Zhang Da Shan returned the pigeon to its cage and lowered the black cloth over it. When he looked up, he saw Chu Shao Yang returning empty-handed after waiting outside Willowwood Manor for a long time. He sneered inwardly but put on a false expression of concern. “What happened?”
Chu Shao Yang replied coldly, “I couldn’t get inside.”
Zhang Da Shan unconsciously stroked the black cloth covering the pigeon cage. “I’ll investigate again tonight.”
Chu Shao Yang waved a hand. “There’s no need. I have my own arrangements.”
He turned to leave, but Zhang Da Shan caught hold of him.
Zhang Da Shan had failed to find what he wanted and was already in a foul mood, so everything irritated him. “Assistant Commander Hu and Commander Chu agreed to cooperate, with each side taking what it needed. Commander Chu has now obtained his position, yet Fu Xi Yan is still alive and kicking. Could it be that the Commander and Company Commander intend to dismantle the bridge after crossing the river?”
Chu Shao Yang frowned slightly. When he turned back, however, he was already smiling. “Why would Brother Zhang say such a thing? Before our departure, Uncle repeatedly instructed us to cooperate. I merely lacked complete certainty and feared that if the plan failed, Brother Zhang would rejoice for nothing. I intended to tell you once we succeeded.”
Zhang Da Shan knew when to stop. “Company Commander Chu, please explain. Since this matter has been entrusted to us, we naturally ought to work together.”
Chu Shao Yang glanced around and lowered his voice. “I sent Manor Lord Tang a letter.”
⸻
Meanwhile, Fu Xi Yan and the other two, who had just left Wukui Pavilion, had no idea that Chu Shao Yang had already reached the gates of Willowwood Manor, been refused entry, and still remembered to stab them in the back before leaving. Nor did they know that Tang Gong, having received the “knife,” intended to follow up with another strike.
At present, they had only just parted from Head Constable Tang. Their hearts were filled with a thousand things they desperately wanted to say, but they feared the walls had ears and could only communicate through their eyes. Yet after a prolonged exchange of staring at one another, the only useful discovery they made was that Zhou Geng Geng had not washed his face properly.
Fu Xi Yan bitterly regretted not having a phone so he could create a small group chat.
They endured in silence all the way back to the guest courtyard, where they found Guo Ping pacing anxiously back and forth.
The moment Guo Ping saw them, he rushed forward in alarm. “You’re finally back! A thief broke in!”
Fu Xi Yan: “…” In such a grand and heavily guarded estate, surely it had to be an inside job.
Just as Guo Ping said, the burglary was extremely obvious. The room had been thoroughly ransacked, with clothes and food scattered everywhere.
Terrified that they might suspect him, Guo Ping appeared even more anxious than they were. “It was already like this when I returned from decocting the medicine. Check quickly—has anything gone missing?”
There was no need to worry about that. One benefit of reading too many novels was preparedness. Fu Xi Yan kept his money and formulas inside a waterproof kraft-paper pouch against his body. He also carried his Brocade Guard token and the spiritual weapon Wind Chime, which Fu Xuan had given him, at all times. That way, if an accident occurred, he would not find himself penniless, stranded in a foreign land, and forced to join the Beggars’ Sect… Facts proved that taking precautions was extremely necessary!
Zhou Zhong Xin asked gravely, “Did you see anyone suspicious?”
Guo Ping shook his head. “No. I asked around, but no one saw anybody enter or leave.”
Zhou Geng Geng grabbed Zhou Zhong Xin’s arm in terror. “If it wasn’t a person, could it have been…”
“What about pigeons?” Fu Xi Yan suddenly asked while bending over to pick up his clothes. “Did anyone see a pigeon flying in or out?”
Guo Ping froze, then realization dawned. “Yes! Someone said they heard the sound of a bird flapping its wings!”
Oh. Case solved.
Fu Xi Yan and Zhou Zhong Xin breathed sighs of relief: fortunately, it had not been someone from Willowwood Manor.
Zhou Geng Geng breathed a sigh of relief: fortunately, it had not been a ghost.
Fu Xi Yan waved a hand and said it was fine. Nothing had been stolen.
Seeing their relaxed expressions, Guo Ping also relaxed. He pointed at the medicine on the table. “I finished decocting it. It’s still warm, so drink it while it’s hot.”
Fu Xi Yan nodded but showed no intention of drinking it.
Anywhere pigeons had appeared, one had to be careful about consuming food or drink. Poison would be one thing; he was more afraid it contained a lump of pigeon shit.
