Chapter 1029: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

The group returned to the residence and reported their findings to Sang Hong. Sang Hong showed no interest in the story of Shen Zhou and Taohong; his entire focus was on the key. The key was larger than usual and had an odd shape, clearly not for a standard lock. They noticed small characters engraved on the key: "Jia," "Zi," "1204."

"It seems to be part of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches system. Could it represent time?" Sang Hong stroked his beard, deep in thought.

"It's not the Jiazi year now, so what does '1204' signify?" Gao Ying questioned.

"It seems like a number or code. Could it refer to a location?" Pei You, being an outstanding talent from the Pei family, naturally considered more than just brothel affairs.

Zu An's heart stirred. "Could it be a key to a safe deposit box?"

"A safe deposit box?" Sang Hong and the others looked puzzled, clearly unfamiliar with the term. Zu An gave them a general explanation, drawing on his knowledge from past-life movies about Swiss banks and their high-tech private safes for clients.

"That's certainly a possibility!" Sang Hong's eyes lit up. "Quickly, send for Master Xiao." Through their recent interactions, he had learned that Xiao Jianren had an interest in all sorts of unusual things.

As expected, after examining it, Xiao Jianren had a lead: "Regarding the type of safe deposit box Master Zu described, there are only two places in the entire Cloud County with the financial resources and authority to offer such a service. The largest is the Zhenyuan Merchant Association, and the other is the Feima Merchant Association, which, though not as prominent as Zhenyuan, should also be able to provide this."

"Zhenyuan Merchant Association?" Zu An's heart skipped a beat. This was the second time he'd heard that name; Shen Zhou had purportedly been investigating the Zhenyuan Merchant Association before his incident.

"Then we'll split into two groups: one to the Zhenyuan Merchant Association, and the other to the Feima Merchant Association!" Sang Hong swiftly gave the command. His intentions were too obvious, with many watchful eyes around. Moreover, someone needed to remain at the residence to oversee things, so he couldn't move freely. Sang Hong, confident in Zu An's cultivation, sent him alone to the Zhenyuan Merchant Association, while Gao Ying and Pei You went together to the Feima Merchant Association, providing mutual support.

As soon as they left the residence, spies from various factions immediately trailed them. Having learned from their previous trip to the Jadeite Pavilion, they intentionally wove through the city, shaking off their tails before heading towards the Zhenyuan Merchant Association. Though they hadn't been in Cloud County long, they were already well aware of the Zhenyuan Merchant Association's prominent reputation.

The Zhenyuan Merchant Association was one of the largest merchant associations in Cloud County and even the entire Northwest, with interests spanning every aspect of life: food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Throughout a single day, nearly everyone in Cloud County would likely interact with something connected to the Zhenyuan Merchant Association. The Zhenyuan Merchant Association's influence in Cloud County was comparable to Tencent's in his past life, its sheer scale easily imaginable.

Following Xiao Jianren's directions, he went directly to the Zhenyuan Merchant Association's main headquarters, which also housed the Zhenyuan Bank. He didn't reveal his identity, instead entering the bank like any other ordinary customer.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the bank's second floor, a graceful figure sat leisurely sipping black tea. She wore a warm yellow gown and a white fur vest, her posture elegant. Every gesture and expression was flawless. Beside the table, a tall, slender middle-aged man stood respectfully. Any outsider witnessing this would surely be astonished, for this was none other than Qian Dong, the manager of the Zhenyuan Bank. Normally, many people found it impossible to get an audience with him; even at the prefect's manor, he would be treated as an honored guest. Yet here he was, respectfully standing beside a young lady who leisurely sipped her tea. Both appeared accustomed to the arrangement.

"Young Lady, these are the bank's accounts for the past two years." Qian Dong handed her a stack of ledgers.

"Mhm, Uncle Qian, just place them here. I'll review them at my leisure." The young woman offered him a sweet smile. Although Qian Dong knew her smile was her weapon, its sweetness still left him momentarily stunned.

After a moment, he regained his composure, a flush rising to his old face. He cleared his throat. "Young Lady, I know I shouldn't say this, but I must remind you: please try to avoid playing those role-playing games in the future. What if something goes wrong? How would we explain it to Master?"

