Ding Tiechui

The watch the little girl had picked up proved that she hadn't lied.

At the same time, it also proved that Peach Blossom had indeed met with an accident.

Unfortunately, the little girl was too young. Aside from seeing Peach Blossom's carriage get stolen, she didn't know who had taken it.

"Sir, I really don't know anything else. Can I still keep this gold coin?"

The little girl gazed longingly at the coin in Lin Fei's hand, her stomach rumbling. She hadn't eaten in several meals.

Lin Fei pressed the coin into her hand, then turned to look at the other little beggars.

Their eyes were filled with envy, greed, and jealousy.

Lin Fei had no doubt that the moment he left, they would snatch the coin from the little girl.

"I have more gold coins here. Whoever can find out who stole that carriage and where they took it will get one."

Lin Fei took out another gold coin and tossed it to a vendor selling flatbreads by the roadside.

"I'll buy all your flatbreads."

The vendor was overjoyed. He could sell those flatbreads for no more than a hundred copper coins.

One gold coin was enough to cover a whole year's worth of flatbreads.

"Thank you, sir!"

Lin Fei looked at the little beggars and told them, "Help yourselves to the flatbreads. Once you've eaten your fill, you can go ask around."

"I'll wait here. Whoever brings back the information gets the gold coin."

The little beggars immediately rushed over to the flatbread stall and had stripped it bare in no time.

They all hurried off to ask around, afraid someone else would get there first.

The little girl who had received the gold coin grabbed only two flatbreads.

She didn't go with the others to ask around. Instead, she turned and left.

Lin Fei noticed a man quietly following her.

The little girl hadn't gone far before the man knocked her to the ground and stole her gold coin.

She wailed and chased after him, but couldn't catch up. She could only watch as he darted into an alley and disappeared.

Lin Fei saw what happened and could only sigh silently.

Perhaps he shouldn't have given the little girl a gold coin. She was too young to keep it safe.

In South City, robberies and thefts happened all the time.

Forget a gold coin—even a single silver coin was enough to tempt plenty of people.

Lin Fei didn't help the little girl. There were too many unfortunate people like her; he couldn't help them all.

If he gave her another gold coin, she wouldn't be able to keep it either. It would just get stolen again.

Just then, the flatbread vendor, who was about to leave, came over.

"Sir, I saw what you were asking about just now. I know who did it."

"You do?"

Lin Fei looked at him, his gaze urgent.

The vendor gave an awkward smile and asked in return, "I heard you say there was a reward for information, right?"

Without another word, Lin Fei gave him another gold coin.

The vendor was a little greedy and added, "If I tell you, I'll be taking a risk too..."

Lin Fei didn't blame him for being greedy. He gave him ten gold coins all at once.

"Is that enough?"

"Y-yes, plenty!"

The vendor was overjoyed. He quickly hid the coins, afraid someone might see them.

"Sir, the people who stole the carriage that day were from the Blood Wolf Gang. I know one of them. He often eats my flatbreads without paying."

"His name is Ding Tiechui. His father runs a smithy, and their family makes weapons for the Blood Wolf Gang."

"All the vendors on this street are afraid of him. We have to pay him protection money every month..."

Lin Fei saw that the vendor was going on and on, so he cut him off.

"Where is this Ding Tiechui now?"

"I don't know."

"Then where's his family's smithy?"

"Not far up ahead. It's called the Ding Family Smithy. Don't tell him I told you, or he won't let me off."

The vendor hefted his flatbread stall and hurried away.

Lin Fei headed to the Ding Family Smithy. Several blacksmiths were working inside, each drenched in sweat.

Years of hammering iron had given them a sturdy look, with thick arms and bulging muscles.

Lin Fei sent his attendant back first and stayed behind alone to observe the smithy.

"Ding Tiechui's with the Blood Wolf Gang. I wonder if he knows martial arts."

Though his body had been strengthened quite a bit, he had only learned the Xingyi Five Elements Fist. He could hold his own against ordinary people.

But if he ran into someone who knew martial arts, he probably wouldn't be a match.

If he wanted to get information out of Ding Tiechui, he had to prepare for both possibilities.

First, he could bribe him with money.

If Ding Tiechui cooperated, it would save him trouble.

Second, if he refused to cooperate, Lin Fei would have to use force.

To make sure nothing went wrong and that word didn't get out, he had no choice but to ask someone for help.

Lin Fei went to the Thousand Gold Pavilion to ask Li Ruxue for help.

More precisely, he was asking her maid, Xunmei, for help.

Xunmei had said before that she was at Qi Refining Level Five. She must be quite powerful.

Li Ruxue didn't refuse and agreed to help.

With Xunmei's help, Lin Fei felt much more confident.

Lin Fei and Xunmei settled on the time and plan, then he left.

When he arrived at the Ding Family Smithy, Lin Fei asked, "Excuse me, is Tiechui here?"

"What do you want with my son?"

A burly old man with a thick beard looked at Lin Fei. His skin was dark.

"Good day, Uncle. I heard Brother Tiechui manages the street up ahead. I'd like to open a small shop there."

"This is a small token of my respect. Please accept it, Uncle. I'm also hosting a banquet at the Welcome Guest Restaurant tonight, and I hope Brother Tiechui will do me the honor of joining me."

Lin Fei gave Ding Tiechui's father a gold coin. The old man's eyes lit up, and he said he would certainly tell his son.

That evening, Lin Fei booked the entire Welcome Guest Restaurant.

Ding Tiechui came, but he didn't come alone. He brought two companions.

This was beyond Lin Fei's expectations.

"Who wants to see me?"

"Are you Brother Tiechui? I'm the one who wanted to see you. Why don't we go to a private room and talk over dinner?"

Ding Tiechui looked a lot like his father. He had a thick beard too, and was powerfully built and strong as an ox.

Though he was a big, burly man, his mind was anything but dull.

He watched Lin Fei warily and asked, "No need for dinner. If you've got something to say, say it. If you've got something to fart, fart it out. I don't have time to dance around the subject with you."

Seeing this, Lin Fei had no choice but to take out a banknote worth one hundred gold coins.

"Brother Tiechui, there's something I'd like to ask you about. This is a token of my gratitude."

Ding Tiechui took it without the slightest hesitation, then circled Lin Fei, looking him up and down from every angle.

"You're pretty generous. You don't look like a businessman to me. What do you want to ask?"

"Could we speak somewhere more private?"

"Why bother? You're so long-winded. If you've got a question, ask it."

Ding Tiechui had taken the money, yet still didn't show Lin Fei the slightest respect.

Lin Fei gritted his teeth in anger, but still plastered a smile on his face.

"Brother Tiechui, five days ago, my wife and her maid went out in a carriage. I heard you robbed them. I'd like to know if they're all right."

Ding Tiechui furrowed his brows and played dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about. You've got the wrong man."

With that, Ding Tiechui started to leave with his men.

"Don't go!"

Lin Fei grabbed Ding Tiechui by the shoulder. Ding Tiechui turned and threw a punch at him.

Lin Fei couldn't dodge in time. The punch struck him in the chest, sending him staggering back several steps.

Ding Tiechui sneered, a savage look on his face.

"I knew it. A stranger inviting me to dinner out of the blue couldn't mean anything good."

"Since you've come looking for me, I'll send you to join your wife today!"