Who was the other person?

Judging by their figure, it was a woman, but she didn’t look like Cui Qingwu or Huan’er, the Hidden Guards identified earlier.

’Could it be the Hidden Guard who was hiding in Yanhua Lane before?’

The one who helped Ge the Third escape from the Marquis’s Mansion.

’It’s a distinct possibility.’

With this thought, Chen Yi lowered himself slightly and held his breath, trying to avoid detection.

The next moment, he saw Ge the Third step forward and knock on the door. He called out in a hoarse voice, "Shopkeeper, I’m here to pick up some clothes."

"We’re closed. Come back tomorrow."

"I have something important tomorrow and urgently need that formal outfit. I hope you can..."

The voice was secondary; as he spoke, there was a series of knocks.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK-KNOCK.

Two long, two short. The pattern repeated twice with a distinct rhythm.

On this night of pouring rain, the sound carried clearly for several dozen yards.

Chen Yi, of course, heard it clearly, but he was more concerned with the identity of the slightly slender person beside Ge the Third.

After a moment of conversation, the tailor shop’s door opened, and Ge the Third and his companion walked inside.

Along with a slightly displeased voice from within, the slender woman spoke.

"Our apologies for the impertinent intrusion, shopkeeper."

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, with a slightly ethereal quality, like that of a lark.

It was quite beautiful.

Chen Yi was certain he had never heard this voice before; she had clearly never appeared in his presence.

Soon, the three of them exchanged a few pleasantries. The tailor shop owner said to wait a moment, then shut the door planks again.

The voices inside abruptly dropped to a murmur.

He could only hear an intermittent, mosquito-like buzzing.

"This subordinate... Lord Lady Tiger..."

’Lady Tiger?’

’It’s her.’

The "Lady Tiger" that Xiao Dongchen and Ge the Third had discussed previously.

Chen Yi’s brows furrowed slightly.

He had assumed "Lady Tiger" was Cui Qingwu, but now it seemed to be someone else entirely.

’But on second thought, my previous guess really doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.’

’It’s obvious.’

Ge the Third and Xiao Dongchen had been hiding in Shu State for many years, so it stood to reason that "Lady Tiger" had been as well.

Cui Qingwu and Huan’er, on the other hand, had only recently arrived in Shu State.

Furthermore, they had traveled openly under the banner of the Qinghe Cui Family, so their route must have been clear and traceable.

’Perhaps that day at the Fengchun Building, it wasn’t necessarily Xiao Dongchen who contacted Cui Qingwu.’ 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’It’s possible... it’s possible Cui Qingwu initiated the meeting with Xiao Dongchen.’

Musing on this, Chen Yi carefully shifted his position, moving a little closer to the tailor shop.

Faintly, he heard Ge the Third’s voice. "I don’t understand. Why did you have to contact Gray Wolf?"

"That madman is actually planning to burn the summer grain from the Three Towns. The whole thing is giving me a headache."

"Because Xiao Yuan and Xiao Jinghong have already noticed something is amiss in Shu State. Building the Mutual Market is their preventative measure."

Lady Tiger’s voice was much softer than Ge the Third’s.

But due to its unique timbre, it was actually clearer to Chen Yi’s ears.

"On top of that, the Liu Family’s recent actions have made the Xiao Family even more guarded."

"If we don’t throw the Xiao Family into chaos now, by the time the Mutual Market is built and the morale of the Xiao Family and the Dingyuan Army has stabilized, Shu State will inevitably become a pool of stagnant water again."

"At that point, it will be nigh impossible for you and I to complete the Pavilion Master’s plan."

Ge the Third paused, then mumbled, "But I still think Gray Wolf is too selfish."

Lady Tiger said, "Having selfish motives isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As long as his goal is the same as ours, we can let him be."

"So, you approve of the plan to burn the summer grain?"

"It’s not just us. Someone else has already approached Black Tooth and offered thirty thousand taels of gold to burn the Three Towns."

"Black Tooth? Thirty thousand taels?"

"This, this... you’re relying on those from the Evil Demonic Dao to get things done?"

