Ren Qing immediately seized the opening and shamelessly asked, "Senior Song, do you have any medicinal baths for external use?"
"Mm, then let's do this. I'll list the herbs, and you write them down: two taels of wild ginseng, half a tael of Red Fruit Flower, three taels of Money Tree..."
Due to the subtle influence of the Information Flow, Ren Qing's memory had long surpassed that of ordinary people. He remembered everything after hearing it only once.
Song Zongwu could not help but think even more highly of Ren Qing's talent. However, he was busy dealing with matters concerning the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone and hurriedly left.
Ren Qing continued pondering to himself.
Why had Song Zongwu avoided such an ordinary-sounding question about Internal Cultivation? Could it involve some unspeakable secret?
Ren Qing suddenly recalled the dying Old Constable in the Martial Arts Building. His lifespan had been nearly exhausted back then; Ren Qing did not know whether he had died.
If he was still clinging to life, then he was very likely the Hundred-Eyed himself.
But the troublesome part was that the Old Constable seemed connected to Song Zongwu, as though they were blood relatives.
Ren Qing shook his head. He should still focus on increasing his strength as much as possible within the next ten days.
Especially the Human Skin Book. Since he would be frequently interacting with Song Zongwu from now on, he feared that any abnormalities might be noticed, so it was inconvenient to advance to a Skin Refiner for the time being.
However, he could still use external refinement methods to increase the toughness of his flesh and skin.
Ren Qing first returned to the Fire Refining Hall and ate some food.
He had originally planned to head to the apothecary to gather medicinal ingredients for body refinement, but he unexpectedly learned some good news about Butcher Zhang from Xiao Wu.
Ren Qing hurried to the butcher shop. Along the way, he noticed there were far more beggars nearby, and they whispered among themselves when they saw him.
Ren Qing gave a cold smile, then walked straight into the alley.
At a glance, he spotted the radiant Butcher Zhang, who was sorting through the pork in his shop.
After asking Butcher Zhang, Ren Qing learned that, following recent negotiations, their cooperation with the Bloodhound Gang was now set in stone.
The business would be handled by Chen Ben, the Hall Master of Jackal Hall. As for Butcher Zhang's demands, they had all been accepted, and there was even an additional, substantial sum of silver.
Butcher Zhang did not hesitate to hand most of the silver over to Ren Qing. The rest would still be enough to buy property in Sanxiang City.
Ren Qing noticed shadows flitting about at the mouth of the alley and curiously asked, "Did you mention me when you spoke with Chen Ben?"
Butcher Zhang suddenly seemed a little frightened after the fact. "The initial negotiations did not go well. Later, I mentioned you, and Hall Master Chen agreed. There shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"It's fine. At most, there'll be a little trouble."
Ren Qing immediately understood. It seemed Chen Ben was preparing to test him. That wild dog was even greedier than he had imagined.
If it had been Ren Qing from two days ago, he would have chosen to avoid the sharp edge and strive for benefits through his identity as a yamen runner, ensuring the supply of pig eyes.
But now, with his connection to Song Zongwu, many troubles could be solved as easily as splitting bamboo.
Butcher Zhang sighed in relief and said, "A Qing, don't take risks. If it really comes down to it, we won't do this business."
"It's fine."
Ren Qing smiled. "But we need to handle all the pig offal west of the city. We'll inevitably need to hire workers, so Brother Zhang, remember to find trustworthy people."
"I've been in Sanxiang City for so many years. I can still find some suitable candidates."
Butcher Zhang agreed repeatedly. Though he did not have a head for business, he at least understood himself and would not attempt anything beyond his abilities.
After giving him a few more instructions, Ren Qing headed out of the alley.
Not long after reaching the street, seven or eight people strode toward him.
The man at their head wore gray robes. His walking posture carried an astonishing aura, as if every step concealed the mysteries of heaven and earth.
