Conspiracy

Somewhere.

An ancient-looking temple.

There were no gods or Buddhas in the temple, only a black statue with a crow's body and a human face.

Some ragged poor people, their expressions numb and ashen, knelt before the statue to pray and make wishes. Wave after wave came without end, and incense burned continuously in the censer before the statue.

A few Gray-skinned Rats squeaked in the corner, darting back and forth through the shadows.

Behind the temple, in a courtyard neither large nor small, many people clad in strange black garments hurried to and fro.

"Vice Leader, there's been a bit of trouble."

In a secluded chamber at the very back, a Black Crow Sect member dressed in black lay prostrate on the ground, reporting something to a man likewise clad in black, though the lapels of his robe bore Black Crow wing patterns embroidered in red silk thread.

The Vice Leader sat there. He opened his eyes and looked over, saying calmly, "What is it?"

"Among the people taken in this batch, one seems to have some connection to a head runner from the City Guard..."

The sect member on the ground carefully reported, "It seems that side has already been alerted. That man is sending people to investigate the matter."

The Vice Leader's brow creased slightly. "Where is the person?"

The sect member reported softly, "They've already been sent to the main altar."

After hearing this, the Vice Leader revealed a thoughtful look. "Then let us pretend we know nothing of this."

The person had already been sent to the main altar and absolutely could not be released. Even the slightest leak of news from the main altar would be a heaven-shaking disaster. As for being connected to a head runner of the City Guard... that was nothing much.

If that matter succeeded, then let alone a mere head runner in Nine Stripes Ward, so what if it were the General Office of the South District?

"Enough. Tell no one else about this. You may leave."

The Vice Leader waved a hand.

The sect member answered heavily, rose, and departed.

Red Gold Gang headquarters.

Compared to the maze-like, cramped, congested alleys where the Thieves Guild dwelled, the Red Gold Gang's territory was much more spacious. They occupied a vast area, with several nearby courtyards connected together.

When Chen Mu arrived with his men, he could even hear people in the rear courtyard shouting as they practiced their blades and trained their martial arts.

When the gang members outside heard Chen Mu's purpose, they immediately went inside to report it. A moment later, someone came out and respectfully led Chen Mu's group into the compound, all the way to a small courtyard on the westernmost side that was clearly much more finely furnished.

"Lord Chen truly cuts a fine figure—young and accomplished indeed."

A man in a dark long robe stood in the courtyard. Hearing movement behind him, he slowly turned around. He appeared to be around forty, with bright, piercing eyes. He was Yin Hong, the Red Gold Gang's leader.

As the leader of the largest gang in Nine Stripes Ward, with several hundred gang members under his command, his influence rivaled that of the City Guard. He also had backing from the Inner City, making him a figure on equal footing with Min Baoyi.

"I have long heard of Leader Yin's great name."

Chen Mu walked into the courtyard and signaled for Liu Song and the others to wait outside.

The Red Gold Gang was clearly also very concerned about the Black Crow Sect. The fact that Yin Hong, the gang leader himself, had come to meet Chen Mu upon hearing his purpose, rather than sending a deputy leader or someone similar, made that plain enough.

Chen Mu did not waste words, explaining his purpose in just a few sentences.

After hearing him out, Yin Hong pondered for a while before saying, "If it has nothing to do with the Thieves Guild, and no one else is behind it, then it is most likely connected to the Black Crow Sect. To be frank, even members of my Red Gold Gang have gone missing at their hands, and their whereabouts remain unknown."

"Oh?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Mu's eyes.

After a brief moment of thought, Yin Hong said, "The Black Crow Sect has concocted this so-called Black Crow God to swindle the common people and squeeze them dry of their money. We have always despised them for it. Recently, quite a few disappearances have been vaguely linked to them. Some of the missing are relatives of people in my gang, and when my men went to investigate, they too vanished without a trace."

