Xiao Wu stood up first.
"So it really was her who sent it."
Shen Zhi had already reached the door. He bent down and picked up the key.
The silver was cold.
A faint scent of soap lingered on the thread.
He turned it over and examined it twice. His expression gradually darkened.
"It's no ordinary key."
Xiao Wu leaned closer.
"You recognize it?"
"A side key from the Internal Affairs Department."
Shen Zhi pinched the key and lowered his voice.
"Suotuo Branch Hall has a set of keys divided into main and auxiliary keys. The main key is on the ring at Xu Tinglan's waist. Little side keys like this usually open side doors, hidden cabinets, and temporary account locks."
Xiao Wu frowned.
"She sent this straight over because she was afraid she wouldn't have time to explain tonight?"
Su Chen sat by the table and lightly tapped its surface with one finger.
"She wasn't afraid she'd run out of time."
"She already has no chance to speak openly."
Shen Zhi's eyes shifted.
"You mean she's already being watched?"
"She's been watched ever since she handed me the letter in front of Han Su."
Su Chen looked at the key.
"If she can still get the key out to us, it means tonight's situation is even more urgent than she let on."
Xiao Wu held out her hand.
"Let me see."
Shen Zhi handed her the key.
Xiao Wu weighed it in her hand.
It was very light.
But its edges had been worn smooth, clearly from frequent use.
She lowered her head to examine the moon-white thread, then suddenly looked up.
"Since she said the key would change hands at a quarter past seven tonight, does sending this one ahead mean—"
"She wants us to bypass that handoff and open the door directly."
Su Chen finished for her.
"And the door we open probably won't be the main entrance."
Shen Zhi spread out the banquet seating chart again.
"If it's a side door or a hidden cabinet, the likeliest spot is this corridor at the back."
He pressed a finger to the chart.
"It's close to the Banquet Hall and close to the secret storeroom."
"People from the Internal Affairs Department use this route most often."
Xiao Wu stared at the chart.
"Then don't we have to split up tonight?"
"No need."
Su Chen pulled the chart a little closer to himself.
"We'll enter the Banquet Hall together first."
"Keep an eye on what you were supposed to watch."
"Then we'll move when the key changes hands."
Xiao Wu nodded.
"The wine flasks, the people bringing out the dishes, and whoever's closest to Xu Tinglan."
"I've got it."
Su Chen glanced at her.
"One more thing."
"What?"
"Tonight, no matter who talks to you, don't eat or drink anything."
Xiao Wu snorted.
"Do you really think I'm an idiot?"
"I'm not an idiot."
She paused, then added,
"But if you offer me something, I'll drink it."
The room fell silent for half a beat.
Shen Zhi quietly looked away from the two of them, pretending to gaze out the window.
Su Chen looked at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu realized what she'd said, too. Her ears immediately heated, and she hurriedly put on a stern expression.
"I mean, I trust you."
"Don't get the wrong idea."
Su Chen gave a quiet "Mm."
"I didn't."
Xiao Wu glared at him.
"That sounded even more like you got the wrong idea."
Shen Zhi coughed softly and picked up the conversation.
"There's another problem."
"You put too much pressure on Han Su today. There's a good chance he won't make the first move himself tonight."
"He'll have someone else test you."
Xiao Wu folded her arms.
"Then let them try."
"I'd like to see what other tricks Suotuo City can come up with."
Su Chen stood up.
"Let's change clothes first."
"Then rest for a quarter of an hour before we head out after nightfall."
Night fell quickly.
The lights in Suotuo Branch Hall were all lit.
A red carpet had been laid outside the Banquet Hall, with tall bronze lamps standing on either side. The flames flickered in the wind, casting a warm golden glow over the ground.
Quite a few people had come.
There were branch hall Deacons, city merchants, young heirs from several families that did a lot of business with the branch hall, and even several Deacons assigned elsewhere who hadn't shown themselves that afternoon.
By the time Su Chen and Xiao Wu arrived, the entrance was already abuzz.
Xiao Wu had changed into a short, pale-red dress. The Carrot Wooden Hairpin was still in her hair, and standing beside Su Chen, she seemed to have gained a bright, brisk air that she hadn't had during the day.
As soon as she stepped onto the red carpet, she felt a host of gazes sweep over her.
Appraising, probing, ill-intentioned.
Xiao Wu spoke quietly.
"They're so annoying, staring like that."
"Let them look."
Su Chen's tone was flat.
