Ye Wanmian stared at the pitch - black doors and windows in astonishment, then looked down at Dahuang.
"Da Huang, what did you bring me here for?"
Dahuang raised his paw and scratched at the door, let out a "woof" at Ye Wanmian, then turned around and ran to the base of the wall just now. He lifted his paw and dug at the ground, grunting in his mouth.
[The little purple - clothed man must have secretly eaten roast chicken behind mother and Dahuang's backs.]
In Dahuang's mind, Ye Wanmian and Xiao Jingcheng had gone out late at night several times to feed the dogs in the town in that forest. Dahuang was extremely anxious at this moment. He wished he could grow wings and fly over the courtyard wall.
Ye Wanmian had been getting along with Dahuang day and night, and they had developed a tacit understanding. Through Dahuang's actions, she vaguely guessed something.
Had Xiao Jingcheng gone out again?
She hadn't even finished drawing the topographic map yet. It was so late, and he wasn't familiar with the town. Where could he go?
Ye Wanmian looked up at the moon in the sky and subconsciously frowned.
She quickly shook her head and pushed the thought out of her mind.
Where he went had nothing to do with her. He wasn't even afraid that his identity would be exposed if he ran around. Why should she worry about him?
Ye Wanmian said to Dahuang, "Don't mind him. He can go wherever he wants. Let's go back inside."
She turned around and went back into the room. She picked up the pen, lay on the table, and continued drawing.
Seeing that she was unmoved, Dahuang had no choice but to give up. He hung his head and slunk back to his original position to squat down. He picked up the big marrow bone full of tooth marks and gnawed on it listlessly. The tail behind him stopped wagging.
Whimpering, just thinking that Sangbiao and the others could eat roast chicken made Dahuang feel that the bone in his mouth didn't taste good.
When Ye Wanmian found herself distracted for the third time, she came to her senses. She looked at the map on the table that had made no progress at all, put down the pen, and let out a sigh.
Changing into a set of dark - colored clothes, Ye Wanmian said to the listless Dahuang under the table, "Dahuang, let's go find Gou Dan."
Hearing this, Dahuang "whooshed" out from under the table. His eyes sparkled, his tail wagged violently, and his tongue lolled out.
Going to find the little purple - clothed man meant Dahuang could also eat roast chicken!
Dahuang was like a nimble catfish, squeezing out through the crack of the door.
After Ye Wanmian went out, she looked around, then tiptoed quietly after Dahuang. One person and one dog slipped out of the door silently, their figures disappearing into the night.
However, Ye Wanmian didn't know that after she and Dahuang left, Mo Zhizhang's door also opened.
Standing outside the door and looking in the direction Ye Wanmian had left, Mo Zhizhang's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his hair fluttered gently in the breeze.
This Huichuntang was really an interesting place.
One by one, they all liked to go out at night.
Well, of course, that included him too.
He just wondered if their purposes were the same.
...
Inside the Feihu Gambling House, the shouts rose and fell one after another. The tables were surrounded by people, and the tables were piled high with copper coins and silver pieces. Everyone stared at the dice cup that the croupier in the middle was shaking vigorously, muttering constantly.
"Big, big, big!"
"Small, small, small!"
"Have you shaken enough? Hurry up and open it!"
Everyone impatiently urged. The croupier slapped the dice cup on the table with a "pop", looked around, and said, "Big or small, the bets are placed. No going back!"
After he opened the dice cup, the cheers and curses that erupted on the scene almost blew the roof off.
Zhao Hu led the thugs behind him into the gambling house, and there were successive greetings all around: "Lord Hu, you're here."
"Lord Hu, please show mercy today!"
Zhao Hu responded one by one. The feeling of being flattered finally made him regain a bit of self - esteem.
Beside him, Tang Kang, who was nearly nine feet tall, was a big and strong man with well - developed muscles. Coupled with his dark face, he was quite intimidating.
As soon as Tang Kang was released by Xiao Jingcheng today, Zhao Hu immediately interrogated him about what Xiao Jingcheng had called him for.
What Tang Kang said left Zhao Hu confused.
"The boss didn't ask me to do anything. He just asked me to help him carry firewood."
After learning that the firewood was delivered to Huichuntang, Zhao Hu stroked his beard meaningfully.
So it turned out that General Tunri was from Huichuntang.
He then sent people to inquire and found out that Huichuntang had been giving out herbal tea and providing free medical consultations to the townspeople today. He also learned that the prince from the capital who was staying in the Liuxiang Tower today knew Doctor Jiang from Huichuntang and had even come to support Huichuntang on the spot.
The scariest thing was that they had just met in the morning, and he had been beaten black and blue by the other party. But when he tried to recall General Tunri's appearance, his mind was a blank. He couldn't remember anything!
This discovery made him even more convinced that General Tunri had an extraordinary background.
Zhao Hu walked around the gambling house, then found the accountant and inquired about the current earnings of the gambling house. Hearing the figures, Zhao Hu stroked the upturned beard on his chin and nodded in satisfaction.
It had only been open for less than two hours, and they already had an income of ten taels of silver. They would probably earn about sixty taels today.
Just thinking about the three hundred and sixty taels of "protection fee" he had paid to General Tunri today made Zhao Hu wince in pain. But he only felt a momentary pang, and then he completely calmed down.
Zhao Hu was a man who adhered to the principles of the martial arts world. Since he had called Xiao Jingcheng boss and signed that contract, he accepted his loss.
Who could have stopped General Tunri when all of them combined were no match for him?
His body still ached.
With a "bang", the door of the gambling house was kicked open, startling everyone in the room. Zhao Hu accidentally bumped into the corner of the table beside him and grimaced in pain.
Hearing the noise, everyone turned their heads and looked out of the door.
That figure stepped into the gambling house.
Even though he was wearing the most ordinary coarse - cloth shirt, his nearly nine - foot stature and his cold and lofty aura changed the smoky atmosphere of the entire gambling house.
It seemed that even a bit more noise would be a profanity to him.
What was even more astonishing was that after everyone's eyes fell on him, although they were first intimidated by his aura, the next moment they would subconsciously ignore his presence and turn back to continue their shouting and cheering.
It was as if he didn't exist.
Affected by the runes, Zhao Hu simply couldn't remember Xiao Jingcheng's appearance. But seeing that the person was accompanied by two dogs, Zhao Hu immediately recognized who it was.
— Only General Tunri could have such a powerful and oppressive aura!
Enduring the pain, Zhao Hu hurriedly led his men forward to greet him. He bowed and clasped his hands, looking obsequious as he said, "Boss, why did you come here so late?"
Xiao Jingcheng just glanced at him indifferently and didn't say a word. Instead, he strode around the gambling house, which only opened at night to receive customers, like a lion patrolling its territory.
The less he spoke, the stronger the sense of oppression became. Zhao Hu was extremely panicked inside. He chased after him and said,
"Boss, I've already sent people to find a way to exchange the silver notes. I'll bring you good news within three days, and I guarantee that the person behind the scenes won't be able to find out!"