Li Cang stopped talking.
From Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer in less than a year.
He won't be an ordinary person.
The three men rode horses and disappeared into the northern night.
Yongjing In the north, they have a long way to go.
The city gate of Yongjing is a bit taller than that of Blackstone City, and it is ten times more lively than Blackstone City.
It was just past midnight and there was already a long queue at the city gate.
People carrying loads, driving carts, leading donkeys, and carrying children, all crowded together like a slowly squirming worm.
The guard guarding the gate lazily leaned against the wall, looking at the road signs one after another without even bothering to raise his eyelids.
The three travellers, who were tired of their travels, blended into the group and remained inconspicuous.
Walking at the front was an old man in his fifties, with a lean build, wearing a dusty cotton robe, with an old knife on his waist, and the scabbard was badly worn.
Behind him was a middle-aged man, in his early forties, with an ordinary face, wearing a half-worn green cloth shorts, like a bodyguard who traveled around the world.
At the end is an old man with a hunchback, gray hair, and folds on his face. He is wearing a shabby coat with patches on top of each other. He is holding a bamboo stick in his hand. He takes two steps and coughs, which can be blown down by a gust of wind.
The road guides provided by the three people are all genuine. They spent some money to buy road guides from other cities.
There is no way, Blackstone City is about to be blacklisted by Yongjing. As long as you take Blackstone City's roadmap, you will be investigated.
The guard guarding the gate turned over the road guide, looked up at the three of them, and waved his hand. "Go in."
The three of them entered the city and turned into an alley. The old man with a hunchback suddenly straightened up.
He threw the bamboo stick carelessly in the corner, his rickety back straightened like a spring, and most of the wrinkles on his face were lost.
He stretched out his hand and wiped it on his face, peeling off a thin layer of skin, revealing a face with sharp edges and corners.
Jin Tie.
He looked down at the piece of skin in his hand and stuffed it into his arms.
"Let's go separately." Jin Tie's voice was very low, as if he was talking to the wall, "Li Cang, you stare at the Yao Residence front door, Shadow Seven, you stare at the side door and the back door. I'll feel the way around the city."
Li Cang nodded, turned around and left. His back blended into the crowd and was lost in the blink of an eye.
Shadow Seven didn't speak, just glanced at Jin Tie, and then slipped into the depths of the alley like a shadow, without even the sound of footsteps.
Jin Tie stood on the spot and glanced around.
The street is very lively.
Sellers of candied haws, wontons, cloth, and roux gouache were shouting one after another.
Jin Tie walked among the crowd, neither fast nor slow, but his eyes were like a broom, sweeping over every street, every alley, and the front of every mansion.
Memorizing directions is his specialty.
After walking the road once, he can remember all the turns and forks.
After walking the road twice, he could estimate the length and width of each alley.
After walking three times, he could feel it with his eyes closed.
I walked twice today.
Yao Residence is in the east of the city, occupying most of the street.
The main entrance faces south, a red-lacquered door, with a plaque with gold letters on a black background hanging on the lintel, Central Secretariat Residence.
Four guards stood at the door, their waists straight and their eyes fixed.
When Jin Tie passed by the door, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw four guards, two eighth-layer Qi Refining and two Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.
It was nothing, but he knew that the real master was not at the door, but in the dark.
He turned into a nearby alley and went around to the east side of Yao Residence.
This is the side door of the mansion. The servants usually use this door to enter and exit and transport goods.
The door was much smaller and there was no guard guarding it, but Jin Tie noticed that the concierge's window was open a crack and there was someone inside.
He went around to the back again.
The back door is even more inconspicuous, a narrow wooden door, with several broken vats piled at the base of the wall, and a donkey tied next to it.
Jin Tie stood at the entrance of the alley for a while and saw an old servant coming out of the door, taking the donkey and leaving.
No guards.
Jin Tie, Li Cang, and Shadow Seven took turns watching for three days.
Watch during the day and watch at night.
Li Cang sat in the teahouse opposite the main entrance during the day. He sat there all day long. The tea in front of him was getting cold and refilling, and then getting cold again.
Shadow Seven squatted on the roof opposite the side door at night, motionless like an owl.
After three days, they figured out one thing.
Zhou Qi hardly goes out.
Jin Tie listened to the reports of Li Cang and Shadow Seven in the inn, his brows knitted into a knot.
He stood in front of the window, looking at the street scene Yongjing City outside the window, and tapped his fingers twice on the window lattice.
"Why does this man look like a turtle?"
Li Cang was leaning on the head of the bed, with his eyes closed, as if he was taking a nap. Hearing these words, he didn't even raise his eyelids. "He has a high status in Yao Residence. He is not a guard at the door, nor is he an errand boy. He is an elder-level figure and does not need to go out to do errands every day."
Shadow Seven is sitting in the corner, holding a needle in his hand and applying poison to the needle.
His movements were slow and steady, like he was doing embroidery.
Hearing Li Cang's words, he didn't even raise his head and added, "That's right. With this status, just like you are in Marquis Residence, you don't need to go out all day long."
Jin Tie's fingers stopped.
"Then wait." Jin Tie's voice came out from between his teeth, "He will always go out."
Li Cang opened his eyes and glanced at Jin Tie, a trace of impatience flashed in his eyes.
Another three days passed.
On the fourth day, Jin Tie was already thinking of other ways.
He was wondering if someone should send a message to Yao Residence to lure Zhou Qi out.
But I'm afraid of disturbing the situation.
On the fifth day, Jin Tie was urged by Li Cang to find a solution.
Li Cang has lost his patience. He didn't want to come in the first place, but now he still can't catch anyone.
In the evening, Jin Tie went to Yongjing City Black Market.
There will be a message relay at Black Market in each city, and all the news in the city comes from here.
As long as you have money, you won't be able to find out what's going on in Imperial City.
This Black Market is the coffin shop Black Market of the Yao Family.
Yao Ke's industry.
Jin Tie is a veteran. After joining Black Market, he walked around and looked around. He realized that the strength of Black Market was not high, and the strongest one was Foundation Establishment, Third Layer.
It's the owner of a company named Nameless Pavilion. This person should be the manager of this place.
But the place where information is sold is not here, it is a shop at the entrance of Black Market called Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
Jin Tie went in, without saying hello, and directly threw a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone to the table.
The boss of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is a little old man named Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. When he saw someone coming and was generous, he came up with a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone and knew the news was big.
"Your Majesty, I am very pleased." The old man's voice was hoarse and he reached out to touch the spirit stone, but Jin Tie raised his hand and held it down.
The old man looked at Jin Tie, who shook his head and said nothing.
The old man certainly knew the rules. "What do you want to ask, sir? Let me give you a rough idea first. If I don't know, I will return this spiritual stone to you intact, without any extra points."
"Yao Residence Guest, Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer." Jin Tie said a few words lightly.
The little old man's eyes flashed, and his expression was expressionless. "Yes!"