Chapter 001: Three Advantages

Hearing Du Fan’s words, Evan suddenly smiled instinctively. The Northlands? It was simply a joke…
Seeing Evan’s expression, Du Fan wasn’t bothered at all. Instead, he said calmly, “Is it that funny, Viscount Evan?”
Evan was a shrewd man. He could sense some dissatisfaction in Du Fan’s words. He quickly shook his head and said, “No, Lord Du Fan… It’s just that the Northlands have long been under the rule of theGreen family. If you still choose land there, wouldn’t that be a waste?”
“I see.” Du Fan nodded indifferently before asking, “Then in your opinion, which place should I choose as my fief?”
Evan studied Du Fan carefully, seeming to realize that Du Fan was speaking very seriously. He glanced around before saying, “Lord Du Fan… could you possibly…”
Seeing his cautious demeanor, Du Fan felt a slight stir in his heart.
This guy was definitely not ordinary—he knew that much. That’s why he was so cautious now…
Thinking of this, Du Fan waved his hand, instantly creating a soundproof barrier that enclosed the two of them. Then he said calmly, “If there’s something you want to say, just go ahead…”
Evan then showed a relieved expression. After fumbling in his sleeve for a moment, he pulled out a scroll of parchment, slowly unrolled it, and placed it in front of Du Fan, saying, “Lord Du Fan… I’m sure you recognize this.”
Du Fan glanced at it. There were colorful drawings on it, making it hard to understand at first. But soon, Du Fan realized it was nothing other than a map of the Roland Continent.
Seeming to read Du Fan’s thoughts, Evan pointed on the map and circled an area before saying, “Lord Du Fan, look… This is the territory of my Gavin Empire. It occupies nearly a quarter of the Roland Continent. These lines and boundaries represent the various provinces of the empire. If you haven’t made a decision yet about which province to choose, perhaps you should listen to my advice…”
“Oh?”
“Please look.” Evan moved his finger to the lower part of the map and pointed at a small area bordering the Lanny Empire. “I suggest… Lord Du Fan, you might as well choose this place.”
The South? That matched what his father had said… But this Evan…

With that in mind, Du Fan suddenly sneered and said, “Lord Evan, are you joking with me? I suppose, with your successful business, you must know that most of the Southern Lands are now in the hands of the Lani Empire. You want me to choose this place? Are you planning to help me conquer it, or help me buy it from the Lani Empire…?”
Evan’s gaze fixed intently on Du Fan as he said seriously, “I don’t know if Lord Du Fan believes it, but I think… this is the best choice.”
“Why?”
“First, by choosing this time, Lord Du Fan can openly form a private army. With the strength of the Green family, and with my support, forming a second Northern Legion isn’t difficult at all. Second, this place is the southern gateway of the empire. By controlling it, one can oversee trade between the empire and the Lani Empire. Just from taxes alone, Lord Du Fan could become incredibly wealthy. Third, if you develop here, no matter how well you do, Prince Fisher will surely not suspect you… because he wouldn’t destroy his own interests. With these three advantages, isn’t it enough to attract you, Lord Du Fan?”
Du Fan frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected Evan to say such things… Although it was somewhat different from what his own father had said, the meaning was similar…
Du Fan wasn’t sure what Evan, the Viscount, really had in mind. After studying Evan carefully, he said, “Very well, let’s say I choose this place… Lord Evan, I must ask you… what benefits will this bring to you?”
A typical merchant’s smile appeared on Evan’s face. After a moment, he said calmly, “Lord Du Fan, then I won’t hide it from you anymore…”
As he spoke, he tapped a few spots in the middle of the province, then continued, “Here… here… here, and also here… According to my investigations, these places are rich in iron ore. I even suspect that some of these ores contain wootz iron. Lord Du Fan surely understands how important such minerals are to a merchant like me. So I think, if Lord Du Fan chooses that place, could you give me the rights to manage these iron mines? In return, besides being responsible for equipping your private army, I will deliver 20% of the profits from these mines each year. What do you think?”

Iron ore? Just for iron ore? Is it really just for iron ore?
Du Fan sneered inwardly, but his face showed no emotion as he said calmly, “Lord Evan… I took such great risks to choose this place, having to guard against invasions from the Lanny Empire every year, just to protect you and allow you to mine the iron ore smoothly? Your plans seem a bit too obvious, don’t you think?”
Evan smiled and said, “If Lord Du Fan is unwilling… then let it be as if I never said anything… But I still have one thing to say to you. The situation in the Roland Continent is becoming increasingly unstable… Whether you’re on the front lines or in a remote area, you’ll eventually face a chaotic era… In such circumstances, if a noble doesn’t even have the strength to protect himself, I’m afraid…”
After saying that, Evan simply stood up, bowed to Du Fan, and said, “That’s all I came here to discuss today… I believe you’ll come up with a good solution on your own… So, I’ll take my leave now…”
With that, Evan bowed and slowly retreated. Whether intentionally or not, he didn’t take away the map…
Du Fan frowned but didn’t try to stop him. He watched as Evan left slowly, filled with confusion…
If Evan had come to discuss something else today, he might not have been so puzzled…
But what Evan said seemed to be all for his own benefit… When did their relationship become so close?
He said it was for an iron ore mine? It probably isn’t that simple…
Or maybe he was hinting that the Roland Continent would become even more unstable in the future?
Then how did he know that?
Du Fan thought for a while but became even more confused. Evan himself seemed like a huge mystery. Without detailed information, it was impossible for him to understand him…
Perhaps the Divine Might Prison he had just taken charge of was most useful at this time?
After pondering for a while, Du Fan still felt stuck. He didn’t want to think any further and simply stood up to lift the silence barrier he had set up.
His gaze fell on the parchment on the table. Out of instinct, he picked it up and stuffed it into his sleeve.
In the following days, Du Fan had quite a bit of free time…

He originally wanted to go to the courtyard to see what Chenchen and Ringtone were up to, but the door to the basement was already closed. If not for that deep connection in his soul that made Du Fan sure Chenchen was definitely fine, he would have rushed down there by now.
Old Mark had already sent word: since Laku was dead, all the clues were essentially gone… so there was no need for further investigation. Instead, the manor outside the capital needed to be dealt with properly. Fei Lei had sent word that the slaves Du Fan bought at the slave market that day had arrived. Though they lacked loyalty at the moment, their combat skills were still decent… Fei Lei added that they were still short of manpower, and no matter where Du Fan’s fiefdom was in the future, such a small private army wouldn’t be enough. Moreover, a large number of troops would require additional weapons and supplies…
In other words, they wanted money, goods, and people…
Du Fan understood that to build his own army, such investments were essential. He immediately handed over a crystal card for Old Mark to handle as he saw fit. As for Evan… Du Fan hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with him.
Although there were many things he could take, it was better not to get too involved with Evan at such a critical moment…
Though he had promised Evan that he would speak well for him if his secret were exposed… but if it really did get exposed, well…