Seeing Guo Ping lingering near the door, looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, Zhou Geng Geng raised his brows impatiently. “Say it plainly if you have something to say. Stop twisting around like a bashful young wife!”
While sorting his clothes, Fu Xi Yan said, “Plenty of young wives are perfectly poised and straightforward. Don’t make them take the blame.”
Guo Ping smiled ingratiatingly. “I only wanted to ask how I’ve performed recently, and about that property deed…”
Zhou Geng Geng said, “The fact that you’re asking proves your thieving heart still hasn’t died. You might as well abandon all hope of recovering the deed.”
Guo Ping: “…”
Watching his dejected back as he left, Fu Xi Yan said, “Actually, he has helped us quite a lot. The next time he comes, return the deed to him.” He could consider it compensation for forcing Guo Ping to endure such a terrible pun.
The Zhou brothers naturally had no objections.
“You two think…”
The three shut the door and began that day’s secret meeting.
“It must have been Zhang Da Shan searching for the incriminating receipt he signed!”
To them, Zhang Da Shan equaling pigeons had already become a proven theorem. No thought was required for the deductions that followed.
Zhou Geng Geng continued, “The young master truly possessed remarkable foresight. Even if he scraped away an entire layer of earth, he would never find it!”
Fu Xi Yan: “…We still have to live here. There’s no need to suggest that they scrape away the ground.”
Zhou Zhong Xin changed the subject and brought up Tang Gong’s banquet that day.
When Zhou Geng Geng heard them describe the dishes, he complained aggrievedly, “My legs went numb three separate times from squatting by the latrine!” Wukui Pavilion stood in the middle of the water, occupying dangerous terrain. Fearing that someone might harm the young master, he had remained onshore to provide support until they finished eating.
Zhou Zhong Xin said, “Manor Lord Tang’s martial arts are unfathomable. He must have an extraordinary background.”
Resting his chin in his hand, Fu Xi Yan indulged in wild speculation. “One of the constables began saying that he was ‘Heaven…’ before Head Constable Tang interrupted him. What could the rest have been? Could it be ‘the greatest expert beneath heaven’?”
Zhou Geng Geng’s eyes widened. “Could the person beneath his skin be the master of the Heaven-and-Earth Mirror or the lord of the Immortal Treasury Palace?”
Realizing that he had asked a foolish question, Fu Xi Yan thought, No matter whose skin he wears, I’m definitely the fool beneath mine.
Zhou Zhong Xin asked, “Could it have been ‘heaven-blessed with exceptional talent’?”
“What would be so secretive about exceptional talent? Surely they couldn’t mean… an exceptionally endowed organ, could they?” After saying this, Fu Xi Yan awkwardly scratched his cheek. It was broad daylight. Why had his thoughts suddenly switched to the midnight program?
Forget it. Forget it. Time for an afternoon nap.
To be honest, this was one of the rare leisurely days he had enjoyed since joining the Yulin Guard. There was no exhausting paperwork to wear down his body, though unfortunately there was also no music to disturb his ears. Still, compared with the relentless traveling and labor of the past several days, this was already quite good.
Fu Xi Yan lay on the bed, happily anticipating his return. He would use every hardship he had suffered along the journey to persuade his father and uncle to rescue him from the mire known as the Brocade Guard, then take a long vacation to heal his wounded heart.
After that, he would devote his limited energy to the limitless pursuit of earning money—no, technological development. He would develop more varieties of soap and open a luxury shop. He had already thought of a name: Xiang’ao Da. First, he would hire people to distribute flyers throughout the city, announcing a twenty-percent discount for the grand opening. Then, based on spending amounts, he would introduce three tiers of VIP cards: gold, silver, and bronze.
When he closed his eyes, he could already imagine customers flocking toward the store with silver on their backs… No, a bustling scene of customers arriving in an endless stream.
After hiding beneath the blanket and giggling for a while, Fu Xi Yan suddenly asked, “What do you think of the name ‘Xiang’ao Da’?”
Zhou Geng Geng had only just adjusted to the strange laughter and was drifting toward sleep when the question startled him awake. “Beat him? Which ‘him’ are we beating?”
“…” Fu Xi Yan said coldly and mercilessly, “You.”
Elio’s Notes: Xiang’ao Da (香奥达) is a grand, foreign-sounding brand name Fu Xi Yan invents for his future soap shop. Zhou Geng Geng mishears it as 削他 (“beat him up” or “cut him down”), which is why he asks, “Which ‘him’?”
