Chapter 6

The night was dark and the moon was cold and clear.

In the dimly lit Dead Man's Alley, Yang Ning leaned against the wall and cautiously moved forward. Soon, he saw a flicker of light ahead and became even more cautious.

By the light, Yang Ning vaguely saw the carriage parked in the alley. As he moved closer, he realized the carriage was parked in front of a house.

They had mentioned before that there was only one household in Dead Man's Alley, the Hua residence. This meant that the carriage in front of him was indeed heading to the Hua residence.

At this moment, Constable Feng had already gotten off the carriage and was standing beside it. On the steps stood a man in black, holding a red lantern, which was the source of the light in the alley.

Yang Ning thought to himself, in the middle of the night, why would Constable Feng come in a carriage? Could it be that he was really coming to see the Hua lady, who was married to a man of many wives, for a night of intimacy?

However, he felt that if this were true, it would be quite strange. Seeking pleasure usually didn't require a carriage. After all, this wasn't a visit to a brothel, but to a woman married to a man of many wives, which should be more discreet. A carriage would be too conspicuous.

As he was pondering, he saw another lantern come out from the door. Soon, he saw a girl in a dress carrying the lantern. The distance was too far for Yang Ning to see her clearly, but he could make out her silhouette.

Following the girl, a woman walked out. Yang Ning vaguely saw that she was somewhat plump, dressed in luxurious clothing, and exuded a seductive charm. Even from a distance, her graceful walk was evident.

The plump woman walked to the carriage, and Constable Feng opened the back door. Then, three or four young girls came out of the carriage one by one.

The girls were dressed in tattered and shabby clothes. After getting off the carriage, Constable Feng made a few gestures, and the girls obediently lined up behind the carriage like little lambs.

The plump woman walked past the girls, occasionally touching their faces, as if she were selecting goods.

Soon, the plump woman turned and went back into the house. The man in black with the lantern waved his hand, and the four girls followed the plump woman into the house one by one.

Yang Ning was puzzled, unsure what the Hua lady and Constable Feng were up to. He thought Constable Feng would follow them into the house, but instead, he saw Constable Feng return to the carriage.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yang Ning turned to leave the alley to avoid being seen by Constable Feng. However, the carriage didn't turn back toward him but went in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Throughout the entire process, no one spoke a word, showing a high level of默契 (coordination).

The man in black with the lantern looked around cautiously but didn't see Yang Ning. He then walked up the steps and returned to the house, and the door closed with a sound.

Yang Ning waited for a moment before approaching. Indeed, it was a large house with high walls and a tightly closed door, with no easy way to enter the courtyard.

He was puzzled. According to Old Tree Bark, Xiao Die sneaked out of the Hua residence at midnight to go to the land temple. Since she sneaked out, she couldn't have left through the main gate. He wondered where she could have come out from.

Xiao Die had been out of contact for days, and Yang Ning was already worried. The strange scene he just witnessed made him even more suspicious that something was amiss in the Hua residence.

Regardless of whether Xiao Die was in the Hua residence, the strange scene alone made Yang Ning want to investigate further.

The night was quiet, and Yang Ning circled around the Hua residence, looking for a way in. He reached the back alley, which was very narrow, not even wide enough for two men to walk side by side.

The alley was filled with a sour and foul smell. Yang Ning, being slender, moved quite nimbly in the alley, but the smell still made him cover his nose.

The alley was narrow, and a small ditch was dug along the wall, from which the sour and foul smell emanated.

After walking for a while, Yang Ning stopped and squatted down by the ditch. He saw a small hole in the wall, not very large but big enough for a person to crawl through. The edges of the hole were covered with thick dirt.

"Ah, so this is it!" Yang Ning realized.

He had guessed that if Xiao Die could sneak out, there must be a weakness in the Hua residence, but he didn't expect it to be here.

Although he was reluctant to enter through this dirty hole, climbing over the wall would be difficult and time-consuming due to its height and smoothness.

In a hurry, Yang Ning thought for a moment and carefully crawled through the hole. The wall was high but not thick. On the other side of the hole, a stone slab blocked the way. Yang Ning pushed it and it moved, clearly used to cover the hole.

Crawling out of the hole, he found himself in a garden. It was September, and the garden was somewhat desolate, with no flowers in full bloom.

Before he could stand up, he heard a seductive laugh. Yang Ning was startled and peeked through the branches, discovering a small courtyard.

The courtyard was simple, with an octagonal pavilion in the center, complete with stone tables and benches. Next to the pavilion was an oval-shaped pond, clearly man-made. The pond was not large, but a small artificial hill was placed in the center, making it look quite beautiful.

Several lanterns hung on the pillars of the pavilion, illuminating the inside and outside. On the stone table, wine and dishes were laid out, and a man was sitting in the pavilion, drinking leisurely.

A figure walked gracefully toward the pavilion. By the moonlight, Yang Ning recognized the plump woman he had seen earlier.

