Chapter 99: They Specifically Have a Special Affection for Ugly Men.

“Angler? Are you sure?” Jin Siyun asked.

Zhang Tianci nodded. “This fellow is extremely cunning, yet there are traces we can analyze. His painted image is not a real photograph but one he drew himself and printed. I am certain the item is not on him at all. Someone who truly knows the value would not demand payment—this is merely a ploy to draw attention. Otherwise, why travel so far to offer chrysanthemums? Does he have a death wish?”

“You offered chrysanthemums, yet how come you never accepted them?” Jin Siyun could not help but smile, her words carrying a double meaning.

Zhang Tianci chuckled and pulled Jin Siyun into a spin, all the while secretly observing the chrysanthemum seller.

As twilight deepened, the vendors began packing their stalls, preparing to withdraw.

Zhang Tianci and Jin Siyun hid at a distance, yet they saw Baldy Rao Guanghua—his bald head gleaming with unnatural brightness—also leaving Chrysanthemum Square.

But Zhang Tianci then noticed the young chrysanthemum seller quietly trailing behind the Baldy!

It seemed the Baldy had been targeted by the chrysanthemum seller.

Sure enough, in the parking lot outside the park, the Baldy climbed into his Buick and drove away.

The young chrysanthemum seller followed on his motorcycle.

“Baldy is being tailed. Could there be danger?” Jin Siyun had witnessed the scene and asked.

“Dog bites dog, both get a mouthful of fur,” Zhang Tianci smiled and said, “We’ll go see the show as well.”

Jin Siyun nodded, turned to search for a taxi.

Yet when the taxi arrived, both the Baldy and the chrysanthemum seller had vanished without a trace.

“Can’t find them. What now?” Jin Siyun asked softly once inside the car.

“Don’t rush. It is not yet deep into the night, so the chrysanthemum seller will not strike.” Zhang Tianci smiled faintly, took out his phone, and dialed Baldy’s number. “Brother Rao, where are you?”

“I’m on the road, just left Chrysanthemum Square. Brother Zhang, do you need something?”

Baldy’s voice came from the phone.

Zhang Tianci smiled. “I merely wished to ask where you live and whether you have good chrysanthemum varieties on hand. Would it be convenient for me to visit?”

“Convenient, certainly… I brought a few pots of flowers with me this time too, though I do not know if they will meet your taste.” Baldy answered without hesitation. “I live in the Shang Dayying Urban Village in the South Suburb Development Zone. Tell me your location, and I will pick you up!”

“Oh no, no, no… I do not have time today. Once I do, I will visit your chrysanthemums.” Zhang Tianci laughed wickedly, exchanged a few pleasantries, and hung up.

After the call, Zhang Tianci instructed the taxi driver to head toward the Shang Dayying Urban Village in the South Suburb Development Zone.

With a clear destination, the taxi picked up speed.

The place was not far from the South Suburb Development Zone anyway.

About ten minutes later, Zhang Tianci and Jin Siyun reached the Urban Village called Shang Dayying.

Zhang Tianci led Jin Siyun into the village and directly found a small restaurant, ordering a private room and seating themselves.

“Why not find someone to join us for a meal?” Jin Siyun asked.

Zhang Tianci smiled. “I sent Tian Xiaohua and Gong Zigu to search for them. We will simply wait here for their report. They are ghosts and will not expose our position. Handling these ghostly matters will be far easier for them than for us.”

As he spoke, Zhang Tianci closed the door, took out the Ghost Life Talisman, and summoned Gong Zigu and Tian Xiaohua.

“Master, what are your orders?” Gong Zigu asked.

“You two, search for two specific individuals within this Urban Village.” Zhang Tianci nodded and carefully described the appearances of Baldy and the chrysanthemum seller.

Jin Siyun, being a forensic expert, provided even more precise descriptions of external features, adding supplements from the side.

Gong Zigu and Tian Xiaohua listened attentively and set out on their mission.

Zhang Tianci smiled and looked at Jin Siyun. “Sister, we need only enjoy the feast and wait for their news.”

“I do not want feasts and revelry. I simply want an ordinary life—having a husband and simple meals would suffice.” Jin Siyun smiled, lifting her teacup to drink.

“But… being married to me, sister, this lifetime is destined to be extraordinary.” Zhang Tianci smiled. “Take this matter at hand, for instance. The Seven-Color Pan-Dragon Chrysanthemum has not even appeared, yet high-level experts from all paths have already shown themselves. Moreover, Baldy and that chrysanthemum seller are merely the tip of the iceberg; things will grow even more lively ahead.”

“Even more lively? Could all the high-level experts in the world be coming to compete for this pot of chrysanthemum?” Jin Siyun asked in surprise, furrowing her brows.

Zhang Tianci nodded. “Not just humans? Next, there will be hundreds of ghosts gathering, and great demons descending. Hehe… let’s wait and watch the show.”

“Demons as well?” Jin Siyun was stunned, pausing to ask, “Tianci, are there really fairies in this world?”

“Haha, there are far too many fairies and monsters; it is simply that ordinary people cannot see them. Sometimes you may brush past a fairy or monster without recognizing them.”

“Oh my… hearing you say this, we are living in a world of monsters.” Jin Siyun sighed, yet her belief was half and half.

Zhang Tianci was firm. “In this Seven-Color Pan-Dragon Chrysanthemum incident, I will let you witness fairies and monsters.”

“Good, I am eager to widen my horizons. But… are fairies and monsters different?” Jin Siyun inquired.

“Differently, of course there are distinctions.”

“Where do they differ?”

“The difference lies in the chest.” Zhang Tianci laughed wickedly. “Big spirits and small monsters. Those with ample chests are spirits; those with small chests are monsters.”

“Pfft, you always have such unserious talk, still acting like a Taoist priest?” Jin Siyun could not help but smile, rolling her eyes in a coquettish manner befitting a fairy.

“Sister, what I say is all the truth…” Zhang Tianci feigned innocence, arguing persuasively, “Spirits possess higher cultivation and become more charming and seductive; monsters have insufficient cultivation, so in certain aspects, they cannot quite achieve the size they desire. Thus, Bai Suzhen was a spirit and could charm Xu Xian; Xiaoqing’s cultivation was lacking, making her a monster, only able to reveal her true form to frighten people.”

Jin Siyun laughed until she could hardly speak, unable to retort or vent her frustration.

The waiter pushed open the door and began serving the dishes.

Jin Siyun and Zhang Tianci ate while waiting.

In truth, they ate little, but to avoid displeasing the restaurant, Jin Siyun ordered seven or eight dishes and a pot of Huadiao wine.

Just as they were nearly full, a ghostly wind stirred, and Tian Xiaohua slipped in through the door gap.

“How did it go? Did you find the targets?” Zhang Tianci set down his chopsticks and asked.

“Master, I found the targets…” Tian Xiaohua leaned over stealthily, speaking in a low voice.

“We located Baldy’s residence—a standalone small building with a backyard. But it was frightening. We tried to get closer for a look, and immediately Baldy noticed us. He had a small bronze pot that nearly pulled me and Old Gong inside!”