"The know-it-all?" Qin Xue asked with a hint of confusion. "Is the know-it-all referring to someone named Chang Yan?"
"Does the pavilion master know this person?"
"Before I met you, this person approached me and asked if I was looking for someone." Qin Xue's brows furrowed into a deep crease. "Who exactly is this person?"
"This person is an information broker in Xing Tang Dao. He deals in all sorts of information. He knows exactly what merchants are passing through and what they are transporting. Those who wish to obtain certain things go to him and pay a high price for the information."
"Why would he approach me proactively?" Qin Xue asked, looking in the direction Chang Yan had disappeared, her brow still furrowed.
Jiang Bai was also very puzzled. Chang Yan rarely showed himself. After all, he had many enemies. Dealing in information could also offend people. The merchants who were inexplicably robbed hated him to death.
"I estimate he has ill intentions," Jiang Bai stated with certainty. "However, since he approached you proactively, it means he has a clue. But this person is quite dangerous, and I don't recommend you go looking for him alone."
"Do you know his background?"
"I can't find anything," Jiang Bai shook his head. "Most people in Xing Tang Dao are outsiders. Many hide their true identities. Not only is Chang Yan's identity a mystery, but even the proprietress of the You Jia Inn has a mysterious background. Those who settle here, more or less, have secrets they don't want known."
"Haven't you found any useful clues?"
"No. Their group seemed to have vanished into thin air, but people can't disappear for no reason. However, the longer they are missing, the more disadvantageous it is for us, and the more dangerous it will be for Patriarch Shangguan and the others."
"Have there been any strangers in Xing Tang Dao recently?"
Jiang Bai looked at Qin Xue helplessly. "Pavilion Master, Xing Tang Dao sees strangers coming in every day."
"Anyone particularly unusual?"
Jiang Bai thought carefully but couldn't recall anyone special. Most people coming and going in Xing Tang Dao were merchants and travelers. Many only stopped here to rest and left the next morning. Then, entirely new strangers would continue to enter and leave. Apart from the merchants who traveled this route regularly, everyone else was a stranger.
"I'm afraid I still have to go to Chen Wai Dao to see Chang Yan."
Chen Wai Dao was not originally called Chen Wai Dao; it was a cave. After Xing Tang Dao prospered again, Chen Wai Dao became a refuge for a group of desperadoes, and Chang Yan was its master.
Chang Yan was not old, but he was quite capable. He led a group of desperadoes in trading information around Xing Tang Dao. Sometimes, he would also lead them to rob merchant caravans, but they only targeted small caravans. After all, large caravans were supported by powerful forces, and accidentally provoking them could lead to great trouble. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Master Chang, why are we getting involved in this matter?" Chen Wai Dao had three leaders. Chang Yan was the boss, with two capable assistants, Guo Rong and Guo Jian, who were brothers. Guo Jian was responsible for gathering information, Guo Rong for looting goods, and Chang Yan for commanding from his post. For years, there had been no mistakes.
Chang Yan took a puff of his cigarette, slowly exhaling smoke rings. His foxy eyes narrowed into slits, and a smile curved his lips, making him look like a smiling fox, exuding a cunning aura.
"Everyone is curious about who the Shangguan family's backer is. Aren't you?" Chang Yan said unhurriedly. "With the Shangguan family's current predicament, who knows how many people are secretly watching. The perpetrators, the Shangguan family's master, and those who wish the Shangguan family would disappear."
Guo Jian suddenly realized, "Can we make a lot of money from this?"
The smile on Chang Yan's face remained unchanged. "Making money is no longer the goal. We've earned a lot over the years. But no matter how much money we earn, what's the use? In a place like Xing Tang Dao, we can't even find a place to spend it."
The Guo brothers exchanged glances. Indeed, although Xing Tang Dao was a necessary passage for trade routes, it lacked everything. There was only one inn in the vast Xing Tang Dao, and very few restaurants. Most people just stopped here, bartered for some goods, and then hurried away.
People came and went incessantly, yet no one truly stayed. Their companions were only the downtrodden who had no choice but to settle in Xing Tang Dao.
"Master Chang, are you planning to leave Xing Tang Dao?"
"It's not that I'm leaving Xing Tang Dao, but we are leaving Xing Tang Dao." Chang Yan stood up and walked to the front of the cave. He gazed out at the endless yellow sand. Xing Tang Dao was a mere palm-sized area in the vast desert. During sandstorms, half of Xing Tang Dao would be buried under the sand. He was tired of such a life.
"Can we leave?" The Guo brothers also wanted to leave Xing Tang Dao, but who among those who stayed in Xing Tang Dao didn't have a criminal record? Once they left Xing Tang Dao, endless pursuit would await them.
Rather than being on the run and living precariously, they preferred to live among the yellow sand, enjoying a simple and carefree life that was not impoverished.
"If I can see her, perhaps there's a chance to leave," Chang Yan said faintly. "It's just that I don't know if she's still alive."
"Master Chang, who is the 'she' you are referring to?"
"The master of this trade route."
The Guo brothers exchanged confused glances. This trade route had a master? Didn't this trade route develop naturally? How could it have a master?
"Master Chang, this trade route has a master?"
The smile on Chang Yan's face deepened. "Of course, this trade route has a master. If it didn't, this trade route would have collapsed long ago. This person is not only the master of this trade route but also holds the lifeline of us downtrodden."
"I don't understand."
"If the trade route is closed, do you think we downtrodden can survive?" Chang Yan gazed into the distance, paying attention to everyone entering Xing Tang Dao. He had discovered Qin Xue's group as soon as they entered Xing Tang Dao. He had initially thought she was the one he was waiting for, but upon seeing her, he was somewhat disappointed. It wasn't her, but fortunately, it wasn't a complete loss. At least that person had a connection to her.
The Guo brothers asked nervously, "Master Chang, is Shangguan Jin someone from the trade route's master?"
Chang Yan slowly nodded. Shangguan Jin could travel this trade route for so many years and be the sole dominant force for a reason. Furthermore, no one dared to rob his goods wherever he went, not because the Shangguan family was powerful, but because they had their people on this trade route. The master of the trade route provided a refuge for the desperadoes on the run, and the downtrodden were responsible for maintaining the stability of the trade route and ensuring the safety of the master's people and goods. However, with the widespread news of her demise, the downtrodden on this route were becoming restless.