Yang Houcheng leaned over to look, his tone uncertain: “It is them. Strange, didn’t Miss Li say she was going to find someone? How did she end up entering a tavern with Tingquan?”

Chi Can stood up: “Come on, let’s go see.”

He rose somewhat hastily, his clothing knocking over a white porcelain teacup on the table. The teacup spun on the table surface, and just as it was about to fall, Yang Houcheng caught it with quick reflexes and placed it back steadily.

“Shixi?”

“Let’s go.”

The two left Taishui City’s most famous wine house and headed straight for Xilaifu tavern. As soon as they entered, a server approached: “What would you gentlemen like?”

Chi Can directly tossed over a piece of broken silver, his tone somewhat nonchalant: “I just saw two friends enter your establishment—a man and woman, both with outstanding bearing. Do you know which private room they went to?”

“Oh, you mean the two customers who just entered?” The server was very satisfied with this unexpected windfall and directly sold out Qiao Zhao and her companion: “They’re not here for a meal—they’re looking for Master Qian.”

“Master Qian? Who is he?” Chi Can’s brilliant eyes surveyed the interior of the tavern.

This was a very ordinary tavern that looked unremarkable in any way. He couldn’t imagine what kind of person would be worth Third Miss Li making a special trip to find.

“You’re asking about Master Qian—” The server smiled and quickly provided an answer: “He’s our accountant.”

For ordinary common people, anyone who could read and write deserved to be called “Master.”

“Would you gentlemen like to go find Master Qian? I can take you there.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Yang Houcheng and Chi Can spoke simultaneously.

The server was stunned, looking at Yang Houcheng, then at Chi Can, thinking: Are we going or not? Well, this young master is handsome—I’ll listen to him!

Having made his decision, the server bowed and gestured: “Then please have a seat, gentlemen. I’ll pour tea for you both.”

Chi Can sat down leisurely.

Yang Houcheng asked in a low voice: “Not going to find them?”

He was increasingly unable to understand his friend’s thoughts.

“No need. Waiting here is the same.” Though he was curious, he didn’t want to annoy her further.

Thinking of this, Chi Can couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

When had he become so anxious about gains and losses?

In a room in the tavern’s back courtyard, a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe had his hand on an abacus, his attitude polite: “I heard you two are looking for me?”

“Yes, is your esteemed father Coroner Qian?”

The middle-aged man’s expression changed abruptly, abandoning his previous politeness: “I’m sorry, I don’t know any Coroner Qian. I still have accounts to reconcile—please leave.”

His attitude changed too quickly. Though he tried to appear calm when “Coroner Qian” was mentioned, the thick disgust in his eyes couldn’t be concealed.

Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but look at each other.

For someone to feel such disgust toward their biological father, it seemed closely related to the rumors they’d heard from that woman.

“Brother Qian, since we’ve found our way here, we’ve naturally made inquiries. We don’t have any other intentions—we just want to ask where Coroner Qian is now.”

Qiao Zhao gave Shao Mingyuan a deep look and quietly pursed the corners of her mouth.

When Grandfather Li had brought her to visit Coroner Qian years ago, she had called Coroner Qian “Grandfather,” so naturally she would call Coroner Qian’s son “Uncle.” Now that Shao Mingyuan was calling him “Brother Qian,” wasn’t he taking advantage of her?

Shao Mingyuan thought Qiao Zhao had some opinion and lightly raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

Qiao Zhao shook her head.

The middle-aged man pushed his abacus aside, the beads making crisp clacking sounds. He looked extremely annoyed and waved his hands: “Go, go, go! I don’t know!”

Shao Mingyuan gently placed a silver ingot in front of the middle-aged man.

The man’s swelling anger seemed like a punctured bubble, instantly deflating. He stared fixedly at the silver ingot, greed and struggle intertwining in his eyes.

He and his wife worked hard, getting up early and staying up late, all to save enough silver as quickly as possible to move out of Yuqian’er Alley.

He had grown up in Yuqian’er Alley, and because of his father’s profession, he had endured all kinds of strange looks since childhood. Children his age would always avoid him from afar, looking at him like he was a monster.

Fortunately, when he turned nine, his father sent him to private school. At that time, he felt he was somewhat lucky—though his natural talent made him unsuited for the imperial examinations, he didn’t have to take over his father’s job, and he could become an accountant when he grew up.

Later, he indeed became an accountant as he wished, married a hardworking wife, and thought that in a few decades, when his children and grandchildren grew up, no one would remember that the Qian family had coroner origins. But who would have thought—

That nightmarish scene made the middle-aged man shudder all over. Returning to reality, he heard the young man’s voice in his ears: “Brother Qian, we only want to know where your esteemed father is. We absolutely won’t cause you any trouble.”

The young man’s voice was gentle and clean, as clear as the water in the river in front of Yuqian’er Alley. He couldn’t quite understand why these two people would be looking for that immortal old demon.

“He lives on the barren mountain outside the north city gate.” The middle-aged man quickly pocketed the silver and turned his back: “Leave quickly. I don’t know anything else.”

He had finally managed to distance himself from that immortal old man and gradually stopped people from pointing and whispering in front of him and his wife. He couldn’t let these two strangers destroy the hard-won peaceful life.

The middle-aged man’s tone was very firm. Shao Mingyuan knew he couldn’t get any more information and glanced at Qiao Zhao.

Qiao Zhao nodded lightly.

“Thank you.” Shao Mingyuan expressed his thanks and walked toward the front with Qiao Zhao.

As they entered the tavern’s main hall, they immediately spotted their two friends sitting by the window.

Though there were quite a few people in the tavern at this time, Chi Can and his companion stood out like cranes among chickens, especially Chi Can—many gazes stuck to him and wouldn’t look away. He forcibly suppressed the urge to flip the table, feeling the waiting time was particularly torturous.

“Finally came out.” Upon seeing Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao appear, Yang Houcheng breathed a long sigh of relief and tugged at Chi Can.

The four walked out of the tavern, and only then did Shao Mingyuan ask: “How did you come here?”

Chi Can controlled his gaze to avoid sweeping over Qiao Zhao, squinting as he said: “We were drinking tea over there and happened to see you two, so we came to take a look.”

Only then did he look at Qiao Zhao, using a casual tone to mask the nervousness in his heart: “Shall we have a meal together first before returning to the boat?”

“I’m afraid not. We haven’t found the person yet—we need to go to the barren mountain outside the north city gate.”

Chi Can’s smile froze slightly: “Eh, you haven’t found them yet?”

Shao Mingyuan patted Chi Can’s shoulder: “Come on, let’s go together. We should still have enough time.”

The four headed straight for the barren mountain outside the north city gate. After searching around, they discovered a thatched cottage by a stream.

In the clearing in front of the grass hut, a person in tattered clothes, whose appearance couldn’t be discerned, was lying sprawled on their back, sunbathing.