Chapter 345: Settling Down in Heimu Prefecture II

Not a word was spoken throughout the night.

Early the next morning, Cheng Feng followed the commoners and silently queued to enter Heimu Prefecture City.

Having successfully entered Heimu Prefecture City, Cheng Feng did not rush to act, but instead chose to first find a safe place to settle down.

Quietly weaving through the intricate streets and alleys of the prefecture city, he finally arrived in front of a seemingly ordinary inn. This inn was located in a corner of the prefecture city; though inconspicuous, its location was extremely convenient—easy to advance and easy to retreat—making it an ideal place to hide.

Cheng Feng gently pushed open the inn's main door, and a faint scent of pine and tea rushed to his nose, instantly refreshing his spirit. The inn was filled with a light mist and had few guests; several waiters were busy tidying up tables and chairs, preparing to open for business.

Cheng Feng deliberately lowered the brim of his hat, trying his best to make his figure appear unremarkable, and walked softly toward the counter.

"Guest, so early, are you here for tea or...?" A sharp-eyed waiter came up to greet him and asked enthusiastically.

Cheng Feng nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I want a room, a superior room, as quiet as possible."

"Alright, guest, please wait a moment." The waiter replied, then led Cheng Feng upstairs. They passed through several winding corridors and arrived at a room located in the Rear Courtyard of the inn.

The room was furnished simply and elegantly; outside the window was a quiet little courtyard, with sunlight spilling across the ground like water.

Cheng Feng nodded in satisfaction and took several ingots of silver from his pack, placing them on the table as payment for the room. Seeing this, the waiter thanked him profusely and promised to keep his mouth shut and not reveal the guest's whereabouts.

Cheng Feng rested briefly in the room and began to think about his next plan.

After resting for a while, Cheng Feng left the inn and headed straight for the stronghold of the Hong Sect's Black Ear members. Along the way, he carefully observed his surroundings to ensure he was not being followed or discovered.

Arriving in front of the stronghold, Cheng Feng took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and then strode inside. Inside the stronghold, several Black Ear members were busy handling various matters; seeing Cheng Feng's arrival, they cast curious glances his way.

Cheng Feng said nothing more and directly took the golden Hong Sect Token from his bosom, holding it high. The token shone with a dazzling light in the sun, as if it contained endless power and majesty.

Seeing this token, the gazes of the Black Ear members instantly became respectful. They knew that this token represented the noble status and formidable strength of the Hong Sect, and its holder was definitely no ordinary person.

"So it is a distinguished guest from the Hong Sect, forgive our lack of manners!" A Black Ear member who appeared to be the leader stepped forward hurriedly, respectfully took the token, examined it carefully, and then cautiously returned it to Cheng Feng.

"I am Wu Feng, and I have important matters to discuss with your leader; I hope you can facilitate this." Cheng Feng's tone was calm, but his eyes revealed an unquestionable firmness.

Seeing this, the Black Ear members put away their own petty thoughts, not daring to be the least bit negligent. Being able to obtain a Hong Sect Gold Token, this young Hong Sect envoy was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

The leading Black Ear member immediately arranged a secret room and invited Cheng Feng inside for a detailed discussion. In the secret room, Cheng Feng stated his purpose and questions one by one, and the Black Ear members shared the intelligence and clues they knew without reservation.

After an in-depth exchange and discussion, Cheng Feng had a clearer understanding of the situation in Heimu Prefecture City and formulated a more thorough plan for his subsequent actions.

After leaving the stronghold of the Hong Sect's Black Ear members, Cheng Feng followed a pre-planned route to the most famous intelligence exchange in Heimu Prefecture City—the Golden Breath Pavilion. Standing in front of the Golden Breath Pavilion, he looked up at the tall golden plaque, upon which the three large characters "Golden Breath Pavilion" shone brightly.

"The owner behind this truly knows how to do business." Cheng Feng praised inwardly. The reason the Golden Breath Pavilion could become the center for intelligence trading in Heimu Prefecture City and even the entire region,

was not only because of its rich intelligence resources and precise intelligence services, but more importantly, it understood human nature and knew how to exploit people's desire and pursuit of information to earn huge profits.

