#345 - Chapter 345: Blackwood Mansion Settlement Part 2

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Cheng Feng silently followed the commoners, queuing to enter Blackwood City.

After successfully entering Blackwood City, Cheng Feng didn't rush into action but chose to find a safe place to settle down first.

He quietly moved through the city's intricate streets and alleys, eventually arriving at a seemingly ordinary inn.

This inn was located in a corner of the city, inconspicuous but conveniently positioned for both offense and defense, making it an ideal hiding place.

Cheng Feng gently pushed open the inn's door, and a faint scent of pine and tea wafted over, invigorating him.

The inn was filled with a light mist, and few customers were present.

Several waiters were busy tidying up tables and chairs, preparing to open for business.

Cheng Feng deliberately lowered the brim of his hat, trying to make himself less conspicuous, and quietly walked towards the counter.

"Good morning, sir, will you be having tea or...?" A sharp-eyed waiter greeted him warmly.

Cheng Feng nodded slightly, lowered his voice, and said, "A room, a superior one, as quiet as possible."

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment," the waiter responded, leading Cheng Feng upstairs.

They passed through several winding corridors and arrived at a room located in the inn's backyard.

The room was simply but elegantly furnished, with a quiet courtyard outside the window, where sunlight streamed down like water.

Cheng Feng nodded in satisfaction, took out a few silver ingots from his backpack and placed them on the table as payment for the room.

Upon seeing this, the waiter quickly thanked him and promised to keep his mouth shut, not revealing the guest's whereabouts.

Cheng Feng rested briefly in the room before starting to think about his next plan.

After resting for a while, Cheng Feng left the inn and headed straight for the Hongmen Black Ear members' stronghold.

Along the way, he carefully observed the surrounding environment, ensuring that he was not being followed or discovered.

Arriving at the stronghold, Cheng Feng took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and strode inside.

Inside the stronghold, several Black Ear members were busy handling various affairs.

Seeing Cheng Feng's arrival, they cast curious glances at him.

Without saying much, Cheng Feng directly took out the golden Hongmen token from his bosom and raised it high.

The token shone brilliantly in the sunlight, as if containing endless power and majesty.

Seeing this token, the Black Ear members' eyes instantly became respectful.

They knew that this token represented the noble status and powerful strength of the Hongmen, and its holder was by no means an ordinary person.

"So, you are a distinguished guest of the Hongmen, my deepest respect!" A Black Ear member who seemed to be the leader immediately stepped forward, respectfully took the token, carefully examined it, and then carefully returned it to Cheng Feng.

"My name is Wu Feng.

I have important matters to discuss with your leader, and I hope you can facilitate this."

Cheng Feng's tone was calm, but his eyes revealed an undeniable firmness.

Seeing this, the Black Ear members put away their petty thoughts and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Being able to obtain a Hongmen gold token, this young Hongmen envoy was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

The leading Black Ear member immediately arranged a secret room, inviting Cheng Feng inside for detailed discussion.

In the secret room, Cheng Feng explained his intentions and questions one by one, and the Black Ear members also shared the information and clues they knew without reservation.

After an in-depth exchange and discussion, Cheng Feng had a clearer understanding of the situation in Blackwood City and formulated a more thorough plan for his next actions.

After leaving the Hongmen Black Ear members' stronghold, Cheng Feng followed the pre-planned route to the most famous intelligence exchange in Blackwood City—the Golden News Pavilion.

Standing in front of the Golden News Pavilion, he looked up at the tall golden plaque, on which the three characters "Golden News Pavilion" shone brightly.

"The owner behind this really knows how to do business," Cheng Feng praised inwardly.

The reason why the Golden News Pavilion could become the center of intelligence exchange in Blackwood City and even the entire region was not only because of its rich intelligence resources and accurate intelligence services,

but also because it deeply understood human nature and knew how to use people's desire and pursuit of information to earn huge profits.

From high-ranking officials to ordinary vendors, no one knew where its information came from, but the intelligence was absolutely true.

Walking into the Golden News Pavilion, a luxurious yet mysterious atmosphere came over him.

The interior of the building was decorated with gold and splendor, but without losing its elegance.

Various rare antiques and works of art adorned it, showing the owner's taste and strength.

Behind this magnificent facade, countless sharp eyes and keen ears were hidden, constantly capturing the slightest movement in the world, providing the Golden News Pavilion with a constant stream of intelligence resources.

Cheng Feng easily came to a secret private room, which was the meeting place he had pre-booked with the Black Ears.

Soon, a middle-aged man in a gorgeous robe and a mysterious smile pushed the door in.

He was the information broker of the Golden News Pavilion, specializing in information trading, and also the person Cheng Feng wanted to see on this trip.

"Young Master Cheng's presence brings honor to the Golden News Pavilion," the broker cupped his hands in greeting, his words revealing a hint of respect and enthusiasm.

"You're too kind.

I'm new here and just want to understand some things about Blackwood City, fearing that I might offend someone I shouldn't, so I want to make some plans for the future," Cheng Feng said bluntly, directly stating his intention.

The broker smiled slightly, as if he had already expected Cheng Feng's intention.

"Young Master Cheng, rest assured, the Golden News Pavilion's intelligence network covers the world.

As long as it's something you want to know, we can find the answer for you."

In the following time, the broker explained in detail to Cheng Feng the current situation in Blackwood City, the distribution of the major forces, and the subtle relationships between them.

This information might be commonplace for locals, but it was undoubtedly valuable wealth for Cheng Feng.

It would help him better understand this complex environment and prepare fully for his next actions.

Blackwood Manor has eight True Qi realm martial artists on the surface, two each from the Zhang, Wang, and Su families, and two in the hands of the imperial court, but the underground information requires more money from Cheng Feng to know more clearly.

"But I can tell you one thing," the broker lowered his voice, "This Blackwood Manor has eight True Qi realm martial artists on the surface, but in reality, there are far more than that!"

Cheng Feng was shocked and quickly asked, "What do you mean?

Could it be that there are hidden experts in this Blackwood Manor?"

The broker nodded mysteriously and said, "As far as I know, there are at least two hidden True Qi realm experts in this Blackwood Manor, one of whom has even broken through to the mid-stage of the True Qi realm!

As for why they want to hide their strength, that's not something we can know."

Cheng Feng was secretly surprised, never expecting that this small Blackwood Manor would hide so many secrets.

He secretly rejoiced that he had not acted rashly, otherwise he might have fallen into danger.

Then, the broker told Cheng Feng another important piece of information: "By the way, do you know who has the most honorable status in this Blackwood Manor?"

Cheng Feng shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

The broker whispered, "That's the daughter of the Zhennan King.

She is currently a guest in Blackwood Manor at the invitation of the Governor."

Cheng Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "The daughter of the Zhennan King?

What is she doing here?"

The broker sighed and said, "I don't know the specific reason, but I've heard that she is an extremely intelligent woman, deeply loved by the Zhennan King.

Perhaps her coming to Blackwood Manor this time is related to something."

Cheng Feng nodded thoughtfully, avoiding being concerned about the Zhennan King's daughter.

This was the most top-level identity Cheng Feng had come into close contact with since coming to Great Zhou.

The broker reminded Cheng Feng, "Currently, the young masters in the city have all been ordered to stay at home and not go out, for fear of provoking that princess and causing their families to suffer a catastrophe.

So when you walk in the city, you must be extra careful and don't cause any trouble."

Cheng Feng nodded gratefully.

He had learned almost everything he wanted to know this time, and he decided to buy a house to live in before making further plans.