Chapter 98: Chapter 90: A Flower-Picking Smile, No Life Unpursued, The Number One Ghostwriter

Zheng Erniang draped a sable fur cloak over her shoulders and stepped out of the Prison Camp, her heart heavy with worry.

After a moment, the other Prison Guards returned to their posts.

"All aboard!"

Zheng Erniang was silent in the cart, and Qing Shisan didn’t ask any questions, steadily pulling the cart and taking her back to the Zheng Family.

A brocade box had been secretly left on the cart. Qing Shisan leisurely pulled his now-empty cart to a noodle stall.

"Well, well! Old Qing, what’s got you hungry so early today? Were you out looking for some fun last night?"

"No way. You know as well as I do that my heart already belongs to someone else!"

"Heh! With that mouth of yours, who’d believe a word you say?"

"Cut the crap! I’m starving. One order of oil-splashed noodles! And I’m not paying if you skimp on the ingredients!"

"Since it’s you, I’ll make sure you get a full bowl!"

"What about the meat?"

"Meat? That’ll cost you extra!"

"There’s nothing wrong with you Zhangs, except you’re famously stingy!" Qing Shisan cursed with a laugh, then waved a large yellow bowl. "By the way, Old Zhang, I brought my own bowl today!"

"What’s wrong, afraid I’d poison you?"

"Hey now, that kind of talk hurts my feelings, doesn’t it?"

Qing Shisan draped his sweat towel over his shoulder, sat down, and ordered a portion of oil-splashed noodles.

He was clearly a regular here.

Qing Shisan opened the brocade box and took out the bowl inside. When he saw the bowl was facing up, his expression didn’t change in the slightest.

Old Zhang finished cooking the noodles, deftly scooped them into the bowl, sprinkled on some chopped scallions, chili flakes, and crushed peanuts, and finally drizzled a spoonful of scorching hot oil over the top.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

Qing Shisan shoveled the spicy noodles into his mouth, his head beaded with sweat.

Just then, a man with a grim expression abruptly sat down across from Qing Shisan.

THUD!

The newcomer casually placed a heavy object, wrapped in thick gauze, beside him. The object, of unknown weight, shook the table so hard that droplets splashed from the saucer of vinegar.

The newcomer was clad in tight-fitting black clothes, his sleeves adorned with cloud patterns that concealed hidden stars. He had disheveled hair that fell to his shoulders, upturned eyes, a hooked nose, and thick lips—a fierce visage that marked him as someone not to be trifled with. A Black Iron Wood Order hung at his waist, upon which were strikingly carved four words: Twenty-Eight Constellations, Xu Shu.

"Sir..."

Old Zhang was about to greet the customer, but the man barked, "Official business. Scram."

"Right away!"

Old Zhang immediately ducked back behind his stall.

The other customers, sensing the tense atmosphere, all paid their bills and left.

Qing Shisan kept his head down, eating his noodles as if he hadn’t even seen the man sit down across from him.

Only after he had finished the entire bowl, even licking the oily residue from the bottom, did he let out a satisfied burp. He then picked up the teapot from the table, poured some water into his bowl, took a sip of the hot, oily tea, and calmly asked, "Sir, are you looking for a ride?"

Xu Shu of the Twenty-Eight Constellations looked at Qing Shisan, his right hand never leaving the heavy object beside him. "Are you really playing dumb with me?"

"Of course not! Times have changed. In the past, we were men of the Jianghu, but now, I am just a humble Wandering man. I can’t compare to you, not at all."

"To the east gate, and out of the city." Xu Shu pressed a silver coin onto the table.

"No fares! I’m done for the day!" Qing Shisan shook his head.

CRACK.

Xu Shu applied pressure, pushing the silver coin half an inch deep into the wooden table. He said in a low voice, "Then, take me to Sikong Zhui Ming."

Qing Shisan weighed the silver in his hand. At the sight of money, his face broke into a wide grin. "Alright, east gate, out of the city, was it? I guarantee I’ll get you there."