The woman was in her early thirties, with fair skin and a plump figure, looking quite beautiful. As she walked, she exuded the charm of a mature woman, and the seductive laugh was hers.

Yang Ning realized that this woman must be the Hua lady, and her demeanor was indeed quite alluring.

However, what shocked Yang Ning was not the sudden appearance of the Hua lady, but the man in the pavilion, whom he recognized as the head constable of Huaze County, Xiao Yishui, whom he had seen at the Ten Li Fragrance Wine House not long ago.

Yang Ning had a photographic memory and could easily remember the appearance of people he had seen, which was one of his strengths.

He never expected to encounter Xiao Yishui here and hid behind the garden, remaining still.

The night was quiet, and a gentle breeze blew. Yang Ning heard Xiao Yishui ask the Hua lady, who had entered the pavilion, "Is everything arranged?"

The Hua lady replied, "Do you still doubt my abilities? Have I ever been negligent in the past two years?" Her voice was sweet and seductive, making one feel weak all over.

Xiao Yishui put down his wine cup, reached out, and hugged the Hua lady, pulling her into his arms. The Hua lady let out a seductive laugh, and Xiao Yishui began to caress her, causing her to moan seductively.

The seductive sounds made Yang Ning's heart race. He thought to himself that this woman was truly a master of seduction, still charming even in her thirties, no wonder Xiao Yishui was involved with her.

Yang Ning finally understood why the Hua lady was feared in the city and why no one dared to enter Dead Man's Alley. He had suspected that the Hua lady had a powerful backer, but he never imagined it would be Xiao Yishui, who had a hand in everything in Huaze County.

Xiao Yishui swirled his wine glass and said, "Come, come, have a few drinks with me. Good wine and a beautiful woman, no drinking is no fun. Have a few more drinks, and it will be even more enjoyable later." He held the wine glass to the Hua lady's lips.

The Hua lady huffed and said in a seductive tone, "What good wine and beautiful woman? If I were a beautiful woman, would you only come once every ten days or half a month? I am alone here, feeling lonely and cold, thinking of you day and night, always remembering you... Ah, I am old and no longer attractive, but you come to see me when you think of me and leave me alone when you don't."

Xiao Yishui laughed and said, "Don't you understand that a little separation makes the reunion sweeter? And every time I make you unable to get out of bed for three to five days. You need to rest a bit." His hand roamed over the Hua lady's body, and she leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her body limp, her black hair covering half of Xiao Yishui's face.

Yang Ning cursed the couple, thinking they were so intimate in the courtyard. However, he understood that no one would dare to enter here, so they were acting without restraint.

After a while, the Hua lady was left in only a thin veil, which barely covered her white neck and the edge of a red silk corset. The red light illuminated her white face, making her look even more beautiful and seductive.

"By the way, once this matter is settled, I need to go to the capital," Xiao Yishui suddenly said. "Do you want to go with me?"

"The capital?" The Hua lady asked in surprise. "Why go to the capital? Isn't it better to stay here where you can control everything?"

Xiao Yishui laughed and said, "A woman's perspective. A small county can't offer much future. A powerful man has promised me a good position in the capital. To achieve greater success, I can't stay here. Besides, the war is over, and the refugees will soon return to their homes. Our business won't last much longer." He pinched the Hua lady's cheek and said, "I've been in this small place for so long, and it's time for me to rise to the top."

The Hua lady said in a seductive tone, "I am already yours. As long as you don't mind my age, I will follow you wherever you go."

Xiao Yishui laughed and said, "You are a rare beauty, and I can't bear to leave you. In the capital, you will still help me manage the business... How many people do you have under you?"

The Hua lady replied, "About thirty."

"We have earned enough money," Xiao Yishui said. "Select a few to stay with us. In the capital, we will need them."

"Oh, I thought you didn't have a heart for those young girls, but you...!" The Hua lady's tone clearly showed jealousy.

Xiao Yishui laughed and said, "Where are you going with your thoughts? With a beauty like you, I don't care for any other women." He lowered his voice and whispered something in the Hua lady's ear, which Yang Ning couldn't hear clearly.

The Hua lady laughed even more seductively and asked, "Who is this powerful man you mentioned? How can he so easily get you a position in the capital?"

Xiao Yishui smiled but didn't answer. Suddenly, he pushed the dishes aside, picked up the Hua lady, and placed her on the stone table, reaching for her dress.

Yang Ning thought to himself, are they going to do it here? Am I going to watch a live show?

However, the Hua lady quickly said, "My dear, it's too cold at night. I have already prepared everything in the room. Let's... let's go inside, where you can enjoy yourself more."

Xiao Yishui laughed and carried the Hua lady out of the pavilion, quickly leaving the courtyard.

Yang Ning confirmed they had left and came out from behind the garden. The courtyard was cold and quiet, but his heart was not.

The Hua lady's backer was Xiao Yishui, and Xiao Yishui's backer was clearly a powerful figure in the capital. Although Xiao Yishui was powerful in Huaze County, he was insignificant compared to the powerful figures in the capital, like ants.