After a while, Zhao Rang regained his previous energy and looked up to see Lan Shizi standing next to him, observing his surroundings very vigilantly.
"Taoist Master Lan, thank you very much!"
Lan Shizi waved his hand casually:
"Just like what the senior said just now, you don't need to thank me."
Zhao Rang knew that this was because of the friendship between him and his uncle, but he didn't expect that Lan Shizi would lift him to the level of his 'benefactor' in Baihe Mountain.
"I really don't deserve this title..."
Zhao Rang was not just out of modesty, but he really felt that his abilities were limited.
It doesn't matter if Bai Heshan thinks so, but if there are benefactors, there will also be enemies.
Of course, the benefactor of the enemy is also the enemy. If this name spreads, there will be all kinds of other troubles in the future.
Even if Zhao Rang listens too much, he may become arrogant and gradually lose some self-awareness...
"How are you thinking about it now?"
Lan Shizi asked, making Zhao Rangwen confused.
He didn't remember Lan Shizi telling him anything important that needed to be considered.
After a lot of searching, I was sure that I really couldn't remember it, so I had to ask awkwardly:
"What does Master Lan mean by consideration?"
Lan Shizi didn't care either.
After all, I had just experienced a life-and-death battle, and then took pills to adjust my breath and heal my injuries. My mind was a little confused, and it was normal for me to be unable to react for a while.
"Go to my place!"
Zhao Rang then remembered that Lan Shizi had asked him about this matter in the teahouse before, and he politely refused at that time. As a result, he almost lost his life soon...
Lan Shizi thought that Zhao Rang should change now.
You can't pin your hopes on that senior the next time you encounter trouble, right?
Someone happened to be passing by, and he had an old relationship with his uncle, so he was willing to give him a hand.
Such a magical figure cannot be seen even if it is invisible. Of course, no one can or dares to blame him.
Coupled with the sword energy sealed in the land deed by his great uncle, Baiheshan had already saved Zhao Rang twice after he came down from the mountain.
Speaking of favors, they have been clearly repaid long ago.
However, Uncle Shi made it very clear in his message to Lan Shizi, telling him to take good care of Zhao Rang.
Lan Shizi was also afraid that Zhao would let him continue wandering around the city alone. If something unexpected happened, he would have difficulty communicating with his uncle's group.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Rang refused this time!
"Still can't get Taoist Master Lan."
Zhao Rang did not give any reason.
Taoist Master Lan did not ask further questions.
As a monk, he does not have so many red tapes, but he is extremely transparent.
People have their own reasons for not going. As for the reason, there is no need for them to explain it to you in detail.
Zhao Rang was still struggling with how he should deduce if Lan Shizi asked. After all, information about the Investigation Department and Qing Qing must not be leaked to outsiders.
Before, Lan Shizi blurted out "Gong Snake", Zhao Rang's heart also moved slightly. But how to deal with it in the future will still have to wait until he meets Qingqing and explains in detail what happened last night to today.
"Keep walking in this direction, and you can get out of this forest in about half a stick of incense. After you go out, you will see a small water diversion channel in front of you. There is a cross bridge on the canal. Not far across the bridge is the place you were wandering about earlier. The place."
Zhao Rang listened very carefully and wrote down the directions and other important points one by one before thanking Lan Shizi and saying goodbye.
Seeing Zhao Rang's back gradually disappearing into the dense forest, Lan Shizi couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.
Although he has been stationed in Zhenhai City for a long time, he still knows a little about the things inside the mountain gate.
Shaking his head, he turned around and left in the opposite direction. Lan Shizi also had his own things to deal with and couldn't stay here for too long.
At the same time, Zhao Rang carefully walked through the woods in the direction pointed by Lan Shizi, and soon saw the aqueduct and the cross bridge.
Looking at the familiar streets and crowds, Zhao Rang breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the wounds that had condensed on his arms, he was going to buy some clothes first.
There are at least dozens of ready-made clothing shops in Zhenhai City, which is so big. Unexpectedly, none of them are suitable...either the color is too bright, or the style is too old, or there is simply no suitable size.
Zhao Rang stood in front of the last ready-to-wear shop on the street. After thinking about it, he walked in.
Take a look around, there is at least a small chance. If you don't watch it, you have no chance at all.
"Sir, this shop doesn't have any clothes that you can see."
It turned out to be even more straightforward this time.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, the waiter said this to Zhao Rang, making him dumbfounded...
"There is not much business in the store today. The little one has been looking at you to choose from each house on the street. If you don't like the ones in those stores, there will be no more small stores."
Everyone said this, so Zhao Rang naturally withdrew...
