Chapter 138: The Human Heart is Unfathomable
The Four Seas Camp had a pleasant environment.
Guards in Armor patrolled back and forth. The streets and alleys were peaceful, with no one causing trouble. Even the ground was clean and tidy.
The Bai Family’s contact within the Four Seas Camp was located in a sizable apothecary.
On either side of the apothecary’s entrance hung a white board with a couplet written in black characters:
"May the world be free from suffering; I’d rather the medicine on my shelves gather dust."
Tang Wen, disguised as a middle-aged man, walked in. He nodded at the clerk who came to greet him and was led to a side hall for tea.
He picked up the cup. Inside wasn’t tea leaves, but small, solid granules similar to barley tea.
The taste was quite good, though—mellow and slightly sweet.
Sipping his drink, he waited patiently for about half an hour.
Finally, the person ahead of him left, and Tang Wen calmly walked into the back room.
An old gentleman sat behind a black wooden table, sizing up Tang Wen.
The assessment began.
"If I’m not mistaken, you are in excellent health."
The disguised Tang Wen inwardly pursed his lips. "I’m here to buy hundred-year-old ginseng."
"How much do you need? A few portions? A tael?"
Up to this point, it was a normal conversation.
But Tang Wen shook his head. "Three jin and four taels!"
The old doctor’s expression changed. He studied Tang Wen carefully. "You must be joking, sir. Hundred-year-old ginseng is incredibly precious. How could there be so much?"
"So you’re saying the shop doesn’t have enough?"
"Not enough."
"If you don’t have enough, you can restock from your supplier!"
The old doctor clasped his fist in his palm, stood up, and hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outer door.
He turned back and asked Tang Wen in a low voice, "What do you need me to do?"
"Go to the Four Seas Inn and meet someone."
"Now?"
"Yes."
Tang Wen gave him a room number. It was a new room, not his current Room B.
The old doctor tidied up and left through the back door. Tang Wen took a packet of deworming medicine for his Sand Wolf and returned to the Four Seas Inn through the front entrance.
After returning to his quarters and changing back into his previous attire, he walked into the lobby of the Four Seas Inn.
He ordered some barbecue and beer and began to eat and drink slowly.
There were buckets of ice all around the hall. Outside the window, a massive wooden fan was driven by flowing water.
The fan spun, sending waves of cool air through the room.
The waiter, who had an astonishing memory, recognized Tang Wen as the distinguished guest from Room B.
He immediately sent over an alluring woman carrying a platter of food, saying it was a complimentary dish from the inn.
The prawns were half a hand-span long and grilled to a brilliant red, covered with large chili peppers and sprinkled with bright green scallions. It looked incredibly appetizing.
Seeing that there were women in qipaos sitting at nearly every table in the hall,
Tang Wen didn’t refuse.
He nodded, and the woman took the opportunity to sit down and start peeling the prawns for him.
"Where are you from, guest?"
"The north."
"And where might you be heading?" the woman asked conversationally. Her hands never stopped peeling the prawns, and she would occasionally dip one in sauce and bring it to Tang Wen’s lips.
He wanted to avoid it, but none of the other men in the hall were doing so.
So, he reluctantly accepted the service.
"You have some too," Tang Wen said. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to hide his destination. "I want to go to Ganshan City."
Upon hearing the name, a flicker of fear crossed the woman’s eyes, but her expression showed no surprise. She continued in a gentle tone honed to perfection, "A lot of our guests want to go there."
Tang Wen’s mind stirred. ’Could the Four Seas Commerce Association have a channel? A channel to join one of Ganshan City’s major factions?’
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
He took out a piece of silver and, as if taking advantage of her, tucked it into the woman’s bodice.
The woman’s eyes lit up. Without waiting for Tang Wen to ask, she said directly:
"The Four Seas Commerce Association has connections with all the major factions in Ganshan City. For five hundred taels of silver paid to the Commerce Association, you can meet a Commander from one of the Outer City factions, and the Commander will recruit you personally. For one thousand taels, you can meet an Elder, and the Elder will arrange a position for you within their own jurisdiction..."
’You really can’t underestimate anyone.’
A woman who just peels prawns knew so much.
It seemed the Four Seas Inn was also in the business of selling information.
Commanders are generally Martial Artists.
Elders and Vice Gang Leaders are Extraordinary.
A Gang Leader is at the Gangwu Realm, which is the same level as the Queen.
After finishing her explanation, the woman blinked her glistening eyes at Tang Wen.
Tang Wen took a sip of his drink and said with some pride, "I’m not yet twenty-three this year. I’m a Beastmaster, and I have a Middle-level Exotic Beast, a Sand Wolf."
