Chapter 573: Information Worth Twenty Grams of Gold

Through a brief conversation, Lu Yibei learned that the second girl to come and trade with her was named Lin Nian. She was a native of Shizhou City and called herself “Shizhou City’s Know-It-All.” Her family had worked as information brokers for generations, and she had grown up mingling in Shizhou City’s psychic circles, hearing all sorts of rumors from the streets and alleys. Moreover, due to the special nature of her Spirit Pattern, she had an exceptionally strong memory for sounds; she practically never forgot anything she heard. If she was not lying, then she ought to be an experienced and excellent information broker. …

After spending two minutes explaining clearly that she did not want to eat barbecued Hu Chuan, Lu Yibei told Lin Nian in detail about Hu Chuan’s birth date, appearance, and certain personal habits—information she had heard from the headless senior sister. After listening, Lin Nian looked troubled and shook her head. “I’ve never heard of such a person in Shizhou City.”

As if desperately trying to prove that the title “Shizhou City’s Know-It-All” was not undeserved, she paused, then hurriedly added, “If someone like that had been active around Shizhou City, I would definitely remember!”

After saying that, she looked at Lu Yibei as though she wanted to speak but stopped herself, seeming to have something important to say yet not daring to open her mouth. “…”

Lu Yibei pondered for a moment, going over all the information she currently had about Hu Chuan in her mind. Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up faintly. “Then do you remember whether, four years ago—hm, between July 20th and July 25th—any suspicious person came to Shizhou City?”

If even this piece of information could not help her find a lead on Hu Chuan, she felt she would probably have to consider the possibility that someone had gone to great lengths to completely erase Hu Chuan’s lingering remnant soul.

“This…” Lin Nian frowned tightly and thought back for a moment, then suddenly looked into Lu Yibei’s eyes and said with certainty, “There was. There really was someone who matched your description who appeared on Sleepless Street!”

Hearing this, Lu Yibei felt a burst of joy, but she restrained it and asked calmly, “Oh? Tell me the details.”

“…” Lin Nian looked at Lu Yibei, her little mouth slightly open as she hesitated. A few traces of uncertainty and fear appeared in her eyes. Revealing the information the other party wanted before receiving payment was not in line with her rules for making trades. But considering that the person she was dealing with this time was a terrifying existence who ate hauntings raw, she was also a little worried that if she tried to keep the other party in suspense at a time like this, she might turn around and find herself on “Gu Qianqian’s” barbecue grill. “…”

If it were not for the fact that she had not closed a single deal tonight, and Grandpa urgently needed money…

Damn it, I must be crazy to come trade with the Bloody Witch who devours hauntings! Lin Nian thought, her fair fist clenching slightly as she nervously raised her head and glanced at the frost-faced girl sitting opposite her, her heart pounding wildly.

Although she had not lied when introducing herself to Lu Yibei—she had indeed heard many rumors circulating within Shizhou City and recorded them in her Spirit Pattern, making her an excellent information broker—she could not really be considered a veteran information broker. The title “Shizhou City’s Know-It-All” should actually have belonged to her grandfather. She had only taken over the job from the old man after he had fallen ill not long ago. In fact, counting this deal with Lu Yibei, she had conducted fewer than ten information transactions in total. …

Noticing Lin Nian’s small movements, Lu Yibei vaguely guessed what she was thinking and took out her phone. “Right, what’s your Alipay account? I’ll transfer the payment to you first.”

She had long since noticed that the girl in front of her seemed to be very short on money! During their conversation, Lin Nian had unconsciously brought up the matter of payment at least five times, and on several other occasions had wanted to mention the payment proactively but held herself back. Lu Yibei guessed that, aside from being well-informed, being extremely short on money was the main reason Lin Nian, whose psychic energy fluctuation level was only C-, had mustered the courage to come trade with “Gu Qianqian.”

This behavior of hers put Lu Yibei very much at ease. Based on her experience dealing with so many psychics and hauntings, those who possessed worldly desires such as greed for money, lust, or gluttony were usually relatively normal. Those who behaved as if they had no desires or wants, or who pursued some belief incomprehensible to ordinary people, were instead more dangerous. The Miracle Order was a very good example!

After hearing Lu Yibei’s words, Lin Nian stared blankly at her, as if she had not come back to her senses for a moment. Seeing this, Lu Yibei waved her phone in front of her and tilted her head as she asked, “Or do you only accept cash or item trades? If that’s the case, you may have to wait a little.”

