Pawn Crossing the River

For a person who has been fasting for many years, eating is not a pleasure, but a kind of torture. Zhang Yuelu just drank a spoonful of chicken soup and pushed the whole bowl of wontons in front of Qi Xuansu. His meaning was obvious.

Master Zhang has something to do, and Taoist Qi will accept his help.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu would not refuse. For a returning warrior, this was not even an appetizer. It is said that the food intake of heavenly warriors is even more astonishing, one meal for ten days, nine oxen per meal.

Then Zhang Yuelu watched Qi Xuansu finish a bowl of chicken soup wontons, a bowl of duck blood vermicelli, and a basket of soup dumplings without saying a word.

After Qi Xuansu finished eating, he joked: "Brother Tantai, you look at me with such affection, it is inevitable that people will misunderstand that Long Yang is good."

Zhang Yuelu snorted lightly and turned away his eyes.

After being reminded by Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu also remembered that she was now Mr. Tantai, not Miss Tantai. Of course she wouldn't make such a mistake normally, but in front of Qi Xuansu, she was always easily "distracted".

Qi Xuansu carefully looked at Zhang Yuelu after his disguise: "I remember when I met Li Qingnu in Shangqing Mansion, you looked like this."

Zhang Yuelu said: "Do you still remember what I looked like at that time?"

"It's been less than half a year, and I'm not a forgetful person." Qi Xuansu said.

Zhang Yuelu said: "I thought you had forgotten, that's why you didn't recognize me when you were in Jiangling Mansion."

Qi Xuansu coughed violently: "You never mentioned it, and I thought you had forgotten that you were waiting for me here."

"I forgot about it at first, but I remembered it again in my dream last night." Zhang Yuelu laughed, "It seems that I am not a forgetful person."

Qi Xuansu explained: "Actually, I underestimated you at the time. After you were hit by the 'Bliss Needle', I was afraid that you would lose your cultivation and be taken advantage of by those 'inn' killers, so I wanted to capture you and hand you over Mr. Pei, I didn’t expect that you were still capable of fighting. I couldn’t defeat you, and I was afraid that you would turn around and defeat me, so I had to fight with all my strength.”

There was a look of reminiscence on Zhang Yuelu's face: "At that time, I was surprised how we cooperated so well when we joined forces to deal with the Yuan family. It turned out to be you."

Qi Xuansu was about to speak when Zhang Yuelu changed the subject: "I'm leaving."

Qi Xuansu said: "If you want to find me, go to Taiping Inn and tell me Wei Wugui's name."

"I know." Zhang Yuelu had already stood up and left.

When Qi Xuansu got up to check out, he realized that Zhang Yuelu had already paid, and it was Zhang Yuelu who paid him to have breakfast. That was all. The key was that Zhang Yuelu just watched, which made Qi Xuansu feel a little embarrassed.

However, Qi Xuansu couldn't catch up anymore and returned the Ruyi money to Zhang Yuelu, so he calmed down a little and left the place.

There are generally two ways to find the local beggar king. The first is to find local snakes, just like Qi Xuansu was looking for the black market in Bohai Prefecture. As long as he is willing to spend Taiping money, he will definitely find it. Second, as the name suggests, beggars must be related to beggars. Just find local beggars, but you will also have to bleed.

No matter which way you go, peace money is indispensable to pave the way. Otherwise, money can make the world go round. This is why Qi Xuansu applied for "task funds".

Qi Xuansu thought about it and felt that the Beggar Clan was very cunning and had a bad reputation. Moreover, the Beggar Clan was not a true Jianghu people, not the "Hewu" in the slang. It might be a bit troublesome to deal with them directly, so it would be better to contact them. It's better to have a middleman.

In such a large Jinling Mansion, there are many such middlemen. After Qi Xuansu left the breakfast stall, he wandered aimlessly through the streets, but before he could find the middleman, he was stopped by a beggar.

This beggar was a middle-aged man, with no trace of cleanliness on his body, and his clothes were in tatters. He was clearly begging for money, but he said confidently: "Hero, please donate your money generously and reward me with a piece of peace money."

Qi Xuansu did not rush to give him money or drive him away, but asked: "Are you disabled?"

"Of course not." The beggar shook his head and said, "My hands are good and my legs are good. A few days ago, I killed a man."

Qi Xuansu raised his eyebrows: "With bare hands?"

"It's a wooden stick. It's my fault that guy was unlucky. I hit him on the back of the head with a stick. His ears and nose started bleeding on the spot, and it disappeared that night." The beggar said in a calm tone, "But it's not my fault. In our line of work, we can't If you take someone else's money and fight for them, you have to be prepared. If he is beaten to death by me today, maybe I will be beaten to death by someone else tomorrow, and the outcome will be the same, being thrown into the gutter."

Qi Xuansu has understood that this is not an ordinary beggar, but a professional beggar, that is, a member of the beggar gang, who is often hired by others to participate in armed fights. Since someone came to the door, he didn't have to find a local snake.

Qi Xuansu took out a peace coin from his sleeve and flashed it in front of the beggar's eyes.

The beggar's eyes lit up and he reached out to take it, but Qi Xuansu dodged it.

"Want to eat for free?" Qi Xuansu said coldly, "Or do you want to rob openly?"

