Chapter 2664: The Capital (Part 20)

"...Delong has some knowledge of the Xia family's client situation," Li Rufeng said. "Manager Wu will go back to check now. There should be news by tomorrow."

"The clients of the Shanxi Houses are either wealthy or noble. And noble people have always been particular about 'a cunning rabbit keeping three burrows.' I'm afraid finding the exact mastermind won't be easy." Liao Sanniang was not as optimistic. "Without resorting to extraordinary means, I fear we'll never uncover the real culprit..."

"Surely you don't mean to..." Li Rufeng knew this colleague well. Perhaps because a woman couldn't establish herself in the Jianghu without possessing a ruthlessness that surpassed ordinary men, Liao Sanniang had earned a reputation at the Beijing Station for her decisive and merciless methods.

"Just thinking aloud." Liao Sanniang smiled. "The managers and shopkeepers in the Shanxi Houses are no ordinary people. Unless matters reach the point where 'either the fish dies or the net breaks,' we cannot touch them."

At this, both fell silent, the future seeming bleak. Their opponent's mind was meticulous—they had probably already anticipated the investigation's trajectory and severed the trail in advance.

"I wonder what instructions the Center will give us," Li Rufeng said.

On the day of the incident, they had immediately sent a co-signed emergency telegram to report the situation to the "Center" and request instructions. But so far, apart from the reply confirming receipt, the only guidance had been to "stabilize the situation and report daily."

Presumably, a matter like a missing Senator was a major event even in Lingao. It would require deliberation before any decision could be reached.

Liao Sanniang frowned, clenched her right hand into a fist, and lightly pounded it against her left palm. "It seems we have no choice but to remain patient."

A sharp scream pierced the air from a side room in the backyard of the escort agency. After a while, the door creaked open, and a man approaching fifty emerged. It was Old Feng, a senior worker of the escort agency. A cigarette butt dangled from the corner of his mouth, the ember having already burned down to the filter. Old Feng wiped his hands with a cloth that reeked strongly of alcohol.

Little Bazi hurried over to meet him. "Uncle Feng, did you set them properly?"

The escort agency traded in martial prowess. People were its greatest wealth, and interpersonal bonds ran deep. They addressed each other as Senior Brother, Junior Brother, Uncle, and Uncle-Master.

Old Feng gave a noncommittal grunt, found a clean stone to sit on, sucked hard on the last remnants of his cigarette, then reluctantly spat out the filter.

Seeing this, Little Bazi reached into his shirt and withdrew a cloth bundle. He opened it with great care, revealing three crumpled paper cigarettes wrapped inside. He presented them respectfully. "Uncle Feng, please continue."

Old Feng's face immediately brightened with delight. He first tucked two behind his ears, then picked up the third and held it horizontally beneath his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply with an intoxicated expression.

After a long moment, Old Feng opened his eyes. "Holy Ship brand?"

"Yes. The Chief Escort says you don't cough when smoking these."

Old Feng asked again, "Where did you get them? You don't smoke?"

Little Bazi shook his head. "A reward from the Chief Escort. I don't smoke. Sanniangzi says there are 'nails in the mud' in this smoke that prick the lung leaves."

Old Feng obviously scoffed at this baseless rumor. "So many people in the Great Song smoke, and I've never heard of anyone pricking their mouth. Besides, when you haven't eaten a proper meal in days and someone might chop off your head tomorrow—what's the point of worrying about 'nails in the mud'?"

A match flared, then was shaken out. The red ember of the cigarette glowed once more, flickering like a distant star.

With the cigarette lit between them, the rapport between the two grew noticeably warmer.

"The injuries on those three are just dislocations," Old Feng said. "Now that they're set, they're no different from healthy men. Those bandit fellows have hard bones though—not easy to reset. They can be moved shortly."

Little Bazi squatted down, hugged his knees, and looked up. "Uncle Feng, since we have time, would you tell me about Lingao?"

Old Feng took a leisurely puff like an immortal savoring the moment, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said, "Not much to tell. I can't properly describe how good Lingao is—it's simply a place where you can eat your fill at every meal."

Little Bazi laughed. "I don't believe it. If such a paradise exists, why did you come to Beijing?"

Old Feng chuckled. "Lingao is good, true enough, but 'a day without work is a day without food.' You can't be idle for a moment—work one day, eat one day. It absolutely won't let anyone starve to death. But eating well and dressing well? That's not so easy. I only have this life as my capital. Coming to this capital city to cross blades with people means my family back in Lingao can have refined rice and fine flour on their table."

"Uncle Feng, are your martial arts very good?"

Old Feng smiled slyly. "Though my martial arts are rough and I can't serve as an escort leader, I can set bones and treat injuries from falls. I have some Jianghu experience, and the overseas subsidy is generous. Coming here, even though I'm just a worker, the pay is considerable. Serving the Chief Escort and helping out where needed."

Little Bazi was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Uncle Feng, Sanniangzi said she would take me and my brother to Lingao. Is that true?"

Old Feng replied casually, "What's difficult about that? Guangzhou is short of people now. They only fear no one will come—they don't fear big bellies to feed. It's just buying two more boat tickets." He looked Little Bazi up and down and smiled. "You're young. Lingao likes young people like you. Go there, and you'll have a bright future ahead."

Little Bazi smiled sheepishly. "I wouldn't dare think about a future. I only hope to live without worrying about food and clothing."

Taking another puff, Old Feng asked, "You're called Bazi—Eighth Son. Are there eight brothers?"

Little Bazi shook his head. "No. The first two brothers died right after birth. Mother said to leave a few 'yin positions' empty to ward off disaster. My ninth brother and I are the only two."

"Parents?"

