Liu Xiangu nodded with dignity.
“Our mistress has a matter she needs Xiangu’s help with. This is to invite Xiangu for tea,” A-Man said, pulling out a banknote from her sleeve and placing it in front of Liu Xiangu.
Liu Xiangu quickly glanced at the banknote, secretly satisfied with the 50 taels amount.
“Inviting for tea” was of course a euphemism. With a 50 tael deposit, the reward upon completion would surely be generous.
Liu Xiangu indeed had quite a reputation, but opportunities to work for wealthy families weren’t common. More often, she performed exorcisms and rituals for ordinary families, earning some fame.
“What issue has your mistress encountered?” Liu Xiangu asked, her tone much friendlier now that she knew the visitor’s status was not simple.
A-Man looked at Liu Xiangu in surprise, blurting out, “Xiangu could tell?”
She had trained in martial arts since childhood and was taller than ordinary women. Even when dressed as a man, even young ladies said they couldn’t tell the difference. Yet this Xiangu had seen through her at a glance.
A-Man thought to herself: It seems this person has real skills. No wonder the young miss sent her to invite someone.
Liu Xiangu, being in this line of work, was no stranger to reading people. Seeing A-Man’s expression, she immediately understood her thoughts and couldn’t help but reveal a mysterious smile.
Of course, she had noticed the holes in this young girl’s earlobes.
“My mistress didn’t tell me what the matter was. She’s waiting for you at Tianxiang Teahouse to discuss the details,” A-Man explained.
Liu Xiangu pondered briefly before agreeing.
Among common people, she was the all-powerful, lofty Xiangu, but she dared not put on airs with those from prominent families.
The more wealthy the family, the more access they had to truly skilled individuals. She was merely a middling figure among them.
Seeing Liu Xiangu rise, A-Man waved her hand to stop her. “Xiangu, no need to rush. My mistress will be waiting for you at the teahouse at the hour of Shen (3-5 pm).”
“Very well, I’ll be there then,” Liu Xiangu replied, increasingly convinced that this was a major client.
She understood all too well the way these wealthy families operated. When faced with unusual matters, they would seek help from people like her for rituals, while also caring about their face and not wanting others to know.
In comparison, the respect she received from ordinary people was genuine, but with one major drawback: they had no money!
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
A-Man walked out of Magu Alley, her incongruity with the surroundings causing her to quicken her pace. As she turned into an alley, a hand suddenly reached out.
“You little brat, you dare to trick your grandpa!”
A-Man nimbly twisted her body, dodging the ambush. Recognizing the attacker, her almond eyes widened in surprise. “It’s you!”
The attacker was none other than A-Fei, the young man A-Man had stabbed with a golden hairpin not long ago.
A-Fei had shaken off the effects of the earlier eerie atmosphere. He stared at A-Man like a hungry wolf, fierce.
The golden hairpin was now in his hand, its tip a dark red.
That was A-Fei’s dried blood.
“You little brat, weren’t you so capable earlier? Didn’t you stab me with this thing? Now grandpa’s going to use it to scar that pretty little face of yours, see if you—”
A-Fei’s last words turned into a scream of pain.
A-Man withdrew her fist from A-Fei’s abdomen, followed by a rapid series of punches raining down on his stomach.
A-Fei crouched down in agony.
A-Man kicked A-Fei to the ground, viciously kicking him over a dozen times before stopping. She shook her hands and looked down at A-Fei curled up on the ground, sneering, “You talk too much!”
“You… you… you just wait!” A-Fei managed to say.
“I won’t wait!” A-Man raised her foot and kicked him hard a few more times.
“Stop, stop…” A-Fei rolled back and forth on the ground from the kicks, finally unable to bear it and begging for mercy.
“Should have done this from the start.” A-Man gave A-Fei a look of disdain and walked past him as if nothing had happened.
A-Fei struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall. He stared at A-Man’s retreating figure, his lips trembling slightly.
He had been scared by the eerie situation earlier, but more importantly, he didn’t want others to discover he had obtained a golden hairpin.
It was made of real gold, something people like him had never even touched!
A-Fei’s initial escape was out of self-interest, but he couldn’t swallow this insult, which led to this ambush attempt.
Unfortunately, the ambush failed, and A-Fei, who had grown up on the streets, suddenly felt a deep fear.
He had messed up this time. The kid’s words might not have been just threats.
A-Man’s arrival was like a pebble thrown into a lake for the people of Magu Alley, causing no ripples. Only a young man named A-Fei waited anxiously for midnight to come.
As the sun began to set, golden light filtered through the lush canopy of trees in front of Tianxiang Teahouse, falling on the cyan-colored flags, adding a touch of leisure to the teahouse.
“Miss, aren’t you afraid that the Xiangu will take our deposit and not show up?” A-Man, back in her maid attire, asked as she scanned the view outside the window.
Jiang Si smiled. “She’ll come.”
“But she doesn’t know your identity.”
“That’s precisely why she’ll come.”
No matter how famous Liu Xiangu was, she was essentially just a fortune-teller. Such people were motivated by one thing: money.
The more mysterious Jiang Si appeared the more profit Liu Xiangu would think there was to be made.
The 50 tael banknote was the bait, and a fish with a big appetite would inevitably take the hook.
“It’s almost the hour of Shen. This servant will go out and take a look.” A-Man couldn’t match her young miss’s calm demeanor. To a little maid, 50 taels was no small sum. If it went to waste, she was determined to get it back.
Jiang Si didn’t stop her, just nodding slightly.
A-Man walked quickly towards the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw Liu Xiangu standing outside with a young girl.
“We meet again,” Liu Xiangu said with a smile at the corner of her mouth, looking at A-Man.
A-Man tried her best to look as if this was expected. “My mistress sent me to open the door for Xiangu.”
Her miss truly was prescient. She couldn’t let her down.
Hearing A-Man’s words, Liu Xiangu’s eyes indeed showed a subtle change. She gestured for the young girl to stay outside and followed A-Man in.
“Miss, Xiangu has arrived,” A-Man announced.
The young lady was seated at a table by the window. She nodded in greeting to Liu Xiangu.
Liu Xiangu felt somewhat dissatisfied.
The other party didn’t even stand up when she arrived, seemingly not taking her seriously at all.
The more this happened, the more curious she became about the young lady’s identity, and the less she dared to just turn and leave.
She was just a fortune-teller who knew some unorthodox practices. If she offended someone important, it would be difficult for her to establish herself in the capital in the future.
“Please, sit,” Jiang Si said.
Liu Xiangu sat down opposite Jiang Si, using the act of drinking tea to secretly observe her.
The young lady’s age and appearance surprised Liu Xiangu, making her even more uncertain about her identity and intentions.
“May I ask what matter the young lady needs me to resolve?” Despite her jumbled thoughts, Liu Xiangu’s face revealed nothing.
She was certain of one thing: since the other party had come to find her, they must need something from her. She couldn’t show any weakness.
This was her livelihood.
“Has Xiangu received a commission from the Second Madam of Earl Dongping’s manor?” Jiang Si asked directly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Liu Xiangu’s expression changed slightly as she stood up to leave.