I'm not a fortune teller.

Chapter 4: The asshole is so black!

"It's really incredible!"

The people accompanying them looked at all this in amazement. Although Heishui County had a dock, it could only serve as a fishing boat dock because the water was too shallow and there were many undercurrents. In addition, due to the frequent wars in recent years and the repeated outbreaks of epidemics in the river, not many people were willing to fish here. The former Lishui County has become the current Heishui County.

But now it looks completely different, the clear river water, the dock that is more prosperous than Beihai City, it is really another world.
"These dock workers are not normal." The pale-faced scholar coughed lightly and frowned as he looked at the sturdy men coming and going on the dock.

The people accompanying him all had strange expressions on their faces. How could anything be normal now that they were in the Painting Market?

Master Tian understood what the other party said, and nodded slightly, saying, "You are right."

These workers on the dock are all so muscular that it's almost ridiculous. In the winter weather, they are all shirtless, with their solid muscles emitting rising heat. They are more muscular than the elite soldiers in the army. Yet, at this moment, they are all willing to be helpers on the dock, and they don't seem to be aggrieved at all.

The key is whether those people are real or fake?
The scholar turned to look at Master Tian with a puzzled expression, and Master Tian also shook his head slightly.

The people in the painting city should not be real, but can such a strong warrior be drawn? If it is possible, it would be a bit scary. If anything can be drawn, then can an army be drawn?
"Do the officials need help?"

Not long after they got off the boat, several people surrounded them.

The accompanying guards were vigilantly protecting Master Tian and the scholar. Master Tian thought for a moment and said with a smile, "There are indeed some goods on the ship. How much will you pay me if I help carry them?"

"You can rest assured about this, sir!" Several strong men patted their chests and said, "We brothers are famous for our affordability at this dock. No one can be cheaper than us. Why don't we weigh the goods first?"

"Okay." Master Tian hesitated for a moment but finally nodded in agreement. He had to take the first step.

Upon hearing this, several strong men quickly entered the boat and carried the goods down. They didn't even use a scale, but just weighed them in their hands and said confidently, "Sir, you brought good goods. Rice, wheat, and fine beans are in short supply recently. How about two taels?"

"Is this considered cheap?" The head of the guard stepped forward and said coldly, "In Beihai City, even in winter when dock workers are in great demand, the price triples to only one or two hundred coins to move these goods. You're asking for two taels?"

Upon hearing this, the helpers looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Then the man who had just asked for the price suddenly smiled and said, "Sir, you are right. How about half a tael?"

The guard curled his lips. Half a pound of silver was five hundred wen. Although it was a bit ridiculously expensive, he didn't intend to continue haggling over it. He decided to go ashore and check the situation first.

Master Tian, on the other hand, frowned, feeling that something was not right, but he couldn't tell what was wrong for a moment.

"Sir, here you pay first and then work, what do you think?" The big man just said with a simple and honest look on his face, rubbing his hands and smiling.

The guard stepped forward and was about to take money out of his pocket when the big man suddenly asked with a smile, "Are you paying?"

The guard was puzzled: "Isn't this nonsense? Can't you see I'm taking out the money?
"Just asking." The other party chuckled.

"Wait!" Master Tian's face suddenly changed. He was about to open his mouth to stop him but it seemed too late. The guard who was about to pay suddenly froze in place after responding to the other party's words. Then his whole body shrank as if he had lost air. His originally rosy face became as dry as old tree bark in just a few breaths.

The faces of the guards behind him changed drastically and they immediately drew their weapons.

Master Tian finally understood what was wrong with the conversation. Usually, transactions between civilians and foreigners were recorded in coins. How could there be a term called "half liang"? That "half liang" did not refer to money at all. He and his friends had been misled from the beginning!

The helpers stopped smiling and looked on, watching the guard who had just agreed to pay spit out a ball of black and red sticky liquid from his mouth.

"Half an ounce of blood, not a centimeter off." The helper padded the liquid and smiled again: "Brothers, get to work!"

As he said this, he ignored the guards who had their weapons drawn, as if he was not afraid of them attacking him at all, and ran straight into the ship to start moving goods.

Several guards were at a loss, but Master Tian and the scholar calmly walked up to the guard, whose body was as thin as a skeleton, and looked him over carefully.

"I see." The scholar looked at the guards who had been drained of energy and then at the strong helpers at the dock. The people at the dock were all busy with their own affairs. They seemed to be accustomed to what was happening on their side and didn't care at all.

The warriors' blood and energy are gone, but the people here are strong and healthy. Could it be that
"Since this is the first time for the officials to come here, it's not a disadvantage for them to meet us brothers." The sturdy man just now came down carrying several bags of food, and smiled as he looked at the group of angry guards.

The scholar reached out to stop the guards who were about to take action, stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Thank you for your advice."

"No problem." The big man still smiled innocently, as if he felt that killing a guard just now was not a big deal.

"May I ask you a question?" the scholar asked with a smile.