Little Bazi traced a circle on the ground with his finger and whispered, "Gone."

Old Feng didn't press further. He reached out and ruffled Little Bazi's hair. "Sanniangzi says your mind is quick and you handle things clearly. You're someone who can become a real man. Work hard. For a young man like you, the road ahead is wide open."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Then Old Feng suddenly asked, "Have you killed anyone?"

Little Bazi froze. His eyes flickered, and he gave no answer.

Old Feng continued, "Once you've killed people, you stop seeing them as human anymore—you start treating them like pigs and dogs. In chaotic times, human life is cheap as dirt. Like this smoke." He exhaled gently. "One breath and it scatters."

He blew a delicate smoke ring and went on. "Those who come out of this escort agency are all unwilling to do evil. We keep the word 'Chivalry' at the bottom of our hearts. Integrity and justice as our foundation, our promises held sacred. Knowing etiquette, accepting discipline, understanding that human life is precious, refusing to kill indiscriminately. Being able to guard a piece of clear sky within your own heart amid this chaotic world—that's what makes a first-class character. Going to Guangzhou to earn your rice won't be difficult for someone like that."

Old Feng added, "But once you've killed, the heart grows hard. Just like Sanniangzi: when she looks at you with cold brows and angry eyes, she wants to kill you; when she treats you with tenderness and affection, she also wants to kill you. Look at that warm face of hers—underneath is nothing but a heart of stone."

Hearing this, Little Bazi asked curiously, "Uncle Feng, what is Sanniangzi's background? I've never heard her mention it."

Old Feng said, "Speaking of it, there's nothing strange. Her family was originally an escort family here in North Zhili. Her hometown is in the Baoding and Langfang area. Many people there practice martial arts. One path is to take the military examination, join the army, and earn a future; the second is to become bodyguards. People in North Zhili know the land and the people well, so later when they assigned agents, a woman like her was sent to Beijing. Her family was a powerful clan in the countryside, counted among the local gentry. The Liao family championed bravery and refined their martial arts for several generations, and they had connections with Shopkeeper Sun. The two sides claimed lineage from the same sect. Qiwei's Shopkeeper Sun received much help from her father for his escort routes through North Zhili. Then disaster struck—local bandits rose up causing chaos, and there was no way to survive. The whole family fled the famine and sought out acquaintances elsewhere." He gave a rueful laugh. "Heihei, no matter how strong your skills are, one person with one knife—how can you fight against the whole world? The Liao family traveled a thousand li to throw themselves upon Shopkeeper Sun's mercy. The escort business has always been one of shared hardship and shared meals. Shopkeeper Sun is most loyal—when friends come seeking refuge, he would pawn his house and sell his land to take care of them. So the Liao family put down roots in Guangzhou. At that time, there was no Great Song yet, and Qiwei's business wasn't this large. En, speaking of which, I even met Sanniang's father once. They say that when Sanniangzi was still in the countryside, there was a stone mill at the head of the village. A group of young men practicing martial arts often competed there to see who could lift it. After several rounds, only a rare few could even pry up a seam. At that time, Sanniangzi was just a teenager—only fourteen years old. Seeing the noisy crowd and looking impatient, she walked up, embraced that millstone, and carried it three full circles around the mill stake."

Little Bazi marveled, "Sanniangzi had such divine strength when she was young?"

Old Feng laughed. "In the Song Dynasty, Han Shizhong was invincible in his village at age ten, called 'Rascal Han the Fifth.' People come in a thousand colors, each with their own peculiarities. How can we generalize?"

Little Bazi pressed on. "And later?"

Old Feng said, "After a year, Sanniang came to Guangzhou. At sixteen, she followed her father on escort missions. Because mixing men and women was inconvenient, she rarely went on outside escorts. She was extremely prudent. At first, she only guarded female relatives and property for wealthy families and officials' inner residences. This job is not easy to do. In truth, one person must serve as guarantor, silver guard, property guard, nursing home watchman, and night watchman all in one. And there are all manner of unclear accounts between men and women in the inner residence. Unless one is both shrewd and smooth, one cannot manage it."

Old Feng took a puff of smoke and continued. "Later, Sanniang took on more and more responsibilities. I'm not entirely clear about what came after. Being in the escort business long enough, fighting becomes inevitable. Knives and spears have no eyes. Even if your martial arts are exquisite and powerful, just having the skin scratched by a rusty iron blade can cause death from pus sores and blood poisoning. Fighting with real weapons is no game. Though there is Australian Divine Medicine now that can save the injured, that medicine is precious and not everyone can use it. Back then, without such wonders, fighting was even more perilous—people died at the slightest misstep. Legend has it that Sanniangzi encountered powerful bandits repeatedly over several years, surviving twenty knife battles without a single wound, earning her the title 'Golden Feather Phoenix'—taking the meaning of unbreakable and undying. Truly incredible. But words of the Jianghu are mostly big talk and bluster, false claims to strengthen one's reputation. You cannot believe them all."

Speaking of this, Old Feng shook his head, obviously not quite believing this incredible combat record himself. After a pause, he continued. "Later, the Australians came. Shopkeeper Sun climbed into favor with them, and Sanniangzi's road widened further. In just a few years, she rose to her current position. She will certainly prosper in the future. They say she is quite appreciated by a female official surnamed Du of the Great Song. It wouldn't be strange for her to become an Australian Song female official herself someday. Official Du calls her a 'Representative of New Era Women's Rights,' wanting to kill until the heads of Great Ming gentry men with their groups of wives and concubines roll. Scary, scary."

Hearing this, Little Bazi nodded, a secret resolution forming in his heart. He must bow to Liao Sanniang as his godmother—and fight for a brilliant future for himself and his brother.

(End of Chapter)