At dawn the following day, Mister Liang arrived as promised with his medical kit… to provide a wake-up service.
Zhong Xin pushed while Geng Geng pulled, and together they finally shifted more than two hundred jin of mass off the bed.
Fu Xi Yan hugged the quilt, released an enormous yawn, then flopped down and lay flat again. It was not that he wished to remain in bed. His dedication to his career had simply been too intense. He had spent the entire night holding a board meeting inside his own imagination, which had only adjourned shortly before dawn. He was utterly exhausted.
Mister Liang was also a ruthless man. He ordered Zhong Xin and Geng Geng to position Fu Xi Yan properly, pulled open his clothes, aligned the cups with the appropriate acupoints, and slapped several fire cups onto his back in quick succession. Then he dusted off his hands. “Done.”
Fu Xi Yan was awakened by the heat in his dream. He opened his eyes and raised his head—to find three faces and three pairs of eyes observing him with the intensity of researchers studying microorganisms beneath a microscope.
…
Fu Xi Yan struggled to scratch his backside and searched for something to say. “How long will it take to work?”
Mister Liang said, “It won’t work no matter how long we wait.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…” Aren’t you being excessively honest with a patient you’re treating for free?
Mister Liang removed the fire cups from his back. As expected, they had left no marks whatsoever upon his fair, tender skin.
His hand paused briefly before he said as though nothing were wrong, “However, there’s no need to worry. Yesterday, the manor lord gathered us for a joint consultation, and we finally found a medicinal pill suited to your condition. It is only…” He deliberately drew out the words, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three men.
The three stared back innocently, showing absolutely no intention of prompting him to continue.
Mister Liang coughed dryly and supplied his own response. “The cost of producing this medicine is extremely high. It is beyond what ordinary people can afford.”
Zhou Geng Geng could not resist asking, “How much?”
Mister Liang raised three fingers.
Zhou Geng Geng drew in a sharp breath. “Thirty taels? That expensive?”
Mister Liang’s face darkened. “Three thousand taels.”
Zhou Geng Geng’s breathing stopped altogether, and his eyes rolled toward Fu Xi Yan.
Fu Xi Yan: “…” As expected, free things were always the most expensive.
But one’s mouth softened after eating another person’s food. He could hardly spit everything back out.
He carefully chose his words. “I know your esteemed manor possesses an excellent location, elegant surroundings, outstanding meals, and exceptional personnel. It could be called a four-excellence scenic destination. However, prices should always be clearly marked so both parties can enter the transaction willingly. How does three hundred taels sound?”
Mister Liang’s face grew even darker. He took out a crystal-clear white medicine bottle from his robes. “Do you think I’m deceiving you? Take it on credit first if you don’t believe me. If it proves ineffective, then consider the three thousand taels waived!”
Seeing him speak with such confidence, Fu Xi Yan became half convinced and half doubtful. Given his confidence in his own unusual constitution, the balance tilted slightly farther toward belief, and he began considering giving it a try.
Mister Liang held the bottle before him and removed the stopper.
A wave of heat surged out and struck his face like a facial sauna.
Fu Xi Yan knew immediately that the object was indeed extraordinary. He accepted the bottle and poured the pill into his palm. It was small, black, and unexpectedly warm to the touch. He pinched it, sniffed it, and asked suspiciously, “Its ingredients aren’t iron powder, activated carbon, and vermiculite, are they?” No matter how cold his constitution might be, he had no desire to swallow a disposable hand warmer.
Mister Liang said displeasedly, “This is the Nine Yang Pill, refined from rare medicinal ingredients of the strongest and purest yang nature beneath heaven. How could commonplace materials such as iron and stone compare? Had the manor lord not been willing to part with it, even members of the imperial family would find obtaining such a pill as difficult as ascending to heaven.” Seeing Fu Xi Yan continue hesitating, he glared. “Are you eating it or not?”
Fu Xi Yan smiled. “Let me think it over. I only just woke up, so my mind hasn’t started turning yet.”
Mister Liang extended his hand. “Then return it for now. You can have it once you’ve decided.”
Fu Xi Yan took a banknote worth one hundred taels from his robes. “Leave the medicine here. This is the deposit.”
Mister Liang accepted the banknote. Only after repeatedly confirming that Fu Xi Yan would safeguard the pill and compensate its full value if it was damaged did he leave in displeasure.