"I know, I know! I'm so clever, how could anything go wrong?" The young lady suddenly paused, her pretty face flushing as the memory of being "tormented and intimidated" by *that man* flashed through her mind. "That scoundrel is absolutely wicked! He even tried to scare me with some 'Three Corpse Brain God Pill' and 'Leopard Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill.' Such things don't exist in this world," she muttered to herself. That night, she had been truly terrified, and immediately after returning, she'd activated various intelligence networks to investigate those two poisons. However, the feedback from various uncles and elders was that such poisons simply did not exist. Given their extensive knowledge, if they declared they didn't exist, then they truly didn't. Still uneasy, she had several uncles and elders check her pulse, which ultimately confirmed she was perfectly healthy, with no strange toxins remaining in her body. Upon learning the truth, she immediately realized the man had played a trick on her, leaving her both annoyed and amused.

"That rotten boy, don't let me see you again, or else..." She was still muttering when her peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar figure, causing her expression to freeze. She hastily stood up and peered down. Sure enough, with those eyes, those eyebrows, and that subtle smile, who else could it be but the man who had haunted her nightmares recently?

Just then, the man seemed to sense something and turned his head. Startled, the young lady quickly ducked behind a pillar, concealing herself.

Seeing her reaction, Qian Dong was surprised. "What's wrong, Young Lady?"

"Nothing, just ran into an enemy," the young lady scoffed. "Why is *he* here?" She already knew he was in Cloud County; as an imperial envoy, his movements were usually predictable. This unprecedented trip to Cloud County – whether for auditing accounts or for some other reason – she probably couldn't even say herself. But why would he come to the Zhenyuan Merchant Association?

"An enemy?" Qian Dong, who had been respectfully bowed, immediately straightened. "Who has the audacity to offend the Young Lady and then dare show his face here?" As he spoke, he began rolling up his sleeves, ready to seek retribution on her behalf.

The young lady, startled, quickly stopped him. "No, no, no! He's incredibly powerful; you're no match for him."

Qian Dong frowned. "Even if I'm not his equal, this is the Merchant Association's territory. We can summon as many masters as needed. No matter how formidable he is, it would be a dead end for him. Young Lady, you have no need to fear."

The young lady quickly waved her hand. "Don't gather masters to ambush him." Noticing his confused expression, the young lady realized her reaction was unusual. She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "This person is someone I will deal with personally."

"Oh?" Qian Dong's expression turned odd. He thought to himself, *The Young Lady's reaction isn't quite right. That young man just now was quite handsome. Could it be...?*

A peculiar glint appeared in the young lady's eyes. "Go investigate. What exactly is he doing here?"

"Yes, Young Lady!" Qian Dong bowed and quietly withdrew.

Downstairs, Zu An looked up suspiciously. He had a distinct feeling someone was observing him. Yet when he turned, he saw no one. He certainly didn't believe his senses were mistaken; at their level of cultivation, such perceptions were remarkably acute. However, the sensation of being watched had now vanished. He assumed it must have been the bank's security experts scrutinizing incoming and outgoing customers.

Soon, a young attendant emerged to greet him. "Are you here to deposit or withdraw funds, sir?"

Zu An held up the key. "I'm here to retrieve something I stored earlier." He felt a slight tension; if they told him the key wasn't valid here, he'd have to immediately take it to Gao Ying's group. Fortunately, the attendant's face lit up when he saw the key. "Please, honored guest, come this way."

Zu An soon followed him to a private room within the inner chamber. After the attendant re-confirmed the number on the key, he manipulated some mechanisms on the wall. Soon, the sound of gears turning filled the air, and a short while later, a box was transported out from an opening in the wall.

"Please, make yourself at home, sir." After doing all this, the attendant withdrew and closed the door.

Zu An marveled at the advanced technology. He eagerly opened the box, revealing a small booklet – precisely the personal notes of the royal guard. His heart pounded. He opened it immediately, and upon seeing the contents, his expression instantly changed drastically.