Chapter 483: Seeking the Treasure Studio

In the main hall of the library, Wu Jinliang was leaning against the counter, chatting up Third Miss Dong Liangying. The awkward topic of their conversation was his insistence that he truly didn't smell.

He was occasionally interrupted by scholars gathered in the hall, discussing various topics. Wu Jinliang found them annoying; they always seemed to know everything under the sun. Third Miss, perhaps owing to her profession, seemed quite taken with them. Whenever someone recited a good poem, her eyes would light up, and they might even get free services.

Given this, he also wanted to blend in with these scholars, as he too frequented the library to read. However, their poetry recitations eventually put him off, and he finally understood why the Boss could only sit in a corner.

His only consolation was that he could easily deal with all of them, even if they ganged up on him.

Of course, there were occasional moments of satisfaction. Once, he overheard these scholars discussing Shi Chun, and one of them even mentioned his name, Wu Jinliang. He found this quite amusing, thinking, "Even in this remote place, people have heard of me!"

Once he realized this, he stopped bothering with the scholars.

As usual, he failed to win Third Miss's favor, so he eventually gave up and left.

There was no other option; he had important business to attend to, as instructed by the Boss.

He knew very well that if the magical artifacts could be repaired, it would be the most crucial matter at hand. The reason they had been lying low was their insufficient strength, and artifacts were an integral part of that strength.

Improving their cultivation would undoubtedly take a long time. However, if they acquired a batch of high-level artifacts, they could at least avoid most dangers during the period it took for their cultivation to advance.

After all, they had provoked many formidable individuals when their strength was still lacking.

When Shi Chun heard that An Wuzhi's cultivation had broken through to the Earth Immortal realm, he suddenly decided to accelerate the search for the 'Death-Defying Incense'. He could somewhat guess the reason.

They needed a batch of items powerful enough to keep things in check.

Soon, the next day, Chu Jingting, Lao Changtai, and Xiao Sheng arrived in Dazhi City as instructed.

They met on a grassy hill outside the city, a slope visible from a distance as soon as one left the city gates.

Although they were on high ground, tall heart-wrapping grass provided concealment.

The three waited quietly for a while. Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the swaying grass. Before long, Wu Jinliang appeared, riding a thin-scaled steed.

The three, who had been on guard, immediately relaxed and smiled.

Wu Jinliang dismounted in front of them, patted his steed, and let it graze on its own.

The three looked around but didn't see Shi Chun. Chu Jingting curiously asked, "Where's Boss Wu, the Chief?"

This "Boss Wu" was not a formal title but a playful reference to Wu Jinliang's large build, which also flattered his vanity, making him feel superior to them. It was a mutually acceptable nickname.

Wu Jinliang said, "Here, I'm 'Gao He', and the Boss is 'Wang Ping'. If you see us outside, pretend not to know us."

"Wang Ping, Gao He." The three mumbled, then suddenly realized something. They looked at each other, one by one.

The names 'Wang Sheng' and 'Gao Qiang' were not unfamiliar to them; they had all been victims of those names back then. Although the matter was in the past, they wanted to say, "Can't you put more thought into your names? Are you that lazy?"

"Right, down to business. The Boss can't leave right now, so he sent me to tell you..." Wu Jinliang then mumbled out the plan and the scheme on the spot.

A few days later, a shop called "Xunbao Zhai" (Treasure Hunt Studio) opened in Dazhi City, selling various small trinkets and curios from the cultivation world.

It must be said that with money, efficiency was remarkably different. When profit wasn't the goal, a shop could be acquired instantly. When Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang first emerged from prison, just the capital for such a venture would have been a long struggle for them.

As for where the curios in the shop came from, that was even simpler. Young Master Nan owned many similar shops, so Wu Jinliang simply told Chu Jingting to pack up millions worth of items.

These were taken on consignment: they would sell them first and then settle the accounts with Young Master Nan's shops. Unsold items could be returned.

Young Master Nan had initially offered them for free, but Shi Chun refused, insisting on keeping things separate.

Selling curiosities could easily attract trouble, so Young Master Nan had also discreetly contacted his local friends, asking them to keep an eye out and assist if necessary.

For such minor matters, Young Master Nan's influence was considerable.

The shop opened just like that. The three individuals managing it did not work upfront. This was Wu Jinliang's instruction, fearing that once the 'Death-Defying Incense' became known, it might attract people who had seen Chu Jingting and the other two. Front-of-house duties could simply be handled by hired staff.

Nearly a month after Xunbao Zhai opened, once Chu Jingting and the others had gotten a rough grasp of the shop's operations, they released information about the 'Death-Defying Incense' under Shi Chun's direction.

Within a few days, discussions about it began to circulate in the library.

"Have you heard? There's a curiosity shop in the city called 'Xunbao Zhai' that has the 'Death-Defying Incense'."

The sudden chatter made Shi Chun, who was flipping through a book in a corner, look up slightly. It was a bearded scholar.

"I've heard. It's caused quite a stir. I wanted to go in and see it, but you can't look for free; you have to pay. It costs one檀金 just to glimpse it."

"That's right, they say it's their prized possession, not for sale, only for viewing."

"Not for sale? And it costs one檀金 just to look? They must be mad for money. No one in their right mind would waste money on that."

A woman listening nearby suddenly asked, "Is that the item that caused corpse transformations years ago?"

"Precisely, that thing! Nobody would even want it for free, and they're charging to look at it. I can't imagine what they're thinking. Clearly, it's a scam. Everyone should avoid buying anything from them in the future."

