In the main hall of the inn, where good and bad were mixed, everyone harbored secret intentions.

As their gazes swept towards Chen Ji, their expressions ranged from cunning and scrutinizing to covetous, making it hard to tell if they were human or spectral.

Chen Ji looked at the wine jars on the table and suddenly understood: placing a jar of *Shaodaozi* on the Eight Immortals table meant one was selling information, while *Putaoniang* meant one was buying. Upon entering, simply placing the correct jar indicated one’s purpose immediately.

This Longmen Inn, it turned out, was the largest information hub in Guyuan City, and the five hundred *wen* charged per jar was the inn’s commission.

Yet, Chen Ji had originally come to buy information, but by a strange twist of fate, he had become a seller instead.

At that moment, the man opposite him tapped the table with his knuckles. “Young man, what information do you intend to sell? Speak up!”

Xiaoman, standing behind Chen Ji, glared at the man. “Why are you so impatient? Isn’t my young master thinking?”

The man sneered, “This little girl has quite a temper. You both look like new faces; I doubt you know the rules of Longmen Inn, do you? If you place a jar down and can’t provide useful information, I’m afraid you won’t be allowed to stay in this inn.”

Chen Ji lowered his head, deep in thought about what information to sell.

Just as the man opposite was about to tap the table with his knuckles again, his hand raised but before his knuckles could descend, Chen Ji spoke, “I know what happened at Guyuan Post Station.”

The man’s hand, poised to tap the table, froze in mid-air, and his eyes immediately lit up. “You know about this! How much money do you want?”

Chen Ji raised his hand to his chest and extended two fingers.

The man lowered his head, contemplating for a few breaths. When he looked up again, he had already slapped two gold melon seeds onto the table.

Chen Ji looked at the two gold melon seeds. His original intention was to sell the information for two hundred *liang* of silver, but the man had only offered twenty *liang*… How could something so monumental that happened at Guyuan Post Station only be worth twenty *liang*?

Seeing Chen Ji’s prolonged silence, the man suspiciously asked, “Do you even know what truly happened at Guyuan Post Station?”

Chen Ji deliberated for a long time, ultimately deciding to sell the information quickly so he could switch the *Shaodaozi* for *Putaoniang*.

He simply whispered, “Inside Guyuan Post Station, someone poisoned the maids and servants of the Junior Grand Secretary from the Grand Secretariat’s household, a total of thirty-four people. The culprit is unknown; both the border army and the Imperial Forest Army investigated but couldn’t uncover the truth.”

The man murmured, “No wonder the rumors in the marketplace say Guyuan Post Station is full of dead people. Yes, this information is worth twenty *liang*.”

With that, he pushed the two gold melon seeds towards Chen Ji and hurriedly stood up and left.

The man lifted the inn’s thick cotton curtain and disappeared into the cold wind.

Just as Chen Ji was about to call the waiter to change the wine, the inn’s door curtain was lifted again.

The man from earlier had returned, carrying a skinny, monkey-like young man, and said to the shopkeeper, “Second Master, this fellow violated your rules. Guyuan has seen many new faces recently, and they come here trying to get by without even understanding the rules.”

The shopkeeper finally looked up at Chen Ji. “Esteemed guest, what do you suggest we do?”

Chen Ji looked at the young man being held but had no idea how this person was connected to him… Perhaps there were other rules in this inn he wasn’t aware of?

He could only respond, “Proceed according to the inn’s rules.”

The shopkeeper calmly told the man at the door, “For privately inquiring about information, one finger will be broken, and they are forbidden from entering the inn again until it has healed.”

The man grinned sinisterly. “Understood.”

With that, he reached out and brutally snapped the young man’s index finger, then carried him out the door again.

The shopkeeper slowly said, “Recently, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived in our Guyuan, and with him, many new faces have appeared. I must inform everyone, no matter whose entourage you belong to, if you want information, buy it with your own money. Do not break the rules.”

The main hall of the inn fell silent for a moment. As the shopkeeper lowered his head again and resumed writing in his ledger, the noise gradually returned.

Chen Ji tucked the two gold melon seeds into his sleeve. Before he could call a waiter to change the wine, another person sat opposite him, pulled out two silver ingots, placed them on the table, and whispered, “I’ll buy that information you just sold.”

Chen Ji paused slightly, then repeated, “Inside Guyuan Post Station, someone poisoned the Grand Secretariat’s household…”

The man opposite, having heard the information, said nothing and simply turned to leave.

Chen Ji stared fixedly at the silver ingots on the table. He had originally thought that once information was sold to one person, it would no longer be a secret, making it a one-time transaction.

But now… no wonder the previous man only paid two gold melon seeds; what he bought was “non-exclusive.”

Watching buyers come one after another, the pile of silver in front of Chen Ji grew larger and larger. In just the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he had earned two hundred and twenty *liang* of silver.

