Jiang Yichen was naturally completely unaware of these plans of Sha Qing.
In the end, Jiang Yichen only heard one keyword—Taoyuan Town!
Although he was wearing a conical hat to cover his face, he did not dare to stay long after eavesdropping on the two people's dialogue for a short while, fearing that Sha Qing might recognize his figure, so he chose to withdraw.
The prosperity of Gusu was indeed not exaggerated. The bustling streets made the information Jiang Yichen managed to overhear quite limited. Aside from Taoyuan Town, he only heard that the woman would rush back to the Bamboo Forest tomorrow to make preparations, though he had no idea what exactly she was doing. He now needed to obtain more information related to the Chrysanthemum Garden and the old man, and connect the clues together to know what kind of conspiracy Sha Qing was plotting...
A fatty who was so fat he was practically dripping with oil, thick-limbed and burly, his face flesh would shake three times with every word he spoke. He was wearing a dark blue cloth garment with a tattered green cloth headscarf on his head, yet in his hand, he held a slender golden smoking pipe that was completely out of place with his attire. Behind him on the floor were two woven grass boxes. Anyone who saw him for the first time would think he was an idle, nouveau-riche type of hoodlum.
This person always seemed to be idle, either haunting the gambling house or wandering through the streets and alleys of Gusu. However, many people were eager to offer him countless silver or various rare treasures just to pry some information from his mouth. From treasure maps hiding legendary treasures to the little-known birthmarks on a person's body, he knew almost every secret in the Jianghu. As long as you wanted to know and were willing to pay the corresponding reward, there was no information you couldn't get from him.
Sometimes he would draw a rough sketch for you, sometimes he would just orally provide a piece of information, and sometimes it was even just a single word. Yet, he was so needed by Jianghu people, and no one dared to break his rules. What was most difficult to understand was that he clearly appeared before everyone all day long, so how could he know everything? Was he a natural-born charlatan? Or was there some Mysterious Force behind him?
As for why this person always looked so shabby and destitute? Presumably, people who make money too easily have a serious gambling addiction. In any case, he would never leave the gambling house until he had gambled away all the money on his body every day.
He was the legendary man known as the "Jianghu Gossipmonger"—Bao Dating!
As mentioned above, finding Bao Dating was truly easy; he was at the central square of Gusu City in front of the Purple Xuan Hall.
Jiang Yichen was standing in front of this big fatty at this moment, watching his face full of fat quiver as he spoke to him: "Young Hero, there is nothing in the Jianghu that I, Bao Dating, cannot find out. Any Jianghu grudges, strange people and events, government secrets, or wild legends can be found out clearly. However, it comes at a high price. How about it? Is there anything you want to ask? The price is absolutely reasonable!"
Jiang Yichen muttered criticism to himself. Although he had no good impression of the fatty in front of him, he had a request for him, so he could not show any contempt. However, with people coming and going in the square, it was not convenient to make a fuss about the things he wanted to ask. He had to move closer and ask in a tone that only the two of them could hear: "I want to know where the Chrysanthemum Garden is? How do I get there? And what kind of place is Taoyuan Town?..."
"Alright, alright, alright... stop, stop, stop!..." Upon hearing Jiang Yichen's questions, Bao Dating first raised an eyebrow, then in the blink of an eye, carefully observed the tender youth in front of him before interrupting him in an impatient tone, "I say, little brat, you're just starting out in the Jianghu, aren't you? Is that how you ask questions? Give me ten taels of silver first, and I'll increase your Jianghu knowledge. For the questions you just asked, each one will cost you ten taels of silver. Ask them one by one."
After being interrupted, Jiang Yichen was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Bao Dating had something to say, he put on the posture of a junior listening attentively. Who would have thought this big fatty would act like a senior and even try to extort him!
"Then, I want maps related to the Chrysanthemum Garden and Taoyuan Town. Do you have them?" Jiang Yichen probed, trying to provoke Bao Dating.
"Heh, Stinky Kid, your brain turns quite fast! I do have a map of the Chrysanthemum Garden, but you, Stinky Kid, definitely can't afford it, and even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't have the life to take it. As for Taoyuan Town, it's just a small town, no map needed. However, these two places happen to be in Jiangning Commandery. I have a large map of Jiangning Commandery, thirty taels! It comes with top-secret information! Heh, this is some analysis and notes I made on the map based on the latest jianghu situation over these two days!"
Bao Dating had indeed been bored recently and had analyzed the jianghu situation, casually scribbling it on the map of Jiangning Commandery he had drawn not long ago. A little lamb had delivered itself to his door; if he didn't slaughter it now, when would he?
Seeing the fatty waving a piece of sheepskin parchment in front of him, it was clear he was trying to scam him. But Jiang Yichen believed the map should be genuine. Although Bao Dating had let it slip that the place he was going to was Jiangning Commandery—perhaps he had intended to lure him into the trap all along—having the map would save him a lot of detours and allow him to better arrange his journey so he could reach the Chrysanthemum Garden sooner.