"Hey! Old Qing, your bowl!"

Watching Qing Shisan pull the cart away with the man aboard, a flustered Old Zhang finally came out. He saw the bowl on the table and shouted a couple of times, but Qing Shisan didn’t look back.

"That Old Qing actually dined and dashed!" Old Zhang then remembered that Qing Shisan hadn’t paid. Indignantly, he cleared the bowl away, pressed his thumb against its base, and silently smudged the two characters—’Zhong Yi’—that had been marked there. "This bowl looks expensive. I guess I didn’t lose out after all!"

Extraordinary people hide in plain sight.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Zheng Family. No one knew how deeply these Odd People were hidden, in which corners they lurked, doing inconspicuous jobs, walking inconspicuous paths.

Pulling his distinguished guest, Qing Shisan whistled continuously, the tune high and cheerful, sounding very happy.

"You actually refused to see me. It seems you’re dead set on working for the Zheng Family. I’m quite curious, what makes the Zheng Family so special that they can accommodate Sikong Zhui Ming, the ’Flower Monk,’ who was known as the number one ’Ghostwriter’ twenty years ago?"

Xu Shu chuckled darkly from the cart. Remembering the past, he sighed, "When the Flower Monk smiled, there was no life he wouldn’t pursue."

The so-called Ghostwriters were Knights from twenty years ago who lived off the bounties offered by the Government Office.

In those chaotic times, the Government Office was willing but unable to deal with the rampant mountain bandits and rebels, so they spent a great deal of money putting bounties on these criminals.

Back then, Qing Shisan was one of the best among them, known as the number one Ghostwriter.

It wasn’t an easy profession; it was tantamount to trading your life for money, a young man’s game. In those few years, many made a host of enemies. Even if they wanted to leave the Jianghu, it was no longer up to them. Qing Shisan grew tired of the killing, retired from the Jianghu, and eventually joined the Zheng Family.

Half a month ago, Xu Shu had tried to arrange a private meeting with Qing Pi through other channels, but Qing Pi never showed up.

This angered Xu Shu so much that he decided to just openly grab him on the street.

Today, he finally caught him at the noodle stall.

Qing Shisan said, "What’s so strange about it? Money! Master Zheng pays the most, and he pays it quickly and without fuss!"

"You gave up being a perfectly good ’Ghostwriter’ to become a ’Wandering’ man. You’re really moving backward in life."

"I had no choice," Qing Shisan said with a laugh. "Times were tough back then, and I made a lot of enemies. It’s good enough just to be able to settle down peacefully. Look at you, haven’t you joined Ye Weiyang and become a big shot yourself!"

"The Zheng Family won’t be able to keep you."

"Is that so?"

They spoke no more on the way. Qing Shisan quickly pulled Xu Shu out of the city, leaving the main road for a secluded spot.

After letting Xu Shu off the cart, Qing Shisan lit a smoke and began puffing out clouds of it.

"Is this coming from you, or from someone behind you?" Now that they were in a secluded place, Qing Shisan dropped the act. A smile in his eyes, he looked at Xu Shu. "Ye Weiyang is only supposed to investigate strange cases, not meddle in political affairs. You’re really overstepping your bounds."

Xu Shu said coldly, "Ye Weiyang is Ye Weiyang, and I am me! Besides, I am merely delivering a message for someone."

"Alright, if you’re just here to deliver a message, then you don’t need to say it." Qing Shisan waved his hand dismissively. "We were practically friends back in the day. Saying it will only ruin our relationship. Why bother? What gives me, Qing Shisan, the right to make decisions for the Master?"

WHOOSH!

Xu Shu hefted the unnamed heavy object onto his shoulder, kicking up a gust of wind that sent dry leaves swirling up around them before they slowly settled.

