Chapter 89: The Eighty-Ninth Chapter, Fire Spirit Suddenly Appears (4)
Hu Xiao Xie lost all sleepiness and couldn't fall asleep again. He was afraid that if he fell asleep once more, Shui Mei Er would crawl into his arms again.
Hu Xiao Xie hugged his knees and sat in the grass heap, meditating for the entire night until dawn.
Huǒ Xiǎo Yè didn't want to stay in the Big Road Inn, so he went out and washed up, then strode out of the inn in big steps, heading straight for the small mountain in the east.
Huǒ Xiǎo Yé crawled to the top of the mountain, it was already noon, and he found a sheltered spot, sat down, and looked down at the mountain. All the scenery in Wangjiapu could be seen at a glance.
Wangjiabao is a square with its front facing east and back west. This is mainly because the main gate of Wang's Mansion opens to the east, directly opposite Wangxing Street, so the houses on the east side are densely packed, while those on the west side are sparse, with dense forests and few houses. The Wang's Mansion in Wangjiabao occupies a vast area, almost half the size of the town, and is also square in shape. Although there are seven horizontal and vertical roads inside Wang's Mansion, the main road has only two, one horizontal and one vertical, passing through the east-west gate and the south-north gate.
Huoxiao Ye pondered for a couple of hours, still unable to figure out the location of Qingyun Inn. He couldn't help but feel a bit down and dejected as he descended the mountain, slowly making his way back to Wangjiapu. By the time he arrived, it was already dark. Huoxiao Ye had no appetite, so he randomly ate some things. Seeing that the time for his meeting with Zheng Zedao was approaching, he shook off his fatigue and headed towards Hongma Inn.
As soon as he walked into the Red Horse Inn, he saw the shopkeeper who had shown him the way yesterday running over to greet him excitedly. Huo Xiao said with a bad tone: "Don't you recognize me? I'm looking for Young Master Zheng!"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This gentleman, I certainly recognize you. However, Young Master Zheng has gone out and hasn't returned yet. Would you like me to brew a pot of good tea and serve two small pastries? You can sit and wait slowly?"
He put his hand into his pocket and found that he didn't have enough money, so he frowned and said, "Never mind, I'll go out for a walk and come back later."
The shopkeeper hastily replied: "Alright, if Mr. Zheng returns in a moment, I'll tell him that you came looking for him and will come back later."
Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Alright! Thanks for your trouble!"
"The young master needn't be polite to me, this is all within my duties. Young master, take your time, take your time."
Huǒ Xiǎo Yé walked out of the Red Horse Inn, feeling strange in his heart. Zheng Zedao should have been back by now according to reason, could something have happened?
Huǒ Xiǎo Yé was strolling around Wáng Jiā Bǎo for half an hour, and returned to Hóng Mǎ Kè Zhàn. The shopkeeper hurriedly came up again, with a worried expression, saying: "Zhèng Shào Ye hasn't come back yet, alas, usually he would have been back by now. Could it be that he ran into someone he knew and got drunk?"
Huoxiao Xie asked: "Take a look, has Young Master Zheng moved out? 16Ks?"
The shopkeeper said, "Oh no, this won't do. Young Master Zheng has booked the entire third floor for a whole month until the 18th, and he's already paid in full. Even if he doesn't come back to stay, we wouldn't dare refund his money. Ah yes, I remember now, Young Master Zheng did leave with his luggage today, but I didn't dare ask him anything."
Huǒ Xiǎo Yī Dào said a word of thanks, and with an uneasy heart, he left the Red Horse Inn and quickly walked back to his own inn, the Big Way Inn.
The boss of the Da Dao Inn, Zhang, and his shop assistant were dozing off on the table. When they saw someone returning, they slowly got up to greet them. Huo Xiao asked if anyone had come looking for him, but Boss Zhang shook his head repeatedly, claiming he didn't know anything.
Huǒ Xiǎo's evil heart tightened, and he hated to say: "Could it be that Zheng Zedao has already found the Qingyun Inn?"
Huǒ Xiǎo Xié went to the Red Horse Inn several times that night, until midnight, Zheng Zédào still hadn't returned. Huǒ Xiǎo Xié had no choice but to give up and return to the hayloft of the Big Way Inn. The more he thought about it, the more he felt wronged: "Could it be that I chatted with him last night and let him find the Qingyun Inn? Alas! How stupid am I!" Huǒ Xiǎo Xié didn't resent Zheng Zédào for not even saying goodbye before leaving quietly. He just felt wronged, wondering why others could gain something from chatting with him, while he himself hadn't thought of anything.
For the next two or three days, Huo Xiaoyao didn't see Zheng Zedao's shadow again. He seemed to have really disappeared with Guo Laqi. With Zheng Zedao's temperament, it was impossible for him to leave Wangjiabao, and the most likely possibility was that Zheng Zedao had already moved into Qingyun Inn.
Wangjiabao was still bustling every day, with merchants and horse teams coming and going constantly. The ten-day play arranged by Wang Xing also went on as scheduled every afternoon, with Zhang Siye laughing and taking Zhou Xiansheng and Gouzi Bing to watch the show. It seemed that everyone was having a great time, without any thought of catching thieves. Shuimian'er never came to find Huoxiao again, and even the voice calling out for Huoxiao when they first arrived in Wangjiabao was no longer heard.
Who is the thief, who is the people, who is still looking for the Qingyun Inn, and who has already disappeared in this too normal, too peaceful Wangjia Fortress, it seems that any character or event will be quickly erased in the midst of music and dance.
It's already June 11th, and there are only four days left until June 15th. Huo Xiao is still alone, quietly wandering around Wangjia Fortress. As a young man from outside the region, he dresses plainly and blends in with the crowd, drawing no attention to himself.
