Clearly, Lin Yu still had a very vivid impression of that scene back on the elevated highway, when Snowy Owl had just yanked out her blade and charged straight at Fluoxetine.
Now that they were inside the dungeon, it was hard to say Snowy Owl would change her mind when facing the Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Silk Demon Lord.
What’s more… back on that elevated highway, Snowy Owl had suffered a major setback precisely because she’d been too reckless.
So, to prevent Snowy Owl from dragging her down the same path this time, Lin Yu naturally needed to find her quickly and stop her.
But after hearing Lin Yu’s explanation, Li Nian rubbed her chin.
“Hmm… that makes sense, but on the other hand, I don’t think the employer and that Seagull guy over there would actively go looking for Zhu Qiansi.”
Lin Yu looked at Li Nian and said to the sky, “Well, that wouldn’t be a loss either, right?”
“Sure, having more hands makes lighter work, but in a way, I’d be okay with not bringing them along to fight Zhu Qiansi.”
Li Nian was taken aback, then nodded in understanding.
“True enough. We still don’t know what’s unusual about this place. If we don’t bring them, it might actually be better.”
“So how do we find Zhu Qiansi now?”
Hearing this, Lin Yu replied casually, “That’s simple enough—if that Puppet’s lies had even a grain of truth in them, then after living here for a while, Zhu Qiansi should be somewhat well-known in Willow Town.”
“We just need to ask around. If we keep asking, we’ll eventually find her.”
“Unless that thing was completely lying to us, or unless this ‘Willow Town’ is right when Zhu Qiansi just arrived here.”
Li Nian nodded in agreement again.
“Then let’s start asking… I’ll handle it. After all, I seem to be pretty popular around here.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t handle it,” Lin Yu said. “These people might think your persona should already know where Zhu Qiansi is. So I’ll do it instead—you stay close to me, act like you know me, but don’t say anything.”
“I’ve got some ‘prop’ here that can legitimately keep your mouth shut, and it tastes pretty good too.”
With that, Lin Yu pulled a lotus leaf-wrapped bundle containing three still-warm steamed buns from her bosom and handed it to Li Nian.
Li Nian was astonished, staring at these buns that were definitely locally made in Willow Town and not from an item. She couldn’t help asking, “Did you buy buns before coming in?”
“Yeah, I was hungry… There were six in total. I ate three and saved three for you.”
“If you can’t finish them, give them back to me.”
Lin Yu said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Sis, didn’t you already eat a few biscuits outside?”
Li Nian said, even more stunned.
Lin Yu sighed helplessly. “My abilities consume a lot of stamina, so I need food to replenish… Are you going to eat them or not?”
“I’ll eat, I’ll eat, of course I’ll eat.”
Li Nian grabbed a bun through the lotus leaf wrapper, took a small bite, and her eyes lit up. “Hey, the taste is actually really good.”
She nibbled the bun in small bites, but her pace was anything but slow. With rapid, tiny chewing motions, she quickly devoured the meat bun, like a hamster gnawing on a rice cracker.
Lin Yu led Li Nian, who was still munching on her bun, to a nearby stall selling porcelain and metal ornaments. The owner looked like a friendly, warm-hearted sort.
“Boss, sorry to bother you, but I’d like to ask—where should I go in town if I want to find someone to tell fortunes?”
The owner was a young lad who looked like he’d just inherited the craft. Seeing two young girls approach him, one of whom looked vaguely familiar, he had no guard up and replied enthusiastically.
“Miss, looks like you don’t get out much… When it comes to fortune-telling, Willow Town is prosperous and full of talents. We’ve got no shortage of esoteric arts experts. As for divination and fortune-telling, if you want accuracy, there are plenty who are spot-on. The nearest one, three streets south, is called the ‘Iron Fortune Hall.’ They’ve passed down their divination skills for three generations already!”
Lin Yu nodded slightly.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s farther away, boss.”
Three generations—that definitely wasn’t Zhu Qiansi.
“Farther away… Hmm, to the west, take a turn, and there’s an old street. Right in the middle is a place called ‘White Crane Old Yard.’ It used to be a branch of the ‘White Crane Martial School,’ but they abandoned it after pulling out fifteen years ago. Half the wall was torn down, and it turned into a gathering spot for folks from all walks of life. A few new inns have popped up nearby, so there are plenty of martial artists selling various bruise plasters and strength pills. Loads of esoteric arts practitioners set up stalls there too, and quite a few fortune-tellers operate in that area… Though it’s a mixed bag, with some outright fakes who just cheat people, you might also run into a real hidden master!”
This place sounded exactly like somewhere Zhu Qiansi would choose.
After all, as a demon, the more chaotic the place, the easier it was to hide.
What’s more… in a place teeming with all kinds of people, it would be convenient for Zhu Qiansi to plant her Causality Silk in them and use these “passersby” to carry it out of Willow Town.
But Lin Yu still nodded without changing her expression, picking up a pair of brass turtle tea pets.
“How much for these turtles?”
“These would be eighty-eight coppers.”
A bit pricey, but Lin Yu didn’t haggle. She just looked at Li Nian.
Li Nian, still chewing on her bun, understood Lin Yu’s meaning and sighed helplessly.
As the Master Thief, Li Nian had heard the faint jingling sounds coming from Lin Yu’s pocket as she walked, so she knew Lin Yu had hardly any money on her.
Lin Yu, on the other hand, had noticed the pouch hanging from Li Nian’s waist and knew she definitely had cash.
Li Nian reached into her pouch, fished out exactly eighty-eight coppers with precision, and laid them out in a row on the counter.
Lin Yu tucked away the two turtle tea pets and asked the boss again.
“Can you recommend somewhere more authoritative for fortune-telling? Money’s not an issue, and time’s no problem either!”
The boss, who was already quite enthusiastic, became even warmer after taking the money and writing up the receipt. He cleared his throat and said, “Of course there is—though it’s not as established as those old shops, if you ask me, the most mysterious fortune-teller in Willow Town lately is that one at ‘Xinglin Medical Hall’!”
Hearing the boss mention a medical hall, Lin Yu inexplicably felt a sense of being on the right track.
“Oh? How does a medical hall connect to fortune-telling?”
“It’s the owner’s daughter. For some reason, she was originally a simpleton, but after a serious illness that put her to sleep for three days and nights, she suddenly became incredibly sharp, even teaching herself fortune-telling out of nowhere!”
“People say she was touched on the head by an immortal in her dream!”
Hearing it was a daughter, Lin Yu and Li Nian exchanged a glance.
The gender was right too!
And that sudden change after a serious illness and three days of sleep felt very much like being possessed by a demon.
“May I ask, what’s the family name of that doctor?”
“Why, it’s Zhu, of course!”
