When Liu Mao heard that Wei Xun refused to meet and sent a sixteen-year-old girl to deal with him instead, he was quite displeased. Strangely, though this young woman was small in age, she held her head high with her chest out, eyes looking straight ahead, possessing a natural dignity and imposing presence. Though she clearly only had a young novice monk accompanying her, she carried the aura of someone leading a large group of subordinates. Despite bringing four attendants himself, he found himself somehow overshadowed by this lone beautiful young woman.

If she were a martial arts heroine, her skin and hair were too perfect, and her hands were snow-white and delicate, not the appearance of someone accustomed to wielding swords. If she were a courtesan from the pleasure quarters, her temperament could never be so noble.

With decades of experience in the martial world and a pair of experienced eyes, Liu Mao couldn’t see through this young woman’s background, which secretly amazed him. He involuntarily stood up and cupped his hands, introducing himself: “This old man is Liu Mao, the boss of the underworld in Xiagui County.”

Bao Zhu said coldly, “I am Li Jiu Niang. I don’t understand your underworld cant – please speak plainly, old sir.”

Liu Mao was startled, thinking that although he was an unsavory underworld figure, his qualifications and status were high, and he was a local power – people in the trade would show him some respect no matter what. Yet this young woman dared speak to him so rudely.

The underworld has always had the taboo of “four types not to provoke”: first, monks and Taoists; second, women; third, children; fourth, beggars.

Monks and Taoists were people outside the mundane world, while women and children were the weak – these three types of people shouldn’t appear in the crisis-filled martial world. If they dared to venture out alone, it meant they either had supreme skills for self-protection or sufficiently powerful backing. This young woman calling herself Jiu Niang was traveling with a young novice monk – together they occupied three of the major taboos. Though Liu Mao was secretly annoyed, he didn’t dare underestimate them.

Recently there had also been rumors in the martial world that the arrogant young man in the green shirt wasn’t traveling voluntarily, but had been captured by a donkey-riding woman with even more supreme martial arts, forced to serve as her slave. Liu Mao didn’t believe such nonsense – a young master was already rare in the world, so how could there be an even greater master above him?

Besides, he had come today to ask for help. No matter how arrogant the other party acted, he could only accept it all.

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind. Liu Mao assessed the situation and invited Bao Zhu to sit, having his attendants fill their wine cups. “Let me put it this way – the leader above ground in Xiagui County is County Magistrate Wu Zhiyuan, who leads the upper nine ranks of officials. As for the leader of the lower nine trades, that would be this old man.”

Bao Zhu said “Oh” without showing any respect or fear.

“How did you know we were staying here?”

Liu Mao smiled slightly and pointed to the graffiti on the inn wall. Bao Zhu glanced over and saw the blue lynx hidden in the corner – she didn’t know when Wei Xun had drawn it, and her teeth immediately itched with anger. On second thought, even if he hadn’t drawn this thing, since Qiao Shi with the unicorn-headed whip could find them, this old man could naturally find them too. A local snake on his own territory would naturally have eyes and ears everywhere.

Perhaps Wei Xun alone could conveniently hide, but adding herself, Shisan Lang, and an ugly donkey made their group too conspicuous.

She asked, “What business does the old sir have with Wei Xun?”

Liu Mao looked around. The innkeeper was perceptive and had already moved other guests far away, leaving only the four attendants he’d brought nearby. He lowered his voice and said, “Miss Jiu Niang should know what I’ve come to see him about. This old man is also helpless, forced to come begging, earnestly requesting that the young man in green show mercy and spare a fellow practitioner.”

Bao Zhu became more confused the more she listened, frowning and saying, “I don’t know what he’s done – please speak clearly, old sir.”

Liu Mao thought she was pretending not to know and sighed deeply, having no choice but to speak frankly: “It’s an old rule of the trade not to touch the court’s things. Now that the young man in green has stolen the precious pearl from the Buddhist pagoda at Lotus Temple, bringing the authorities to search the entire city, this old man’s underground business has become extremely difficult.”

Bao Zhu was shocked and immediately asked back, “How can you be certain that Wei Xun stole the pearl? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

Liu Mao smiled slightly: “This old man needn’t see it with his own eyes. The appearance of that Precious Pagoda is visible to everyone in the city. In this world, only the young man in green has the ability to steal treasure from such a place. Not to mention killing the highly skilled ‘Lion Hound’ Luo Chengye with a single strike – within eight hundred li of Guanzhong, there’s no such master. Luo Chengye’s head was severed and taken away, just like this blue lynx on the wall – it’s his signature method. ‘One strike to kill, take the head; if unsuccessful, depart like floating clouds.’ Miss Jiu Niang should have heard of this, naturally.”

