Chapter 243: Buying a Shop

Chen Ji listened to Xiao Man's hurried footsteps running farther and farther, until they disappeared at the end of the corridor.

He sometimes didn't understand this maid. At times she was foolish, at other times shrewd, her moral compass fluctuating uncertainly.

To say she was a bad person, she hadn't done anything to harm Chen Ji. She had repeatedly secretly picked up the Buddhist sect's passing treasure and then repeatedly put it down.

To say she was a good person, yet she wanted to kill people and sell information...

It was as if when someone was teaching her reason, several pieces were inexplicably missing. Or, perhaps the person who taught her was just like this, and Xiao Man simply learned by example.

Now, the thing Chen Ji understood least of all was why, when she was clearly already an official, she was willing to stay in the Chen residence as a maid.

Just then, the curtain in the room was lifted open, and Zhang Xia walked out neatly dressed, smiling as she asked, "The County Mistress said you had let go of greed and anger, leaving only foolishness. It is indeed so. Over a thousand taels of silver, you just gave it away."

Chen Ji was slightly startled standing by the window. This sentence hadn't been mentioned in a long time.

While he was thinking, a knock suddenly came at the door.

Chen Ji gave Zhang Xia a signal with his eyes, and carrying the whale knife, he walked alone to the door and pulled open the door a crack.

The shopkeeper, dressed in a black cloth shirt, stood outside the door, smiling and cupping his hands, saying, "Good morning, esteemed guest. When you go down to open the altar, I'll instruct my helpers to set a table for you and prepare some snacks and preserved fruits."

Chen Ji, without changing his expression, leaned the whale knife to one side, then pulled open the door, smiling as he replied, "Thank you for the trouble, shopkeeper. We'll be down shortly."

The shopkeeper's words took a turn. "Esteemed guest, have you thought about where you want to go after opening the altar? Jing Chao's Western Capital Road, Feng Sheng Prefecture, is not a bad place."

Chen Ji thought of the wails and bloody smell from inside that secret passage and immediately replied, "I haven't decided where to go yet. I'm afraid I'll have to stay a few more days, in case there's still an opportunity to do business in this Gu Yuan city."

The shopkeeper sincerely said, "Esteemed guest, you are a foreigner and do not know. This Gu Yuan city is very chaotic, especially every time my Long Men Inn opens the altar. It is bound to be a time of demons dancing in chaos. At that time, those coveting the large sum in your hand will be as numerous as crossing-river fish."

Chen Ji countered, "Don't tell me they dare to kill their way into Long Men Inn?"

The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed slightly. "They themselves wouldn't dare kill their way into Long Men Inn... Forget it. Since the esteemed guest plans to stay a few more days, I won't advise further. Otherwise, the esteemed guest might think I have other intentions."

Chen Ji politely responded, "Not at all. I remember all the shopkeeper's good intentions in my heart."

The shopkeeper cupped his hands. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."

"Shopkeeper, walk slowly." Chen Ji slowly closed the room door. At the instant the wooden door completely closed, the two people, one inside the door and one outside, each with their own thoughts, had their eyes turn cold.

The shopkeeper stood at the door for a moment, pondering, then turned and went downstairs, beckoning to Xiao Wu, who was sweeping the floor.

Xiao Wu, with a limping leg and carrying a broom, came over. "What is it, shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper instructed, "Spread the news outside that someone is opening the altar. Let all the powerful people on the street gather here, so this esteemed guest knows what kind of place Gu Yuan is."

Xiao Wu was doubtful. "Didn't you say one of them is carrying lamp fire copper coins? We still want to black eat black, and they are still people Third Master is keeping an eye on. It's not good for us to move against them, is it?"

The shopkeeper calmly said, "We naturally cannot move, but if others move, and we pick up the ready-made, that doesn't count as breaking the rules, does it?"

Xiao Wu muttered in a low voice, "If the supervisor master knows, he will surely be even less pleased with you."

The shopkeeper looked at him coldly. "Do you think I am doing this for myself? How much of the money this inn has earned over the years has been spent on myself? So many people are waiting to eat and get clothes. If we don't earn money, what will they eat and drink?"

Xiao Wu shrank his neck. "Understood, understood. I'll go now!"

The shopkeeper returned to the main hall of the inn.

In less than the time it takes to burn one incense stick, the inn's cotton cloth curtain was lifted open by someone, and six bearded men filed in, finding a corner table to sit down. The six men wore short knives tied to their waists, and the knife handles were inlaid with blue gems, shiny and bright with oil.