According to the clerk, the style, color, and size Zhao Rang wanted could only be made by going to a cloth shop to select the materials and have them tailor-made by a tailor.
Zhao Rang happened to know a cloth shop that sold fabrics, just opposite the inn where he lived.
Before going to the inn room that day, Zhao Rang made a special trip to this cloth shop, because in the power division map of Zhenhai City given to him by Madam Liu, the cloth shop, gambling shop, and inn all belonged to the same family.
Now that he knows that the inn is actually Mrs. Liu's own business, doesn't it mean that the cloth shop and gambling house are also?
Wherever you buy, you buy. Rather than having the money taken away by strangers, it is better to give it to acquaintances, so that the money does not flow to outsiders.
The boy Zhao Rang pointed out a small road.
It only took less than a cup of tea for Zhao Rang to see the lantern hanging at the door of the inn.
It was not yet evening, so there were not many people shopping.
Compared to the inn, Buzhuang is even more leisurely.
"Master, please come in!"
As soon as he stopped at the entrance of Buzhuang, a woman immediately came out and welcomed him in.
"It's you?!"
Zhao Rang looked at this woman's face and was a little surprised.
"I am also the shopkeeper of this cloth shop!"
the woman said.
She is one of the four maids who follow Madam Liu and are known as sisters.
"You four sisters still manage the business?"
Zhao Rang asked curiously.
Although it is rude to ask this, the other party may not answer.
"The eldest sister taught him step by step, and all four of us helped him manage the business, except the younger sister."
"Why don't you care, little sister?"
The woman explained:
"The eldest sister can't handle the affairs in Hanshi alone. She always needs a helper. The younger sister is always there to handle some trivial matters for her."
Zhao Rang nodded and said:
"Then the other three are one in charge of the inn, one in charge of the shop, and one in charge of the gambling house?"
The woman nodded and smiled:
"Young Master is right. The second sister is in the inn opposite. The fourth sister is more aggressive, so she is in charge of the gambling house."
Zhao Rang nodded, and now he had a broad understanding of Mrs. Liu's industry.
It is not easy for a woman to gain a foothold in such a city, let alone run so many industries.
There is little money and it is difficult for people to move. There are too many, but they attract people’s attention.
Not to mention that a woman like Mrs. Liu is remembered for more than just money.
"What kind of clothes do you want to wear, Master?"
The female shopkeeper asked, looking at the wound on his arm inadvertently, but she didn't ask any more questions.
Zhao Rang said a little embarrassed:
"To be honest... I just looked at several ready-to-wear shops there, but none of them were suitable. In the end, a guy from one of them asked me to come directly to the cloth shop to choose the materials for making."
The female shopkeeper smiled and said:
"Young Master has such a temperament that he naturally has very high standards. It's normal for him to look down on the ready-made clothes over there."
"We have a ready-made tailor in the shop. As long as the young master has selected the fabric and measured the dimensions, it can be made in about an hour. The speed is one of the best in the city!"
Zhao Rang was delighted when he heard this. The speed was really surprising.
"Then I'll help the shopkeeper."
Zhao Rang cupped his hands, and then began to select fabrics under the guidance of the female shopkeeper.
The fabrics in the fabric shop are dazzling, with all kinds of colors, textures and textures.
After a while, Zhao Rang chose a piece of dark blue cloth, which looked calm and elegant.
When the female shopkeeper saw this, she was full of praise and quickly called the tailor to tailor Zhao Rang.
The master was skilled and quick and quickly measured the dimensions. Zhao Rang picked some accessories and sat at the tea table to wait for the new clothes to be made.
The female shopkeeper is a very talkative person and understands men very well.
Chatting with her never feels boring at all, and she even complains about how time flies by so fast!
Zhao Rang had just mentioned Waihai and was listening to her introduction when the door behind Buzhuang suddenly opened.
When the female shopkeeper saw the person walking out, she immediately stood up:
"Sister, why are you here?"
The person she can call eldest sister is of course Mrs. Liu.
Mrs. Liu had Zhao Rang's new clothes on her arm. The tailor had already made them, but she didn't expect that Mrs. Liu would deliver them herself.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Liu!"
Mrs. Liu said:
"If you are open for business, how can you be bothered by the customers who give you money? But you still have to try it. If it doesn't fit, ask them to modify it immediately."
With that said, Mrs. Liu led Zhao Rang to the back of Buzhuang.
Zhao Rang looked at the narrow door she came out of, and then followed her in.
Connected to the rear is an extremely spacious room. If it were placed in other wealthy homes, it would look very grand as a main hall, but this is just a bedroom.
