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Chapter 51: Second Madam Gu\'s Tavern

Then, he set off.

The tavern was located in a quiet corner of Kaoshan City, with very few pedestrians around. If it were for legitimate business, this location would be far from ideal. However, for less-than-legal activities, it was just perfect.

Chu Liang soon arrived at a quaint three-story building. He pushed the door open and stepped into the tavern. The first floor was sparsely populated, with only a few customers present.

Instead of heading upstairs, Chu Liang passed through a small door beside the main entrance. When he lifted the curtain, he found a staircase leading down.

This was a three-story building, but the business operation really happened underground.

Although it was a three-story building, the real business was conducted underground. The subterranean space was dimly lit, with lanterns adorning the walls. Several tables were occupied by martial artists and warriors exuding a strong air of roguishness. Other tables were occupied by individual patrons like Chu Liang, all concealing their identities. Some wore straw hats, while others veiled their faces.

It appeared that those who came to this place had similar intentions to his own.

The moment Chu Liang took his seat, a quick-witted waiter handed him a cardboard menu listing various drinks and their prices.

"What can I get for you, sir?" inquired the waiter.

Chu Liang replied with the secret code provided by Fiend, "Two pitchers of Immortal\'s Guidance, one for the Madam and one for me."

"Very well," the waiter said before making his exit.

Chu Liang was left to wait. He patiently waited for nearly an hour before another individual arrived.

"Sir, please follow me to collect your drinks," the waiter murmured softly as he approached Chu Liang.

Chu Liang stood and followed the waiter, navigating through another corridor before entering a room with even dimmer lighting.

The room was illuminated by a single lamp, positioned at the center of the sole table in the room. Seated behind the table was a woman with shoulder-length hair, large and expressive features, an ample figure, fair skin, and deep blue eyes that bestowed her with an exotic allure.

She exuded a mature charm and maintained a relaxed expression.

It was evident that she was the renowned Second Madam Gu.

The woman extended her hand, inviting Chu Liang to take a seat across from her.

She asked with a deliberate pace, "You ordered the Immortal\'s Guidance for information, correct?"

Chu Liang nodded in confirmation. "Yes."

"Very well, I am Second Madam Gu, a fact you must already know since you\'ve come here," the woman said. She leaned back and continued, "Feel free to ask any questions you may have, and I\'ll provide answers to the best of my knowledge. However, once I provide an answer, you must be prepared to offer something of commensurate value in exchange. This may take the form of a valuable item or a favor. Are you prepared for such an arrangement?"

"I understand," Chu Liang responded.

"If you refuse to pay after purchasing the information... Hehe. Well, there hasn\'t been anyone who was exempt from following the rules. I hope you won\'t take offense to my bluntness," the lady stated, her eyes momentarily gleaming with sharpness as she observed Chu Liang\'s face.

"Second Madam, rest assured. I will definitely adhere to the rules," Chu Liang quickly assured her.

Chu Liang had no doubt about the lady\'s capabilities, considering her position underground.

"What questions do you have? Please go ahead," Second Madam Gu said, gesturing for Chu Liang to speak.

...

The lighting flickered, and Chu Liang inquired, "I\'d like to know... where is the location of the divine envoy of the demon race, the one who committed a major crime in Kaoshan City?"

Second Madam Gu chuckled and replied, "Your question is quite cunning, but I\'m afraid I can\'t answer that. Firstly, I don\'t know who committed that major crime, and secondly, I have no knowledge of the divine envoy\'s location."

Her lips curled slightly as she shook her head gently.

Chu Liang was mentally prepared for this. Having connections to acquire lots of information did not mean she knew everything. It was normal to have unanswered questions.

"Then I\'ll ask another question," Chu Liang said. He pondered for a moment and continued, "I\'d like to know who received the Nethersea Golden Lotus from the divine envoy."

"Well..." Second Madam Gu began. She thought for a moment before replying, "It seems like you\'re quite interested in that demon race\'s divine envoy. I might as well tell you everything I know...

"I only know that the Valley of the Three Absolutes has been hunting the malevolent shamans more and more relentlessly. Seventeen malevolent shaman villages in the Southern Regions have joined forces to form an alliance with the demons to fight against the righteous.

"They have selected Black Mountain Village as the representative and dispatched an envoy to meet up with the demons in the next few days. If the demons had sent out an envoy or made any preparations, it must have something to do with the dark malevolent shamans. I have no knowledge of anything else."

Malevolent shaman?

When Chu Liang heard this term, he wasn\'t surprised.

The demons aimed to form alliances with various forces, and in the Southern Regions, their only options were the various evil sects and groups that practiced dark voodoo and poison. This was to be expected.

Chu Liang simply needed to confirm which forces they were allying with.

The shamans were divided into two categories: light shamans and dark shamans, also referred to as righteous shamans and malevolent shamans.

For instance, the Valley of the Three Absolutes was known for its practice of the three absolutes: shamanism, the control of voodoo bugs, and expertise in poison. However, the Valley of the Three Absolutes still adhered to the proper cultivation path.

When it came to the malevolent shamans in the Southern Regions, they had inherited ancient traditions that dated back to ancient times. Their methods were often cruel, and their arts were considered sinister, making them unacceptable to righteous individuals.

Ironically, the most ruthless hunters of these malevolent shamans were the light shamans who shared the same belief in the shaman god but had been in conflict with the malevolent shamans for tens of thousands of years.

"I want to know... where is the envoy sent by the malevolent shamans?" Chu Liang continued his inquiry.

If the two envoys were meeting, then by locating the malevolent shaman\'s envoy, he should be able to find the demon\'s divine envoy.

"At the Mountain View Trading Hub," Second Madam Gu replied promptly this time, demonstrating her thorough knowledge of the major forces within Kaoshan City.

"Thank you." Chu Liang nodded and said, "I have no other questions."

"Alright," Second Madam Gu chuckled and continued, "Now, let\'s talk about compensation. You\'ve asked two questions. What are you willing to offer in exchange?"

Chu Liang pondered for a moment and said, "I know the exact location of a Human-Faced Jade Spirit Flower that is about to mature. It\'s in South Bastion Mountain. I can give this information to you."

He was reluctant to part with any of his precious enchanted artifacts. Besides these items, he possessed few other valuables. As he contemplated what he could offer in exchange for the answers to his questions, he realized that his options were limited.

While on a mission for his sect, Chu Liang and his fellow group members had been assigned the task of harvesting the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower. They had encountered two of these flowers, but they only harvested one. The second one was left behind as it had yet to mature.

"Although the Human-Faced Jade Essence Flower is valuable, the information itself would not be enough to exchange for two questions," Second Madam Gu remarked. "Even if you were to pick and bring it here, it would still fall short. At most, it can be the equivalent of the value of your second question."

"Alright," Chu Liang replied with a nod, agreeing with Second Madam Gu\'s judgment.

After a moment of contemplation, he proposed, "Second Madam Gu, why don\'t you suggest the payment for the first question?"

"Very well," Second Madam Gu responded.

Without much ado, she gently placed her slender hand on the table, and a silver-colored chunky bug began to crawl out from her sleeve. The creature resembled a caterpillar but was much thicker and larger. Each segment of its body was encased in a shiny shell.

"This is the Money-Eating Curse Beetle that I have been nurturing," Second Madam Gu explained. "It evolves by consuming wealth. I need you to upgrade this worm from silver to gold within three days. You only need to feed it a small amount of money."

Chu Liang smiled and said, "Alright."

The terms seemed quite reasonable.

Generally, problems that could be resolved with money were not real problems for cultivators.