The cotton cloth curtain lifted open again, and a waft of fragrant wind rushed in. The old madam from the neighboring Hong Xiu Fang, who still had her charm, waved her silk handkerchief, twisting her waist as she passed by each table, charmingly laughing and greeting people from all walks of life.

One of the men took advantage of her passing by to reach out and try to pull her into an embrace by force. The old madam just lightly laughed, and with a gentle turn of her body, she dodged him like a flying flower or butterfly.

At the instant the two people lightly touched, the man's wrist was cut by a blade hidden in the old madam's fingertip, leaving a long gash, and blood flowed profusely. The man suffered a great loss but didn't dare make a sound, only covering his wrist and escaping out the door.

Someone sitting at a table burst into laughter. "An unseeing thing! Still dare to eat the tofu of the Hong Xiu Fang's Black Widow!"

Local ruffians of various shapes and sizes from Gu Yuan swarmed in. In another incense stick's time, the main hall of the inn was actually full to bursting, with only two tables still empty.

The originally cold and clear main hall of the inn was actually as hot as a furnace, baking, with the greasy smell of leather jackets, the smell of sweat, and the smell of spices all mixed together.

At this time, the door curtain lifted open again, and a blind man with a left eye indifferent walked in. He was wearing a lambskin jacket with a section of leopard sleeve attached.

In an instant, everyone in the main hall stood up, someone surprised saying, "Third Master!" "When did Third Master return to Gu Yuan?"

"How has Third Master been recently?"

Third Master didn't answer. He used his remaining good eye to sweep over the crowd, then as if no one else was present, he passed by each Eight Immortals table and walked to the counter, calmly asking, "Is someone opening the altar today?"

Seeing that Third Master had no interest in talking to them, the guests were not angry and all sat down to whisper.

Third Master saw that the shopkeeper didn't answer and added in a heavier tone, "I'm asking you a question!"

The shopkeeper didn't even lift an eyelid. "Haven't seen a person's shadow for two days. Opening the altar is a small matter, how did it even alarm you, old man?"

Third Master coldly laughed. "Who is opening the altar?"

The shopkeeper casually said, "Just the one you're keeping an eye on."

Third Master's face changed. "Is it him?"

The shopkeeper stared straight at Third Master. "Why are you reacting like this? Who exactly is he?"

Third Master glanced at the shopkeeper. "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

The shopkeeper coldly laughed. "Don't trust me?"

Third Master sneered. "What do I rely on to trust you, Old Two? Lift open the fake skin on your face, shine a mirror, look at the word '降' stabbed on your face, and then come tell me if I should trust you."

The shopkeeper lowered his voice, gnashing his teeth and angrily saying, "How many times do I have to say it, that year it was the general who let me go. If it wasn't for me, Gu Yuan would have been broken that year! The supervisor master all said they trust me, what do you rely on not to trust?"

Third Master looked at him deeply, turned, and went to the empty table in the middle of the main hall to sit down.

The old madam from Hong Xiu Fang waved the silk handkerchief in her hand and asked the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, didn't you say someone is opening the altar? Everyone has put down what they were doing and come over, why is there still no movement?"

The shopkeeper was silent for a moment, then turned his head and instructed a helper beside him, "Go upstairs and urge the guest."

In the room on the third floor, Chen Ji had been waiting from early morning until noon, but he still hadn't seen Xiao Man return.

The helper went upstairs to urge him three times in a row, and with the guests downstairs getting restless, Chen Ji still showed no intention of going down.

When the helper came to urge him for the fourth time, he found an excuse to send the helper away and closed the room door.

Zhang Xia was doubtful. "What exactly did Xiao Man go to do? Why hasn't she come back yet?"

Chen Ji smiled. "Perhaps she really ran away?"

However, just as he finished speaking, Zhang Zheng beside him suddenly said, "She won't run."

"Oh?" Chen Ji looked towards Zhang Zheng. "Usually you and her argue the most fiercely, why are you speaking up for her now?"

Zhang Zheng gave a laugh. "I usually argue with her to pass the time, but I know she has no bad intentions. Although she always chokes me, when we met thieves on the road, she also silently helped me stop them. Last night when she went to touch Chen Ji's clothes, I was awake. I saw her take out the Buddhist sect's passing treasure and then put it back. If she really wanted to run, she should have run last night, not waited until now."

