Incense Lure

"Is this a secret chamber?"

Zhou Muzhi stopped in an artificially excavated semicircular passage. The place felt like a prison built specifically for that purpose.

At the outermost entrance was a mechanism, cleverly made, requiring three switches and a key together to open the place.

The steward walked ahead carrying a lantern, while Zhou Muzhi followed alone behind him.

As for the others, they only needed to stay outside and keep watch.

The air throughout the passage was damp and carried the stench of urine. It was clear that people had lived here for a long time.

At the end of the passage, they could see individual cells partitioned off especially for prisoners, with weeds spread inside and everyday necessities such as bathing tubs.

But after looking around, they found not a single person.

Zhou Muzhi stopped.

When he stopped, the steward ahead stopped too, holding the swaying lantern in a trembling hand and stealing glances at the killer behind him out of the corner of his eye.

He prayed inwardly that this killer would ask no more questions. He was truly afraid that one careless mistake would cost him his head.

What he feared came to pass. Zhou Muzhi asked, "Where are the people who lived in here? The people you imprisoned?"

The steward's expression turned bitter, his mind racing. Surely he could not foolishly say he did not know. He had heard from this man's subordinates how the previous steward had died.

Spurred by the threat of death, he immediately answered.

"Great hero, I truly don't know anything about what went on in here, but-but if you spare my life, I'm willing to be your inside man. Once I find out, I'll tell you!"

Zhou Muzhi gave the man a surprised look. In the lantern light, the fat steward's face was covered in a clammy sweat, and even his legs were trembling.

He laughed.

"Heh, you're a talent. I like clever people."

Zhou Muzhi thought that the last clever one had been Third Master, who had provided him with quite a lot of help.

Whether this man truly intended to serve as his inside man, however, was rather doubtful.

Just as Zhou Muzhi was considering striking directly, the fat steward immediately handed over something that could be used against him.

He pulled a booklet from the inner lining of his clothes and held it before Zhou Muzhi, his voice still trembling.

"This is the silver I've embezzled. Over these eight years, it's come to a full three thousand taels. I've recorded every sum. With this in hand, if I disobey, you can simply give it to the gambling house's people. And I can give you all the silver I have left on me too!"

Such a strong will to survive?

People this unwilling to die were relatively rare. Zhou Muzhi seldom let these opponents speak; he generally walked over and finished them with a single move.

He reached out, took the booklet, and flipped through several pages. The contents recorded within involved too many aspects to be fabricated.

After closing it, Zhou Muzhi abandoned the idea of killing the man.

He did count as a talent.

His killing intent vanished, and Zhou Muzhi turned around. The fat steward's heart finally settled.

The two walked out.

The two men outside were still keeping watch. When they saw the people inside emerge, they silently followed.

They returned to the first floor.

"Let's go," Zhou Muzhi said.

He had already searched this place. Since there was nothing in that secret chamber, the rest of the gambling house held little significance.

Once it truly fell into his hands, he could arrange for Third Master to take over.

Yes, he really intended to let Third Master take over. This place was a fat piece of meat, one that could probably bring in considerable profits.

Hadn't a mere steward embezzled three thousand taels of silver in eight years? When his second brother had supported him, that was all the ready silver he had provided.

Hearing this, the eight men left the gambling house as well. They had arrived in a muddle and departed just as bewildered.

Not one of them had died; they had only suffered a few injuries.

Traces of astonishment appeared in their eyes. Looking at Zhou Muzhi, they made up their minds.

If this man called on them again, they had to come.

There was silver to be earned without having to give up their lives. The clever ones among the eight were already wondering how to join the group of the man who had contacted them during the day.

A backer this powerful was something they might not encounter even once in several years in this small city.

After leaving the gambling house behind completely, Zhou Muzhi dismissed the men.

He had gathered them to handle strenuous, thankless tasks, and they had done fairly well just now.

They also met his initial standards for recruits. Once he returned, he could speak to Third Master and have him select a few to keep on hand as appropriate.

Surely he could not personally handle every little chore, from finding people to questioning them.

Walking alone through an alley, Zhou Muzhi looked up at the sky, then lowered his head and murmured.

"It's time."

He meant the two sticks of incense he carried.

If he used these two sticks of incense successfully, he could advance his cultivation realm.

However, there was one problem he needed to resolve.

How could he make the wronged spirit come out?

Ever since he had punched this wronged spirit last time, it had not appeared for a long while. Zhou Muzhi had waited a long time without seeing it emerge.

At a time like this, he needed a lure.

Traditional medicine had guiding ingredients, and the incense-lighting trade likewise had incense lures.

Zhou Muzhi's method was to provoke it. As long as more of the people the wronged spirit hated appeared, it would inevitably emerge again.

That had been part of his reason for visiting the gambling house just now, but the provocation apparently had not been enough. It seemed the surroundings alone would not do.

He could only try capturing everyone who had survived that night and bringing them over.

The gambling house.

Only after a long time, when it was already late at night, did people from the gambling house arrive.

Few people inside the gambling house remained alive. Before leaving, the eight men had looted the place. They were all the sort to put money before their lives, and at a time like this, they were bound to sweep up whatever they could.

As far as could be seen, almost all the gambling house's personnel had died. The distinguished guests who had come to gamble, however, had survived because they were willing to hand over silver.

Qian Zhen had not come. Someone capable of dealing with a Blood Gate Martial Artist could deal with him too, so he merely sent people to handle matters from afar while remaining where he was.

After piecing together the entire sequence of events, Qian Zhen finally noticed what was wrong.

Everything had begun that day on Liu Street, when a lackey under him had died. He had originally assumed a Zhou Family guard had killed him.

But thinking back afterward, nearly everyone connected to this incident had died. Only one person remained alive, and every clue pointed toward him...

"Zhou Muzhi?"

Qian Zhen spoke the name.

This man was currently the prime suspect, and he was still alive and well. Even if he was not responsible, he was deeply connected to these matters...

However, the forces under Qian Zhen could no longer deal with an expert suspected of being at Five Senses. Such experts rarely appeared in small places like this; they generally went to cities with more resources.

After thinking it over, Qian Zhen sighed and called outside, "Ready the horses! I'm going to see my master!"

The servants outside immediately sprang into action. The entire residence stirred, and soon a luxurious carriage drawn by four horses appeared outside the gates.

Fully dressed and wearing a grave expression, Qian Zhen boarded the carriage and headed for the place where his final trump card lay.