Although the place is large, the furnishings are pitifully simple... There is only one bed, one table, and four stools without armrests or backrests.
"Who lives here?"
Mrs. Liu would definitely not bring Zhao Rang to a meaningless bedroom.
There is no need to specially decorate a bedroom like this to show him anything.
So either the person living in this bedroom is very special, or something very special has happened in this bedroom.
"It's my concubine."
Mrs. Liu said with a smile.
Compared to Mrs. Liu, Zhao Rang was looking sideways at the poor furnishings in the room.
Hearing this, he didn't turn around, because he didn't know what expression to use or what to say in reply...
Zhao Rang has seen Mrs. Liu's small building in Hanshi, also visited his villa, and even now still lives in the inn he opened.
It can be said that even the most ordinary house in the inn is more than ten times better than this one, but Mrs. Liu insists that this is his bedroom.
Zhao Rang didn't know whether he should believe it or not.
Or maybe Mrs. Liu was just joking.
But the joke wasn't funny at all...and it didn't make any sense.
After being depressed for a long time, Zhao Rang finally squeezed out a sentence from his throat:
"Madam is really diligent and thrifty."
In fact, what Zhao Rang wants to say is loneliness.
Although not everyone can be diligent and frugal, people who have no money will be diligent and frugal involuntarily.
Not so with loneliness.
It is gradually accumulated based on repeated choices.
When looking at the furnishings in the room, Zhao Rang saw that there was only one candlestick in the whole room, with half an unburned candle on it and many wax tears hanging on it.
Zhao Rang couldn't help but imagine Mrs. Liu being alone in this empty room, lighting the candle and blowing it out.
"Master, what do you think of this place?"
Mrs. Liu's voice interrupted Zhao Rang's thoughts. He turned around and saw Mrs. Liu looking at him, with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
Zhao Rang didn't know how to answer.
Good and bad here don't mean much to him. But looking at Mrs. Liu's eyes, he couldn't bear to say anything too straightforward.
"It's... very quiet here."
Zhao Rang finally gave this evaluation.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Liu said softly:
"Quiet is a good thing. It's not easy to find a quiet place in this city."
"Didn't Madam ask me to come try on clothes?"
Zhao Rang didn't want to continue this topic.
Since coming to Zhenhai City, he has had too many bad experiences, and he does not want to continue to stay in a house that resonates with him.
The finished clothes slipped quietly from Mrs. Liu's arms.
She did this on purpose...
Zhao Rang was about to speak, but found that the clothes that fell to the ground could not be called clothes at all.
Because it has not been cut at all, it is still the same complete piece of fabric as when I selected it!
"Mrs. Liu, what does this mean?"
Zhao Rang's tone has become deeper.
Mrs. Liu was not surprised by Zhao Rang's reaction.
If someone did this to her, she might not be as calm as Zhao Rang.
"The young master's clothes are stained with blood!"
This is an obvious thing, but Mrs. Liu still deliberately mentions it.
Zhao Rang replied:
"If it wasn't stained with blood, there would be no need to buy new ones."
"Clothes are not as good as new. Of course they are dirty or old, so they buy new ones."
"Then, sir, do you know what the next sentence is?"
Zhao Rang suppressed his temper and replied patiently:
"Clothes are not as good as new, and people are not as good as old."
Mrs. Liu immediately said:
"I happen to have something belonging to an old friend of the young master here."
After that, he walked to the bed, opened the curtain, and pulled out a woman's long dress.
This emerald green dress was stained with blood all over its body... It seemed like it had become a blood-stained dress!
Zhao Rang's pupils shrank instantly. He stared closely at the bloody clothes in Mrs. Liu's hands, his voice trembling:
"Is this... Qingqing's?"
Mrs. Liu nodded slightly, with an inexplicable smile on her face.
"It was taken from the young master's old friend."
There was a storm in Zhao Rang's heart.
He never imagined that Qing Qing's bloody clothes would appear here, and judging from Mrs. Liu's appearance, she seemed to have known the relationship between him and Qing Qing for a long time.
"Where is Qingqing now?"
Zhao Rang took a step forward and asked urgently.
Madam Liu did not answer his question directly, but said slowly:
"Young master, you know, it's not that easy to find someone in Zhenhai City."
When Zhao Rang heard this, his heart sank.
He knew that Mrs. Liu was telling the truth.
Zhenhai City is a mixed bag of dragons and snakes, and trying to find someone here is like looking for a needle in a haystack. He has personal experience of this.
"Don't Mrs. Liu have any clues?"
Zhao Rang's tone was already a bit pleading.
Mrs. Liu looked at him and couldn't help feeling a little proud.