She had never heard of it at all!

Bao Zhu was extremely shocked and turned to look at Shisan Lang. The young novice kept his head down, neither refuting nor daring to look at her – he was actually acknowledging it by default.

She had seen Wei Xun use a dagger to handle rabbit heads and fish heads – his technique was naturally swift and skillful. Peeling fruit and removing cores was also clean and efficient. But human heads? Wasn’t he a tomb robber? If that mischievous trickster really had such abilities, what weapon did he use to sever human heads – was it that dagger he used as a dining knife?

Bao Zhu recalled eating food he had prepared throughout their journey, and for a moment her stomach churned – she didn’t want to touch any of the food and wine on this table.

Seeing her hesitant expression, Liu Mao thought he’d hit the mark. He stood up holding his wine cup and said, “This old man only oversees such lowly trades as prostitutes, gambling house staff, entertainers, night soil workers, servants, and matchmakers – not respectable businesses, but the livelihood of several thousand people depends on them. With the authorities searching and all trades stopped, many innocent subordinates have been arrested and tortured – it’s truly unbearable. I earnestly request that Miss Jiu Niang convey this: please have the young man in green return the court’s precious pearl, and this old man will naturally send generous gifts.

As for that Luo Chengye, he had a great enmity with this old man. Last year, under the pretext of official business, he killed my nephew Ma San. Since he was a sheriff under government authority, we couldn’t conveniently take revenge. Now that someone has settled this blood debt, that person is this old man’s benefactor. Whatever the benefactor requests, as long as this old man can manage it, I will certainly do my utmost.”

After forcefully finishing this speech, Liu Mao drained his cup in one gulp. His attendant immediately stepped forward to refill it, and he drank again, continuing to drain three large cups of wine in succession. He took out a gold ingot from his chest, placed it on the table, cupped his hands in farewell, and left.

Bao Zhu sat at the table, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Looking up to see Shisan Lang standing carefully beside her, she sneered, “Eat the food – everyone’s gone, it would be a waste to leave it.”

How dare Shisan Lang touch his chopsticks? He shook his head like a rattle drum: “I’m not hungry yet.” He added, “This old man spoke pitifully, but actually he controls all the gambling houses and brothels in the city, with many thieves, robbers, bodyguards, and enforcers under him – he’s not a good person.”

Bao Zhu snorted and said coldly, “So your senior brother who robbed my tomb and severs people’s heads is a good person?”

Shisan Lang was startled and didn’t dare respond.

Bao Zhu said, “Since this old man is certain that what was stolen was a pearl, and knows that Luo Chengye was killed with a single strike – with so much inside information, he must have informants in the government office. He’s definitely not some law-abiding honest businessman.”

As she pondered, she stood up and slowly walked toward the upstairs room. The innkeeper cowering in the distance quickly called out, “Miss, wait – you’ve left your gold behind.”

Bao Zhu turned back and said, “That’s the money Liu Mao paid you for the banquet – it’s not mine.”

The innkeeper didn’t dare accept it, saying with an apologetic smile, “When Master Liu eats and drinks in this city, he never needs to spend a single coin. Even with eight hundred times the courage, this humble person wouldn’t dare accept it – it’s naturally Miss’s cosmetics money.” He held the gold ingot in both hands and followed step by step. Seeing that Bao Zhu wouldn’t extend her hand, he forcibly stuffed it into Shisan Lang’s hands.

He thought that even Liu Mao, such a commanding and ruthless boss, only dared stand and toast respectfully before her – who knew what kind of important personage she was? His heart trembled: “This humble person was blind and neglected Miss these past days. If Miss needs anything in the future, please just say so. If it’s inconvenient, just tell my wife.”

Bao Zhu had no mind to deal with pleasantries. She nodded casually and returned to her room.

“Does your senior brother have an old grudge with that Sheriff Luo Chengye?”

Bao Zhu suddenly asked. Shisan Lang was startled and answered, “I don’t know. Lion Hound used to be a bandit, so he wasn’t really in the same trade as us.”

Bao Zhu thought to herself: Could it be they had conflicts when Wei Xun was involved with bandits? But Luo Chengye had reformed many years ago – how old was Wei Xun back then? Besides, they were only passing through Xiagui because of their journey, not specifically coming to this place. To call it a revenge killing would be too coincidental.

Officials in solving cases rely on the four elements of “evidence, traces, stolen goods, and confession,” while people of the martial world refer to personal skills and killing methods. It’s hard to say which is more sophisticated, but it only made Wei Xun more suspicious.