"Master, this is the fare for the bus that just took the passengers."
While Mu Qing was still hanging out in Liuye Bookstore, Zhang Anping, who drove him to the bookstore, had already returned to the one-day car dealership in the south of the city with an empty car.
Hou Yiyong, the owner of the car dealership, has a horse-faced face, is in his thirties, and is wearing an unusual set of tight-fitting pleated hakama. He was sitting at the counter of the car dealership, engrossed in eating greasy sausage noodles. While sipping the noodles, he casually spread the hundred copper coins handed over by Zhang Anping on the counter.
"Old Zhang, you opened the business so early in the morning, you're so generous." Hou Yiyong wiped his mouth with his hemp leather sleeve, then counted ten copper coins and handed them to Zhang Anping, saying with a smile.
"Haha, thanks to my boss for giving me such a job." Zhang Anping smiled and cupped his hands in compliment.
"Well, is it another medicine dealer going to the trading market in the north of the city this early in the morning?" Hou Yiyong asked Zhang Anping in a casual chat.
Tiannan Marsh Forest is located in the south of the mainland, closest to Suzaku City, which is the southern gateway to the dynasty. The swamps are covered with poisonous miasma, and poisonous beasts are raging in the depths. However, such a special environment has given birth to rare medicinal materials that are not found in other places.
The car dealership is located near the south gate of Zhuque City. It usually carries some medicinal dealers from Tiannan Marsh Forest, so Hou Yiyong asked this question.
"My boss, you guessed wrong. This time I took a good scholar to Qingyun Street."
Zhang Anping has been coming to the car dealer for several months. He is engaged in the job of renting cars and soliciting customers. He often interacts with all kinds of people. He slyly discovered the relationship that may be hidden behind Hou Yiyong from his daily chatter that is almost like prying. Knowing that these are not things he can explore, he usually just says what he should say.
"Oh, what a good person? Lao Zhang, please tell me." When Hou Yiyong heard about Qingyun Street, his eyes flashed, and he planned to ask Zhang Anping for clarification.
…
"Before March 4th, go to the Jiachen Room of the Skylark Inn in the north of the city and hold a token to have a detailed discussion with the host."
Mu Qing looked at the specific mission information that Li Fu gave him, and his sword-shaped eyebrows were about to break through the sky. He asked Li Fu with a dissatisfied look on his face: "What? Is this the fucking specific information you gave me?"
Li Fu stopped walking to the bookstore in front, turned around and said nonchalantly to Mu Qing: "This is the first time this employer has come to the door. He said that he was introduced by an elder, and the four gold coins are just a deposit. Our Liuye Bookstore We are always more sincere to customers who come to us for the first time.”
"If you still have questions, I can treat it as you voluntarily giving up this mission." After Li Fu finished speaking, without waiting for Mu Qing's reaction, he turned around with complete disregard and continued walking to the bookstore in front.
"Hmph!" Mu Qing was determined to complete this mission.
As time passes, there are more and more tourists passing by on Qingyun Street. The cool breeze in the morning blows away the mist under the willow trees on the street.
Mu Qing was hiding in a place with lush willow branches at this time, looking at the token in his hand with a gloomy look on his face.
This should be a sachet that is stored close to the body. It is made of soft satin and has bright and delicate colors embroidered with colored silk using exquisite stitching techniques. The word "Liu" is also embroidered with gold thread in the middle.
"Skylark Inn? Liu?"
Mu Qing planned to find his employer today, but he still had to make preparations.
…
"Ma Xiaoer, you go to Qingyun Street now to see if this person is still there." One day, at the back door of the car dealership, the owner of the car dealership, who was eight feet tall, leaned against the door and held a toothpick in his mouth. Ordering a young man dressed as a salesman.
After Hou Yiyong chatted with Zhang Anping, he went to the back without any delay and summoned his men.
"Especially when you are near Willow Leaf Bookstore, be careful not to disturb the people in the bookstore."
"Yes, I understand, sir."
After the young salesman, who was called Ma Xiaoer, obeyed the instructions and picked up the load of goods placed aside, his feet suddenly changed like a flying bird.
Looking at the retreating figure of the most powerful stalker, Hou Yiyong's eyes flashed with relief. He felt that even if half an hour had passed, as long as Ma Xiaoer found a clue, he would not be lost.
Now he was vaguely expecting that it would be a big fish.
…
Zhuque City has a population of one million and is divided into inner and outer cities. The inner city has a small population, and it is impossible for people without high status to live there. The largest population in the outer city is in the north of the city. Because most of the merchants and rich people gather here, there are many shops and restaurants here, and even the air is filled with The smell of money.
On the second floor of Skylark Inn, guests were sitting at the table in twos and threes, drinking morning tea and eating snacks.
At this time, the shouting from the street was getting louder. Liu Weirui glanced at the letter from home placed next to the tea cup. She felt irritated, so she got up and gave Li Niu sitting opposite a cup of tea.
"Uncle Li, how long has it been since you left?" Liu Weirui vented her dissatisfaction with the content of the letter and asked Li Niu, the family martial artist who was guarding the caravan.
Li Niu has been coming to the Liu family in Jinguancheng for more than ten years for some reasons. He has almost watched Liu Weirui grow from a corner girl to the graceful peach and plum age she is today.
He said to Liu Weirui in a kind tone: "I just received the letter from the lady to me last night. The meaning of the letter is that I hope that the sooner the better."
