Jiang Wanying said, "I'm worried about you being alone, so I'd better stay with you. Don't worry, you can talk to your friends, and I won't say anything or move. Just treat me like air."
Tang Chen was very happy about Jiang Wanying's kindness, but there was no need for it for the time being: "No need, there are secret guards around here. If something really happens, someone will find me if I scream. Besides, the person I want to see will never hurt me."
Seeing that Tang Chen had no sense of crisis at all, Jiang Wanying couldn't help but feel a little puzzled: "You are so confident, are you really here to meet a friend?"
Tang Chen explained, "Not really a friend. I still have my 'payment' in hand. For the sake of his boss, he doesn't dare to do anything to me."
Hearing Tang Chen's words, Jiang Wanying's mind suddenly popped up two words: black market. Remuneration, boss, isn't this just dealing with businessmen? The only ones who dare to do business with Qingliang Valley now are the black market. However, she really didn't know what Tang Chen secretly bought from the black market to ensure he had enough food and clothing. Of course, these were just her speculations: "...Then be careful, I'm in the courtyard of the thatched cottage, call me if you need anything."
"Um."
After Tang Chen watched Jiang Wanying walk away, he followed the guidance of the inconspicuous pile of stones and found a place surrounded by tiny red bells.
After she entered the red circle, a man with a ghost mask descended from the sky and said jokingly, "Madam, you are quite punctual. I was thinking that if you didn't come again, I would have left."
Tang Chen felt a little embarrassed when she heard this. The originally agreed time was half an hour ago. She was indeed quite "punctual". "Sorry, I wasted some time coming from the palace. Didn't Hua Wuxin have something to give me?"
When the ghost-faced man handed the long brocade box he was carrying to Tang Chen, he also opened the box and explained as he did so: "This is a treasure that the boss found with great difficulty. It is said that eating it can prolong life. The boss kept half for himself and asked me to bring this half to the lady. The boss said that for the sake of the lady Wang Ruo's last wish, he will live well. He also hopes that the lady will not waste the last time. If there is anything she wants to do, it is better to complete it as soon as possible."
Tang Chen looked at the contents of the box, feeling a mixture of emotions. Was Hua Wuxin reminding him that his time was running out? This thing wasn't meant for her, but for Wang Yanzhou. "...I see. Thank him for me. By the way, are you in charge of the black market business in Qingliang Valley now?"
The ghost-faced man said coldly, "That's right."
Tang Chen thought that judging from the man's aloof demeanor, he must be someone of some importance. He politely asked, "I may need to trouble you with many things. May I know your name?"
The ghost-faced man thought for a moment, then bowed and replied, "Madam, you can just call me the shopkeeper. As for my real name, I'm sorry that I can't reveal it."
Not only did he not even intend to show his real name to Tang Chen, he did not even intend to show his face. Seeing this, Tang Chen did not make things difficult for him. He just said, "It's okay. I know this is your rule. Then, shopkeeper, if you have any news from Boss Hua, please let me know as soon as possible."
After saying that, Tang Chen took out the small whistle hanging on her wrist and blew it. A pitch-black crow appeared in the bamboo forest in response. This crow was the descendant of the crows that Li Xinzhai had given her. From generation to generation, the reproduction speed of birds was really different from that of humans.
After the crow was stable on Tang Chen's arm, Tang Chen tied a prepared letter box with a green rope to its leg, then handed the crow over and said, "This crow is temporarily given to the shopkeeper. No one in the palace will touch it except Wang Yanzhou."
"clear."
After accepting Hua Wuxin's gift, Tang Chen thought that since Hua Wuxin had come to meet him after much difficulty, he would feel a little guilty if he didn't ask a few more questions. "Also, I'd like to know if there's any interesting news coming from Shengxi Gu and Tianshu Tower?"
The ghost-faced man continued to speak without any emotion, "We haven't found anything yet, but since Xiahou Qing's return, the security in Qinghe County has increased a lot. The black market can't afford to antagonize Tianshu Tower, so we haven't taken the initiative to collect relevant information yet."
"Xiahou Qing, huh? He's quite a dangerous man. Thank you, boss, for making this trip. Please accept this." The reward Tang Chen had previously discussed with Jiang Wanying was the piece of paper in her hand. Don't underestimate this small piece of paper; it contained a record of one of Wang Zhen's many treasure troves.
The reason Qingliang Valley was currently receiving such strong support from the black market wasn't just due to Hua Wuxin's words. The black market was, after all, a place for business, and even though Hua Wuxin was the boss, there were still a large number of people waiting to be fed. Not to mention anything else, just the sheer number of secret informants responsible for gathering information required a significant amount of money to support them.
Wang Yanzhou had already given quite a bit of money to the black market, but because time was stretched, he was so busy that he forgot about the renewal. If it weren't for Tang Chen secretly mediating with Hua Wuxin, they wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.
This small treasure map was given to Tang Chen by Wang Ruo. In the last days of her life, when she and Hua Wuxin left the hot spring villa for a trip, Wang Ruo left a lot of things to Tang Chen, and this was one of them.
The Ghost-Faced Man was a man of exceptional vision, otherwise Hua Wuxin wouldn't have entrusted Qingliang Valley's management to him. After confirming the treasure map's authenticity, regardless of whether the black market could ultimately find the treasure from the location marked on it, the Ghost-Faced Man clearly stated his position: "I've definitely received the item. Thank you, Madam. As previously agreed, I will help liaise between the Prince of Qingliang and the black market in Qingliang Valley until the war is over. I've definitely received the deposit, and I'll collect the balance from the Prince of Qingliang's mansion when the matter is concluded."
"Thank you."
After completing his mission, the ghost-faced man disappeared as quietly as he had come. When Tang Chen groped his way to the thatched cottage, he saw Jiang Wanying walking back and forth in the yard from a distance.
When Jiang Wanying heard the sound of someone moving around, she looked up and saw Tang Chen. Seeing that she was still smiling, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Huh, you're finally back."
Before Tang Chen could even reach the thatched cottage, Jiang Wanying ran over and asked, "What took you so long? Did you see that person?"
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