95 - Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’

Chapter 95: Opening of the Hot Pot Restaurant In the private chambers at the back of the government office, a secret room lay in stark contrast to the noisy hustle and bustle of the main hall. A young man, garbed in a white robe with a shadowy countenance, sat alone, drinking quietly. Were he to step outside, he would surely be recognized. Yin Huacheng. Before long, the door to the secret room creaked open. The prefect, Cui Fuzhu, used a slight exertion to evaporate the alcohol scent from his body, the drunkenness in his eyes seeming to vanish into a whirlpool, leaving behind only clarity. In an instant, his drunken visage transformed into one of sharp acumen. "Sorry to keep you waiting, true disciple Yin Hua. I'm simply overwhelmed with duties—punish me if you must," Cui Fuzhu said with a smile, seating himself opposite Yin Huacheng and pouring him tea. Yin Huacheng squinted at the teacup, downed it in one gulp, and chuckled softly. "It's just the two of us here, why the charade? Or have you been the prefect for so long, you've started believing it yourself?" "Cui Judge?" Cui Fuzhu's smile faded as he poured himself some tea before speaking, "Li Mo and Ying Bing are both absent today. You waited in vain, Yin Hua herald." "They didn’t come?" Yin Huacheng tapped his finger on the table. "No matter, just inform me the moment you find them." "I came this time for another reason," he continued. "The goods I ordered from the Summon Demon Sect should be arriving about now, shouldn't they? Surely you won't scapegoat some underling, claiming incompetence." His tone now bore a hint of questioning. "The winds are tight now. If our dealings were to leak even a bit, my position would be done for," Cui Fuzhu remarked, half-closing his eyes as though weary. Yin Huacheng's expression shifted uncertainly. The business at hand was not the partnership between Xiyu Tower and the Summon Demon Sect, but rather a private deal between Cui Fuzhu and his father. Yet he probed further, "Haven't you detained all the sect members in the government office? They're under your nose. What's there to fear?" "They may be under my nose, but I am also under theirs," Cui Fuzhu said, placing his teacup down with a forced smile. "I’ll handle the business. I’ve already informed your father." "You'd better," Yin Huacheng retorted with a cold snort. "If it jeopardizes the sect’s plans, it won’t be me coming to talk to you next time." With that, he abruptly stood and left. Cui Fuzhu watched him go and sneered, "How could Yin Hua Xuan have such a fool for a son?" He ceased speaking, fiddling with his teacup. Time ticked away. After an unknown period, the door to the secret room suddenly knocked. "Who?" a voice sharpened into a fine line and penetrated the room, heard by no one but Cui Fuzhu. "Me," the voice replied. "Come in." A shadow slithered along the ground, morphing into human form—a figure clad in a wide monk robe and wearing a smiling Buddha mask. "Judge, the couriers outside have all been handed out," came the voice, indistinguishable in gender. "I have a personal matter for you," Cui Fuzhu said. "If it's personal, why not post it in the Dark Towers with red flowers?" the masked figure responded. Xiyu Tower deals only in money, recognizing no hierarchy among its members, save for the main tower lord. Even the Heavenly Killers couldn’t command a lower-tier assassin. "Even if I posted it, who in the city besides you, Laughing Maitreya, could I trust?" Cui Fuzhu withdrew a pouch from his robe. Laughing Maitreya grabbed the pouch, sensing its contents before stowing it away; the compensation must have been satisfactory. "Please, continue." "As the city grows more chaotic, I need you to snatch some orphaned children during the turmoil and bring them to my private estate." "A trivial task," Laughing Maitreya agreed. With the transaction sealed, they indulged in casual conversation. "Do you have any favorites in this trial?" "The Three Devils of Mount Huai, the Bladestorm Ho Bin, the Thousand Webs Chu He, and the Night Ghost Liu Heng—all stand a chance." "The Three Devils of Mount Huai died this afternoon. They seemed no match for Zuo Qiu Yang," Cui Fuzhu noted the other's disbelief and procured a special ledger from his robe. "See for yourself." "........" Laughing Maitreya glanced over it, then lifted the masked face, seemingly questioning, 'Do you take me for a fool?' Cui Fuzhu furrowed his brows and looked once more, finding the Three Devils unmistakably listed. He could've sworn they'd disappeared. Could the couriers be flawed? One failing isn’t terrible, but three simultaneously? As a divine observation realm sage, surely he couldn't have been mistaken, right? ...... At the Inn The inn had been meticulously cleaned to perfection. [You have a reward to claim.] [Claim successful.] [Investment Return: Ruyi Technique] [Ruyi Technique]: "Alter your appearance and aura, even divine observation can't detect any anomalies." "With my Wuxiang Liulisha, I'm hardly concerned," Li Mo said, glancing at his companions. Many were seasoned enough to be recognized if not disguised. "I've got a technique here to alter appearance and aura, undetectable even by divine observation." Li Mo produced a parchment. "Ruyi Technique?" Xiao Qin remarked, intrigued by the mysterious martial art. The Thousand Form Martial Saint had vouched for its rarity. Ying Bing kept her gaze low, clutching it briefly enough for her aura to vanish. Li Mo wondered if this qualified as an investment, but since it wasn’t in demand, the system gave no prompt. Thus began the transformation: an inn became a hot pot restaurant, staffed by a new crew of clerks, chefs, owners, and yes, a proprietress—due to Li Mo providing Xiao Qin with a hot pot broth recipe. His rationale? The busier the business, the more visitors. And those preparing for the trial liked bustling places for intelligence-gathering. A few days later... "Hmm? Wasn't this an inn before?" A caravan of escorts halted at the formerly known inn—now a hot pot establishment. "With things as they are, we’d best reach the city before discussing further." "And for that reason, we’d be wise to gather intel before entering." "True, true." "So... was it really not the enticing aroma that drew you?" queried an escort leader, eying the signage of the hot pot joint: [Happiness Hot Pot]. A moment of contemplation later, he nodded. "We'll lodge here tonight." Entering the lively restaurant, the bustling atmosphere enveloped them. To their surprise, for a freshly opened hot pot spot, business thrived.