Her Immortal Love - Chapter 8

As he spoke, Qin Changsheng seized the opportunity, standing in front of the counter with an expression of keen interest, picking up on the dark-skinned girl’s topic: “Sure, we came here to rest on the mountain for a couple of days. We didn’t see many inns on the way up, but we like trying new things, and we definitely need a place to stay. However, aside from the viewing platform we passed on the way, we’re not sure what other interesting spots Mount Ji has to offer.”

The dark-skinned girl immediately nodded with enthusiasm. “I know!”she exclaimed, and then launched into a continuous spiel.”

Qin Changsheng leaned casually against the counter, listening with a faint smile as the girl enthusiastically promoted the inn’s specialties, wild boar meat, dried jerky, and some strange medicinal herbs he’d never even heard of, as well as local attractions like the Savage Village and the mountain trail paths, all of which were commonly mentioned tourist spots.

After listening for a while without hearing anything particularly useful, Qin Changsheng tactfully interrupted the girl’s enthusiastic monologue and asked, “Hey, so I heard someone died on the mountain before? Where exactly did that happen?”

The dark-skinned girl’s words seemed to catch in her throat. Her face stiffened, and she looked displeased, even slipping into Sichuan dialect: “Girl, are you here just to mess with me?”

Remembering the few pink bills she’d just received, she suppressed her irritation and patiently explained, “It’s our custom here not to talk about deaths. If you bring it up, our shop could suffer losses for three years!”

Qin Changsheng chuckled softly, leaning in politely and cautiously toward the dark-skinned girl. In a hushed tone, she said, “I’m just asking out of curiosity. That incident was so mysterious, they say even now, no one knows the exact location where it happened! We’re just the type who love a good mystery. Although the police claim they don’t know the primary crime scene, you, sister, being from the mountain, must know more than those down below!”

The dark-skinned girl narrowed her eyes at Qin Changsheng, who kept a slight smile on her lips. From her bag, she pulled out a few more pink bills, pressing them under her elbow, and asked quietly, “We don’t need to know that much. Boss, your shop is up here on the mountain, known for its unique wild game and long history. I heard that the student who died had visited your shop with her friends. Consider this a little something for your time and the sunflower seeds while we chat. Surely, sister, you haven’t completely forgotten those people?”

The dark-skinned girl continued to eye Qin Changsheng narrowly. She actually pulled out a small dish of sunflower seeds from under the counter, picked one up, and cracked it open with her teeth, the sound crisp and clear.

After a long moment of staring each other down, the dark-skinned girl finally broke into a laugh. Shedding her earlier enthusiastic, salesperson demeanor, she said with a hint of resignation, “How many years have you been out?”

Qin Changsheng looked at her, finally confirming that she, too, was part of the underworld, just not the same path Qin walked.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief inwardly, Qin Changsheng replied, “One year.”

The dark-skinned girl gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” then extended her hand casually and said, “My name is Qingzhu.”

Qin Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. Qingzhu? As in “Qing Zhu Nan Shu”, a phrase used to describe heinous crimes so vile they’re beyond description? That certainly evoked the image of someone with an unspeakably wicked past.

Qingzhu let out a light hum, seemingly having discerned Qin Changsheng’s thoughts. She picked up her phone and said with a cheerful smile, “That’s right, it’s that Qingzhu, the same Qingzhu from the phrase ‘too numerous to record on all bamboo strips’.”

Glancing at her phone, she then turned to Qin Changsheng with curiosity and asked, “How did you figure out I’m also part of the underworld?”

Qin Changsheng raised his head and pointed at the menu behind her, replying with a hint of helplessness, “I didn’t notice at first, but upon closer inspection, the prices in your shop are outrageously high, yet no one dares to cause trouble. Even the tables and chairs are all intact. Anomalies always have a reason. You dared to open a shop deep in these remote mountains, set such steep prices, and aren’t afraid of being targeted, it means you have someone powerful backing you. Otherwise, this place would’ve been wrecked long ago.”

Qingzhu laughed heartily, her gaze still fixed on her phone as she replied brightly, “Well, you’re quite observant, kid. So, what do you want to ask?”

Qin Changsheng’s eyes inadvertently drifted to the side. By the window behind Qingzhu where dishes were being passed, the young man who had been tidying up earlier had already brought the food over to Jiang Zhongxue and Xu Jing’s table.

Jiang Zhongxue remained as aloof as ever, watching dish after dish being served without making a single move. In contrast, Xu Jing politely urged Jiang Zhongxue to eat and, seeing no response, picked up her chopsticks and began devouring the food ravenously.

Just as Qin Changsheng turned back, Jiang Zhongxue’s gaze happened to sweep over him.

