Chapter 60: Hunting the Culprit

In a narrow lane on Zilai Street outside Dongzuo Gate, a man in a white straight-hem robe knocked at a courtyard gate.

After a brief wait, the gate creaked open, and an old woman appeared in the doorway. She eyed the man warily. "What business do you have?"

The man said politely, "I come from Old Master Wu's residence. I wonder if Wu Jiafeng still lives here?"

"Wu Jiafeng is indeed my son-in-law, but he has been missing for a month now." The old woman studied the visitor guardedly. "You say you are from Old Master Wu's household — then how is it I have never seen you?"

"I am from Anqing, and have long helped Old Master Wu manage some properties there. At present the entire Wu family is in Anqing. Because Tongcheng is still not entirely stable, some of the old servants find it inconvenient to show their faces here. The Old Master suffered a shock some days ago and has no wish to return to Tongcheng. Moreover, after the fire here made the residence uninhabitable, the Wu family will likely move the whole household to Jinling. The Old Master and the several ladies have no household servants they are accustomed to using at hand, and say the old ones are still more dear to them, so they had no choice but to send me to Tongcheng on this errand. The Second Lady specifically bade me seek out Wu Jiafeng and ask whether he is willing to go with the Old Master to Jinling."

"Then how did you know where my home was?"

"The First Lady told me Yin Deng's address, which is very conspicuous right at the head of Bean Family Bridge, so I went first to Yin Deng's home and brought some silver for Yin Deng's wife. Sister-in-law Yin said that Wu Jiafeng could be found at this place. I was merely trying my luck."

Hearing this, the old woman's eyes at once brimmed with tears. "Poor Yin Deng. I heard that when Huang Wending's gang seized him and pressed him for his master's whereabouts, he would rather die than speak, and so a bandit spawn hacked him over thirty times."

The man sighed and said, "Who would say otherwise? The Old Lady wept for days after hearing of it. She said that although Yin Deng was not a household-born slave, he came to the Wu Residence when very young and she watched him grow up. He was always utterly loyal — she never imagined he would meet such an end. That is why Old Master Wu says Tongcheng has become a place of heartbreak, and why he intends to move the whole household to Jinling."

Hearing the man speak so clearly — and Yin Deng was indeed not a household-born slave, only sold to the Wu Residence at age three, which was hardly different from being household-born, a detail few outsiders knew — the old woman relaxed her guard somewhat. Wiping her tears, she said, "Wu Jiafeng has been hoping every day for the Old Master to return. Today word has finally come, yet it is to go to a strange place. No matter how fine Jinling is, it cannot compare to one's native soil, can it?"

"This is not a matter I can decide. Old Master Wu's resolve to leave is set. Once I return, they will depart."

The old woman leaned against the doorframe and began weeping again. "That matchmaker deceived me back then, saying only that Wu Jiafeng's family was well-off. Only after the betrothal did I learn he was a household slave. Now if they go to that Jinling, I fear I shall never see this daughter of mine again."

The man cupped his hands and said, "Might I ask Brother Wu to come out and meet me? Whether he goes to Jinling or not, once I have a definite answer, I can report back to the Second Lady."

The old woman rolled her eyes and looked the man over twice, then finally shook her head. "I do not know where he is. This gentleman may leave an address where he is staying."

"That is unfortunate. I am to return to Anqing tomorrow. If you can find him, please ask him to come before noon tomorrow to the Zhang Family Tavern inside Chaoyang Gate. My surname is Bai, and I am staying there temporarily in the Earth-character room. If Brother Jiafeng cannot make it by tomorrow, then it is simply not fated with the Wu Residence."

…

On the city wall south of Dongzuo Gate, Pang Yu poked his head out from behind a crenel. From this position he could just see the old woman's courtyard. He watched as Jiang Fan stood before the gate for a moment, then left.

After the old woman closed the gate, she went into the main room and stayed there a short while, then came back out into the courtyard and paced a few circles, touching this and tidying that — it was unclear what she was busying herself with.

Ruan Jin's ingratiating voice came from beside him. "This is intelligence I gathered. Recently someone saw Old Zheng appear at the homes of Wu Jiafeng and Yin He, and it was said that when he left, he left together with Wu Jiafeng. I believe Wu Jiafeng's mother-in-law must know their whereabouts. Once we find Wu Jiafeng, we can find Old Zheng."

