Chapter 9

Green Ox was no longer in the stables. The old man tending them was a deaf hunchback, his speech muddled. It took him a long while to make himself understood. Green Ox had been led away a day earlier by a child. The child had whistled outside the stables, and Green Ox had smashed through the stable doors and charged out.

Once Chang'an understood, he exclaimed in shock, "How did Erhu get to Danyang City?! Yu Fu, it looks like we need to make a trip to Crimson Blood Fortress." The two stayed at Rugui Inn for the night, then headed for Crimson Blood Fortress the next day. They had no leads on Erhu's whereabouts and could only investigate at Crimson Blood Fortress for now.

Crimson Blood Fortress lay thirty li outside Danyang Prefecture, a haunt for heroes of the greenwood. The situation there was exceedingly chaotic.

Around breakfast time, a carriage slowly entered Youke Tea House, three li outside Crimson Blood Fortress.

Youke Tea House served as an advance post where Crimson Blood Fortress received wandering heroes from all directions. It provided a place for jianghu drifters to rest and gather. It was chaotic to the extreme; every sort of person could be found there.

The carriage was plain, drawn by an old horse, and slowly came to a stop before Youke Tea House by the roadside. A graceful young girl and a fat young man stepped down from it. They looked like a couple, walking hand in hand, truly seeming well matched. They were Chang'an and Yu Fu.

Chang'an and Yu Fu sat at a roadside tea table rather than going upstairs. They ordered a pot of bitter tea and said little. The tea was very bitter, and they drank it slowly.

The neighboring tables, however, were deafeningly noisy. They bragged, traded nonsense, and spun wild tales with tremendous enthusiasm. Whenever there were many people, there were always endless topics and news to discuss.

"Have you heard? Crimson Blood Fortress's young lord, Liu Xuanfeng, was poisoned to death by Ning Family's Chang'an. His corpse was only secretly transported back to Crimson Blood Fortress the day before yesterday. Ning Family's Chang'an is too arrogant. This time, he's stirred up a colossal disaster. The fortress lord will definitely take his life."

"Really?! Ning Family's Chang'an can forget about gaining a foothold in Changshan and Longyuan Provinces ever again."

"That can't be true! Ning Family's Chang'an has vanished without a trace for months..."

These heroes of the greenwood—barefoot men, shoe-wearing men, mud-legged peasants—grew more animated as they spoke. Many added oil and vinegar to the tale, making it sound as though they had witnessed it with their own eyes, describing it vividly and savoring every word.

Ning Family's Chang'an had risen to fame in only a few short years. Too many people envied him and harbored jealousy in their hearts, wishing with all their might that this earth-shattering farce was true. Such was the way of a tall tree catching the wind: selfish hearts at work, the mentality of spectators.

Naturally, there were also those who worshipped him, and their devotion was far from ordinary.

"Bullshit!"

At one table, a sturdy, dark-skinned youth suddenly stood up and roared sternly, "Ning Family's Chang'an is open and aboveboard. How could he poison another? Stop wagging your tongues here and slandering him so wantonly. Whoever dares say another bad word about Ning Family's Chang'an will be Little Brother's number one enemy."

Everyone froze, then immediately slapped their tables and burst into laughter.

Little Brother was still Little Brother. Of course these lords were not afraid of him in the slightest.

A curly-haired burly man among them gave a mocking chuckle. "Why are you covering up for Ning Family's Chang'an's filthy deeds? If he didn't do it, why doesn't he come out and clear his own name? I'd say eight times out of ten, he has a guilty conscience. Don't you all agree?"

The crowd jeered and clapped. "Curly Bear is right, that must be it. Let's all wait and see how Crimson Blood Fortress chops off Ning Family's Chang'an's head."

Little Brother sprang to his feet and pointed at Curly Bear as he cursed, "Curly dog, say that again! Believe it or not, I'll fight you to the death!" Little Brother gripped an iron staff, already taking up a fighting stance. He played with that iron staff in his hands so often that it had been worn smooth and gleaming.

