Chapter 3

Qi Xuansu had traveled a thousand miles to Fengtai County, not for the thousand Taiping coins, nor to get involved in the power struggles of the court. He was acting on orders, tasked with taking something from Li Hongwen. 520 Official Website

www.

He used the "inn" to conceal his identity and movements, while also gathering information there. Finally, he waited for the man who had paid a thousand Taiping coins to secure Li Hongwen's safety. From this man, he learned that Li Hongwen's whereabouts were known—Qingluan Guard had played a trick, detaining Li Hongwen and his family in the county yamen after the arrest, rather than sending them to the hundred-household post.

Although the man who issued the commission might be a fish intentionally let loose by the Qingluan Guard to lure in bigger fish, Qi Xuansu still decided to proceed.

Because he was from the Qingping Society.

Today, the world is like a yin-yang fish, with the "yang" being the court and the "yin" being the Daoist sect. The two sides coexist, intertwined, like the black spots in the "white fish" and the white spots in the "black fish."

However, the Qingping Society belongs neither to the court nor to the Daoist sect. It operates between the two, as a secret organization.

The members of the Qingping Society come from all walks of life, a mix of good and bad. Moreover, they often have two identities: publicly, they are either court officials or Daoist sect members, while secretly, they are members of the Qingping Society. Therefore, members do not use their real names but are known by the names of ci poetry forms.

Qi Xuansu has been a member of the Qingping Society for two years, and his ci poetry form name is "Jin Cuodao" (Golden Inlaid Knife).

Some people mistakenly think that "Jin Cuodao" refers to a precious knife, but in fact, "Jin Cuodao" refers to ancient knife-shaped coins inlaid with gold, also known as "Cuodao," which generally refers to money.

However, Qi Xuansu doesn't have much money, so the name seems somewhat inappropriate. Only Qi Xuansu himself understands that "Jin Cuodao" signifies money, which can mean either having money or owing money. The name serves as a reminder that he owes a "debt."

Qi Xuansu's other identity is that of a Daoist disciple, though he is only a seventh-rank Daoist, while Donghua Zhenren is a second-rank Daoist. The gap between them is like that between a county magistrate and a minister. The so-called greeting from Donghua Zhenren to the commander of the Qingluan Guard was just a fabrication by Qi Xuansu to confuse the situation.

...

In the main hall of the "inn," the man who had passed out drunk was now in eternal sleep. He never imagined that this drunkenness would send him to the next life.

The innkeeper came to his table, glanced at the unfinished bottle of wine, and sighed, "The 'inn' values credibility, but it also has rules. Local branches must not get involved in court affairs. If you want to meddle in such matters, you should go to the main branch. You broke the rules today, and thus your death is justified."

With that, the innkeeper turned the body over to a supine position, then reached into the dead man's pocket and pulled out the contract. After confirming it was correct, he placed it on top of the copy kept by the "inn," and with a flick of his hand, turned it to ashes that scattered in the wind.

The innkeeper then clapped his hands three times, and two strong servants emerged from a hidden door.

The innkeeper tore the official note for a thousand Taiping coins into pieces and scattered them on the body, instructing, "Follow the old rules, be quick about it."

The two servants silently lifted the body and disappeared through the hidden door without a sound.

The entire process was silent in the main hall of the "inn." Some people remained calm, seemingly oblivious, while others showed fear, lowering their eyes.

The innkeeper returned behind the counter, still smiling, looking more like a businessman than a person from the underworld.

Only the old regulars of the "inn" knew that the innkeeper was not a simple man. He had taken many lives and thus became the head of this branch. However, with age and higher status, he no longer engaged in violence, focusing instead on human relations and profit, cultivating a kind and charitable appearance.

But this charity was only superficial. The underworld is not a place for good people, and there are no good people there.

The innkeeper's actions were also a warning to others. Besides the man who broke the rules, the young man who was tempted by money would not fare much better. The innkeeper had already hinted at this, but the young man ignored the warning, and thus his fate was sealed.

...

In Fengtai County, in the main hall of the county yamen.

A tall figure was pacing back and forth. He wore a blue brocade robe, more luxurious than that of the Qingluan Guard officer who had died in the mortuary. His belt was made of jade, and the animal head on it was that of a fierce tiger with a white forehead and black stripes.

The officer was a seventh-rank Qingluan Guard, while the chief was a sixth-rank Qingluan Guard. This man was a sixth-rank Qingluan Guard, a trial hundred-household officer, a true authority figure in the county.

