I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 213 Pretending to be real, Wuhe Water

"Who?"

At the headquarters of the Wuhe Boat Gang, at the entrance of the three-story building by the river, the gang disciple on duty saw a figure trying to break in and immediately reached out to stop him.

Xie Yuan slapped their hands away, stood at the door, straightened his clothes, and snorted lightly:
"Why, you don't recognize me?"

"Mr. County Magistrate?"

The two disciples then saw clearly who was rushing towards them and were stunned where they were.

Although everyone knew that County Magistrate Yao and the gang leader had a good relationship and often had banquets together, the fact that the County Magistrate personally came to the Wuhe Boat Gang's headquarters was...

The two men instinctively felt that something was strange, but as gatekeepers they were naturally unsure, so one of them hurriedly went to inform the higher-ups, while the other immediately led Xie Yuan into the house.

Xie Yuan was invited into the headquarters of the Wuhe Boat Gang with his head held high, one hand still tightly holding Situ Qin's tender little hand.

Situ Qin saw that she followed Xie Yuan and stood in front of the gatekeepers, and the two of them ignored her. Her eyes lit up, and she felt curious and amused, but also very surprised:

"It seems that his secret technique has improved again. In addition to changing his appearance, he has even reached the level where his companions cannot be recognized by the other party. He is much more powerful than when he was in the Censor's Mansion! I don't know what kind of profound and wonderful method it is. It is simply unheard of."

The two of them entered the building. Xie Yuan was still pretending to be serious and pretentious, but Situ Qin looked around without restraint. She saw that the hall of the boat gang headquarters was very wide, with people constantly walking in the middle, and it was very lively. There were two stairs on the left and right in front leading to the upper floors. There were obviously fewer people upstairs, probably where the senior management worked.

The guide led Xie Yuan and the other person upstairs. Many disciples of the boat gang on the first floor saw Xie Yuan and were immediately surprised. They stood aside and whispered with their companions.

A well-mannered Confucian scholar hurried over and saw Xie Yuan at the second-floor stairs. He immediately showed a warm smile and a hint of barely perceptible surprise on his face.

Why is the county magistrate here? And why is his hand moving so strangely... is it twisted?

The Confucian scholar came up and bowed, saying:
"Greetings, His Excellency the County Magistrate! I wonder why the County Magistrate is here..."

"Where is your leader?"

Xie Yuan interrupted directly.

"The gang leader is practicing martial arts, please wait for a moment, I will let him come to see you immediately!"

The scholar's face tensed. Seeing that the county magistrate was so anxious, he thought that something big might have happened, so he immediately went to find the gang leader.

But when he left, he felt a little strange. They had drunk together so many times, so why did County Magistrate Yao look as if he didn't know him?
Maybe he was too anxious... Thinking of this, the scholar quickened his pace again.

Xie Yuan saw the scholar walking away quickly, and the disciples on the boat all looked at him, talking among themselves, thinking:

"We have to hurry up, otherwise if the news gets out, it might attract the real boss here."

When they arrived at a large tea room on the second floor, the disciple who led the way was asking the two to wait for a moment when they saw the Confucian scholar from before leading a big bearded man into the room.

As soon as the big man entered the room, he immediately closed the door. He didn't even have time to make a cup of tea for Xie Yuan. He said in a serious tone, lowering his voice:

"Greetings, Master Yao! Master Yao, I wonder what has happened that has you come here in such a hurry?"

Xie Yuan waved his hand and lowered his voice:

"Boss Meng, have you sent away the latest batch of goods?"

On the way here, Xie Yuan and Situ Qin had already found out the name of the leader of the boat gang. His surname was Meng, and his name was Meng Hesheng.

"The latest batch..."

Meng Hesheng was stunned for a moment, frowned and said:
"Didn't the master say last time that we would transport them away after this month when we had enough people?"

Xie Yuan tilted his head slightly and looked at Situ Qin. Both of their eyes lit up.

I have come to the right place!
Meng Hesheng naturally couldn't see the pretty girl beside Xie Yuan. He just thought the county magistrate tilted his head to think, and then listened to him slowly say:

"It's good that they haven't sent it away. There is one person in this batch of goods that cannot be caught. Take me to see it immediately."

"Can't be caught?"

Meng Hesheng became nervous instantly, hissed, and said hurriedly:

"Mr. County Magistrate, didn't you select the people before arresting them? They are just ordinary people. They can't make any noise after being arrested. How come you arrested someone you shouldn't have arrested?"