Unless you’re willing to accept an Alchemical Bomb as payment… Lu Yibei added inwardly.

Back when she was at the Hua City ghost market, she had discovered that many psychics and hauntings refused online payments. After thinking about it briefly, she understood the reason. Although The Midnight Watchers Society had the 【God of Wealth】 guarding the safety of the public’s property, it still could not eliminate all haunting incidents that infringed upon property. With hauntings like Void in existence, the security of online payments was difficult to guarantee.

“No, no, no! An online transfer is fine!” Lin Nian came back to her senses and said repeatedly. “As for the price… How about I sell this piece of information to you for 20g?”

After a pause, Lin Nian added, “This is already the best price.”

Hearing this, Lu Yibei nodded. If nothing unexpected happened, 20g should refer to gold. As a medium material used in large quantities in alchemy and the production of solidified spell formulas, gold could be considered one of the hard currencies among psychics. A price of 20g of gold for one piece of information was not expensive. Just taking a casual stroll around Fat Master’s place could cost dozens or even hundreds of grams, and the savings she had left could just barely cover it. However…

“It’s still a little pricey! If it really won’t work, I’ll ask around again and come back to you later?” Lu Yibei said expressionlessly.

Buying information was still buying something! How could she not bargain? Even if the price was reasonable, not haggling before paying would still make one feel as if one had lost out. This was not bullying a little girl; it was just habitual bargaining. Besides, who here was not a little girl? When needed, she was a little girl; when not needed, she was a tough guy! Lu Yibei thought shamelessly.

“Huh?” Seeing “Gu Qianqian” reject the price she had proposed, Lin Nian froze for a moment, and a trace of panic appeared in her eyes. She hurriedly changed her offer. “15g—15g is fine too! This is the lowest price.”

Her grandfather, who depended on her for support, needed medical treatment, and she also had to solve her own tuition and living expenses. She truly needed money and did not want to let go of the only deal of the night. Even if she earned a little less, that was fine; if worst came to worst, even 10g would still be a huge profit!

Being watched by those clear eyes brimming with fervent emotion, Lu Yibei could not help but feel moved. She slightly turned her head away, avoiding Lin Nian’s gaze, and curled her lips. “No need to lower the price. 20g is fine. But aside from the information I want, you have to throw in another piece of information for me.”

“Another piece of information? What do you want to know?” Lin Nian frowned.

“Anything! A legend, an anecdote about psychics, or some recent abnormality in Shizhou City will do. As long as you think that piece of information is worth the 5g of gold.”

Anyway, it’s just a bonus to satisfy my need to feel that I didn’t lose out after bargaining. Whether it’s useful or not doesn’t matter… Lu Yibei added inwardly.

Immediately after, she raised her eyebrows at Lin Nian, signaling for her to show her payment code.

“Oh!” Lin Nian’s face lit up with joy. She hurriedly took out her phone and happily accepted the small sum Lu Yibei transferred over, equivalent to 20g of gold.

“Alipay payment received: 75,212 yuan!”

After hearing the Alipay payment notification, Lin Nian carefully put away her phone, thought for a brief moment, then said seriously, “Speaking of which, there really has been something strange around Shizhou City recently. Lately, among the psychics around Shizhou City, there’s been a strange trend.”

“A strange trend?” Lu Yibei tilted her head. A trend of fencing? Or an obsession with Love and Magic Girls?

Honestly, before Lu Yibei set off for Shizhou City, she had also noticed a strange trend among Hua City’s hauntings. It seemed that many hauntings, just like her, had fallen into the pit of Love and Magic Girls. Sometimes, when she thought about it carefully, the reason she had kept failing to pull anything good lately was very likely because those guys had sucked away her luck!

“Mm… how should I put it?” Lin Nian pouted slightly, organized her words, and explained, “Basically, they suddenly started greatly advocating the use of external objects to strengthen themselves. They even said that one of humanity’s advantages over animals and hauntings is that humans learned to use tools.”

After saying that, as if realizing that “Gu Qianqian,” who was sitting in front of her, was also a haunting, a trace of panic flashed across Lin Nian’s face. She hurriedly changed her words. “Sorry, I mean most hauntings.”

Lu Yibei waved her hand and said indifferently, “I think what they said is right! How did that turn into a strange trend?”

If there were tools available but you refused to use them, wasn’t that anti-intellectual behavior?