"You put some thought into this." Pang Yu had been quite satisfied with Ruan Jin these past few days. These Runners were all local bosses in Tongcheng. In the past, the Fast Squad had been padded with no small number of Green-Skins, which made the entire Fast Squad extremely undisciplined. After taking over, Pang Yu had retained only some of the personnel, while turning a few useful Auxiliaries into formal staff. Moreover, relying on the authority Yang Fangzao had granted him, he had made it clear that anyone who proved incompetent could be struck from the rolls.

As a result, the ones working hardest now were precisely those few Auxiliaries, which in turn put considerable pressure on the former Runners.

As he kept observing the courtyard, he said, "If we capture Old Zheng, I will invite Brother Ruan to take the post of Second Squad Leader, managing the market areas from Chaoyang Gate and Dongzuo Gate to Qingfeng Market."

Ruan Jin's body trembled. The eastern and southern districts were the most prosperous parts of Tongcheng. Overcome with gratitude, he said, "Thank you for your patronage, Squad Chief. In the days to come, I will work diligently for you. But the gate stalls and gambling dens of the Eastern Market have always been managed by the Runner Squad. I fear it will be difficult for me to interfere."

Pang Yu said evenly, "That was before. His Honor has already agreed to return the Eastern Market to the Fast Squad. The Eastern Market has many gambling dens, inns, gate stalls, and pawnshops. They were all controlled by those household slaves before — first Huang Wending's gang, later Old Zheng's gang. Now that both factions have vanished like smoke and the gentry have fallen silent, we must take all of it into our hands. But this does not mean letting the Fast Squad run wild in their place. Rather, we must establish proper rules for them…"

Ruan Jin suddenly cut in. "Squad Chief, the old woman has gone out."

Pang Yu fixed his gaze and saw that the old woman had indeed opened the courtyard gate. She stuck her head out and looked both ways, as if making sure no one was watching her.

The old woman hastily locked the gate, then at the mouth of the lane turned north into Zilai Street.

Pang Yu smiled faintly. "As expected, she cannot resist going to report. We'll follow her."

……

At the west end of Daughter Street outside Yimin Gate, near Immortal Maiden Well — legend had it this Immortal Maiden Well was where Immortal Maiden He ascended to immortality, and so its well water was sweet and clear. All those who went to Mount Longmian to gather firewood and then came into the city to sell it would stop here to rest and drink.

Because Yimin Gate did not lie on the official road, even the area outside the city was much more desolate. Past Daughter Street was the entrance to the mountain path leading into the hills. It was already the tail end of the outer city streets and lanes, with few passersby, giving it a somewhat lonely air.

The old woman appeared at the mouth of Daughter Street and hurried to a small courtyard at the west end. The gate had no copper rings, so the old woman slapped it hard several times with her hand.

A figure shifted in the crack of the gate. Once the person saw through the crack that it was the old woman, the gate creaked open.

"Mother, why have you come again?" The one opening the gate was a middle-aged woman. Somewhat displeased, she said, "The city is in chaos, and yet you still go pacing about everywhere."

The old woman entered the house without a word. Two men came out of the main room in the courtyard. One of them was precisely Old Zheng. Seeing the old woman's hurried manner, he also came into the courtyard to see what the matter was.

The old woman shot Old Zheng a cold look, pulled her daughter aside, and said in a low voice, "I bring you good news and you give me a sour face. Old Master Wu is not returning to Tongcheng. The Second Lady sent word from Anqing through someone, asking your husband to follow them to Jinling."

The woman's face lit up with joy. "We've been waiting for word from the Wu family. I knew the Second Lady would not forget us. But how do we get to Anqing?"

"That man is at the Zhang Family Tavern inside Chaoyang Gate. He leaves tomorrow afternoon. You must go early."

Old Zheng came over and interrupted. "What is that man's surname and given name? How did he find you?"

The old woman had no kind expression for Old Zheng and did not even look him in the eye. She merely said, "He was bringing some consolation silver from the First Lady to Yin Deng's home. Yin Deng's wife told him my address. He said his surname is Bai."