From high-ranking officials and nobles down to peddlers and porters, no one knew what its source of information was, but the intelligence was always absolutely true.

Walking into the Golden Breath Pavilion, a luxurious yet mysterious atmosphere rushed toward him. The interior of the pavilion was decorated in a magnificent and golden style, yet it did not lack elegance; various rare antiques and artworks were dotted throughout, highlighting the owner's taste and strength.

And behind this splendor, countless sharp eyes and keen ears were hidden, constantly capturing the slightest movement in the world and providing the Golden Breath Pavilion with a steady stream of intelligence resources.

Cheng Feng walked familiarly to a secluded private room; this was the meeting place he had asked the Black Ear members to reserve in advance.

Before long, a middle-aged man wearing a gorgeous robe and a mysterious smile pushed the door open and entered. He was the wind-agent of the Golden Breath Pavilion who specialized in information trading, and also the person Cheng Feng had come to see.

"Young Master Cheng, your arrival makes the Golden Breath Pavilion shine." The wind-agent cupped his hands in a salute, his words revealing a bit of respect and enthusiasm.

"You are too kind. I am new here and came just to understand some things about Heimu Prefecture City, for fear of offending people I shouldn't offend, so I can make plans for the future." Cheng Feng got straight to the point and stated his purpose.

The wind-agent smiled slightly, as if he had already anticipated Cheng Feng's purpose. "Young Master Cheng, rest assured, the Golden Breath Pavilion's intelligence network covers the whole world; as long as it is something you want to know, we can find the answer for you."

In the time that followed, the wind-agent introduced in detail to Cheng Feng the current situation in Heimu Prefecture City, the distribution of the major forces, and the subtle relationships between them.

This intelligence might be common knowledge to locals, but to Cheng Feng, it was undoubtedly a precious treasure; it would help him better understand this complex environment and make full preparations for his next actions.

There are eight Martial Artists at the True Qi Realm on the surface in Heimu Prefecture: two each from the Zhang, Wang, and Su Families, and two in the hands of the Imperial Court. However, for the information behind the scenes, the money Cheng Feng gave was not enough; if he wanted to know more clearly, he would have to pay more.

"However, I can tell you one thing," the wind-agent lowered his voice and said, "There are eight True Qi Realm Martial Artists on the surface in this Heimu Prefecture, but in reality, there are far more than that!"

Cheng Feng was shocked and asked hurriedly, "What do you mean? Could it be that there are hidden experts in this Heimu Prefecture?"

The wind-agent nodded and said mysteriously, "As far as I know, there are at least two hidden True Qi Realm experts in this Heimu Prefecture, and one of them has even broken through to the True Qi Realm Mid-stage! As for why they are hiding their strength, that is not something we can know."

Cheng Feng was secretly startled; he did not expect that this small Heimu Prefecture would hide so many secrets. He secretly rejoiced that he had not acted rashly, otherwise he might have fallen into danger.

Next, the wind-agent told Cheng Feng another important piece of news: "By the way, do you know who has the most noble status in this Heimu Prefecture?"

Cheng Feng shook his head, indicating he did not know.

The wind-agent whispered, "That is the daughter of the Zhennan Prince; she is currently a guest in Heimu Prefecture at the invitation of the Prefecture Magistrate."

Cheng Feng's heart stirred, and he asked hurriedly, "The daughter of the Zhennan Prince? What is she doing here?"

The wind-agent sighed and said, "I don't know the specific reason either, only that she is an extremely intelligent woman and is deeply loved by the Zhennan Prince. Her coming to Heimu Prefecture this time might be related to something."

Cheng Feng nodded thoughtfully, feeling a sense of dread toward this daughter of the Zhennan Prince.

This was the highest-ranking person Cheng Feng had come into close contact with since arriving in the Great Zhou.

The wind-agent reminded Cheng Feng, "The current forces in the prefecture city, those playboy sons, have all been ordered to stay at home and are not allowed to go out, for fear of provoking that Wang Ji and causing their own families to suffer a devastating disaster. So when you walk in the prefecture city, you must also be extra careful and never cause any trouble."

Cheng Feng nodded gratefully. He had learned enough for this outing, so he decided to buy a house to settle down in before making further plans.