Chapter 78: The Seventh Eighth Chapter Black Fire Stone (6)

  With seven or eight silver dollars on him, Huo Xiaoxie found an old clothes shop and spent a dollar to buy a clean short jacket and pants. He then searched for a well and washed his head, face, hands, and feet before changing into the clean clothes.

  After this makeover, Huo Xiaoxie finally didn't look like a beggar, but rather a young merchant from the provincial capital. Growing up in Fengtian, even as a thief, he was still a city boy, and with his decent temperament, he naturally had more of an air about him than the country boys from Wangjiabao after dressing up this way.

  Although Wangjiabao has a small resident population, there are as many as 40 or 50 inns due to the gathering of merchants from all over the country. These inns are scattered at various intersections and roads in Wangjiabao. The larger ones can accommodate two or three hundred people for food and lodging, while the smaller ones have more than a dozen rooms. They are located in all directions, east, south, west, and north, and are far apart from each other. It takes one or two hours to walk through the entire territory of Wangjiabao to get there.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié spent some money to eat a full meal, and then inquired about the Qingyun Inn all along the way. He thought it was a simple matter, but no matter who he asked, they all replied that there had never been a Qingyun Inn in Wangjiabao. Huǒ Xiǎo Xié was not willing to give up, insisting on going from one inn to another, asking the innkeepers and waiters if Qingyun Inn was an alias. However, after searching for a whole day and asking many people, he still had nothing to show for it.

  Huoxiao Ye thought to himself, could it be that he had made a mistake, and there was another place in Shanxi called Wangjiabao? But thinking back, since entering Shanxi, he had asked all the way and found this place, never hearing anyone mention a second Wangjiabao. Huoxiao Ye asked some long-distance truck drivers who were passing through, and they also said that there was only one Wangjiabao in Shanxi.

  As the sun sets in the west, the sky gradually darkens, and the streets become increasingly deserted, Huo Xiaoyi thinks to herself that it's probably going to be a fruitless day today.

  There was another inn in front of him, which looked very simple. He thought that this kind of inn was suitable for a poor guy like him, so he decided to stay there for the night and think about it again tomorrow.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié walked to the front of the inn, and only then did he clearly see the name of this inn, which was called "Dàdào Kèzhàn". Huǒ Xiǎo Xié smiled to himself, thinking: "The Great Way is a great thief, isn't this name inviting thieves to come and steal? Well, I'm a small thief, living in the Great Thief Inn, it's a three-level promotion! Not bad, not bad."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xié walked into the Big Road Inn, and a shopkeeper came up to greet him. Seeing that Huǒ Xiǎo Xié was alone and not dressed as a merchant, he asked: "Young master, are you looking for someone or staying at the inn?"

  Hu Xiao Ye deliberately put on an air, and said in a pretentious tone: "I'm staying at this hotel, how could you think I'm just a waiter?"

  The shopkeeper hastily said: "No, no, one look at you and I can tell you're a young master from the city, please come in, please come in."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yè swaggered to the front desk, a slightly chubby middle-aged man rushed over and gave Huǒ Xiǎo Yè a hug, with a smiling face said: "I am the boss of this store, my surname is Zhang. This young man, are you staying at the hotel? I don't know how many people?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē raised his head and took a look at the layout of this inn, it was ordinary, nothing special. The house had been neglected for years, not to mention the spider webs in the corners, but there was also a sour smell floating in the room.

  Huo Xiao Ye understood that this store was shabby and estimated it wouldn't be too expensive, so he asked: "Oh, Boss Zhang, I'm staying alone, what kind of rooms do you have?"

  "Hey! My place may look old, but I have two good single rooms. One is already taken, and the other one is available for 1 yuan per night. What do you think?"

  "Are you kidding me? You're killing one by one! This is so expensive! And someone has already occupied a room, I think it's haunted!"

  Mr. Zhang said with a worried face: "This young man, if someone has lived in it, then someone has lived in it. I won't cheat you for nothing. If you think it's expensive, we have other rooms here."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé's eyes rolled once, and his tone softened as he asked: "Oh, Boss Zhang, I'll ask you something. If you know, I'll stay."