"A large family has many branches and leaves, and who can understand them clearly? Take me to see it quickly, or it will be too late."

Xie Yuan said evasively and stood up.

Seeing that Xie Yuan was talking nonsense but responding appropriately and actually getting information out of Meng Hesheng, Situ Qin couldn't help but laugh and admire him.

The two men did a brief investigation before coming, but had no idea how Yao Zhizhang and Meng Hesheng cooperated or communicated, so they could only prepare according to the strategy of "adapting to circumstances".

Now it seems that Xie Yuan has done a good job and has quick reactions. The excuse that there is something wrong with the goods really makes Meng Hesheng nervous. He should be able to take the two of them directly to the storage place immediately. Situ Qin couldn't help but blink her eyes and look at Xie Yuan with a bright glow.

After hearing what Xie Yuan said, Meng Hesheng obviously thought of something and nodded, but his expression was a little strange. He hesitated for a moment and asked:

"Master Yao, have you mentioned this to Mr. Qian? You can just go to him directly. I can't have a say with him."

Xie Yuan paused for a moment and exchanged a glance with Situ Qin.

Who is Mr. Qian?

Aren’t the captured women and children detained on the boat gang?
According to the two men's idea, if Yao Zhizhang and Meng Hesheng cooperated in human trafficking in Wuhe County, Yao Zhizhang should have an overall view of the situation and conceal his tracks, and then Meng Hesheng would be responsible for the specific implementation and the best way of transportation, which is by water.

But now looking at what Meng Hesheng said, it seems that Mr. Qian is in charge of the custody of the "goods" and has a very high status, which Meng Hesheng cannot reach at all?

When Xie Yuan heard the key information, his mind was racing. Meng Hesheng on the other side gradually showed suspicion on his face. He looked at Xie Yuan quietly for a few times and coughed lightly:
"Master Yao, I will definitely report to you and Mr. Qian once the goods are shipped. Even if you want to know, just send someone to ask. Why did you walk straight to my small place with so many people and such a strong fishy smell? It's unworthy of your status."

Xie Yuan looked back at him and snorted coldly:
"Why, are you teaching me how to do things?"

Meng Hesheng's face changed slightly, and he said quickly:

"No, no, Master Yao, I just don't know why you suddenly came to me..."

"I'm so anxious that I'm confused. You don't know how far this matter involves, and you're still asking questions here and there! If this gets out, we'll be finished!"

Xie Yuan waved his sleeves and strode out.

Meng Hesheng's forehead suddenly broke out in sweat after hearing this. The strong man with a beard trotted a few steps, nodded and bowed, saying:
"Master Yao, I'm sorry for being nosy. Can you tell me which family you caught?"

Xie Yuan glanced at him, and suddenly had a mischievous thought. He coughed and whispered:
"Do you know that the King of Pingxi had a daughter..."

"What! We captured the daughter of the King of Pingxi?"

Meng Hesheng's face changed drastically, his body shook, and he roared without controlling the volume.

"Keep your voice down!"

Xie Yuan felt a small hand reaching out from the soft flesh on his waist and twisting him with considerable force. He bared his teeth and said:
"Just you...just us, is it possible to capture her? She is like a fairy in the sky!"

Feeling that the force on his waist was a little weaker, Xie Yuan smiled and continued:

"But the emperor also has three poor relatives, the Princess of Pingxi, and a few civilian friends, escorts, swordsmen, and so on. One of the people arrested this time is an old friend of hers. I heard that now that the fairy sees that her friend is not here, she is already asking about the investigation!"

Meng Hesheng's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and he said bitterly:
"Master Yao, what should we do? If she really finds you here, you may be fine, but I'm afraid even a hundred lives won't be enough to compensate you!"

In fact, she is here now...

Xie Yuan said calmly:
"It doesn't matter. I've already learned about this through my channels. I'll go find Mr. Qian now."

Meng Hesheng nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but urged:

"Master Yao, you have to hurry up!"

"I know."

Xie Yuan was respectfully escorted out of the door by Meng Hesheng, and he and Situ Qin disappeared into the crowd.

"Okay, thank you, Chief Escort. I always feel like you're always taking advantage of me."

In a quiet alley, Situ Qin gently hit Xie Yuan and said coquettishly.

