Li Zhengguo's steps were a bit quick. "Let's hurry, they close at twelve over there."
On the way, Li Zhengguo told Tian Jing that Old Man Song was a widower. Most people heading to the county town from the Zhongda Brigade would stop at his courtyard to rest and store their belongings, leaving some items as payment.
If they ate at his place, they would leave grain for him to cook, or pre-order meals. After buying their goods, they would give him grain or equivalent, or cash and coupons.
So there was such a convenient place to rest, it was truly convenient and worry-free.
Soon, Li Zhengguo led Tian Jing into a narrow street. The street was paved with bluestone slabs, and the houses on both sides were packed tightly together. In the middle of the street stood a stone archway.
Tian Jing was surprised. The county town had this?
Li Zhengguo followed her gaze and explained, "That's a chastity archway built by a county magistrate from out of town during the Qing Dynasty. The material is quite good. To save resources, it carves the names of more than one widow."
As they spoke, the two walked under the central archway. Tian Jing only managed to glimpse the auspicious cloud reliefs above before Li Zhengguo pulled her into a half-open courtyard gate on the left.
In the courtyard, a man squinting in the sun raised his eyelids to look at the two, then lowered them again.
Li Zhengguo pulled Tian Jing and pushed open the door of the main house, then turned into the west room upon entering.
There was a side door on the west wall of the west room. Pushing open the side door led into a courtyard, then through the main house and into another west room. This west room was the back door.
Entering a courtyard from this back door, this courtyard was guarded.
The guard exchanged a secret password with Li Zhengguo before letting the two into the main house.
This time, they entered the east room from the main house. Pushing open the back door of the east room revealed a relatively open courtyard.
The courtyard was like an ordinary market, with stalls set up all around and customers in the middle buying things. However, it was quieter than an ordinary market. Buyers and sellers either spoke in low voices with their heads down or haggled with gestures.
Tian Jing let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she hadn't come to the county town alone to find the black market. She genuinely wouldn't have found this place; it was like a mouse burrowing. Unless she used her powers.
Li Zhengguo whispered in Tian Jing's ear, "Let's find the boss here first to sell the ginseng. It's not safe outside."
Tian Jing nodded in agreement. She understood. Selling it at a pharmacy for hundreds of yuan would be too conspicuous.
Li Zhengguo's eyes scanned the area before he walked to a corner and whispered a sentence to the man sitting diagonally in the corner. "Sundan Novel Network."
The man immediately sat up straight and asked in a low voice, "Really?" His voice was filled with excitement.
"Really," Li Zhengguo nodded. "Take me to see Brother Lei."
The man stood up. "Follow me."
Li Zhengguo held Tian Jing's hand and followed the man.
Tian Jing felt the large hand holding hers was a bit damp. Was it nervousness?
Turning a corner along the east courtyard wall, they saw the so-called Brother Lei. Behind Li Zhengguo, Tian Jing realized that Li Zhengguo's palms were sweating because he was nervous.
Brother Lei looked to be in his thirties. He wasn't tall, but he exuded a powerful aura. His aura carried an imposing pressure, as if it brought with it a sea of corpses and blood, or a chilling miasma, directly towards Li Zhengguo.
Li Zhengguo not only had sweaty palms but also beads of sweat on his forehead. "Brother Lei," he called out with difficulty.
If he hadn't been afraid of being targeted after selling the ginseng, he would never have dealt with this Brother Lei.
It was said that Brother Lei was unpredictable. When he was in a good mood, he could be your brother. When he was in a bad mood, he would draw his knife and stab you, regardless of your status.
If he had come alone, he wouldn't have sought out Brother Lei to sell ginseng. Even if he had, even with Brother Lei's unpredictable temper, he could have ensured his own safe retreat. However, he had Tiantian behind him.
Seeing Li Zhengguo standing steadily, while the young girl behind him was unaffected, Brother Lei became interested and intensified his outward pressure.
Just as Li Zhengguo bent over as if crushed by Mount Tai, his knees buckling, Brother Lei's lips curved slightly, waiting for Li Zhengguo to kneel and be humiliated.
"Hmph," Tian Jing let out a soft snort. They were here to sell something, not to be humiliated.
This snort, like a balloon expanding and then being pricked by a needle, caused the oppressive aura surrounding the three to explode.
Brother Lei took a step back, a salty taste flooding his mouth. He immediately swallowed it, but his heart was filled with shock. He had encountered a master.
This soft snort clearly didn't come from the big man in front of him, so it could only have come from the young girl behind the big man.
"Miss, please forgive my poor eyesight."
Brother Lei cupped his fists towards Tian Jing, who had stepped out from behind Li Zhengguo.
"Poor eyesight? Then you shouldn't have any." Tian Jing said coldly.
"Yes." Brother Lei's hand immediately produced a dagger. He raised it and was about to stab his own right eye when his wrist was caught a centimeter away from his eyeball.
Tian Jing's eyes were filled with anger. "What? Do you want to frame me? Or do you want to test my true strength? Hmm?"
This "hmm" carried the pressure of an ability user. At such close range and specifically targeting Brother Lei, it made him experience the pain of being under someone else's pressure.
No, Tian Jing knew he was a martial artist, so her released pressure was even greater.
With a thud, Brother Lei knelt on the ground.
Tian Jing spun the dagger in her hand. The dagger was exquisite and small, with two red diamonds inlaid on the handle. "This dagger is nice."
"I am Ouyang Lei. I offer this dagger to Miss as an apology."
The pressure that had been pressing down on Ouyang Lei was withdrawn by Tian Jing after he fell to his knees. Now, he spoke fluently.
"Where's the scabbard?" Tian Jing extended her hand. Since there was a gift of apology, she would let it go. Who knew she particularly liked this dagger?
"Here," Ouyang Lei respectfully handed over the dagger scabbard with both hands.
The dagger scabbard was extremely ornate. The black sheath was also inlaid with diamonds, small white diamonds forming triangles.
Tian Jing took the scabbard and slid the dagger in. It fit perfectly.
She casually put the dagger in her trouser pocket. "Good, this matter is settled. We'll take our leave."
Li Zhengguo, who had been stunned by Tian Jing, heard her words and quickly extended his hand to Tian Jing. "Tiantian."
He was scared!
Tiantian just now was unfamiliar to him, as if she would disappear from his sight in the blink of an eye.
Seeing the trembling of the large hand extended towards her, Tian Jing looked up into his eyes. "Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
"No," Li Zhengguo immediately shook his head. "Never. As long as you are still by my side, as long as you are willing to let me follow you."
"This is an opportunity you gave up yourself."
Tian Jing smiled slyly. If she had asked, wouldn't she have revealed that she wasn't who she was?
"Yes, it's an opportunity I gave up. I don't regret it."
How could Li Zhengguo not have noticed Tian Jing's difference?
Before, he thought it was Tiantian who had been reborn. But just now, the way Tian Jing confronted Ouyang Lei, although he hadn't felt the pressure, he had felt a palpitation as if facing a superior officer.