HCB Chapter 205: Know-it-all
Chapter 205: Know-it-all
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, Su Fuying visited almost every shop in the city, big and small, but the answer she received was always the same: "Sorry, our shop has no more cold tobacco in stock."
She frowned and muttered to herself, "This huge crossbow city can't even find a single sprig of Cold Smoke? Looks like I really have to try my luck at the black market."
After waiting at the inn for an entire day, until night fell, Su Fuying put on a large hood, hurriedly went out, and rushed towards her goal.
Before long, an old street came into view, surrounded by darkness, with four burly men guarding the entrance.
They blocked Su Fuying's path, scrutinizing her warily.
Su Fuying took a deep breath and carefully took out the invitation from her sleeve, handing it to one of the guards. She couldn't verify its authenticity; the pharmacy owner might be bluffing.
After carefully inspecting the area, the two guards exchanged a glance and then silently stepped aside, clearing a path for them.
As you pass through this dark alleyway, the faint candlelight flickers with a dim yellow light, illuminating the scene on both sides.
On either side, a group of people, their faces covered, squatted silently, guarding their respective stalls.
Unlike typical markets, there are no noisy shouts here, only occasional hushed inquiries and brief answers.
Combined with the eerie environment, it feels like watching a horror movie.
Su Fuying wandered around inside for a long time, but still couldn't find what she needed.
Just as she was feeling somewhat disappointed, a man with a pointed face and gleaming eyes jogged up to her.
"Guest, what do you need? I claim to be a know-it-all and may be able to lend you a hand."
The man smiled obsequiously.
Su Fuying stopped and looked calmly at the man in front of her: "I'm looking for Han Yancao."
Upon hearing this, the man's smile vanished instantly, and his eyes began to dart around in their sockets.
In fact, he had noticed the mysterious man in the black cloak long ago.
From the moment she stepped into the shop, she was clearly looking for something, not even glancing at the rare treasures, and went straight to the next stall.
Faced with this situation, the man secretly wondered: either this customer doesn't know anything about these things, or she has extremely high standards and doesn't even look at these treasures.
So he decided to go forward and test the waters. However, to his utter surprise, the other party immediately demanded cold smoke.
You should know that this thing used to be everywhere, and in everyone's eyes it was just an ordinary weed.
However, nowadays, all of the cold tobacco has been destroyed, and very little remains, making it a rare and precious item.
The people who sell things in this black market are only after wealth and are not willing to risk their lives.
Because if someone is found selling tobacco, they will face the death penalty.
"Well... I'm afraid I can't help you with this."
The know-it-all's tone became somewhat guilty as he waved his hand, preparing to leave.
However, Su Fuying keenly noticed the subtle change in his expression and without hesitation took out a gold ingot from her pocket, which gleamed brightly in the dim light.
Just as the know-it-all was about to turn and leave, his eyes widened in a mixture of greed and astonishment.
He thought to himself that he was right after all; this customer was a very wealthy person.
but……
When he recalled the ban that had been issued some time ago, he couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.
After all, violating the ban is no joke.
Just then, Su Fuying took out another piece of gold from his pocket, putting the all-knowing man in a complete dilemma.
Looking at those two tempting gold pieces, he knew in his heart that even if he worked like a beast of burden here for half his life, he might not be able to earn such a huge fortune.
"Since you don't know, let's just forget about it."
Seeing that Wan Shitong remained silent, Su Fuying decided to put the gold back into his pocket.
Seeing this, the all-knowing man hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, putting on a fawning smile and saying, "Honored guest, please wait a moment! I know where to buy cold tobacco."
Fortune favors the bold. Although this place is a bit dangerous, I'm not selling these things; I'm just a middleman making a profit. What's there to be afraid of? With that thought, Know-It-All chuckled and said, "Lead the way."
Su Fuying casually tossed the gold to Wan Shitong, who caught it steadily, then gently bit it with his teeth. Seeing the clear teeth marks, Wan Shitong's eyes lit up.
"Dear guest, please come this way."
With a beaming smile, the all-knowing man led Su Fuying through a maze of twists and turns, passing through an extremely narrow alley, until they arrived at a dilapidated house. Inside, there were a few scattered people, plus four or five bosses, making a total of about ten.
Just then, a tall, masked man with two attendants passed by Su Fuying.
A strange sense of familiarity welled up in Su Fuying's heart, and she looked over curiously, but the other party did not stop at all.
Just as the two were passing each other, the person suddenly turned around and looked back. Unfortunately, in this situation, everyone was hiding their heads and tails, so it was impossible to see their face clearly.
"Distinguished guest, this is the place." The know-it-all smiled obsequiously, bending over at a ninety-degree angle, as if Su Fuying were his second parents.
Su Fuying snapped out of her daze and looked around curiously, a hint of doubt in her mind: "Where am I...?"
Seeing this, Know-It-All quickly lowered his voice and explained, "This is the very heart of the black market! Everything sold here is a rare treasure, and not just anyone can get in." As he spoke, he puffed out his chest proudly.
Su Fuying nodded, a hint of anticipation in her heart. Her purpose in coming to the black market was clear: to leave this awful place as soon as possible.
After all, time was of the essence, and she needed to hurry up and verify Pei Xingci's identity.
She remembered that she had promised her mother that she would visit her father and brothers, but it would be too difficult for her to do it alone.
I originally planned to discuss this matter with Xiao Yuheng after I met him, but I didn't expect him to leave without saying goodbye. I wonder what his expression will be when he gets home and finds that I'm gone.
"Young Master?" Seeing Su Fuying lost in thought, the know-it-all raised his voice and called again.
Su Fuying then snapped out of her thoughts and responded with a soft "Mm".
The all-knowing man led her further inside, and when they reached the very back, they saw an old man with gray hair and a wrinkled face dozing off on the counter.
Know-it-all tiptoed to the old man's side, carefully reached out, gently patted the old man's shoulder, and said in a soft voice, "Uncle Chun, Uncle Chun, have we had a guest?"
The old man slowly opened his eyes, still seemingly half asleep, but he sat up straight and stared blankly ahead.
Su Fuying finally saw his face clearly—it was an old man with gray hair, the years had left deep and shallow marks on his face, making him look older than his actual age.