Chapter 349: Applying Assistance

Hearing her serious tone, Zu An was puzzled. "Why? Chen Xuan is already dead, isn't he? Can those people from Blackwind Mountain still cause a stir?"

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "It's not Blackwind Mountain's people. It's another force, one you cannot afford to provoke."

Zu An grew even more confused. Although the Chu clan was in trouble, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse, and they still had private troops at their disposal. He was, after all, the Chu family's son-in-law and had a background with the academy. Yet, Qiu Honglei still believed he faced a fatal danger. Just who were these people?

"Honglei, could you at least give me a hint? What kind of power is so formidable?" Zu An probed.

Qiu Honglei sighed. "I can't say too much. I've said all I can. You should be careful."

A thought suddenly struck Zu An. "Is it the power behind you?"

Qiu Honglei's background had always been mysterious. Such a beautiful and delicate woman, yet she had managed to remain untainted in a place like the Immortal's Dwelling for so many years. Besides her own abilities, there must have been a powerful force protecting her. Furthermore, for some time, information that even the Chu clan couldn't uncover would often come from her. Zu An had noted this before.

Qiu Honglei's expression changed. "Don't ask any more questions. Knowing too much won't do you any good."

Zu An nodded. "Alright, I won't press you further, lest I make things difficult for you. However, the salt voucher matter is too important for me to simply give up. Once I return, I'll mobilize all available resources to investigate until I find out what happened."

With that, he stood up to leave.

Qiu Honglei stamped her foot in frustration. "Why won't you listen when I tell you something?"

A hesitant expression crossed her face, and finally, she spoke. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you some things, so you don't accidentally do anything foolish."

Zu An turned back to look at her, and after a long moment, he couldn't help but sigh, "Honglei, you are truly very kind to me."

Qiu Honglei smiled, her lips pressed together, revealing a myriad of charms in that instant. "You're only realizing it now?"

Zu An said, "Honestly, when you first approached me, I was wary, always wondering what your intentions were. Looking back now, I truly apologize."

Qiu Honglei blushed, touched by the sincerity in his voice. She also sighed, "I did approach you with a purpose, so there's no need for you to apologize."

Zu An's face immediately fell in disappointment. "Ah, so you really don't want to be my concubine."

Qiu Honglei was speechless. Did this guy really have no idea? But she also knew this was his nature, and it was precisely this that made her find him unique.

After some playful banter, Qiu Honglei finally dropped her smile and said, "Three days from now, there will be an auction at the black market. The people from Blackwind Mountain will put the salt vouchers up for bid, and the highest bidder will take them. If you truly want the salt vouchers back, you'll have to buy them."

"The black market, an auction?" Zu An suddenly recalled that when he first arrived in this world, the academy had given out some primal stones. Due to his unique cultivation method, he couldn't absorb the primal energy from them, and Wei Suo had mentioned selling them at the black market. However, it wasn't long before he became immensely wealthy, so he naturally had no interest in such small sums, and thus never actually visited the black market. The black market's ability to thrive in Brightmoon City for so many years already proved the power of the force behind it. He just hadn't expected it to be the same force backing Qiu Honglei.

Seeing his changing expression, Qiu Honglei quickly said, "You absolutely must not think of stealing them. Since the black market has taken on this auction, they will naturally be responsible for it. If you try to seize them, you'll be directly confronting them. I'm afraid that by then..." She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

"Don't worry, I won't be that reckless." Zu An knew Qiu Honglei wouldn't make empty threats. It seemed that if he tried to seize them directly, he wouldn't just fail; he would also be in mortal danger. But the thought of spending money to buy back the salt vouchers that rightfully belonged to the Chu clan was a hurdle he couldn't overcome. What a joke! Zu An had never suffered such a great loss before. For a moment, he found himself in a dilemma.

Qiu Honglei repeatedly made him promise not to act impulsively. Only after he agreed did she let him leave.

After Zu An left, a man slipped in through another small door. It was none other than Qiu Honglei's senior martial brother, Gu Yueyi. He sneered, "Junior Sister, you actually leaked such crucial information to him?"

Qiu Honglei calmly replied, "How can you call it leaking? I'm simply finding potential buyers for the auction. It's well known that Zu An made a lot of money recently. Surely, he's qualified to participate in the auction?"

"Junior Sister, you truly have a silver tongue. I can't argue with you, but how could the Grand Master be deceived by your tricks?" As Gu Yueyi spoke of the Grand Master, a flicker of fear and dread crossed his eyes.

"That's none of your concern," Qiu Honglei said, propping her chin on her hand, leaning lazily against a small nearby table.

Seeing the beautiful woman's graceful figure and captivating charm, a hint of intoxication flashed in Gu Yueyi's eyes. He couldn't help but say, "Junior Sister, you're taking such a big risk for a man. Don't tell me you've fallen for him?"

Qiu Honglei's eyes snapped open, and she coldly snorted, "What's it to you!"

A sudden surge of anger flashed through Gu Yueyi. "What's so great about him, a live-in son-in-law? He just knows how to play a few mediocre tunes, recite some poems, and he's a little bit handsome..." Halfway through, he suddenly froze. Why did it sound like he was praising the guy? This made him even angrier.

Rage value from Gu Yueyi +250!

After finally composing himself, he continued, "Those are just minor skills. Ultimately, this is a world that values cultivation. His cultivation is so low, I don't know what you see in him, Junior Sister! What do I lack compared to..." Before he could finish, Qiu Honglei impatiently snorted, "Noisy!" With a flick of her hand, Gu Yueyi was flung out.

This made Gu Yueyi even angrier!

Rage value from Gu Yueyi +711!

Zu An, seeing the continuous influx of rage values in his system, couldn't help but wonder where this Gu Yueyi had come from. "For a dashing man like me, it's perfectly normal to have a few secret admirers... or envious rivals," Zu An thought, dismissing the matter. Instead, he continued to ponder how to retrieve the salt vouchers.

As he walked, his path suddenly darkened. Looking up, he saw someone blocking his way: it was Wei Suo's elder brother, Wei Hongde.

"Brother Wei, what a coincidence," Zu An greeted, surprised, cupping his hands.

Wei Hongde smiled slightly. "Not a coincidence at all. I came specifically to find you."

"Looking for me?" Zu An's heart sank, wondering if the events of that night at the Wei family's residence had been exposed.

"Brother Zu, don't be nervous. You and Wei Suo are friends, so naturally, you're my friend too," Wei Hongde quickly explained, seeming to sense his apprehension. "The main reason I came to see you this time is that I heard the Chu clan is facing difficulties, and we happen to have a way to help them overcome this crisis."