"Sikong Zhui Ming, if Zheng Xiu doesn’t know what’s good for him, then no matter how big the Zheng Family is, how can they possibly stand against the Royal Family and the nobility? Why do you insist on hanging yourself from the Zheng Family’s tree? That Zheng Xiu is just a little luckier than most, blessed by his father’s fortune to get to where he is today! The Marquis Zhonglie is, in the end, nothing but a petty, rich merchant! A treacherous villain! Back in our day, people like him... how many did we kill? How many did we rob? And now you’re selling your life for a mere rich merchant? Laughable! Utterly laughable!"

"You passed over the fine path of a ’Knight’ and even the side path of a ’Ghostwriter’, only to become a ’Wandering’ man! You ignored the Upper Nine Professions and threw yourself into the Middle Nine Professions!"

Qing Shisan remained silent.

The swirling smoke gradually obscured Qing Shisan’s face.

"Sigh..." Qing Shisan let out a long sigh and blew a smoke ring. "We go way back. You’re making things very difficult for me. You all know that I, Qing Shisan, am a sentimental person. Sigh... What era is this? Still playing those old games of killing, threatening, and bribing. Aren’t you tired of it? To be honest, all I want now is to live out my life in peace and stability. If the Zheng Family does well, I do well. If the Zheng Family doesn’t do well, neither do I."

Qing Shisan tapped the ash from his smoke against a tree trunk.

"We are the ’Brotherhood’."

"We are hidden in the night; we yearn for the Dawn."

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted."

The swirling smoke grew terrifyingly thick. The Raven on Xu Shu’s shoulder let out a shrill, warning cry.

Xu Shu’s pupils shrank. He was just about to make a move.

CLICK.

The sound of a mechanism clicked beside Xu Shu’s ear. Qing Shisan had appeared behind him at some unknown point, his fist resting lightly against Xu Shu’s neck, though the Sleeve Sword had not been deployed.

A chill ran down Xu Shu’s spine, and his whole body went cold.

In that instant, he felt as if he had just taken a stroll through the gates of hell.

With Qing Shisan behind him, Xu Shu remained frozen, still shouldering his heavy weapon, not daring to move even a finger.

But he could clearly see, under the bare, withered tree, Qing Shisan was still tapping the ash from his smoke.

’Then who is this person behind me, pressing a Sleeve Sword to my neck?’

"I’m only going to say one thing."

A cold, sinister laugh came from behind Xu Shu, who didn’t dare to turn his head.

"One, Master Zheng is not as simple as you imagine."

"Two, for the sake of our old friendship, I’ll give you a piece of advice: be a good little Constellation. Don’t get involved in things you shouldn’t, or you might end up with a broken leg."

"As for number three,"

Qing Shisan, the one smoking, grinned. The voice that had been behind Xu Shu now came from Qing Shisan’s own mouth: "Don’t speak ill of the Master again. Otherwise, on this day next year, I will personally plant three incense sticks on your grave to express my condolences."

"Oh, by the way, Sikong Zhui Ming was chopped into a human stump by his enemies long ago, so stop shouting his name. Anyone with such an arrogant name is just asking to get killed, heh heh heh."

"My name is Qing Shisan."

"You, my friend, have the wrong person."

...

「Meanwhile.」

Before she left, Zheng Erniang slipped a few heavy gold ingots to Scarface Liu.

At first, Scarface Liu didn’t want to take it. He had taken so much money over the years that he’d developed his own style: he only did as much work as he was paid for. Taking too much was no good.

But Second Lady insisted he take the money. She tasked Old Liu with finding Jiang Gaoyi, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, for the Master.

Upon hearing this, Scarface Liu slapped his head, took the gold ingots with a clear conscience, and boasted that bringing in the mere Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Lord Jiang, to meet with Master Zheng would be no problem at all.

And so, at noon, Jiang Gaoyi, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, did indeed arrive with a meal to see him.

The two former cellmates had a pleasant conversation in the prison cell. At the end, Zheng Xiu made a solemn request.

Upon hearing it, Jiang Gaoyi’s expression changed dramatically.

"What! You want me, Jiang Gaoyi, to petition the Holy Emperor on your behalf during the morning court session, to request a special pardon? To let you leave prison while still convicted of a crime?"