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Seeing Jiang Chaoyu's mysterious demeanor, Xin Niangzi's eyes flashed with a sly glint. She smiled slightly, as if teasing, and said, "You little girl, you certainly have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. In that case, your senior uncle will listen to your so-called mission that cannot be told in advance. Maybe I can give you some useful advice."

Seeing that Xin Niangzi had relented, Jiang Chaoyu's eyes flashed with joy. She moved slightly closer to Xin Niangzi and said in a low voice, "Uncle-Master, the reason I came here this time is actually to investigate the rumors circulating in the city recently about a mysterious force secretly controlling the buying and selling of merchants."

Upon hearing this, Xin Niangzi's previously relaxed and smiling expression instantly turned serious. She put down her teacup, which clinked against the table, making the atmosphere in the room more somber. "This is no small task. Where did you get this information? And why did you accept this assignment?"

Seeing this, Jiang Chaoyu knew it was no small task. She sighed softly and said quietly, "A few days ago, I overheard some seniors in the Crescent Moon Sect mentioning this matter. They said this mysterious force operates with extreme secrecy, yet their methods are ruthless. Many merchants are completely controlled by them, and if they don't comply, they will be secretly suppressed, some even losing their families. I thought to myself, how can such an evil force be so rampant under our noses? So I volunteered to take on this level eight mission to investigate."

Li Yuanxiu listened from the side, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes, but she knew that if Jiang Chaoyu wanted to do something, she would definitely do it. She looked at Jiang Chaoyu and said softly, "This mission sounds very dangerous, you have to be careful."

Jiang Chaoyu smiled at Li Yuanxiu, her eyes filled with determination, "Don't worry, Yuanxiu, I know what I'm doing. And with you by my side to help, I believe we will definitely be able to complete the mission successfully."

After a moment of contemplation, Xin Niangzi said, "So this isn't a level one mission, but a level eight mission that's this difficult, right?"

Jiang Chaoyu nodded. A mere level one mission is just a waste of time. Although he himself had accumulated his strength through level one missions, he would definitely challenge himself with something stronger once he had the ability.

Xin Niangzi fell into thought. How could Jiang Chaoyu be allowed to do this? Putting aside the danger, many people probably had never even heard of this mission. This meant that Jiang Chaoyu must have found out about it from somewhere. However, the people from the Information Pavilion had already told her about this before, so it must have been leaked from the Information Pavilion.

Seeing the worried look on Xin Niangzi's face, Jiang Chaoyu guessed that this matter must be quite difficult.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. The three of them couldn't help but exchange glances. Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu even subconsciously gripped their fans tighter, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.

The door was gently pushed open, and a pimp from the Red Chamber entered. He said with a beaming smile, "Madam Xin, a distinguished guest is downstairs requesting an audience. He says he is an old friend of yours and has brought quite a few fine things with him."

Lady Xin frowned slightly, glancing at Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu with a questioning look in her eyes. Jiang Chaoyu shook her head slightly, indicating that she knew nothing about it. Li Yuanxiu, on the other hand, remained silent with a cold expression.

Although Xin Niangzi had some doubts, she still got up and said, "Alright, I'll go down and take a look."

Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu also stood up and said, "Let's go together too, maybe we can be of some help."

The three of them went downstairs and saw a middle-aged man in a magnificent brocade robe standing in the hall. He had a prosperous face and was holding a folding fan. He was looking around and when he saw Xin Niangzi come down, his eyes lit up and he quickly went to greet her.

"Miss Xin, it's been many years, you're still as charming as ever," the middle-aged man said with a smile.

Xin Niangzi smiled slightly and said, "So it's Boss Zhao. What brings you to my Red Mansion today?"

Upon seeing this, Boss Zhao smiled broadly and said, "I just heard that all the girls here at Lady Xin's place are exceptionally talented, so I came to show my support. Besides, I've brought a generous gift for Lady Xin this time."

As he spoke, he gestured to his attendants to present the gifts they had brought. Several large boxes were opened, revealing them filled with fine silks, satins, gold, silver and jewels, which shone brightly and drew gasps of amazement from the surrounding crowd.

Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu stood aside, observing Mr. Zhao discreetly, pondering his intentions. In their view, Mr. Zhao's appearance was too coincidental, and the gifts he brought seemed rather expensive, suggesting that he wasn't simply there to show his support.

When Xin Niangzi saw the gifts, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Zhao, these gifts are really too valuable. My Red Mansion cannot accept them."

Mr. Zhao quickly replied, "Miss Xin, what are you saying? I, Zhao, have always admired your character and the reputation of this Red Mansion. These gifts are just a small token of my appreciation. Besides, I have another favor to ask of you today."

Although Xin Niangzi had some doubts, she still said, "Mr. Zhao, please speak freely. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best to help."

Mr. Zhao nodded and said, "I recently opened a new silk shop in the city, but I'm having trouble finding a suitable manager. I've heard that the girls at Ms. Xin's shop are all clever and capable, so I'd like to ask Ms. Xin to recommend a competent manager."

Upon hearing this, Lady Xin felt a pang of difficulty. Although all the young ladies in her brothel possessed some talent, she truly lacked a suitable candidate to manage the silk shop. She frowned slightly and said softly, "This position of manager is no small matter; it requires extensive experience and exceptional ability. I'm afraid my young ladies are ill-suited for it."

Upon hearing this, Boss Zhao's face showed a hint of disappointment, but he quickly regained his smile and said, "In that case, let's forget about it. However, Madam Xin must accept these gifts, as they are my way of showing my respect to you."

Seeing this, Xin Niangzi could no longer refuse, so she said, "Alright then, I'll accept it. Thank you for your generous gift, Boss Zhao."

Mr. Zhao laughed and said, "Mrs. Xin, you're too kind. I'll take my leave now and visit you another day."

After saying this, he left the Red Mansion with his entourage.

The commotion just now attracted the attention of everyone else in the Red Mansion, and all eyes turned to this place. When Jiang Chaoyu looked around, she noticed Xie Yunyin again. His gaze wasn't very strong, but she still noticed him. It seemed like she had run into him quite often lately.

Even though she was injured at the fishing pier, she still sensed his presence, but she just didn't tell Xu Ninghui.

After Boss Zhao left, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu came to Xin Niangzi's side. Jiang Chaoyu said softly, "Uncle-Master, isn't Boss Zhao's appearance a bit suspicious? The gifts he brought were too expensive, and his talk about inviting the manager doesn't seem to be true."

Xin Niangzi nodded and said, "I had the same feeling. Although I have some business dealings with this Boss Zhao, we are not very familiar with each other. It is indeed a bit strange that he suddenly came with so many gifts today and asked for the manager's help. However, since he has already left, we don't need to speculate too much. We just need to keep a close eye on him in the future."

Seeing that the other guests had left, Jiang Chaoyu walked directly up to Xie Yunyin and said, "This young master looks familiar. May I ask if we can become friends?"

Xie Yunyin was enjoying the young man's zither music when a strange man suddenly appeared in front of him.

Jiang Chaoyu picked up the teapot in front of her, poured the tea into the teacup, and then handed it to Xie Yunyin.

Xie Yunyin found this strange and directly refused Jiang Chaoyu's offer.

"Thank you, sir. But drinking too much tea makes it hard to sleep at night, so I won't drink any more."

Before meeting the man, who refused to drink, Jiang Chaoyu downed the entire glass in one gulp.

Ah! Fine tea!

Then, seeing a stool nearby, he sat down and casually asked, "Young master, you probably don't recommend that I sit here, do you?"

Seeing that everyone was seated, Xie Yunyin naturally didn't know what to say, so he didn't respond to Jiang Chaoyu's attempt to strike up a conversation.

At this time, Jiang Chaoyu had taken a gender-changing pill, so he naturally presented himself as a man in front of Xie Yunyin. Faced with an unfamiliar face, he was naturally cautious in his words and actions.

However, Xie Yunyin never expected that the person in front of him who wanted to talk to him was the one he had been longing for for so long.