Hearing this, not only was Ge the Third astonished, but a trace of surprise also flashed in Chen Yi’s eyes.

Liu Lang had said it was over ten thousand taels during the day; he never expected it to be thirty thousand.

That was enough money to support ten thousand common households for a year.

It could even sustain a private army of five thousand elite soldiers for a year.

’There can’t be many people in Shu State who can produce that much money, right?’

Just then, he heard Ge the Third ask, "Who on earth is it? To be so reckless as to approach Black Tooth."

"If word gets out from Black Tooth’s side, the Xiao Family will get the news in no time, and we can forget about succeeding."

Lady Tiger replied, "I don’t know either. Even Black Tooth isn’t sure."

"But I heard him say that the person is quite ruthless, and their strength is at least at the Middle Three Grades."

Ge the Third scoffed, "Hah. Is there anyone in Shu State who dares to scheme against the Xiao Family who isn’t a ruthless person?"

"But this makes things difficult. Black Tooth may be reputable, but the people from the Evil Demonic Dao he hires are another story."

Lady Tiger hummed in agreement. "You need to think carefully about whether you want to help Gray Wolf."

"He came to you because he clearly has his eyes on your Iron Banner Officers hidden in the army."

"If you decide to help him, your Iron Banner Officers will have to die, regardless of success or failure."

Hearing this, Ge the Third cursed and grumbled for a bit.

After a moment of silence, his voice was heard again. "I’ll help!"

"But I’m very worried about a leak from Black Tooth’s side. Do you have a plan?"

"Simple. Have your people go to him and take the job. With thirty thousand taels of gold in hand, it will be more advantageous for our next moves."

"...No wonder you took the initiative to contact me. It was for that ill-gotten fortune."

"So, is it a deal or not?"

"It’s a deal! Since you’re the one asking, even if not for Gray Wolf, I’ll take this risk for you, Lady Tiger!"

Listening to this, Chen Yi’s expression grew a little strange.

’Are the Hidden Guards short on silver?’

’What a ridiculous joke. Shouldn’t the Imperial Court be funding their operations?’

’Surely the Imperial Court doesn’t treat the Hidden Guards the same way it treats the Dingyuan Army.’

He pondered for a moment.

Chen Yi couldn’t help but become more curious about this Lady Tiger’s identity and mission.

Just then, he heard Lady Tiger ask, "How are things on your end? I heard that Fledgling has been causing quite a stir these past few days."

Ge the Third paused, then said with a hint of self-satisfaction, "Everything is under control."

"Originally, he was unwilling to go to Guiyun Academy. I used a little trick, and he obediently fell in line."

"Look at the commotion he’s causing at Guiyun Academy now. You can tell he’s still the same old Fledgling. He could never live a quiet life."

"Is that so?"

"Of course..."

Chen Yi secretly pursed his lips, gaining a new appreciation for Ge the Third’s shamelessness.

’The guy did absolutely nothing, yet he’s taking all the credit for himself.’

"That’s good, then. Tomorrow, pass these matters on to the Lord Golden Banner Officer and the Pavilion Master. Once we receive their reply, you and I can act according to the plan."

"Alright."

The voices paused for a moment.

Just as Chen Yi thought they were about to leave the tailor shop, he heard Ge the Third ask:

"You must already know that the Simurgh Phoenix has come to Shu State, right?"

"Yes, I heard."

"I originally thought she came on her own initiative, but I never expected her to have the Pavilion Master’s White Tiger Order."

"When Gray Wolf saw the White Tiger Order in her hand earlier, his legs almost gave out, and he nearly knelt on the spot."

Lady Tiger asked, slightly surprised, "She showed the White Tiger Order of her own accord?"

Ge the Third lowered his voice. "That’s what Gray Wolf said. To make him obey, the Simurgh Phoenix specifically promised him one thing."

"To frame the Xiao Family for Liu Jing’s death."

Lady Tiger said, "Oh? No wonder Shu State has been so restless lately. So there was this hidden story behind it all."