Xie Yuan chuckled and did not refute. Seeing Situ Qin's pretty face turn slightly pink, he did not seem to be disgusted. Instead, he felt that it added to her charm and his heart was moved.

The two looked at each other, both feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat charming, but the timing and location were not right, so they turned their eyes away.

Xie Yuan coughed lightly and said:
"Although he exaggerated at the end and used the princess's reputation to scare Meng Hesheng, and he no longer looked suspicious, but with his secret cooperation with Yao Zhizhang, this matter will definitely be exposed soon."

Situ Qin nodded and frowned:
"There is actually a mysterious Mr. Qian, whose status seems to be higher than the two of them. He might be the mastermind behind the scenes. It's a pity that Meng Hesheng's status is too low, and it seems that he has no direct contact with Mr. Qian, otherwise we can follow the clues to find out."

"Meng Hesheng is quite powerful, but he is just an executor. It seems that the implications of this matter are indeed wider than we imagined."

Xie Yuan nodded solemnly.

Wuhe is a large county at the junction of Yunzhou and Yanzhou. As the local boss and the leader of the most powerful gang, Meng Hesheng naturally has the cultivation of Qi and blood transformation, and it is not weak. According to Xie Yuan, he is very likely to have the corresponding internal strength cultivation, which is much stronger than the original chief escort leader.

As the leader of a boat gang with wide social connections, it is not surprising that he works for the county magistrate and the big shots behind the scenes.

Situ Qin also nodded in agreement, her eyes flashed, and her voice was slightly cold:

"The county magistrate colluded with the local tyrants, and the people here have suffered for who knows how long. If my father were still alive, I would let him know..."

Pingxi Wang started his career in Yunzhou, and he always regarded it as his hometown. He was chivalrous and hated evil since he was young, and he did countless deeds to punish evil and promote good. After he became famous, he returned to Yunzhou several times. If someone stopped him to complain, he would investigate thoroughly. At that time, Yunzhou, although on the border, became one of the cleanest places in Dali.

She frowned slightly and looked at Xie Yuan:

"Thank you, Chief Escort, what are you going to do now?"

Situ Qin admired Xie Yuan's quick response and wit just now. She blinked her big eyes to see if there were any other ideas he could come up with.

Xie Yuan smiled, his figure swayed slightly, and he suddenly grew a thick beard:

"Now? Of course, I'll use the same trick again while they haven't reacted yet."

Situ Qin's eyes lit up, Xie Yuan's idea coincided with hers.

She clapped her hands and said with a smile:

"Exactly! If Meng Hesheng can't reach Mr. Qian, then he should find someone who can!"

The two of them walked quickly all the way and soon arrived outside the county government office.

The county government guard saw a big man coming and was about to shout, but then he saw the man raise his head, revealing his signature beard. It turned out to be Meng Hesheng, the leader of the boat gang.

"Meng Hesheng" cupped his hands:
"Excuse me, I have something urgent to ask you to see Lord Yao, where is he?"

The two yamen runners looked at each other. They knew the relationship between the local leader and the county magistrate, but it was rare for them to come directly to the county yamen...

A yamen runner said politely:

"Boss Meng, please follow me. Master Yao is in the study."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin entered the county government smoothly. When they arrived outside the county magistrate's study, they saw the yamen runner knocking on the door and reporting:

"Mr. County Magistrate, a guest wants to see you!"

"Who?"

Yao Zhizhang's voice came from inside.

"It's... Gang Leader Meng from the boat gang. He's already here."

The bailiff did not let Meng Hesheng wait outside or in the yamen, as it would have a bad impact if he was seen by people coming and going in the county government.

There were footsteps inside the door, followed by a creak. Yao Zhizhang opened the door, frowned, glanced at Xie Yuan behind him, and nodded to the yamen runner:
"Yes, you go down first."

The bailiff bowed and then took his leave.

Yao Zhizhang remained calm and let Meng Hesheng enter the study first. Then he looked around the door and saw that there was no one else. Then he closed the door and asked Meng Hesheng with a frown:

"Why are you here? Is there something you can't say outside?"

He looked at Xie Yuan with a searching expression.

Xie Yuan held Situ Qin's hand, and the two stood in front of Yao Zhizhang. However, it was obvious that Yao Zhizhang's strength was not as good as Meng Hesheng's, and he could not see anything.

Xie Yuan said in panic:

"Master Yao, something terrible has happened!"

"What's wrong?"

