Chapter 38: The Thirty-eighth Chapter, Downfall of the Evil Debt (1)

  Qian Zhanggui's face was filled with panic as he rushed towards Yan Jing Tian and the others, shouting: "Gentlemen, those evil messengers have arrived! Please retreat for now, follow me!" Qian Zhanggui grabbed onto Yan Jing Tian's sleeve, his expression flustered as he pulled him to leave. "It's not nighttime yet, they won't be able to stay for long, let's avoid them for now."

  Yan Jing Tian looked around at everyone, Yan Shou Chen was very displeased but didn't speak. Shui Yao Er and Yan Shou Ren both nodded silently as they supported Xiao Xie. Yan Jing Tian said: "Thank you, boss!"

  The crowd followed Qian Guan's lead and went to the backyard.

  The backyard of the inn is very spacious, with seven or eight thatched cottages standing in a staggered manner to the left and right, separated by more than ten steps.

  Qian Zhanggui led the crowd to a thatched hut, opened the door and said: "There are four rooms in total. You can rest here first, I'll send away those who are running errands, and then come back to greet a few guests!

  Yan Jing Tian said: "Thanks for your trouble! You can go now, we have our own arrangements."

  Qian Zhanggui hastily agreed and ran to the front hall like flying.

  Yan Song didn't like it: "Master Yan, we can hide from Zhang Si for now, but why do these letter runners jump out? Do we have to hide too? Our Yan family can't afford to lose face like this!"

  Yan Jing Tian furrowed his brow, thinking that Yan Shou Zhen's words also made sense. Had he been too cautious?

  Yan Jing Tian said: "After all, it's better to have one less thing than one more. Let's wait here for a while and observe the situation before doing anything."

  The Water Fairy smiled and said: "I'll go take a look! You all wait here, don't worry, I won't let them discover me."

  Yan Jingtian was just about to speak when Shuiyao had already opened the door and slipped out with a splash, disappearing without a trace.

  Yan Jing Tian slapped his thigh heavily and let out a sigh before plopping himself down.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē was thrown onto the bed, still drunk and shouting: "I, I'm not drunk! Don't need to support me!"

  And then at the entrance of the Luoma Inn, a group of people with different attire rushed to the front of the store, without dismounting their horses, and charged straight into the courtyard. Jia Chunzi stood in the middle of the courtyard, pulling left and right, shouting loudly: "Dismount! Dismount!" The scene was extremely chaotic.

  The first one, wearing a leather jacket and sporting a goatee, laughed loudly: "Foolish big fellow! Has my horse been fed yet? If it hasn't been fed well, we'll trample this place to pieces!" The crowd also burst into loud laughter.

  "Come on! Come on! Eat your fill! You come down!"

  The bald-headed man shouted: "Those who are going to change horses, continue on your way! The rest of you stay here and take a break with me!" Some people cheered, while others sighed and groaned. Everyone dismounted their horses. A group of people ran to the stable, pulled out some horses, mounted them and galloped away in a cloud of dust. The remaining people followed the bald-headed man into the store.

  The bald man turned his head and saw that Yan Jing Tian's horse had stopped on the other side of the courtyard. The bald man furrowed his brow, but didn't stop in his tracks, striding into the store. Manager Qian rushed out just then and collided with the bald man!

  Baldy grasped Money Zhang's shoulders with both hands, shaking him back and forth as he laughed loudly: "Money Zhang! It's been ages since we last met! You can't have forgotten me, can you?"

  Qian Zhanggui was dazed and stumbled, struggling to say: "Remember, remember, Zheng Dakuai Zheng Dage! Who would dare forget you!"

  Zheng Dachuan burst out laughing, relaxed his hands, rubbed his bald head, and walked straight into the store. He picked a table to sit down, and the crowd behind him also swarmed into the store. A few people sat at Zheng Dachuan's table, while several others sat at another table next to them.

