Chapter 84 Blue Cloud Inn (6)

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié glanced at Zheng Ze, and for a moment couldn't see through his thoughts. However, his proposal wasn't entirely impossible either. Huǒ Xiǎo Xié hesitated slightly before saying: "In this Wang family fortress, I'm afraid there are many skilled thieves who have heard about the Qingyun Inn. I only just arrived yesterday, why did you look for me instead of someone else? Aren't you afraid that I'll hold you back?"

  Zheng Zedao smiled and said, "Indeed, the Wang family's fortress has gathered many skilled people, but most of them are old and cunning, coming and going alone. Not only do they look down on each other, but they also don't trust each other. Although there was some conflict with Fire Brother yesterday, and it wasn't very pleasant, I can see that Fire Brother is a trustworthy person who values credit, talks reason, and understands the rules. You're reliable! Fire Brother, why not return the money to that old man? I saw it, haha."

  Huo Xiao Xie thought to herself: "You, Zheng Ze Dao, are probably just like them, cunning and deceitful! However, since you're willing to share intelligence with me, it doesn't seem like you have any ill intentions towards me."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Alright, since you trust me, I'll also trust you! You speak, how will we cooperate?"

  Zheng Zedao said, "During the day, we'll each be busy with our own things. Every evening at 8 o'clock, come to Room A3 of the Red Horse Inn on Wangxing Street to find me. If anyone asks you, just say you're looking for Young Master Zheng from Jiangsu who came to sell goods."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Why didn't you come find me?"

  "Your inn, Da Dao Ke Zhan, is a bit small and doesn't have many guests. And since you're staying in the woodshed, it's likely to attract attention whenever you come and go. Hehe, why not just move here instead?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē àn Mà: "Jì rán lián wǒ zhù nǎ lǐ dōu mō qīng chǔ le, gǎn qíng nǐ yī zhí liú yì zhe wǒ."

  Translation:

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē àn Mà: "Since you've even figured out where I live, it seems like you've been paying attention to me all along."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Alright, I'll find you!"

  Zheng Zedao clasped his fists together and smiled, saying: "Then I won't disturb Fire Brother anymore, farewell! Remember, tonight at 8 o'clock, we'll meet at the Red Horse Inn's Room A3! If you don't show up, it's not considered a meeting!"

  Zheng Zedao and Guo Laoqi got up and walked away.

  Huoxiao Ye was still sitting at the table, somewhat dazed, slowly eating the large pancake in his hand.

  Zheng Zedao walked far away, and Guo Laoqi reluctantly said: "Young master, I just can't figure it out. We cooperate with whoever, but don't have to cooperate with this little brat, right? You didn't say that he's a nobody who will only get a small plate in the future, and at most is only a low-ranking official, this kind of petty thief, you can find them everywhere!"

  Zheng Zedao said: "Guo Laoqi, you're good at fighting and killing, but not a good thief! Some things, even if I tell you, you won't understand!"

  Guo Laoqi sighed: "Young master, then teach me. I'm really depressed and can't figure it out."

  Zheng Zedao said slowly: "A small thief like Mao, how could he get the black stone? And how did he come from Fengtian to Wangjiabao in Shanxi, which is thousands of miles away? Even if his skills are not great now, he must have a special talent! More importantly, I suspect that he knows someone from the Huo family. What if someone gave him an inside track and revealed some key information about the Qingyun Inn to him? Wouldn't that make things easier for us?"

  Guo Laoqi scratched his head and said: "This Fire King recruits disciples, can they all enter through the back door?"

  Zheng Zedao laughed and said: "I think this kid got the black stone, 80% of it is through the back door! Hehe!"

  Guo Laoqi slapped his thigh: "Young Master, I really admire you!"

  Zheng Zedao stopped speaking and walked forward with a swagger, while Guo Laoqi followed closely behind, treating Zheng Zedao as if he were a god.

  Huoxiao Ye couldn't figure out what kind of trick Zheng Zedao was playing, so he gave up thinking about it. After finishing his pastry, Huoxiao Ye strolled around Wangjiabao in a leisurely manner, no longer asking about the Qingyun Inn, but instead poking around here and there, feeling very relaxed and carefree.

  Huoxiao Ye spent the whole afternoon wandering around, and there was no progress at all in finding Zheng Zedao. Huoxiao Ye wasn't in a hurry, after nightfall, he spent some money to have a satisfying meal, looked at the time, and then leisurely strolled towards the Red Horse Inn where Zheng Zedao was staying.