"The Wu family does have some property in Anqing, but I have never heard of anyone surnamed Bai in Anqing. Did he say where in Anqing the Wu Residence is staying? And what properties the Wu family has in Anqing — did he speak of them clearly?"

Old Zheng finished asking, but the old woman did not answer him, because at the time she had not thought to ask about such matters, nor did she wish to speak much with Old Zheng. This Old Zheng and Wu Jiafeng were both household slaves of the Wu family and had always been close. Relying on the Wu family's standing, they had held considerable status in the city, and this mother-in-law had enjoyed the benefits along with them.

This time, Old Zheng's killing had provoked a calamity of heaven-shaking proportions, which had not only implicated the Wu Residence but also meant the old woman's daughter and son-in-law could no longer remain in Tongcheng. Naturally, the old woman laid the blame squarely on Old Zheng's head.

Old Zheng had no choice but to shoot a meaningful glance at Wu Jiafeng beside him. Wu Jiafeng coughed and asked his mother-in-law, "Then what did he look like?"

"Aiyah, I couldn't say. He just looked refined — not the sort whose nature is to beat people to death at the slightest provocation."

Wu Jiafeng gave a dry cough. His mother-in-law was practically cursing someone to his face without any detour. He stole a glance and saw that Old Zheng's expression was indeed not so good.

Old Zheng's brows were tightly knit. He had relaxed his vigilance somewhat recently. Before, he had feared both the yamen and Huang Wending's gang — either side finding him would have been bad for him — so he had been extremely cautious.

The yamen had been persistently hunting Old Zheng at the time, so he had hidden in the Wu family mansion. The Runners could do nothing about the Wu Residence. On the night the rioters burned down the Wu Family Compound, he knew he could no longer rely on the Wu family for cover, so he fled under cover of darkness to the home of his close acquaintance Wu Jiafeng. In over a month, he had changed residences two or three times, finally ending up here. This place was a property belonging to Wu Jiafeng's wife's brother's family. The location was rather remote and would not draw attention. Even during the civil unrest, the trouble had not reached Daughter Street. Another advantage was its proximity to the mountain region — if things became truly dangerous, he could quickly flee into the hills. He was most satisfied with this place and had not moved again.

Because he deliberately concealed his tracks, he hardly ever set foot outside. All daily necessities were purchased by Wu Jiafeng's wife going out. At that time, the rioters and the yamen were fighting each other in chaos and had no leisure to pursue him, so he had successfully evaded capture by both sides.

After Huang Wending was executed, he felt the danger had greatly diminished, and only then did he begin going out, contacting his old associates and accomplices. As long as the Wu Residence returned to Tongcheng, he could stage a comeback. Who would have thought the news that came was that the Wu family was going to Nanjing?

But there was still something odd about that man's background. Old Zheng decided to risk having his nose rubbed in the dirt and press the questioning further, because this matter was very important to him — he had to confirm it clearly. If the Wu family was indeed going far away, he also planned to follow them and leave, which would be the perfect chance to escape Tongcheng, this place of trouble.

Old Zheng had just raised a hand toward the old woman when a tremendous "Bang!" sounded.

The two gate leaves were violently smashed open. The door bolt snapped into two pieces in an instant. Then five or six figures, brandishing long sticks and short sticks, rushed into the courtyard.

Everyone in the courtyard froze for a moment. Wu Jiafeng's wife suddenly let out a shriek. Old Zheng was stunned for only an instant. Hearing the shriek, he reacted immediately, planting a kick on the woman's back and sending her hurtling toward those several men.

Those men had no time to distinguish who was who. Several blows from their sticks came down, and the woman collapsed at once. Seizing this delay, Old Zheng dragged Wu Jiafeng and darted through the door into the house.

A voice from behind shouted, "Capture Old Zheng! He's gone inside!"

The men gave chase to enter the house, but the doorway was too narrow. The one in front was carrying a long stick, and in a moment of carelessness, the stick got jammed against the doorframe. He tried twice to adjust the angle but failed, instantly blocking everyone at the door.

"Short sticks go inside! Long sticks guard the outside!"

The words had barely faded when a great shout came from within. A waist saber slashed toward the doorway. The men blocking the door cried out in alarm and retreated outward. Old Zheng and Wu Jiafeng came hacking their way out, brandishing their waist sabers, and pressed their advantage by closing in on the men. The men could not swing their long sticks freely and for a moment lost their advantage. Old Zheng's wild slashing instead wounded two of the opponents.

