pertwk Chapter 2340 Hidden Connections
Chapter 2340 Hidden Connections
Chapter 2340 Hidden Connections
More than ten years have passed, and Liu Baobao's round face has become square, with a few more wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and her hairline receding. But dressed in silk and brocade and adorned with jade beads at her waist, she seems to be doing quite well.
However, He Lingchuan's appearance had changed, and Liu Baobao did not recognize him. She only glanced at him before talking and chatting with the people around her as she walked towards Hongyan Tower.
As they passed each other, He Ling accidentally bumped into him.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" he apologized immediately.
Liu Baobao was fine with it, but she went up to the second floor of the restaurant with the others.
After the trio had walked more than ten paces, Aunt Zhu finally asked He Lingchuan, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
He Lingchuan gave a soft "hmm." He knew people everywhere in Blackwater City; it was best not to show his true face. "I left something on him. Let's go, let's find a place to stay, then—"
He gestured with his chin across the street: "That little pub, I guess."
Dong Rui said in a low voice, "Don't we have any informants in Blackwater City?"
"Yes, but not many. We don't need them for now. I can ask them anything I want." Cang Yan had stationed three informants in Blackwater City, but this border region had been peaceful for a long time. They usually just recorded the major and minor events inside and outside the city and in the wasteland, and then sent them back to China.
In fact, within this small Blackwater City, at least several forces had stationed spies and were all doing the same thing. The changes in the Panlong Ruins were too subtle, beyond the reach of human perception. Even the spies from Shen Kingdom and other countries hadn't noticed them; only the Spirit Void Saint Venerable had detected a clue.
He Lingchuan didn't need his own informants at the moment, so he didn't contact them. It would be troublesome if they met, as they would be constantly on edge and trembling with fear.
At Hongyanlou, Liu Baobao was discussing business with a merchant. After only two drinks, a wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over her.
Strange, he usually has a good tolerance for alcohol, and besides, he practices a mental cultivation method that strengthens his body, so this little bit of alcohol should be no problem for him...
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The other guests at the table exchanged bewildered glances: "Is Liu Er's alcohol tolerance really that low? He gets drunk after just three cups?"
"That shouldn't be the case. He drank five or six times more last month than he did today, and nothing happened to him."
"Never mind him, let's talk." Isn't it normal for people to get drunk at the dinner table? They'll just sleep for a while and then wake up and continue drinking.
At this moment, Liu Baobao's consciousness seemed to switch back to half an hour ago.
He and several merchants had just reached the entrance of Hongyan Tower when a man came towards them.
Looks familiar.
Liu Baobao stared at him subconsciously for three or four breaths before blurting out:
"Young Master He?"
He hadn't used that title in many years.
"Liu Baobao." The other person smiled, their face sincere. "Long time no see."
"Young Master He, what's wrong with you..." Liu Baobao composed herself, asked the guest to go upstairs first, and then quickly ran over to look him up and down. "You haven't changed at all, no, no, that's not right, you're even more handsome than before!"
He Lingchuan maintained his smile. Over the years, the Nine Nether Emperor had heard countless flattering words, but this one was the most uninformative and the least embellished.
The civil officials of Cangyan racked their brains to sing praises to the Nine Nether Emperor. Their words were so refined and elegant, and their perspectives so unique and quirky, that Dong Rui was dumbfounded countless times.
Not only must the praise be well-crafted and witty, but it must also be original and unconventional. Otherwise, you risk making a negative impression on the Emperor, and it would be better not to say anything at all.
There were even renowned masters who specially composed songs and dances for the Dragon God War, such as "Breaking the Formation" and "Eternal Victory Song," with beautiful and stirring lyrics that were sung all over the Gold Plains.
This is the highest level of flattery.
Even Aunt Zhu, who was constantly exposed to such things, had a wealth of flowery and beautiful words in her mind, instead of just saying "You haven't changed" or "You are handsome and dashing" to praise someone.
He Lingchuan laughed and said, "I thought you had moved inland."
"We went there before, and then we came back." Liu Baobao sighed. "When the He family moved their business back to China, our Liu family went with them. With the Emperor's protection at the time, business was indeed easy. But... but later, the Kingdom of Yuan was in turmoil, with constant wars in the central and southern regions. Our merchant guild and shops were either robbed or suffered losses. In the end, we all discussed it and decided, well, let's go back to Blackwater City!"
The internal strife in the Kingdom of Yuan had lasted for many years. Making a living in the country was not as good as settling down on the border. Although the conditions there were also harsh, at least they were far away from the war and could live a more peaceful life.
The Liu family's business guild was already very familiar with Blackwater City, so they returned to their old business. Although they couldn't make a lot of money, they could at least maintain a stable income.
He Lingchuan pointed at Hongyan Tower: "Did your chamber of commerce acquire this?"
"No, no," Liu Baobao shook her head repeatedly, "It's the Great Shaman Zhaomandu."
"Huh?" He Lingchuan thought he had misheard. "Whose is it?"
“Great Shaman Zhaomandu!” Liu Baobao laughed. “Back then, when the He family moved to the interior, they disposed of most of their businesses in Heishui City. These businesses were mostly taken over by local officials and merchants. Great Shaman Zhaomandu happened to be traveling back and bought three items.”
He Chunhua served as the prefect of Blackwater City for ten years, and controlled many valuable assets in the area. With the He family leaving, the assets they sold off became highly sought-after by the locals.
Even a great shaman is a human being and needs to eat. If he doesn't have any property, will he starve all day?
He Lingchuan immediately pressed, "Which three things?"
"This Hongyan Restaurant, and a house in Tiaoma Lane in the west of the city, with a black gate and a small red doorway above it. Last year during the Spring Festival, my father even asked me to deliver New Year's goods to the Great Shaman, carrying two large boxes." Liu Baobao has a very good memory.
"What's the last one?"
"The old shops on Youhua Old Street used to sell grains and dried fruits, but now they specialize in selling local specialties from other places."
He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat: "Is it that old shop by the red wall?"
“Yes,” Liu Baobao said. “It’s been flooded and burned, and a few years ago it even had a rat infestation.”
"When did the great shaman acquire it?"
“A few months after you moved away, it was priced a bit too high and didn’t sell until the high shaman paid for it.”
He Lingchuan murmured, "So Sun Hongye has to go back to Blackwater City to manage these affairs."
Sun Hongye, being an outsider, had no idea of the Great Shaman's reputation in Blackwater City. She only knew that he was a buyer, and that He Chengshou's sale of his property would naturally attract countless buyers, so she didn't mention him specifically.
"Huh?" Liu Baobao didn't hear clearly. "What did you say?"
"It's nothing. The High Shaman must have gone in to inspect the shop before buying it, right?"
"I don't know," Liu Baobao said matter-of-factly. "But who doesn't check out the place before buying something?"
Properties in Blackwater City are not cheap; anyone who pays for them must inspect them thoroughly before making a purchase.
He Lingchuan stopped dwelling on that and focused on the key point: "Is the Great Shaman currently residing in Blackwater City?"
(End of this chapter)