When there was no fighting or killing, life in the Jianghu was still quite manageable.
Zhong Lingxiu disguised herself as a man and blended into the escort team, listening to their bragging, crude jokes, and banter. Within three days, she had “grown close” with them. Of course, it was only surface-level familiarity—they could joke and chat about the big and small matters encountered along the way.
“The road near the relay stations is still relatively peaceful, no black-market dens preying on beggars,” the escorts said as they rested at the station in the evening, sitting around a table, eating meat, drinking tea, picking their teeth, and sharing practical advice. “But if you want to get through the whole journey without trouble, the most important thing is to mind your own business.”
The speaker glanced at Zhong Lingxiu, meaning something unspoken. “You seem to know your limits.”
Zhong Lingxiu understood what he meant.
The day before yesterday at noon, they were having lunch at a roadside tea stall when from afar they saw a finely dressed young gentleman galloping by, followed by a cloud of dust stirred up by a group of fierce pursuers. The young gentleman pleaded for help, saying he was being chased by villains and hoped someone could help deliver a letter for him, offering a jade pendant of exceptional quality as a token.
But no one responded.
Everyone just watched as he was chased down not far away, slashed multiple times, stripped of his clothes, robbed of his belongings, and left for dead.
The two sides had no interest in interfering with each other—only Zhong Lingxiu paid five wen to the stall owner to spare a roll of straw mat to bury the man.
When the escorts brought up the incident, she quickly asked, “Do you know anything about those people?”
Not taking action didn’t mean Zhong Lingxiu hadn’t considered it. She immediately studied the escorts’ expressions and saw their faces tense, hands resting on their weapons, eyes flashing with subtle fear. She knew right away those people were no ordinary men, too dangerous to provoke, so she kept silent throughout.
“They’re from the Divine Cult,” one escort said quietly. “Didn’t you see their belts?”
Zhong Lingxiu thought carefully and recalled seeing red belts. Wearing black robes with red belts—wasn’t that normal? Belts with plaques? There was indeed a wooden plaque with very abstract markings.
“It’s the Xuanwu Hall,” another escort stuffed a piece of greasy lamb meat into his mouth. “We can’t afford to offend such big shots.”
Xuanwu?
Was that abstract thing supposed to be Xuanwu? Wasn’t it an eye?
Zhong Lingxiu was greatly surprised. She had thought she knew the original story, even did some extra studying. Dealing with a demon cult should have been easy, but she hadn’t expected the old saying about ‘talking tactics on paper’ to be true—she had nearly lost the first round.
There was still much to learn.
She sighed. “I’m just a dull boy.”
“Ha! A kid whose hair isn’t even fully grown, trying to speak like an adult.” The lead escort thumped her heavily on the back. “Eat meat, eat meat, only by eating more meat will you grow tall.”
Zhong Lingxiu agreed and buried her head in her meal.
The rest of the journey was peaceful, of course. The demon cult may number in the tens of thousands, but spread across the vast land, the chance of encountering them was slim.
She safely arrived in Zhengzhou and asked the escorts to recommend a reliable inn to rest for now.
Without any acquaintances from the Hengshan Sect here, she couldn’t rely on local powers. Unsure where to begin, she hesitated for half a day, then spent ten wen to enter a teahouse and drink tea, listening to customers whispering, and storytellers detailing tales from the Jianghu.
Today’s topic was the “heroes and gallants” group of the Qingcheng Sect, who supposedly had encountered the demon cult recently, chased them for ten days and nights, and finally wiped out a family of demon cult disciples—described as a beacon of righteousness.
Zhong Lingxiu was skeptical. The martial skills of the Four Talents of Qingcheng were average. Could they really have defeated the demon cult so thoroughly? That would mean she could too.
It had to be fake—probably the sect leader fighting on their behalf, with disciples finishing off the rest.
She muttered to herself while ordering tea.
One cup, two cups, three cups… The coarse tea was weaker than water, and still no one mentioned any news about Tian Boguang.
It seemed the victim’s family had kept the matter quiet, likely to protect those involved, but it complicated her investigation.
She could only resort to slow, clumsy methods.
Zhong Lingxiu finished her last sip of tea and left the teahouse beneath the setting sun.
She stopped at the roadside for a bowl of wonton for dinner. When night fell, she moved with the noisy crowds, and as expected, found Zhengzhou’s red-light district. There were no gaudily dressed women soliciting on the street, but the small buildings were brightly lit, with beautiful and alluring music playing. She was certain she hadn’t come to the wrong place.
Zhong Lingxiu carefully noted the foot traffic at each establishment, then returned honestly to the inn to sleep.
The next morning, she ate a baked flatbread for breakfast and, thirsty, went to buy tea at the teahouse.
She arrived early; the teahouse was nearly empty. The storytellers hadn’t started work yet; only an elderly man was cracking sunflower seeds, half-asleep.
The waiter yawned repeatedly while serving tea. He glanced at her and smiled. “Young master, you were here yesterday, and again today? Are you here to listen to the tales?”
Zhong Lingxiu smiled, slipped him five wen copper coins, hesitated, then handed another five wen.
The waiter pondered for a moment, seeing the young man before him dressed plainly but clean, well-mannered, and well-bred, and was willing to make friends. “Young master, what do you want to inquire about?”
“Brother Waiter,” Zhong Lingxiu asked, “my elder sister was kidnapped far away. If I want to find out where she has ended up, who should I ask?”
