Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“The wine pot with the Dou character came from Li Wanquan, the owner of the Li Family’s Silverware Shop in Zhengyun Ancient City. Trace this thread down...
“The task in Linbian was more dangerous than we thought. The Sect has decided to raise your reward to 150,000. The money should reach your account in a day or two. Keep an eye on it.
“Anyway, contact me or the military if anything unexpected takes place. While there’s life, there’s hope, right?”
On the express train, Lou Cheng rested with his eyes half-closed and recalled his master’s warning. He had received a text message from the bank and his account had almost one million after receiving the reward money.
He had spent a lot of money since the end of June. Over ten nights in five-star hotels, a pair of rings, expenses on his martial arts training, and meals and drinks here and there. He put in the money from the red envelope from the Yan family, but the number in his account still decreased significantly. Thinking about his coming trips to the States, he once again felt financial pressure and resumed the urge to make money.
This 150,000 from the generous Sect came just in time to relieve the pressure on his wallet.
“We are arriving at Jishun. The train will stop here briefly. Passengers who need to get off are advised to wait at the door...”
Lou Cheng, who felt too lazy to play with his phone, stood up upon hearing the broadcast. He grabbed his backpack from the rack with one hand and passed by the stranger sitting next to him to the aisle to join the queue from the gate.
Under the city of Jishun, Zhengyun Ancient City had become a popular tourist place in recent years. Surrounded by layers of hills, the transport was not that convenient with no train services, which helped to maintain its authentic feeling. To get there, visitors had to change buses at nearby towns like Jishun or hire an illegal private vehicle.
Without delay, Lou Cheng crossed the street from the train station and bought a ticket for the next bus service in the transit center.
20 minutes later, he boarded the bus and took an aisle seat in the rear out of habit.
He looked at the empty window seat blankly and felt subsided.
He moved to the window seat and pulled the curtain to block the blinding sunshine.
Then he leaned against the backrest and closed his eyes, thoughts drifting in his head.
From the footsteps and the vehicle’s minor vibrations, he heard passengers getting on and filling up the bus.
Someone stopped by his seat and he opened his eyes and turned his head before the stranger could talk.
“Hi, can we swap seats?” A tall, slim, and bright man asked with a friendly smile. He pointed at himself and a pretty girl next to him. “I’d like to sit with my girlfriend. Please?”
Lou Cheng gazed at them and fixed his black-edged glasses with a smile.
“Sure. Where is yours?”
“Thank you so much.” Obviously delighted, the couple expressed their genuine gratitude. He pointed at a seat in the second to last row. “That’s the only one left. I’m so sorry.”
“No problem. I’m by myself anyway...” Lou Cheng laughed as he walked over with his bag.
The young couple didn’t notice the tinge of emotion in his words and repeated their gratitude with their palms put together in front of their chest devoutly.
Lou Cheng saw the empty aisle seat and the muscular passenger on the window seat in a tight, black t-shirt.
“No wonder the couple asked me instead of him to swap seats...” thought Lou Cheng to himself with a sudden realization.
The girl sitting behind the man in the black t-shirt opened a bottle and some water accidentally splashed forward.
The last row was in a higher position, so the splash went towards the back of muscular man’s head.
In a flash, the man in black slightly moved to the side and the water landed on his seat.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry.” The girl in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals grabbed the bottle tightly and stood up to apologize, very terrified.
The muscular man’s arms were thicker than her thighs!
Glancing at her pretty face and attractive body, the man in black laughed out. “No big deal. Could you please give me some tissues?”
“Of course.” The girl took out a stack of napkins and handed it to the man.
Lou Cheng watched carefully and nodded thoughtfully.
“Absolute Reaction. The introversion of blood and qi. This must be a Dan stage martial artist...”
It was impossible to tell his rank just by his looks.
After wiping the seat, the man in black seized this opportunity to talk with the girl and her friend about Zhengyun Ancient City. It was obvious that he had been to many places and seen a lot. The two girls seemed very into this conversation.
Lou Cheng put his bag on the rack and casually sat down next to the man in black. He glanced at him out of habit.
The man in black withdrew his eyes from this 1.76 meters young man who appeared to be nerdy with the black-edged glasses and light build. He continued to chat with the two girls sitting behind him.
Lou Cheng took a quick glance at him and felt impressed by his tanned skin, the lines around his eyes and mouth, and the short, bushy brows.