Yao Zhizhang's face darkened and his brows furrowed even more tightly. He had worked with Meng Hesheng for so long and knew that he always knew his limits. Since he had come directly to the county government office in such an unusual way, it must be no small matter. Now that he heard it, it was indeed true.

Xie Yuan hissed and said hastily:

"I received a message from Mr. Qian..."

"Mr. Qian?"

Yao Zhizhang looked surprised and couldn't help but speak out.

"Yes, Mr. Qian, you came to me directly. This is really a big deal..."

Xie Yuan nodded his head repeatedly and lamented:

"He asked me about the first two batches of goods. He said there was a problem. A big problem! Oh..."

"What's the problem? Hurry up and get to the point!"

Seeing Xie Yuan hesitating, babbling, and extremely anxious, Yao Zhizhang couldn't help but have a bad feeling in his heart and gradually became impatient.

When Xie Yuan saw that Yao Zhizhang had indeed taken the bait, he felt both disdain and indignation, and thought to himself that this matter was indeed very important to them.

He lamented:

"Mr. Qian said, oh, Mr. Qian's people said that there seemed to be someone who shouldn't be arrested among the recent shipments..."

"Shouldn't be arrested? How is that possible? I have carefully examined the target. His family background is clean. He has been an ordinary person for three generations. He is just a commoner. At most, he is well-off and can't cause any trouble."

Yao Zhizhang said in a deep voice:

"Unless they are from Yanzhou..."

"Yes, Lord Yao is very meticulous and observant. He might have come from there!"

Xie Yuan didn't know what Yanzhou meant by this, but Yao Zhizhang's remarks and attitude showed that he cared more about this matter than trying cases and handling government affairs.

This dog official.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin tightened their grip on each other.

Yao Zhizhang pondered for a moment, somewhat puzzled, but the Meng Hesheng in front of him could not be fake, so he did not think much about it and asked:

"How come Mr. Qian's people found you first... Never mind, did you say who specifically shouldn't be arrested?"

"Mr. Qian wanted to ask me whether the goods had been delivered and where they were delivered, so he hurriedly sent someone to ask, but the previous ones were all delivered honestly according to the time given by the adults, and they would not be with me! Hey, the messenger didn't say much to me, but I vaguely heard that it seemed to be about something, something..."

Xie Yuan lowered his voice and whispered:
"It's related to the King of Pingxi! My God!"

"King Pingxi? King Pingxi has been dead for so many years... Wait, could it be that Situ Qin?"

Yao Zhizhang thought for a while, then suddenly his eyes widened and he actually said Situ Qin's name accurately.

Xie Yuan and the other man were both slightly surprised. Although those with a certain status in the Dali Dynasty were aware of Situ Qin's identity, ordinary people had never heard of it.

A mere county magistrate is naturally just an ordinary person to someone of Situ Qin's level.

Xie Yuan pretended to be confused:
"Situ Qin? Who is this?"

"This is the daughter of the King of Pingxi. Should we capture her? No..."

Before Yao Zhizhang finished speaking, Xie Yuan shouted:

"What! We captured the daughter of King Pingxi!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Yao Zhizhang frowned and shouted, this guy is still so noisy.

Xie Yuan was still shocked and murmured:
"The daughter of the King of Pingxi? My dear mother! Hiss——"

The soft flesh on his waist hurt again, and he couldn't help but hiss. However, Yao Zhizhang just thought he was too shocked, and shook his head in dissatisfaction:

"Of course it can't be her. If we can really catch her, hmm, that would be great. Taking her away quietly would be a great achievement, much more valuable than anything else we have gained in the past two years..."

Yao Zhizhang's eyes flickered, and he didn't notice the coldness in the eyes of the person in front of him.

He hesitated for a moment and said decisively:
"In that case, let's go find Mr. Qian and ask about the situation."

Xie Yuan was delighted when he heard this, but said with a reserved expression:
"Should I go too?"

"Now that things have come to this, let's go together naturally."

Yao Zhizhang nodded, and immediately led Xie Yuan and the other person out of the study. He asked the servant to prepare the carriage outside, and then went out through the side door.

When Xie Yuan saw the unmarked carriage, he looked at Situ Qin and smiled slightly.

Just as he was about to step into the car, Xie Yuan's eyes suddenly froze and his steps froze.

Yao Zhizhang was in the car, and when he saw Xie Yuan pause, he couldn't help but wonder:

"What are you waiting for?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt something strange and turned his head to look forward.