The waiter nodded. “You asked the right person. You can’t just barge in recklessly. Go to Huaihua Alley and look for a man called ‘Mazy Zhangsan.’ He might know.”
“Thank you.” Zhong Lingxiu wasted no time, got clear directions, and immediately set off.
Asking for directions was always safer than asking people directly. She quickly found Huaihua Alley and asked an old man playing chess by the roadside about Mazy Zhangsan.
Unexpectedly, Mazy Zhangsan was not a kidnapper or a fence. His official identity was… the king of cesspool labor in half of Zhengzhou!
Yes, in ancient times, manure was an important fertilizer, and monopolizing half the city’s sewage sources and reselling them was quite profitable. So, Mazy Zhangsan’s official position wasn’t as “glamorous” as running a casino or brothel, but it was steady and legitimate. According to the old man, Zhangsan’s wife adorned herself with gold and silver, his two sons were both studying, and he even kept a mistress on the side.
People with a family and business were easier to deal with. Zhong Lingxiu didn’t beat around the bush. After confirming Zhangsan’s home location, she waited until nightfall, then used lightness skill to climb over the wall and sneak in.
The three-room stone brick house was clean and tidy. Through the fine cotton bed curtains, the silhouettes of two people could be faintly seen.
She pushed the sword sheath aside, infused inner energy into her fingertips, and lightly pressed on his wife.
Her skill in pressure points was mediocre—mainly useful for stopping bleeding—but very effective against ordinary people. A hit of inner energy into a pressure point would cause instant numbness in the muscles, making movement impossible.
She prodded Zhangsan with the sword sheath, mercilessly waking him from his sleep.
Zhangsan instinctively waved his hand, and upon feeling the cold touch, instantly sobered up. Without a word, he begged for mercy: “Hero, spare me! There are twenty taels of silver in my wife’s dressing table. Please, hero, have a drink.”
“I’m here to ask you about someone,” Zhong Lingxiu lowered her voice. “Answer properly. Don’t be evasive.”
Zhangsan racked his brain for recent events, thinking of no one he had offended. He smiled and said, “Please, lady hero, ask away.”
“Do you know Tian Boguang? Where is he now?”
Half his worry eased. Those causing trouble for Tian Boguang were either Jianghu people or relatives of the victims, not his sworn enemies—probably no risk to his life. He steadied himself and organized his words. “I don’t know Tian Boguang personally, but I know his name. Mid last month, he appeared at the Liufang Courtyard.”
“And now?”
“Recently…” He chose his words carefully. “There’s news that a big shot is gathering martial artists, intent on eliminating this threat.”
“Who?”
“A martial elder surnamed Tie, skilled with twin blades,” Zhangsan said. “He lives at the Tie Blade Manor on the outskirts.”
Never heard of him. But if the information was accurate, it was worth checking out.
Zhong Lingxiu’s mind spun and asked, “Did Tian Boguang hear the news and run?”
“Uh, probably not,” Zhangsan said hesitantly. “Though I don’t know his exact whereabouts now, he should still be in Zhengzhou.”
He actually didn’t run?
Zhong Lingxiu lowered her head and thought for a moment, then asked, “Where does Tian Boguang usually hang out? Does he have a fixed lover?”
Zhangsan replied, “I only know he often goes to Liufang Courtyard and visits Miss Dianlian the most. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
“Good. I hope what you say is true.” Zhong Lingxiu was inexperienced at interrogations, so she resorted to a threat. “Or else… hmph!”
Zhangsan cooperated, showing fear. “Yes, yes, I would never dare deceive the lady hero.”
Zhong Lingxiu was inexperienced but not foolish; she saw through his poor act but said nothing and silently jumped out the window.
Zhangsan exhaled softly, thinking she was easier to deal with than expected—just a green girl, maybe from a martial family. As he speculated about her identity, a rustling cracking sound suddenly came from his ear.
He sprang up, lifting the curtain blocking his view, and saw the wooden table by the bed splintered all over, deep cracks spreading from top to legs, finally snapping into many pieces with a loud crack, scattering on the floor.
This… for someone that young to have such inner power? Zhangsan held his breath and felt lucky he hadn’t lied.
Young but deeply skilled in inner power = extraordinary background = someone backing her up = too dangerous to offend.
Thank goodness.
Perched on the roof, Zhong Lingxiu heard the noise and relaxed slightly.
She was inexperienced but not stupid. Without the threat of appearance, weapons, or age, she had to show some strength so the other party wouldn’t immediately sell her out.
Fortunately, her inner power wasn’t overwhelming but long-lasting. Silently smashing a table was easy for her.
She hoped no dangerous side quests would be triggered.
She patiently hid there through most of the night. By dawn, Zhangsan’s family rose without noticing anything unusual. Only then did she return to the inn to catch up on sleep.
After resting, she ate a flatbread to fill her stomach and resumed watching the Liufang Courtyard.
With no prior intelligence and scattered observations, she hadn’t gathered enough information before. Today, she noticed many anomalies: quite a few Jianghu people came and went at Liufang Courtyard—at least more than the neighboring brothel. The madam occasionally frowned but forced a smile to entertain customers, seeming worried.
It seemed many were staking out Tian Boguang, probably those martial artists gathered by that elder.
If only she could eavesdrop on their conversations… Should she go in and make friends with them? No, the minimum charge at the brothel was 100 wen, and she had no money.
Reluctantly, Zhong Lingxiu gave up the shortcut and quietly sneaked in, hiding in the treetops of the courtyard, using her inner energy to eavesdrop.