In Qingshitai there was a wealthy household surnamed Zhao. How rich was this Squire Zhao? Put it this way: of the busiest streets around Qingshitai, with all kinds of firms and shops lining both sides, nearly half belonged to his family.
It was said that the Zhao family’s ancestor had once received instruction from that immortal. Though he had no talent for cultivating immortal arts, he had still learned a great deal of useful knowledge, started his own business, built it up into something vast and powerful, and enjoyed a lifetime of worldly wealth and honor.
But because of the matter with Zhenren Mohe, the Zhao family had also been implicated. Squire Zhao and his two sons had all been taken back to the county seat, and even now they had not been released. No one knew whether they were alive or dead.
Now it was said that several branches of the Zhao family were fighting over the division of the estate, turning the household into utter chaos. Many of the shops along the street had also closed. Some storefronts that had been burned had not even had time to be repaired; they simply stood there, charred and dilapidated, looking exceedingly desolate.
Li Qiuchen circled the great bluestone twice, wondering whether he might be able to find the opportunity Jiang Tingyue had spoken of here.
There were actually quite a few people with the same thought as him. Every day, an endless stream of people came to visit the great bluestone, all searching for immortal fortune.
Of course, the result was the same for all of them: they left empty-handed, having gained nothing at all.
That was only normal. The great bluestone had stood here for who knew how many years. If there truly were any benefits to be had, how could they still be left for later generations?
Perhaps the mass of spiritual qi inside it, after being nurtured for a long, long time, could elevate it into a true spirit stone. But with a human lifespan, one would probably never live to see that day.
Li Qiuchen blended into the crowd and watched the commotion, utterly inconspicuous.
But there were also people whose bearing was clearly somewhat different.
He saw two young scholars who were obviously not country folk standing beside the great bluestone and conversing in low voices, so he pricked up his ears and secretly listened for a couple of sentences.
“The spiritual qi here is thin. I’m afraid completing this assignment won’t be easy.”
“If it were easy, would it still be called an assignment?”
“I really don’t know where to begin…”
“I think you’re simply lazy.”
“It really is difficult. If there’s truly no way, I might as well copy one.”
“Even if you copy, you have to copy something new. Tonight, let’s pay a visit to the local Earth God here and ask about the causes and consequences. That should give us a direction.”
“Such a huge incident happened in Qingshitai. Can the Earth God still keep his position?”
“That’s hard to say, and it’s none of our business. We only need to complete this assignment properly…”
What assignment?
Li Qiuchen was extremely curious, but he did not dare open his mouth to ask.
Seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, and that with his current identity it did not seem suitable to stay at an inn, Li Qiuchen thought it over, then followed the town’s cart drivers to a cart inn.
A cart inn, also called a feather inn, was a kind of cheap lodging specifically provided for people driving carts on the road.
As for the environment, there was no environment to speak of. The air was filled with the stench of horse dung and human urine. Whether it was clean or not depended entirely on the degree of your own fastidiousness.
But it was not without its advantages. At least it was warmer than the wilderness.
As for the other problems, Li Qiuchen did not consider them problems at all.
Staying in a place like this could conceal his identity very well.
At night, some people were playing dice and gambling. Li Qiuchen also squeezed in to join the fun and played a couple of rounds.
With his eye technique, he could naturally see the numbers on the dice inside the cup, but the stakes were not high, so there was no need to cheat. He simply played as luck dictated. After half an hour, he had lost more than twenty copper coins. Under the gazes of the cart owners, who looked at him as if he were a foolish boy and an easy mark, Li Qiuchen withdrew in good time.
Everyone had gathered here from all corners of the land. It was enough to become vaguely familiar with one another; no one would pay too much attention to his identity. Leaving behind a shallow impression was sufficient. That way, even if someone with ulterior motives traced things here in the future, they would not find anything strange.
Caution.
Caution.
Still caution.
When he got up in the morning, Li Qiuchen found a stall and ordered a bowl of wontons with meat and egg, along with two pieces of fried cake.
The steaming hot wontons had just been served, and he was about to pick up his chopsticks when he heard someone behind him say, “Xiaohe, you really are a rich man. Eating meat first thing in the morning?”
When Li Qiuchen had gambled yesterday, he had used a fake name, saying he was called Chu Xiaohe.
He looked back, and sure enough, it was one of his gambling companions from yesterday.
The boy was not very old either, around fourteen or fifteen, named Hu Haier. He had come to Qingshitai with his father, who drove carts, and they were going to stay here for a while.
Li Qiuchen immediately called over the owner. “Add another bowl of wontons!”
Hu Haier chuckled and waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, no need!”
Li Qiuchen glanced at him. “What, you look down on me?”
“Of course not!”
Hu Haier swallowed, sat down beside Li Qiuchen, cupped his hands, and said with a grin, “Thanks, then.”
“What’s there to thank me for over a bowl of wontons?”
Northerners were generally straightforward in temperament, and when it came to food in particular, they were never stingy.
This sort of behavior, which southerners might find somewhat presumptuous and rude, was perfectly ordinary in the north.
“If it’s not enough, order more. No need to stand on ceremony with me.”
Li Qiuchen sipped a mouthful of wonton soup. Seeing that Hu Haier looked a little embarrassed, he could not help raising an eyebrow and asking, “You need something from me?”
“No!”
Hu Haier gave an honest-looking grin, then asked in a low voice, “My dad told me you came down from the mountains?”
“Mm.”
Li Qiuchen nodded noncommittally.
“I knew it. You’ve got so much money, but you still squeezed into the cart lodging with us.”
Hu Haier shoveled a bowl of wontons into his mouth in a few bites. Turning his head and seeing that Li Qiuchen was still chewing slowly and carefully, he could not help curling his lip.
“You got any good mountain goods over there?”
Li Qiuchen glanced at him. “What for?”
“I’m just asking.”
“Are you asking, or did your dad tell you to ask?”
“I’m asking myself.”
A hint of slyness flashed through Hu Haier’s eyes.
“Xiaohe, I know you mountain runners all have mountain goods. If you want to sell…”
“You’re buying?”
“How would I have that kind of money? But I know people who buy.”
Li Qiuchen nodded. He understood. This boy wanted to earn a middleman’s fee.
But a middleman’s fee was not so easy to earn.
The profession of a mountain traveler was extremely dangerous.
Not only because of the dangers in the mountains, but also because of the dangers posed by the people around them.
People in the deep old forests were no different from wild beasts.
Dig up an old wild ginseng, find a lump of dog-head gold, and become rich overnight—human nature would instantly break through the bottom line of morality.
What jianghu rules, what brotherly loyalty… In any case, if they killed you here, no one would ever know.
So mountain travelers were all highly vigilant. Unless someone was a sworn brother who had gone through life and death with them, or a close relative, they would never trust them lightly.
Likewise, they would not do business with strangers.
With a single sentence, Hu Haier had exposed his ignorance, proving that he did not understand the rules of this trade at all.
Li Qiuchen knew a little more than him because he had seen mountain travelers in the village when he was young.
He was not an expert either, but at least he knew some of the ways within.
So Li Qiuchen merely smiled and did not take up the subject.
Seeing no reaction from Li Qiuchen, Hu Haier instead grew a little anxious. He winked and made faces as he said, “Don’t you disbelieve me. I really do know an old shopkeeper. He’s especially righteous and never cheats anyone!”