Chapter 78: Tianji Restaurant

Half a year later, Tianqing Prefecture.

Tianqing is the most prosperous place in the southern part of the Great Yan Dynasty.

At this moment, heavy snow is falling outside, yet the city is incomparably bustling.

Perhaps because there are many martial artists, one can often see bare-chested men wearing short-sleeved tunics on the main street.

If one were to come to Tianqing Prefecture a few months later, when the ice in the river melts and spring flowers appear on the treetops, one could even see many heroines dressed in cool, light clothing.

The social atmosphere of the Great Yan Dynasty has always been open.

People of the martial arts world are even more inclined to act on their grudges and gratitude, not placing too much importance on chastity.

If a righteous figure takes a fancy to a demonic sect enchantress, it is perfectly fine for them to even arrange a battle in a small grove.

The atmosphere of Dayan has always been like this.

At this time, in the most prosperous restaurant of the Great Yan Dynasty, figures are coming and going in an endless stream.

Those who can appear in this restaurant are either martial artists, wealthy merchants, or powerful officials.

Ordinary people have no qualifications to enter at all.

A gust of cold wind blows by; Lin Chao pulls the hood on his head lower, his entire body shrouded within the cloak, making his face impossible to see.

There are many people in Tianqing Prefecture dressed like him, so it is nothing out of the ordinary.

"Master, have pity on me; my daughter hasn't eaten for two days."

Nearby, a gaunt, lame old man is holding a little girl.

The girl's face is pale, her lips are blue, and she keeps her small hands tucked inside her sleeves, not daring to bring them out.

Lin Chao cannot help but think of Old Blind Man.

He tosses a few dozen copper coins, which happen to land neatly right in front of the old man.

A look of surprise immediately appears on the old man's face: "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

He kneels on the ground, kowtowing incessantly.

Lin Chao is very wealthy, but he only gave the old man a few copper coins.

He did not give more.

Because, sometimes, giving more would instead harm him.

Ahead is the bustling restaurant; various aromas of wine waft over, and from within, one can vaguely hear the laughter of women, the drinking games of martial arts heroes, and the voice of the most classic storyteller.

"It is said that the Wu'an Lord stood twelve feet tall, and had just fathered a three-foot-tall infant.

As a result, the assassins of the Three-Color Pavilion attacked.

The Three Colors Pavilion is the number one assassin organization in the martial arts world; in order to deal with the Wu'an Lord, they dispatched a full twenty Black-Edged Killers, led by three Gold-Edged Killers."

"Doesn't the Three-Color Pavilion only have white, blue, and black-colored assassins?"

"Kid, you don't understand; above the Black-Edged Killers, there are even the legendary Gold-Edged Killers.

It is rumored that these Gold-Edged Killers are all martial artists capable of killing a Grandmaster."

"The Wu'an Lord was too unlucky to run into the Three-Color Pavilion.

It is a pity that the three hundred personal guards of the Wu'an Lord's estate died without retreating, all of them wiped out."

"Although the Wu'an Lord was a bit lecherous, to be honest, in terms of military strategy and martial arts, he was one of the best in the world today."

"If the Wu'an Lord had not died, the only person in this world who could suppress him would likely be that one person in the Great Yan Dynasty."

"Each generation produces its own talents." A fair-faced hero opens his fan, looking exceptionally handsome. "The Wu'an Lord is dead; the martial arts world belongs to the young after all."

In the room, many martial artists are displeased.

However, a voice rings out.

"He is Li Huanyun of the Two-Yang Finger, the thirty-seventh ranked expert on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!"

"Li Huanyun, it's actually him?"

In the room, many people are incomparably wary upon seeing Li Huanyun.

The Hidden Dragon Ranking collects the young experts of the Great Yan Dynasty under the age of thirty.

Li Huanyun is a Second Grade martial artist with extremely strong power.

His Unique Skill, the Two-Yang Finger, is incomparably flexible while losing none of its rigid, overbearing force.

In the martial arts world, he belongs to the new generation, and is the kind of exceptionally strong newcomer.