"For that reason, I personally went to negotiate with the Black Crow Sect, but they fobbed me off. For the stability of Nine Stripes Ward, it was truly inconvenient for me to clash with their sect, especially since I had no evidence."

Yin Hong spoke with some shame.

Naturally, Chen Mu believed only half of Yin Hong's words. Stability in Nine Stripes Ward? No evidence? That was pure bullshit. Yin Hong simply did not want to fight the Black Crow Sect until both sides were battered and let someone else reap the gains.

At this point, Yin Hong fixed Chen Mu with a burning gaze. "The Black Crow Sect is outrageously bold. They even dare lay hands on people from the City Guard. I suspect there is an even greater conspiracy behind them. Lord Chen can report this matter to Yamen Director Min. If the City Guard takes action, my Red Gold Gang will certainly be willing to assist with the investigation."

The intent behind those words was obvious.

The disappearances and conspiracy were probably all nonsense. Yin Hong wanted to take the opportunity to join hands with the City Guard and sweep clean the portion of Nine Stripes Ward occupied by the Black Crow Sect.

After all, the Black Crow Sect's influence stretched across several wards, and its open strength alone exceeded that of the Red Gold Gang. Though the Red Gold Gang supposedly had patrons in the Inner City, in truth they were merely pet dogs casually raised by great figures there—driven out for use when needed, and not worth a second glance when they were not. If the Red Gold Gang wanted to grow, Yin Hong could only rely on himself.

If he could use this opportunity to stir up the City Guard and have them take the lead, then the Red Gold Gang could naturally follow at ease, lend a hand, give the Black Crow Sect a ruthless beating, and throw them out of Nine Stripes Ward.

"A conspiracy? Not necessarily."

Chen Mu naturally understood Yin Hong's purpose. He was not about to let Yin Hong provoke him with a few words into becoming the Red Gold Gang's spear. In an even tone, he said, "They have merely trafficked some people. How much of a storm can a small sect like theirs possibly raise?"

Yin Hong gave a chuckle. "Lord Chen serves in the City Guard, so perhaps your news is not as swift as ours. Perhaps Lord Chen has not noticed that recently, within this city... there have been many more Gray-skinned Rats appearing out of nowhere?"

Hm?

Hearing Yin Hong's words, Chen Mu's eyes immediately revealed a trace of surprise.

As Yin Hong said, Chen Mu had indeed encountered rather too many Gray-skinned Rats these past few days. Not only were there many of them, but they were also unusually large, vicious in temperament, and bold enough to attack people. It was highly abnormal. He simply had not connected this matter with the Black Crow Sect.

Yin Hong said with deep eyes, "Though the people I sent all vanished for no reason, they still managed to uncover a tiny bit of information. Aside from worshipping the Black Crow God, the Black Crow Sect also has an unknown Guardian God. This Guardian God takes the form of a Gray-skinned Rat!"

Those words finally made Chen Mu's eyes flash.

The disappearances,

the Guardian God,

the Gray-skinned Rats,

Yin Hong's intelligence was likely true. If only one or two matters were linked to the Black Crow Sect, it would not mean much. But when the disappearances, the Gray-skinned Rats appearing everywhere, and the hidden so-called Guardian God were all gathered together, the signs and clues truly gave off a faintly ominous feeling.

Especially where the Gray-skinned Rats were concerned, Chen Mu had seen them with his own eyes. Moreover, he understood the dangers posed by rats even better. In the world of his previous life, they had been the source of who knew how many plagues and disasters.

If the Black Crow Sect intended to use these Gray-skinned Rats to do something, it would surely be an extraordinarily vile affair.

Investigating Zhang Youying's disappearance had unexpectedly led to something like this, making Chen Mu more solemn than ever before. After a brief contemplation, he immediately cupped his hands toward Yin Hong. "I will report the full situation to the Runner Office. I shall take my leave first."

Yin Hong also raised a hand and smiled. "Then I shall await good news. Please also inform Yamen Director Min that if the City Guard takes any action, I will certainly comply."