"It seems that Wang Zhiping had too many enemies, saving me the trouble."
An Jing walked out of the Red House and then changed back into his commoner clothes in an alley.
The figure in black who had a brief confrontation with the ghost-faced Buddha earlier was none other than An Jing.
Initially, he had wanted to eliminate Wang Zhiping, the threat to his wife, but someone had taken care of it beforehand.
However, Wang Zhiping's enemies seemed quite capable. That ugly monk clearly came from the Buddhist sect but carried a hint of demonic Qi. The two inner strengths intertwined, making him far from an ordinary expert in the Jianghu.
Moreover, the women had powerful Qi force, much stronger than the Cao Gang members. They were well-trained and skilled at concealing their Qi mechanisms, indicating they were not from a common force. Who exactly were these people?
How had he never noticed their presence in Yu State City all these years?
An Jing pondered for a moment but couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. After all, these people had nothing to do with him, so why bother with it?
As long as they didn't disturb his peaceful and happy life, that was enough.
"Candied hawthorns for sale, sweet and sour candied hawthorns!"
"Selling pears, fragrant and crispy duck pears, ten copper coins per pound."
"Flyyanji's rouge, on sale today."
....
The street was bustling with people.
"Boss, how much for the candied hawthorns?"
An Jing waved to a peddler carrying candied hawthorns.
"Sir, want some candied hawthorns? Three copper coins a skewer, not sweet or sour, no charge." The peddler quickly ran over.
"Give me two skewers."
An Jing handed over six copper coins with a smile.
Thinking of his gentle and beautiful wife at home, An Jing felt a warm sensation.
.......
Yu State City, west side vegetable market.
Zhao Qingmei, carrying a vegetable basket, kept looking at the stalls on both sides.
"Oh, isn't this the lady from Doctor An's family?"
A woman spotted Zhao Qingmei, her eyes brightening. "Are you here to buy vegetables? I have some fresh cabbage just dug up this morning."
Saying that, the woman stuffed a large cabbage into Zhao Qingmei's basket.
"Auntie, how much is this? I'll pay you." Zhao Qingmei smiled gently.
"No need, no need. Last time, Doctor An didn't even charge for my grandson's medicine. This cabbage is not worth any money."
The woman grabbed Zhao Qingmei's hand, "Doctor An has a kind heart. We are all very grateful, but never had a chance to thank him."
The woman's hands were extremely rough, full of calluses, and her clothes were patched and mended.
Zhao Qingmei smiled softly, always maintaining her gentle and serene demeanor.
"I also have an old hen. Take it home and make soup for Doctor An."
"Doctor An takes good care of us. No need to be polite, ma'am."
"Doctor An is truly lucky to have such a beautiful wife, like a celestial maiden."
"Indeed. They make a perfect couple."
......
The people around kept putting vegetables into Zhao Qingmei's basket, and she ultimately couldn't pay even when she tried.
Finally, when Zhao Qingmei and Tan Yun managed to leave the market, the basket was overflowing.
They came to a small alley.
"Miss, there are too many people. Next time, let's have someone deliver the vegetables directly to our door," Tan Yun said, feeling disgusted at walking through the dirty crowd.
Zhao Qingmei looked at the vegetables in the basket, thinking about how to cook the ingredients at home.
"Sect Hierarch!"
A voice rang out.
It was the ghost-faced Buddha.
"Is it done?" Zhao Qingmei asked calmly.
The ghost-faced Buddha bowed, "All done, but..."
"But what?" Zhao Qingmei's expression didn't change, but her tone rose slightly.
Swish!
Although Zhao Qingmei's tone just rose slightly, the entire alley seemed to shift from scorching summer to freezing winter. That powerful oppressive feeling made even the ghost-faced Buddha shiver in fear.
"I encountered a master at the Red House."
"What's his background?"
"Not too clear. This person was hiding his face, but he could see through my Formless Realm. If he doesn't have innate spiritual eyes, his strength should be around the Second Grade."
A Second Grade expert was already top-notch in the Jianghu.
Truly elite experts didn't appear in the Jianghu every moment. In this vast Jianghu, there were numerous minor figures. A Fifth Grade expert could beat many, while a Second Grade expert could rank in the top fifty of the Dragon and Tiger List, capable of stirring up great waves.
Such a figure could not possibly be unknown in the Jianghu.
Tan Yun frowned, "Yu State City belongs to the Jiangnan Dao Prefecture City. It's normal for experts to be around, but the Cao Gang's Sect Leader in Yu State City is only Third Grade. This person didn't reveal himself, clearly cautious, or perhaps with some other purpose."
"This person is very suspicious. We must investigate."
The ghost-faced Buddha said nothing, clearly agreeing with Tan Yun.
Zhao Qingmei squinted slightly, "I want all the information about this expert in Yu State City."
"Understood!"
The ghost-faced Buddha felt a chill, placing his hands on his chest, "I will mobilize the Human Sect's resources in Yu State City and even Jiangnan Dao to investigate this person."
The Demon Sect has three branches: Heaven, Earth, and Human. The Human Sect handles theft, hiding, escaping, and intelligence gathering. They often operate in the shadows, spying and acting undercover. Anywhere in the world, you can find disciples of the Human Sect.
It's said that the Human Sect of the Demon Sect rivals Emperor Yan's Heaven and Earth Net, a secret organization for gathering intelligence. Comparing the two showcases their capabilities.
And the ghost-faced Buddha was one of the Human Sect's experts.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave."
Zhao Qingmei waved her hand.
The ghost-faced Buddha paused, "Sect Hierarch, yesterday the Right Protector sent me a message asking if we should summon some experts. If others found out you were in Jiangnan Dao, it might shake the entire Great Yan Martial World...."
"No need," Zhao Qingmei said lightly, "Gathering our experts would only attract more attention."
"Understood."
The ghost-faced Buddha clasped his hands together and gradually disappeared from sight.
"Tan Yun, you should go back."
Suddenly, Zhao Qingmei glanced at the basket and said calmly.
"Those peasants are too much. I'll go chop off their hands right now."
Tan Yun thought Zhao Qingmei was angry about what had just happened. Her eyes turned cold as she prepared to leave.
"Come back."
Zhao Qingmei called out firmly.
"Miss, any other instructions?" Tan Yun asked, turning around.
"Go and give them the money. However much it is, pay it." Zhao Qingmei threw a piece of silver from her purse.
".....Understood," Tan Yun replied, a bit embarrassed.