"Please speak, sir."

"From your accent, you must be from Taiyuan, right? Have you ever thought about going back?"

The other party was stunned, staring at the scholar for a long time, and finally said faintly: "Scholars are really cunning."

He did not reply and continued to direct his people to move the goods without speaking to the other party. The guards looked at their companions who had died tragically but did not dare to do anything rashly. They could only watch helplessly. The scholar whispered to Master Tian, "Do you think the people here are real or fake?"

"The yin energy is too strong, and we can't tell them apart." Master Tian shook his head. The secrets of the Painting City were only recorded in some big families. There was too little information about those born in small families like theirs. But looking at the brightly lit area spanning two counties, it would be a bit exaggerated if they were all painted skin ghosts. But if there were living people mixed in, it would be even more terrifying.

"It seems that Taizu's legend may be true." The scholar said quietly.

The others were puzzled, but Master Tian, who knew some secret history of the previous dynasties, understood what the scholar said. The family background of Taizu of the Jin Dynasty has always been a mystery. A farmer's son with no foundation and no support from any aristocratic family, could have an extremely powerful army out of thin air, and it could appear out of thin air without any trace. So far, no one can explain the reason, so there are rumors that Taizu can summon heavenly soldiers.

Now it seems that all this is probably related to this painting market.

And if the forces targeting the prince this time have some connection with Taizu back then, the water this time may be deeper than imagined.——
"Madam, may I ask which way is to Master Qian's house?"

"Two taels." The lady who was questioned by Zhang Rui replied with a smile, showing her yellow teeth.

The asshole is so black!

Zhang Rui took a deep breath. He was just asking for directions, why did it have to be like this?
Then he stopped talking and turned away.

"Hey, young man, don't be anxious, the price can still be negotiated." The old lady hurriedly chased after him.

"Two cents." Zhang Rui said without even turning his head.

"Okay, okay!" The old lady caught up and grabbed Zhang Rui, "Two cents is enough. Young man, come this way. You're going the wrong way."

Zhang Rui was speechless for a while, and let the other party pull him towards the alley next to him. However, he did not notice that many people nearby were smiling inexplicably when they saw this scene.

"Master Zhang, Master Zhang!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard and Zhang Rui turned around quickly. With the help of the bright light, he could see clearly that the person calling him was none other than Master Qian.

"Oh, Master, you are here? I was looking for you." Then he quickly said to the old lady who was pulling him, "Auntie, you don't have to go. The person has been found here."

The old lady turned a deaf ear and continued to pull Zhang Rui into the alley.

"Auntie?" Zhang Rui frowned. "I promised you that you will get the money you paid for asking for directions. You really don't need to go. Auntie, you are so strong."

Before he could finish his words, he was pulled and staggered, almost falling to the ground. Zhang Rui suddenly felt something was wrong and looked up, only to find that the old lady just now had completely changed.

The face was still the same face, but it was completely bloodless and pale, and the hand that was grabbing him was covered with white hair. The key point was that he was only one step away from dragging him into the alley where there was no light at all.

I go!

Zhang Rui was so frightened that his scalp went numb and he couldn't exert any strength at all. Seeing that he was about to be dragged into the shadow, Zhang Rui almost subconsciously picked up the scroll in his right hand and hit the other party's hand.

The next moment, the other party let go of his hand as if he had been electrocuted, and retreated into the dark alley with a scream.

Zhang Rui slumped on the ground, then looked up and saw densely packed green eyeballs in the dark alley. He felt that countless white-haired hands would reach out and drag him in in the next second. He was so scared that he rolled and crawled backwards, all the way to the middle of the street.

"My lord, my lord"

Master Qian's voice sounded behind him, and he helped Zhang Rui up: "It's okay, it's okay."

Zhang Rui was frightened at the moment, and anyone would struggle desperately in an emergency situation, but Master Qian was surprisingly strong. Not only did he help Zhang Rui up, he was also able to hold him down so that he couldn't move.

"Sir, please calm down," Master Qian soothed patiently.

I'm calm as a chicken
Zhang Rui looked down at the hands that were controlling him. They were at least twice the size of an average person's, pitch black, shriveled, and the fingers were incredibly long. The sharp black nails were at least an inch long and covered with terrifying black hair. "You use this thing to grab me, and you want me to calm down?"
"Don't be afraid, sir." Master Qian saw that Zhang Rui had stopped struggling, and then he put his terrifying claws into his long sleeves. He took two steps back before saying, "Were you looking for me just now, sir?"

"I'm looking for Master Qian!" Zhang Rui calmed down a little when he saw the other party actively distance himself from him, but he still took two steps back vigilantly.

"Sir, I am Master Qian."

"Do you think I will believe it?" Zhang Rui said coldly.

"If it's Lord Zhang, I would believe it." Master Qian looked at Zhang Rui with a puzzled look: "But it seems that you are not him."

Zhang Rui: “.”

(End of this chapter)