But when Tan Wenbin lit the third candle, the old man's hand trembled slightly. He put down the cup and pot in his hand and immediately ran over, bowing and asking:

"I didn't know you were visiting, apologies for not welcoming you from afar. May I ask, who might you be..."

Lighting the third candle signifies that my status is higher than yours, and you must serve me well.

Of course, even if you lack the confidence, you can still light three candles to boast, but you must bear the consequences yourself.

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhiyuan, who began to salute:

"Chest at Jiujiang, courage reflects Xunyang, spirit covers Lushan, and divine at Po Yang. Jiujiang—Zhao Yi."

When out in the world, your identity is self-given.

Just like with this candle-lighting ritual, impersonating someone else is possible, but only if you can withstand the other party's retribution after they find out.

The old man immediately returned the salute: "Jiujiang Zhao Family, I've long admired your distinguished name, please, Mr. Zhao, take a seat."

Under the old man's guidance, Li Zhiyuan and the two others entered the shop.

After serving the tea, the old man withdrew. Soon, an approximately thirty-year-old, plump woman with a mole under her lip came in.

As soon as the woman entered, Li Zhiyuan caught her gaze sweeping across his forehead.

It seems this shop's depth is even deeper than I expected, because this woman knows about the Life and Death Door on Zhao Yi's forehead.

This also means that the other party has now realized that I am an imposter.

"Mr. Zhao, I am..."

The woman smiled charmingly, her gestures graceful, waving her sleeve lightly, as if something in the cabinets on both sides of the room opened its eyes.

Li Zhiyuan pressed the untouched teacup under his hand down onto the table. As he placed his palm downward, the four ghosts lifted the sedan, and all the eyes in the cabinets closed.

The woman's smile grew even broader, and she did not step forward. Instead, she first bowed deeply:

"I didn't know Mr. Zhao was here. Is there anything important? If you need anything, please feel free to instruct me."

Even knowing the identity is borrowed, of what consequence is it? In the Jianghu, what's ultimately contested is still strength. Few people care about the truth.

Li Zhiyuan got straight to the point: "I've come to inquire about something."

"Please ask, Mr. Zhao."

"I want to find the Jie Family."

"Could it be one of the Old Heavenly Gate's four corpse transporter families?"

"It is."

"So, does Mr. Zhao seek Niu Dao Jie or the Yan Family?"

The four corpse transporter families of Old Heavenly Gate: Jie, Xie, Wang, Bu.

When Jie is a surname, it is homophonous with "Xie." To differentiate, they call themselves "Niu Dao Jie" and "Yan Family Xie."

"I'm looking for Niu Dao Jie."

"To be honest with you, Mr. Zhao, if you want to find the other three families, it's not difficult. Our humble shop can also contact and guide you. But as for Niu Dao Jie, they have been in decline since the late Yuan. Although Jie's people were still transporting corpses during the Ming and Qing, it ceased to be a force.

The last time I heard of someone from the Jie family was twenty years ago, on Old Master Wang's grand birthday, when the Jie family sent a child. I just remember that child knew nothing of his family situation and ate an entire table's worth of food alone.

After that, there has been no news of the Jie family since. Twenty years have passed, and that Jie family child back then would now be about my age, right?"

"Where can they be found?"

"Is Mr. Zhao asking about the Jie family's ancestral home?"

"Yes."

"Meiling Town Taohua Village. Old Master Wang's birthday invitation was sent there, expecting it to disappear without a trace. Who would have thought that someone actually showed up.

But afterward, any attempts to contact or search met with nothing, even the child was never found again."

"Why did the Wang Family still try to find them?"

"At least they were once among the four great families of Old Heavenly Gate, some camaraderie must exist. If they truly only left behind isolated individuals, we should extend a hand for the sake of our ancestors."

Looking at the woman, Li Zhiyuan said: "Not everyone has the privilege of lying."

The woman covered her face, smiled apologetically, and said: "It's said that the Jie family has hidden a great secret for hundreds of years. Everyone is interested in this secret. Back then, even Old Master Wang wanted to set up a child marriage with that child and simultaneously secure the secret. Who knew that child would eat so much, saying just 'blessings like the East Sea, longevity like the South Mountain,' and then bolted from the table.

People were sent to follow then, but they all lost track."

Hearing this, Tan Wenbin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Knowing the details of events from twenty years ago like this, is that still just "hearsay"?

However, with Brother Xiao Yuan asking the questions now, he didn't feel it was his place to intervene.

Li Zhiyuan: "So, the only clue we have to find someone from the Jie Family is Meiling Town Taohua Village?"

"Mr. Zhao is blessed with good fortune. If you really go looking, you might just find them."

"Thank you for your kind words."

Li Zhiyuan stood up, preparing to leave.

The woman stepped aside, making way.

However, as Li Zhiyuan passed by her, the woman spoke again:

"I wonder if Mr. Zhao is seeking someone from the Jie Family for revenge or..."

"Do I need to tell you?"

"You've misunderstood my intentions."

"Oh?"

"Mr. Zhao, if you find someone from the Jie Family and meet the person who came to the banquet twenty years ago, could you pass on a message for me?"

"Go ahead."

"Just say that the girl who should have had a child marriage with him and broke a duck leg for him at the banquet is still waiting for him."

This sentence is equivalent to revealing her own identity. She is from the Wang Family, and this shop is also a Wang Family business.

Earlier, she didn't introduce herself because I was concealing my identity, but now she deliberately reveals it because I'm searching for the Jie Family.

However, Li Zhiyuan wasn't very convinced by this touching love story. From her appearance, one could tell the woman has long been married and has had children, with a face showing signs of having many children and prosperity.

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