Fairy, don't try to mess with my filial piety

Chu Wuji took another sip of tea and prepared to go into the city, but he really couldn't drink it anymore.

The tea has a very light flavor, like the taste of tea leaves that have lost their flavor and are then brewed again.

It was even worse than the coarse tea I drank on the roadside when I left Yunze Township. The old man there just boiled tea in a big pot casually, but he really put the tea leaves in handfuls, and the tea flavor was very strong.

"Boss, give me some change. I'm going into town to take a look."

"Change? Half an ounce of silver is just enough for a bowl of light tea."

"Sure?"

"No cheating, the price is the same everywhere else! This is good tea I bought from a reputable tea house, top-grade Da Hong Pao!"

The tea stall owner was probably used to outsiders being surprised by the prices, so he remained calm and pointed to the price tags of nearby tea stalls, which indeed showed the same price.

Then he took out an exquisite porcelain jar, which looked like it was produced by a legitimate tea house. After opening the lid, the fragrance of the tea was rich and refreshing, and it was very expensive.

The only difference is that the tea stall owner only puts one or two new tea leaves into the pot each time he makes tea.

There is a feeling of being poor but still wanting to be luxurious.

Chu Wuji was speechless and too lazy to haggle over the half tael of silver. He left quickly and went straight into the city.

"I came at a good time. If I had come a little later, I would have missed the sacrificial ceremony."

If it weren't for the unique opportunity brought by the sacrificial ceremony, it would be difficult to wait for the chance for the Lord of Jieshi City to go out, and Chu Wuji would have no choice but to try "sneak assassination".

Although there are many legends about dragons here, the only time it actually appeared in front of everyone was when the king of the sea-going country sent troops.

Before and after this, no one had actually seen a dragon appear. Even in such a huge ceremony as the priest ceremony, no dragon appeared.

"During the sacrificial ceremony the day after tomorrow, as soon as the Jieshi City Lord shows up, I will blend in with the crowd and kill him directly, then run away."

Chu Wuji's plan had been decided long ago, and he was now strolling on the streets of Jieshi City to familiarize himself with the local terrain and environment.

Find out where the City Lord's Mansion is, where the City Lord's traveling team will appear from, and which road they will take to the Seaview Platform on the coast.

You can't just start surveying the terrain on the day of the sacrificial ceremony.

As he walked, Chu Wuzhi found a familiar shop.

Hailan House.

The store specializes in selling exotic clothing and apparel. The displays on both sides are filled with a wide variety of items: dancers' skirts and gold-threaded clothes on one side, and silk stockings and jade high heels on the other.

Compared to the headquarters in Wenshui County, the merchandise at Hailan House here is obviously much more mixed, and the prices are several times more expensive. It seems that the shop rent has a huge impact!

Chu Wuji had no interest in these strange costumes. He was more concerned about a group of people from the Western Regions in the store.

One of the team leaders asked in an accented voice:

"I heard that Hailan's family is asking around for information about us. I wonder why. Could you please explain?"

Chu Wuji was shocked when he heard this. He looked for the twins and exclaimed:

"Is my good fortune so strong? It's enough to allow me to encounter these Western Region escorts in a foreign country!

But why haven't I seen any big horses?"

Chapter 114: Blond-haired big horse!!

The manager of this Hailan House is a middle-aged woman. Her facial features are somewhat similar to those of Manager Guan. I'm afraid they are from the same family.

She told the escort from the Western Regions, "I don't know the details of this either. I only know that my brother was also entrusted by a benefactor. He said in the letter that he almost lost his life after returning to Wenshui County!"

The leading escort was dressed like a bandit, his skin roughened by the wind and sand, his hair braided into sections that resembled a string of candied haws. He said worriedly:

"What happened? We escorted Manager Guan on his trip to the Western Regions last year. There were some twists and turns along the way, but he made it safely. How come he ran into danger upon returning home?"

"It's said that a female accountant who had worked there for many years falsified accounts to open a shop privately. After she lost all her money, she started to have evil thoughts and practiced some kind of evil magic. I don't know the details, but I plan to return to Wenshui County to visit my brother after the sacrificial ceremony is over."

The middle-aged woman was worried and was really worried about her family.

Chu Wuji took the initiative to strike up a conversation. He hesitated for a moment when he opened his mouth, and was then taken aback by the female shopkeeper, who spoke a long string of hospitality words in one breath.

