Chapter 244: Price Gouging

Inside the Peaceful Peace Inn, Qi Jianzhe couldn't help but lift the brim of his bamboo hat, staring blankly as Chen Ji walked down the stairs and, as if no one else were present, sat down at the only empty table in the main hall.

In the inn, the lame waiter diligently carried a tray, placing out melon seeds and preserved fruits.

Everyone's eyes were on Chen Ji, but Chen Ji acted as if he didn't notice, sitting calmly at the Eight Immortals table, neither avoiding nor dodging the many gazes directed at him.

Qi Jianzhe felt as if something was stuck in his throat and couldn't speak for a long time.

When he finally reacted and turned to leave Longmen Inn, Li Xuan pulled him back: "What are you doing?"

Qi Jianzhe's face was flushed red: "Sister-in-law, why are we still staying here? Look at that boy acting so ostentatious. Let's go, perhaps we can find news elsewhere!"

Li Xuan took a deep breath, interrupting her younger brother-in-law's words: "Chen Ji found clues at this very place earlier, so you and I should also stay here. He arrived in Guyuan ten days later than you and I, yet he was able to discover this Longmen Inn before us. He certainly has extraordinary qualities. If you want to surpass his fame, you must learn from his strengths."

Qi Jianzhe was somewhat unconvinced.

Li Xuan said in a low voice: "Stand still and see what he intends to do."

At the Eight Immortals table, Chen Ji reached out and uncovered the mud seal of the wine jar.

For a moment, everyone's eyes were like torches, staring intently at him, yet no one moved: The news from opening the jar required a large sum of money to purchase, and who knew if this news was truly useful and worth the price?

Anyway, the news wouldn't only be sold once, and no one was willing to be the first to test the waters.

At this time, the old madam from Hongxiu Zhao, her face covered with a silk cloth, laughed lightly: "This young man's face is unfamiliar. I wonder what news he's selling. That brother from the Li family, go and ask."

The man the old madam pointed to completely pretended not to hear and continued cracking melon seeds.

The old madam then cast her gaze to the other side: "That brother from the Zhang family, you go first."

The man surnamed Zhang chuckled: "With Sister Dong here, how dare I act rashly... Third Master."

The Zhang-surnamed man's voice suddenly stopped. He saw Third Master suddenly stand up and slowly walk over to Chen Ji, asking calmly: "May I borrow a bowl of wine to drink?"

Chen Ji looked up at him, smiling: "Please sit.

Xiao Man, pour this elder brother some wine."

Xiao Man quickly picked up the wine jar and filled a bowl of strong liquor for Third Master.

Third Master picked up the bowl with his right hand and drained it in one gulp. He exhaled a breath of wine and sighed: "It's been many years since I've drunk such strong wine."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then picked up the wine jar himself and filled another bowl for Third Master: "When I saw Third Master stand up, the main hall was as silent as a grave. I thought you must have a very high status in the Jianghu of this Guyuan city."

Third Master sneered: "What status? It's all just what everyone says. In the end, it's all just a handful of yellow earth, dry bones under the tomb. Young man, why have you come to Longmen Inn to do business?"

Chen Ji was puzzled. Ordinary people who came to buy news paid, asked for the news, and left. Only this Third Master didn't seem to be here to buy news, but rather to chat idly with him.

He said calmly: "Naturally, it's because I'm short of money."

Third Master sized up Chen Ji for a moment: "Then let's talk about the price."

Chen Ji raised his hand to gesture the price but was suddenly grabbed by the wrist by Third Master.

He looked at Third Master in confusion. In his one blinded eye, there was only a cloudy white, making him look extremely fierce.

Third Master explained with a smile: "You can't gesture the price like that; everyone will see. Don't do this in the future, lest people see you as a fat sheep... Do you know how to show the price in your sleeve?"

Chen Ji replied: "Yes."

Showing the price in the sleeve seemed mysterious but was actually simple: pinching one finger meant one, pinching two fingers meant two. If there were plural amounts, pinching one finger and shaking the hand meant eleven.

If you wanted the other person to lower the price, you would bend your fingers. The more fingers bent, the more you wanted the other person to lower the price.

Before he could react, Third Master had already gathered his palm into his leopard sleeve and extended it to him: "Come."

Chen Ji reached out and met Third Master's sleeve. Inside the sleeve, he pinched two of the other's fingers: two hundred taels of silver. The waiter had said that once the strong liquor was opened, the price of the news would have to be calculated in 'hundreds of taels'.

But Third Master looked at him with a smile that wasn't a smile, and instead turned over and grasped his five fingers.

Chen Ji was startled. What did this mean? The other person was only willing to pay fifty taels of silver?

But the strong liquor had been opened, the mud seal removed. How could it only sell for fifty taels? The bargaining was a bit too fierce.

Just as Chen Ji was about to refuse, Third Master took off a string of Buddhist beads from his wrist and placed it on the table, steadily pushing it towards Chen Ji: "These Buddhist beads can be exchanged for five hundred taels of silver. I'll buy the news."

Chen Ji's pupils suddenly contracted. What was Third Master doing?

The other person first negotiated the price in his sleeve, then suddenly stated the price openly.

He had offered two hundred taels of silver, but the other person had forcefully raised the price to five hundred taels!

But why did this Third Master want to give him money? Who does business like this?

When others heard Third Master's words, they all sucked in a cold breath: Opening the jar was uncommon, but the price of five hundred taels was even rarer. In the past, when the jar was opened, selling a piece of news for two hundred taels of silver was already considered sky-high.

