"The shopkeeper's in. I'll go call him." The clerk turned and went into the inner room.
Before long, an old man wearing a round cap and sporting a goatee came out.
"Qiu Shopkeeper," Lu Shaolin said with a smile.
Qiu Shopkeeper handled matters fairly and never haggled prices down. That was why Lu Zhong had always chosen this shop.
"Boy Lu, it's been some time since I last saw you. You've grown much sturdier! Why have you come alone?" Qiu Shopkeeper asked with a smile. Father and son had usually come together.
"My father passed away a few days ago," Lu Shaolin said calmly.
"What! Your father, Lu Zhong, has passed away?" Qiu Shopkeeper cried out in shock.
"Yes." Lu Shaolin nodded.
"Ah... it's been hard on you, boy." Qiu Shopkeeper sighed deeply, and his gaze toward Lu Shaolin softened considerably.
As for the cause of Lu Zhong's death, he did not need to ask to know. Hunters spent all year mingling with the great mountains, and most of them died in those mountains.
"Qiu Shopkeeper, take a look at this wolf pelt and name a price for it." Lu Shaolin handed over the pelt.
"Alright, let me see." Qiu Shopkeeper took the wolf pelt.
"This wolf pelt is quite large, and the fur is thick too. I'll give you eight qian of silver for it," Qiu Shopkeeper quoted.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Lu Shaolin cupped his hands in thanks.
Based on past experience, this wolf pelt had some damage to its fur and was really worth only five qian of silver.
Qiu Shopkeeper had clearly given him extra money.
"No need to thank me, Boy Lu! You're alone now, and hunting in the mountains is dangerous after all. Would you be willing to work as a clerk in my fur shop? At the very least, your safety would be guaranteed." Qiu Shopkeeper waved a hand and asked solemnly.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Shopkeeper, but I'm used to life in the mountains." Lu Shaolin cupped his hands and politely declined. He had to seek a way to survive; he could not stay in the fur shop as a clerk.
"Very well! But you must take care of yourself, boy. Bring any pelts you have here, and I definitely won't let you suffer a loss!" Qiu Shopkeeper nodded.
There was also a touch of admiration in his gaze toward Lu Shaolin.
"Clerk, bring eight qian of silver." Qiu Shopkeeper turned to the clerk again.
The clerk hurriedly took eight qian of silver from the cash box.
"Here, Boy Lu. If you run into any difficulties, come find me. Your father and I were old acquaintances as well." Qiu Shopkeeper took the silver and handed it to Lu Shaolin, speaking softly.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Lu Shaolin reached out and accepted the silver.
"Head back early, and watch the road!" Qiu Shopkeeper said with a smile.
Lu Shaolin nodded, tucked the silver into his clothes, and strode out of the fur shop.
"Ah... such a pitiful yet stubborn child!" Qiu Shopkeeper sighed as he watched Lu Shaolin's retreating back.
After leaving the fur shop, Lu Shaolin went straight to the coffin shop.
He wanted to ask Li Cai about the territories where the Blackwater Gang and Little Knife Society operated, to see whether he had a chance to slip into one of the gangs.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Lu Shaolin arrived at the coffin shop.
At that moment, Li Cai was cleaning with a rag, occasionally glancing outside.
When he saw Lu Shaolin, surprise lit up his face. He tossed aside the rag and came out to greet him.
"Brother Lu, what brings you here?" Li Cai asked with a smile, patting Lu Shaolin on the shoulder.
"I came to see Brother Li, and while I'm at it, ask you about something," Lu Shaolin said with a smile.
"Come in and sit first. The shopkeeper isn't up yet. Come in, sit!" Li Cai pulled Lu Shaolin into the shop.
"I'll pour you a cup of tea." After settling Lu Shaolin down, Li Cai ran off to pour the tea.
"Here. It's not good tea, so make do with it," Li Cai said as he set the teacup on the table.
"I'm not so particular. As long as it quenches my thirst, it's enough," Lu Shaolin said unconcernedly.
With that, he picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp. He had walked all the way here and was indeed rather thirsty.
"What does Brother Lu want to ask?" Li Cai said as he sat across the table.
"Where are the Blackwater Gang and the Little Knife Society mainly active?" Lu Shaolin came straight to the point.
"The Blackwater Gang mainly operates at Blackwater Wharf. That's their territory. Within the city, they run inns and carriage houses."
"The Little Knife Society runs gambling dens, brothels, and restaurants. Their main area of activity is the county town," Li Cai said after thinking for a moment.
"I understand." Lu Shaolin nodded.
"If you want to find Blackwater Gang members, just go straight to Blackwater Wharf. Little Knife Society members only come out after dark," Li Cai continued.
He had already guessed that Lu Shaolin wanted to enter a gang ahead of time.
"Thank you, Brother Li. I won't disturb you any longer. I'll go take a look at Blackwater Wharf first." Lu Shaolin rose and cupped his hands.
"Take care, Brother Lu!" Li Cai saw Lu Shaolin to the door.
Lu Shaolin waved and walked straight toward the city gate.
The wharf was naturally outside the city.
Carrying his long spear, he walked for nearly half an hour before arriving at Blackwater Wharf.
People and carts flowed through the wharf, and it was bustling beyond measure!
Merchants haggled over prices, laborers sweated like rain, and clamor filled the air.
Lu Shaolin swept his gaze around before heading toward a tea stall on the outskirts.
Quite a few laborers sat in the tea stall, wiping away sweat with yellowed towels while gulping down warm tea.
As he entered the tea stall, an old man with graying hair called out loudly, "Young man, are you here for tea? One copper coin for a pot, refills are free. Even if you don't drink, you can sit down and rest awhile."
"Mm, Old Uncle, bring me a pot." Lu Shaolin nodded with a smile and found an empty table to sit at.
"Alright! Young man, wait just a moment," the old man replied with a smile.
Before long, the old man came over carrying a brown teapot and a black ceramic bowl.
He filled the bowl to the brim, set the teapot on the table, and smiled. "Please enjoy, young man."
"Thank you, Old Uncle. Here's the tea money." Lu Shaolin took out one copper coin and handed it over.
"Thank you for your patronage, young man." The old man accepted it with a smile.
"Uncle Zhang, refill this one!" a laborer at the far-left table shouted.
"Coming right up!" the old man answered loudly. He smiled at Lu Shaolin, then turned to refill the tea.
The laborers drank several pots of tea each. When they saw a new ship dock, they left one after another.
The entire tea stall suddenly became much quieter.
Lu Shaolin slowly savored his tea. Though it was coarse tea, it was truly natural and unpolluted, something rarely seen in his previous life.
Seeing that the old man had become free, Lu Shaolin called out with a smile, "Old Uncle, I'd like to ask you about something."
"What would you like to ask, young man? Go ahead," the old man said heartily as he walked over with a smile.
"Old Uncle, do you know how to find members of the Blackwater Gang?" Lu Shaolin asked directly.
"What do you want with Blackwater Gang members, young man?" The old man's expression instantly turned wary.
"Don't be nervous, Old Uncle. I'm not here to cause trouble. I simply can't wait until next spring to join the gang, so I came to ask around," Lu Shaolin replied softly.
"So that's how it is!" The old man relaxed, and a smile returned to his face.
"Yes." Lu Shaolin nodded.
"Walk one li down this road, young man, and you'll see a Water Fortress. That is the Blackwater Gang's headquarters." The old man turned sideways and pointed to a road on the left.
"Thank you, Old Uncle!" Lu Shaolin drained his tea in one gulp, rose to thank him, then turned and headed out.
"Young man, may luck be with you!" the old man called after him.
Before you continue