173 - We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 173: The Danyang Sect By noon the next day, Xiao Mo was in the kitchen teaching Jiang Xin how to cook fish porridge. Catfish have fewer bones, especially around the belly, making it perfect for porridge. Sprinkling some scallions on top enhances the fragrance, making it irresistible. The other parts of the catfish can be stir-fried with a few wild chili peppers and some ginger strips, producing a truly delightful flavor. The moment Jiang Xin placed a piece of fish into her mouth, her eyes lit up with delight, and she ate quicker than usual. "Let me go into town and see. You stay here in the courtyard," Xiao Mo said after lunch. He planned to investigate Azhi's whereabouts in the city and exchange some gold for silver. Just as Xiao Mo turned to leave, Jiang Xin lightly tugged at his sleeve, "Can I come with you?" Seeing her delicate and angelic face, Xiao Mo frowned, "It may not be wise for you to come; you draw too much attention." Jiang Xin's skin was pale and delicate, her features fine and charming—distinctly a beautiful young lady. In the predatory Western Regions, she was an easy target. "I can handle it," Jiang Xin replied confidently, quickly darting into the kitchen. When she emerged, her face was smeared black, just like the first time they met. "Now it's fine," Jiang Xin declared confidently. "My mother and Sister Zi always said I was too pretty, so when I went out, I had to blacken my face and pretend to be a boy. Otherwise, I might easily be sold." Xiao Mo chuckled, "When I asked you to take a bath and change your clothes, you refused. Were you afraid I'd sell you after seeing you clean and proper?" Jiang Xin lowered her head, poking her fingers together, her large, innocent eyes filled with guilt. Her silence was as good as an admission. Xiao Mo realized that if she hadn't unintentionally bathed when catching fish in the stream last night, she might have stayed disheveled for days until she truly trusted him. "I don't blame you. A little caution is a good thing. If you want to come along, then let's go together." With those words, Xiao Mo returned to his room, placed two or three pieces of gold near his chest, and had Jiang Xin accompany him to Luofeng City. The city was about an hour's walk from the deserted village where Xiao Mo lived. Once there, he planned to head directly to "Ma's Pawn Shop" on the west side of the city. The businesses run by this pawn shop's boss were quite similar to those of Steward Fang's. Despite their outward civility, they were fierce competitors who wished for each other's downfall. Even if Steward Fang discreetly sent people to look for the "brats" from that night, it was unlikely they'd find them at Ma's place. If they did, surely Ma would gossip about Steward Fang keeping a mistress, and how his stash of money was stolen, severely embarrassing him. Upon entering the pawn shop, the shop assistant, seeing Xiao Mo's ragged attire, attempted to block him, but relented when he noticed the gold pieces Xiao Mo held. Given the current gold-to-silver exchange rate in the Western Regions' Luofeng City, Xiao Mo’s two liang of gold could be traded for twenty liang of silver. The pawn shop owner suspected the little beggar's gold had dubious origins, likely pilfered, and thus intentionally undervalued it to fourteen liang of silver. After bargaining, Xiao Mo settled at seventeen liang of silver. Realistically, he could have visited more pawn shops for perhaps a slightly better deal, but doing so would heighten his risk of exposure. After completing the exchange, Xiao Mo led Jiang Xin to the back courtyard of Luofeng City's "Moonlit Pavilion." Despite it being a brothel, the establishment had a unique advantage: it attracted all sorts, from all walks of life. Men, after all, are often loquacious when in bed with women. The proprietress of Moonlit Pavilion capitalized on this, organizing snippets of overheard conversations into valuable information for sale. Some even visited specifically to sell intel to her. Worried about secrets being leaked? Everything Moonlit Pavilion heard was simply "rumor" with no authenticity guaranteed. Thus, how could "leaks" exist when all we did was share what we purportedly heard? And as for them returning to sample our women? Our ladies had a beauty unparalleled. Good luck finding any better than ours. If you insist, take it up with our patron, the City Lord of Luofeng. Xiao Mo had little hope of finding news about "Sister Zi," but to his surprise, the Moonlit Pavilion did have leads. "Young man, did you mention a woman with a long sword, accompanied by three or four children? Does this woman have a mole at the corner of her eye and stand about the same height as me?" A lavishly dressed courtesan, after accepting three liang of silver, smiled at Xiao Mo. "Yes," Xiao Mo confirmed. "Well, it seems you’re in luck. A client mentioned seeing such a woman flying towards Danyang Sect with some children. The woman left quite an impression with her beauty and swordsmanship, so the client remembered her vividly and mentioned it to me afterwards with obvious excitement." "Danyang Sect?" Xiao Mo frowned, "What kind of sect is that?" The courtesan eyed Xiao Mo briefly, prompting him to hand over another liang of silver. "Danyang Sect specializes in alchemy. It isn't a prominent sect; their leader is just at the Golden Core stage. As for their renown, it’s fairly typical, and we don't know much more. After all, we're only a small brothel in a little city. Though we have the City Lord as our backer and can trade in some information, our reach is limited. Delve just a tiny bit deeper, and it’s way beyond what little silvers we earn from you." "Understood, thank you, elder sister," Xiao Mo replied with a polite bow. The courtesan chuckled softly, "Hehe... You’re quite the formal one, like a scholar. And aren't you good-looking? Have you considered joining our Moonlit Pavilion as a young companion?"