Seeing that the man's gaze remained fixed on the young man's zither on the stage, Jiang Chaoyu had no choice but to give up.

"In that case, I'm sorry to have troubled you, young master. See you next time."

After saying this, Xie Yunyin still didn't react. It seemed the only option was to try something else.

Just as they were about to go upstairs, they saw the old woman Furong from the Red Mansion. They stopped her, introduced themselves, and asked who the person sitting in the corner was.

Furong looked in the direction Jiang Chaoyu pointed and realized that it was Xie Yunyin, a regular visitor to the Red Mansion.

"That man is Xie Yunyin, the eldest son of the Xie family. He often comes to the Red Mansion to listen to music and watch dances."

Even after Furong's explanation, Jiang Chaoyu still couldn't recall anything. It seemed that the Xie family had once been on good terms with the royal family, but they had been demoted for some offense, and thus the once glorious Xie family had become a dog barely clinging to life.

The Xie family members seemed to be feigning dejection to avoid confrontation, thus deceiving their superiors.

After learning about this, Jiang Chaoyu remembered Xie Yunyin, fearing that he might have other identities.

That very night, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu began their investigation. They first went to some merchant gathering places in the city, secretly observing the merchants' words and actions, trying to find some clues related to the mysterious force.

However, after several days, they had not found any valuable clues, which made them increasingly anxious. Jiang Chaoyu sat in a corner of a teahouse, toying with a copper coin in her hand, her brows furrowed, pondering to herself, "This mysterious force operates so secretly, how can we find their trail?"

Li Yuanxiu sat to the side and, seeing Jiang Chaoyu's worried expression, gently comforted her, "Don't worry, this can't be rushed. Let's think of other ways."

Jiang Chaoyu sighed slightly and said, "I'm just afraid that if we drag this out too long, that mysterious force will grow stronger and stronger, and it will be even more difficult to deal with them then."

Just then, Jiang Chaoyu suddenly saw a familiar figure walk past outside the teahouse. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly grabbed Li Yuanxiu and whispered, "Look, that's Boss Zhao's attendant."

Li Yuanxiu looked in the direction Jiang Chaoyu pointed and indeed saw the attendant. He was walking hurriedly in one direction, seemingly meeting with someone.

Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu exchanged a glance, secretly wondering, "This Boss Zhao's entourage is in such a hurry, could he be related to that mysterious force?"

The two decided to secretly follow the attendant to see if they could find any clues.

They followed the attendant through several streets and arrived at a secluded alley. The attendant entered a dilapidated hut, and Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu quickly hid in a corner to observe what was happening inside.

After a while, voices came from the small house. Although the voices were not loud, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu were able to vaguely hear some of the conversation thanks to their keen hearing.

"How's it going?" a deep voice asked.

"Your Excellency, everything has been done as you instructed," the attendant replied respectfully.

"Very good. This operation must be carried out with utmost care. We must not let anyone discover our whereabouts." The deep voice sounded again.

"Yes, sir, rest assured, we will be careful," the attendant replied.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu were overjoyed. They knew they had finally found some valuable clues. This Boss Zhao's follower was connected to that mysterious force, and the owner of that deep voice was likely an important figure in that force.

The two decided to continue following the follower to see if they could find the lair of the mysterious force.

However, the attendant turned into a narrow alley, making it difficult to follow. Jiang Chaoyu had to find another way. Looking up at the rooftop, she used the wall to turn and lightly stepped onto it. From this vantage point, she saw the attendant enter the silk shop again, which piqued her curiosity.

That silk shop seemed to have been opened by Zhao Dongjia before.

Over the next few days, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu secretly went to the vicinity of the silk shop to observe its every move.

When they encountered suspicious people, the attendant would come out to greet them, whispering something to them. The people would then pay and leave, and these people all seemed to be connected to the mysterious force.

Furthermore, they discovered that after paying the money, these people always headed towards the fishing ground pier, which seemed to harbor an even more unspeakable secret.

Therefore, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu had no choice but to investigate and find out what secrets the fishing ground dock held...