At the entrance of the alley ahead, a tall and strong bearded man was hurrying towards the side door. When he saw me looking at him, he was immediately delighted and rushed over:
"Master Yao, Master Yao!"

"stop!"

Yao Zhizhang suddenly shouted, stopping Meng Hesheng. Then he frowned and looked to the side, only to see that the figure who was just beside him had disappeared without a trace, and his pupils shrank sharply.

What about people?

Yao Zhizhang subconsciously looked around the carriage, but found no trace of the man. It was as if the man had disappeared out of thin air, or had teleported to the entrance of the alley and was running towards him again?
His heart tightened, and he frowned and asked Meng Hesheng, who was standing in front of him, at a loss, in a hurry:

"You came to see me? What's the matter?"

"Um, that's what you just said, I have some questions..."

Meng Hesheng was a little confused and said nervously.

"just?"

Yao Zhizhang had a bad feeling in his heart.

"Yes, you just came to my gang headquarters..."

Meng Hesheng whispered and looked back to see if there was anyone else.

In this alley, besides Yao Meng and the other two, there was only Yao Zhizhang's driver. The county magistrate's driver was naturally his trusted man.

Yao Zhizhang narrowed his eyes and understood a lot in an instant:
"I just didn't go to the boat gang."

"what?"

Meng Hesheng was stunned, and all the doubts that he had suppressed in his heart suddenly emerged.

Yao Zhizhang had already guessed that the person just now was a fake, and probably had been to Meng Hesheng first, and the one in front of him was the real person who was deceived.

However, he still carefully discussed a few secrets with the person in front of him, and only after confirming that the person in front of him was indeed the real Meng Hesheng did his eyes almost spit fire:
"This thief! I almost fell into his trap! I must find him!"

Not far away, Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked at the scene inside hand in hand, shook their heads, and felt a little regretful:
"It's a pity, it was just a little bit close."

"At least it has been confirmed that they are indeed deeply connected, and there is something fishy going on behind the scenes."

Situ Qin extended Xie Yuan's arm from afar to comfort him:
"You've done a great job. It seems you're pretty good at pretending to be someone else."

The two men stayed outside the county government office to monitor, but they found that after Meng Hesheng and Yao Zhizhang discussed for a while, although they were both furious because they were tricked, they did not say anything more. Instead, one returned to the county government office and the other returned to the boat gang.

Bailiffs and officials were coming and going in the county government office, and Xie Yuan didn't know which one of them would go to report the news to Mr. Qian, so he had to temporarily return to the inn with Situ Qin.

"Although we didn't find the kidnapped people or the so-called Mr. Qian today, we still gained a lot."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin sat in the corner of the hall, waiting for the food to be served.

Situ Qin smiled and said:

"In one day, we confirmed that the local county magistrate and the leader of the Dragon Head Gang were colluding in human trafficking, and we also found clues about the person behind it. However, we don't have any concrete evidence. This progress is very impressive."

Xie Yuan nodded slightly and said thoughtfully:

"However, after today, the two of them will definitely be more vigilant. It may not be easy to find clues from their movements and those of the people around them."

"We can't find them, so let them expose themselves."

Situ Qin smiled slightly.

"How to say?"

Seeing that Situ Qin seemed to have some ideas, Xie Yuan asked with interest.

Situ Qin took a sip of tea:
"Compared to us, they are probably more anxious now because they don't know who is tracking them."

"so……"

Xie Yuan's eyes lit up.

"We have just gone to the Gongdao Sect to report the incident, so they will definitely come to us. We will then make corresponding countermeasures based on their actions."

Situ Qin said with certainty.

Xie Yuan nodded:

"Yes, they are even more anxious because they can't find anyone. After all, it seems that they absolutely cannot tolerate the news leaking out. Well, in the end, they will be the ones who can't wait any longer. Miss Qin is really smart. I was just thinking that if it doesn't work, I would use force, tie them up, and torture them to extract a confession."

Situ Qin smiled:
"Captain Xie is obviously a man of great ambition, yet he still likes to use force."

Xie Yuan looked at Situ Qin's pure and lively eyes, and seemed not to notice the ambiguity in her words, and felt a little touched.

Before he could say anything, the shopkeeper next to him personally brought a few dishes to the table.

"The food is here! My dear guests, I'm sorry for waiting for you."

