Chapter 411: Changing Clothes

Pan Yun took him to Chengnan.

As they neared Chengnan, the Embroidered Uniform Guards grew tense, rushing forward to surround the Emperor and whispering urgently with Cao Jixiang.

Zhu Qizhen and Pan Yun walked at the front, unable to resist turning back and barking, "If you have something to say, say it to my face."

Cao Jixiang hurried forward, "Young Master, this area is full of riffraff of all kinds—filthy, stinking. Let's just go home."

He then shot Pan Yun a glare.

But Zhu Qizhen was confident, "What place in the world is there I cannot go?"

Zhu Qiyu whispered, "Big brother, the people living in Chengnan are extremely poor; many have no houses at all—just shacks made of wood and straw. It's chaotic here. Let's listen to Cao Banban and go home instead."

He said to Pan Yun, "Miss Pan, if you want us to see something, just tell us directly—or send a servant to check and report back. We don't need to go ourselves."

Pan Yun: "Hearing is believing nothing; seeing is believing. Don't the two Young Masters wish to see the slums of Jingcheng?"

"All under heaven are the Emperor's subjects. You two have grown up in silk and fine food, always surrounded by nobles and wealthy merchants—surely you've never seen another kind of person?"

To say they weren't curious was impossible.

Zhu Qizhen asked Zhu Qiyu, "Second brother, have you ever been here?"

Zhu Qiyu shook his head. "Never."

Zhu Qizhen: "Then let's go see. I want to know what the slums of Jingcheng look like."

Pan Yun pointed to a small shop ahead and said, "Shall we change clothes first? Cao Banban—you change too. The rest of you stay outside."

Cao Jixiang naturally refused.

Pan Yun said to Zhu Qizhen, "If we all go in together, dressed so lavishly, standing out so obviously, and carrying swords, no one will dare step outside."

Zhu Qizhen told Cao Jixiang, "Let them wait outside. Only you come with me and Second Brother."

Zhu Qizhen said, "Don't worry—I and Second Brother have trained in martial arts since childhood. We're no weaker than others."

Pan Yun grinned and patted her chest. "And I'm here too. You've seen me take on seven at once—you know how strong I am."

Xue Shao added, "I know some martial arts too."

Cao Jixiang couldn't help saying, "Precisely because of that, we must be extra careful."

Pan Yun: "Ah, so you doubt me? Cao Banban, no need to worry—I'm Second Master Yin Song's disciple. If anything happens to the Young Masters, you can hold Second Master Yin Song accountable."

Cao Jixiang: …

Zhu Qizhen couldn't help asking, "Does Yin Song know you're using his rank and head as your guarantee?"

Pan Yun smiled at him. "Second Master and I are like brother and sister—not by blood, but closer than blood. He'd gladly guarantee me a thousand times over."

In the end, Cao Jixiang relented and allowed a guard named Yun Yan to accompany them inside.

Pan Yun glanced at Yun Yan, recognized him as the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and nodded in agreement.

The group entered the shop Pan Yun had pointed to. Before stepping in, Zhu Qizhen looked up at the banner hanging outside: "Dang?"

Cao Jixiang quickly whispered, "It's a pawnshop."

Zhu Qizhen: "Are we pawning something?"

Cao Jixiang didn't know.

The clerk behind the counter saw them and called out loudly, "Honored guests! Are you pawning or redeeming?"

Pan Yun said, "We're here to buy clothes."

She paused, then added, "Clean, and at least eighty percent new."

"Of course, of course!" The clerk immediately stepped out from behind the counter, opened a side door, and led them to a storage room in the back. Everyone except Xue Shao was stunned—even Cao Jixiang didn't know: "Pawnshops sell clothes?"

Pan Yun said, "You can buy anything in a pawnshop."

Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and understood: "Of course—if they couldn't resell, how would they handle all the goods they take in? They must sell to make profit, so they can take in more."

Pan Yun moved quickly and soon found outfits and hair ties for everyone.

She borrowed a changing room from the clerk, shoved the clothes into their hands, and said, "Go change. Take off everything except your undergarments."

Zhu Qizhen held the pile of old clothes, reluctant to touch them.

Pan Yun said, "They've been washed—clean to wear. Don't worry, they're not dirty."

Pan Yun said meaningfully, "If you find these dirty now, how will you handle the future?"

Zhu Qizhen: "What future?"

Pan Yun didn't answer. She waved her hand. "Change quickly, all four of you. Time's running out."

The four went inside. Cao Jixiang helped the two Young Masters change. The Embroidered Uniform Guard Yun Yan changed swiftly himself, then stood guard nearby. Outside, only Pan Yun and Xue Shao remained.

!. Read

Xue Shao turned to look at her.

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow at him: 【Why are you staring at me?】

Xue Shao: 【Your nerve is truly immense.】

Pan Yun: 【Flattery.】

Xue Shao: 【How will you bring up past cases? Reveal your identity? If you do, the Emperor will arrest you at once.】

Pan Yun's gaze grew deep: 【No rush. Today is just about making friends.】

The four stepped out. The two instantly turned their eyes away and looked over.

All four wore plain cloth robes, their hair tied with simple cloth strips—but still, they stood out as anything but common folk.

Zhu Qizhen felt their silence was too heavy. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you two so quiet?"

Pan Yun shook her head, smirking. "Truly dragon-and-phoenix quality. Even in rags, your aura still shines. Some old sayings are wrong: clothes make the man—but sometimes, even without clothes, a man still looks like one."

Zhu Qizhen felt it wasn't praise. He cut in bluntly: "Enough idle talk. Let's go."

Pan Yun paid and left.

Seeing her pull out so much money, Zhu Qizhen asked, "You charge one copper coin per fortune reading—you don't earn much. You said you couldn't afford to eat at the Top Graduate Restaurant. Then how did you just give Wang Zhen so much money?"

"Wasn't that to save you all? For your sake, this poor Daoist paid quite a price."

Zhu Qizhen always felt it was not credible and asked, "How much was that stack of banknotes? He didn't call out the amount just now."

"Of course he couldn't call it out," Pan Yun said. "What I gave were all ten-tael banknotes, thirty of them in total. When he was counting the money, he secretly pocketed eight, and only twenty-two went into the box. If he'd called it out, wouldn't he have given himself away right in front of me?"

Zhu Qizhen's eyes went wide. "What? He—he stole money? How did I not see that?"

Pan Yun patted his shoulder and said, "That kind of trick is just a matter of a quick hand."

Having said that, she opened her palm before him, and a jade pendant dropped down with a swish, dangling in front of his eyes.

Zhu Qizhen instinctively reached for his waist and discovered that the jade pendant Cao Jixiang had just fastened on him was gone.

Pan Yun returned the jade pendant to him and said with a smile, "Such a precious jade pendant—people in clothes like ours could never afford one. And, just as Old Yida said, this place is a real mix of all sorts; it's better to put valuable things away."

The few of them handed the clothes and jewelry they had changed out of to the remaining Embroidered Uniform Guard for safekeeping, then, led by Pan Yun, walked into the Chengnan slums.

(End of chapter)