Many experts of the older generation are no match for the talents on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

After all, a Second Grade martial artist is capable of founding a sect.

Lin Chao enters the restaurant at this moment.

He glances at Li Huanyun, not paying him any mind.

"Guest, are you here for a meal or to stay at the inn?" The waiter runs over, a fawning smile on his face.

"I want to go to the seventh floor," Lin Chao says calmly.

The waiter's gaze is momentarily stunned.

The heroes in the room have excellent hearing and also hear Lin Chao's words.

They look at Lin Chao with varied expressions and thoughts.

Even Li Huanyun takes an extra look at Lin Chao, though he immediately shakes his head.

This black-cloaked man is in for bad luck.

Tianji Restaurant is a property of the Tianji Pavilion.

The first four floors of Tianji Restaurant are open for business, operating as a restaurant.

The back three floors are for the business of buying and selling information.

On the fifth floor, there is no monetary limit for purchasing information.

On the sixth floor, the information purchased must cost over one thousand taels of silver.

As for the seventh floor, it requires spending at least ten thousand taels.

Legend has it that the seventh floor even has information such as what color bellyband the current Empress Dowager Su Yunqiong likes to wear.

In Li Huanyun's view, Lin Chao saying he would go to the seventh floor directly was too flashy.

This indicated that he was carrying at least ten thousand in silver banknotes on his person.

Lin Chao's body did not emit any powerful aura.

Over ten thousand taels of silver was enough to make some martial artists who licked blood from the blade take risks and resort to robbery.

The owner of Tianji Restaurant walked down; he was an old man dressed in fine clothes.

"Distinguished guest, please follow me."

His strength was not bad; Lin Chao sensed it and found he was actually a Fourth Grade martial artist.

"Mm." Lin Chao gave a response.

Led by the owner of Tianji Restaurant, Lin Chao arrived at the seventh floor.

The owner of Tianji Pavilion said a few words and turned to leave.

On the seventh floor, only two people remained.

Inside the seventh floor, Wang Qiyun had his eyes half-closed.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and swept a glance at the arriving Lin Chao, his face carrying a lazy air, clearly not having slept well.

"What information do you want to buy?"

"Three-Color Pavilion," Lin Chao said calmly.

The laziness on Wang Qiyun's face vanished, and he began to size up Lin Chao seriously for the first time.

However, with his discernment, he could only tell that Lin Chao was a man and likely not very old.

"Want to kill someone?" Wang Qiyun asked casually.

He still thought that the Lin Chao before him wanted to commission the Three-Color Pavilion to kill someone.

It was just that he hadn't found the way to the Three-Color Pavilion and had found the Tianji Pavilion instead.

"Mm." Lin Chao nodded; he found a Wood chair made of rosewood to sit on and said calmly, "What I want to buy is... the location of the Three-Color Pavilion's headquarters."

Wang Qiyun was stunned.

Want to kill someone?

Asking for the location of the Three-Color Pavilion's headquarters?

Seeking revenge against the Three-Color Pavilion?

A look of pity flashed across Wang Qiyun's face: "This is not a small price."

Pity was pity, and business was business; he naturally would not persuade Lin Chao to go to his death.

"How many taels of silver?"

"The location of the Three-Color Pavilion's headquarters is not considered a great secret among major powers.

However, even so, to buy this information, it requires fifty thousand taels of silver."

Wang Qiyun spoke slowly and held out five fingers.

"No problem." Lin Chao did not even frown.

He took out a large stack of silver banknotes and pulled out five of them.

"Is this enough?"

Wang Qiyun's mouth could almost fit a goose egg.

So many silver banknotes?

Five notes were fifty thousand taels, and there was still a large stack on his person; was this at least several hundred thousand or even one million taels of silver?

Even though Wang Qiyun had seen plenty of silver, seeing the money on Lin Chao, he swallowed hard.

He was a Second Grade martial artist, but he could not accumulate a million taels of silver in his entire life.

(End of chapter)