As for the analysis notes Bao Dating mentioned, given Bao Dating's ability, even some casual annotations should contain a lot of extra information, which would be very helpful if he could use them as a reference.
Jiang Yichen thought for a moment and felt he should buy the map. But thirty taels of silver was not a small amount. He didn't know how far the journey to the Chrysanthemum Garden was; if he squandered his silver too early, would it affect the rest of his journey?
Bao Dating's previous words had been too loud. While Jiang Yichen was weighing the pros and cons, a black shadow on the Gusu square quietly approached without attracting the attention of the two.
When Jiang Yichen finally gritted his teeth and reluctantly took thirty taels of silver from his luggage, just as he was about to hand it to Bao Dating, a black shadow swept past the two of them, stirring up a gust of wind!
In the flash of lightning and sparks, the sheepskin parchment was no longer in Bao Dating's hand. When he turned around to look at the scene behind him, people were still coming and going in the square, and there was no anomaly.
Jiang Yichen did not react in time, but that did not mean Bao Dating hadn't. After suddenly realizing someone was attacking from behind, he used his right hand holding the sheepskin parchment to exchange seven or eight blows with the opponent. Unexpectedly, the person's target was not him, but the map. Due to negligence, he lost his grip and it was snatched away.
Jiang Yichen considered his own insight to be decent, yet he still failed to see the exchange between Bao Dating and the black shadow clearly.
However, he clearly remembered the fluent profanity Bao Dating cursed in the instant of the exchange: "You blind bastard! How dare you snatch things from your Fatty Master!? Heh! Hmph! You dog, you really have some skills! Yo ho!!!"
Bao Dating's performance made Jiang Yichen feel shocked and secretly admire him. As expected, anyone who could have such a place in the Jianghu was no ordinary person. This Gusu City was also full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with open spears and hidden arrows; he had to Act Carefully.
The previous moment, Bao Dating had made Jiang Yichen truly appreciate him, but the next moment, the style changed completely. The fatty in front of him spread out his right hand that had been holding the map and sniffed it in front of his nose, almost as if he were going to eat that pig's trotter. Only then did his large face reveal a lewd smile, and he kept muttering to himself: "Heh heh, this wave wasn't a loss. Little woman, wait until I earn some more big money in a few days, then I'll go and favor you."
Jiang Yichen didn't hear clearly what the fatty was muttering, but only from that expression and that "little woman" did he realize that the person who snatched the map was a woman. Wait, the map he wanted was actually snatched by that woman?! Was it the white-haired woman who was with Sha Qing earlier? Jiang Yichen naturally thought in this direction, but before he could think further, he was interrupted by Bao Dating.
"Hey, silly kid, what are you daydreaming about? Your map was snatched, hurry up and chase after it!" The sound naturally came from Bao Dating, and he sounded quite anxious for Jiang Yichen.
Jiang Yichen felt that his train of thought really couldn't keep up with the rhythm of these Jianghu seniors, but he realized that Bao Dating's address for him had changed from Young Hero to Stinky Kid, and then to silly kid.
My map? It's your map, right?!
Jiang Yichen sorted out his thoughts and suddenly discovered that the thirty taels of silver that had been in his hand just a moment ago had already arrived in Bao Dating's hand without anyone noticing!
There's such a Method?! He really is a shameless person!
"That... Senior, how did you know the person who snatched the item was a woman?" Thinking of Bao Dating's skill, Jiang Yichen gave up the idea of snatching back the thirty taels of silver and didn't dare to ask for it back, lest he get scammed again. He only sought for the other party to answer the puzzlement in his heart.
"Heh heh, silly kid, I'll treat this question as a friendly gift from your Fatty Master; I won't charge you silver. Let me tell you, it's all about the feel! Understand?" Bao Dating said with a giggle, and while he was at it, he tucked the silver into his pocket. Afterwards, he placed his palm in front of Jiang Yichen, spread it out in a rubbing motion, and then made the same sniffing gesture as before, adding with a satisfied sense of happiness: "Orchid fragrance~"
Jiang Yichen was still full of puzzlement, only feeling a chill rise from the bottom of his heart, wishing he could turn his face away.
Bao Dating couldn't imagine that the youth in front of him was so ignorant and simple. He shook his head and waved his hands at Jiang Yichen, driving him away, "There's no saving you, kid. Go back to where you came from; this world is not for you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yichen's anger rose from his heart. He had been inexplicably robbed of his map, his thirty taels of silver were gone, and this fatty was still trying to drive him away?! This is intolerable! If he couldn't beat the fatty, he wouldn't fight, but he would just hang around here so the fatty couldn't do any other business!
However, he didn't leave, but the fatty did. A huge gust of wind, strong enough to knock over Jiang Yichen's thin physique, whistled past, and Bao Dating disappeared from his field of vision.
✦✦✦