Start with a red name

Chapter 57: Safe and sound
Let’s go back a little in time.

While Geng Xuan was still buying the special poison on the underground black market, a fat man took out twenty copper coins and handed them to the peddler.

Soon after, he took a portion of stinky dried meat handed to him by the peddler and shared it with a few friends around him.

What these children did not notice was that when the peddler's eyes caught sight of a figure appearing not far away, the mask-like simple smile on his face froze and his eyes narrowed slightly.

The person who suddenly appeared, stood outside the crowd and signaled to him with his eyes was none other than the thin man.

The thin man pointed in a direction, which was the direction of the courtyard where the peddler lived.

The peddler understood what the thin man meant. He wanted him to go home now. Judging from his purpose in coming, he must have something to tell him.

And given that they have no apparent connection with each other, it is indeed not appropriate for them to chat outside.

The peddler glanced at the kids nearby who were arguing over a piece of stinky dried meat, and without waiting for them to finish eating, he walked back with his load on his shoulder.

"Hey, wait a minute, we haven't finished eating yet."

"You haven't even picked up your bowl and chopsticks yet!"

"..."

To him, the identity of a peddler was just a cover, a means. How could he care about a mere pair of bowls and chopsticks?

After the thin man signaled to him, he had already walked towards his house. Why would he waste time for a set of bowls and chopsticks?

Seeing that he ignored them, the group of kids started to share their stinky dried meat and trotted after him.

Although the peddler thought this was a bit noisy, he didn't take it seriously.

After all, his purpose of being a peddler was to "catch kids."

As he walked around the streets of the market these days, many children followed him every day to watch the fun.

Therefore, he had long been immune to the fact that there was a group of noisy children following him, and he even somewhat welcomed it.

When these kids took the initiative to catch up with him, it was even less likely that he would show an aggressive look and yell at them to leave.

You know, children also communicate with each other. If his reputation among the children in Kangleji becomes bad, and he becomes a person who gets angry at children at every turn and makes them feel afraid and dare not get close to him, all his previous efforts will probably be wasted, which is even more unacceptable to him.

So, just follow them, they are just a bunch of kids.

It was not until he returned to the door of his home that the fat boy handed back the bowl and chopsticks, which had been licked clean and had no stains of sauce, to the peddler.

The peddler took it with a smile.

"Your stinky dried fish is so delicious. I want to eat it again tomorrow!" said the little fat man.

The group of children left with some reluctance.

Watching the group of noisy children go away, the peddler turned back into the yard. The smile on his face had completely disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

He gently closed the gate and looked at the thin man who had entered the yard before him, frowning and saying dissatisfiedly:

"How did you come?"

The thin man had already sat down in the main seat in the main hall, washing the teacups skillfully.

He did not answer the peddler's question, but smiled and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? Sit down and talk slowly."

The peddler sat down opposite him and frowned:
"What is there to say? I'm from Sifang Hall, and you're from Dingxing Hall. The most taboo thing in the palace is for us to have private connections outside of official business. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and I don't want to get involved in any more scandals before I leave!"

The thin man smiled and said:
"You are too stubborn. What the palace hates is that the private connections between our two halls can deceive them and make them unable to understand the local situation. It is not that we really cannot have any private friendship at all!
We have worked together for such a long time, and it was fine before, because there are rules. But now you are leaving, and if you don't show any sign of respect, that's not right, right?"

"How do you want to express it?" asked the peddler.

"We are going to prepare a banquet tomorrow night to send you off," said the thin man.

The peddler waved his hand and said:
"I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need for a farewell party.

What's more, given your status in Kangleji, it is not convenient for you to do these things.

Let’s get together again when you return to Yuanjing.”

The thin man seemed to be just following a formal process, and when the peddler refused, he did not mention the matter again.

After that, the two chatted about other things. "It's a big harvest this time, isn't it? When I saw the most, there were at least a dozen kids following you."

“It’s impossible to have so many. Although many children like to watch the fun, they still have some reservations in their hearts. They won’t go to those secluded and remote places.

According to previous experience, we can catch six or seven at most," said the peddler.

The thin man nodded: "This is not a small number. Add the six below, this achievement is already very good."

“Well… However, after we leave, there will definitely be some turmoil in Kangleji. It will be hard to have such an opportunity again within two to three years.

You should be more restrained in your actions from now on."

"This is a good thing. It gives me some free time instead of having to do the hard work of begging on the street every day."

"..."

"..."

"The day after tomorrow I will leave with the people assigned by the higher-ups, and the children will be taken away as well. You don't have to make any separate arrangements. I will speak well of them for you when necessary."

The peddler finally took the initiative to say what the thin man wanted to hear most.

Soon, the thin man stood up and said goodbye.

Neither of them expected that the thin man would "return" again not long after they left the house.

Soon, the two were lying side by side in a way that they had never expected.

When Geng Xuan placed them side by side, they could see each other clearly.

……

Looking at the two people on the ground, Geng Xuan hesitated briefly.

"Should we keep them alive for now, and then kill them after we have squeezed out as much value as possible from them?"

Geng Xuan was very envious of the value that could be squeezed out of them.

But he only hesitated for a moment before resolutely giving up the idea.

Greed without regard to the circumstances can really be fatal!

The action taken against this group of people was already very bold.

If you don’t know when to stop and stop in time, you, the “hunter”, may very likely become the “prey”.

"Put it in your pocket and it's safe!"

Geng Xuan whispered in his heart, and this also made him make the final decision.

What's more, for him, the greatest value is the lives of these two people themselves.

Everything else is just incidental. It is optional to have it or not.

With this in mind, Geng Xuan did not hesitate any longer. Amidst the complex looks in their eyes that contained despair, anger, begging, hatred and other emotions, he stabbed the knife deep into their hearts.

Before long, the two of them turned into two cold corpses.

Two balls of thick red air rushed towards Geng Xuan's eyebrows one after another.

[Capture the remaining energy, do you want to refine it? ]

[Capture the remaining energy, do you want to refine it? ]

"Yes."

"Yes."

【Good luck 30, bad luck 8. 】

【Good luck 32, bad luck 7. 】

The two of them brought Geng Xuan 62 points of good luck, raising his luck points from 4 to 66. His mood became fulfilled again because of his wealth.

(End of this chapter)