Lou Cheng closed his eyes to rest and questions popped up in his head.
“What a chance to meet a Dan stage fighter in Zhengyun Ancient City!
“After all, Dan stage fighters are still humans, and humans like to travel. It’s not that strange for him to come to Zhengyun Ancient City...”
The three of them chatted like old friends, while Lou Cheng slept and played with his phone for 50 minutes until the bus arrived at the entrance to Zhengyun Ancient City under the blazing sun.
Two sections of the old city wall stood there, adding a special local flavor to the gate. Lou Cheng found a spot and took a few photos with his mobile.
Before he could send those photos out, the two girls in the last row approached with a sincere smile. “Hey, handsome boy, could you take a photo for us? One for the two of us and another for the three of us.”
The one in a long, cotton skirt pointed at the man in black.
“Sure.” Lou Cheng agreed with a calm grin.
“A piece of cake...”
He took over a digital camera from the girl in shorts and sandals and fiddled with it a bit before taking two steps back to get in the stance for photo shooting.
Click... Click... Click... Lou Cheng pressed several times and completed the group photos.
“Thank you!” the two girls shouted in unison as they took the camera back. They invited the man in black to check the photos together.
Lou Cheng advanced towards the entrance and sent photos to Yan Zheke.
“Just arrived at Weiyun. Pretty nice here.”
He added a sneer.
“Someone just asked me to take photos for them. How dare they! An utter suicidal move! Can photos that were taken by me be good?”
He looked for the address of the Li Family’s Silverware Shop on his phone and followed the map left at the third intersection to reach an ancient sign.
Instead of going into the silverware shop, Lou Cheng entered the bar across the street and ordered an iced coffee with tea. He then took a seat near the door and casually threw glances at the Li Family’s Silverware Shop.
We might know a man’s exterior, but not his heart. Lou Cheng couldn’t completely trust this total stranger, Li Wanquan, no matter what he would say. And the Army Formula couldn’t be used to threaten or crush someone who didn’t commit a crime or done something evil. Lou Cheng decided to ask about and gather as much information as possible.
He sipped on his coffee and checked his phone for replies.
The screen lit up, but there was no news feed in the conversation after the photos and messages he had just sent.
Slightly disappointed, Lou Cheng thought about the time difference and then shook his head with a bitter smile.
A dozen minutes later, the two girls from the last row of the bus walked by without the man in black.
Lou Cheng rechecked his mobile again out of habit before getting up to pay at the cash register. He lowered his voice, saying,
“That silverware shop seems nice. How is the owner?”
The girl on till looked at his genuine look alertly before giving a vague answer,
“Stingy and shameless...”
Her voice decreased to a whisper that Lou Cheng, with exceptional hearing ability, could barely hear the last word.
He repeated such inquiries sneakily and half of the people he asked refused to answer, while the other half kindly gave him a warning. Lou Cheng drew a rough image of Li Wanquan in his heart before finally stepping into the shop, where he immediately spotted the owner in his 50s with a distinctive pair of triangle eyes.
“What do you want?” asked Li Wanquan in a lazy tone as Lou Cheng approached him, ignoring the salesmen in the front.
Lou Cheng smiled and showed him a photo of the wine pot with the Dou character on his mobile, cutting straight to the point.
“I heard this item came from your shop.”
“Yeah.” Li Wanquan seemed greatly bucked, his eyes shining. “You’re interested? I have more.”
“You have more?” Lou Cheng asked in surprise.
Without a word, Li Wanquan ran to another counter and pulled out a small chest holding several rose pink wine pots with the Dou character.
“Not like this. They don’t have the feeling... You know, that kind of feeling...” Lou Cheng carefully selected words not to leak much information.
Li Wanquan’s face turned darker. “That one was made by my father, and these were by me.”
“Is your father still around?” Lou Cheng asked.
“He passed away ten years ago. He made three wine pots like this. I was tricked into selling one really cheap...” Li Wanquan gave a dirty look.
“Three wine pots?” Lou Cheng’s heart missed a beat as he asked anxiously.
” The one my master has is not the only one!
“So others might have gotten it and this thread.”
Li Wanquan chuckled at his question.
“You want to know how my father made these wine pots?”
Lou Cheng narrowed his eyes and didn’t answer.
“You outlanders are cunning. Two groups already came with the same questions a while ago!” Li Wanquan revealed another shocking piece of information, and his hand made a money-counting gesture.