Xie Yuan waited for the dishes to be served and thanked the shopkeeper politely, but he saw that he was in no hurry to leave and said with a smile:

"Since you have come from afar, please try our Wuhe grilled fish, which is both affordable and delicious. You can never get it outside."

Xie Yuanguo saw that there was a grilled fish among the dishes, but they didn't order it, so he raised his eyebrows and said:

"Boss, I didn't order this grilled fish."

The shopkeeper smiled:
"This dish is for you two, free of charge."

Situ Qin's eyes lit up and she said with a smile:

"Thank you, boss..."

Xie Yuan waved his hand to stop her, secretly cursing this foodie for being so easily bribed.

If you were born here, you would be the first to be abducted!

He was slightly alert in his heart and smiled:

"Boss, if you don't do anything, why are you delivering food?"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and laughed:
"You two have come all the way from Nanshan County. I've been there before. It's a beautiful place with clear water and green mountains. The Nanshan Mountain is very beautiful when you look at it from afar. The food is delicious, too..."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked at each other, feeling slightly embarrassed. In fact, neither of them had ever been to Nanshan County. They just made up a faraway place and reported a fake sect. They had no idea whether what the shopkeeper said was true or not.

The shopkeeper continued:

"I saw that you two guests came from Nanshan County, a good place, so I felt close to you. In addition, you two were generous in ordering dishes. Haha, you also asked for two top-class rooms. Naturally, I will treat you two to a taste of my signature dishes for free."

It turned out that because they saw that the two were big customers, they gave them some small gifts?

Xie Yuan believed it a little, but he continued to observe.

Situ Qin smiled and said:
"Why do I feel like you don't want to sell the No. 1 room? When I came into the store to ask you, you said at first that you only had one. Then we asked to change to a No. 2 room, and you said you already had one. It's really weird!"

The shopkeeper showed a slight embarrassment, then stroked his beard and smiled:

"It seems that this lady is going out for the first time? To be honest, according to the rules of the inn, if a young man and a woman come to stay together and they seem to get along well with each other, we often say that there is only one room left... hehe."

Xie Yuan almost spit out a mouthful of tea, but saw Situ Qin blinking her eyes, reacting for a while, and suddenly her pretty face flushed. She glanced at Xie Yuan and snorted.

Although she looked pretty, she had also been disguised. Although not as good as the Heavenly Hidden Technique, at least her true appearance could not be seen. She was just a pretty girl next door, so she was not eye-catching.

Although Situ Qin felt shy, she also found this unspoken rule interesting, so she opened her eyes wide and asked:
"Then if you sell one less No. 1 room, wouldn't that be a huge loss?"

"Lady, you don't know that after this is done, the male guest will often be in high spirits the next day and will burst into tears of gratitude to the inn. The guest at this time is the most generous of all the guests, the most generous of the best, much more generous than guests at weddings, funerals, and high school admissions. With a little promotion of food and drinks, the most expensive items in the store will be sold, and the guest will pay without hesitation! Haha, men... this way of making money, makes much more than the best room."

Not to mention Situ Qin, Xie Yuan was also stunned.

These unscrupulous businessmen have really grasped people's hearts.

He smiled and said:
"The shopkeeper is quite open-minded."

The shopkeeper sat down next to him and waved his hand:
"Haha, I think you two are friendly, so I just said a few more words. It's not a secret. After all, this is something you both want. Maybe all we need is for our little shop to help us break the window paper and make a good match. What's the saying? Helping someone get married is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin both smiled. This shopkeeper was knowledgeable, interesting and talkative. He was a good conversationalist.

The two wanted to travel around the world, and one of the contents was this, to see the scenery and culture of different places, stories and food, to meet different people by chance, and to chat with them. When they go to other places, it becomes a rare memory.

Xie Yuan was chatting happily with the shopkeeper, and seeing that he was a local and seemed to be very knowledgeable, he was moved and asked in a low voice:

"Boss, I want to ask you something."

"Young Master Shi, you can ask as much as you want!"

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and smiled.

"How much do you know about the disappearance of young women and children in Wu River?"

Xie Yuan's eyes flashed.

The shopkeeper's originally relaxed expression suddenly disappeared and turned serious. He looked around and saw that there were no guests in the hall, then he stared at Xie Yuan:

"Young Master Shi, are you asking for fun, or...are you here for this?"

Xie Yuan smiled slightly:
"Why do you say that, shopkeeper?"

