# 1685
Chapter 1685
Chloe looked at him in confusion, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying.
Just then, the carriage curtain was pulled open. Zhan Yuwu stood before their carriage and waved at Yan Zhong. "We need to change horses and purchase dry rations. Come with me.
Qiye, you all can rest and move around nearby. We'll set off in half an hour."
Lin Qiye nodded. "Alright."
"I'll go with you too." Hu Jia thought for a moment and chose to follow Yan Zhong down the carriage.
After all, he was a newcomer to the Bureau of Evil Suppression, while Zhan Yuwu and Yan Zhong were both veterans. It wouldn't do for a newcomer to rest while the veterans ran errands. His status was far from that of Lin Qiye or Huo Qubing.
A hint of appreciation appeared in Yan Zhong's eyes, his expression one of a teacher pleased with a promising student. The three discussed briefly, then split up and headed in different directions.
Lin Qiye and Chloe got off the carriage one after another. Looking at this snow-covered street, Chloe couldn't help but stretch lazily.
"Sitting in the carriage for so long, my waist is killing me... Is there anything fun nearby?"
"First time here too. How would I know?" Lin Qiye shook his head.
As they were talking, Gongyang Wan and Wu Quan also got off the carriage ahead, but Huo Qubing was nowhere to be seen.
"What an asshole." Gongyang Wan frowned as she glanced at the carriage, her face full of displeasure.
"What's wrong?" Lin Qiye asked.
Wu Quan opened his mouth, then said, "The Marquis drove us... oh, invited us out. He said he wants to be alone for a while."
"What, this carriage is so big it can only fit one person?" Gongyang Wan snorted coldly. "The Champion Marquis certainly knows how to throw his weight around."
Lin Qiye was stunned, then glanced at the silent carriage, his expression worried.
During these past few days of travel, Huo Qubing had barely stepped out of the carriage. Even eating and drinking were done by Lin Qiye bringing things up to him. Every time Wu Quan and the others got off the carriage, Huo Qubing would be alone in the carriage vomiting blood... By the time everyone finished eating and returned, he would have already cleaned up the bloodstains, as if nothing had happened.
Ever since arriving in this western frontier during the dead of winter, Huo Qubing's condition seemed to be getting worse and worse.
"The Marquis must be tired... Let's walk around." Lin Qiye seemed to think of something and turned to look at Gongyang Wan. "Yan Zhong told me you're from Qingshan County? Do you know any good place to rest?"
"From Qingshan County?" Gongyang Wan seemed to recall something, a cold glint flickering in her eyes. "I'm not."
Seeing Gongyang Wan unwilling to say more, Lin Qiye didn't bother asking. He randomly picked the most bustling-looking street and led everyone in that direction.
At this time in the western frontier borderlands, it was the coldest period. The ground was frozen solid, snowflakes drifted through the air, and there were almost no pedestrians on the roads. After just a few minutes of walking, their hair and eyebrows had turned white from the scattered snow.
Lin Qiye glanced at the overcast sky and walked into a shop to buy a few oil-paper umbrellas, which finally blocked the flying snow. But the icy chill still continuously gnawed at their bodies.
"Wandering around like this isn't a solution." Lin Qiye looked around, seemingly wanting to find a place to rest quickly.
Gongyang Wan followed behind the group, her gaze falling distantly on a building at the end of the street. Her eyes slightly narrowed as she seemed to be thinking about something.
"I know a place." She suddenly spoke.
"Just now you said you weren't from Qingshan County?" Chloe asked suspiciously.
"I'm not from Qingshan County, but I lived here for a while... That doesn't matter. There's a place where we can keep warm, and they have snacks and drinks. Do you want to go?"
"Yes." Lin Qiye didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Is it far?"
"Right there."
Gongyang Wan pointed at that building. Everyone nodded and quickened their pace toward it.
...
"Twenty taels."
"Five taels."
"Five taels??" The old woman's eyes went wide. "Chen Bapi! Have you gone mad? I graciously bring you a golden-laying hen, and you only want to pay me five taels of silver?!"
Before the old woman, a short-statured man sneered. The knife scar on his cheek was terrifyingly狰狞.
He glanced back at the wooden hut behind him. In the flickering candlelight, one could see a woman covered in dirt holding a bowl of hot porridge, swallowing it down greedily as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"Do you think our Liuqing House is some kind of place?" Chen Bapi said unhappily. "We're in the business of flesh! If any old beggar woman could bring a female beggar here to exchange for silver, wouldn't this place become a beggar's nest?"
"I've been selecting girls for this business for so many years. Whether one has looks, I can tell at a glance! Don't she looks filthy now, but she's definitely a top-notch beauty in the making!"
"Born a beggar, no matter how pretty, what's the use? Ten taels at most. If you don't like it, take her and get lost."
"...Fine! Ten taels it is!" The old woman gritted her teeth and agreed.
Chen Bapi slowly took out ten taels of silver from his chest and threw them on the ground. The old woman immediately bent down to pick them up one by one, her wrinkled face splitting into a flower of a smile.
After handing over the silver, Chen Bapi walked directly to the wooden hut and kicked the door open with one foot.
Bang—!
The porridge bowl in Jialan's hand paused. She turned her head and looked at this unfamiliar man in confusion.
"Who are you? Zhou Daniang's son?"
"Tch!" Chen Bapi spat. "That old c*nt couldn't possibly have a son?
You're already sold to our Liuqing House now. Someone will come take you to bathe and change clothes. First, let me sample the goods, and also teach you some practical skills. Then you'll enter the house and start serving customers!"
Jialan held the porridge bowl and looked at him in confusion, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying.
"I'm not going anywhere. After I finish the porridge Auntie Zhou gave me, I'll be leaving the city." Jialan shook her head.
"Do you think this is something you have a say in?" Chen Bapi snorted coldly. One rough hand knocked the porridge bowl from her grip. A crisp sound rang out as the floating rice porridge mixed with broken bowl fragments spread across the ground.
Next, Chen Bapi's rough palm directly grabbed for Jialan's collar.
Jialan's brow furrowed. Her right hand shot out like lightning, locking onto his wrist. A faint blue glow flickered in her eyes. Just as she was about to strike, a sickly flush suddenly spread across her cheeks. The rising glow quickly dissipated.
"Cough cough cough..." She weakly released Chen Bapi's wrist. The latter stumbled backward several steps, his gaze toward Jialan filled with astonishment.
"You're an Esper?!"
Jialan wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. That familiar dizziness surged over her once more. She lowered her head to glance at the injuries covering her body and murmured to herself,
"Still too heavily injured..."