Apologies and an Earth-Shaking Case

Shopkeeper Lu slowly picked up the teacup on the table, blew away the foam, and smiled. "Master Song, don't rush into those big matters. One thing at a time. You and Xiao Wu clashed in Tanlong Alley today, and your man fired a gun. He nearly killed Xiao Wu. I'm afraid we can't just let that slide."

Shopkeeper Lu raised his eyes and smiled at Abacus Song. "Let's settle this family matter first. Then we can talk about the Dragon King Society. What do you say?"

Abacus Song's heart tightened.

Shopkeeper Lu was putting him in his place.

He was putting him in his place to back Qin Geng.

It was also a chance to see how sincere Abacus Song really was.

If he couldn't even get past Qin Geng, there would be no question of redeeming himself by meritorious service.

"Yes, yes. Shopkeeper Lu is right."

Without the slightest hesitation, Abacus Song turned to Qin Geng and bowed deeply.

"Fifth Master, today I failed to recognize a great man standing before me. I was blind as a dog and offended you and Master Zhu Xin. I'll take whatever punishment you see fit, without a word of complaint."

He straightened, his face piled high with an ingratiating smile. "The year's almost over, and you're bound to need money, Fifth Master. Martial artists burn through a lot of resources. You can't do without it."

"The Boss's seat in South City is vacant, isn't it? Starting tomorrow, Fifth Master, South City is yours to run. I'll also prepare twenty brand-new rickshaws for you."

"How you use the proceeds from then on—whether you keep them or use them to win people over—is entirely up to you. And once the Dragon King Society falls, you'll have a business to put down roots in Ping'an County Town."

It was no small offer.

A Boss's position, twenty new rickshaws, and full control of the profits: Abacus Song was handing Qin Geng a goose that laid golden eggs.

Then he took a bank draft from his robe and presented it to Qin Geng with both hands.

Qin Geng glanced at the draft. Printed across it in vermilion were the words "Tianjin Rishenglong Exchange House."

Below ran dense rows of anti-counterfeiting marks, the whole thing exuding wealth as solid as a mountain.

"And... Master Zhu Xin was frightened, and his health isn't good to begin with. Here are a hundred silver dollars as my apology to him, so he can live out his old age in comfort."

The room fell silent.

Zheng Tonghe and Daoist Miaoxuan exchanged a glance. Both saw a trace of surprise in the other's eyes.

This was a substantial apology.

It showed how determined Abacus Song was.

The Dragon King Society's affairs could mean confiscation of property and the execution of entire families. Abacus Song was genuinely terrified.

"Heh, heh."

Third Master Cao grinned. "Good. That's sincere."

Then Third Master Cao looked at Qin Geng. "Xiao Wu, let's call this settled. Little Song knows how to read a room. Now let's get down to business."

With that, he had accepted the apology on Qin Geng's behalf.

Qin Geng had no objection.

"Now tell us. Lay it all out. The Snake Corpse, and anything else going on behind the scenes—give us every detail."

Third Master Cao's expression turned grave, and the authority of an official radiated from him. "I am the Earth Official Chief of the Directorate of Astronomy, after all. Ping'an County Town is under my jurisdiction. If you truly haven't had much to do with acts that outrage heaven and reason, I might count this as meritorious service to offset your crimes."

"Done!"

With Third Master Cao's word, the stone weighing on Abacus Song's heart finally dropped.

He steadied himself and began to lay out everything he knew.

"Tianjin has plenty of mountains, plenty of water, and plenty of tombs from the previous dynasty. As far as I know, those foreigners seem to be searching for something handed down from ancient times."

"Treasure?"

Shopkeeper Lu set down his teacup and frowned. "What does that have to do with raising corpses?"

"A great deal."

Abacus Song explained, "For one thing, the foreigners have several Disease Cultivators under them who know the field. They want to study how people here reach the higher levels and see if they can find a shortcut. The Snake Corpse is their test subject."

"For another, the thing is powerful and fears no death. They can keep it as muscle. Whether they need it to guard a place or get rid of someone in the way, it's useful."

He paused, lowered his voice, and revealed the most crucial point.

"More importantly, it's meant to throw people off the scent. If this blows up and Great Xin's authorities investigate, the trail will lead them, at most, to the Dragon King Society colluding with Wicked Cultivators to make evil things in the mountains."

"Who would imagine an earth-shaking treasure hunt hidden underneath it all? The Snake Corpse is a smokescreen, a scapegoat they can throw out to take the blame."

"The treasure hunt is eighty percent of it. Everything else accounts for twenty percent at most. The foreigners are mainly after that treasure. You'd never have guessed if I hadn't told you."

Abacus Song thumped his chest.

"What treasure? What could be worth all this trouble?"

Third Master Cao pressed him.

"I don't know exactly what it is."

Abacus Song shook his head. "Why would that old fox Jiang Hailong tell me? Maybe he doesn't know either. But those foreigners in charge definitely know what they're looking for."

"Hmm..."

Third Master Cao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. From today on, you stay with the Dragon King Society. If anything stirs, keep Xiao Wu informed at once. Understood?"

"Of course, of course."

Abacus Song nodded like a chicken pecking grain. He looked at Qin Geng gratefully, cupped his fists again, and said, "Fifth Master, from now on, I'm putting my life in your hands."

"All right."

Qin Geng nodded his agreement.

Third Master Cao rose, stretched, and chuckled. "That's enough for today. Time we left. Little Song, remember what I said. Contact Xiao Wu whenever anything comes up. You're both in the rickshaw trade, so meeting should be easy enough."

"Xiao Wu's a clever lad. Don't try any tricks with him. I won't need to lift a finger—he'll sort you out himself."

"Understood, understood. I wouldn't dare. Absolutely not."

Abacus Song gave a helpless, bitter smile.

He could see it now. Qin Geng might be young, but his mind and methods were no worse than those of an old hand like him, who had spent a lifetime navigating the underworld.

That was talent.

Some people, the moment they reached a higher level, became shrewd beyond their years. Let them catch the wind and clouds, and they would turn into dragons.

Today, Qin Geng had called all the big shots together and laid everything out face-to-face. He had seen through every little calculation Abacus Song had made and left him no room to bargain.

Abacus Song sincerely admired that nerve and cunning.

"One more thing..."

After seeing them to the door, Abacus Song still couldn't help asking, "Gentlemen, when you came here today, no... no one else saw you, did they?"

He asked with extreme caution, afraid Jiang Hailong might have caught wind of it.

"Listen to you."

Third Master Cao turned back and gave him a mocking look, as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"This is our line of work. You really need to ask?"

"What, scared out of your wits?"