"Nanshan County is almost in Shuzhou. We used to be Yanzhou. One is in the north and the other is in the south. The distance between them is more than a thousand miles. Ordinary travelers will not come here. What do you call it? What do you call it? 'Gongdaomen'..."

The shopkeeper muttered:

"You're quite arrogant."

Xie Yuan did not comment and continued to ask:
"What if you're just asking for fun? What if you're here for this?"

"If it's the former, I'll tell you two some fantastic fake stories, and everyone will just laugh it off. You can continue on your way, and I'll continue on my business. If it's the latter..."

The shopkeeper's face was extremely serious:
"I advise you two not to be so insolent and overestimate your own abilities, which could harm your life and property!"

The shopkeeper, who was originally cheerful and carefree, now sounded almost unpleasant.

Loyalty is offensive.

He didn't want these two young men who got along well with each other to get involved.

Xie Yuan's expression changed, and he said deliberately:
"I still don't believe it. Is there really a strong man here? What can he do to me?"

"Brother Shi, listen to me."

The shopkeeper was very serious:
"In the past two years, many kind-hearted young men came here to help Wuhe, and some of them stayed in my shop. But in the end... I never saw them again.

“The water in the Wu River is so deep that even if you tie stones to it, it won’t float.

"I'm not trying to scare you. I won't talk about the small sects. Do you know the Yunshan Sword Sect? Every one of them is a genius, and everyone can become a sword immortal. We are the number one sect in Yunzhou, and the second best sword sect in the world!"

The shopkeeper's tone became a little excited, but very suppressed:
"At that time, a young man from Yunshan Sword Sect also came. That time, I really thought we were saved. However, even though the Yunshan Sword Sect's genius disciple escaped unscathed, nothing changed and he had to leave sadly. As for the others, many have stayed here forever, feeding the fish in the Wu River...

"Brother Shi, if you want to know, I can only tell you that some things are true, but you can't control it, and you will never be able to control it. This matter is not about Yunzhou and Yanzhou. Do you think the masters of Yunzhou Prefecture don't know? It's just that the Wu River flows downstream and directly connects to the Yangtze River. It passes through Hankou and Jinling along the way. Jiangnan is prosperous. How many people have been attracted? How many people..."

The shopkeeper sighed and said all that needed to be said:
“Brother Shi, you are young and may be full of energy, but don’t be too arrogant. Unless you think you are better than the disciple of Yunshan Sword Sect and your background in Gongdao Sect is higher than Yunshan Sword Sect, don’t make a mistake. Even if you are a master, you can’t help this matter... Remember this.”

The shopkeeper was a little depressed. He patted Xie Yuan on the shoulder, gave him a few more earnest instructions, then turned back to the counter and started clacking away on his abacus.

But the sound seems a bit messy.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked at each other, neither in the mood to chat, and hurriedly cleared the table of food, but did not touch the Wuhe grilled fish.

The two returned to the room.

"It seems that the people of Wuhe have suffered from this for a long time."

Xie Yuan shook his head and sighed, obviously thinking of Yunzhao's Yu Chunsheng and the Vajra Sect, and gradually pursed his lips.

But even Yu Chunsheng and the King Kong Sect seemed far less arrogant than the black hands in Wuhe.

"The Yunzhou government also knows about this, but they can't do anything about it. If the shopkeeper is not exaggerating, then this water depth is not the depth of the Wu River, but the depth of the Yangtze River. Is it connected to Jiangnan..."

Situ Qin frowned slightly. Unlike most girls, she didn't like Jiangnan. The things she hated the most were there.

Xie Yuan also snorted:
"If the government can't handle it, I will do it! I still don't believe that I can't deal with this group of officials and bandits who are colluding with each other and engaging in petty scheming."

Situ Qin's beautiful eyes moved and she smiled:
"How are you going to handle this, Chief Xie?"

Xie Yuan's eyes flashed with murderous intent:
"If it doesn't work, then use force! I'm a wanted criminal anyway, so the first time is the last time."

After hearing this, Situ Qin couldn't help laughing even though she wasn't feeling relaxed:

"You are a master at punishing corruption and eliminating evil, and the people are grateful to you! I think the emperor should give you an imperial sword and reward you greatly."

"Why don't you write a letter to your uncle and ask for some sponsorship? Well, if you ask him to send an imperial envoy to investigate, wouldn't the problem here be solved?"

Xie Yuan said half-jokingly.

