"I can’t be sure without seeing the actual object, but since Gong Jiu is so certain and hasn’t shown it to me, it must be at least seventy to eighty percent real. After all, even if she is impetuous, Flower Demon wouldn’t be fooled so easily~~"
Sui Yi’s meaning was probably that the jade pendant was real.
"Sometimes the authenticity isn’t what matters the most, but rather why it ended up with her," Sui Yi’s words made Feng Sha and Gong Yi exchange glances. Could this be a trap set by someone?
Yhan Qingwu examined the photo and after thinking for a while, said, "If this Warring States Jade Pendant is real, it might be a bit more troublesome."
Feng Sha’s expression changed.
Sui Yi seemed to sense something, "Did you know about the trouble in Western Hunan already?"
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been waiting at the door.
"Yes, I’ve been in contact with the Tang Sect, and there has been some unrest in Western Hunan lately," her fingers pressed on the photograph, her voice slightly somber.
Sui Yi followed her gaze toward the window.
Although it was September, the area in Western Hunan was lush with grass and orioles flying, and the streams were clear and beautiful. However, the sky looked gloomy at the moment as if a downpour was imminent.
"The town where we’re supposed to meet up is quite remote, and the road is a little difficult to travel on. Now it’s already four or five o’clock, it looks like a storm is coming. If the roads are muddy, we can’t drive through, so we need to quickly find a hotel, sleep early, wake up early, and continue our journey. We won’t be able to meet up with the others until tomorrow..."
"Mhm."
Now the team leader was naturally Sui Yi, and although she was not talkative, Gong Yi and the others couldn’t pretend she didn’t exist, so they followed her advice in everything.
By the time Sui Yi and her team found a modest hotel, it indeed began to rain heavily. The already poor roads worsened, muddy and hard to navigate. Nevertheless, by seven or eight o’clock the next day, Sui Yi’s group arrived at a small town within the autonomous state.
The town was really backward, akin to Ye Family Village. The residences seemed to tilt towards the Earth Tribe’s side, and the car was stuck in a narrow path and couldn’t drive through, so everyone had to get out of the car. Fortunately, everyone’s luggage was just a backpack, and Feng Sha and Gong Yi took the initiative to carry the backpacks for both Sui Yi and her companion, which was quite gentlemanly.
But when Yhan Qingwu saw the grandmothers and grandchildren sitting outside the doors of their homes, lighting a fire and cooking on the Kan, she couldn’t help saying, "It seems this town is quite close to the Earth Tribe’s villages."
Sui Yi nodded.
Perhaps the culture here was indeed very ancient, as the road leading to it was paved with Blue Stone Slabs, and many residences had their doors wide open. There were stores selling groceries and others offering Miao ethnic jewelry and clothing. There were also places selling food, shouting and hawking much like the shops of ancient times. Still, the sight of Sui Yi and her companions didn’t surprise the locals, as this road was still considered a secluded official path.
Suddenly, they heard someone shouting ahead. Looking up, they saw a man wearing a leather vest with military trousers and boots, portly and round, about 1.75 meters tall, sporting a hedgehog haircut and an orange headband, and holding a bowl of noodles while hopping through the threshold of the noodle shop.
"Yo ho ho, it must be you guys, the people we’ve been waiting for, finally here—shiou—"
Even as he spoke, he continued eating his noodles and gesturing with his hand~~
Quite adept at multitasking~~
"They’re inside the shop; let’s head over," said Sui Yi.
As Sui Yi’s group entered, they saw two tables in the shop crammed with eight people, along with one empty table.
Upon hearing the chubby man’s call, everyone looked up. Gong Yi and Feng Sha were okay, but when they saw Sui Yi and two young girls, all looked puzzled.
Why were there such young girls here?
"Miss Sui, Miss Yhan, welcome," said a middle-aged man as he stood up to greet them, his demeanor steady. From his appearance and reaction, Sui Yi concluded he was from the Palace Family.
"Hello," Sui Yi and Yhan Qingwu each shook hands with him.
"I say, Second Master Gong, are these young girls the ones we were waiting for? What are they here for? It’s dark and ominous in those tombs and caves, hope they don’t get scared silly by a rat," grumbled a lean man with a black beard as he glanced at Sui Yi and her companion dismissively. Although the girls were pretty, what use would they be? Fresh chapters posted on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Were they there just for fun?
"Ha ha, Skinny, you can’t say that. Maybe the zongzi in the tombs will see these girls looking like heavenly fairies and won’t bite them then~"
Just as Feng Sha was about to say something, Second Master Gong smiled and said, "Gentlemen, no need to worry. These two young ladies are far from ordinary."
He noticed that Sui Yi and her companion didn’t show any signs of anger and didn’t say more, instead cheerfully invited them to sit down for breakfast. Since they hadn’t yet eaten, they sat down and each ordered a bowl of plain porridge.
Interestingly, the chubby man squeezed Feng Sha off another bench, sat next to Sui Yi, and said with a smile, "Skinny and the old smooth talker are old and blind, but I know these two missies must be incredibly awesome. As it happens, I’m pretty awesome too. I think we can be friends~~"
Sui Yi took a sip of porridge, ignoring him.
Undaunted, the chubby man continued, "A lass is calm, calm is good, it’s a high-person attitude~~ So, since it’s our first meeting, how about we show each other our treasures, huh...?"
When he mentioned this, Feng Sha and Yhan Qingwu looked over, the others also held meaningful glances.
The chubby man, seemingly oblivious to this, pointed to his headband, "Miss, guess what this is on my forehead?"
Sui Yi didn’t even lift her head, "A headband."
A headband on the forehead.
How could the conversation go on from there?
So you see, the chubby man was no ordinary person. With a clap, he said, "That’s right, a headband. Do you know what kind of headband it is?"
What kind of headband?
Sui Yi turned to look at him, her eyes calm and deep, which made the chubby man shiver. After a while, Sui Yi responded.
"The one for sitting the month...?"
Chubby man: "..."
This was unquestionably an impossible rhythm for communication, but he still glanced at the Sword Bag carried on Sui Yi’s back...(to be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for your recommendation, monthly ticket. Your support is the biggest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)