Chapter 183: Master Shi
“Since it’s a poor place, how can there be a schoolteacher?!” he retorted.
“In my opinion, if someone isn’t lying, then this schoolteacher is very suspicious. He is likely an important figure behind the scenes. Jia Le was introduced by him.”
Zhao Yigong’s mind raced. Should he have this schoolteacher arrested? He quickly dismissed the idea. Jia Le was insignificant, and her handler wouldn’t be an important figure either.
He had to follow the trail, one person at a time, to find the mastermind.
“Can you keep an eye on this schoolteacher?”
“It’s difficult. We have no connections in Nanxiawa. Sending someone in would make it impossible to gain trust…”
“Money, kidnapping, whatever it takes, you need to establish a connection as soon as possible,” Zhao Yigong said without hesitation. “I want to know his name, what he looks like, what he does in Nanxiawa, and who he interacts with. Find out and report back to me as soon as possible.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it right away.”
Zhao Yigong watched Zhao Tong leave and took a heavy breath. For some reason, he felt very uneasy. A sense of imminent crisis loomed over him.
He had considered the hidden dangers, but the tension of an approaching crisis was something he had never felt before.
“I must find this guy! And tear him to pieces!” he said with great hatred. If only he had a few members of the Special Reconnaissance Team.
Cao Guangjiu sat respectfully in a private room of an entertainment house. He had been to such places many times, but always as a guest. The expenses here were not a small sum.
It was called a private room, but it was actually a small courtyard. The courtyard was small, but it had a arrangement of springs and rocks. A plantain tree in the corner was a vibrant green, reflecting off the pebble-paved ground that looked as if it had just been sprinkled with water, creating a refreshing sight.
The tea on the table had gone cold, untouched, along with the six kinds of dried fruits and snacks in the six-compartment red lacquer fruit platter. From outside the wall, the faint sound of singing accompanied by clappers could be heard, which only accentuated the loneliness of the courtyard.
The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged scholar entered, gently fanning himself. Cao Guangjiu quickly stood up to greet him. “Master Shi…”
He was secretly disappointed. He had originally thought that meeting in such a place meant the Master himself would see him, but it turned out to be just a secretary, a client of the Master’s household.
“Brother Jiu, you are too polite. Let’s sit and talk.”
“Yes, thank you, Master Shi.”
The scholar, known as Master Shi, was in no hurry to speak. He first took a few sips of tea and ate some dried fruits and snacks. Cao Guangjiu was secretly anxious but dared not say a word, only accompanying him respectfully.
After a long while, Master Shi finally asked, “How are things going?”
“Thanks to the Master’s blessing, things are going very smoothly.” Cao Guangjiu then recounted his and Gou Chengxuan’s recent activities in detail. “…The posters and nursery rhymes have all been spread. The Phoenix Villa has recently increased its security, and Zhao Yigong doesn’t go out much anymore. He’s probably scared.”
He then reported on Hao Yuan’s plan to have someone turn the “head maid” of Master Zhao in the villa. This news piqued Master Shi’s interest.
“Can it be done?”
“Hao Yuan seems to be very confident.”
“Hehe.” Master Shi smiled and nodded, not pursuing the matter further. He pondered for a moment and asked, “What do you think of this Hao Yuan?”
“He is meticulous in his thinking and seasoned in his actions. He is by no means an ordinary person.”
“Brother Jiu, you are also a local hero. Is that all you can see?” Master Shi’s tone was teasing.
“I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Master Shi.” Cao Guangjiu quickly pulled himself together and said, “Then please forgive my audacity…”
“Speak freely.”
“Hao Yuan’s cleverness and competence go without saying. But in my opinion, this man has the ability to see things with piercing clarity. He has insightful views on both matters and people. His most formidable quality is this: no matter where he is or who he interacts with, he can make people like him with just a few words and then willingly follow his lead. He uses neither money nor tricks, yet everyone trusts him. He has only been in Nanxiawa for a few months, but he can already command the people there as if they were his own limbs.”
“You make him sound so magical. Does he have magical powers?”
“Absolutely not.” Cao Guangjiu denied it flatly. “He doesn’t burn incense or worship gods, nor does he perform any magical rituals. I once took the opportunity to go through his luggage, and there was nothing unusual. No scriptures, no magical instruments. And he never treats the sick or dispenses medicine in Nanxiawa.”
“That is strange.” Master Shi stroked his beard. “Could it be that he is doing good deeds?”
“Exactly. But he has very little money on him. Apart from the silver the Master gave him, I haven’t seen any other source of income for him. The amount he can give to charity is very limited. The only other thing is that he has started a charity school in Nanxiawa,” Cao Guangjiu said. “This man has a natural ability to charm people. A few words from him can touch one’s heart. His speech is reasonable and comforting, making people completely convinced.”
Master Shi listened without showing any expression and asked, “So you’re saying that Hao Yuan is no ordinary fish in a pond?”
