After Chen Cheng explained himself, Shen Qingyao finally understood his intentions. However, she was inexperienced in such matters and filled with curiosity.

Miss Qiluo’s figure, in particular, was enchanting and bewitching—utterly alluring.

Shen Qingyao was sharp-witted. How could she be so easily fooled?

Her beautiful eyes gleamed as she looked at Chen Cheng, asking with a grin:

"Brother Chen, even though you were testing Miss Qiluo’s Martial Arts Power, that was a solid grab. It must have felt pretty good, right?"

Chen Cheng shook his head, his expression stern. "I was using a move from the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill and focused only on Miss Qiluo’s Martial Dao response. What could there be to feel?"

"Oh." Shen Qingyao’s eyes darted about as she let out a soft "oh," though she remained skeptical.

She always felt that this Chen Cheng fellow did things that defied expectation. He was truly difficult to figure out.

Take that grab just now, for instance. If she had been in Miss Qiluo’s place, she was afraid she would have been caught completely off guard.

A sudden shiver ran down her spine, and an unconscious thought surfaced: ’Chen Cheng is a dangerous man. One to be wary of.’

However, this thought vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a sense of relief.

After all, she and Chen Cheng were on the same side. The ones who should be wary were the people they were investigating.

At this thought, Shen Qingyao’s mood suddenly brightened.

Even if Chen Cheng had just used testing Miss Qiluo as an excuse for his audacious move, it wasn’t like they had lost anything by it.

Besides, discovering Miss Qiluo’s Martial Arts Power was a huge gain. Who would have thought that a Pianist in a brothel would possess the strength of Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection?

This also proved that Le Wuji was indeed an agent of the Sutra of Ultimate Sect, planted within the Cold Crow Village Black Market. This information would be very useful to report back to the Demon Suppression Department.

Back in Le Wuji’s Worry Relief Pavilion, the table beside the soft couch had been laden with drinks and snacks, but neither Chen Cheng nor Shen Qingyao had touched anything.

Shen Qingyao, in particular, had been quite shaken by the sudden ordeal. She was still feeling uneasy and hadn’t fully composed herself yet; she needed a moment to calm down.

In this state, she suddenly felt hungry.

"Let’s go. We’ll eat some Demon Beast Meat first, rest up, and then continue the investigation."

In the Cold Crow Village Black Market, many Jianghu Martial Artists had set up stalls, grilling and selling fresh Demon Beast Meat on the spot.

Most of the people frequenting the Black Market were Jianghu Martial Artists who needed to replenish their Qi Blood Power. As a result, this business was booming, and crowds of diners surrounded every stall.

The two wandered for a while before they found a stall with fewer customers.

After asking around, they learned the stall owner was selling Tier Two Demon Beast Meat, which was a bit pricier than the others. Tier One Demon Beast Meat cost three taels of silver per pound, while his Tier Two Demon Beast Meat went for six taels of silver per pound.

While there was a difference in the effect of replenishing Qi Blood Power between Tier One and Tier Two Demon Beast Meat, it wasn’t a full two-fold increase.

Thus, most diners still opted for Tier One Demon Beast Meat.

The high price of this stall’s Demon Beast Meat came with another advantage: it was closer to the taverns, with two or three located right next to it.

The taverns in the Black Market were different from those elsewhere. The main hall was smaller, while private rooms took up most of the space.

These private rooms couldn’t compare to those in proper restaurants. Though called private rooms, most were just small huts built from thick stone walls.

The furnishings were extremely simple, consisting of only basic tables, chairs, and stools. Their main advantage, however, was the thick stone walls, which provided excellent soundproofing, making them perfect for Jianghu Martial Artists to meet in private and discuss secret matters.

Spending silver coins at the brothel pained him, but when it came to eating Demon Beast Meat, Chen Cheng was incredibly generous. He casually ordered ten pounds of Demon Beast Meat and instructed the stall owner to grill it and deliver it to the adjacent tavern.

The pair then entered the adjacent tavern, booked a private room, and ordered some wine, peanuts, and fennel beans.

This cost another five or six taels of silver, yet Chen Cheng didn’t even bat an eye.

Chen Cheng poured the wine, and they each took a sip. Shen Qingyao chuckled and remarked with a click of her tongue:

"Heh, Brother Chen, I never knew you had such a generous side. I thought you were the type to pinch every penny, a rather stingy person!"

It was no wonder Shen Qingyao felt that way. The awkward manner in which Chen Cheng had pulled out the silver notes from his robes at the brothel was deeply etched in her memory.

Chen Cheng said in a serious tone, "I really don’t have much money. And as for being calculative with it, of course I have to be.

"Back at the City Guard Department, my brothers and I always took turns treating each other. It was a matter of courtesy.

"It’s the same for us working together. I’ll pay for this meal, and you can get the next one. It’s give and take—that’s the rule of the Jianghu.

"If we go by the rules, then there’s no need to talk about who’s being generous and who’s being stingy."

"Ah, I stand corrected." Shen Qingyao cupped her hands in a mock salute, her beautiful eyes once again glinting with a peculiar light.

’She had finally realized it. This Chen Cheng fellow, in the end, he’s just unwilling to ever be on the losing end.’

’Even with her, Shen Qingyao, he still had to bring up the rules of the Jianghu. How amusing.’

In Linji City, if she, Shen Qingyao, were willing, the line of handsome young elites wanting to treat her to a meal would probably stretch from the Inner City all the way to the gates of the Outer City District. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Yet here was Chen Cheng, actually asking her—a peerless beauty—to treat him in return. ’He’s truly clueless, completely tactless.’

However, Shen Qingyao didn’t find it offensive at all. On the contrary, she felt comfortable and at ease, completely free of pressure.

Because Chen Cheng’s "cluelessness"—his lack of flattery and deliberate pandering—was a form of honesty in itself. He was treating her as an equal, as a friend.