“On the surface, that’s true…” Lin Nian frowned and said solemnly, “But judging from information captured from some rumors, things don’t seem that simple. Those psychics who followed the trend always seem to be able to find psychic artifacts that are extremely compatible with their Spirit Patterns.”

“And they’re no longer just using tools. They’ve reached the point of dependence. Their strength has also increased to varying degrees, and some people have even raised their psychic energy fluctuation level through this method!”

This piece of intelligence should count as useful, right? High-tier psychics and hauntings loved these kinds of strange incidents the most, didn’t they? Although the incident had no clear direction and might be hiding uncertain dangers, if she went to investigate it in depth and ran into danger, that would be her own fault. It couldn’t be blamed on me. Besides, she’s a Class A Haunting! If she really runs into something unclean, maybe she can even rid the people of a menace.

Lin Nian thought this to herself secretly.

Noticing the subtle change in Lin Nian’s eyes, as if she were delighted about something, Lu Yibei frowned slightly, then nodded and gave a perfunctory, “Mm, I understand.”

This matter sounded a little odd, but it had nothing to do with her. Since Lin Nian said it, she would just listen. If she dug too deeply, she might end up provoking some kind of trouble.

Besides, she always felt that becoming dependent on tools wasn’t anything strange.

In any case, she was quite dependent on her phone. If she were away from her phone for more than twenty-four hours, she would feel uncomfortable all over, as if she couldn’t go on living.

It was also perfectly normal for one’s strength to increase after using tools. If, during battle, she could pull something good from a ten-pull in one shot, her combat power would rise by at least twenty percent, just like taking stimulants.

Still, I somehow feel like this 5g of gold was a bit of a loss! This intelligence is completely useless to me!

Lu Yibei grumbled inwardly, then changed the topic and brought things back on track. “Let’s talk about the serious matter, shall we?”

“Oh, oh, right! Information about Hu Chuan, yes?” Lin Nian said. After pondering briefly for a few seconds, she continued, “Four years ago, there indeed appeared a man whose features roughly matched your description. However, there was one difference: that man was a Class C psychic, and he did not reveal his name to anyone.”

“…”

A Class C psychic?

Mm, Hu Chuan had close contact with Zhang Shuo. It wasn’t impossible that he obtained a Spirit Pattern through Zhang Shuo and became a psychic!

Thinking this, Lu Yibei pressed further. “And then? What did he do? Where did he go afterward?”

Lin Nian looked left and right. “He came here and posted two commissions. I remember one of the commissions was for ten fresh Ziheche, while the other was to have someone forge an identity for him.”

“…”

When he left Hua City, it already had the feel of fleeing out of guilt. Forging an identity was normal; otherwise, the clues from the haunting chat group wouldn’t have been cut off.

But what did he want fresh placentas for?

Had he been on the run for too long and become so weak that he needed nourishment? Or was he trying to set up some sinister spell formation?

Lu Yibei briefly analyzed the intelligence Lin Nian had given, then continued asking, “Can you find out what identity he forged, or who helped him forge it?”

“This…” Lin Nian looked troubled. She secretly glanced at Lu Yibei’s expression from the corner of her eye and said weakly, “I do know, but the person who forged the identity is my grandfather’s childhood friend, so…”

As she spoke, that sly expression of hers was exactly like a little fox that had slipped into a chicken coop to steal chickens. Her bright eyes hid behind her glasses, darting around.

A dear friend, a close relative, a sworn brother, huh?

Lu Yibei understood far too well what Lin Nian’s expression and words were trying to convey. After all, they were people of the same path.

“You want more money?”

“Mm-hmm!” Lin Nian nodded without hesitation. Immediately afterward, as if realizing she had gotten a bit too excited and lost her composure, she hurriedly added, “If you’re worried, you can just pay a 5g deposit first, then establish a contract. After I find out what identity that guy named Hu Chuan forged, you can pay the rest.”

Lu Yibei looked at Lin Nian from the corner of her eye. “This piece of intelligence is also 20g?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tamper with the contract when establishing it, then find an opportunity to eat you?” Lu Yibei said expressionlessly. “I haven’t tasted a beautiful girl psychic before!”

“I heard that with tender skin and soft flesh, steamed with a little soy sauce, the flavor is quite good!”

Mm, the Bloody Witch who devours hauntings probably speaks in this style, right? Scare her a little, so she won’t try any more tricks!

During their conversation, Lu Yibei had already carefully observed Lin Nian. This girl hadn’t tried any tricks purely because she lacked experience and courage. Given time, once her strength and mental fortitude grew, she would definitely become an old schemer of her generation!