The beggar glanced at the fire gun and horizontal knife on Qi Xuansu's waist, and swallowed: "I don't dare, I don't dare."

Generally speaking, the beggar gang will not take the initiative to provoke the Jianghu Rangers. Everyone does not offend the river. After all, the knights use force to suppress the ban. Sometimes these Rangers do not even look down on the people of the government, let alone the government's thugs. Take it seriously.

Qi Xuansu softened his tone: "I want to meet the local Beggar King."

"This..." The beggar pretended to hesitate, his eyes rolling around.

Qi Xuansu said: "As long as you see the Beggar King, I will promise you ten peace coins."

The beggar shook his head and said: "That can't be done. With my identity, I can't see the Beggar King. I need to ask for instructions from the boss, and I also have to use money to manage the relationship."

Qi Xuansu asked: "How much Taiping money do you think is appropriate?"

"Fifty peace money." The beggar held out five dirty fingers.

Qi Xuansu said: "I can only give you forty peace coins. I don't care how much you keep and spend, as long as I can see the Beggar King."

The beggar thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Deal."

Qi Xuansu put away the peace money and took out two small receipts: "This is the deposit. I will pay you after the rest is completed."

The beggar reached out and took it.

Then I heard Qi Xuansu say: "Let me remind you, if you use your tricks of deception and abduction on me, the peace money will be used to buy you a coffin, which is more comfortable than being in the gutter."

"I don't dare, please don't worry." The beggar said quickly, "You know what is important and what is serious, and you won't do anything like lard that blinds your heart."

Qi Xuansu waved his hand and said, "Lead the way."

Under the leadership of the beggar, the two passed eight intersections in one go and spent nearly an hour arriving at a place with fireworks.

There are also differences between the place of fireworks and the place of romance.

Not to mention the superior courtyard, the courtyard is deep, quiet and elegant, the women are beautiful and proficient in writing, calligraphy and music. In addition to the women who are prostitutes, there are also musicians, tailors, craftsmen and servants, making people immerse themselves in it. You can have everything you need without leaving home.

There is also a special situation. For example, the famous Shili Qinhuai in Jinling Prefecture is mostly in the form of a private residence or a painting boat. Many famous prostitutes do not want to be under the control of the old bustard, so they set up their own business and usually only receive regular customers. To put it bluntly, they are financially dependent on their lover's benefactors, they don't show off openly, and they usually have to act dignified and serious.

As for low-class brothels, they're far from it. Whether it is background or capital, they are completely different. Although there are ways to accompany guests such as singing, drinking, playing chess, and having tea, the small business cannot afford to support a woman of the oiran level, and there are not so many servants to serve. The land is small, and the upper class people disdain it. The place where Yu went was a place that small gentry and small businessmen liked to visit.

There is also the most unpopular kind of business, called "ajar door" business. There is no sentiment. You just walk in and do the job. The fee is not high. It is a place where ordinary people go.

This place of fireworks is where the low-class brothel is located. Looking up, dozens of high and low colorful buildings are arranged in a chaotic manner. It's far worse than the Wutong Courtyard that Qi Xuansu once visited, but it's much better than the businesses with half-closed doors. Because it's still early in the morning, it's very quiet. If it's night, the sound of silk and bamboo will linger in the room. Men and women laughed one after another.

With a status like a beggar, it is natural that he cannot walk the right path openly. He led Qi Xuansu into a dark alley. There were only some simple shacks on both sides, connected together in darkness. The eaves were next to the eaves, leaving only a ray of skylight and a gap between the houses. There are piles of debris, and naturally there are no drainage ditches in these alleys. There are sewage everywhere and the smell is not small.

The beggar peeked at Qi Xuansu and saw that his face was expressionless and he didn't cover his nose. He couldn't help but feel a shiver in his heart.

He is discerning. People who don't care about the harsh environment at all are probably real outlaws and are not easy to mess with.

The beggar took Qi Xuansu to an inconspicuous shack and knocked on the door.

The man guarding the door blocked the door frame, exposing his dark hair that protected his heart, and looked at Qi Xuansu with unkind eyes.

The beggar took out a handful of lucky money and stuffed it into the man's hand.

The man turned sideways.

There is a cave behind the door. It is not a cramped and narrow house as imagined, but a passage similar to a mine tunnel. The light is dim and it is unknown where it leads.

The beggar led Qi Xuansu into the passage, which was about half a mile away. When he came out, he was already in a city within a city.

To put it bluntly, it is a shantytown and slum area located in the city. Countless shantytowns are connected together, extending in all directions, like a maze, and they are clearly separated from the bustling city outside. Cramped, chaotic, and dark.

Some people call it another Jinling Mansion. Although it is located on the ground, it is like an underground city that cannot see the light. It is a real mixture of fish and dragons. There is no law and no morality. However, there are rules, but they are not the rules of the imperial court. Even the Qingluan Guards are not willing to set foot here.

As for Taoism, there is no such thing as willingness or unwillingness, only necessity. If necessary, don't talk about these low-level people, even the high-level gentry will be destroyed at any time.

The beggar turned to look at Qi Xuansu again.

Qi Xuansu still had no expression, just gently stroking the horizontal knife on his waist.

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