Xiaoman stared intently at the silver, unable to tear her eyes away. “Young… Young Master, why don’t we just stay in Guyuan? This money is coming too easily.”

Chen Ji could only laugh wryly. “We don’t have that much information to sell.”

Xiaoman hesitated, then suggested, “Or… or perhaps you could find some notorious highwaymen, kill their entire family, rob them of their wealth, and then sell the news of their deaths? Two birds with one stone.”

Chen Ji couldn’t help but glance back at Xiaoman behind him. What kind of person was his aunt to have raised such a living devil by her side?

He casually replied, “I don’t have that kind of ability.”

Xiaoman pursed her lips, remaining silent but clearly tempted.

Not just Xiaoman, even Chen Ji himself felt a sense of incompleteness. The massive icy current still lingered in his *dantian*, and he needed a great deal of money.

But what other information could he sell? That the Jing Dynasty’s Heavenly Strategist Army was going to besiege the city?

No, that wouldn’t do. Since the border army had decided to seal off the information, there must be a reason. If he were to spread that news, it might disrupt the border army’s formation.

However, for someone with such deep secrets to come to this treasure trove and not walk away with some money would be a great pity…

Chen Ji beckoned to a waiter. The waiter, who was wiping a table, draped his rag over his arm and approached with a smile. “Congratulations on your fortune, esteemed guest. How may I help you?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and asked, “What information is most valuable these days?”

The waiter replied with a smile, “Esteemed guest, any information related to the Crown Prince or the Ducal Bureau is valuable.”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, a plan forming in his mind. He pointed to the *Shaodaozi* on the table. “Please, switch this for *Putaoniang*.”

The waiter looked puzzled. “Esteemed guest, you’ve just started selling; aren’t you going to sell more information?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “I have information I want to buy. I plan to attend to my main business first.”

The waiter acknowledged, “Understood. Please wait here, I’ll go change your wine.”

As he picked up the wine jar to leave, Zhang Zheng, who was nearby, suddenly asked, “Hey, waiter, we’ve technically bought this wine, can’t we keep it to drink?”

The waiter paused for a moment. “Esteemed guest, there are rules for placing a jar and rules for opening one. If you have truly earth-shattering news, then you may open this jar. The fragrance of the wine will carry for miles, signifying a major transaction.”

The waiter went to the back of the main hall and returned with a jar of *Putaoniang*, along with the steamed buns and fine noodles they had previously ordered.

Besides that, there were also two plates of melon seeds, two plates of peanuts, plus a plate of candied fruits and a plate of raisins, filling the table completely.

Seeing this, Xiaoman said, “We didn’t order these. We won’t pay you for them later, you know.”

The waiter chuckled. “You’re joking, esteemed guest. For any gentleman who sets up shop in our inn, we not only provide snacks and candied fruits, but we also waive your room fee for the day.”

Xiaoman’s eyes lit up. “Such good news? Your shopkeeper is truly skilled at business!”

Zhang Xia pulled her to sit beside her at the table. “Eat.”

Xiaoman obediently said, “Miss Zhang, you’re as beautiful as you are kind-hearted!”

As soon as the wine jar was placed on the table, someone immediately approached. “Gentlemen, I have information to sell.”

Chen Ji casually asked, “What kind of information?”

“From the Jing Dynasty.”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred slightly. “How much silver?”

“Five *liang*.”

Chen Ji was silent for two breaths. “Tell me.”

The man sat opposite. “This autumn, the Shangjing Road in the Jing Dynasty suffered a locust plague, leading to poor harvests for every household. If one could transport grain there, they would surely make a huge profit…”

Chen Ji immediately lost interest.

Guyuan had many itinerant merchants, and about sixty to seventy percent of the traders there relied on border trade. Therefore, most of the information being exchanged was actually “buying business opportunities.”

Chen Ji took out a five-*liang* silver ingot and pushed it forward. “Understood.”

Xiaoman, cracking melon seeds, said with a pained heart, “Young Master, you’re giving him five *liang* of silver for such trivial information? You don’t even need it. Who has the ability to transport so many carts of grain to the Jing Dynasty? That’s a death sentence… Isn’t this just a scam?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “It’s like buying a horse’s bones for a thousand gold pieces; it’s no bother. Afterward, I’ll find my own way to earn the silver back.”

At that moment, one person stood up, and immediately another sat down. “Gentlemen, I also have a piece of information for one *liang* of silver.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m from Minzhou. A ship full of spices docked at the port there has been confiscated by the imperial court. If someone could arrange something…”

From morning until afternoon, Chen Ji spent the silver he had earned from selling information like flowing water, yet he hadn’t found any information suitable for him.

Xiaoman’s face contorted in agony, wishing she could snatch the silver back.

Xiaoman, cracking melon seeds, quietly grumbled, “The young master is too wasteful, too wasteful!”