"Once they're done, they'll know who they can't afford to offend."
Han Su was already standing at the entrance to the Banquet Hall.
His gray-and-gold robe was immaculate, and he even wore a faint smile.
If they hadn't seen what he'd been like during the day, he would have looked every inch a respectable Vice Hall Master.
"His Highness the Holy Son has honored us with his presence. Suotuo Branch Hall is deeply honored."
Han Su stepped aside.
"Please."
Su Chen didn't break stride.
As he passed Han Su, he replied only,
"I hope tonight won't disappoint me."
Han Su's smile didn't change.
But the hand inside his sleeve tightened.
As Xiao Wu walked past, she deliberately turned her head to look at him.
"Why are you so quiet today?"
"Did that 'sorry' this afternoon drain all your strength?"
Han Su's smile nearly cracked.
Xiao Wu gave a soft snort and followed Su Chen inside.
The Banquet Hall was enormous.
A long table stood in the center, with secondary seats arranged on either side. The dishes hadn't all been served yet, but the wine was already laid out.
As soon as Su Chen entered, he swept his eyes over the room.
There were three kinds of wine flasks.
The main table had celadon ones, the secondary seats had white porcelain, and the tables farther back had black flasks with narrow necks.
The serving maids moved steadily, but the third gray-clad runner from the left had his sleeves pulled too low, while a fresh red mark showed on his wrist.
It looked as if a thin cord had just been tightened around it.
Xu Tinglan stood at the back of the Banquet Hall, quiet in her moon-white dress, the ring of silver keys still at her waist.
But one was missing.
Xiao Wu noticed with a single glance.
She sat next to Su Chen and spoke very softly.
"One key's missing."
Su Chen gave a quiet "Mm."
"I saw it."
"What about the wine flasks?"
"The main table and the secondary seats have different sets."
"That gray-clad runner bringing the wine has a cord mark on his wrist."
Su Chen glanced at her, a faint flicker in his eyes.
"Good."
Xiao Wu lifted her chin slightly.
"Of course."
Shen Zhi sat a little farther away. Without looking their way, he quietly spoke while raising his cup.
"There's a new face to Xu Tinglan's left."
"He's wearing a clerk's green robe. There's no dust on his soles; he looks like he just came from the inner storeroom."
Su Chen glanced along the reflection on the rim of his cup.
He saw him.
The man was around thirty, pale-faced, with dark circles under his eyes. He had no keys at his waist, yet he kept standing not far from Xu Tinglan.
It was probably Lu Ming.
Dish after dish was brought out.
The polite chatter began to swell, too.
A merchant was the first to rise and offer a toast, smiling broadly as he said that Suotuo City was fortunate to have His Highness the Holy Son grace it with his presence.
A Deacon from the branch hall chimed in, saying that Vice Hall Master Han had always been thorough in his work.
Nothing they said was unpleasant.
But every sentence was testing the waters.
Xiao Wu didn't touch the wine.
She only picked up a couple of bites of vegetables nearest to her with her chopsticks.
Before long, a young noble in brocade robes came over with a wine cup in hand.
He didn't toast Su Chen first. Instead, he smiled at Xiao Wu.
"Miss Xiao Wu's prowess in the arena today was truly unforgettable."
"I'm Zhou Huan, Zhou Ling's cousin."
"My younger cousin was rash earlier. I'll drink to apologize on his behalf."
Xiao Wu looked up at him.
"Your younger cousin apologizes, so you're the one who has to drink?"
Zhou Huan's smile faltered.
"He's thin-skinned and embarrassed."
Xiao Wu leaned back in her chair.
"Then tell him."
"Once he's thickened his skin, he can come talk to me."
Zhou Huan's expression stiffened, but he forced himself to keep smiling.
"Miss Xiao Wu, you're quite the joker."
"I'm not joking."
Xiao Wu looked at the wine in his cup.
"And besides, I'm not drinking that."
A trace of coldness flashed in Zhou Huan's eyes.
"You won't even accept a cup of wine as an apology? Miss, that's a little—"
"She won't drink it. Got a problem with that?"
Su Chen finally spoke.
The cup touched down with a soft clink.
Zhou Huan's unfinished sentence caught in his throat.
He looked at Su Chen, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"I wouldn't dare."
"Then stand farther away."
Su Chen looked up.
"You're blocking the light on my side."
Zhou Huan's expression turned downright ugly, but he could only take his wine and retreat.
