The bearded man sat quietly alone atop the rockery, half drunk and half awake, leaning against a stone. He used the dappled light and shadows to conceal himself, sometimes gazing at the starry sky, sometimes watching the courtesans laugh and entangle with their patrons.
A sudden movement beneath him jolted him, instantly sobering him up. He froze completely, not daring to make a single sound.
Catching a glimpse of the rockery slowly being pushed open, he slowly leaned sideways and bent down, pressing his entire body flat against the stones to hide…
After slipping out of the rockery and leaning against it to observe quietly for a moment, Yu Qing strutted out. He walked unsteadily around the pond, appearing slightly drunk. When he neared the perimeter wall, he loosened his belt right at the base, looking as though he intended to relieve himself against the wall.
After casually glancing left, right, and behind him while adjusting his belt, he suddenly leapt up, scaled the wall, and vanished without a trace in an instant.
The bearded man lying flat against the rockery finally stood up, his eyes filled with uncertainty and alarm. He slipped swiftly to the spot where Yu Qing had emerged, reached out to touch the stones, and pushed them twice. He did not linger there. He could investigate it properly later. Suddenly, moving like a ghostly wisp of smoke, he drifted across the water, cleared the wall, and silently merged into the canopy of a large tree outside, where he began to watch…
Having left Yuchun Tower, Yu Qing quickly moved away from the area through the alleyways. He hurried through the quiet streets, constantly checking his surroundings.
At this hour, the streets were nearly empty, with almost everyone fast asleep.
He found a large bridge, confirmed his location, and then swiftly made his way towards a corner of the city.
He finally arrived at a private residence that was currently unoccupied. The three martial brothers had originally rented it together. It was not meant to conceal their identities, but to serve as an emergency safe house where they could take temporary refuge if anything went wrong.
Slipping inside, he made his way to the kitchen and shifted a large water jar filled halfway. Beneath it lay a stone slab. After lifting it, he revealed a pit he had dug himself, containing a sword and a wrapped bundle.
He opened the bundle to check its contents. Everything was intact, and the bank notes and other valuables were all present. He tied it securely again and slung it over his shoulder.
After replacing the stone slab and the water jar, he left the residence and began his return journey.
The house might still contain items hidden by Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie. Each of them had hidden their own belongings in separate places, and he had no idea where. Yu Qing had no interest in searching through their things anyway. Those two were so poor there would hardly be anything worth taking.
He made his way back to Yuchun Tower. Near an alley entrance outside the building stood a wooden wheeled vendor cart. Roast chickens sat on the cart stove, their aroma drifting through the late night street.
As Yu Qing passed, an old man sitting on a stool behind the cart called out, “Young master, roast chicken here, very delicious.”
Hearing the voice, Yu Qing stopped and took a look. He felt slightly wary. In the capital, he had previously suffered due to the Zhong family. A noodle stall near their residence had actually been an intelligence outpost set up by the Zhong household.
However, seeing the old man wearing thin clothes in the cool night, staying awake by the stove warmth, he could not help but ask, “The second half of the night is already well underway. With no passersby left, why are you still running your stall?”
The old man pointed towards Yuchun Tower nearby, where sounds of merriment still drifted out. “There will always be one or two with empty stomachs. I was simply too greedy myself. Sales were good a few days ago, so I roasted a few extra yesterday, and now they are left over. If I do not sell them, I cannot afford the loss. If I take them home and try to sell them again tomorrow after they sit overnight, I fear they might spoil and ruin my reputation. If I give a guest food poisoning, Yuchun Tower will never allow me to set up my stall here again. Young master, it is late. You must be hungry. Buy one to try. I will give you a discount.”
Yu Qing paused briefly and asked, “How many are left?”
The old man immediately brightened up and pointed to the three simmering over the stove fire. “Only these three remain.”
Yu Qing raised his chin slightly. “Wrap them up. I will take them all.”
“Excellent, excellent, excellent.” The old man quickly tore off some oil paper, wrapped the three roast chickens, and tied them together with hemp rope.
Yu Qing reached into his bundle, pulled out a silver ingot weighing about one tael, tossed it onto the cart, picked up the chickens, and walked away.
“Young master, that is too much money. I need to give you change. I have not given you your change yet.”
“Keep the change.”
The old man blinked in surprise, quickly bit the silver ingot to test it, and upon confirming it was genuine, beamed with joy and began packing up his stall.
Circling around to the back of Yuchun Tower, Yu Qing pressed his ear against the wall and listened intently for a while. He then leapt up, lay flat on the wall top, and peered inside.
He knew such establishments employed guards and enforcers. However, he genuinely did not worry about the security personnel at a brothel.
After confirming everything was clear, he vaulted over the wall. Upon landing, he casually strolled around the pond. Only after reaching the back of the rockery did he suddenly crouch down. He slid his hand into a hole in the stones, felt around inside, grabbed a metal chain ring, and pulled hard. A sharp click echoed from within.
As he withdrew his hand, he pulled the stone slab backwards, instantly revealing a gap along the edge. He quickly turned sideways and slipped inside, then promptly pushed the stone back into place, vanishing without a trace.
The sounds of revelry inside Yuchun Tower continued unchanged. In the large tree outside, the bearded man hidden in the canopy stared fixedly at the rockery.
After waiting for a while, he finally darted out. Like a wisp of smoke, he materialised beside the rockery and tilted his head to listen for any sounds from within.
Once he was satisfied it was safe, he slowly crouched down. His hand gradually reached into the same hole Yu Qing had used. He felt around carefully and soon found the metal chain ring himself.