Cao Guangjiu’s face changed instantly. With his experience, how could he not understand what Master Shi meant by “fish in a pond”? He dared not respond directly and, after a long pause, stammered, “It can’t be…”
“Brother Jiu, have you also been won over by him?” Master Shi smiled and shook his head. “My master has also had someone else inquire about Hao Yuan’s words and actions. Let’s not talk about other things. Just his lack of greed for money, his fearlessness of hardship and death, his defiance of the powerful, and his deep love from the common people… Brother Jiu, you are also a well-read man. You wouldn’t be unaware of what kind of person this is.”
“Yes, yes.” Sweat was already trickling down Cao Guangjiu’s forehead.
“Hao Yuan’s ambitions are not small. He is not a major force now, but if he becomes one, what would a mere Zhao Yigong be?”
“Yes, the Master is brilliant.” Cao Guangjiu secretly rejoiced. It seemed the Master intended to get rid of him after he had served his purpose. Fortunately, he had just been honest and hadn’t tried to cover for him in front of Master Shi. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
“How is Gou Chengxuan?” Master Shi suddenly asked about him.
“He is very capable. Although he is young, he is very calm and collected. He is also effective in his work. It’s clear he has been through a lot.” As Cao Guangjiu spoke, he felt a chill on the back of his neck. Who knew if someone had asked Gou Chengxuan the same question?
“And then?”
Cao Guangjiu knew that if he didn’t say something “essential,” Master Shi would not be satisfied.
“He seems to harbor a great hatred in his heart, especially towards Zhao Yigong. I wonder if there is a personal grudge?” Cao Guangjiu said cautiously. This Gou Chengxuan was no easy character either. As a “worn-out boot,” his judgment of people was very good. The first time he saw Gou Chengxuan, he knew this man had suffered greatly and endured immense hardship. His will was extremely tenacious. A fearless rascal from Guangdong was a hundred times more ruthless than a “worn-out boot” like him who had a family and property.
“If not for that, how could my master use him?” Master Shi smiled smugly.
“Yes, yes.” Cao Guangjiu forced a laugh, hoping this terrifying topic would not continue. With his insight, he knew how dangerous Hao Yuan and Gou Chengxuan were. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and offend them.
“You also have a family and property. As long as you do your work honestly and well, my master will surely reward you handsomely.”
“I dare not accept a reward.” Cao Guangjiu adopted a very humble posture. “I only ask for the Master’s cultivation!”
“Of course.” Master Shi nodded, took another sip of tea to wet his throat, and then asked about the preparations for the attack on the Phoenix Villa on the fifteenth of the seventh month.
Cao Guangjiu reported that the manpower had been arranged. He had already spoken to the leaders of a dozen or so fighting societies about using their men, paid a deposit, and was just waiting for the fifteenth of the seventh month to act together.
For the sake of secrecy, he had not revealed who the target was, nor had he told them they would be acting together, to avoid any leaks.
“…We can probably gather seven or eight hundred men. These are all veterans of fights and brawls, more than enough.”
The population of the villa was at least twenty or thirty thousand, but most were refugees. They were unorganized, untrained, and unarmed, and thus posed no threat. The real force to be dealt with was the several hundred household guards in the villa.
So far, Cao Guangjiu did not know the exact number of household guards in the villa. According to the reports from several peripheral informants, it was estimated to be three or four hundred at most.
“Is that enough men?”
“It’s enough. These few hundred are the core. We’ll have to incite and coerce a group of people from the outside as well. Otherwise, the momentum won’t be strong enough, and we won’t be able to make a big scene.”
Besides the members of the fighting societies, Cao Guangjiu also planned to contact Zhang Guang and mobilize a group of Buddhists to “defend the faith and vanquish the demons.” In addition, the poor who had been incited by the posters would also be lured to the villa gate.
At this point, Cao Guangjiu hesitated for a moment and then said, “It’s just that the silver is not enough.”
“Didn’t the Master already allocate five hundred taels to you for this? Is that not enough for a five-qian deposit for each of your several hundred men from the fighting societies?” Master Shi’s face showed displeasure, as if he thought his appetite was too big.
Of course, Cao Guangjiu had padded the accounts and taken a cut, but his request for more silver was not out of greed.
“Master Shi, you don’t understand. The villa has household guards, and Zhao Yigong is a member of the gentry. In the eyes of the fighting societies, that’s a tough target. They have to risk casualties. If the men from the fighting societies don’t receive a handsome reward at the time, they might get restless and refuse to go, which would be very troublesome.”
“Then what is your meaning?”
“Please ask Master Shi to inform the Master that there must be a handsome reward before the battle. At least one tael per person.”
“I didn’t know your fighting societies were like the official troops,” the scholar laughed. “You need a settlement allowance before the fight, and a mobilization fee to go into battle.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.” Cao Guangjiu quickly defended himself. “Master Shi, you don’t know the rules of the fighting societies. These people only recognize silver. They will not act without the courage that money provides.”
“Alright, as you wish. The silver will be prepared at that time.” Master Shi snapped his fan shut with a “shua” sound. He laughed. “Once the Phoenix Villa is broken, won’t there be plenty of money to be had? These people are so short-sighted!”
“Thank you, Master Shi, for understanding the situation! Also, please ask Master Shi to inform the Master: we will need a few lives.”
“Lives?”