Lin Nian: “!!!”

Perhaps because the previous transaction had gone too smoothly, she had almost forgotten what kind of person was sitting in front of her. Now that she heard Lu Yibei say this, the child was scared silly.

“This… If you’re not satisfied with the price, I-I can give you a big discount?” Lin Nian tested weakly.

“No need!” Lu Yibei said expressionlessly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly noticed that Lin Nian’s face had become even paler, and she had shrunk backward. Lu Yibei hurriedly added, “Uh, what I mean is, I won’t eat you for now, as long as your intelligence is accurate.”

Hearing this, Lin Nian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly patted her chest as she promised, “Don’t worry, don’t worry! I, Shizhou City’s Know-It-All, have always put credibility first. I never give people false intelligence!”

“But you do give people incomplete intelligence, right?” Lu Yibei suddenly cut in, and the smile on Lin Nian’s face instantly froze.

Heh, looks like I hit the mark?

Lu Yibei curled her lips and patted Lin Nian on the shoulder. “Don’t worry either. When I, Gu Qianqian, say I won’t eat people, I won’t eat people. But if someone wants to play tricks…”

She coldly swept her gaze over the dumbstruck Lin Nian. “I wouldn’t feel the slightest bit sorry about eating someone raw.”

“Oh, right. The intelligence you just gave me wasn’t incomplete, was it?”

As she spoke, her lips parted slightly, revealing two sharp little canine teeth. She stuck out her pink tongue and exaggeratedly licked the corner of her lips.

Seeing this, Lin Nian shrank backward, her head shaking like a rattle drum. Her mind was filled with images of “Gu Qianqian” holding a human hand in her mouth, devouring it in large bites, fresh blood staining her lips red.

While Lin Nian was immersed in fear, Lu Yibei transferred money to her account and left behind a sentence. “The deposit has already been transferred to you. Once you have the intelligence, just contact me through the Alipay account.”

“Don’t even think about playing tricks. I have plenty of ways to find you!”

After saying this, Lu Yibei got up and left the booth. The moonlight and gentle breeze enveloping her and Lin Nian also dissipated.

She wasn’t worried that Lin Nian would take the money and not do the work. As a seasoned old schemer, she felt that for a little schemer who had yet to mature, when there was profit involved, that level of intimidation was already enough to make Lin Nian investigate properly.

That pesky little sister had used exactly this method of coercion and temptation on her before!

Besides, she hadn’t completely trusted Lin Nian’s information either.

After leaving the booth, Lu Yibei carried her wine glass and strolled unhurriedly over to another empty booth, where she quietly waited for the next person to come trade.

In the distance, Lin Nian watched Lu Yibei in secret for a while, bit her teeth lightly, then swiftly left Moyue Pifeng.

And so, a few days later, rumors quietly began to spread through psychic circles that Gu Qianqian not only ate hauntings, but also ate psychics—and that she had a particular taste for beautiful young female psychics…

————

Money in one hand, goods in the other.

After receiving the main materials for crafting the Thousand-Night Paper Crane from the psychic with a slight Minnan accent, Huá Sāng nodded in satisfaction, put the materials safely away, and rose to leave.

She had been waiting here for quite some time. Not a single psychic who had responded to her missing-person notice had been reliable. Now that she had already bought the materials for the Thousand-Night Paper Crane, there was no need for her to keep waiting.

Yet just as she stood up, a man in a black robe came up before her, reached out, and lightly clinked his glass against hers.

With a crisp “ding!”, Bright Moon and Clear Breeze enveloped the two of them.

“Miss, you’re looking for someone, are you?” the black-robed man asked in a hoarse, low voice.

Sizing up the person in front of her, Huá Sāng asked, “That’s right! I’m looking for the Jade-Faced Peach Blossom Fan, Wu Yutang. Do you know where he is?”

The black-robed man shook his head. “I don’t. But I have an item here that may be able to help you find him. Do you want it?”

Huá Sāng tilted her head and answered without the slightest hesitation, “No!”

With that, she walked off without even looking back.

“…”

Is he crazy?! If he has something that can help me find Senior Brother, then why doesn’t he use it to investigate properly first and just tell me the result? Does he think I’m easy to fool, or does he think I’m not tired enough already? Huá Sāng thought.

“…”

The black-robed man watched Huá Sāng’s departing figure in silence.

Failing to sell his wares twice in a row in a single night was an exquisitely unpleasant experience he had never had before.