Chapter 267: Black Eats Black

In the backyard of Yuan Grass Hall, the shopkeeper instructed four clerks to carry the boxes of ginseng on their backs. He then told ten more clerks to retrieve plain knives from the storeroom and hang them on their waists.

He whispered, "You must guard this batch of ginseng carefully. Bring the grain and ginseng back for me together. Once we arrive, investigate that young man's background. See if he's a formidable person or just a simpleton. If he's just a simpleton, take action directly."

The clerks asked, "If he's a formidable person, then this batch of ginseng will be lost to him?"

The shopkeeper gave a cold laugh. "Even a formidable person needs to be strong enough. Go."

Chen Ji stood in the main hall, looking at the clerks one by one, each with a knife. He said casually, "Shopkeeper, your Yuan Grass Hall is truly thoughtful. We have already settled the transaction with money and goods exchanged, yet you are still guarding this ginseng as if it were your own. It seems you're afraid someone will rob it. Very righteous!"

The shopkeeper quickly added, "You are a valued customer of my Yuan Grass Hall. We are helping you escort the ginseng to make good karma and prevent you from being robbed halfway!"

Chen Ji feigned surprise and uncertainty. "Who would come to rob? How would they know there's ginseng in this box? Could it be someone I know?"

The shopkeeper's heart was shocked. "What do you mean by that? Are you suspecting me?"

Chen Ji smiled. "Shopkeeper, you are overthinking. I was talking about that Hu San Ye just now!"

The shopkeeper followed up, "You may not know, that old Hu the third is one of the biggest local rascals in Gu Yuan. He is cunning and ruthless, and many people have suffered at his hands!"

"Oh?" Chen Ji asked curiously, "What does he do?"

The shopkeeper recalled, "A big event happened the year I first came to Gu Yuan! Longmen Inn wasn't originally called Longmen Inn; it was called Fuyun Inn. The owner was also one of the biggest local rascals in Gu Yuan city, surnamed Zhang! Later, that Zhang provoked old Hu the third, and in one night, his entire family was wiped out. The inn owner and twelve clerks were all hanged on the twelve imperial commendation archways on Zhongyi Street!"

Chen Ji doubted, "Commendation archways?"

The shopkeeper explained, "Those were archways granted by His Majesty to General Wen Tao to show loyalty! After General Wen Tao was imprisoned, the court initially didn't plan to demolish them to appease the border army. But later, the eunuch faction in the court discovered that someone was secretly building a shrine for General Wen Tao, and inside the shrine, there were treasonous words cursing the current emperor. The court then demolished both the shrine and the commendation archways, so you haven't seen them before!"

Chen Ji became more suspicious. This matter didn't seem like a simple fight but was related to General Wen Tao's old case!

He calmly specifically asked, "How did Fuyun Inn provoke old Hu the third?"

The shopkeeper also didn't know the details, only saying, "It should be that old Hu the third coveted Fuyun Inn's route for sending people to the Jing Dynasty! Later, I heard the inn was seized by General Wen Tao's sworn sister and renamed Weiyuan Inn! After a year, I don't know how it changed its name to Longmen Inn again. Perhaps it changed owners again!"

Chen Ji's heart stirred!

General Wen Tao's sworn sister?

He lightly asked, "Where did General Wen Tao's sworn sister go?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "I don't know that... Guest, please hurry on your way!"

Chen Ji smiled. "Alright!"

The shopkeeper's eyes darted around. He probed, "May I know where your grain store is so I can inform the clerks where to deliver the ginseng!"

Chen Ji said casually, "Duoku Workshop, Zhang Ji Grain and Oil Shop!"

The shopkeeper immediately gave the clerks a signal with his eyes. "Depart."

"Wait!" Chen Ji said with a smile. "Sending ginseng alone doesn't require so many people. Four clerks to carry the ginseng will suffice! Otherwise, the neighbors will see and all know I have treasure at home!"

The shopkeeper happily said, "Fewer people is not safe."

Chen Ji said meaningfully, "More people is not safe!"

The shopkeeper saw Chen Ji's vigilance and thought for a moment before waving his hand to the clerks, leaving only the four clerks carrying the boxes!

He smiled at Chen Ji and cupped his hands. "Guest, is this acceptable?"

Chen Ji cupped his hands. "Thank you, shopkeeper. We shall meet again later!"

The shopkeeper returned the gesture. "We shall meet again later!"

Chen Ji lifted the hem of his clothes and stepped over the threshold, leaving Yuan Grass Hall. Behind him, the shopkeeper slowly restrained his smile. "Come out, everyone! Two of you quietly follow behind them, and the others go around and rush ahead to Duoku Workshop to find Zhang Ji Grain and Oil Shop."

"Yes." Ten more clerks with knives hanging at their waists filed out.

Chen Ji walked leisurely. He had just turned four streets and was about to go north when a clerk blocked his path!

The clerk said curiously, "Guest, this is not the way to Duoku Workshop!"

Chen Ji explained, "I want to make a detour to another place. Don't worry, it won't take too long!"

The clerk said in a low voice, "Guest, this batch of ginseng is not cheap. We should quickly go to the grain and oil shop to avoid any complications later!"

Chen Ji looked them up and down, then smiled and said, "Actually, my grain and oil shop is not in Duoku Workshop, it's in East Taohuai Workshop!"

The clerks' faces changed, and they turned to go back!

Chen Ji pressed on his shoulder and lightly asked, "Where are you going?"

