There was no way to find clues here by relying on her official identity.
Here, only profit and rules mattered.
Ling Zhao walked into a pawnshop called Forget Worry Pawnshop.
The shopkeeper was a gaunt old man. He narrowed his eyes as he polished a jade hairpin with a piece of deerskin, not even glancing at Ling Zhao as she entered.
"Customer, what would you like to pawn?"
Ling Zhao said nothing. She took a small token from her clothes and placed it on the counter.
The token was made of black iron, with a ferocious beast's head engraved on it.
At the sight of the token, the old shopkeeper's polishing hand stopped.
He looked up. A glint flashed in his cloudy eyes as he took another look at the young-looking woman before him.
"So you're one of Night Owl's esteemed members. My apologies for not recognizing you." The old shopkeeper's manner instantly became respectful.
Night Owl was a secret intelligence organization established during the late emperor's reign and directly answerable to the emperor. After the current emperor ascended the throne, the organization was disbanded, and most of its members disappeared without a trace.
The token had been left to Ling Zhao by her father. He had once been a member of Night Owl.
It was her greatest secret—and her last trump card.
"I'm looking for Ghost Hand." Ling Zhao got straight to the point.
Ghost Hand Zhang was the foremost forger in the Capital City. Whether it was an official seal, a deed, or an identity document, anything he made was indistinguishable from the real thing.
Only he could have made that flawless identity token.
The old shopkeeper looked troubled. "My lady, this... would break the rules. Ghost Hand hasn't taken a job in half a year."
Ling Zhao