"Suspicious?" Shang Xinci's gaze shifted beneath her thick lashes.
Zhang Zhu nodded and said gravely, "In fact, from the day we entered Bandit Monkey Mountain, I began to suspect them. Miss, you offered a reward of one hundred and fifty Yuan Stones. Such an enormous sum, and they weren't tempted in the slightest. That's truly thought-provoking."
He paused, then continued, "These past days, I've been secretly watching them. I've found even more suspicious points. First, they rarely talk with the household servants around them — as if they wished they could become invisible. Second, they've turned down recruitment offers from many families, no matter how generous the terms."
"Miss, do you remember how he looked that night when he came seeking refuge with us? If Hei Tu has such great strength, how could he have been injured like that? And lastly, from my observations, his companion — though dressed as a man — is actually a woman!"
The tent fell silent.
After a long pause, Shang Xinci smiled and said, "Having great strength doesn't necessarily mean you can beat everyone else, does it? Two fists can't fend off four hands — it's perfectly normal for Hei Tu to get hurt. Actually, I already know about all the suspicious points you've mentioned."
Zhang Zhu didn't show the slightest hint of surprise. He knew Shang Xinci well and understood her intelligence.
"Miss..."
Shang Xinci blinked, a playful look crossing her gentle features. "Uncle Zhang Zhu, you've been holding this in for days, haven't you? You noticed I haven't dealt with this matter, so you came to remind me today."
Zhang Zhu chuckled. "Miss, I can't hide anything from you. But why have you been letting the two of them stay by your side?"
"Because I don't think they have any ill intent." A gleam of wisdom flashed in Shang Xinci's eyes. "They were suspected by us at Bandit Monkey Mountain. If they hadn't stepped forward, we wouldn't have noticed any suspicious points. But why did they step forward to help me?"
"Well..."
"If they had ulterior motives, they would have hidden on the sidelines and watched the show — or accepted those one hundred and fifty Yuan Stones. But they didn't. When Hei Tu spoke of repaying the debt, his expression was so sincere. I believe he was telling the truth. He genuinely wants to repay this favor," Shang Xinci said.
Zhang Zhu was momentarily speechless. "But they're definitely not ordinary. They certainly have secrets."
Shang Xinci smiled like a blooming flower. "Everyone has secrets. I have secrets too. Does having a secret make someone a bad person? This world is a bright place. Someone who knows gratitude and repays kindness — even if they're bad, there's a limit to how bad they can be, wouldn't you say?"
"That may be so, but I still feel they have some purpose. Maybe they're plotting some conspiracy... Wait, I know! They must be the bandits' inside men. They infiltrated the merchant caravan to cooperate with the Demonic Path cultivators during the robbery!"
"That doesn't make sense either." Shang Xinci shook her head. "If they were inside men, they should have laid even lower. Why would they stand out at Bandit Monkey Mountain? So many people tried to recruit them — they could have joined any other group, which would make it easier to hide. Why did they insist on staying with us? I think they must have some difficult circumstances. We helped them, so they repaid us. Now they want to hide their identities, and I think we should help them once more..."
Zhang Zhu shook his head and sighed. "Miss, why do you always think of others first? You should never let your guard down..."
"Uncle Zhang Zhu." Shang Xinci pondered for a moment. "If we truly get raided, please don't fight to protect the goods. If the goods are lost, they're lost — it's no big deal. My mother's dying wish was for me to take a token and go to Shang Family City to find a certain person. But she also said that if that person isn't willing to take us in, we should use these goods to make a living."
"My mother left in a hurry and didn't clearly tell me who exactly I'm supposed to find. But I think wealth is just an external thing. Mother has already left me — Uncle Zhang Zhu, you and Xiao Die are the only family I have left. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Miss, please don't say things like that..." Zhang Zhu's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.
"Come, come, take a look! Authentic Shenjia silk!"
"All kinds of fine wine — everyone's welcome to have a taste!"
"Yi Qi Jin Guang Chong — only fifty Yuan Stones!"
……
Street vendors' cries rose and fell one after another as the crowd surged through the temporarily erected marketplace, creating a boisterous and lively scene.
Whenever a merchant caravan arrived, the stockade seemed to celebrate a festival.
It wasn't only the caravans selling — people from the Jin Family Stronghold also came to peddle their wares.
The most common items were a multitude of golden sculptures and utensils.
Pots, pans, bowls, and ladles, along with figurines of people and animals — all deeply carved and lifelike. Paired with red, green, yellow, and blue gemstones, or pearls, they appeared even more magnificent and exquisite.
Thanks to its privileged geography, Gold Mountain was practically littered with gold.
The people who lived here, even the ragged servants, wore gold rings, gold necklaces, and the like.
Many young women wore hairpins, earrings, and bracelets that gleamed with golden light, resplendent and splendid. They gathered in groups of three to five, their melodious voices creating a charming atmosphere all their own.
As for the Jin family's Gu Masters, their attire was largely the same as that on Qing Mao Mountain — short upper garments, long trousers, with belts and leg wrappings, and green bamboo sandals on their feet.
The difference was that some had leg wrappings tied with hemp rope interwoven with gold thread. And some belts, sleeve cuffs, or pant hems were trimmed with gold edges. This was a distinctive feature of Gold Mountain.
Gu Masters belonging to Southern Border families all dressed more or less the same. Demonic Path Gu Masters, on the other hand, wore all sorts of extravagant and unusual attire.
Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing wove through the crowd, having already found three or four people from the Jin Family Stronghold to buy some cow's milk and goat's milk.
To feed the Bone Spear Gu inside his Empty Orifice, Fang Yuan had done everything he could. But even so, two-thirds of the Bone Spear Gu had already starved to death.
"Aren't you worried that buying so openly will expose your identity?" Bai Ningbing questioned.
"Any disguise will eventually be exposed. I don't really mind, but the flaws in your cover are too obvious." Fang Yuan glanced at Bai Ningbing and said.