This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 266 Intelligence Station

Despite having mentally prepared herself many times, Kuang Wenlan will never forget this period of time, nor will she forget the feeling of this moment.

At this moment, as Kuang Wenlan sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to look at the main street of Dingzhou Zhongshan City and feeling the atmosphere of this ancient city, she was filled with boundless emotion.

Kuang Wenlan certainly knew that the world was not good, and that this place was still occupied by the Xianbei people, but as a person who studies history and social sciences, nothing is more exciting than being in the midst of history.

Surrounding Kuang Wenlan were a dozen or so agents from the Bureau of Investigation who had come to Zhongshan City with her. Some were leading horses, and others were driving carriages, observing the place with a sense of awe and reverence.

Although they had lived in Hidden Immortal Valley for some time, the Immortal Cave Heaven was still very different from this historical human city, and some people even felt as if they were in a dream.

"Everyone, please be mindful and maintain a sense of propriety."

Kuang Wenlan reminded them, and the people around her responded in hushed tones, then relayed the message to the others.

Compared to Xiong Xuguang and the soldiers of the reconnaissance platoon who recklessly ventured into ancient times, the dozens of people brought by Kuang Wenlan had undergone targeted training.

Not only did they learn from the experience and lessons of the previous mission, but the personnel were also professionally matched. Apart from a group of military elites, the rest were all genuine agents of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and they improved rapidly with mutual assistance.

Therefore, even though it was the first time that Kuang Wenlan and his group had actually entered an ancient city, they behaved very naturally, and even their observation of their surroundings showed the attitude that that foreign merchants should have.

Around the same time, three other groups of people appeared in other places, far apart, some in Chang'an and some in Jiankang.

Kuang Wenlan, the person in charge, personally went to Dingzhou Zhongshan City, which was the closest place to Taihang Mountain and the power center of the Later Yan Murong clan.

What Kuang Wenlan didn't know was that although each of them only had one life-saving talisman, there were people from Hidden Immortal Valley secretly protecting them.

Whether out of curiosity or for insurance, Liu Hongyu secretly watched Kuang Wenlan's group.

The group of people found everything in Zhongshan City new and exciting, but they quickly settled in.

Kuang Wenlan, the elderly lady, is the mother of a merchant who brought his family here in response to the call of the Emperor of Great Yan.

Murong Chui was not discouraged by the previous setbacks. On the contrary, because of the remaining dragon blood in his body, his energy increased greatly, and he had the idea of ​​working hard to create an unparalleled great cause.

Therefore, Murong Chui's Later Yan regime issued a series of decrees to encourage agriculture, animal husbandry and commerce, hoping to develop the people's livelihood and economy, and also vigorously expanded the army, eager to make the country strong quickly.

After observing for a few days, Liu Hongyu witnessed the brilliance of Dr. Kuang, or rather, the brilliance of this professional team.

This group, along with those who had previously led people into ancient times, were all modern elites, but their methods of action were completely different.

On the very night they arrived in Zhongshan City, the agent in the caravan, who was posing as the merchant's son, brought two people to the inn's front desk.

This inn is a well-known large inn in the area, so it naturally has some connections and background.

The shopkeeper was still calculating the accounts when the agent, using the alias Zhu Lang, approached him with a grin. The shopkeeper glanced at the newcomer, put down his abacus, and smiled.

"Sir, what can I do for you? If you want wine and food, please tell me now, or it will be difficult to arrange later!"

"Oh? I didn't hear about the curfew in Zhongshan City when I came here. His Majesty the Emperor of Great Yan is enlightened and ruling the country. Does the imperial city still have such a rule?"

"Sir, you misunderstand. It's not a curfew; the cook needs to sleep too!"

Zhu Lang laughed, glancing at his two "servants" beside him, the latter also grinning.

"Hahahaha, what am I? I just spend money, right? If I'm willing to spend money, can't I buy something?"

The innkeeper glanced at the three of them, convinced he could see right through them: the servants were arrogant and the master was a spoiled brat.

"Hey, shopkeeper, you're a local bigwig, let's not beat around the bush. We're new here and not familiar with Zhongshan City. Do you know anywhere to have some fun?"

The shopkeeper understood immediately, his smile etched with wrinkles.

"As you say, sir, of course there are. Everyone knows about buying sex in brothels."

"Hey, hold on, this young master isn't into that kind of thing, do you...?"

Zhu Lang held a die in his hand. The shopkeeper glanced at the die, then noticed the thick packages carried by the two servants, and nodded slightly. "He's a gambler."

"Young master, please hear my explanation."

Before long, Zhu Lang left the inn with two servants and went to the place the innkeeper had indicated, with an innkeeper's assistant leading the way.

Outside the largest gambling den in Zhongshan City, the innkeeper's waiter stopped in his tracks.

"Young Master Zhu, this is it."

"Alright, alright, you don't need the rest, it's a reward for you!"

Zhu Lang tossed several thick copper coins directly to the waiter, who hurriedly caught them and picked up a few more from the ground. The weight of the coins was quite pleasing.

"Thank you sir, thank you sir!"

The young waiter left, and the three of them watched as customers came and went, and the gambling den inside was bustling with activity.

"Tonight's mission is to lose money, lose big, and lose as much as possible while keeping it within limits!"

"Understood, young master!"

"Hahahaha, let's go have some fun!"

Led by Zhu Lang, the three of them went directly into the large gambling den called "Xiaoyao Forest".

The Murong clan wanted to revitalize the Great Yan Dynasty and expand its army to prepare various supplies. What they lacked most was money, and the Xianbei nobles had a long enough reach to make money the fastest.