Curly Bear flew into a rage. "Little Brother, is your brain full of paste? You dare insult me?"

Clang!

A gleaming Ghost Head Saber left its sheath. The blade flashed and chopped toward Little Brother's chest. The crowd eagerly stepped aside, waiting to watch the show. There were far too many such fights of ruthless bravado and killing in the jianghu. Traveling the jianghu, this was also a form of entertainment.

Little Brother held his iron staff crosswise. With a sharp clang, he blocked Curly Bear's saber. Curly Bear's saber techniques were seasoned and vicious. He drew back his blade and swept it out, slashing at Little Brother's waist. Little Brother blocked again with his staff, but his strength was insufficient. He was simply too young, his footing unsteady. He retreated again and again, his face turning ugly. Curly Bear pressed his advantage without mercy, closing in as he sneered, "I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget. Not even the Heavenly King himself can stop you from taking this blade of mine!"

That slash went straight for Little Brother's shoulder, aimed at the opening in his defense. Curly Bear intended to remove one of Little Brother's arms, his intentions exceedingly vicious.

Everyone sighed inwardly, pitying Little Brother. A hot-blooded man in the prime of youth was about to become crippled. Of course, seeing some blood would also set these jianghu wanderers who licked blood from their blade edges boiling with excitement. They waited in immense anticipation.

But then an abrupt change occurred. Curly Bear suddenly screamed and flew backward in a bizarre fashion. He crashed onto a table, then fell to the ground, where he suddenly wailed and rolled about, unable to get back up. He rasped, "Who fired a hidden weapon to ambush me? Who was it... Ah, it was a tea leaf..."

Yu Fu and Chang'an exchanged smiles.

They had heard what they needed to hear. The two rose, intending to head for Crimson Blood Fortress. They had to make this trip now. Suddenly, a waiter rushed over and blocked their way, presenting them with a note. Chang'an looked at it and saw eight words written on it: Upstairs there is wine; outside the tower there is a tiger.

Chang'an raised his head and saw a young master in white on the upper floor looking at him with a smile on his face.

The waiter said repeatedly, "The young master upstairs invites you both up. He says he has mysteries to reveal and fine wine to offer, and invites you to share a cup with him."

Suspicion rose in Chang'an's heart. He frowned slightly and said, "Yu Fu, let's go meet this young master upstairs. This man looks familiar to me. Something is strange!"

There was a Young Master Cao in Danyang Prefecture. His family had traded for generations and was wealthy enough to rival a region. Yet in a prosperous place like Danyang Prefecture, the Cao family could not be considered renowned for its wealth; in terms of riches, they did not even rank among the best. But the Cao family was indeed a resounding Lineage. Everyone in Changshan and Longyuan Provinces knew that the Cao family excelled at swordsmanship. Men and women, young and old, all were proficient, while few cared much about their business dealings.

The Cao family had an extraordinary man: Young Master Cao, Cao Jing, whose reputation in the jianghu was quite high.

Cao Jing had a residence of his own and usually lived alone in Danyang Prefecture. There had never been attendants at his side, only women. No woman by his side had ever slept beside him for a fourth night. No matter how beautiful a woman was, he would only play with her three times, and without exception he paid every time. Yet he never visited brothels and despised brothel women. He was suave, wealthy, strong-bodied, a first-rate swordsman, and handsome. He had never lacked women or friends.

Many people wished to curry favor with him.

Chang'an, however, hated this man. He had not even wanted to see him, and at one point had wanted to kill him. Yet now, the man standing before him with a smile was precisely Young Master Cao, Cao Jing.

Chang'an had never seen Cao Jing before, yet he still recognized him at a glance.

He somewhat regretted going upstairs.

Cao Jing had already come forward to greet them. With a genial laugh, he said, "Ning Family's Chang'an, I have long admired your great name. Please, sit, sit!" He was refined and courteous, and astonishingly, there was not a woman by his side.