Above him were the sixth-rank hundred-household officers and the fifth-rank deputy thousand-household officers. The fifth-rank thousand-household officers were high-ranking officials in the Qingluan Guard, with only twenty such officers in the entire Qingluan Guard.

Zhou Feilong habitually held the bronze tiger head on his belt with one hand, while the other hand rested on the hilt of his "Xi Hu Dao" (Fine Tiger Knife), tapping it lightly. His black and white official boots made a steady sound as they stepped on the shiny black floor.

Not far away, his colleague, Li Sansin, a trial hundred-household officer of the Qingluan Guard, sat in the main seat.

Zhou Feilong stopped pacing and glanced at Li Sansin inconspicuously.

Although Li Sansin had only been promoted to trial hundred-household officer last year, he was a trusted confidant of the thousand-household officer and was rumored to be promoted to a sixth-rank hundred-household officer soon.

Li Sansin seemed unaware of Zhou Feilong's gaze, holding his teacup in his left hand and slowly removing the tea foam with the lid, then gently blowing away the steam before taking a small sip.

Zhou Feilong withdrew his gaze, his mood darkening.

This time, coming to Fengtai County to handle the Li Hongwen case, one trial hundred-household officer would have been enough, but the thousand-household officer sent two. The reason could be either that the thousand-household officer did not trust Zhou Feilong, or that Li Sansin had a secret mission.

Zhou Feilong was a veteran of the Qingluan Guard, having even captured a prefectural governor. Handling a county magistrate like Li Hongwen was nothing, so he was sure that Li Sansin had a secret mission.

However, he had no idea what the secret mission was.

At this moment, Li Sansin put down his teacup, glanced at Zhou Feilong's untouched teacup, and said, "This tea is excellent. Boiled spring water brings out the best in the tea, with the buds floating upright in the water. It must be the first batch of new tea, picked at night when the buds are just forming. With our salaries, we can hardly afford a few ounces a year. Zhou brother, if you don't drink it, it would be a waste."

Zhou Feilong's face showed a hint of a smile as he sat back down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Excellent, it's top-notch," Zhou Feilong said, putting down his teacup.

Li Sansin asked with a smile, "Zhou brother seems a bit distracted?"

Zhou Feilong composed himself and said in a serious tone, "Since you mentioned it, I'll be frank. Although Li Hongwen has been apprehended, many of his followers are still at large. We released his trusted guard as bait to lure out his followers, and then we plan to capture them all. This plan has no flaws, as we have done it many times before. However, this time, I feel uneasy for some reason."

Li Sansin's eyes suddenly became deep, and he lifted his teacup, the rising steam obscuring his face. "Zhou brother is overthinking it."

Zhou Feilong also picked up his teacup, which was also steaming, and drank it in one gulp, his eyes dark. "I hope so."

Li Sansin looked out the door at the sky, which had turned from gray to pitch black.

Zhou Feilong stood by the door, hands behind his back, and said, "The weather in the south is unpredictable, changing in an instant."

He was from the north and was not used to the weather here.

"Rainy days are always good for killing," Li Sansin said from behind Zhou Feilong, his voice deep and chilling, making Zhou Feilong feel uneasy.

Zhou Feilong turned to face his colleague.

At that moment, a thunderclap lit up the sky and the hall.

In the blue-white lightning, Li Sansin's face became clear.

Li Sansin smiled at Zhou Feilong, his white teeth eerie in the dim light.

Thunder and wind always come together.

After the thunder, the wind swept through the city, and the previously quiet city suddenly became bustling. Women rushed to collect their laundry, children shouted, vendors hurried to pack up their stalls, and pedestrians ran home, the streets becoming chaotic with the sound of footsteps.

The city seemed to murmur in a low voice.

A heavy rain began to pour down.

Large raindrops hit the eaves, making a crisp sound, quickly forming streams on the tiles and flowing down the eaves, creating silver water lines.

The two men in the main hall of the county yamen were indifferent to the long-awaited rain.

The Qingluan Guard soldiers guarding outside the hall were also unmoved, the raindrops hitting their armor with a loud sound.

On the long street outside the yamen.

A young man wearing a hat and a cloak was walking towards the county yamen, out of place in this small, bustling city.

His cloak was soaked through, revealing the shapes of a knife and a sword.

Rainy days are indeed good for killing, especially such a heavy rain. The blood would be washed away by the rain, leaving no trace after the storm.

The rain hit his hat, making a "pattering" sound, forming streams on the sloping surface and dripping off the edges, creating a curtain of rain around the hat, like a veil.