Chapter 337: A Private Job

In the days that followed, Niu Youdao almost stopped going out altogether. He watched developments on the island at sea with intense attention and required Gongsun Bu's side to report the surveillance situation every day.

Several days later, Linghu Qiu came to the courtyard and called toward Niu Youdao, who was lounging beneath the shade of a tree.

"Brother."

Niu Youdao, who had been flirting idly with Guan Fangyi, turned his head. Seeing that Linghu Qiu had luggage strapped to his back, he stood.

"Second Brother, are you going somewhere?"

Linghu Qiu lowered his voice. "I've found suitable people. But the matter of moving against Wei Chu shouldn't be known to too many people. We need to skip the middleman. I'll have to go speak with them personally, see what conditions they have and what price they want. If we reach an agreement, I'll contact you immediately. You'll have to find a way to handle the money yourself."

Niu Youdao appeared to perk up at once.

"Good! How long will Second Brother be gone?"

"Two or three days at the shortest. Seven or eight at the longest."

After exchanging a few words, Linghu Qiu set off. Niu Youdao had originally said he would see him out, but Linghu Qiu told him there was no need. Too much attention would be inconvenient.

Since that was the case, Niu Youdao did not stand on ceremony. He only escorted him to the gate of the small courtyard.

As they watched Linghu Qiu leave, Guan Fangyi raised her round fan as though casually shielding her face. Under cover of that idle gesture, she tilted her head slightly and gave someone nearby a look. A man immediately slipped away after Linghu Qiu.

Back inside the courtyard, Niu Youdao lay down on the reclining chair again. Guan Fangyi sat on the round stool beside him.

"Looks like things have finally gone the way you wanted. He's finally changing direction and moving against Wei Chu."

Niu Youdao smiled bitterly. "This has gone somewhat beyond my expectations. I didn't think he'd be able to hold out for this long. If he dragged it out much longer, I'd be the one who couldn't hold out."

The reason was simple. The island at sea ought to be making its move soon. Niu Youdao could not remain in the Qi capital forever. He had already stayed far too long. If he truly planted himself here and refused to leave, Hao Yuntu might well decide to deal with him again. The two chatted idly for a while.

Before long, the man who had gone to follow Linghu Qiu returned. He glanced at Niu Youdao sprawled lazily in the chair, apparently uncertain whether he should speak in front of him.

Guan Fangyi said, "He already sleeps in the same room as this old lady. There's nothing to hide. Speak."

Niu Youdao rolled his eyes. This woman truly seemed to be enjoying the old cow eating tender grass. She dragged the matter out to tease him whenever she opened her mouth.

The man reported, "Proprietor, Linghu Qiu left the city alone through the south gate. Before leaving Fufang Garden, he made some slight changes to his appearance."

"Mm." Guan Fangyi nodded to show she understood, then flicked her round fan.

The man was just turning to leave when Niu Youdao suddenly asked, "Linghu Qiu left the city alone?"

The man glanced toward Guan Fangyi again.

"Yes."

Niu Youdao sat up.

"What about Hongxiu and Hongfu? They didn't leave with him?"

The man froze briefly. "Aren't the two of them still in Fufang Garden? They escorted Linghu Qiu only as far as the inside of the side gate. They didn't leave with him."

"Hongxiu and Hongfu didn't go?" Niu Youdao rose, finding it strange. "Those two women have always followed him everywhere."

There had been some time between events.

Guan Fangyi thought for a moment, then said, "Old Six Xu, go over to their courtyard and confirm it. See whether the two women are still there."

"Yes!"

The man left. Before long he returned and confirmed that Hongxiu and Hongfu had indeed remained behind. Linghu Qiu alone had departed.

"What does this mean?" Niu Youdao muttered.

Then he said, "I'll go take a look."

With that, he strode away.

"Why are you walking so fast? Rushing off to be reincarnated?" Guan Fangyi called after him.

Her supple waist swaying, she followed with her round fan moving at an unhurried pace. The moment the two left the courtyard, five or six people emerged from different directions and followed behind them. Hongxiu and Hongfu were drying things in their courtyard. Seeing the visitors arrive, they set their work aside and came over to salute.

"Master Dao. Sister Fang."

Niu Youdao asked directly, "Why didn't you go with Second Brother?"

Hongxiu replied, "Sir said this matter is secret. The two of us are twin sisters and too conspicuous. Anyone watching would notice us easily. The people Sir is going to meet are cautious as well and won't permit him to bring anyone. Sir also intends to conceal his identity and doesn't want them knowing who he is, so he didn't take us..."

After leaving that courtyard and returning to Guan Fangyi's, Niu Youdao paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind him, deep in thought.

Guan Fangyi had taken over the reclining chair. She lay there languidly, her shifting posture full of allure as she lazily waved her fan.

"Stop walking back and forth. You're making me dizzy."

Niu Youdao halted beside her.

"Why do I feel there's something strange about this?"

Guan Fangyi said, "What they said makes sense. If he takes a pair of twin sisters with him, anyone who knows anything will immediately realize he's Linghu Qiu. Being cautious isn't wrong."

Niu Youdao sat on the round stool, leaned over the reclining chair, and spoke near her ear.

"Then who do you think Linghu Qiu would find to move against Wei Chu?"

Guan Fangyi turned her head.

Whoosh!

She blew a breath across his face.

"Didn't you say he's from Xiaoyue Pavilion? Xiaoyue Pavilion is powerful and full of experts. If he wants Wei Chu dead, naturally he'd find people from Xiaoyue..."

Her voice stopped. She frowned.

