Chapter 1678
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Chapter 1678 Selling
Chloe looked at him with confusion, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying.
Just then, the carriage curtain was pulled open, and Zhan Yuwu stood in front of their car, waving at Yan Zhong, “We need to change horses and purchase dried food. Come with me for a while.
Brother Seven Nights, you all can rest and move around this area. We’ll depart in half an hour.”
Lin Qiye nodded, “Alright.”
“I’ll go with you too.” After thinking for a moment, Hu Jia chose to follow Yan Zhong out of the carriage.
After all, he was a newcomer to the Demon Suppression Bureau, while Zhan Yuwu and Yan Zhong were considered veterans. How could he let the veterans run errands while he, a newcomer, rested? His status was far below that of Lin Qiye and Huo Qubing.
Admiration appeared in Yan Zhong’s eyes, with an expression suggesting this youngster could be taught. The three discussed briefly, then headed in different directions.
Lin Qiye and Chloe got out of the carriage one after another. Looking at the snow-covered street, Chloe couldn’t help but stretch:
“Sitting in the carriage for so long has made my back sore… Is there anything fun to do around here?”
“This is my first time here too, how would I know?” Lin Qiye shook his head.
As they were talking, Gongyang Wan and Wu Quan also came down from the carriage ahead, but there was no sign of Huo Qubing.
“He’s truly sick.” Gongyang Wan frowned at the carriage, her face full of displeasure.
“What happened?” Lin Qiye asked.
Wu Quan opened his mouth, then said, “The Marquis drove… no, asked us to leave. He said he wanted to be alone.”
“What, is the carriage so small that it can only fit him?” Gongyang Wan snorted coldly, “Champion Marquis, such grand official authority.”
Lin Qiye was stunned, then looked at the silent carriage with concern.
During these days of travel, Huo Qubing had hardly left the carriage. Even for eating and drinking, it was Lin Qiye who brought things to him. Every time Wu Quan and the others got off, Huo Qubing would cough up blood alone in the carriage… By the time everyone finished eating and returned, he would have cleaned up all traces of blood, as if nothing had happened.
Since coming to the Western Regions in the midst of severe winter, Huo Qubing’s health seemed to be deteriorating.
“The Marquis is probably tired… let’s walk around.” Lin Qiye seemed to remember something and turned to Gongyang Wan, “Yan Zhong told me you’re from Qingshan County? Do you know any suitable places to rest?”
“From Qingshan County?” Gongyang Wan seemed to recall something, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, “I am not.”
Seeing that Gongyang Wan was unwilling to say more, Lin Qiye didn’t bother to ask further. He randomly chose what looked like the most prosperous street and led everyone in that direction.
In this period of the Western frontier, it was the coldest time. The ground was frozen solid, snow drifted in the air, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. After walking for just a few minutes, their hair and eyebrows were dyed white with snow fragments.
Lin Qiye looked at the gray sky, went into a shop to buy several oil paper umbrellas, which finally blocked the flying snow, but the icy cold air still continued to erode their bodies.
“Wandering aimlessly on the street isn’t a solution.” Lin Qiye looked around, seemingly wanting to find a place to stay as soon as possible.
Gongyang Wan followed behind everyone, her gaze falling on a building at the end of the street, her eyes slightly narrowed, lost in thought.
“I know a place,” she suddenly spoke.
“Didn’t you just say you’re not from Qingshan County?” Chloe asked suspiciously.
“I’m not from Qingshan County, but I lived here for a while… that’s not important. There’s a place that’s warm, with pastries and drinks. Are you going or not?”
“Let’s go,” Lin Qiye replied without hesitation. “Is it far?”
“It’s right there.”
Gongyang Wan pointed to that building, and everyone nodded, walking quickly toward it.
……
“Twenty taels.”
“Five taels.”
“Five taels??” The old woman widened her eyes, “Chen the Skinflint! Have you lost your mind? I kindly bring you a golden hen that lays eggs, and you try to fob me off with five taels of silver?!”
In front of the old woman, the short man laughed coldly, the scar on his cheek looking extremely ferocious.
He looked back at the wooden cabin behind him. In the flickering candlelight, a filthy woman could be seen holding a bowl of hot porridge, gulping it down as if she hadn’t eaten for days.
“Do you think our Liuqing House is just any place?” Chen the Skinflint spoke with displeasure, “We’re in the flesh trade! If we exchanged silver for any female beggar, wouldn’t our place become a beggar’s nest?”
“I’ve been selecting female prostitutes for so many years, I can tell at a glance if they have charm! Don’t look at how dirty she is now, she’s definitely a top-quality beauty in the making!”
“Born a beggar, what good is being beautiful? Ten taels at most, take it or leave with her.”
“…Fine! Ten taels it is!” The old woman gritted her teeth and said.
Chen the Skinflint unhurriedly took out ten taels of silver from his bosom and threw them on the ground in front of him. The old woman immediately bent down to pick them up one by one, her wrinkled face smiling like a chrysanthemum.
After giving the silver, Chen the Skinflint walked directly to the wooden cabin and kicked open the door.
Bang—!
Jialan paused with the porridge bowl in her hand. She turned her head, looking puzzled at this strange man.
“Who are you? Madam Zhou’s son?”
“Pah!” Chen the Skinflint spat, “How could that old wretch have a son?
Now you’ve been sold to our Liuqing House. Someone will take you to bathe and change clothes soon. Let me taste the goods first and teach you some useful skills, then you’ll enter the house to receive customers!”
Jialan held the porridge bowl, looking at him in confusion, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying.
“I’m not going anywhere. After finishing the porridge Madam Zhou gave me, I should leave the city,” Jialan shook her head.
“You think you have a say in this?” Chen the Skinflint snorted coldly, one hand knocking away the porridge bowl in her hand. With a crisp sound, the floating rice porridge mixed with bowl fragments spread across the ground.
The next moment, Chen the Skinflint’s rough hand reached directly for Jialan’s collar.
Jialan frowned, her right hand lightning-fast locked his wrist. A faint blue light flashed from her eyes, and just as she was about to strike, an unhealthy flush suddenly spread across her face, and the raised light quickly dissipated.
“Cough, cough, cough…” She weakly released Chen the Skinflint’s wrist. He staggered back several steps, looking at Jialan with astonishment.
“You’re an Anomalous One?!”
Jialan wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. A familiar sense of dizziness surged in her mind again. She looked down at the wounds all over her body and murmured,
“Still too severely injured…”