Another sharp click sounded from inside.
Copying the action, the stone slab slowly opened as he pulled it aside.
He spotted the fissure entrance but dared not act rashly. During his brief hesitation, he noticed the opened stone slowly sliding back into place on its own. He immediately appreciated the clever design. The closing mechanism must be set at a slight incline, allowing the stone to close under its own weight.
He held the stone firmly, pushed it open again, and finally slipped through the gap. He wanted to see what secrets lay inside. Was it a hidden secret of Yuchun Tower itself?
It was pitch black inside. He took out a piece of fluorite for light and advanced cautiously. A faint click suddenly sounded behind him. He knew the entrance had closed on its own, though fortunately he knew how to open it. Pressing forward, he discovered a staircase leading to a secret passage. His astonishment grew. The stone steps, the neatly laid brickwork of the walls. He had not expected Yuchun Tower to conceal such meticulous craftsmanship beneath it…
Carrying an oil lamp, Yu Qing returned with light, brisk steps. He figured it would be inconvenient to finish mapping the tunnel layout today.
There was no helping it. His own impromptu detour through the city had eaten up most of his time.
He decided to simply head back and enjoy the roast chicken while it was still hot. He had not had a proper meal since arriving at the Wen residence.
As he walked, the flickering flame of the oil lamp in his hand suddenly wavered back and forth. Yu Qing froze instantly on the spot. Staring at the flame, he suddenly opened his mouth and blew out the light with a sharp breath. He quietly drew his sword, turned around, and backed away while feeling along the wall. Relying on his knowledge of the layout, he retreated behind a corner and stopped, waiting for the right moment to act…
Holding a fire starter aloft, the bearded man advanced slowly and warily. The deeper he went, the more astonished he became. The length of the tunnel far exceeded his expectations.
Yet he failed to notice that the wary expression on his face was gradually fading, slowly replaced by a faint smile.
Soon, the smile turned foolish and vacant. His footsteps grew clumsy, and he began to drag his feet.
Yu Qing had entered only a short time after him. After waiting briefly, he spotted the faint glow of the fluorite from his hiding place around the corner.
Looking from a bright area into darkness puts one at a visual disadvantage. As someone who cultivated the Observing Mantra, Yu Qing understood this principle perfectly.
Observing a lit area from the shadows granted a significant advantage in identification. He stayed hidden in the corner, watching closely to see exactly who it was.
The other person had clearly entered through the Yuchun Tower entrance as well, arriving just moments apart from him. Was it really such a coincidence? He wondered if he had been exposed and discovered.
His first thought was to silence the intruder. However, a second thought gave him pause. If the person had discovered him without him noticing at all, it meant either it was pure coincidence, or their cultivation far surpassed his own.
Of course, there was a third possibility. The intruder might simply know about the secret passage and happened to enter through Yuchun Tower. However, the timing made that seem unlikely.
If he truly had been discovered, his infiltration of the Wen family would be in serious trouble.
The light drew closer, and the figure approached as well. However, the walking speed was truly disappointing to Yu Qing. He found it strange. Why was the person moving so slowly?
There were also strange footsteps.
As the person drew near, he finally made out the intruder features. It was the bearded man, wearing a foolish, vacant smile. He seemed to be looking at something wonderful, grinning so widely that drool dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Yu Qing was somewhat stunned. It was obvious the man was not acting normally. He looked like someone suffering from severe cognitive impairment.
How could a fool have sneaked in here?
Yu Qing secretly doubted it. As the man got closer, he stopped leaning out, pulled his head back, and quickly retreated.
He quickly slipped back to the storage yard exit route to hide. He waited quietly, ready to spring out and slam the iron plate shut at a moment notice.
After a long wait, the fluorite glow finally appeared. The person dragging his feet slowly passed through the doorway and continued forward.
Where is he going? Yu Qing wondered. He placed the oil lamp on the storeroom floor near the exit, then surprisingly crept back out. He hid around a corner to watch. Once the figure moved further away, he quietly followed behind.
Following all the way, the bearded man eventually entered a place that made Yu Qing heart pound. He caught that familiar scent again, faint yet suddenly intense.
The glowing silhouette continued steadily towards the end of the passage.
When he faintly saw the bearded man slowly climb the steps at the end, and vaguely watched as the man reached up to grab a hanging rope and loop it around his own neck, he was shocked.
He suddenly realised something. He stopped sneaking around and darted forward swiftly.
The fluorite had already fallen into the darkness, seemingly dropping into a pit.
From the darkness came the strange creaking sound of the rope tightening.
Leaping into the scene, Yu Qing pulled out his fire starter, blew on it, and lit it. In the flickering light, he saw the bearded man was indeed hanging by the neck. His entire body dangled there, arms limp and swaying. Hanging by the neck should have been agonising, yet the man face still wore that foolish smile, as though he were enjoying it, as though he had found paradise.
A terrifying sight unfolded. A swarm of white shapes emerged from the pit behind the steps, climbed up the wall, crawled upside down along the ceiling, and then descended down the hanging rope.
Countless ants rapidly covered the head on the rope, gradually forming a writhing, giant cocoon that completely engulfed the man, growing thicker and thicker.
The smell of blood suddenly filled the air. The hanging man showed absolutely no resistance. He eventually showed signs of struggling, but it was utterly futile. Soon, he went completely still.
Holding his fire starter, Yu Qing watched with a pounding heart. He did not attempt to rescue the man.