The three-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.
Outside Duke Anguo's Residence, guards stood every three steps and sentries every five. The residence itself was ablaze with light, with torches thrust even into the gaps between the roof tiles. From a distance, it looked like a giant torch.
The powerful and influential remained calm on the surface, but behind the scenes, they had all sent people to keep watch and follow developments closely.
Besides them, countless self-important jianghu wanderers and opportunists were rubbing their fists and itching to get started. They saw this as the perfect stage on which to make a name for themselves and hoped to capture the flying thief whose name had shaken the capital with their own hands.
Among the common folk, however, the scene was altogether different. The people dared not discuss it aloud, but the anticipation and tension in their eyes were impossible to hide. Countless people prayed silently that the hero who robbed the rich to help the poor would come to no harm.
At the center of this maelstrom of surging undercurrents, Li Chunfeng, the eldest young master of Duke Anguo's Residence, was scarcely affected.
He was still living a carefree life, drinking himself into oblivion and dreaming his days away.
Though he could not leave, the beauties and delicate concubines kept at the residence were enough to fill his nights with revelry.
But he had long since grown tired of playing with those women.
These days, whenever he closed his eyes, that plainly dressed, graceful figure would involuntarily appear in his mind.
Cheng Zhiwei.
The quiet, bright young woman, like a secluded orchid in an empty valley, made his mouth water and his heart itch unbearably.
Had she been any other woman, he would have seized her outright long ago.
But Cheng Zhiwei's grandfather happened to be Cheng Ming, a highly respected old head constable of the Six Gates. The safety of Duke Anguo's Residence still depended on the grandfather and granddaughter, so he could only force those thoughts down.
At the thought, Li Chunfeng pushed the beauty out of his arms in irritation and walked over to the window, bored out of his mind.
Just then, Li Chunfeng saw Cheng Ming and Cheng Zhiwei patrolling a courtyard in the distance.
They checked every corner, making sure to leave no blind spots or openings.
The courtyard where he was staying was the most important of all.
The moment his gaze fell on the figure he longed for day and night, Li Chunfeng's breathing grew heavy. His eyes filled with undisguised greed, as though his gaze might take physical form and strip the layers of clothing from Cheng Zhiwei's body.
Cheng Zhiwei was exceptionally perceptive and noticed Li Chunfeng's gaze almost at once. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she immediately picked up her pace, giving the place a hasty inspection before leaving.
Watching Cheng Zhiwei's retreating figure as she all but fled, Li Chunfeng chuckled behind the window and quietly made up his mind.
Once this business with Treading the Moon is over, I'll find a way to get this little woman into my bed. Let's see how high and mighty she acts then!
But he did not know that Cheng Zhiwei's hasty departure had left several corners of the courtyard unchecked, creating a flaw that, though inconspicuous, was enough to prove fatal.
Meanwhile, in an extremely secluded little courtyard elsewhere in the capital, Chen Ye was busy.
He had rented the courtyard some time ago under another false identity. It served as a safe house, and everything connected to his identity as Treading the Moon was stored there.
He carefully packed away the things he had made for use that night. Only after making sure nothing could go wrong did he change into an ordinary set of short working clothes and prepare to return to the shared courtyard.
As he passed a street corner, a street bully who usually threw his weight around and oppressed the vendors was standing with his hands on his hips, cursing away.
Chen Ye brushed past him without breaking stride, merely flicking his fingers lightly like a butterfly flitting through flowers.
The bully noticed nothing and continued to swagger about, unaware that his bulging purse had acquired a new owner.
Such was daily life for people of Brushing Walls.
As soon as Chen Ye entered the shared courtyard, he sensed that something was amiss.
Fang Tao and the other brothers of his branch, who usually went about their own business, were all gathered in the courtyard. The moment they saw him return, every one of them began winking at him with suggestive expressions.
Fang Tao strode up and slapped Chen Ye on the shoulder, then lowered his voice and grinned slyly. "Kid, not bad! Without a word from you, a young lady's come looking for you right at our door!"
A young lady? Which young lady?
A flicker of confusion passed through Chen Ye's mind.
"Stop playing dumb!" Fang Tao chuckled. "Little Bell, the one who helped you at the skills competition. Remember her? She's come looking for you, and she's waiting in your room right now."
Chen Ye froze at the news, then hurried to his shabby room and pushed open the door.
Sure enough, Little Bell, Wu Xiaorui, was sitting on a chair with her chin propped in both hands. Her bright eyes smiled toward the doorway, as though she had been waiting for some time.
"Uh... what brings you here?"
Chen Ye really was a little surprised.
He could not understand how the young woman had found this place.
Wu Xiaorui, however, was perfectly at ease. She rose from the chair, put her hands behind her back, and smiled. "What? Aren't I welcome?"
"It's not that. I'm just a little surprised."
After his initial surprise, Chen Ye quickly regained his composure.
He had been in a few relationships in his previous life. Though they had all ultimately fizzled out, they had given him enough experience that he would not be at a loss for what to do whenever he saw a girl.
In truth, Wu Xiaorui was a little shy herself.
She did not know what had come over her today, making her come here as if possessed and ask for this Chen Ye in front of so many people.
What really annoyed her was that she had clearly told him her real name that day, yet he had never come to find her.
Chen Ye naturally had no idea what Wu Xiaorui was thinking. In fact, even if he had known, he would not have paid it any mind.
He had no time to think about such things now, but since she had come, he could hardly push her out the door. Besides, she really had helped him at the skills competition.
"Have you eaten?"
"Do you mean yesterday or today?" Wu Xiaorui asked with a grin.
"Today, of course."
"Not yet, then."
"Perfect. I haven't eaten either. Come on, my treat."
"Sure!" Wu Xiaorui nodded at once, her smile blooming like a flower.
Chen Ye went outside and said a word to Fang Tao.
Fang Tao readily agreed. He even took out a handful of copper coins from his robes on the sly and pressed them into Chen Ye's hand. "Take them! You're taking a young lady out, so don't be too stingy!"
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Chen Ye accepted the coins. Then, under the suggestive, teasing gazes of his Brushing Walls brothers, he led Wu Xiaorui out of the shared courtyard.
Once they had passed through the gate and were out of everyone's sight, Wu Xiaorui's fair, almost translucent face could not help flushing red.
"Are all of you from Brushing Walls this bad?"
"Bad?" Chen Ye paused, then shook his head.
"That's them. I'm an upstanding young man!"
Wu Xiaorui spat. "Pah! You make it sound like it's true. Who'd believe you?"
With that, she was the first to break into a giggle.
Chen Ye smiled without explaining, then asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"How about the Big Wine Jar? It's a rare day off for us at the Cai Character Gate today, and I'd like a couple of drinks."