"Hey, sir, what would you like to order? Our shop, Hailan's House, has high-quality and rare goods. We have all kinds of women's clothing from exotic countries, including hairpins, masks, veils, earrings, pendants, skirts, gauze, stockings, and anklets. We have everything you could want!"

Chu Wuji was choked with emotion. If an ordinary person were greeted so warmly, he would probably take out his wallet and buy something to show his appreciation.

He explained, "Just now I overheard you talking about Shopkeeper Guan. I asked Shopkeeper Guan to inquire about the escorts from the Western Regions."

Those people from the Western Regions all looked at Chu Wuzhi. The leading escort did not immediately believe Chu Wuzhi's words. It was hard to say whether he was just a speculator who was trying to get close to him.

In Jieshi City, everyone wants to climb up and become rich.

He confirmed cautiously:

"My name is Wardfa. May I ask your name and your relationship with Manager Guan?"

The female shopkeeper was also hesitant. She had just finished saying "my brother is helping the benefactor to gather information" when someone immediately came out and claimed to be the "benefactor". How could she believe it so easily?

How could it be such a coincidence?

Besides, it is impossible in terms of time. Who can rush from Wenshui County of Lihuo Country to Jieshi City so quickly?

Hailan House has a very close relationship with these Western Region escorts. Now Wardfa is helping to interrogate their identities, and the female shopkeeper has chosen to wait and see for the time being.

Chu Wuji then explained what happened that day:

"That day, I had just arrived in Wenshui County and was just strolling around. At Hailan House on Hailan Street, I ran into the shopkeeper, Guan, who had fallen ill with hysteria. The housekeeper had invited a man named Master Shancai..."

He explained the situation in detail, pointed out the "Gumantong technique" of Guan the shopkeeper, and finally stated the specific content of the entrustment.

"I told Manager Guan that if there was any news, he could send it to Prince Jing'an's Mansion in Lihuo Capital."

While Chu Wu Ji was speaking, several escorts walked outside the shop to keep watch to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on what was said. This showed that they had already believed in Chu Wu Ji's identity.

I didn't interrupt him because I wanted to use his words to find out exactly what happened at that time. Manager Guan didn't explain it clearly in the letter.

The female shopkeeper came over with tea and said apologetically:

"So you really are my benefactor! We just thought you were a scammer trying to get close to me. Just call me Sister Guan. What's your name, please?"

The escort Wardfa standing next to him also bowed and apologized.

Chu Wuji nodded in understanding and said, "It's human nature to be on guard. My name is Chu Wuji. Don't worry about Shopkeeper Guan. I've simply been drained of my energy by the evil spell. I'll recover after a period of recuperation."

The last sentence is what makes Sister Guan feel most at ease. As long as her family is fine, she is glad.

Only now did she look at Chu Wuzhi seriously, thinking of the fox fairy her brother had mentioned in his heart. This little benefactor might be a cultivator protected by the fox fairy, with pale hair, young and handsome appearance, and excellent complexion.

Sister Guan asked curiously, "Chu Enren, the incident in Wenshui County happened not long ago. How did you get here?"

Chu Wuji said, "Just call me Brother Chu. It's not a big favor. It's really far from here in the Fire Country. I know magic... A friend dropped me off on the way to take care of something urgent. I didn't expect to be so lucky."

He wanted to say "an elder who knows magic", but this would easily make people think he was from a family of cultivators, and then Sister Guan would easily treat him as an immortal cultivator.

I can't even fly or hide, so it's better to keep a low profile, otherwise I'll easily embarrass myself.

He added, "I'm just a rural cultivator who knows a few minor spells. I'm not as powerful as you think."

Wardfa nodded slightly and asked:

"It's better to come at the right time than to arrive by chance. Master Chu has been asking about us for so long, isn't it just a coincidence that we meet now? I wonder what's the matter?"

The other escorts all looked over curiously.

They didn't know Chu Wuzhi and had never dealt with him, so how could he have found out about them for no reason?

Chu Wuji thought that they could finally talk about business, so he quickly said:

"That person stole the remains of my family. I only know she did it, but I don't know any more information. I was surprised to hear that you were also searching for the Scorpion Demon, so I thought I would ask you for some clues and information!"

"So you also... Sorry, I was so tongue-tied and lost my composure."

Wardfa subconsciously wanted to say, "You had things stolen from you too," but what was stolen from Chu Wuji were the remains of his family members. Calling them "things" was disrespectful and could easily offend people.

He apologized, "Let's talk somewhere else! What's the point of standing here all the time?"

Sister Guan also chimed in at this point, saying enthusiastically, "I'll be the host. I'll find a restaurant to have a meal and welcome Mr. Chu. This is to express my brother's gratitude!"