Although Li Niu is a servant in their family, he has already become a powerful figure in the family because of his outstanding martial arts skills and long-lasting loyalty.
The letter lying quietly on the pear wood table now was handed over to Li Niu by Liu Weirui personally last night. Because the envelope was written as a letter to Li Niu, Liu Weirui immediately handed the letter to Li Niu last night as a sign of respect. Who would have thought that the family would urgently summon Li Niu back to accompany the second and third sons to escort a batch of important goods to Baidi City.
She temporarily suppressed the speculation that arose in her heart and asked Li Niu: "Uncle Li, is the place you took me to this morning trustworthy?"
Li Niu drank up the tongue tea poured by his eldest lady in one gulp. His tone was trustworthy and he said to Liu Weirui in a loud voice: "Don't worry, this is what I knew when I was wandering around the world. Since the doorway still exists, there is no problem."
After Li Niu finished speaking, he looked at the suspicious look on his young lady's face. Just now he also asked his young lady what happened after she entered that place. He guessed that it might be because his young lady had never been exposed to such things. So he smiled and comforted and said: "If Miss is worried, Lao Li can wait for someone to come over there before rushing back. I am different from a caravan by myself. If I don't stop on the road, it will take up to five days." Came back."
Zhuque City is more than 700 kilometers away from Jinguan City. Even if the army rushes for 800 miles, it will still take a day. Moreover, good horses are replaced every 50 miles and people do not rest for a moment, so Li Niu said that he can do it in five days. Rushing back to Jinguan City is scary enough.
There were other things on her mind, so Liu Weirui did not notice these details. She shook her head at Li Niu and said: "Forget it, since Uncle Li you said there is nothing wrong, then Uncle Li you should leave as soon as possible and rush back. , after all, that batch of goods is an important step for our Liu family to hand over to the internal officials."
Li Niu knew that the deal was reached by the young lady years ago, but unexpectedly, the second brothers, who were used to the life of the second generation ancestor, took over the work. He intuitively felt that this time the family hurriedly called him back. , something unexpected should happen.
So before he left, he made an exception and said to Liu Weirui: "Actually, the commercial road to the imperial capital is the safest. Unexpectedly, the family urgently recruited me to escort me back. When the matter became urgent, I gave the young lady such an idea. , I will pack up and head back in a quarter of an hour, miss, please pay attention to your safety, Xiaosi has been studying with me for several years, you can ask him to protect you."
Liu Weirui nodded. She knew that Li Niu had also noticed the recent trend of disputes in the family. Her beautiful Qingjian eyebrows were raised upwards. She didn't care at all how much trouble the second and third children could cause. Her tone quickly stabilized and said to Li Niu said: "Uncle Li, please worry about your family affairs. I will pay attention to your safety."
It was noon, and the Changshou Street where the Skylark Inn was located was already sparsely visited by tourists. The sunshine that clears up after the rain is warm but not intense, making people want to take a good rest under the warm spring sun.
Liu Weirui got up early and went to Qingyun Street. Later she went out of the city to see Li Niu off and talked about some family matters. Now she felt tired and was getting ready to rest on the bed.
Unexpectedly, there was a knock at the door, and in a daze, the visitor in front of him was introduced. While she motioned for the other person to sit down behind the screen, she cheered up and looked at the person quietly.
I saw that the visitor was about thirty years old and was wearing a blue shirt woven with single silk, which was a common merchant dress in Suzaku City. However, his shoulders were broad and he was eight feet tall. This person has a pair of imposing sword-shaped eyebrows tilted to both sides, a high nose bridge, a fair face, and a smooth and smooth beard.
It was Mu Qing after his disguise.
"I wonder what this gentleman is here for?" After guiding him to sit down, she signaled Xiaochan, the personal maid in the side room, to serve tea to Mu Qing.
Mu Qing had already recognized that the person in front of her was the "Mr. Rui" she met in the morning. She was still dressed in men's clothing.
After a brief moment of surprise, Mu Qing felt at ease thinking of his superb disguise skills, and quietly took the initiative.
After he waited for the maid Xiaochan to bring tea and exit from the screen, he calmly placed the embroidered sachet in the center of the small table.
Liu Weirui looked at the sachet on the table and was stunned for a moment. She suddenly realized that what happened this morning happened. She felt that Li Niu had a lot of experience. She didn't expect that what happened this morning happened so quickly.
"Name, age, identity, the more detailed the better." Mu Qing took the lead.
Liu Weirui stared at Mu Qing's face with confusion, as if she thought this man was a fool who had lived for a long time.
…
"Escort the caravan from Zhuque City all the way to Jinguan City?" After the stagnant air just now, Mu Qing finally found out about his first mission after going around in circles.
The feeling he felt at this moment was really difficult to describe in words. It was like he had to eat those bugs raw to satisfy his hunger during the previous survival training. There was a feeling of tightness and discomfort in his chest.
As an assassin, even if he was still a novice, he never thought that his first task was not to kill people.
In fact, he didn't know that Hidden Valley had already expanded beyond the business of hiring murders due to the targeting of various forces.
It just so happened that Chen Zhuo deliberately made things difficult for Mu Qing when he entered the bookstore in order to express his feelings to the fourth elder. This was to arouse Mu Qing's rebellious mentality of eager to prove himself, so that he would unknowingly choose this level to read for Ding. It seemed like a more difficult task, but he didn't know that he eventually fell into the trap woven for him.
Of course, it still looks like a well-intentioned trap.