"Oh, you're overthinking it. That kind of curiosity shop isn't a place ordinary people can afford to frequent."

Shi Chun listened with an amused smile. As far as he knew, quite a few people had been willing to pay to smell the incense in the past few days.

Having been there for a while, he knew to take such conversations with a grain of salt and then lowered his head to continue reading his book.

He was unaware that Third Miss Dong Liangying, behind the counter, was discreetly observing him from behind a vase.

Initially, the talk of the 'Death-Defying Incense' did cause a stir in the city, and many people went to examine it. Frankly, if Young Master Nan hadn't been proactive and arranged for people to give them a heads-up, something might have truly gone wrong.

This was because some individuals, regardless of whether the 'Death-Defying Incense' was real or fake, tried to take it for a closer look.

As time passed, and another month or so went by, the excitement surrounding the matter gradually subsided. At least in Dazhi City, it was no longer a hot topic.

The results were also unsatisfactory; after all this time, no visibly suspicious individuals had been found.

Wu Jinliang also began to doubt the effectiveness of this method, wondering if they should continue operating the shop, especially with rumors circulating that the 'Death-Defying Incense' was a fake and that Xunbao Zhai was merely swindling money.

Because of this, during his latest visit to the library for a meal, he pulled Shi Chun aside to the back courtyard and voiced his concerns.

Shi Chun thought for a moment and said, "We don't really have any other options right now. Everyone's idle anyway, so don't close the shop. Keep it open and continue to wait. Rumors of it being fake shouldn't bother anyone truly connected to the 'Death-Defying Incense'. If it were me, the more talk there was about its authenticity, the more I'd want to confirm it myself."

Wu Jinliang considered this, then nodded slightly. "All right, I'll tell them later."

Shi Chun asked, "Chu Jingting and the others won't miss anything, will they?"

Wu Jinliang replied, "They shouldn't. I've repeatedly instructed them. The three of them take turns on duty to observe, ensuring no one is missed. They have enough discerning ability, so don't worry."

After the two finalized their plan, they had just walked back to the entrance of the rear courtyard when they suddenly heard Dong Liangying call out "Father" from the front hall.

Then a man's voice asked, "Why are you alone? Where's Wang Ping?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jinliang's expression changed drastically. He softly muttered, "Oh no, the food was bought for nothing."

He then turned and fled, not through the main door, but by scaling the wall from the courtyard directly into the alley. This caused the spirit cat guarding the house to let out an alarm-like "meow," making Wu Jinliang, who had just landed in the alley, run even faster.

Once back on the main street, he finally composed himself. He was about to leave the city for the stable when, after a few steps, he slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten the important matter; he felt it was best to personally clarify what he had just discussed with Shi Chun to Chu Jingting and the others.

And he might as well grab something to eat; he had been saving his appetite since yesterday.

He walked all the way to the entrance of Xunbao Zhai. Since it was their own shop, he instinctively adopted an inspection mindset. He couldn't help but stand on the street outside, meticulously examining the shop's signboard from top to bottom, ready to point out any issues for Chu Jingting and the others to correct.

Before he could even approach the shop door, a familiar "psst-psst" sound came from behind him, calling out, "Little Gao, Little Gao, over here."

Wu Jinliang turned, looking around, and spotted a small food stall diagonally across from Xunbao Zhai. Under the canopy, a thin, wizened old man was vigorously waving at him.

The old man certainly wasn't much to look at: he had a pointed mouth, monkey-like cheeks, shifty eyes, two yellowish, splayed mustaches, and a small tuft of hair on his chin, all framed by a roguish grin.

The old man had a rather feminine name, Huang Yingying. He was a demon cultivator and the husband of a spirit rice shop owner in the city, having married into her family.

He was considered a like-minded friend of Wu Jinliang's here, having met in a brothel.

Their first encounter was in the brothel. Regardless of whether they knew each other, Huang Yingying was in a panic, cornered by the brothel. He happened to run into Wu Jinliang entering, immediately dropped to his knees, hugged Wu Jinliang's leg, and begged for help, asking to borrow money.

He owed the brothel money and couldn't delay payment any longer, or they would go to his wife, the owner of the spirit rice shop, to collect the debt.

The crucial point was, did Wu Jinliang look that foolish? Naturally, he refused to lend money, told him to get lost, and kicked him away.

Unexpectedly, Huang Yingying, realizing Wu Jinliang was an outsider, tried a tougher approach when the soft one failed. Wu Jinliang immediately kicked him, sending him sprawling and howling in pain. Huang Yingying then resorted to being a scoundrel, shouting that he had been assaulted.

Wu Jinliang was no pushover, but this time, he actually fell for it.

There was no choice; he was there incognito and didn't want to make a scene in a brothel, fearing it would affect his image with the three sisters at the library. In the end, he swallowed his pride, paid twenty檀金, and settled the matter.

Afterward, he also figured out Huang Yingying's situation.

With *that* background, he dared to swindle me?

Wu Jinliang immediately retaliated.

The very next day, Huang Yingying, while on the street, was suddenly bagged in a black cloth sack. He was kidnapped without even understanding what was happening, taken out of the city, and brutally beaten. Only after the beating did he see who had abducted him.

Wu Jinliang held a knife to his throat, forcing him to write an IOU for one thousand檀金. He threatened that if Huang Yingying didn't pay, he would go to his wife to collect and have a good talk with her about the brothel incident.