  In the Wang family's large courtyard, Wang Xing held a grand feast for his guests, setting up twenty or thirty tables of food and drink. He treated Zhang Siye and the others as honored guests. The dishes were extremely luxurious, and there was music, singing, and dancing, making it very lively! Zhang Siye, Mr. Zhou, Gouzi Bing, and the others were constantly being toasted by the crowd, not a moment's peace. This banquet went on from noon until nightfall before gradually dispersing. Although Zhang Siye, Mr. Zhou, and Gouzi Bing were used to drinking heavily, as people from the Northeast often do, they still felt slightly tipsy at this point.

  Kong Diao and a group of servants from the Wang family's mansion escorted Zhang Siye and his entourage back to their residence. Zhang Siye, with a big smile on his face, said: "Thank you all for your trouble! Thank you all for your hard work! Thanks to Mr. Wang! It was really too sumptuous!"

  Kong Diao and his men smiled and politely saw off Zhang Siye and his group as they entered the courtyard, only then did they leave.

  Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhou supported each other, walking unsteadily into the courtyard. Mr. Zhang shouted all the way: "If we eat, drink and have fun every day, how can we patrol around? Wherever we go, people invite us to wherever! And we can't get angry! What's good about this?"

  Mr. Zhou also said with a bitter face: "Alas, we are in a foreign land and cannot compare to Fengtian where we can do as we please. After these two days, let's have a good talk with Mr. Wang and see if he can give us some convenience."

  Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhou entered the inner room, Mr. Zhang sat on the chair like a lump of mud, propping his head with his hands, about to fall asleep. Mr. Zhou walked slowly to the door and closed it.

  Mr. Zhou originally had a slightly drunken look on his face, but as soon as the door closed, his expression changed in an instant, and his eyes sparkled with clarity, without any sign of intoxication. Mr. Zhou turned around to see that Zhang Siye was also sitting upright in his chair, looking spirited and not showing the slightest hint of drunkenness.

  Mr. Zhou smiled slightly and walked over to sit down beside Zhang Siye, the two of them exchanged a glance and almost in unison said: "There's something strange about this Wangjia Fort!"

  Mr. Zhou said, "As expected, they didn't want us to patrol around, and this morning's deployment was their strategy. We pretended to be fools for a day, although it was very hard work, but we also gained something."

  "Zhang Siye said in a low voice: 'What's the latest intelligence we've gathered?'"

  Mr. Zhou said, "In this Wangjia Fort, more than 50% of the big merchants have a close or distant relationship with Wang Xing. They deliberately cover it up and never mention the recent situation in Wangjia Fort, but after all, there are many mouths, and we still heard that recently, many outsiders came here to find a guest house."

  "What inn?" said Zhang Siye.

  Mr. Zhou said: "Qingyun Inn."

  "Is there an inn in Wangjiapu?" Zhang Siye asked.

  Mr. Zhou said: "In my opinion, there is no such thing as the Qingyun Inn, it may just be a code name. I'm afraid those who are looking for the Qingyun Inn are all big thieves like Gray Hair Louse!"

  "Ha ha, I said that Gray Hair Lice wouldn't leave Shandong and come to Wangjiabao in Shanxi for no reason. Something big must have happened! It seems all the famous thieves from the Jianghu have gathered here!"

  Mr. Zhou said: "That's right, we have this clue of Qingyun Inn, and it will be easier to interrogate Hui Maozi again!"

  "Things should not be delayed, quickly bring the grey-haired louse!"

  Mr. Zhou nodded in agreement and quickly left the room.

  After a moment, Mr. Zhou rushed in, followed by two hook-handed soldiers. The two hook-handed soldiers were pale and immediately knelt down in front of Zhang Siye, kowtowing repeatedly and crying: "Zhang Siye, it's all our fault! Hui Mao Chou, he...he's dead!"

  Zhang Siye suddenly stood up and angrily said: "Useless things! How can you watch him like that? How did he just die?"

  Hooker soldier cried: "Gray Mao lice did not eat anything all day, just wrapped his face with a towel and sat quietly in the corner of the house, motionless. In the afternoon, he was still alive and could speak. We thought he was just this kind of person, so we didn't pay much attention to him. Just now Mr. Zhou came and lifted the towel, only to find that he had already died with seven orifices bleeding. Master Zhang Si, please punish us!"

  Zhang Siye slowly sat down, frowning tightly.

  Mr. Zhou said in a low voice, "The death is very suspicious, the tongue is clean, and it doesn't seem like poisoning. This day, except for us, no one else entered the room where Huimao was being held. It's not ruled out that Huimao used some method to commit suicide."

  "Good trick! Ingenious! Our every move is still under the control of the Wang family's mansion. Mr. Zhou, let's conduct an autopsy tonight! I want to figure out how Gray Hair Louse really died!"

  Mr. Zhou responded with a "yes", pulled up the two hook soldiers who were kneeling on the ground, and walked out of the room.

  Zhang Siye sat quietly in the house, his face a picture of solemnity and severity.