Translator: Cinder Translations
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As dusk approached, the mustached man closed his shop and left.
He first went to a cultivator's tavern, ordered some premium demon beast meat with a pot of spirit wine, and after eating and drinking his fill, he got up and headed toward the residential area in the eastern district of the market.
By this time, night had already fallen.
The mustached man turned into a dark alley and arrived at the entrance of a small courtyard.
After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he gently knocked on the courtyard door.
A dozen breaths later, a woman's voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"Sister-in-law, it's me, Old Six."
Creak!
The courtyard door was opened by a woman in her forties, her figure slightly out of shape, but still retaining a hint of charm.
After checking the alley to ensure no one was around, the woman softly asked, "Old Six, why are you here?"
Without any hesitation, the mustached man squeezed past the woman as he entered the courtyard.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, there's no one outside."
After he entered, the woman quickly closed the courtyard door.
The mustached man wore a lewd smile as he pulled the woman into his arms. "I've been missing you, of course."
As he spoke, his hands began to roam freely over the woman's chest.
"Ugh!" The woman made a coquettish sound, her eyes full of allure.
"Every time your second brother leaves, you get so unruly."
The two of them embraced and went inside.
Moments later, sounds of heavy breathing began to emerge from inside the house as the mustached man got busy with both his hands and mouth.
Watching all this unfold through his spiritual sense, Song Wen felt somewhat frustrated. After the mustached man closed the shop, Song Wen had sent his Sacred Gu into the shop, only to discover there was nothing of value inside, nor did he find any trace of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.
Song Wen guessed that the mustached man probably didn't have the Yellow Essence Mushroom in his possession. The deposit he had requested was likely to be used to purchase the mushroom, which he would then sell to Song Wen at a higher price.
Thus, Song Wen decided to tail the mustached man in hopes of discovering where he would buy the Yellow Essence Mushroom.
Unexpectedly, the mustached man didn't head for a place to purchase the mushroom but instead snuck into his own sister-in-law's bedroom.
An hour later, his second sister-in-law lay collapsed on the bed, panting, her face flushed.
The mustached man got dressed and left the small courtyard.
Just when Song Wen thought the man was finally going to buy the Yellow Essence Mushroom, he turned into another alley, swallowed a pill, and knocked on another courtyard door.
This time, a young woman in her twenties, looking as if she were made of water, answered the door.
Upon seeing the mustached man, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes, and she quickly pulled him into the courtyard, her voice carrying a trace of complaint.
"You scoundrel, why are you so late?"
"Your third brother and the others returned to the Su family this afternoon. You should've come earlier."
"I've been waiting for you in unbearable loneliness..."
...
Song Wen grew even more irritated, wondering whether he should capture the mustached man and perform a soul search on him. However, soul searches only reveal fragmented memories and don't always provide the exact information one seeks.
Or, should he visit a brothel first and come back to tail the mustached man later?
But then, after another hour of tossing around with his third sister-in-law, the mustached man left her house, swallowed two more pills, and knocked on the door of yet another sister-in-law's house...
By the early morning of the next day, around the hour of the tiger (3–5 AM), the mustached man, exhausted from a night of activity, rubbed his sore lower back and made his way to the other side of the market.
After walking through more than half of the market, he arrived outside a spirit herb shop run by the Su family.
He skillfully approached the side of the shop and knocked on a narrow side door.
Moments later, the door opened. He greeted the two guards standing by the door and then proceeded deeper into the inner courtyard.
The inner courtyard of the spirit herb shop was quite large, spanning dozens of acres, and guards were stationed in various corners.
The mustached man reached a three-story building, explained his purpose to the guards outside, and after they conveyed the message, he was allowed to enter.
He went straight to the third floor and entered one of the rooms.
Inside was a male cultivator in his forties, at the late Foundation Establishment stage, sitting cross-legged on a mat, eyes tightly closed in meditation.
Seeing that the man appeared to be cultivating, the mustached man stood nervously at the door, not daring to breathe too loudly, unsure whether to go in or retreat.
"Come in!" the male cultivator suddenly said.
Hearing this, the mustached man visibly relaxed and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Fifth Elder!"
The Fifth Elder still kept his eyes closed and asked, "Old Six, what brings you here?"
The mustached man replied, "Reporting to the Fifth Elder, yesterday afternoon, a rogue cultivator came by looking to purchase some Yellow Essence Mushroom."
"I suspect he might be a second-tier alchemist or is working for one. That's why I've come to report this."
The Fifth Elder opened his eyes and stared sharply at the mustached man.
"Are you sure he's a rogue cultivator?"
The mustached man said, "He's someone I've never seen before, likely a newcomer to the market."
"Moreover, he knew nothing about the rules of the northern market. Any alchemist associated with a major faction would know that Yellow Essence Mushroom, a commonly used second-tier spirit herb, is banned from public trade. The fact that he was openly asking about it shows that he's probably a novice."
The Fifth Elder nodded in approval.
"What you're saying makes sense. Did you leave a tracking mark on him?"
The mustached man replied, "I was afraid he or his second-tier alchemist companion might notice, so I didn't dare to leave a mark."
"However, he did leave a deposit of 50 spirit stones and agreed to pick up the Yellow Essence Mushroom tomorrow morning."
The Fifth Elder praised him, "Good! You've shown some intelligence and caution."
"Over the next two days, I will have Su Wei and Su Gu follow you. If we can successfully recruit this second-tier alchemist into the Su family, you'll be credited with this achievement. Afterward, you'll work directly under me."
The mustached man was overjoyed and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Fifth Elder, for your guidance. I will serve with absolute loyalty and dedication, without the slightest disloyalty."
Su Wei and Su Gu were two early Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who worked under the Fifth Elder. With their help, the mustached man was confident that he could bring the second-tier alchemist into the Su family.
...
Song Wen, however, had no idea what was happening inside the building.
A protective formation surrounded the building. Although it wasn't an advanced formation, it was enough to block his Sacred Gu from entering. All Song Wen could do was have the Sacred Gu keep watch outside.
The moment the mustached man entered the Su family's spirit herb shop, Song Wen realized that he wasn't just a simple shop owner in the market, but rather an informant for the Su family.
About a quarter of an hour later, the mustached man exited the building.
Not long after he left the herb shop, two early Foundation Establishment cultivators also exited and followed behind him.
(End of the Chapter)
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