"Young master, please don't say such things. This old man just makes a living by carving these small items," the hunchbacked old man said with a mournful face.
This made Leng Ruo Li and the others even more bewildered.
It was their first time encountering a stall owner who belittled his own products.
Later, Leng Ruo Li didn't say much more. She bought over a dozen small animal pendants in one go, paid the old man, and walked away.
The old man was very happy and thanked Leng Ruo Li and her companions repeatedly.
But as Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han left the old man's stall, they all noticed two suspicious burly men standing next to the old man's jade stall.
"Consort, those two men have been staring at the old man at this jade stall for a long time," Yin Chen said, glancing sideways at the two men in the corner.
Leng Ruo Li also glanced at the burly men hiding in the corner. She said thoughtfully, "You and Yin Er stay here to observe the situation and help this old man if necessary. I suspect that the reason this old man is selling his meticulously carved jade so cheaply might be related to these two men."
Actually, Leng Ruo Li didn't want to meddle too much. She asked Yin Chen and Yin Er to pay attention to the old man for two reasons. Firstly, she wanted to find an expert in identifying jade who could help her figure out what the white pebble she found in the Fiery Mountain hot spring pool was.
Because when Leng Ruo Li was picking out jade pendants earlier, she had paid close attention to the old man's selection of jade materials, and she immediately knew that he was a master at identifying jade.
Secondly, she was very curious about what reason would make the old man sell his exquisite jade pendants so cheaply.
Just now, she had seen that although other jade stalls didn't have many small pendants like the ones he sold, even with inferior craftsmanship, they could still sell them for two taels of silver each.
Yet, this old man's stall, with its exquisitely carved small jade pieces, was selling for only a few copper coins each. Even though he sold them so cheaply, no one was buying his items, and he was being closely watched. The other jade stalls, on the other hand, were doing booming business.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li instructed Yin Chen and Yin Er to stay and monitor the situation at the old man's stall, and she continued to stroll with Jun Mo Han and the others.
Soon, after Leng Ruo Li and her group had left, the two burly men who had been intently watching the old man's stall emerged.
The two men looked at the old man with fierce eyes. Upon seeing the two burly men appear, the old man's face immediately showed fear.
"You old wretch, didn't our employer warn you to make your jade carvings rougher?" one of the burly men said.
"Gentlemen, these small jade pieces I've carved are truly my worst work. I'm only selling them for a few copper coins each now. Look, this old man set up his stall early this morning and has only made a few dozen copper coins by now. It really won't affect your employer's business. Please, let me sell for a while longer. My old wife is ill, and I urgently need money to treat her," the old man pleaded.
"No, you've sold so many jade pieces today. You must pack up and go back immediately, or we'll smash your stall," the other burly man threatened.
"Don't, don't smash my stall. I'll pack up and leave right away." The old man said this as he collected his small items into two baskets, then picked up his carrying pole and started walking into the alley.
However, the two burly men who had threatened the old man followed closely behind him into the alley.
As they passed a corner, they immediately rushed forward and intercepted the old man, blocking his path from both sides.
"You're blocking my way, what do you want? I've already packed up my stall and am leaving as you instructed!" the old man shouted at them.
"Our employer wants us to take back the jade you've carved this time," the two burly men said unhurriedly.
"No, this is something I spent two to three months carving. My old wife is still relying on me to sell these trinkets to earn money for her treatment," the old man refused on the spot.
"Since you old fellow are so uncooperative, don't blame us for being impolite." With that, the two men reached out to grab the old man's carrying pole.
But just as they touched the old man's pole, two pebbles flew from the darkness, hitting one of their arms.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
The two burly men cried out in pain.
"Who's ambushing us from the dark? Get out here!" The two men glanced at the empty alley on both sides and shouted.
Yin Chen, hiding in the dark, whispered a few words to Yin Er beside him, and then Yin Er used his Qinggong skill and flew away.
At this moment, he finally emerged from the shadows.
"You two grown men are quite something, daring to openly rob an old man in broad daylight," Yin Chen said sarcastically, jumping down from the rooftop with his sword clasped in his hands, facing the two burly men.
"Who are you? Be sensible and don't meddle in other people's business." The two burly men immediately took a dagger from their sleeves and threatened Yin Chen.
The old man beside them also turned to look at Yin Chen and immediately recognized him as the person who had patronized his stall with the young lady earlier.
He then reminded him worriedly, "Young master, please don't mind me. These two are desperate fugitives, they will hurt you."
"Old man, don't worry, they can't hurt me," Yin Chen said confidently.
The two burly men heard Yin Chen's words and burst into laughter, spitting out a few words: "Presumptuous!"
Afterward, the two of them lunged at Yin Chen.
But before their knives could get close to Yin Chen, they were swatted away by him. Then, the two men crashed heavily onto the ground, almost dislocating their internal organs.
At this moment, a pleasant voice came from behind Yin Chen.
"Yin Chen, don't kill them yet," Leng Ruo Li said calmly.
"Yes, subordinate understands!" Yin Chen replied respectfully.
The old man on the side looked at Leng Ruo Li and the others with some surprise. Then, he frowned and said, "Young lady, young master, you shouldn't interfere in my old man's affairs. These two were sent by my unfilial disciple to supervise me."
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li frowned and asked, "Who is your disciple? Why would he dare to do such a rebellious thing?"
Hearing this, the old man sighed, "It's a long story. My disciple is not a good person. You should leave here quickly, as his informants are everywhere."
"Old man, you don't need to worry, we are not afraid of him," Leng Ruo Li said with a smile.
But as soon as she finished speaking, a group of people with unfriendly expressions rushed out from both sides of the alley.
"You old wretch, you actually found some helpers," the man in the black long gown at the forefront said with a grim expression.
"No, they were just passing through this alley," the old man quickly explained.