A Little Information

The disheveled, immature child nervously glanced back and forth while vigorously brushing the dust and grime from his body.

He cautiously peered inside the doorway and vaguely saw the familiar man and woman in the courtyard talking about something.

After hesitating again and again, he still did not know how to begin.

Rumors and gossip were circulating throughout Changling County these days. Without exception, they all said that the scholar living in this courtyard possessed great talent and virtue, with a boundless future ahead of him and a brilliant destiny to come. Even County Magistrate Lord and the others seemed willing to visit his residence and befriend him.

Clearly, his reputation had spread far and wide, and he had already become somewhat well-known throughout Changling County.

How could a tiny beggar like him rashly approach him...

Would he be despised?

But just as the child was torn with indecision, the courtyard door was suddenly pulled open.

"Little Mister, you look even more disheveled than you did a few days ago." Lin Tianlu opened the door with a smile and stepped outside. "Could it be that you've come to ask for more money and food?"

"Mister?! I, I... No..."

The child retreated two steps in panic, waving both hands incessantly as if trying to explain.

Lin Tianlu softened his expression slightly and said gently, "There's no need to be nervous. I was only joking with you.

"But why have you suddenly come here, Little Mister? Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Seeing that the handsome scholar was still as gentle and amiable as before, the child blinked and secretly let out a sigh of relief.

This Mister was truly a great benefactor.

Yet he still tightly clutched the hem of his clothes and could only speak timidly:

"I... I came to do business with you, Mister."

"Oh?" Lin Tianlu raised his brows slightly, folded his arms, and chuckled. "What business does Little Mister have?"

"When Mister first met me, you asked about that wronged soul and evil ghost. At the time, I didn't pay any attention and thought you were deliberately teasing me."

The child's eyes flickered as he took a deep breath. "But a few days ago, Mister displayed your might, dispelled the evil aura at the cloth shop, saved people from fire and water, and slew demons and exorcised devils. Everyone in Changling County has been praising you. I thought... Mister might be interested in those demonic and evil things."

Lin Tianlu was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Could this little child truly be so perceptive?

Looking closely at the child's nervous appearance as he struggled to summon his courage, Lin Tianlu could not help but chuckle. "Little Mister certainly knows how to strike at the heart of the matter."

The child immediately lifted his head, his face filled with delight. "Mister Lin, are you telling the truth?!"

"Of course."

Lin Tianlu nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Those demonic and evil things are full of unknowns to me, like a vast sea of books worth exploring. Besides, I've read quite a few records of strange tales and naturally wish to understand them more deeply. As for the business you mentioned..."

"I, I want to trade information about those demonic and evil things with you, Mister!" the child hurriedly replied.

"Information?"

"Mister can tell at a glance... that I'm a beggar who makes a living by begging. But my hands and feet are nimble, and my ears are sharp. I know all kinds of gossip from inside and outside the county, and I can basically find out whenever something happens to a household. If demonic, evil, or filthy things truly appear somewhere, I can inform Mister Lin at the first opportunity."

The child's voice was somewhat excited, as if he were eager to prove his own worth.

Lin Tianlu silently stared at his dirty, anxious face. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly smiled.

"One hundred copper coins for a piece of information. How does that sound?"

The child's eyes immediately lit up. "M-Mister, truly one hundred copper coins?!"

One hundred copper coins was a fortune he could hardly earn in an entire month of begging!

"Of course it's true. However, the information cannot be fabricated. If I discover that you deliberately made up false information to cheat me of my money, I'll immediately cancel this business and report you to the authorities so they can arrest you."

"I won't, I won't! Mister Lin, please rest assured! I absolutely won't deliberately make anything up!"

At this, he swallowed and said softly, "Mister Lin, I already have a piece of information..."

"Oh? Has something happened in the county again?" Lin Tianlu asked curiously.

"Five li north of the county, there seems to be something strange at Cheng Yanghua—Patriarch Cheng's residence. There are rumors that eerie, sinister laughter comes from their manor every night. In particular, over the past two days, there have even been sounds of meat being chopped. Yet when people followed the sound to search, they couldn't find its source. It's extremely strange."

"For something so bizarre, did Patriarch Cheng not report it to the authorities and have the constables search the place?"

"Not yet. Perhaps Patriarch Cheng doesn't want his family affairs spread around and intends to deal with it privately." The child thought for a moment before adding, "I've heard that Patriarch Cheng is extremely concerned with his reputation. When he was young, he had a fiery and irritable temperament and couldn't stand outsiders pointing fingers at him. Although he became more restrained after starting a family, his first wife died young, and his personality became strange and unpredictable."

"You certainly know this quite clearly." Lin Tianlu smiled.

"I-It's just gossip that circulates on the streets. I happened to hear a few rumors." The child hunched his shoulders and whispered, "Perhaps Patriarch Cheng... may not be as concerned with his reputation as people say."

"No matter. The fact that you took special note of these matters is already worthy of praise." Lin Tianlu spoke slowly. "Wait here for a moment. I'll go inside and get your payment."

The child immediately revealed a delighted smile and nodded repeatedly.

While waiting, he carefully rubbed his hands, hoping to make his palms look a little cleaner.

Only when Lin Tianlu returned and handed him his payment did the child stare blankly at the coins in his hands for a long while before finally lowering his head and beginning to sob softly.

"Why did you suddenly start crying?"

"It's because Mister Lin... gave me a chance!" The beggar child hurriedly wiped away the tears covering his face and clutched the coins in his hands as if they were precious treasures. "I'll work hard!"

Lin Tianlu smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Make the most of your 'specialty.' You'll receive rewards in the end. But...

"I still have to give you some advice. It's fine to ask outsiders for information, but never personally investigate those demonic and evil things. If you encounter one yourself, you may lose your life!"

"I'll remember Mister Lin's words firmly!"

The child's expression stiffened, and he hurriedly added, "I almost forgot one thing. Patriarch Cheng seems to be going to Tianhai Tower for a gathering tonight. If Mister Lin doesn't mind, you could meet and speak with Patriarch Cheng in person at the restaurant."

"Tianhai Tower?"

Lin Tianlu shook his head and laughed. "What a twist of fate."

"Mister?"

"It's nothing. I'll make arrangements for what comes next. Take the money and have a meal to fill your stomach. While you're at it, wash your face properly and change into some clean clothes."

"O-Okay!" The child's cheeks flushed slightly. He carefully tucked the copper coins into his clothes before running away along the corner of the wall...

Although his honest, clumsy appearance—running three steps before turning around to bow—was rather amusing.

"Senior. Who was that child just now?"

Hua Shuya silently came up beside him.

Lin Tianlu waved his hand. "He was a pitiful child I happened to meet at the restaurant before. He's quite clever and quick-witted. He just told me about some strange matters in the county."

"Then what does Senior plan to..."

"Pay a visit to Tianhai Tower tonight."

Hua Shuya's beautiful eyes immediately lit up when she heard this, and she smiled sweetly. "I'll instruct the restaurant to prepare a proper banquet!"