The moment her eyes met his, it felt as if he had been washed over by ice and snow, sending a chill through his entire body. Though he didn’t understand why Jiang Zhongxue was giving him such a frosty glare, Qin Changsheng recalled their earlier conflict and immediately gritted his teeth, rolled his eyes arrogantly, and turned away, refusing to look at her again.

While Qingzhu was speaking with Qin Changsheng, she was also observing Jiang Zhongxue and Xu Jing. For an Eagle Eye like her, no moment, place, person, or event could be taken lightly. Any detail could become valuable intelligence to be sold later, as long as someone was willing to pay the price, they would go to great lengths to uncover every possible loophole to obtain the matching information.

When she first saw Qin Changsheng, she had her doubts. But the moment she caught sight of Jiang Zhongxue’s highly recognizable face, a flicker of delight passed through Qingzhu’s eyes. Sure enough, her superiors had sensed something unusual about the Jishan incident and, due to their connection with the Yu family, had dispatched her, an Eagle, to lie in wait at Jishan.

Originally, she had only intended to resolve the matter concerning the Yu family in Jishan, but she never expected that this long stakeout would reel in a big fish. The youngest daughter of the Qin family had actually appeared in Jishan alongside the legendary immortal.

This piece of information, along with everything that had transpired today, could undoubtedly fetch a hefty price… As Qingzhu faced Qin Changsheng, a glint of golden light seemed to shimmer in her eyes. Yet, having been trained as an Eagle Eye from birth, she remained unfazed even as Jiang Zhongxue’s gaze shot toward her like a dagger. She continued to smile calmly and carry on the conversation with Qin Changsheng.

She was absolutely confident, Jiang Zhongxue had never seen her before and would not recognize her as an Eagle Eye. At most, she might find her slightly suspicious.

After asking her questions, Qin Changsheng carefully reviewed the matters entrusted by the Yu family in her mind, gradually piecing most of it together. Qingzhu gazed at her with a beaming smile, reminding Qin Changsheng that she needed to pay. After all, in the world of Eagle Eye, information was the currency of exchange, the value of the intelligence she received determined the price she had to pay.

Qin Changsheng reached into her bag, her fingers brushing over a stack of bills roughly half a centimeter thick.

Yet, compared to the reward from the Yu family, this amount was merely a drop in the bucket.

Qingzhu watched her, the corners of her eyes crinkling with barely contained amusement. Seeing Qin Changsheng reach into her bag, she knew payment was forthcoming and quickly lowered her voice to ask, “What’s your surname?”

Qin Changsheng hesitated for a moment before replying, “Qin, as in the Qin dynasty.”

Qingzhu hummed in acknowledgment and said earnestly, “The fee for this information, I’ll collect it from your Qin family.”

Qin Changsheng looked at her, puzzled. “How do you know which Qin family I belong to?”

At this, Qingzhu’s expression shifted to one of surprise. “In the ancient lands of Shu, there has only been one prominent Qin family for thousands of years. Which other Qin family could it be? Other clans might have rivals sharing the same surname, but your Qin family is so renowned that merely mentioning the name is enough for anyone to recognize your lineage. Are you afraid people won’t know your family?”

Qin Changsheng’s eyelid twitched. She muttered under her breath, “Is our Qin family really that famous? How come I’ve never heard of it?”

Seeing her genuine confusion, Qingzhu pressed further, “Is this your first time dealing with Eagle Eye? Didn’t you know that Eagle Eye always collects payment from the families who request the information?”

Qin Changsheng nodded, her face flushing with embarrassment. “This is my first time acting alone. My brother always accompanied me before. I’ve never actually met a real Eagle Eye agent until now.”

Qingzhu was left speechless. Qin Changsheng returned to her seat and glanced back to see Qingzhu cracking sunflower seeds, seemingly no longer paying her any attention.

Jiang Zhongxue hadn’t even touched her chopsticks. Qin Changsheng wanted to share the intelligence she had just learned but remembered her morning vow to slap herself if she spoke another word to Jiang Zhongxue. Gritting her teeth, she held back.

After the meal, Xu Jing became noticeably more lively. Despite having skipped her afternoon nap, Qin Changsheng followed Xu Jing as they continued their hike.

Aside from feeling drowsy, Qin Changsheng was fine, but she couldn’t help worrying about Jiang Zhongxue, who hadn’t taken a single bite.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Zhongxue to be so stubbornly proud. That entire table of dishes had cost her 479, yet Jiang Zhongxue hadn’t touched a thing. With Xu Jing and herself unable to finish it all, and the weather making it impossible to take leftovers, they could only watch helplessly as the restaurant staff cleared it away.

As for the so-called legendary wild boar meat, it still tasted just like hormone-injected pork.