Situ Qin shook her head:

"Maybe, but I don't want to have any more contact with the Xue family. I'm a commoner now. And if the things here are really connected to Jiangnan, even if he sends people, I'm afraid it won't be easy to solve it..."

Both of them were a little solemn. If the eight great families were involved here and the mastermind behind the scenes was actually such a force, then the two of them had to be careful.

"This shopkeeper is kind-hearted and said a lot of things he shouldn't have said. I didn't take it seriously at first, but now I think I should be on my guard. If things go wrong, let's leave as soon as possible. After all, we have someone behind us."

Xie Yuan said seriously.

Li Xingtuo told him to go back and ask for help at any time. If he didn't use his backing, he would be an idiot.

If Grandmaster isn’t good enough, then is Grandmaster on the Flying Dragon List good enough?
After discussing for a while, the two men became more vigilant about the Wuhe trafficking case and no longer treated it as an ordinary experience.

After chatting for a while, it was getting dark. Looking at the silver moon hanging high in the sky outside the window, Xie Yuan was a little hesitant.

Seeing Xie Yuan like this, Situ Qin became alert instantly. She was sitting on the bed, and immediately pulled the quilt, her voice changed:

"Hey, Xie Biaotou, we have booked two rooms. The Tianzi room is very big... Well, my room is very small."

Xie Yuan hesitated and said:
"Yes, but..."

"No buts! Only one person can sleep in one bed!"

Situ Qin's face turned red:
"The shopkeeper has already said it. Don't think I don't know anything! Humph, man."

Xie Yuan laughed and shook his head:

"I'm not thinking about that. I just thought that maybe someone would come tonight and it would be best if we were in the same room."

"Someone will come to your door tonight?"

Situ Qin frowned immediately:
"I thought someone would come to inquire tomorrow."

"If the shady dealings here are really that widespread, then their methods cannot be underestimated. When you go out, you have to be on guard. It doesn't hurt to have one more hand."

Xie Yuan explained.

He was not the escort leader for nothing. Although his escort career of several months was not too long, he had seen many dirty tricks.

The bodyguard dragged the treasure away openly, and had seen ten times more troubles than an ordinary warrior. Xie Yuan's experience in the martial arts world was not inferior to that of the rookie Situ Qin, but was as good as many old hands.

Situ Qin was very smart and quick to follow advice. She nodded immediately:
"You're right. We should be careful. We just talked about that."

Seeing that she agreed, Xie Yuan got up and went to the next room to pack up his things and arrange things. Then he returned to Situ Qin's room and saw that Situ Qin had already taken out the guqin she brought and arranged it.

This zither seemed to be smaller than the thousand-year-old zither she played at home. It looked a lot lighter and could be placed on her knees without any effort. It was usually placed in a box and carried on her back or on a horse, and it did not take up too much space.

Seeing that Situ Qin was fully armed as he said, Xie Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

The two looked at each other and nodded at the same time, then Xie Yuan blew out the candle.

In silence, Xie Yuan sat at the table and Situ Qin sat cross-legged on the couch.

With the little moonlight coming through the window, Xie Yuan could see Situ Qin's beautiful figure in the dim light. It was unclear and half-hidden, but it added to the mystery and temptation.

The room was silent and dark, with only the shallow breathing of the two people being audible to each other.

In the darkness, Situ Qin suddenly spoke:
"Thank you, Chief Escort, are you really looking for an excuse to squeeze into the same room with me?"

"This room is quite big... No, of course you know what I mean."

Xie Yuan whispered.

"Oh……"

Situ Qin let out a long "oh" and silence returned to the room.

Suddenly, Situ Qin asked again:
"So you don't want to share a room with me? No wonder when I told you there were no rooms, you immediately asked for a room with a big floor."

Ah this...

Xie Yuan was suddenly very troubled when he saw Situ Qin's vague and ambiguous tone.

How should I say this? I want to be close to you? Can I really say this to a noble princess? I'm afraid I'll be called frivolous again.
But if she said she didn't want to, she couldn't say it from her heart. Situ Qin's tone seemed to be dissatisfied?
He suddenly remembered the sage's words, "Only women and villains are difficult to raise. If you get close to them, they will be disrespectful; if you keep away from them, they will complain."

It’s still easy to practice…

Just as Xie Yuan's mind was racing, thinking about how to respond, his ears suddenly moved.

He and Situ Qin moved their heads at the same time, looked at each other in the dark room, and nodded.

It’s really here.

There are many people, including experts.

(End of this chapter)