She knew that as long as she took out the bloody clothes, Zhao Rang would definitely take the bait.
"Of course I know."
Mrs. Liu said.
"Then please let me know, madam!"
Zhao Rang said anxiously.
"It's naturally not difficult to tell the young master."
Mrs. Liu stopped mid-sentence.
Mrs. Liu looked at Zhao Rang with a hint of cunning in her eyes.
When Zhao Rang heard this, his heart sank.
He knew that Mrs. Liu was taking advantage of the situation, but there was nothing he could do.
"As long as Madam can tell me where Qingqing is!"
Zhao Rang said eagerly.
When Mrs. Liu heard this, the smile on her face became even stronger.
"Actually, it's very simple for the young master. It's not a matter of murder and arson. I just need the young master to deliver a letter for me."
Zhao Rang didn't expect Mrs. Liu's request to be so simple, so he agreed immediately.
Madam Liu shook her head.
"There's no rush, it's not too late to go after the young master has changed his clothes."
As she spoke, she clapped her hands, and the female shopkeeper pushed open the door and came in, holding in her hands new clothes made from the materials Zhao Rang selected.
At this moment, even the fool could see that these two people were joining forces to plot against him...but Zhao Rang still took over the clothes.
Mrs. Liu and the female shopkeeper voluntarily exited the house. After a while, when they saw Zhao Rang coming out, she greeted him and asked:
"Sir, are your clothes suitable?"
Zhao Rang said harshly;
"It's very suitable. Thank you, madam, and thank you, shopkeeper!"
Then he took out a banknote from his arms and handed it to the female shopkeeper. He also took the letter that Mrs. Liu asked him to deliver.
Sending a letter is not difficult, the difficulty lies in the place where it needs to be delivered.
The envelope did not have the recipient's name written on it, just a simple address.
This was done deliberately by Madam Liu, just to not let him know too much.
After leaving Buzhuang, Zhao Rang walked through the bustling streets and came to a remote alley.
The alley was deep and quiet, and the walls on both sides were covered with moss. It didn't look like a place where anyone lived.
An old wooden door with a yellow talisman on it.
Zhao Rang hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Dong dong dong!"
The knock on the door echoed in the empty alley, which seemed particularly clear.
After a while, the wooden door opened a crack from the inside, and an eye appeared from the crack, along with half of the face where the eye was.
"Who are you looking for?"
a husky voice asked.
"I'm here to deliver a message."
As he spoke, he stuffed the envelope in his hand through the crack of the door.
That eye looked at the envelope, said "wait", and then closed the wooden door again.
After an unknown amount of time, the wooden door opened again, and the person who had only one eye and half of his face exposed just now actually had only one eye and half of his face!
He looked at Zhao Rang with half his face, and gestured with his right hand to Zhao Rang to follow him.
The two walked one behind the other on the narrow and dirty road for a long time. Zhao Rang, who was walking straight, felt dizzy before stopping in front of a corner gate.
"The master is in the garden in front."
He pushed open the corner door with half a face and said.
This is actually a quiet courtyard, which is in sharp contrast to the dilapidated alleys outside.
The courtyard is filled with various flowers and plants. There is a small pavilion in the center. There is a stone table under the pavilion and several stone benches next to it.
At this time, a pot of tea was placed on the stone table, and the aroma of tea overflowed. A man in green clothes was sitting with his back to Zhao Rang, sipping tea leisurely.
Half of his face nodded to Zhao Rang, gesturing for him to go by himself.
Zhao Rang walked towards Shiting. The man raised his head and glanced at him, and both of them were stunned at the same time.
"Brother, why is it you?"
"I didn't expect it was you, Boss Hu!"
"Are you the person sent by Mrs. Liu to deliver the message?"
Boss Hu asked, with a hint of playfulness in his voice.
Zhao Rang nodded.
He saw the envelope neatly placed on the table, unopened.
"Why did Mrs. Liu send you to deliver the letter? She doesn't trust outsiders easily."
Boss Hu continued to ask.
Zhao Rang laughed and replied:
"Perhaps after drinking last time, Mrs. Liu thinks I'm reliable. And I've been wandering around the city recently, so sending letters is just a piece of cake."
Boss Hu seemed to be quite satisfied with Zhao Rang's answer.
He opened the envelope, quickly read the contents, then looked up at Zhao Rang and asked:
"Do you know the content of the letter?"
Zhao Rang shook his head:
"I only delivered the letters, of course I didn't read them."
After hearing this, Boss Hu laughed heartily and said:
"If this great wealth really comes true, you, my brother, will definitely be a part of it!"
