Qian Bochou's face stiffened, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He cursed inwardly: This kid was even greedier than he'd imagined.
But he liked him!
People who liked money were the easiest to deal with. Pay them what you owed, and they'd do what you asked. Everything was clear-cut.
On the other hand, those who went on and on about the nation and its people, yet refused to take money for their work when it mattered most, were the ones Qian Bochou hated most.
"Fine!" Qian Bochou agreed without much thought.
"When are you planning to set out, Constable Qian?" Jiang Yun glanced outside. It was still early morning, so there was plenty of time.
"The sooner, the better, of course."
Jiang Yun fell silent for a moment, then said, "I need to stop by Nanmanju Inn first and ask someone to come along."
"Lord Xu?"
Jiang Yun smiled faintly. He had someone even better in mind. "No."
Qian Bochou's swift horse was tethered outside the courtyard gate. "Come on. I'll take you to Nanmanju Inn, Brother Jiang. I'll also send a few constables to your house to fill in those holes."
Jiang Yun told Jiang Qiaoqiao he was going out for a while.
Then he followed Qian Bochou and swung up onto the horse.
"Could you ride a little slower? We're not in a rush."
"Don't worry, Brother Jiang. My horse is famous for being slow."
"Hyah!"
The ride jolted them as they galloped along.
It only strengthened Jiang Yun's resolve to learn how to ride.
In the Tianzi-class guest room at Nanmanju Inn, Xu Suwen sat by the window, wiping her saber as she watched the busy streets outside, crowded with carriages and people.
Xu Xiaogang sat at the table with a writing brush in his mouth. A sheet of rice paper lay before him, bearing his poem.
At that moment, he was puzzling over how to revise it and give the whole poem more style.
Xu Suwen, who was wiping her saber, suddenly asked, "What do you think? Why would Jiang Yun, a fifth-rank Shouyi Realm expert, appear in Nanzhou Prefecture, with no records of him in the capital?"
Xu Xiaogang, who had been studying poetry, looked up and grinned. "Sis, I rarely see you ponder someone this much."
Xu Suwen ignored his remark and continued, "A fifth-rank Shouyi Realm expert, and so young. If he came from one of the capital's three great Daoist Temples, he couldn't possibly be unknown."
"Unless... he learned Daoist Arts somewhere else."
At that, Xu Suwen's voice dropped, and she didn't dare think any further.
All the Daoist Temples outside the capital had been branded as rebel strongholds. If Jiang Yun came from one of them, he was likely a rebel.
If they reported him, and someone with an ulterior motive got hold of the news, Jiang Yun would be nothing but a walking merit to them.
Xu Xiaogang couldn't help reminding her, "Sis, if that's really the case, you'd better keep your distance from him. You know what our family is like."
"Getting mixed up with heretical Daoists outside the capital would be a huge problem."
"Do I look like I'm close to him?" Xu Suwen shot him a glare.
Xu Xiaogang lowered his head and went back to studying his poem, speaking nonchalantly. "You can fool your little brother, but don't fool yourself."
Just then, the sound of galloping horses came from the distant street.
"Jiang Yun's here." Xu Suwen spotted Jiang Yun on horseback, jostled until his eyes were rolling back, his arms clinging tightly to Qian Bochou's. Her brows knitted slightly.
Xu Xiaogang hurried to the window too and warned her with a frown, "Sis, don't forget what you just said. We siblings need to keep our distance from him."
"I know."
Knock, knock, knock.
A series of knocks sounded outside the room. Xu Xiaogang sauntered over and opened the door. Jiang Yun clung to the doorframe, looking unsteady on his feet.
"What are you doing here?" Xu Suwen's brows furrowed slightly. Then she said, "I..."
Jiang Yun waved a hand and pointed at Xu Xiaogang in the doorway. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for him."
Xu Suwen froze.
"Huh? What do you want with me?" Xu Xiaogang struck a lofty pose, flicked his hand, and sat down at the table. "I'm close to you?"
Jiang Yun took a seat at the table and smiled. "I'd like to ask for your help. There's a monster causing trouble in Beihu County, and I want to investigate with Qian Bochou. Having an expert with us would put my mind at ease."
Xu Suwen couldn't help reminding him from the side, "Am I not an expert?"
"Of course you are. But I've asked Miss Xu for help so many times already. I'd feel bad asking you again."
Jiang Yun then turned to Xu Xiaogang. "Besides, I have something Brother Xu wants."
Jiang Yun had dealt with Xu Suwen many times and knew she liked to negotiate terms.
If he asked her for help, he would have to pay a price—a fair exchange.
After thinking it over, he realized Xu Xiaogang was quite capable too, and he could offer him something he wanted.
Xu Xiaogang folded his arms and glanced at Jiang Yun. "Big talk. You only know a few Daoist incantations. What could you possibly have that I want?"
"Have you forgotten I'm a scholar too?" Jiang Yun looked down at the rice paper on the table, picked it up, and began writing on it with the brush.
"How dare you scribble all over my poem?"
"What you're doing is adding legs to a snake!"
It was obvious Jiang Yun had no interest in revising Xu Xiaogang's poem. Instead, he wrote a new passage on the rice paper.
Then he handed it to Xu Xiaogang. "Take a look, Brother Xu. I know you like to recite a few lines when you make an entrance to give yourself more style. Is this passage stylish enough?"
Xu Xiaogang took the paper and read the passage written on it.
Gradually, his breathing quickened. He stared at Jiang Yun with wide eyes and asked, "You wrote this?"
"Don't worry about whether I wrote it. Just tell me, does it have enough swagger?"
"If you help me this time, you can use this passage however you like."
"Is it a good deal?"
Xu Xiaogang looked at Jiang Yun with newfound warmth and hurriedly grabbed his wrist. "When are we leaving?"
Inside the room, Xu Suwen couldn't help coughing to remind Xu Xiaogang, "Did you forget what we just said?"
That rascal! Before Jiang Yun arrived, he'd been the one reminding her to keep her distance. Now he was practically glued to Jiang Yun.
She couldn't help glancing curiously at the rice paper, wondering what Jiang Yun had written.
Just one passage had turned Xu Xiaogang's attitude a hundred and eighty degrees.
Xu Xiaogang carefully put the sheet away and tucked it into his chest. "Sis, I'm always saying that helping others is a joy in itself..."
Jiang Yun turned to Xu Suwen and smiled. "Miss Xu, I'd like to trouble you with something too."
Hearing that Jiang Yun wanted her help, Xu Suwen actually felt better.
After coming in, this guy had left her out of the conversation. Had he finally remembered she was here?
She put on a reserved air and gazed out the window, her voice low. "Are we close, that you expect me to help you?"
Xu Xiaogang chimed in, "Sis, Jiang Yun isn't an outsider. Why are you being so stingy?"
Xu Suwen clenched her fist and turned to glare at Xu Xiaogang. That bastard!
What kind of bewitching soup had Jiang Yun fed him?
Jiang Yun smiled awkwardly. "I'm leaving Prefecture City for a while. I'm not comfortable leaving Jiang Qiaoqiao home alone, so I was hoping she could stay here with you for a few days."
Xu Suwen's heart stirred, but she still stubbornly said, "Hmph, I'm not helping you."
"But that girl Qiaoqiao and I get along quite well. Even if you hadn't asked, I was thinking of inviting her to stay with me for a few days."
Jiang Yun's face lit up. "Really? In that case, I won't owe you a favor, right?"
Xu Xiaogang chimed in too. "Right, right!"
Xu Suwen drew her saber. "Both of you, get out!!!"
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