"Alright! Go to Shibalipu and find Xingwangcai. Just say I sent you, and you'll get what you want." Pei Feiyan finally relented. The other party wouldn't act without seeing the benefit, so it seemed she had to make some sacrifices.
"That solves it!" Guan Hu smiled slyly and left.
Shibalipu was no ordinary place; rumors circulated that it was a gathering place for local thugs and ruffians, filled with vicious and ruthless individuals. Because of its remote location and diverse population, the imperial court didn't pay much attention to it.
The place isn't far, only a little over a hundred li from Lin'an City, but many people avoid it.
Hua Yuhe lay reclining on the couch, smoking, while listening to Guan Hu report on the situation.
After listening, she chuckled foolishly, exhaled a beautiful smoke ring, and said with a seductive look in her eyes, "This little bitch dares to play tricks on me. She's really grown up."
Guan Hu suggested, "Why don't we teach her a lesson?"
"Forget it, this little bitch is still useful. We still need her to bring down the Murong family. Let's just go along with her. However, you go to Shibalipu yourself, get the things, and come back immediately. While you're at it, investigate who Xingwangcai is. I remember Pei Feiyan is an orphan with no relatives." Hua Yuhe's face was full of scheming.
Guan Hu accepted the order and spurred his horse toward Shibalipu.
I've heard of Shibalipu but never been there. It's said to be a mountain stronghold, but it looks more like a sunken volcanic crater. The village is located in a low-lying area, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and there's only one road into the village, making it quite easy to find.
When I rode my horse to the entrance of the mountain stronghold, there was no one there. It was like an empty, tattered bag.
As we approached, we saw a stone mill, three meters in diameter, being pushed by an old man outside the village, its clattering loudly echoing through the quiet village.
The old man had white hair, dark skin, and a narrow face. Despite the cold weather, he was shirtless, and his thin ribs were clearly visible. He wore a pair of large, patched, coarse cloth trousers, loosely tied around his waist.
The old man pushed the stone mill with one hand and swept corn flour with the other. There was a half-basket of unground corn kernels at his feet. He went around and around, completely absorbed in his task.
The enormous stone roller must weigh at least a thousand pounds. Even a strong man like Guan Hu might not be able to push it so easily. He thought to himself, "Shibalipu is indeed a place where hidden talents reside."
Although the old man was thin, he was in excellent spirits, walked briskly, and moved lightly, turning the stone mill round and round, with cornmeal swishing down from the cracks in the stone, seemingly without any effort.
Guan Hu dismounted, clasped his hands in greeting to the old man, and asked, "Uncle, I'd like to ask you about someone. Do you know Xing Wangcai?"
The old man slowly stopped pushing the stone mill, patted the corn flour off his hands, wiped the sweat from his forehead, put his hands on his hips, looked the person down and up before saying, "Once you enter the village, keep walking inwards, the house with a green flag hanging at the door is Xingwangcai's house."
"Thank you, sir!" Guan Hu said, then led his horse inside, as finding someone to pick up the goods was the priority.
He had only taken two steps when something lightly tapped him on the back of the head. Startled, Guan Hu clutched the back of his head and looked back, only to see a kernel of corn on the ground. Had the old man hit him?
What's the meaning?
The old man, with a calm expression and hands on his hips, said to Guan Hu without any emotion, "Young man, you don't know any better! Asking for directions costs money! Fifty taels!"
Who is Guan Hu? He's a gangster in Longyang Town, Hua Yuhe's loyal henchman, and a potential threat to safety in Lin'an City. He's burly and strong, incredibly powerful, highly skilled in martial arts, and wealthy—why would he let a scrawny old man bully him?
So Guan Hu provocatively crushed the corn kernels with his foot, still smiling as he said, "Thank you again, sir!" Then he mounted his horse and prepared to leave.
The skinny old man wouldn't stand for it! He snorted coldly, picked up the millstone with both hands, and threw it at the man and horse like a dart.
Both were trained martial artists. The sudden burst of air friction sound in his ears, accompanied by a sense of oppression, made Guan Hu's back tense, and he frowned and quickly turned around.
Suddenly, the three-meter-diameter millstone came spiraling down like a flying carpet. Fortunately, Guan Hu reacted quickly, released the reins, and lightly stepped on the saddle to fly off.
That horse wasn't so lucky; it didn't run away!
It was completely covered by a large stone slab three meters wide, like a bean pod covered by a blanket, with only its tail sticking out. Blood seeped out along the loess soil.
This is definitely a massive tomato-squeezing scene!
"Old man, you hurt people for no reason!" Guan Hu angrily pointed at the old man and cursed, but his fear did not diminish in the slightest.
The old man didn't speak, his expression as cold as a killer, and picked up another stone millstone, pretending to throw it.
Guan Hu immediately backed down, took out fifty taels of silver from his pocket, and hurriedly said, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. These fifty taels of silver are yours."
The old man put down the stone mill, grinned, and said casually, "Fifty taels for directions, two hundred taels for the stone mill. Your horse dirtied my stone mill, you have to pay for it!"
"You!" Guan Hu's hand, clutching the fifty-tael silver note, trembled slightly with anger! It was truly a case of one scoundrel meeting another! Considering he had other business to attend to, he had no choice but to accept the loss for now and settle the score later. He then took out another two hundred-tael silver note, shook it, and placed it on the stone mill before leaving calmly.
There is only one road in the village, with desolate and eerie houses on both sides. The street is empty and quiet, like a ghost town.
The houses are quite unique! Some are thatched huts built with a few bamboo poles, some are mud houses, and some are simply tattered shacks that tremble in the wind. Of course, there are also sturdy wooden buildings and large houses with blue bricks and glazed tiles.
There was no time for random thoughts; walking down the street, a chill ran down my spine.
The strangest thing was that every house had a colorful flag at its door, and each house had a different color. Guan Hu didn't understand this, but he became slightly nervous.
This is the season for wearing capes; every now and then, a cloud of yellow sand is stirred up on the empty road, leaving people covered in dust.
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