Niu Youdao said, "Now you understand why there's a problem with what those two women said. If I didn't know his background, they really might have fooled me."

Guan Fangyi shifted onto her side, drew up her legs, and faced him.

"Maybe he found outsiders instead of people from Xiaoyue Pavilion. Besides, Xiaoyue Pavilion has always been mysterious. It's entirely possible that people inside the organization don't reveal their identities even to one another."

"Let's hope so," Niu Youdao said blandly.

He slowly sat upright, his eyes flickering. Two mornings later, someone knocked on the door of Guan Fangyi's bedroom. A maid's voice sounded outside.

"Proprietor."

Guan Fangyi, sound asleep on the couch, shifted and stretched. Niu Youdao sat cross-legged in meditation on the floor.

"Hey. Stop sleeping. Someone's calling you."

The sleeping arrangements inside the room had long since reversed. Guan Fangyi now slept on the couch, while Niu Youdao slept on the floor. There was no helping it. First, his skin was not as thick as hers. Second, he needed something from her. Once Guan Fangyi decided to act shamelessly, Niu Youdao had no way to avoid being driven off the couch.

Without even opening her eyes, Guan Fangyi grabbed a pillow and flung it at him, apparently annoyed that he was disturbing her sleep. Niu Youdao caught the pillow in one hand. Guan Fangyi sprawled out on the couch.

"What is it?"

The maid outside replied, "Proprietor, Old Six Xu says something urgent has happened."

Guan Fangyi's eyes flew open. She seemed to wake completely in an instant. Glancing at the dim light of dawn outside, she knew Old Six Xu would never disturb her at this hour unless the matter truly was urgent.

She sat up at once, slipped her jade-white feet into her shoes, pulled an outer robe over herself, and went outside with her hair still loose. Niu Youdao casually tossed the pillow back onto the couch and rose as well. He strolled out slowly and watched Guan Fangyi meet Old Six Xu in the courtyard. Guan Fangyi swept both hands back through her long hair.

"What happened that's so urgent?"

Old Six Xu said grimly, "Something happened to Old Thirteen. He took a private job. There was a problem with the goods, and the buyer detained him. The buyer is demanding an explanation."

Guan Fangyi's face darkened.

"Who told him to take work privately? This old lady already washed her hands in a golden basin. Didn't I tell all of you to stop too?"

Old Six Xu said, "Eldest Sister, I asked about it. The commission this time was extremely generous. Old Thirteen couldn't resist. He thought he'd make a little money on the side. Who knew something would go wrong?"

The people of Fufang Garden called Guan Fangyi "Proprietor" in public.

In private, they all called her Eldest Sister. Guan Fangyi's face was full of anger. But this was not the time to lose her temper. Anger would solve nothing.

"Who is the buyer?"

"We don't know. They won't say, and according to the rules, we don't ask."

"The seller?"

"We searched all night and couldn't find them. They've probably fled."

"What terms has the other side given?"

"Two choices. Either replace the goods or compensate them in money."

"What goods? How much money?"

"Thirty talismans, worth three million gold coins."

"That much?" Guan Fangyi was startled.

Now she finally understood why Old Thirteen had been tempted.

Old Six Xu smiled bitterly. "Eldest Sister already washed her hands in a golden basin. If the amount weren't so large, we would've settled it ourselves and never disturbed you."

"Where are they holding him?"

"On a boat outside the city."

"Tell Uncle Chen to get ready."

Guan Fangyi threw down the instruction and turned back.

"Yes!" Old Six Xu cupped his hands and left as well.

Niu Youdao, standing beneath the eaves by the doorway, had wanted to ask what happened. But Guan Fangyi swept past him in a trail of fragrance and went straight inside. He had no choice but to follow. Guan Fangyi sat at her dressing table and rapidly began arranging her hair and makeup. Niu Youdao walked over.

"What happened?"

"Someone below me took a private job. Something went wrong with the deal, and the buyer detained him and wants an explanation."

"A private job?" Niu Youdao chuckled. "Looks like the people under you don't listen to you very well."

Guan Fangyi kept combing her hair.

"If you don't understand, stop talking nonsense. Someone probably laid a trap. With a transaction that large, how could buyer and seller not inspect the goods and confirm they were genuine on the spot? What's the meaning of detaining my man afterward? They probably heard I'd washed my hands in a golden basin and decided I looked like a fat piece of meat worth biting."

Someone laid a trap?

Niu Youdao's brows shifted.

"Could they be coming for me?"

Guan Fangyi looked back at him.

"How would something like this connect back to you?"

Niu Youdao fell briefly silent. It was only suspicion. Under his present circumstances, any change around him made him wonder whether it might somehow be aimed at him.

He asked again, "How do you plan to handle it?"

"Since they've already bitten down, naturally I'll go see whether their teeth are hard enough."

"Don't act recklessly. If they dared set the trap, they'll certainly have prepared for you."

"Prepared?" Guan Fangyi scoffed. "If this old lady couldn't even deal with people who come looking for trouble, do you think the signboard of Hongniang of the Qi capital could've remained standing until today?"

"Oh?" Niu Youdao looked interested. "Then why did you surrender to me so easily?"

"Aiya, look at you, getting the bargain and still acting smug! Among everyone who matters in the State of Qi, apart from Hao Yuntu and the three major sects, why don't you ask how many people dare provoke that old eunuch Bu Xun? Did you think this old lady was afraid of you? With just you, you think you could tear down my signboard?"

The more Guan Fangyi spoke, the angrier she became. That subject always irritated her.

[End of Chapter 337]