Half an hour later, deep inside the Xiaoyao Forest gambling den, someone came to report the situation for the third time. A somewhat fat man sat there listening.

"Sir, these suckers are getting more and more extravagant. They've lost all their copper coins and have started throwing away silver!"

The gambling den owner's eyes lit up. He got up from the soft couch and pushed away the maid who was massaging his legs.

Before long, in the main hall of the gambling den, the gambling den owner looked down from the second-floor railing and saw the three of them, master and servant, gambling heavily at a table.

But at this moment, it seems that he has lost almost all of his money.

"Open it! I've got a leopard!" "Young master, you haven't placed your bet yet!"

"Yes, young master, if you don't have the money, don't place your bet!"

"Hey, this young master is so generous, how could he be short of money?"

"Hurry up and drive! He's out of money!"

The surrounding gamblers also cheered.

Zhu Lang looked around and saw that his two servants had no money left. He touched his pocket, his face flushed, and then, as if he had made up his mind, he pulled out a white jade pendant with a gold-threaded outer shell and gold threads wrapped around the top.

"Crack~"

"This piece of jade is enough to buy your gambling den. Just bet on the leopard!"

The person in charge was startled and couldn't help but reach out and pick up the jade pendant. When he shone it under the lamplight, the jade was so smooth and translucent that it was a rare sight in the world. The key was that the gold threads on it were clearly visible, and the exquisite craftsmanship was truly a masterpiece!

A priceless treasure!

The astute dealer immediately noticed something amiss, and his heart began to race.

Many people were also taken aback, and some knowledgeable people around them were so impressed that their eyes were burning with envy.

"Young master, I don't recognize this person. How much can I ask for?"

Even if it's ten thousand strings of cash!

"Hey, a piece of jade with some gold threads on it. Ten thousand strings of cash is too much, isn't it?"

"You ignorant bastard, fine, then it'll be a thousand strings of cash. If you don't agree, I'll leave right now!"

"Alright, alright, a thousand strings of cash it is!"

"Buy the deal and leave, let's go!"

When the dice were rolled, it was a small number, and countless people sighed in despair, but even more people looked at the young master who had gambled on the jade pendant.

Zhu Lang slammed his fist on the table, causing the money and dice on it to bounce a few times. The dealer quickly protected the jade pendant.

"Oh, young master, you can't go back on your word!"

As they spoke, several people were already secretly approaching the location, ready to use force if trouble broke out. The gambling den owner upstairs was also watching.

Zhu Lang glanced at it out of the corner of his eye but pretended not to see it, and just chuckled.

"Hey, you country bumpkin, I wouldn't back down over something like this. It's just that I didn't have enough fun today, I didn't win many rounds!"

"Hmph, let's go!"

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he turned and left with two strong servants, cursing as he went.

The three of them left the gambling den. There were still people hiding outside, but they heard Zhu Lang mutter a curse under his breath.

"Damn it, my luck is really bad today. Losing the small amount of money is one thing, but losing the jade token is going to get me a scolding from the old man."

"Haha, young master, just cry in front of the ancestor and this matter will be over!"

"That's all we can do. This small place is so stingy. Dad said he came here to investigate and planned to do big business, but he doesn't even know how to make the guests happy at the gambling table. He's so petty, he'll never amount to anything!"

"That's right, those little tricks are nothing. Our young master just wants to be happy. He's spending the money anyway, he doesn't plan to take it back."

"I'm not saying anything more, it's bad luck!"

The three of them walked and talked until they returned to the inn.

Those who had been listening in the shadows outside the gambling den followed for a while before hurrying back to the gambling den.

The casino owner was admiring the jade pendant in the back, while the manager in the front was boasting about his achievements that night.

"Master, this jade is extremely rare. It's probably comparable to the He Shi Bi of yesteryear. The key is the gold threads on it, which are as fine as hair and each one is distinct. Only a highly skilled craftsman could have created such a piece. It's priceless!"

"Great, this is amazing!"

The gambling den owner felt a pang of regret; he couldn't keep this item and had to hand it over.

Just then, the lookout outside returned and relayed what the three had said to the gambling den owner, whose expression changed slightly as he looked at the manager in front of him.

"What's going on? Are they just letting us lose?"

Normally, the main purpose of the gambling den was to set up schemes that would make people lose, but upon hearing what the three people were saying, the gambling den owner became somewhat unsettled and started to blame the manager.

The person in charge looked aggrieved.

"Sir, they always bet huge amounts each time, and they're willing to spend a lot of money. If they win even once, they'll lose a lot. I can't just let them win."

"Fool! This one jade pendant is worth more than anything. If they're not satisfied, will they come back?"

The casino owner was furious, but he also noticed some information.

"Go find out where they live and what their background is!"

"Yes!"

In the city, any business that makes money, especially the biggest ones, is inevitably backed by nobles from the Great Yan Dynasty, so it's easy to find out information.
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Liu Hongyu witnessed firsthand how Kuang Wenlan used human greed as a starting point, going through the dark side of Zhongshan City, first contacting the gambling den owner, then introducing him to Xianbei nobles, and finally making overt contact with officials of the Great Yan.

Ultimately, Kuang Wenlan and her group managed to build connections and influence in Zhongshan City in a relatively short period of time, convincing everyone that they were a family with a strong foundation who had come to make a fortune together. They even gained the endorsement of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Kuang Wenlan's actions also made Liu Hongyu realize that the truth or falsehood of some information is not important; what matters is the potential profit. As long as the profit is large enough, she doesn't even need her own people to do anything; naturally, there will be plenty of people willing to help them cover things up.

The intelligence stations that the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations planned to establish first were thus successfully put into practice.

(End of this chapter)