Xiao Wu stifled a laugh. Only after Zhou Huan had gone some distance did she turn and speak in a low voice.
"What you just said worked better than insulting him outright."
"You should learn from that."
"I'm already pretty good at it."
"Not good enough."
Xiao Wu pouted, but didn't fire back.
After another round of drinks, the servers began moving around more frequently.
Xiao Wu soon noticed something was off.
Every dish brought to their table had been prepared by the same person.
And each time the gray-clad servant approached, he looked at Xu Tinglan first.
As if waiting for a signal.
Xiao Wu was just about to speak when something suddenly happened over by Xu Tinglan.
A silver cup dropped to the floor.
It rang out with a crisp chime.
Everyone instinctively looked over.
Xu Tinglan stood where she was, her expression undisturbed. She merely murmured that she'd fumbled it.
But Su Chen saw it clearly.
She had done it on purpose.
As the silver cup hit the floor, her right hand had tapped the edge of the table twice.
It was the signal they'd agreed on to indicate the appointed time had arrived.
A quarter past the hour of the Dog.
Su Chen picked up his wine cup and, hidden by his sleeve, slipped the silver key into his palm.
Then he turned his head and said quietly to Xiao Wu,
"Let's go."
"Now?"
"Now."
Xiao Wu put down her chopsticks, then suddenly raised a hand to press her temple.
Her voice rose a little as she spoke.
"Su Chen, I'm feeling a bit dizzy."
At once, people nearby looked over.
Han Su sat just forward of the main seat, his smile unchanged.
"If Miss Xiao Wu can't hold her liquor, perhaps she should go rest in the side hall."
"Sure."
Xiao Wu braced herself against the table as she stood, deliberately swaying a little.
"I'll go rest for a while, then."
Su Chen stood too.
"I'll go with her."
Han Su's lips pressed together slightly.
"His Highness the Holy Son, the banquet hasn't—"
"She came with me."
Su Chen shot him a glance.
"She's feeling unwell. I'm taking her out. Do you have a problem with that?"
Han Su paused, then smiled again.
"Of course not."
Xu Tinglan had already lowered her head and moved aside, clearing the way to the Side Corridor.
Su Chen supported Xiao Wu as they headed out.
As soon as they turned into the passageway, Xiao Wu, who had been "dizzy," immediately straightened up.
"How was my acting?"
"Not as convincing as your fake moves during the day."
Xiao Wu glared at him.
"Couldn't you let me impress you for once?"
Su Chen didn't answer. He simply handed her the key.
"Third door on the left."
"You open it. I'll watch our backs."
The passageway was quiet.
The sounds of the banquet outside had passed through a wall and grown muffled.
Xiao Wu's footsteps were light. She reached the door in three steps.
She took the key and slid it into the lock.
Click.
It opened.
Beyond the door was an even narrower, dark passage.
The air smelled of old paper and wood wax.
Xiao Wu was about to go in when Su Chen suddenly reached out and gently held her back.
"Don't rush."
"What's wrong?"
Su Chen didn't answer. He merely pressed down lightly on the edge of the threshold with his foot.
Click.
A hair-thin, gleaming steel wire suddenly snapped out from above the doorframe and whipped across the wall.
If she'd gone straight in, it would have sliced her throat.
A chill ran down Xiao Wu's back.
"So there really was a blade."
"I told you, tonight wouldn't be just a banquet."
Su Chen bent down, yanked the steel wire free, and tossed it aside.
"Now we can go in."
At the end of the dark passage were two small rooms.
One was the Key Room.
The other door stood half-open, and the faint sound of papers being turned came from inside.
Xiao Wu crept over to peek, then immediately turned back.
"Someone's in there."
"How many?"
"Two."
"One's searching through things, and the other's packing boxes."
Su Chen nodded.
"Go in."
Xiao Wu darted inside first.
She moved so quickly she barely stirred the air.
The two people inside hadn't even reacted before she kicked over the wooden chest by the door.
With a crash, account books scattered across the floor.
The two people inside snapped their heads up.
One was Lu Ming.
The other was the Deacon who had followed Han Su during the day.
Their faces changed on the spot.
"Who—"
"Your granny."
Xiao Wu stepped forward and punched the Deacon in the face.
Thud.
He slammed straight into the shelves, blood spilling from his nose at once.
Lu Ming turned and tried to run.
Su Chen was already in the doorway. He reached out and pinned Lu Ming by the shoulder.
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