The clerk felt a great force pressing down on his shoulder, and his knees almost buckled to the ground. His face changed, and he hurriedly explained, "Guest, I just remembered I left something in Yuan Grass Hall!"

Chen Ji smiled and loosened his hand. "What's the hurry? Can things in Yuan Grass Hall still be lost? Let's deliver the ginseng first!"

The clerk endured it. "Okay, we'll do as you say!"

On the way, the clerks were anxious and uneasy, looking east and west!

When they arrived at the front of the grain and oil shop, Chen Ji pushed open the door. The clerks saw the grain piled up like a small mountain in the courtyard, and their eyes immediately widened!

Chen Ji pointed at the yard. "Just put the ginseng on the ground!"

The clerks entered the door and unloaded the boxes they were carrying, their greedy eyes fixed on the grain!

Chen Ji closed the large door behind them. Hearing the sound of the door closing, the clerks subconsciously looked towards the left and right wing rooms, wary of someone coming out to attack!

A moment later, the clerks saw that Chen Ji was still alone, and their hearts calmed slightly!

One of them tried to smooth things over and asked with a smile, "Guest, why are you closing the door? Don't tell us you want to keep us for a New Year's meal?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "None of you will need to eat lunch later!"

The clerks' faces changed. One of them shouted in a low voice, "Seize him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, three clerks drew out their plain knives and charged towards Chen Ji. The speaking clerk leaped up, grabbing the roof eaves to escape and report!

But just as he supported himself and prepared to flip onto the roof, he saw a black cat squatting on the grey tiles in front of him, quietly watching him!

The clerk paid no attention to Black Cloud, only thinking it was some stray cat!

The next moment, Black Cloud lifted its cat head and lightly swiped in the air!

The clerk's pupils suddenly contracted. That claw was clearly still half a step away from him, yet a white flash of light burst out and lightly slashed across his neck!

Blood sprayed from his neck. The clerk's hands lost their strength, and he leaned backward and fell to the ground!

Thud. Blood spread out on the ground beneath the clerk's body. His eyes stared blankly at the roof. His breath was gone, yet he still refused to close his eyes!

Black Cloud turned its head to look at Chen Ji. Chen Ji had just twisted the neck of the last clerk. He waved to it. "Come and eat. Eat your fill this time!"

As he finished speaking, he pulled open a box, revealing the slender, dry old mountain ginseng inside, one by one!

It was the first time Chen Ji had seen so many old mountain ginseng. He casually stroked them, and the ice flow was sucked away from each piece of old mountain ginseng, turning into crystal-clear beads that fell to the bottom of the box. Black Cloud's eyes lit up. "Ferocious, ferocious."

Outside the grain and oil shop, two Yuan Grass Hall clerks who had followed them sensed something was wrong when they saw the large door close!

Just as the two were about to climb into the yard to investigate, they heard a thud from inside the yard, accompanied by the sound of bones cracking!

They looked at each other and simultaneously turned to run. "You go to Duoku Workshop to find people. I'll go back to Grass Hall to report to the shopkeeper."

With those words, the two disappeared in different directions at the fork in the road!

The clerk ran wildly the entire way, as fast as he could. By the time he rushed back to Yuan Grass Hall, it was already two incense sticks later!

The shopkeeper stood at the door. Seeing him rush back panting, his face immediately changed greatly. "What happened?"

The clerk urgently said, "That young man pulled a black eat black. The place he hid the grain is not in Duoku Workshop at all. It's in Taohuai Workshop. I came back to report to you. Zhao Zhong went to Duoku Workshop to call people... The four clerks who followed him probably already suffered a black hand!"

The shopkeeper angrily cursed, "Damn him! They all treat my Yuan Grass Hall like a soft persimmon. Go back to the backyard and call people. Bring that young man back to me. I want to peel his skin myself!"

The clerk rushed into the backyard and in a little while, led out ten more clerks, each holding a small knife. Without a word, they rushed straight out the door!

The shopkeeper stood at the door, watching the clerks walk away. His face was gloomy, and he was about to turn back into the room when he saw a person wearing a bamboo hat approaching!

He said in a low voice, "We are closed. Please come back another time!"

However, he saw the person lift their head, revealing the one gray-white, turbid eye beneath the bamboo hat!

The shopkeeper was shocked. "Old Hu the third."

The shopkeeper wanted to shout for the clerks to save him, but at this moment, he just remembered that all the clerks had been sent out by him!

Hu San Ye didn't say a word. He chopped the shopkeeper on the neck with one hand knife!

On the street, two manure carriers happened to be pulling a dung cart past! Hu San Ye blew a whistle, and the manure carriers put down the cart's handle, stuffed the shopkeeper into the dung cart, and just left!

Several other passersby silently approached. They closed the door of Yuan Grass Hall, isolating everything!

A moment later, these several passersby removed the door board again, carried away box after box of wild mountain ginseng, leaving only Hu San Ye standing in the middle of Yuan Grass Hall!

Hu San Ye stuffed the nine strings of Buddhist copper coins that Chen Ji had just given to the shopkeeper into his bosom, then left as if nothing had happened!

From beginning to end, no one said a word!

Just at this time, the urgent bell rang again in the middle of Gu Yuan city. Hu San Ye suddenly turned his head, only to see that on the distant city wall battlements, the Gu Yuan border army's large flag was slowly falling!

Hu Jun Xian intended to open the gates and surrender the city.

Asking for leave in advance for tomorrow, I see Yuewen's schedule is full: morning rehearsal, afternoon meeting, evening grand ceremony...