"Although the Zou family is wealthy, they lack power. The powerful and influential people in Huozhou are now independent, making it difficult for outsiders to intervene. They need a way to get in, and the Zhuming Festival is their opportunity. Although the sacrifice is nominally a spontaneous activity among the people, the Shen family keeps a close eye on it every year. If any family brings a sacrifice this year, they will be personally received. This is to save their reputation and to see if there are any new nobles to win over. As long as the master is willing to offer the jade, the limelight of the Zhuming Festival will belong to the Zou family. This is one reason."
"Secondly, business is all about harmony. The news of the master's illness has probably spread a few days ago. Someone is saying that the Zou family's business is damaging their virtue. People have gossip, and it's hard to control it. This will affect those who buy medicine every year. When buying things, what we seek is peace of mind. The Zhuming Festival is an activity to worship the gods. If the master offers the jade he has obtained to the gods in public, it will atone for the previous troubles and shut up those people's mouths. It will benefit the Zou family's business in no way."
"Third, and most importantly, Master, you must understand: a man may be innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. While the exact nature of that treasure remains unknown, its location is known to everyone. It's hard to imagine the scramble that will ensue. A single mistake could land you in trouble. And most people who pay high prices for jade, Master, are reluctant to make a public announcement, or even reveal their true identities. Even if the deal is concluded and the jade is in your possession, it remains unknown to outsiders, making you a sitting duck. You'll be unable to express your grievances or explain your reasons. That's truly a difficult situation."
The scene when Zhongli actually told him these words was still vivid in his mind. He had asked him to repeat them word for word, clearly distrusting him. Hao Bai had memorized them many times, and now, reciting them fluently, he had a certain persuasiveness that was undeniable and meticulous.
Zou Sifang's exhausted face became even more silent because of these words.
Although he was greedy and stubborn, he was by no means a dull-witted person. It made sense that the Zou family business would not be ruined after being passed on to him. Every word of the young man's words seemed to strike at his heart, driving the nail that had been buried earlier deeper and deeper.
Do you think he really didn't know what the Xiong family was thinking? Offering the treasure was just a matter of convenience. It was because he couldn't swallow this piece of fat meat, and it was a hot potato in his hands, so he got it.
Now, look what happened. He almost lost his life.
"When weighing two advantages, choose the greater one; when weighing two harms, choose the lesser one. I have fulfilled your trust and have conveyed your message. As for what to do next, it is up to you, Master, to decide."
******************
Xiao Nanhui lay on his back on the bench, staring at a gecko on the ceiling.
She had been lying like this motionless for about half an hour.
Xiao Nanhui's back and waist ached badly, so he turned slightly to the side, and the man's figure appeared in his eyes.
Zhongli was actually sitting on the couch diagonally in front of her, with his eyes closed, looking as if he was resting, and he hadn't moved for half an hour. If she hadn't occasionally heard his breathing, she would have thought she was the only living person in the room.
What a weird atmosphere.
Xiao Nanhui sighed to the sky in his heart.
Half an hour ago, Ding Weixiang was about to go out to find out whether Hao Bai had succeeded. Shrike had always been suspicious of him, so he followed him out.
By the time she reacted, this was the situation in the room.
Several hours had passed since they'd discussed Zhu Mingji's sacrifice in the room yesterday. As soon as Xiao Nanhui closed her eyes, she could hear the man calling her name. Not to mention that the man was now wandering right under her nose.
In fact, after realizing that Zhongli was the person she had met that day at Yongye Temple, she had vaguely prepared herself for the possibility that he already knew her identity. But knowing is one thing, revealing it is another. Now, he had openly caught her by the hair, and she hadn't even gotten a single hair out of him.
The world is dangerous.
Xiao Nanhui turned over trembling, secretly praying that the other party was not an enemy of Qinghuaihou Mansion.
What if...what if it really is an enemy?
Then... kill him?
The thought startled Xiao Nanhui herself. It wasn't like she hadn't killed before, but outside of the battlefield, she had never intended to kill anyone. The person she was sharing the room with had no martial arts skills, and her personal guards were out and wouldn't be back for an unknown period. If she tried to attack him now, he wouldn't be able to fight back.
But for some reason, Xiao Nanhui still felt vaguely uneasy.
This uneasiness comes from people's instinctive sense of danger. Sometimes, those who seem harmless are the most dangerous.
"Don't worry, you and I are on the same path, not enemies."
Zhongli Jing's voice startled Xiao Nanhui. It was as if the man could see through her thoughts.
She rolled over and sat up from the bench, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of water, trying to cover up her strangeness: "Without any evidence, how can I believe you?"
The cup that had just been filled was picked up by a slender hand. The owner of the hand drank the water in the cup and put the cup back on the table.
"You have no other choice."
I have.
Killing you is a choice.
Xiao Nan looked back at the empty cup and licked her lips. Her fingers unconsciously touched the bottom edge of the table in front of her. She had hidden a dagger there when she moved in.
Should she take this risk with the entire mansion?
At this moment, a slight sound came from the roof.
With a click.
The gecko that had been lying on the beam fell down for some reason and landed on the table between the two of them.
It struggled frantically between the teacup and the teapot, suddenly broke off a piece of its tail, and then ran away in a hurry.
This sudden scene interrupted Xiao Nanhui's thoughts. She looked at the still-twitching half tail on the table in a daze, but unexpectedly the person opposite her started laughing.
"Look, even a little gecko knows how to cut off its tail to survive, and humans are the same."
Xiao Nanhui said in a bad tone: "What do you mean by that?"
There was still a hint of a smile on Zhongli Jing's lips, making it hard to tell how much truth there was in his words. "Of course I'm talking about Zou Sifang. Otherwise, what do you think?"
Xiao Nanhui remained silent.
She thought? She would never admit that: just now, at a certain moment, although she had the knife in her hand, she had the illusion that she was the fish.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