The crowd hesitated whether to buy or not.

At this moment, Chen Ji stared intently at Third Master, and the other person also stared at him. In his one good right eye, the waves were calm, yet there was a trace of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

Wait.

This Third Master didn't seem to care what news he wanted to sell. He was the first to buy, perhaps just worried that he would set the price too low.

Strange, strange, strange. What exactly did the other person mean? Chen Ji was completely confused.

Third Master urged with a smile: "You should tell me the news now. Remember to speak softly."

Everyone eagerly watched as Chen Ji and Third Master leaned closer. Some people strained their ears to listen, but they couldn't hear anything at all.

Li Xuan and the others stood at the door. Qi Jianzhe stood on his tiptoes to look and mumbled: "Sister-in-law, what news do you think this boy is selling that he can earn five hundred taels of silver by just moving his lips? That's worth ten years of my salary! Could it be that he's selling the things we did yesterday?"

Li Xuan thought: "Yesterday's news shouldn't be worth five hundred taels. Perhaps he has more important news. Five hundred taels of silver is enough to buy several dozen maidservants and attendants at the capital's six livestock farms."

At this moment, Third Master suddenly stood up with a startled expression and said: "Is this true?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment: "True."

Third Master cupped his hands: "The Buddhist beads on the table are yours. We will meet again."

After speaking, Third Master turned and left, leaving a room full of people looking at each other in dismay.

Originally, when the price was high, the guests had all hesitated. It was indeed absurd to buy news for five hundred taels of silver, but looking at Third Master's reaction, it was clear that the matter was worth it.

Who was Third Master? He was a giant on the Guyuan road. What news could make Third Master so shocked?

The crowd looked at each other.

Not only were the guests in the room hesitant, but even Chen Ji was confused. The news he had told was about the Jing Dynasty's Tian Ce Army being about to

besiege the city. Yesterday, the Jing Dynasty spies had tried to poison the well water but were stopped by the Crown Prince and the Imperial Guard...

This news was important, but it wasn't necessarily worth five hundred taels of silver.

Just now, after hearing the news, Third Master had clearly put on a show of urgency, which made others' hearts itch unbearably.

But Chen Ji couldn't understand why Third Master would do this.

Chen Ji asked Zhang Xia in a low voice: "Have we seen this Third Master before?"

Zhang Xia shook his head: "No, but listening to his footsteps, he is the one living in the Tian Zi Yi Hao room next door to us."

"It's him!"

Chen Ji's fingers drummed on the table, and thoughts raced through his mind: He and the others had checked into Longmen Inn just ahead, and the other person had followed right behind... The other person had come for him!

Thinking quickly, the old madam from Hongxiu Zhao stood up gracefully, bringing a wave of fragrance as she sat opposite Chen Ji. Her face was covered with a silk cloth, and her charming eyes were like silk: "Young man, can you give me a discount? I can make up the difference elsewhere."

Xiao Man behind Chen Ji wrinkled her nose in disgust: "Where's that bad smell coming from? Who peed in their pants?"

"How can this girl be so mean? Be careful you can't get married!" The old madam glared at her fiercely, took off a string of Buddhist beads from her wrist, pushed them towards Chen Ji, and said with a charming laugh, leaning in close to his cheek: "Come, let's talk closer."

Chen Ji frowned, but Xiao Man reached out and pushed the old madam's head back: "Come, I'll tell you."

The old madam snorted coldly: "Little girl!"

Xiao Man wrinkled her brow: "My young master wants to marry a legitimate daughter from a prestigious family. Don't try to stick to him!"

At the door, Li Xuan's gaze under the bamboo hat was like a sword, watching coldly as the old madam finished listening to the news and stood up to leave. Following her, several people stood up at the same time, eager to rush to sit beside Chen Ji to buy the news.

An Imperial Guard came to Li Xuan's side and asked in a low voice: "Commandant, should we buy it?"

Li Xuan was silent.

Qi Jianzhe said disdainfully: "Buy what? Don't let this boy get off cheap."

Li Xuan, however, opened his mouth and said: "Buy it! Such important news, it's better for us to buy it and report to His Highness first."

He took off two strings of Buddhist beads and turned to point at an Imperial Guard: "You didn't go to Sha Che Street with us earlier, he won't recognize you. You go."

"Yes," the Imperial Guard took the Buddhist beads and went to queue up.

A moment later, the Imperial Guard came back with a complex expression.

Qi Jianzhe stepped forward and asked anxiously: "What news did you buy?"

The Imperial Guard repeated what Chen Ji had said. Qi Jianzhe's face suddenly sank, and he felt as if he had swallowed a fly: They had actually spent five hundred taels of silver on news they already knew, giving Chen Ji money for nothing!

Qi Jianzhe's face was ferocious: "Go get the silver back! Don't let him get off cheap!"

Li Xuan stopped him and said in a low voice: "Once the money is spent, where's the reason to ask for it back? Don't break the rules here. If you've been tricked, don't blame others."

Qi Jianzhe looked at him in disbelief: "Sister-in-law, are we just going to let it go?"

Li Xuan said calmly: "That Chen family boy is also blinded by greed and short-sighted. I overestimated him. If he dares to sell news about His Highness's affairs, His Highness will absolutely not trust him again when he finds out. Let's go, we'll go back and report this matter to His Highness."

Qi Jianzhe's eyes lit up: "Sister-in-law is insightful!"