The Heavenly Court is gone, I don't want to be a True Lord.

About fifteen minutes later.

Zuo Qi saw Yang Nuo and the others off with a smile on his face.

He felt that the other party had ulterior motives, and it was definitely not just about Feng Yuan's matter, but he couldn't tell what they were.

Thinking back to Yang Nuo's previous mentions of the Lin family, especially his roundabout inquiry about which branch of the Lin family had sponsored Zuo Qi.

Zuo Qi only knew that it was the main branch of the Lin family, but he couldn't reveal his identity casually, so Yang Nuo gave up.

A thought flashed through his mind: Could it be that Yang Nuo has a grudge against the Lin family?

He Xiao frowned as well. "Brother Qi, Yang Nuo is here to probe our intentions."

Zuo Qi nodded.

"It seems like they have a grudge against a certain branch of the Lin family."

He Xiao was also somewhat puzzled.

……

Yang Nuo returned to the government office, where he was also frowning and deep in thought.

Feng Yuan broke his leg a while ago, and then Zuo Qi and the other two were sent by the Lin family. Could it be that the Lin family knows about him?

The eldest daughter of the sixth branch of the Lin family harbored immense hatred for the Xu family, which made him think twice.

He needs to find someone to keep an eye on these three people. If nothing's wrong, that's fine, but if they were sent by the Lin family, he'll have to make plans soon.

……

On the other side, at the headquarters of the Green Robe Gang.

Chang Kun looked thoughtful as he gazed at the middle-aged man before him.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? Those two little beggars are the same people who worked at the fish market a few days ago?"

The subordinate nodded vigorously. He recognized He Xiao and Ni Heng. Although they hadn't seen each other for a while and their figures and appearances had changed a lot, their accents hadn't changed much, and their facial features were too similar.

"You killed my brother and dare to come back so brazenly? Do you really think that by becoming the Lin family's dog, you can do whatever you want?"

Chang Kun's face showed displeasure.

These outsiders really don't know any manners.

"Master, should we tell Lord Yang Nuo about this?"

"There are rules in the martial arts world... but they don't follow those rules..." Chang Kun said softly.

He also had to be wary of the Lin family behind Zuo Qi and his two companions.

His gaze suddenly shifted to the other side of the dock, letting the Tiger Gang test the waters first.

"You said before that the brewer in the back alley always goes to see those same people?"

"He's the second oldest of the three; they must be having an affair."

Chang Kun stroked his chin. "Does Feng Yuan know?"

……

half a month later.

Zuo Qi and Ni Heng stood in the courtyard, looking expectantly at He Xiao as he walked out of the house.

"how?"

He Xiao's usually composed face was now filled with excitement as he nodded vigorously.

He's broken through to the second level!

Zuo Qi had discussed cultivation with him before and knew that he cultivated the Alchemy of Metal and Blood, and could obtain two streams of Qi and Blood every day. In more than two months, apart from tempering his skin and flesh, he had accumulated nearly seventy streams of Qi and Blood. In addition, he had obtained more than thirty streams of skin and flesh Qi and Blood by refining the essence of the water ghost.

To be on the safe side, Zuo Qi told him to accumulate more in case of any unexpected events.

Yesterday, after accumulating 120 streams of Qi and blood, he attempted to break through the barrier.

Today, all my efforts have been accomplished, and I have finally succeeded in overcoming this challenge.

The three brothers, two of whom were second-tier practitioners, were able to find a place to stand wherever they went.

Zuo Qi was in a good mood, and the frustration of not being able to successfully hunt a water ghost for half a month was swept away.

It rained twice at the dock in the past two weeks, but once during the day when there were many people around and Zuo Qi didn't go out. The other time was at night, but unexpectedly, Yin Jiu, whom he had met before, brought a lot of people over. Not wanting to run into them, Zuo Qi led his two brothers a little further away, but they didn't find the water ghost.

Fortunately, Zuo Qi overheard that Yin Jiu was helping a young master in the city hunt for water ghost essences, and it seemed that they had enough. They shouldn't encounter them again when it rains next time.

"Brother Qi, now that Brother Xiao has also broken through, let's invite Chunniang and Chen Xun, and go to Dangguilou for a meal tonight."

Ni Heng spoke up.

Dangguilou is the best restaurant in the area around the dock, and it's very expensive, but it's always packed with customers.

Ever since Ni Heng learned about this place, he had been wanting to have a big meal, but Zuo Qi complained every day that he wasn't practicing hard enough, so he was too embarrassed to make the request.

Taking advantage of He Xiao's joy at successfully passing the test, it is only natural to bring this up now.

Zuo Qi glared at him. "Tell Xiao Fang and the others to pack up and go back early. We'll go over this afternoon."

Ni Heng nodded repeatedly.

They skillfully helped to collect the dried fish that had been drying.

A few days ago, Zhang Chunfang came to the dock, and Zuo Qi made an agreement with her to send some dried fish to the manor every few days. The profit was not high; after deducting the wages of a few young men, he could earn four or five hundred coins a day.