Yet in Ren Qing's eyes, the man's complexion was somewhat dull, his blood and qi floated weakly, and there was even a strong scent of stale alcohol lingering around him.
The people on the street all backed away. Who would dare provoke the Bloodhound Gang?
Ren Qing alone stopped walking and waited calmly.
"I am Chen Ben. Officer Ren, hearing of you was not as good as meeting you."
Chen Ben clasped his hands in greeting, but his gaze could not stop sizing Ren Qing up. He even took several oppressive steps forward.
"Hall Master Chen, I've heard much about you."
Ren Qing had long expected Chen Ben's arrival. No hostility could be seen in his narrowed eyes.
On the surface, the two were courteous, but both harbored the intent to probe the other.
After all, where profit was involved, deceit and scheming were unavoidable.
Even after Chen Ben agreed to the profit shares promised to Butcher Zhang, he could still go back on his word. Silver that had been swallowed could also be spat back out. Such lowly tricks were commonplace.
"Officer Ren, how about we change locations and have a proper talk at a teahouse?"
"Hall Master Chen, another day."
Chen Ben ignored Ren Qing's refusal. Acting as though they were old friends, he threw an arm around Ren Qing's shoulders and forcibly tried to lead him forward.
Chen Ben Age: Thirty-one Lifespan: Three years Technique: Divine Feet Scripture (False)
Ren Qing understood at once. The Bloodhound Gang truly had quite a few cultivators.
They had likely relied on controlling beggars to gather a large number of Divine Feet Scripture Eerie Objects. Even the Hall Master in charge of a street district had reached the Martial Human Realm.
Ren Qing did not retreat in the slightest. He stood in the middle of the street like a stubborn rock. No matter how red Chen Ben's face became, he could not move him even half a step.
Chen Ben could not help but turn pale with terror, and he immediately reined in his actions.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and respectfully said, "Officer Ren, I have offended you. Another day, I will certainly come to your door and offer my apologies."
Ren Qing softly said into Chen Ben's ear, "A word of advice for Hall Master Chen: if you do not want your body to collapse, do not drink to excess."
When dealing with people who believed themselves to be deep and calculating, one had to make them unable to see through you. Sometimes, fear was born from suspicion.
Chen Ben watched Ren Qing walk away, his brows knitted tightly together.
A flattering subordinate at his side said, "Hall Master, that man humiliated you. Why don't we..."
Chen Ben coldly said, "Zhao Ji, where did you get the nerve? You dare offend someone from the yamen when you do not know the depths of his background?"
"Please calm your anger, Hall Master. It's nearly noon. How about we go drink..."
At that moment, Chen Ben recalled Ren Qing's words. Irritation surged within him, and he swung his hand, slapping Zhao Ji across the face.
"Eat, eat, eat. All you know is eating."
"Take the deed to the shop at the east corner of Tan Street to Butcher Zhang. Tell him it is specifically for storing pig offal."
Only after Chen Ben had disappeared from sight did Zhao Ji dare curse under his breath.
The east-corner shop was not an asset of the Bloodhound Gang, so he would have to pay for it out of his own pocket.
With nowhere to vent the resentment in his stomach, Zhao Ji could not help grabbing things from a stall and smashing them around. How could the surrounding people dare make a sound?
At that moment, an old man in a bamboo hat passed by with his back bent.
Zhao Ji felt himself being bumped and instantly lost the last shred of his reason.
He grabbed the old man and dragged him into a nearby corner. Just as he was about to vent his fury with his fists, the old man slowly raised his head.
Eyes covered that wrinkled face, as though they could drain away one's soul.
A moment later, Zhao Ji knelt on the ground with vacant eyes. Before long, all life had left him.
The old man walked toward the city gate, muttering to himself, "Trying to find clues among hundreds and thousands of case files truly is no easy task."
"Disaster Aversion, I am coming."
Thanks to Qiege Qiexing Qiefangdang and Dada Dada Daguai for their rewards.
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