Towards evening, an old man stealthily approached. “Sir, I have information about the Jing Dynasty. Are you interested?”

Chen Ji picked up a peanut, crushed its crispy shell between two fingers, and said, “Be more specific.”

The old man weighed his words. “It concerns Lu Jin, the former Military Strategist of the Jing Dynasty.”

Chen Ji’s hand, peeling the peanut, paused slightly, then he casually asked, “What do you do, to know information about such an important figure like Lu Jin?”

The old man gave an awkward laugh. “This old man merely gleaned the information indirectly. As for whether it’s true or false, esteemed guest, that’s for you to judge.”

Chen Ji offered no comment. “How much silver?”

The old man glanced around. “Ten *liang* of silver would suffice.”

Chen Ji nodded slightly. Beside him, Zhang Xia pushed a silver ingot towards the old man. “Speak.”

The old man recalled, “This old man was a silk merchant, mixed in with Third Master’s tea merchant team. My business was small, just enough to make ends meet…”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Where in the Jing Dynasty do you usually sell your silk?”

The old man replied, “This old man doesn’t dare venture deep into the Jing Dynasty. I can only transport silk to Fengsheng Prefecture in Xijing Road, sell it to the peddlers there, and then they transport it to Shangjing Road and Zhongjing Road for resale. It was on this recent trip to Fengsheng Prefecture that the peddler I usually work with said he hoped I could bring eighty bolts of fine Shu brocade next time. Apparently, an important figure specifically requested Shu brocade, claiming it was for Lord Lu Jin’s birthday gift.”

Chen Ji, sitting by the Eight Immortals table, felt a stir in his heart. He put the peanut into his mouth. “Throughout history, in officialdom, there are always more people who kick a man when he’s down than those who offer help in times of need. There’s no reason to celebrate the birthday of someone out of office. Moreover, Lu Jin is only forty-six this year. What kind of birthday gift would he be receiving…?”

The old man praised, “This gentleman’s mind is quick. This humble one thought the same: someone must have received advance news that Lu Jin is about to be reinstated, which is why they want to curry favor during his birthday. That’s all I know. I hope this information is useful to you.”

The old man left with the silver ingot, but Chen Ji’s mood sank slightly.

Deep down, he had always hoped his uncle would never be reinstated, so he could live peacefully in Ning Dynasty. However, on second thought, this might not be bad news after all.

At that moment, a middle-aged man lifted the cotton door curtain from outside and entered. His gaze swept over the tables, and he immediately chose one at random and sat down. “I have information to sell.”

The buyer opposite him covered his nose. “What is that smell on you?”

The man replied, “This humble one is a night soil collector from the east of the city, so it’s natural to have a certain smell.”

The buyer, pinching his nose, waved his hand. “What’s a dung collector doing here? Go on, shoo, get out of here.”

The man stood up awkwardly, his gaze sweeping around again, but the other buyers all avoided his eyes and turned their faces away.

Chen Ji spoke, “You want to sell information?”

The man’s eyes lit up. He walked over to Chen Ji’s table and sat down. “Sir, this humble one’s information isn’t expensive. It’s just something strange I noticed, which I feel might be useful.”

Zhang Zheng, smelling the foul odor, leaned back in her seat.

Chen Ji asked, “How much do you want for it?”

The man hesitated for a moment. “Two hundred *wen* will suffice.”

Chen Ji nodded. “Tell me.”

The man thought for a moment and said, “This morning, I was preparing to collect night soil to sell, but the cart driver who usually takes it said he couldn’t leave the city, so he wasn’t collecting today. Having no other choice, I was going to dump the collected night soil back into the latrine, but halfway there, someone stopped me. He said he would take the night soil to fertilize his own small courtyard’s vegetable garden.”

Xiaoman asked, puzzled, “What’s so strange about that?”

The man explained, “Of course it’s strange. That household hired several night soil collectors who were free today and bought a lot of manure, storing it in large vats. The whole courtyard stank to high heaven. What respectable person would buy so much manure? Those dozens of large vats contain enough fertilizer for dozens of *mu* of land!”

Xiaoman was about to say more, but then Chen Ji exclaimed, “Oh no!” and abruptly stood up. “Big brother, where is that courtyard?”

The man replied, “It’s in Taohuai Ward, Shache Street, in the east of the city. The house with an elm tree in front is it.”

Chen Ji strode quickly towards the back of the inn. “Miss Zhang, pay him. You all stay here at the inn. I’m going to the Ducal Bureau!”

As his voice fell, he shouted, “Zaozao! Quickly!”

Zaozao, the horse, was seen biting through the reins tied to the hitching post and bursting out of the stable. Its hooves did not stop as it charged towards Chen Ji. Chen Ji grabbed the pommel of the saddle, swung himself on, and rode away at a gallop, his body low over the horse.