Wucheng.
Tavern.
The candle flames burning within the lamps dispelled the darkness on the street. Several tables of people sat by the tavern windows, one of them carrying a barrel of fine wine as they chatted, laughed, and cursed loudly.
"Hey, have you heard? The old City Lord's daughter failed another matchmaking today!"
"Isn't that normal? She was ugly to begin with, and she had high standards when she was young. She's been going on blind dates for over twenty years without getting married, and now she's nearly forty... What man would want her?"
"I saw her a few days ago. She's gotten even fatter than she was half a year ago—fat-headed and big-eared, like a pig. She runs around looking for men like she's gone mad, but even the strongest man would probably get crushed to death by her in bed, right?"
"I heard she's recently set her sights on Third Brother, that strong guy in the south of the city. She sticks to him every day like a plaster, tsk tsk..."
"Doesn't Third Brother have a wife? And his wife is pretty too. She's probably sick to death of it by now."
"Luckily, after having her, the old City Lord had another younger son. Otherwise, this bloodline might have ended."
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the City Lord's younger son in quite a while."
"Of course. The eldest daughter can't get married, so this younger son is the vital bloodline tied to all of Wucheng's future. The old City Lord hides him away like treasure every day. Who knows where he is..."
Listening to the men's conversation, No. 22, seated in the corner, silently set down his wine cup.
He rose to his feet, pushed open the door, and headed straight into the dark stone-paved