Heyang County

Heyang County in Mengzhou lay 270 li east of Heyin County. Its city walls were lofty, its population dense, its economy prosperous, and its culture flourishing.

In particular, the Gu River encircled more than half the county seat, with numerous tributaries, making Heyang County's geographical position exceptionally prominent.

It connected to Tongchang upstream, Yanggu downstream, Heyin to the west, and Anhua to the east. By boat, one could reach any of these places within a day, greatly promoting Heyang County's trade and exchange with all quarters and cementing its status as a transportation hub.

Inside Fu'an Ward of Heyang County, there stood a fruit and vegetable shop along the street.

The place was spacious, its marble walls covered in pale white paper, making the entire shop look clean and orderly.

Several exquisite wooden cabinets in the shop were piled with all manner of fruits and vegetables. They had been sprayed with water and cushioned with strips of cloth, radiating freshness; even the air carried a sweet, crisp fragrance.

Duàn Yì held the Dragon Abyss Sword and, dressed very inconspicuously in a pure black fitted outfit, entered the shop called Zaguoxuan.

There was no one in the shop—it was a quiet time. A clerk with triangular eyes had been dozing off, closing his eyes for a while and opening them for a while. Seeing a customer arrive, he hurriedly rose and stepped forward to greet him.

Before he could speak, Duàn Yì saw Duàn Yì take a token from his robes and wave it before him.

The clerk's slight laziness vanished at once. He bowed respectfully to Duàn Yì, said nothing further, and led him into a partitioned room within the shop.

On the surface, this shop belonged to a wealthy merchant of Heyang County. In truth, it was a secret