Chapter 174: Leaving the City (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

Outside the gate, wine jars were being hauled and moved; inside the rooms by the main entrance, customers streamed through like flowing water. The scene before Fragrant Float Wine Shop remained as bustling and fiery as ever, and no one had any idea that someone had shot flaming arrows inside the night before.

Quite a few idlers had come to watch the excitement, and plenty of children were running around in the midst of it — it was the same wherever crowds gathered. Neither the merchants nor their staff noticed that many among the idlers were not watching the bustle but watching the people. The children, too, ran wild everywhere, and whenever they spotted something that seemed off, they would steal a few extra glances.

Liu Yong had sent out every man he could use. He wasn't demanding sharpness — he simply told his subordinates to call up their own friends and the kids from the goods yard. The friends got five coppers and two flatbreads a day; the children got two flatbreads. If they saw anything suspicious around the wine shop, they were to report it as fast as possible. Some old hands of the jianghu who worked under Chen Ergou and Butcher Li would then go over and take a look.

These old jianghu hands had razor-sharp eyes. What kind of person someone was, what their background might be — they could tell easily. Right now, outside the wine shop, things looked lively, but there were no outsiders.

Yet after a whole day, although they had spotted many suspicious-looking people, every time they went over to check, those people turned out to be perfectly normal. They had gained nothing at all.

Once darkness fell and the idlers and children dispersed, Liu Yong's trusted scouts remained. They did not stay out on the streets; instead, they went into the courtyard houses along several unavoidable routes, leaving the courtyard gates open a crack and peering out.

Over at Ribs Zhang's place in the west of the city, things were extraordinarily lively. Liu Yong stood at the door, all smiles, greeting guests and ushering people of every station inside. Some arriving guests, however, were told by the staff that the entire establishment had been booked for the night. A few busybodies asked around and learned that it was Zhao Jin treating guests here tonight.

Ribs Zhang's could only be considered a common eatery in the city. Many people came here simply to eat meat and satisfy their cravings. To have the place booked by Zhao Jin had the whole staff, from top to bottom, beside themselves with excitement. The owner himself went to select the meat and buy the vegetables, then stood watch in the back kitchen, supervising the head chef's work, terrified of failing to serve him well.

Zhao Jin was also very generous. Aside from the proper payment for the meal, he also promised to give Ribs Zhang's six jars of wine every month. Though one still had to buy this wine, it was now very hard to come by in the city. As long as the establishment had this wine, business would improve considerably. The owner and the manager were both overjoyed and put even greater effort into serving him.

With people coming and going here, and a dice stall nearby, there were indeed a few idlers outside watching the excitement.

"See that? That skinny, half-grown kid is Liu Yong. Just a few months ago he was still serving tea and pouring water over at Black Tiger Temple, waiting on people hand and foot. Now he's a figure of some standing!"

"What 'half-grown kid'? Are there any fewer people his age who've taken wives and had children? This is what you call luck — latching onto a capable man. That Zhao Jin..."

"Look, look! Isn't that Butcher Li? And he's actually smiling and talking with Liu Yong! And over there, that's Chen Ergou..."

Butcher Li and Chen Ergou were now figures whose names shook the south of the city. There might have been those who refused to accept them before, but ever since Zhao Jin swept through the south of the city, no one dared to offend the two of them anymore.

Yet this prestige was for others. When facing Liu Yong, whom just a few months ago they wouldn't even have noticed, both men were all courtesy. They knew Liu Yong was Zhao Jin's brother. By the reckoning of the jianghu, he was at the very least the Eighth Master under Zhao Jin, with several dozen men at his command.

Given the attitude of those two, the invited Chuan Tou and the like each reacted differently. Men like You Zhenrong, who were already figures of the jianghu, were all polite — especially those from the south of the city who knew just how formidable Zhao Jin was. The other Chuan Tou were cowed and cold. Many of them were seeing Liu Yong for the first time today.

The Chuan Tou of the Smelling Incense Sect came from all walks of life, but few wore silk shirts — most wore cotton. Few had fair, clear complexions — most looked worn and weary. There seemed to be no one from any truly wealthy class.

The partition screens for the private booths had all been removed. The main hall of Ribs Zhang's could fit over a dozen tables. Once everyone was seated, steaming hot braised ribs and stir-fried dishes were brought out. Some people still maintained a degree of reserve; others were swallowing their saliva outright. The observant noticed that on the table before Zhao Jin there was no food, only a pile of something covered with a red cloth.

"Do these Chuan Tou really live such hard lives?" Wang Zhaojing was not quite suited to attend this occasion, so he had simply stayed behind at the wine shop to study. Everyone else had come along. Seeing the Chuan Tou's behavior, Dong Bingfeng found it very strange.

Without turning his head, Zhao Jin smiled and explained, "Those who live well have no need to join a cult. Many people join in the first place precisely to seek relief and support. It's just that in some people's hands, that purpose has been twisted."

The Unborn Old Mother, Maitreya's Descent, the True Void Homeland, the Ultimate Bliss of the Afterlife — it wasn't that no one believed in these gimmicks, but what people valued more was this present life. Many poor families, through the Smelling Incense Sect, were organized to help and support one another, carrying a strong mutual-aid character.

It was just that the upper echelons of this Smelling Incense Sect had ambitions, and among the middle and lower ranks, a group of leaders exploited this organization for profit. That was how it had become what it was today.

Because of Mu Shulan, Zhao Jin's parents knew quite a bit about the Smelling Incense Sect, and through his inquiries, Zhao Jin had accumulated a great deal of knowledge.