Ge the Third said, "Unfortunately, she failed. Someone interfered, and he even seems to know about our identities as Hidden Guards."

"When I first heard about it, I thought it might be that girl from the Mountain Race, but it turned out to be a man. From the looks of it, he doesn’t seem to be from the Xiao Family either. Do you think he could be a spy from the Poshisu Country or the Barbarian Race?"

Lady Tiger paused for a moment before saying, "No matter who it is, we cannot be careless. Report this matter back to the Pavilion tomorrow along with the rest."

"Sounds good to me."

"But I’m more curious about the Simurgh Phoenix’s purpose in coming to Shu State. Did the Pavilion Master have special instructions?"

"Ask fewer questions about things that don’t concern you. Knowing too much is not good for either of us."

"Oh, then what about you..."

"Don’t ask what doesn’t concern you!"

With that, the voices stopped, and silence fell within the tailor shop.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. ’From the sound of it, Lady Tiger’s mission seems even more important?’

’Even Ge the Third can’t ask about it freely?’

’And that Simurgh Phoenix they just mentioned.’

’If I’m not mistaken, that must be Cui Qingwu’s codename within the Hidden Guards.’

’The White Tiger Order...’

Chen Yi silently committed these details to memory, then quietly backed away a little, retracting his aura to wait for what came next.

Before long, he heard a few sounds from the tailor shop. The door opened, and Ge the Third and Lady Tiger emerged, wearing bamboo hats and raincoats.

After a brief pause, the two of them headed off in opposite directions.

[Witnessed a major Hidden Guard conspiracy. Reward: Zither Score "Carefree Travel," Opportunity +35.]

[Evaluation: You arrived and listened, but you did not see the scene. Having taken no action, your ultimate achievement is limited.]

Chen Yi glanced at it, the corner of his eye twitching.

’A Zither Score?’

’Among Ge the Third, the tailor shop owner, and Lady Tiger, only Lady Tiger is likely skilled in that art.’

’Combining this with Liu Lang seeing Black Tooth at the Spring Rain Building last night, it’s not hard to deduce that Lady Tiger must be hiding in Yanhua Lane.’

This made him even more certain of his earlier guess—it was indeed Lady Tiger who helped Ge the Third move out of the Marquis’s Mansion.

Seeing that all was quiet around him, Chen Yi quietly leaped down from the eaves and headed for the Xiao Mansion from behind the tailor shop.

His gains tonight were substantial.

He had basically figured out the identities of all the Hidden Guard Silver Banner Officers hiding in Shu State.

’Gray Wolf, Xiao Dongchen.’

’Hawk, Ge the Third.’

’Lady Tiger, the woman with the beautiful voice.’

’Simurgh Phoenix, Cui Qingwu.’

’As for their missions, from the information gathered so far, they each seem to be different.’

’Or rather, their ultimate goal is likely the same, just with a different division of labor.’

’In the end, they just want to throw Shu State into chaos.’

"Knowing too much really isn’t a good thing."

"Because it just raises more questions."

For example, why were the Hidden Guards or the Imperial Court doing this? What benefit was there for the Great Wei Dynasty if Shu State fell into chaos?

Or was his previous speculation wrong, and the Hidden Guards weren’t actually people of the Imperial Court?

And who was the person who spent thirty thousand taels of gold to contact Black Tooth?

As Chen Yi pondered these things, he failed to notice several figures appear a short distance ahead.

The person in the lead was dressed in a bright red, short-cut outfit, a long blade hanging from their waist.

The moment they saw him, that person called out, "It’s so late. Where are you going, out in the rain?"

Huh?

’Fang Hongxiu?’

Chen Yi raised his head slightly, his gaze peering out from under the brim of his bamboo hat. Seeing the four Imprisonment Officers ahead, he was momentarily speechless.

It was nearly midnight, yet she was still out and about.

"Lord Hundred Households, what do you think?"

Fang Hongxiu froze, feeling that this hoarse, deep voice was very familiar. When she realized who it was, she immediately drew the long blade from her waist.

"It’s you!?"