Chen Ji looked Zhang Zheng up and down. "Then will you still argue with her later?"

Zhang Zheng laughed happily. "Argue, of course. Why not argue? I'm idle anyway..."

Before he could finish speaking, the room door suddenly opened, and Xiao Man stood at the door, gasping for breath, glaring fiercely at Zhang Zheng, then said to Chen Ji, "Young Master, I'm back."

Chen Ji smilingly asked, "What did you do? Why are you gasping like this?"

"Wasn't I anxious to come back?" Xiao Man took a deed from her sleeve and handed it to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji unfolded it, doubtful. "You bought a shop?"

Xiao Man explained, "Seeing that Jing Chao will surround the city, I went ahead and bought a grain and oil shop, and the twenty-one hundred shi of grain inside the shop. At that time, as soon as the Jing Chao army arrives, the price of grain will triple! Is this business worth doing or not?"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What time is it? Even if you have a life to earn money, you need a life to spend it."

Xiao Man paused for a moment, then said, "In the backyard of this grain and oil shop, there's a cellar hidden in the well. Even if the grain isn't sold, it's enough for us to hide in the cellar for a very, very long time."

Chen Ji was slightly startled. "How do you know?"

Xiao Man lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Don't worry about that. In short, if Jing Chao really surrounds and traps Gu Yuan, that will be your retreat route, Young Master."

At this moment, a knock came at the door again, and the helper shouted from outside the door, "Esteemed guest, the shopkeeper asked me to come and ask you again, when are you going down?"

Chen Ji put the deed into his sleeve and replied loudly, "Coming."

Inside Gui Zi Street, Li Xuan and Qi Shen Zhe led four plainclothes Yu Lin Army, wearing hats, quietly observing their surroundings.

As the few of them passed by, silk handkerchiefs fell from upstairs like snow, and the sound of orioles singing and swallows chattering was endless.

Qi Shen Zhe said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, why did you bring me to a brothel? Aren't you afraid I'll go back and tell my sister?"

Li Xuan glared fiercely at him. "What are you thinking? I heard that the Long Men Inn on Gui Zi Street is a gathering place for brokers, where news comes and goes frequently. I brought you here to buy news, not to visit a brothel!"

Qi Shen Zhe breathed a sigh of relief. "So that's it."

Li Xuan let the silk handkerchief fall to the side, but his eyes didn't waver. "You and I serve under the hall, but we were previously outshone by that Chen family bastard. If we don't do something again, I'm afraid the hall will think we are useless."

Qi Shen Zhe became interested. "That's right, if that Chen Ji can get news in this Gu Yuan city, we naturally can too... We can't be that much worse than him."

At this moment, several passersby walked over hurriedly, still muttering, "Walk faster, I'm afraid we won't make it in time."

Qi Shen Zhe pulled one of them and asked, "Brother, where are you all going?"

The man who was pulled shook him off. "Someone is opening the altar at Long Men Inn, naturally we're going to Long Men Inn."

Qi Shen Zhe was completely confused. "What does 'opening the altar' mean?"

The man sneered. "A country bumpkin from somewhere else. Opening the altar means someone wants to sell important news, something related to the peace of a city."

Li Xuan and Qi Shen Zhe exchanged glances, a hint of joy flashing in their eyes.

Qi Shen Zhe said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, what a great opportunity, we just arrived and we're already catching up!"

Li Xuan lowered his hat brim and quickened his pace. "Quick, go. Once we get the news, we'll go back and report to the hall as soon as possible."

The few people followed the passersby and hurried to the front of Long Men Inn, lifted the cotton cloth curtain, and ducked in.

Inside the inn, voices were booming, lively to the extreme.

Qi Shen Zhe entered the door and first looked around, excitedly saying, "Brother-in-law, this time we really came to the right place. The hall master went back last night and kept muttering about Chen Ji, praising him for being clever and resourceful, having courage and strategy. This time it's our turn to show our faces."

As he was speaking, the inn suddenly quieted down.

The sound of footsteps resounded, and someone walked down from the stairs.

Xiao Wu was the first to run down the stairs, laughing awkwardly as he cupped his hands and apologized to the guests in the main hall, "Sorry for making you all wait so long, the person opening the altar has finally been invited down by this humble one!" Qi Shen Zhe looked up towards the stairs, his expression suddenly stiffened, and he muttered, "You motherfucker..."