Chapter 12 First Involvement

  Night, profound

  The wine shops and restaurants on Phoenix West Street were still operating as usual, making the street look bustling at this time. However, compared to the mansion at the end of the street, it seemed particularly special. At this time, there was no light in the mansion, which was normal, but it stood out on this busy street. Generally, wealthy people in the city would not choose to build a house here, and passersby usually walked around the mansion. It wasn't that the place was eerie or terrifying, but rather the person who lived inside - in Shazhou, no one didn't know Master Zhu.

  This is a magnificent and beautiful mansion. A month ago, Zhang San, who bought vegetables at the street corner, didn't notice that he spat on the wall of this house, and as a result, he was never seen again in the street corner. Ten days ago, an outsider merchant accidentally fell in front of the house and cursed unintentionally, and the next day, the government received a report saying that an outsider merchant was robbed and killed last night. The day before yesterday, A Fu from Wang Dajie's family whispered in the backyard of this mansion, and that night, a dog that seemed to have died suddenly was found at the end of the alley.

  At midnight, a black shadow flashed through the house. In ancient times, people usually went to bed early and had no entertainment at night. It was rare for someone to be hiding in the study practicing calligraphy so late at night. Hearing the noise outside, the person inside didn't even lift their head: "Who allowed you to speak out of turn?"

  "Subordinates should know their mistakes, subordinates shouldn't dare to guess the superior's intentions on their own, please, sir, forgive me." The person in front of him, wearing a night-traveling outfit, could tell from his lightness that he was definitely a high-ranking martial artist. But such a person actually showed such respect and even a hint of fear in his trembling voice in front of this slightly lazy-looking young man. When the moonlight shone on the visitor's face, fortunately, he was wearing half a mask to cover up his panic, so as not to appear too weak in front of his superior.

  The young man slightly furrowed his brow, casually throwing the brush aside, seemingly dissatisfied with the previous stroke. The youth in front of him, who smiled warmly like jade, was surprisingly the one known as "Zhu Ye" to outsiders. Whenever others heard the name Zhu Ye, they thought it should belong to a slightly plump middle-aged man, but instead, this young man made those who had seen him before feel utterly astonished.

  "You know what kind of punishment you'll get, just don't let me know if you approach them again." Although the young man's face was smiling and his tone was warm, the newcomer's heart skipped a beat, and he only muttered "yes" before disappearing like a gust of wind. Not long after the newcomer left, a middle-aged man in a green robe suddenly appeared in the study, silent as a ghost: "Young Master, please forgive me for speaking out of turn, but although Meng Tang was reckless this time, if we get rid of Liu Yi, won't it be easier to find out what happened to that thing?"

  The young master chuckled and said, "Isn't she going to do business? This cat catching mice also has another way of playing. Many things don't need to be found by oneself, there will always be someone who presents them with both hands." It was obviously an early summer night, but even the middle-aged uncle behind him let out a cold sweat when he saw the young master being assigned to his side. When he looked at that thin and weak figure, the middle-aged uncle also sighed.

  And then Qiuxi followed Mr. Gan to that strange shop, when Qiuxi saw the name of the shop, she was shocked again, Guo Ran Shop, wasn't it the one below Da Yang Department Store? How did they end up here? Could it be... Was the owner of this shop also a time-traveler? Was she ill? Why did everyone seem to be a time-traveler? Just now, she was still complaining that Gan Fox Spirit was stingy and brought her to such a broken-down shop. But at this moment, she felt a thread of warmth in her heart. Although in her previous life, she was pursued by loan sharks and had nowhere to turn, those painful and sweet memories were precious to her now. The bits and pieces of her past life were also stirred up by this small, broken-down shop.

  "Mr. Jing is here!" The boss, who was gazing up at the stars at a 45-degree angle just a moment before, hurriedly came over to greet him. Mr. Jing? So the gentleman's name was Gan Jing. Clean? No wonder he only wore white clothes. No wonder he didn't want to tell others his name. But did people still use the word "clean" in this era? Was Mr. Gan also a newcomer?

  It's true that you can't judge a person by their appearance. Gan Jing said something to the boss of the shop, but Qī Xiǎo didn't pay attention, she just saw the uncle who looked a bit shifty put a small bowl in front of her and told her it was the shop's signature dessert, double-skinned milk custard, and Qī Xiǎo got excited almost to the point of screaming, it was still chestnut flavor, her favorite.

  After eating to her heart's content, she raised her eyes to look at Gan Jing, only to find him smiling slightly as he gazed at her. He had the same expression when they were negotiating terms in the inn. Gan Jing pulled out a folding fan from his sleeve and snapped it open with a crisp sound. These ancient people always thought that fanning themselves made them appear elegant and refined, considering themselves to be romantic scholars. Since Gan Jing didn't speak up, she pretended not to notice and remained silent.

  The two of them just sat there, staring at each other with big, smiling eyes. However, Qi Xie didn't have the patience to sit there with him for long, so she yawned and pretended to want to leave. Gan Jing wasn't in a hurry, closed his fan and blocked Qi Xie's path: "Are you full? Was it delicious? I wouldn't introduce something that's not good. I wonder if Miss Liu is interested in discussing business with me?"

  "Qī xiàng originally wanted to do business, and upon hearing Gān Jìng's proposal, his eyes lit up. However, doing business with such a cunning person still carries some risk. Nevertheless, he decided to listen: 'Oh? I have no capital and no skills, what bargaining chips could I possibly have to trade with you, sir?'"

  "I'm telling you, if you have it, you have it. I don't need your money, and I don't need any special skills to do this thing. I just want you to clearly tell me some things, and this business will be yours, and in the future, there will naturally be a share for you." Seeing Qi Xian's puzzled face, Gan Jing continued, "Actually, it's about what happened last time. My father likes to travel around the world and has the habit of recording everything he sees. I first saw this insect grass in my father's notes. This thing was originally a rare thing in Yunzhong City, and since it was given by Moon Mother, who hasn't left Tanggula Mountain for many years, that place must be where the insect grass grows. I think you should know more about the insect grass than me."

  Seven strands of thought turned, and it turned out that Sweet Fox was the one who came up with the idea of digging Cordyceps sinensis. Although she had never seen winter worm grass before, in her past life she had heard a lot about it on TV. Since moving her mouth could bring benefits, why not? It's just that this thing has too strong seasonal fluctuations, and maybe it will take a long time to get the benefits. Let's just consider it as making some extra money: "Okay, I'll take care of this business. However, it's too late now, and this place isn't suitable for talking."

  "If Miss doesn't mind, she can temporarily stay at my place, and I'll arrange for someone to pick her up soon. After all, you're injured, and as a young lady living outside, staying in an inn isn't ideal." Although he spoke humbly, Gan Jing gazed steadily at Qi Xie, knowing her too well. He often saw her frowning, probably tired of staying in the inn. However, when he invited Lao Da and Qi Xie to stay at his place, he genuinely wanted to repay Lao Da's kindness, but what Miss thought was still unknown.