Chang'an was not surprised, though. He knew Cao Jing had gone a long time without women at his side. That was because Cao Jing had fallen for a woman and sworn never again to play with cheap rouge and powder, unless it was that woman. Chang'an had wanted to kill him because of that very woman.

Yu Fu held Chang'an's hand. No matter when it was, she wanted to hold his hand and would not easily let go. Chang'an showed no intention of sitting and said bluntly, "If you have something to say, say it directly."

A smile always hung on Cao Jing's face. Men and women alike felt warmth when they saw it and would always return it with a smile. When Cao Jing did not smile, it was time for him to draw his sword. Therefore, most people considered the sight of Cao Jing's smile especially precious.

Chang'an's face remained cold, while Yu Fu single-mindedly kneaded the back of Chang'an's chubby hand, as though she found it very amusing.

"You truly have lost all your inner strength."

Cao Jing suddenly said.

Chang'an replied, "That shouldn't be a secret anymore, should it?"

Cao Jing smiled. "To most people, a secret will always be a secret. Even if it is laid bare, no one will believe it. Even if you climbed onto the railing right now and shouted that you were Ning Family's Chang'an, others would only take you for a fool or a madman."

Chang'an said, "So the former Chang'an is already dead, and there is now one more Fatty Ning."

Cao Jing was taken aback. "Fatty Ning? That's a fine title!"

Chang'an said, "It is indeed."

Cao Jing smiled and nodded. "I am Lu Jing's friend."

Chang'an sneered. "Lu Jing truly has no faith in his words."

Cao Jing's eyelids twitched. He sensed a chill, but his smile remained warm. The three simply stood there by the doorway, while a table full of wine and dishes steamed with fragrance, ignored by everyone.

Cao Jing suddenly said, "Su Yueru's husband is still alive!" The words were like a stone that shattered the heavens. He abruptly stopped smiling, his face filled with hatred.

Chang'an was greatly shocked.

Cao Jing continued, "Our Cao family is a secret branch of the Money Gang. My father is the branch master! Su Yueru recently vanished from Moon Concealment Tower and was taken away. Secret reports say that the person who took her was the Money Gang's leader—her husband."

Chang'an was even more shocked. He knew the Money Gang's influence blanketed the entire Great Gan Dynasty. Wherever there was money, there was the Money Gang, just as wherever there were beggars, there was the Beggars' Gang. Its roots ran deep. The Money Gang's leader was elusive as a ghost and mysterious as a dragon, showing its head but never its tail; rich enough to rival a nation, with martial arts unfathomably profound.

The woman Cao Jing had fallen for was Su Yueru. Once, taking advantage of Su Yueru's drunkenness, he had torn open her upper garment and profaned the sight of her breasts. But Wang Qiandang had discovered him and beaten him viciously.

That was precisely why Chang'an had once wanted to kill him. Su Yueru had treated him extremely well, and he could not tolerate Sister Yueru suffering such humiliation. Yet in the end, Blood Rose—whose eyes had never tolerated even a grain of sand—had unexpectedly stopped Chang'an and prevented him from doing so.

Chang'an now seemed to understand the cause of it all.

Sister Yueru had always tried desperately to avoid people from the Money Gang. It seemed she had been fleeing from that man.

Chang'an suddenly recalled Sister Yueru's tearful smile that night, her expression dazed. Yu Fu gently pinched him. He came back to himself, then took Yu Fu's hand and headed downstairs.

Cao Jing suddenly added, "A Green Ox has gone by water toward Longyuan Province."

Chang'an and Yu Fu had already gone downstairs and boarded their carriage toward Crimson Blood Fortress.

The old horse was very old, yet it ran with exceptional strength. Chang'an's whip struck a little too heavily, and Yu Fu felt sorry for the old horse.

Crimson Blood Fortress seemed very deserted. Places where people had died always seemed to carry a gloomy, yin-soaked air.

Chang'an and Yu Fu stepped down from the carriage and walked toward Crimson Blood Fortress. They found a broad-shouldered man already standing at the road intersection, staring at them like a vicious lead wolf.