  "What's the matter?" said Mr. Zhang.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé asked: "Is there a Qingyun Inn in this Wangjia Fortress?"

  Boss Zhang scratched his head and said: "Young man, this question isn't the first time I've heard it. Counting you, more than ten people have asked me already."

  Huǒ Xiǎo's expression turned serious and he hastily said: "What? Have over ten people asked you already?"

  Mr. Zhang said: "Yes, there are all kinds of people."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē chī le yī shēng, wèn dào: "Nà nǐ dào dǐ zhī bù zhī dào?"

  Translation:

  Huo Xiao Ye let out a cold snort and asked, "Do you know or not?"

  Old Zhang sighed, "I've lived in Wangjiabao since I was a child, for over 40 years. I know every stone and brick here, but I've never heard of any Qingyun Inn around our place. There's a Tanyun Inn in Pingcheng Town 50 miles away, but no Qingyun Inn."

  "Is there a homophone for 'guest house'?" asked Xiao Ye.

  Mr. Zhang said: "I know how to write this word, the people who came to ask me before you also said so. But there really isn't, no Qingyun Hotel."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xiè sighed and muttered to himself in a low voice, "It seems that the Qingyun Inn is not even an inn for people to stay." Huǒ Xiǎo Xiè looked at Zhang Lǎobǎn and continued, "In that case, Zhang Lǎobǎn, you didn't answer my question, so this accommodation..."

  Mr. Zhang looked at Huo Xiaoxiao with great sincerity.

  Huoxiao Zuo pulled out a coin from his pocket and tossed it onto the table, saying: "I only have this one coin, see where I can stay?"

  Mr. Zhang looked at the money on the table, his face showing a difficult expression, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly picked it up, stuffed it into his sleeve, and said: "Then, then you can only live in the woodshed."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Alright! Then take me there! I, your younger brother, am not short of money, it's just that I like sleeping in the woodshed!"

  Mr. Zhang had no choice but to call out to the shop assistant and have him take Fire Little Evil to the woodshed in the backyard.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yī just wanted to follow the shopkeeper, when Zhang Lǎobǎn called out from behind him: "Hey, young man, I've got a question for you!"

  "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

  "May I ask, what brings you to Qingyun Inn?" said Mr. Zhang.

  Huǒ Xiǎo Xiào said with a sly smile: "Want to know? Give me three coins and I'll tell you."

  Mr. Zhang hastily pinched the money bag in his sleeve and said repeatedly, "How are you all some strange people! Don't say it if you don't want to say it, I don't want to know either!"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "I'll give you a chance." After saying that, he waved his hand and told the shopkeeper, "Let's go, take me to the woodshed."

  The young shopkeeper led Fire into the woodshed and said weakly: "It's here, the toilet is at the end of the right-hand path outside."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé looked around and said: "Not bad, not bad, this woodshed of yours is not bad! A great place to sleep."

  Huoxiao walked to the edge of the haystack, sat down and saw that Xia'er was still standing there without leaving. He said: "Then you can go, are you waiting for me to give you a reward?"

  The shopkeeper suddenly smiled obsequiously and said, "Young master, I have some news related to the Qingyun Inn you're looking for. Do you want to hear it?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé sat up straight and said: "Oh? Then you speak."

  The shopkeeper said: "Young master, this can't be casually said, give me three coins and I'll tell you."

  "Nothing! What would you know, anyway?"

  "Hey, don't be stingy! Give me a dollar and I'll tell you. It's definitely worth it!"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yē thought for a moment and said: "Go on, you speak!"

  The shopkeeper stretched out his hand and looked at Xiao Xie with a greedy gaze, saying: "Young master, pay first."

  Huo Xiao cursed: "Who will still owe you money!" He said, taking out a coin and tossing it to the shopkeeper.

  The shopkeeper hastily accepted it, thanking him repeatedly, then mysteriously said: "Young master, our inn has two single rooms, usually no one wants to live in them, but last night, someone who came to the Qingyun Inn stayed in and hasn't been seen coming out."

