After chatting with Yan Yueshen for a while and talking about some preparations to be made, Zhou Shu said goodbye to them and still left the Yan's shop from the back door. He strolled around the street for a few laps and then walked towards Sanyuanzhai.
After entering Sanyuanzhai, the waiter immediately came over attentively and said, "Manager Hua said that if Mr. Zhou comes, go directly to the back hall to find him."
Zhou Shu smiled and nodded, and went straight to the back hall.
He thought to himself, Hua Ruoan is really an old fox. He had expected me to come a long time ago.
In the back hall, Hua Ruoan stood beside a portrait, admiring and daydreaming, looking very leisurely.
"Manager Hua."
Zhou Shu walked in and bowed first.
Hua Ruoan turned around with a strange smile, "Hehe, Brother Zhou, you have made quite a splash in the Yan's shop today."
Zhou Shu bowed and said in a seemingly flattering manner, "Shopkeeper Hua is very powerful. He knows everything about the world without leaving home. It seems that I have come to the right place today."
Hua Ruoan paced a few steps and looked at Zhou Shu intently, "What do you mean, Brother Zhou? I am confused."
Zhou Shu stepped forward and bowed sincerely, "Shopkeeper Hua, I am here to ask for help."
He knew that Hua Ruoan was asking despite knowing the answer, but he would not say it out loud, and he had to give the face he deserved.
"Ha, ha, ha."
Hua Ruoan laughed dryly twice, revealing a bit of satisfaction. "Brother Zhou has a master behind him, and he has a good relationship with Deacon Shen and even Manager Yuan. Is there anything else in this market that you need help from this old man? Brother Zhou, are you sure you are not joking?"
"Shopkeeper Hua, you are joking."
Zhou Shu shook his head and said seriously, "If Master Fu was willing to come out, it wouldn't be like this. And the manager and the others are too different from me, what kind of relationship can we have? Besides, there are some things they can't help with. Only Shopkeeper Hua knows the relationship between me and the Yan family, so only Shopkeeper Hua can help me with this."
"Okay, since you're begging me so hard, I'll reluctantly agree..."
Hua Ruoan stroked his sparse beard and lowered his head in thought. "But how can I help you? What good will it do me?"
Zhou Shu didn't think much about it. He knew Hua Ruoan would negotiate the terms first, so he immediately said, "Fifty percent of the profits from the Swamp Talisman will be given to the shopkeeper."
Hua Ruoan suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Fifty percent, are you sure? You can make the decision?"
He and Zhou Shu had previously agreed that he would get 25% of the Swamp Talisman and Zhou Shu would take 75%. Now it would be 50%, doubling the profits. He couldn't hide his excitement.
Of course, in his opinion, the previous 75% was what the talisman master wanted, and Zhou Shu was just the middleman.
Zhou Shu nodded silently and said with difficulty, "Though matters over there are troublesome, I will go and discuss them. But I guarantee that the shopkeeper's share of the profits will be 50%."
"Okay, Brother Zhou, you're so straightforward. What else can I say? Sit down, Brother Zhou."
Hua Ruoan waved his hand, and a wooden chair slid over and landed beside Zhou Shu. Suddenly, a cup of spiritual tea appeared in the air, hovering directly in front of him.
Steam rose slightly, a fragrant aroma permeated the air, and behind the mist, a face contorted with excitement shone.
Zhou Shu took it with a smile, "Thank you, shopkeeper."
Hua Ruoan looked at him. "Brother Zhou, how can I help you?"
Zhou Shu said slowly, "Help me find Yan Mengchu's address, the places he frequents, and so on. In short, I need his detailed information. He should live near the market, not too far away, maybe even inside the market."
"Oh, that's all? Let's do it together. I can help you find a few more capable cultivators. I have connections in that area."
Hua Ruoan shook his head and smiled, making a chopping motion with his hand.
Zhou Shu's heart trembled, and he immediately refused, "Shopkeeper, you're worrying too much. I just want to ask him to return something, nothing more."
Hua Ruoan was indeed a fox, and his proposal had ulterior motives, but Zhou Shu knew it well and would never accept it.
If he did so, his relationship with the Yan family could be broken at any moment, and Hua Ruoan would hold a huge advantage. He didn't want to have such a connection with Hua Ruoan.
This approach would be more trouble than it would gain, like drinking poison to quench thirst.
"Brother Zhou, you're not ruthless enough. This won't achieve anything. I advise you to eliminate the root of this problem. If he wants to take over my Sanyuanzhai, hey..."
Hua Ruoan waved his hand. "It's up to you. I know you don't want others to interfere too much in this matter, but your cultivation level makes it difficult... It's best if nothing happens. You still owe me a lot."
"Thank you, Shopkeeper Hua, for your concern. If I can't resolve it, I will naturally come back to you." Zhou Shu stood up and nodded with a smile.
"I'll give you the results in seven days. Come pick them up in a few days."
Shopkeeper Hua nodded, his face slightly grim. "Remember what you said today. If you don't keep your promise, I have ten ways to make your life miserable."
Zhou Shu smiled calmly, bowed, and turned to leave.
In the room behind him, Hua Ruoan, still smiling, muttered to himself, "Hmph, I knew you'd come to me for help. Just wait, I'm going to slowly squeeze every last bit of profit out of you."
Zhou Shu left Sanyuanzhai and wandered around for a while, buying the necessary food before returning to his residence.
Today had been a bit busy and chaotic, but it had gone smoothly.
Asking Hua Ruoan for help was a last resort. He had no connections, and trying to find someone in the dozens of miles of Qingxia Market and its surrounding areas was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Furthermore, with time on his side, he had no choice but to rely on Hua Ruoan's influence.
Of course, asking Shen Bailie for help would have made it easier to find Yan Mengchu, but he couldn't do that. Shen Bailie had already told him not to get involved in the Yan family's private affairs. If he went to Shen Bailie again, it would undoubtedly expose his relationship with the Yan family.
Besides, now wasn't the time to oblige.
The 50% share of the profits going to the Swamp Talisman seemed like a lot, but in reality, he couldn't draw many Swamp Talismans, so the profits certainly wouldn't be much either.
Talismans require talisman ink, and for a special second-level talisman like the Swamp Talisman, ink is notoriously difficult to come by. It had been agreed beforehand that Hua Ruoan would be responsible for the talisman materials. If talismans ran low, he'd have a good excuse, most likely Hua Ruoan's own frustration.
He didn't dwell on the matter, leaving it to Hua Ruoan to worry about.
He had things he needed to do.
If nothing unexpected happened, he'd get specific information about Yan Mengchu in seven days.
He needed to carefully plan how to obtain the Yan family's Patriarchal Order, but the most important thing now was to master the Shadow Escape Technique.
This mysterious, evil technique, elusive, blurry, and incredibly fast, was perfect for the third level of Qi Refining. Mastering it would be of immense benefit to him, giving him a better chance of obtaining the Patriarchal Order.
The Shadow Escape Technique had already been deduced, but mastering it within five days was a challenge.
Time was of the essence.