Qing Chen wore a broad smile and hurriedly rose to refill Li Muyun's tea.
"Brother Yun, you're putting me to shame."
He bent at the waist, lowering his voice considerably, with a touch of deliberate humility. "Back then, I was nothing but a brothel enforcer. It was entirely thanks to your patronage, Brother Yun, that I got this post.
"This Subordinate Seventh Rank assistant military commandant might seem impressive to others, but in my heart, Brother Yun, you're my elder brother, my great benefactor. I'll always be your little brother, running errands for you!"
He paused, stealing a glance at Li Muyun's expression.
Seeing the corners of his mouth relax a little, he continued, "These past three months, I've walked on thin ice every day, afraid I might mishandle something and disgrace you, Brother Yun.
"Only yesterday did I finally find the time to book a private room at Maple Grove Pavilion. The place is very discreet, and they have excellent drugs. Brother Yun, you must do me the honor!"
At this, a satisfied smile finally appeared on Li Muyun's face. He patted Qing Chen on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
"At least you have a conscience, brat. But your assistant commandant's post isn't just an empty title, either. You have over three hundred men watching the gate. Tomorrow night, we'll go and come straight back. Don't neglect your watch."
Once he had seen Li Muyun's sedan chair out, the smile vanished from Qing Chen's face. He turned and entered the inner hall, calling into the shadows.
"Niu Dali."
The door curtain lifted, and a sturdy man walked in.
He wore a blue soldier's uniform, with a ring-pommel saber tucked at his waist. It was Niu Dali.
He was now a squad captain at the west gate, commanding fifty men. His Ninth Rank official title was not particularly high, but it was a hundred times better than his former life as an enforcer in the Twin Eagles Association.
Qing Chen's second younger brother, Qing Jie, had also become captain of Qing Chen's personal guard.
Niu Dali and his old brothers from the Twin Eagles Association now all served under Qing Chen. Those who had survived were at least leaders of ten.
"Chief." Niu Dali bowed and cupped his fists. His voice rang like a great bell, though he deliberately kept it low. "You called for me?"
Qing Chen sat in his chair and pointed to the stool opposite him. "Sit. I have a job for you. It has to be discreet, and nothing can go wrong."
Niu Dali had only half sat down when he straightened again at those words. "Give the order, and I'll get it done right away."
"Pick a few of our old brothers from the Twin Eagles Association."
Qing Chen tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze turning cold. "Dress as mounted bandits and go to the nearby villages and towns outside the city. Kidnap an apothecary who understands medicinal substances and bring him back. You must begin the return journey within six hours. Don't let anyone see your faces.
"Preferably a handsome scholar with fair skin and a slender build. He must have no scars on his body."
Niu Dali's heart jolted. This was no small matter.
But he did not dare ask questions. He merely nodded. "Yes! I'll pick the men right away. I guarantee it'll be done properly."
He knew Qing Chen's temperament all too well. He was not to ask what he should not ask, only do as he was told.
Qing Chen added, "Don't kill anyone, and don't steal anything. Just take the man. If anyone resists..."
He paused. "Breaking their legs is fine. Just don't kill them."
Niu Dali acknowledged the order, then turned and left.
Leaving the inner hall, he headed straight for the soldiers' barracks at the west gate and found eight brothers who had left the Twin Eagles Association with him. Every one of them was a ruthless man with blood on his hands.
Under cover of dusk, they slipped out through the gate's side entrance.
At a deserted slope outside the city, they hastily changed into the coarse black clothes prepared beforehand, tucked short sabers at their waists, and smeared soot from the bottom of a cooking pot onto their faces.
"Let's go! Clear Creek Village first. I know a scholar there who knows medicine." Niu Dali swung into the saddle, raised his whip, and galloped toward Clear Creek Village.
At that moment, cooking smoke hung thick over Clear Creek Village.
The scholar Li Yunyi sat on a stone stool in his courtyard, holding a copy of Materia Medica. Beside him stood a mortar, with some licorice still left unground inside.
He had only recently married, and his life was fairly peaceful. How could he have imagined calamity would come knocking?
Clop, clop, clop-
Hoofbeats came from the village entrance, drawing ever closer.
Li Yunyi looked up and saw a group of black-clad men on horseback charging toward his courtyard. Their leader had a brutish face and a gaze that looked ready to devour someone.
Panic struck him. The book in his hands fell to the ground with a smack, its pages fluttering and curling in the wind.
"Run!" Li Yunyi only managed to shout that single word before turning to hide inside the house.
But Niu Dali's horse had already reached the courtyard gate. He leaped from the saddle, seized Li Yunyi's collar with a hand as broad as a palm-leaf fan, and lifted him like a chick.
"Boy, you're coming with me!" Niu Dali's voice was coarse and hoarse, carrying a whiff of blood.
Li Yunyi struggled, flailing his arms and legs. "Who are you? You dare abduct a law-abiding citizen in broad daylight?"
"A law-abiding citizen?" Niu Dali sneered and signaled to the brothers behind him with his eyes. "Tie him up!"
Two men stepped forward, bound Li Yunyi's hands behind his back with hemp rope, and stuffed a rag into his mouth.
Hearing the commotion, Li Yunyi's wife, Madam Wang, rushed out of the house, her hair disheveled. She still held a half-sewn garment, with a loose thread dangling from her needlework.
"You beasts! Let my husband go!"
Madam Wang lunged forward, trying to grab Niu Dali's arm, but one of the men kicked her in the lower abdomen.
She fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Her sewing box dropped beside her, scattering silver needles all over the ground. Several pierced her palm, and beads of blood immediately seeped out.
Niu Dali glanced at her, a cruel smile appearing on his face. "Little lady, count yourself lucky. We only want your husband. If you know what's good for you, stay out of it!
Madam Wang scrambled up and tried to rush forward again, but the man pinned her shoulder down with the back of his saber.
She watched helplessly as Li Yunyi was bound onto a horse's back. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she could only watch the riders disappear into the distance.
By the time they drove the horse cart back to the west gate, it was completely dark.
Seeing that it was Niu Dali, the gate guards let them through without asking further questions.
Li Yunyi lay bound on the cart, his mouth gagged, his face deathly pale, and his whole body trembling.
Niu Dali took him to an abandoned granary beside the gate, locked the door, and stationed two brothers to guard it before going to see Qing Chen.
Qing Chen was waiting in the inner hall, with two cloth bundles on the table.
He opened one of them. Inside were grayish-brown shells covered in fine, dense patterns-the infant millet shells mentioned in Records of Profound Mysteries;
Inside the other cloth bundle were several glossy black fangs: Five-Spider Fang.
"Did you bring him?" Qing Chen asked, looking up.
"Reporting to the chief, he's locked in the granary," Niu Dali answered with a bow.
Qing Chen nodded. "Very good."
Lately, Li Muyun had taken a liking to Five-Stone Powder, as well as to men. Handsome scholars like this one, who knew medicine and could read, were his favorites.
With this specially prepared Five-Stone Powder added to the mix, taking too much would simply make him die sooner.
At the hour of the dog, the night deepened, and Maple Grove Pavilion blazed with lamplight.
"Hahaha, Brother Yun, you're a little early tonight!"
Qing Chen looked at Li Muyun as he pushed open the door and entered, his face wreathed in smiles.
At those words, Li Muyun chuckled, his expression showing considerable eagerness and anticipation.
"Ah, Brother Qing, to tell you the truth, I'm terribly impatient. A moment on a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Let's get straight to the main event!"