Chapter 282: Chapter 150: Chaotic Situation
He was just about to ask where he could apply for a ’family and friends visit’ permit when, after only two steps, Qin Fang froze.
Then, he slapped his own head...
’What a fucking idiot.’
’Why do I have to go through official channels?’
’Aren’t there people heading into the Inner City all over the place?’
’Couldn’t I just get one of them to deliver a message for me?’
It seemed Qian Ruhai had told him a bit too much today. A lot of the information had been shocking and subversive, leaving his mind in a temporary state of chaos.
"Mm... that must be it. My brain’s fried."
He muttered, glancing around before finally heading toward a nearby teahouse.
He asked the attendant for a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone and wrote a simple letter. It was only a few lines, telling his master that he had arrived outside the city and where he was currently staying. He asked that upon receiving it, his master either reply or send Monkey Xiaoqi or his senior brother to meet him...
After he finished writing, he asked the attendant for an envelope. It was a common item, and the attendant quickly brought him one.
He stood up, left a silver tael on the table, and went to the head of the Cyan Dragon Bridge. After looking around, he finally settled on a middle-aged man who looked rather simple and honest. The man was holding an entry slip and preparing to get in line to enter the city.
Qin Fang stopped him.
The middle-aged man was confused but stopped nonetheless.
After a few polite words, Qin Fang got straight to the point, asking the man to deliver a letter for him to the Inner City. He then promised him a reward of twenty silver taels.
The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up at the offer. "Young Master, you aren’t playing a trick on me, are you...?"
Hearing this, Qin Fang directly took out the recompense silver he had just gotten from Huang Shun that day.
He took out a ten-tael Silver Note, handed it to the middle-aged man, and said, "I’ll wait for you here at the teahouse. After you deliver the letter, come back and find me, and I’ll give you the other ten taels."
The middle-aged man saw the silver, and after a moment of thought, he quickly said, "Alright, no problem! I’ll be out in two hours, tops."
...He had his own work to do in the city, which would take him about two hours from start to finish.
Looking at the sky, it was still a long way from dark. Qin Fang could afford to wait for two hours.
But, just in case, he added, "Alright, I’ll wait for you for two hours... However, if something unexpected happens and you get delayed... I’ll be at this teahouse tomorrow as well."
With that, he handed the Silver Note and the envelope to the middle-aged man.
The man quickly took them, settled a few more details with Qin Fang, and then hurried off to get in line...
...The address Qin Fang had given him was some distance from his own workplace, so he had to hurry.
Qin Fang returned to the teahouse and found a window seat on the second floor. He looked down at the crowded streets and the vast, prosperous scenery, letting out a soft sigh.
’I hope everything goes smoothly,’ he thought.
There was a storyteller on the teahouse’s first floor, which was packed with people. Sitting on the second floor, Qin Fang could overlook the entire scene. The storyteller was on stage, speaking eloquently with spit flying, and his tale was quite interesting.
Qin Fang listened as he waited.
In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.
The sky began to darken.
Outside on the main street, lanterns were being hung one by one. The nearby shopkeepers were the ones hanging them at designated spots along the road. With both sides of the river brightly lit, the great city appeared even more prosperous.
Qin Fang didn’t feel anxious and simply waited patiently.
After about the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, Qin Fang saw a middle-aged man from upstairs, running into the teahouse, panting and looking around.
Qin Fang’s eyes lit up. He stood and called out, "Uncle, over here!"
Hearing the voice, the middle-aged man looked up, saw Qin Fang, and jogged up the stairs.
"My apologies, Young Master! There were too many people leaving the city, so I misjudged the time and came back late. Please forgive me," he said apologetically as soon as he reached the top of the stairs.
Of course, Qin Fang didn’t mind. He immediately asked, "Was the letter delivered?"
In truth, however, his heart sank a little...
And sure enough, the middle-aged man shook his head and delivered news that made Qin Fang’s heart clench.
"That residence you mentioned... there’s no one living there at all."
Shaking his head, the man took out the envelope and handed it to Qin Fang. "I also asked around a bit. I heard that place is a mansion that some noble bought years ago, but since then, basically no one has ever lived there. Someone just comes to clean it regularly every year..."
Hearing this, Qin Fang’s pupils contracted...
’The worst-case scenario has happened.’
’Master and the others... something really happened to them!’
His heart had sunk the moment he saw the middle-aged man approaching... because if the man had successfully met his master and the others, then he would have returned with Monkey or Xiao Qi in tow... maybe even Qinghe and Xiao Jiu.
It was even possible that his senior brother and master might have shown up.
But the middle-aged man had come out alone.
’Master and the others... they aren’t in the residence my senior sister bought for them?’
’Then where could they have gone?’
’They set out for the Prefecture City months ago; there’s no way they arrived later than me.’
’But they never reached the Inner City.’
’Did they fail to enter the city...’
’Or did something happen after they got inside?’
’Is this related to why I can’t contact my senior sister now?’
...For a moment, a flood of speculations filled Qin Fang’s mind, and his expression couldn’t help but turn grim.
"Young Master... Young Master?"
The middle-aged man’s voice finally snapped him out of it.
He came to his senses, took a deep breath, and looked at the man.
The middle-aged man had a conflicted expression on his face. "Well..."
Qin Fang knew what he was conflicted about. He took a deep breath, said nothing more, and pulled the remaining silver taels from his robes, handing them to the man.
The man’s eyes lit up, but then he grew embarrassed. "But... I wasn’t able to accomplish the task you gave me, Young Master. This..."
"That was the agreed-upon payment for delivering the letter. As long as you went to the location, the rest has nothing to do with you. Are you sure," Qin Fang looked at him intently, "that you went to the exact address I gave you?"
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