The raiding party panicked and fell back in disarray. Two of them even threw away their sticks. They were on the verge of being driven out of the courtyard by Old Zheng.

Old Zheng knew these men were from the yamen, here to arrest him. His only choice was to fight his way out with everything he had, then flee into Dragon Sleep Mountain. Once he reached the mountain, these few bailiffs could never catch him.

The bailiffs' fighting strength was the same familiar flavor. Seeing them throwing away helmets and armor, Old Zheng needed only one more push to burst out of the courtyard gate. He hacked repeatedly at the bailiff lagging furthest behind, trying to force him back.

Suddenly a sound of tearing wind came from behind — someone seemed to be swinging a staff at furious speed. Then Wu Jiafeng let out a miserable scream. In his panic, Old Zheng turned his head and saw a burly man standing on the side path, raising a red-tipped Water-Fire Staff high, about to smash it down again on Wu Jiafeng, who was on the ground. The staff was heavy and forceful. With a muffled thud, it struck Wu Jiafeng's shoulder blade, and Wu Jiafeng instantly went silent.

Old Zheng's soul nearly scattered. When he and Wu Jiafeng had burst from the house, they had only focused on the men in front of them and hadn't noticed the burly man off to the side. Now he was alone. His only chance at survival was to rush out of the courtyard at once.

The burly man raised his staff to strike at Old Zheng again. Only then did Old Zheng realize the man's staff technique had no form at all — when he lifted the staff, his guard was wide open. In a one-on-one fight, Old Zheng would not have feared him. The man's only advantage was brute strength. He wasn't using a nimble white-wax pole but a Water-Fire Staff made of heavy wood. Though somewhat clumsy, if it landed, it could shatter sinew and bone.

Old Zheng dared not tangle with this man. He kept chasing and hacking at the men by the gate. But that brief moment of delay had let those men catch their breath. Once they opened the distance, their staves gained the upper hand. Five or six staves flailing wildly together — how could Old Zheng advance? He was instead beaten back step by step. In the chaos, a staff struck from behind and hit him square in the lower back. The pain froze Old Zheng's whole body. His Waist Saber clattered to the ground, and for a moment he could barely move his limbs.

Seeing Old Zheng had dropped his sword, the group lost all fear and swarmed him at once. Old Zheng took only a few blows before collapsing. Long staves and short sticks rained down, and Old Zheng lost all ability to resist in an instant.

"Stop! I want him alive." Pang Yu kicked and cursed at the Runners. "Damn it, eight of you beating one man and you still nearly let him escape. Have you no shame? How did you lot ever arrest anyone before? Get back and I'll drill you properly."

Only then did the group stop. Two men immediately collapsed, bloodstains on their bodies — clearly they were wounded. Pang Yu glanced over them quickly. All were minor injuries to hands and feet, nothing serious.

The Fast Squad men were highly skilled in marketplace tricks — scouting, tailing, and deception were all their forte — but their professional competence was truly nothing to praise. Aside from breaking down the door going fairly smoothly, every other part of the operation was worthless. They were basically just ordinary men in Constable Uniforms. It seemed training really needed to be strengthened.

Pang Yu looked up and said to the burly man, "Xu Lengzi performed with valor. Tomorrow he is promoted to Squad Deputy."

Xu Lengzi was one of the Runners he had recruited. Before, Xu Lengzi had not even been an Auxiliary. All he knew was helping people with Substitute Beatings every day at Eight-Character Wall. Relying on his thick hide and tough flesh, he grabbed business without regard for the rules and often quarreled and brawled with other substitutes. Taking on many opponents without losing ground, he had caught Pang Yu's eye and been recruited into the Fast Squad. Though his brain didn't work too well, he still knew being a bailiff was far better than taking beatings. Hearing this, he grinned and said, "Hitting people with a staff feels better than getting hit."

Pang Yu ignored him and grabbed Old Zheng by the hair. "Load this Old Zheng onto the Mounting Horse cart. Parade him through the streets all the way back to the yamen. Let the people of Tongcheng see the might of our Fast Squad. Then I will interrogate him personally."