This was the information for his current identity.
It was public knowledge.
The people at the Four Seas Inn had seen him arrive with a Sand Wolf.
"You’re truly amazing, my lord!" the woman said with great emotion.
But Tang Wen felt her praise lacked sincerity.
’My true strength is only known by...’
’Oh, well!’
’No one knows it for now.’
The woman added, "Beastmasters are rare. You’ll be welcomed by any faction you choose."
After speaking, she used the motion of feeding him a prawn to lean in close to Tang Wen and whisper, "My lord, I don’t know what your personal strength is, but if you’re a Martial Artist, you can save the five hundred taels of silver."
"How so?" Tang Wen asked, his expression unchanging.
The woman didn’t answer, simply peeling several more prawns.
Tang Wen reached into his robes, took out another silver ingot, and pushed it into her ample cleavage.
The woman immediately beamed with joy. "Thank you, my lord! If you stay here for ten days to half a month, you’re bound to run into people from Ganshan City. You’ll meet the Stewards from the major factions. When that happens, you can approach them directly here. Or, you can have someone from the Four Seas Commerce Association make an introduction for a much smaller fee."
As she spoke, she glanced toward the lobby.
The Shopkeeper was standing there, talking with someone.
Tang Wen smiled and thanked her.
The woman said no more, making casual small talk as she poured wine and served food for Tang Wen.
’Staying in Room B for ten days to half a month would also cost over a thousand taels. Why wouldn’t I just spend a thousand taels to join a faction in Ganshan City directly?’
Sensing that Tang Wen was a generous spender, the woman naturally started pitching him Room A.
Silk bedding, pure silver tableware, the finest crystal glasses... Needless to say.
Just for using the lavatory, there were people specially assigned to attend to you.
Tang Wen mentioned a hot towel.
The woman shook her head and straightened her posture pointedly.
The implication was that a hot towel wasn’t nearly warm enough; one had to be more "sincere."
"Then what’s this about not using your hands?"
Men and experienced women all know you have to shake it after you’re done!
The woman just smiled without answering. Instead, she picked up her wine cup, took a sip, and then deftly licked the entire rim.
Seeing the look of sudden realization on Tang Wen’s face, she added, "There are twelve beautiful Maids to serve you. If you’re not satisfied, you can keep swapping them out until you are."
’Testing me with this again.’
’Who could possibly withstand such a test?’
"How much for a night?"
"Only one thousand taels."
Hearing the price, Tang Wen instantly cooled down quite a bit. ’You used the word "only" very well. Don’t use it again.’
The woman was very good at reading people. "Eight hundred taels is also acceptable."
Tang Wen just smiled without saying anything. While walking around the streets earlier that day, he had passed a Baihua Tower, which was aggressively soliciting customers even in broad daylight.
’For eight hundred taels, you could have your way with everyone inside and out, except for the top Courtesan.’
"There are virgins, too!"
The woman leaned closer, her posture deferential, not at all minding that she was exposing herself.
Tang Wen felt a surge of heat, knowing he couldn’t withstand the temptation. He quickly changed the subject, asking which faction in Ganshan City had experts with the Dark Ability.
Unfortunately, the woman was, after all, just a salesperson and a hostess. Although she had seen many Extraordinary individuals, she had never seen them in action, so she couldn’t provide any specifics.
Tang Wen didn’t press her. After eating and drinking his fill, he settled the bill, which came to several taels of silver.
He strolled back to his quarters. Bai You Ruo had already returned after speaking with the contact.
"We have to separate."
That evening, this was the first thing Bai You Ruo said.
Tang Wen took a soft breath. He had expected this.
"I didn’t show my face at the rendezvous just now. Bai Xue spoke to him through a wall."
"You think he can’t be trusted?"
Bai You Ruo shook her head, her expression complex. "The human heart is hard to fathom."
Tang Wen nodded. He had gone to the meeting with another layer of disguise, so he wasn’t too worried.
Bai You Ruo continued, "I made some preparations here before. Afterward, Bai Xue and I might stay in this Four Seas Camp, or we might go to one of the nearby cities."
"Then how will we stay in contact?" he asked, looking at Bai You Ruo.
"We’ll pick a spot. When you need to make contact, pile up three stacks of stones on the ground. I’ll have someone check it periodically. That person will be dressed in white on top and black on the bottom, wearing a conical hat with a green ribbon tied to it. You can have your Blood Crow watch the spot. When you see this person, give the message to them."
Tang Wen nodded.
After a moment of hesitation, Bai You Ruo suddenly placed her hand on Tang Wen’s.