Its strength lies in its stability.

Of course, Zuo Qi already had the thousand taels of silver that Lin Yuchan had given him last time, so he wasn't short of money.

He also wanted to buy some pills to accelerate his cultivation, but the dock was too small. He went to many pharmacies, but only bought ordinary medicines. He could only go to Fushan City.

……

It was still very late in September when the three Zuo brothers entered Danggui Tower.

Chunniang didn't want to come, but Chen Xun wanted to study and asked his uncle to help him pack some things to bring back.

Zuo Qi didn't insist, so only the three brothers came to eat.

The Danggui Building wasn't very big, only three stories high, with an area of ​​only two or three hundred square meters. It also looked a bit dirty on the outside. Zuo Qi had some doubts: was this really the most luxurious hotel at the dock?

As you step inside, a cacophony of noise fills the air.

There were so many people.

The waiter stepped forward and asked, "Would the three of you like tea or a meal?"

Zuo Qi was taken aback. "You can just drink tea here?"

"Look at what you're saying."

"Then let's serve tea first, and then have dinner."

"Tea is divided into three grades: superior, medium, and inferior. What would you three like to drink?"

Zuo Qi became interested; the more he looked at the place, the more it resembled a clubhouse with a project.

"The best tea, the best food."

"Alright! Three of you in the private room on the third floor, please come in!"

The waiter shouted loudly.

The guests sitting in the lobby all turned their gazes toward it.

Zuo Qi didn't stand on ceremony and went upstairs without hesitation.

Upon arriving at a private room on the third floor, Zuo Qi was speechless upon seeing a beautiful maid sitting inside.

It really is a private club.

Ni Heng's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to start a conversation with the girl.

Zuo Qi and He Xiao found a seat by the window, and the girl began to serve tea.

At first, Ni Heng and the girl only told dirty jokes, and Ni Heng, being a young man from Chu Nan, quickly blushed.

The food arrived quickly, but the taste was indescribable; it wasn't delicious and far from the delicacies Ni Heng had described.

Zuo Qi suddenly spoke up and asked, "Miss, are there three of us, and you're all alone?"

The maid smiled gracefully. "Is this your first time here?"

"Danggui Tower is a place that sells information. The tea and food you three ordered will allow you to ask some good questions."

Zuo Qi: ...

The three of them fell silent.

Those three country bumpkins are really ignorant.

They used to be a place that sold information.

"Whose business is Dangguilou?"

"The name of Mr. Nie Hai, known as the Thunder Hand outside Fushan City, refers to his retirement from the business world and his return to his hometown."

The maid answered calmly.

Zuo Qi had never heard of Nie Hai, but someone who could make a name for himself in Fushan City must be no ordinary person.

Zuo Qi thought for a moment, then asked, "I'd like to buy some precious medicines and secret pills for martial arts cultivation. Where can I buy them?"

"There are three families in Fushan City, namely the Lin family, the Wang family, and the Lu family. Their prices are high, and purchases require registration, which makes it convenient for the government to record the progress of cultivation at any time."

Zuo Qi frowned. He had always known that the Great Yue Dynasty had strict control over martial artists.

"Are there any other places?"

The maid sat up straight. "This news is for your tea money. Every now and then, there will be a black market for martial artists on the Liang River. People with invitations trade on the boats. They gather when it gets dark and disperse when it gets light. You don't need to register what you buy there, and the prices are generally cheaper than those in the martial arts pharmacies in Fushan City."

If the price is cheap, its origin is probably questionable.

Where can I get an invitation?

"Spend thirty taels of silver at Danggui Tower and you'll receive an invitation from the restaurant."

Zuo Qi: ...

Ni Heng asked with a curious expression.

"Did you set up the black market for martial artists?"

The maid's expression immediately changed. "Sir, please watch your words. My master, Mr. Nie, has already retired from the criminal world. Why would he get involved in such matters?"

Zuo Qi then asked, "How much is our table?"

"That's exactly thirty taels of silver. Would you like an invitation today?"

After Zuo Qi nodded, the maid came out and brought a wooden plaque. The pattern on it was somewhat unusual, and the material was somewhat like the horsehair wood that was unique to the Yuncheng Plain. Several wavy lines like river water were drawn on it, and a row of numbers was written below, which looked like the date.

"This is the invitation for tomorrow night. Go to Dongyu Ferry in the evening. There will be some fishing boats there. Show the invitation and they will take you to the big boat."

After the maid finished speaking, she smiled sweetly at the group and said, "Please enjoy your meal, gentlemen."

"That's it? Can't I ask anymore?"

Ni Heng muttered.

Would you like some tea?

The maid asked again.

Zuo Qi glanced at the strange-smelling tea on the table and waved his hand.

The maid bowed, closed the door, and left.

Making money here is fucking easy.

The three of them were thinking the same thing at the same time.