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yī Lèng, wèn dào: "Shén me yàng zǐ de?"

  Translation:

  Huo Xiao was taken aback and asked: "What does it look like?"

  The shopkeeper said: "Young master, this is another problem, or you give me some more money?"

  "Speak up if you have something to say! Believe it or not, I'll tell the boss about this and see how he deals with you."

  "The shopkeeper was frightened and said, 'No, no, young master, you mustn't tell the boss, he'll beat me to death! Oh dear, how can you be so stingy? You're too cruel!'"

  Hu Xiao cursed: "You think it's easy for me to make money? If you want to say something, just say it. If not, then leave. You weigh it yourself. Anyway, if you speak out, I won't tell your boss!" Hu Xiao grasped the handle of the shopkeeper's weakness and tried it out accurately, thanks to his experience in recognizing people and faces gained from rolling around in the alleys of Fengtian City.

  In the thief's way, to judge whether a person is good or bad at stealing, one must have "three eyes": first, look at their facial expression and see if they are happy, kind, rich or poor; second, observe their movements and see if they are slow or quick; third, examine their temperament and see if they are cold, warm, anxious or depressed. For example, this shop assistant is afraid of the boss, can't stand the noise, it's almost written on his face, Fire Xiaoyi takes one look and knows, asks one question and it's clear. Unlike some modern thieves who think that just because someone looks fat, they must have gold and silver hidden on their body, and with thick skin, they are not sensitive, so they take action to steal, but may end up stealing from a chef who has just been fired, who is fat but agile, not only can't steal anything, but also gets chased by the chef holding a kitchen knife for several streets. Or maybe they'll steal from a woman who looks rough but is actually delicate and fierce, and get scratched all over their face.

  "The shopkeeper hastily said: 'I say, I say it is. Hmm, that customer, I don't know if he's male or female...'"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yé said: "Good, fortunately I didn't give you money!"

  The shopkeeper said, "It's not me who deceived you, it was that customer wearing a large gown, short in stature, with their head wrapped tightly, and a voice that was both sharp and delicate, sounding like either a man or a woman."

  Huǒ Xiǎo yē nà le yā bā, shuō dào: "Hǎo le, wǒ zhī dào le, nǐ qù ba, wǒ yào shuì jiào."

  Translation:

  Huo Xiao rubbed his chin and said, "Alright, I know. You can go now, I'm going to sleep."

  The young shopkeeper smiled and said: "Thank you, sir, for the reward. Thank you, thank you. Please don't tell my boss." He nodded and bowed as he backed out of the room.

  As Xiao Ye saw the young shop assistant exit the woodshed, he relaxed his body and lay down on a pile of dry hay. He pulled out a piece of straw and slowly chewed on it, muttering to himself: "It seems I haven't come to the wrong place, the Qingyun Inn is indeed in Wangjiabao, it's just that no one can find it at once. What kind of people are these who have come to find the Qingyun Inn like me? And what exactly is this Qingyun Inn?"

  Huoxiao Ye tossed and turned, thinking for half a day, but couldn't figure it out. Huoxiao Ye was both tired and sleepy, pulled his clothes together, and slowly fell asleep.

  "Huo Xiao Ye, Huo Xiao Ye, wake up." Huo Xiao Ye vaguely heard someone calling his name in his sleep, and he was still dazed, thinking it was just a dream.

  "Hehehe, evil little fire." The voice in his dream gradually became clearer, and it was actually a woman's voice.

  "Mermaid!"

  Huoxiao's mind suddenly cleared, and he let out a loud shout. He sat up with a start and looked around in all directions. The woodshed was dark and quiet, and there was no one else there.

  Hu Xiao looked out of the window of the thatched cottage, a bright moon hung in the sky, and all around was quiet and still.

  "Huo Xiao sighed: "Another dream? Alas, where are you, Shui Yao?"

  Huǒ Xiǎo Yī let out a long sigh and was just thinking of lying down to continue sleeping, when the front hall of the Great Way Inn suddenly became noisy.