  Zheng Dakuan stomped his boots on the long bench, sniffed his nose and shouted: "Qian Zhuanggui! There's a smell of wine! What noble guest has arrived?!

  Qian Zhanggui hastily walked forward and said: "Mr. Zheng, would you like to have tea or dinner? I'll get it ready for you right away?"

  "Zhang Dashui shouted: 'Boss Qian, you are really good at beating around the bush. I'm asking, what kind of guests have come to your store? Where did they come from and where are they going?"

  Qian Zhanggui originally wanted to avoid answering, but Zheng Dakuan kept asking, so Qian Zhanggui had no choice but to reply: "When running a shop and doing business, all the people who come and go are customers, and when they leave, it's like cold tea, I didn't ask them too many questions."

  He patted the table and scolded, "Qian Zhanggui, are you talking nonsense? I think you don't want to do business anymore!"

  Qian Guanju was startled and hastily said, "Uncle Zheng, it's not easy for my store to get a few customers. Please spare me, I'm relying on these few customers to make a living! If you scare them away, I won't be able to open the store anymore. Who will dare serve Uncle Zheng on this street in the future?"

  Zheng Daquan rubbed his bald head and said, "You old fellow, you're really a sly one, your words are as smooth as water. Alright! Since Boss Qian doesn't want to talk, I won't bother asking either. Boss Qian, bring out all the good food and drink, don't be stingy with your money!"

  Qian Zhanggui knew that Zheng Dakuan had no intention of paying, so he said: "Everyone please sit down for a moment, I'll go prepare." Qian Zhanggui wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and hastily retreated into the kitchen.

  Zheng Dachuan glanced at a man with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks beside him, saying in a low voice: "Wan Gouzzi, go to the backyard and take a look! Feel out Wang Er!" The man with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks sneered and got up to leave. What Zheng Dachuan said was "Wang Er", which means whether the money is easy to get or not in the gangster slang. In "Rong Hang", "Wang Er" only refers to money, but the slang is more particular than the gangster language.

  As soon as Wan Gouzhi left, a thin man with a gloomy face, like a big smoker, standing beside Zheng Dakuan said: "I say, Old Zheng, what do you think Zhang Siye of Fengtian City is going to do? This time the letter express has caused quite a stir! What news needs to be spread out for 500 miles?"

  Zheng Dakuan hummed: "Zhao Yanguan, what's it to you? If Zhang Siye is willing to pay, we'll go and do it! Not just 500 li, I'd run 800 li!"

  Zhao Yanguan was this thin man. Zhao Yanguan said: "I always feel that Zhang Siye is hiding something from us."

  Zheng Dakuan said: "Deceive? What's the point of Zhang Siye deceiving us?"

  Zhao said, "Old Zheng, think about it. We're just errand runners, we never ask what's inside the letter, we just deliver and leave, that's our rule. But all these years, whenever Zhang Siye uses us, it's always verbal messages, because he knows we keep our mouths shut on the road. But this time, it's a sealed envelope! I think Zhang Siye is probably looking for someone with a bounty this time, so he didn't let us know what's inside."

  Zheng Dakuan pouted and furrowed his brow, saying: "Zhao Yanguan, you're the one with too many thoughts, what were you saying? A reward for searching for someone?"

  Zhao Yanguan saw Zheng Dachuan's thoughts move, and hurriedly added his face, continuing to say: "Old Zheng, think about it, if it's really a wanted person search, what would we do if we knew?"

  Zheng Daquan cursed: "It's really a reward for searching, those old guys did it themselves! Are they still waiting for others to share the money? In western Liaoning, who is faster than us? More traps?"

  Zhao said, "Old Zheng is clever! So this time Zhang Siye only let us pass on the message and didn't say anything else. Isn't it because he's worried that we'll be greedy for rewards and won't deliver the message properly? And the person to be found must be extraordinary, since Zhang Siye is so anxious about it."