Chu Wuji felt that he was infected with a strange disease of ocean horses, and he was always thinking about ocean horses.

He cleared his throat and asked softly with an awkward yet elegant caution:

"Brother Wardfa, are the people in your escort team the ones here? I heard there's a pair of twins...?"

It is really disrespectful to rashly call the other person's companion a foreign horse. We have just met for a short time, so we should not speak carelessly.

Ward's Law says:

"Of course there are more than just us. If we were to cross the desert with only this few people, we would have died along the way."

Sister Guan was very straightforward. She arranged:

"Then Wardfa, you take Mr. Chu to meet his companions. I'll go order food first. It's the restaurant opposite the government office, the one I took you to last time."

"Okay, Master Chu, let's move on. Let's meet each other first. Some of our companions are at the base."

"Well, thank you for leading the way."

Chu Wuji's face was calm, with a smile on his lips, but he was very excited in his heart.

I've always heard about these twin ocean horses from the Western Regions, and finally I have the chance to see them!

Of course, what is even more exciting is the progress of things. I came to Jieshi City and was able to handle two important matters in one go!

Before, he thought that there would be no news about the Scorpion Demon for quite some time.

It seems that before the sacrificial ceremony the day after tomorrow, we can still make full use of the time to get some clues and intelligence about the Scorpion Demon.

......

On the way to the escort’s residence, Chu Wuzhi asked a little about the local situation and talked about the expensive tea he had drunk outside the city.

Wardfa also feels the same way. He doesn't think that spending money lavishly will make him look noble.

In the escort business, people make money by risking their lives.

It is an obvious truth that if the employer's entrustment is safe, there is no need to find escorts to escort it, whether it is to deliver a token of trust or to escort people.

Therefore, any order that comes into the hands of the escort is only different in terms of the degree of danger, and there is no such thing as an easy and safe entrustment.

It would be really funny if the money earned with one's life was used to decorate one's flashy appearance.

"The people of Jieshi City are indeed too obsessed with profit. It was understandable in the early years, but this place wasn't suitable for farming, and the fruits grown weren't as fresh as those grown elsewhere. They could only engage in small trades like peddling."

"Later on, business started to flourish, and this place became prosperous and lively. Those vendors outside the city who like to carry things are probably not from Jieshi City."

"They're from several surrounding cities. They've heard about the peddlers in Jieshi City who, ten years ago, made their fortunes by walking the alleys shouting and carrying loads on their shoulders. So, everyone gathered here to dream."

"They run a small business, yet they insist on boasting about their exquisite craftsmanship to drive up prices, hoping to achieve high profits and high sales volume, becoming wealthy in Jieshi City and purchasing real estate deeds."

Wardfa pointed to a teahouse on the roadside. It was not a luxurious shop, just like many teahouses in Lihuo Country.

There is a storyteller upstairs, and occasionally a troupe of opera performers is invited to perform, and guests can come here to sit down and drink tea.

"This is a teahouse owned by locals in Jieshi City. The prices are much more normal, cheaper than the tea stalls outside the city. However, during opera performances, the price of tea will be a bit higher."

Chu Wuji was stunned for a moment. He had never thought that the teahouse was cheaper than the tea stall. He smiled and said:

"It's normal that it's a bit more expensive. We've invited the opera troupe, so the tea money is the ticket price for sitting down and watching the opera."

He then asked curiously, "You, the escort team from the Western Regions, bought a restaurant here and are stationed here permanently?"

“I guess so, but there is a story behind this!”

Wardfa remembered something funny, smiled, and then told it to Chu Wuji.

Bodyguards not only undertake escort missions, but occasionally they also monitor the routes and bring in some jewelry and small items from the Western Regions to sell to supplement their pockets.

Jieshi City is obviously the most suitable place to buy, and there are many buyers!

Wardfa and his group of escorts bought a house here in their early years. It was still very cheap at that time, so it was convenient for them to have a place to stay when they came to sell things.

After many years, the escort agency did not develop well, its reputation gradually declined, and it was unable to recruit young escorts to join. When customers saw that you did not have enough staff, they did not dare to give you a commission.

The leaders almost wanted to disband the escort agency and then sell the properties in Jieshi City to become rich instantly!

The profits far exceed those of the past ten years of operation!

"The escort agency was able to start up again. The land that is now the City Lord's Mansion is the property that the leader sold back then."

"......" Chu Wuji had nothing to say and was too lazy to complain.