris said with a bitter smile, “Two nights ago, the Yongyao River suddenly rose, flooding the roads, so the materials couldn’t be transported over and had to be sent back. It was only last night that I received word from over there… Now, not only the materials for your current order, but even those for the previous one, have all turned back at the Yongyao River.”

“What?” Samuel Brooks raised his eyebrows, but then noticed the old man’s odd expression. He immediately said in a deep voice, “Old shopkeeper, are you just using this as an excuse to brush me off?”

“What do you mean, Daoist?” Mr. Harris replied helplessly, “Every word I said is true.”

“That’s not right.” Thomas Reed suddenly spoke, “It’s been dry lately, no rain at all. The water level of the Yongyao River should be dropping, so how could it suddenly rise? If the surrounding roads are flooded, wouldn’t the nearby villages be destroyed as well?”

“Well…” Mr. Harris froze for a moment, then sighed, glanced around, and whispered, “They say there’s a demon causing trouble in the river.”

Chapter 011: This Bear Will Guard Samuel Brooks’s Grave!

There’s a demon causing trouble in the Yongyao River?

Daring to block my path to building a Daoist temple?

Samuel Brooks was instantly furious!

“A demon…”

Thomas Reed looked surprised. He pondered and said, “If there’s a demon, why not report it to the authorities?”

He had once been an official in the Ministry of Works and knew that in the Great Xia Dynasty, there were people with abilities like immortals.

But Mr. Harris replied helplessly, “The Yongyao River is at the border between Guangshan and Yuan Tian Regions, but to put it bluntly, it doesn’t really fall under either’s jurisdiction.”

At this, everyone understood.

If a treasure appeared in the Yongyao River, both regional governments would fight over it.

But now that a demon has appeared, both governments can’t wait to distance themselves, lest their own territory’s reputation be tainted. If word got out about demons haunting the area, the impact would be significant.

Normally, the local government would report the matter and request cultivators from the Demon Hunting Bureau to come and subdue the demon.

But since no one has reported it, even the Demon Hunting Bureau probably doesn’t know about this.

“Mr. Harris…”

Samuel Brooks’s mind stirred. He suddenly pulled Mr. Harris aside and asked, “With the Yongyao River blocked, your Qingyan Pavilion must be suffering heavy losses, right?”

Mr. Harris nodded, full of bitterness, and said, “Compared to other shops, Qingyan Pavilion’s greatest advantage is the materials from Yuan Tian Region. Now that the main road between the two regions is blocked by a demon, the losses are disastrous.”

Upon hearing this, Samuel Brooks chuckled and stroked his smooth chin.

If only he had a beard, he would have stroked it while laughing.

“What do you mean, Daoist?”

“Let me ask you something.”

Samuel Brooks’s expression grew serious. “If I clear out this demon for your Qingyan Pavilion and reopen the road between the two regions, what benefits can you offer me?”

Mr. Harris was taken aback, then his eyes sharpened and he whispered, “Daoist, do you have the ability to subdue demons?”

So he’s a true Daoist with real skills, not just a charlatan?

“This demon is causing such a stir—it’s no ordinary creature.”

Samuel Brooks sighed, “Even for me, it would be a life-and-death struggle, risking grave injury or even disability, just to barely take it down.”

Mr. Harris pondered for a moment and said, “To be honest, Thomas Reed and Henry Foster are old hands. The price Qingyan Pavilion offered is already very low, with little profit. But if you can clear the obstruction at the Yongyao River…”

He gritted his teeth slightly and said, “I can make the decision to give you a further discount on the current price—just eighty percent of the silver, no profit at all. And this first batch of materials, I’ll give to you for free, as a gesture of friendship!”

Now that Qingyan Pavilion’s supply route is cut off, their business is suffering huge losses.

If this route could be restored, such a price would be acceptable for Qingyan Pavilion.

Besides, if this Daoist really has the ability to clear out the river demon, it means he’s no ordinary person… Even the old master of Qingyan Pavilion has been trying to befriend such immortals, but has never succeeded.

“Deal!”

Samuel Brooks sent Mr. Harris down the mountain, then gave instructions to Thomas Reed and Henry Foster.

After that, he entered the old Daoist temple and informed William Clark.

“I’ve heard there’s a demon in the Yongyao River. I intend to go down the mountain to slay it, so I won’t be able to host you, miss.”

“Yongyao River?”

William Clark asked in surprise, “Why haven’t I heard anything from my fellow disciples at the Demon Hunting Bureau?”

As she thought about it, her expression suddenly changed and she whispered, “Could it be that even the Demon Hunting Bureau in Guangshan Region doesn’t dare intervene lightly, and is waiting for higher-ups to come help? If so, doesn’t that mean this demon is extremely powerful?”

Samuel Brooks’s expression turned odd, then he coughed and said, “Maybe the Demon Hunting Bureau doesn’t know about it yet.”