"I've invited everyone here for two matters!" Seeing that most people had arrived, Zhao Jin stood up and said.

The moment he stood, no one dared remain seated. In unison, they all rose as well, startling the waiter bringing the dishes so badly he jumped.

"For two nights in a row, someone has come to my wine shop to commit arson. Is it my fate to lack this? Why do people always come knocking to set fires?" Zhao Jin spoke very lightly. Dong Bingfeng nearly burst out laughing and hurriedly lowered his head.

But no one else felt that way. Chen Ergou and Butcher Li jolted as if shocked. The faces of those Chuan Tou from the Smelling Incense Sect all went pale. They remembered all too clearly: last time, that man Li Yang, in a fit of madness, went to set a fire in the middle of the night, and as a result, Zhao Jin swept through the south of the city, and then that Li Yang was burned to death in the middle of the night. And now, some fool courting death had gone to set another fire?

Liu Yong had been watching the people at the banquet the entire time, trying to pick out anyone reacting abnormally. But most of the Smelling Incense Sect's Chuan Tou were simply shocked, their gazes flickering, exchanging looks with one another. Under such circumstances, it was truly impossible to spot anything out of the ordinary.

"Zhao will put a word out here. If any of you seated here know something, it would be best to come find me and say so early. I will count it as a merit and hold nothing against you. If I find out who it is, anyone implicated who concealed it and failed to report will be treated the same as the arsonist. As for what end awaits them, everyone can guess." Zhao Jin spoke with ease and confidence.

Of course they could guess. Either burned to death or their whole family wiped out. Everyone trembled even more; some even dared not raise their heads. But this reaction, Liu Yong could also read — it was nothing more than terror and fear.

After saying this, Zhao Jin reached out and pulled away the red cloth on the table. Forty ingots of silver, each ten taels, were neatly stacked there. Lanterns hung from the beams, and the lamplight reflected off them, sending silver rays shining in all directions. Everyone's eyes were drawn to them; in a daze, it seemed as if the entire hall had brightened considerably.

"One hundred taels as a reward for providing a lead. Four hundred taels for assisting in capturing the arsonist. Zhao's word is good." Zhao Jin declared in a clear voice.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room shifted again. Intimidation was one thing; gleaming, tangible silver laid out right there was something else entirely.

One hundred taels of silver was enough to live comfortably for several years, or to serve as capital to start a small business. Four hundred taels of silver could even allow a person to turn their life around — someone originally of middling means could buy land and become a landlord, or purchase a shopfront and become a merchant. In these parts north of the river, even a landlord with several thousand mu of land might not have two hundred taels of silver in ready cash.

To put it plainly, this silver could change a person's fate, allowing them to break completely free of their current life. For men like Chen Ergou, Butcher Li, and You Zhenrong, it merely made their eyes burn with desire. This sum was substantial, but only just substantial. Yet for those Chuan Tou who had come from a background of bitter hardship, their eyes had gone red.

Even the manager and staff of Ribs Zhang's had stopped their bustling and stood at the periphery, staring at the silver on the table. It was simply too alluring.

Liu Yong, observing carefully from the side, likewise couldn't discern anything. Because the look in everyone's eyes as they gazed at the silver was the same — blazing with greed. There was simply no way to tell anything unusual apart.

Zhao Jin swept his gaze around, smiled, and covered the silver again with the red cloth. "For those who come to report, Zhao will keep their secret. There is no need to worry about any future trouble," he declared loudly.

Only then was the silence in the room broken. Someone whispered a couple of remarks, then stopped immediately. All that remained was the sound of heavy breathing.

"I've delayed everyone's meal. Zhao has one more thing to say: those who make themselves my enemy, I will never let off. That Yan Blackface set a trap to kill me in the south of the city, then fled outside the city walls afterward, thinking he'd be safe? He's dreaming. That score is about to be settled!" Zhao Jin's voice turned stern.

Only after saying this did Zhao Jin ease his tone and say with a smile, "Everyone, eat and drink well. Tonight, Hanjing Famous Wine is open and flowing — don't stand on ceremony."

The Chuan Tou had little reaction to Zhao Jin's final words; they simply buried their heads and ate heartily. Chen Ergou, Butcher Li, You Zhenrong, and a few others with real strength, however, exchanged glances again. In their hearts, they were all somewhat astonished. Was Zhao Jin about to reach beyond the city walls?

Ever since Zhao Jin's rise, his actions had always stayed within a certain scope. He was basically unrestrained in the south of the city, but kept a low profile and exercised restraint everywhere else. By and large, he confined himself within the city and never extended his hand outside.

Any clever person could understand this style of conduct. Outside the city, the power of Cloud Mountain Temple was vast, to say nothing of the heroes and stalwarts in every aspect of the salt trade and river trade. Even in the villages and towns, there were the powers of the clans. All these forces intersected — it was dangerous and troublesome. Inside the city, on the other hand, apart from the officials, there were no overly powerful entities; it was a place suited for spreading one's wings.

Thus, everyone judged that Zhao Jin acted with proper restraint. Though fierce and overbearing, he possessed both boldness and subtlety, and was exceptionally cautious. A man like that was bound to achieve great things.

But not leaving the city for now did not mean he would never leave the city. It was just that no one had expected Zhao Jin to choose this moment to go beyond the walls.

Yet on second thought, there was nothing wrong with it. The wine shop was doing such roaring business, large sums of silver were flowing in, and he had several hundred men in his employ. Not to mention that Cloud Mountain Temple had come over to buy wine, which could be considered a way for both sides to improve relations. It was indeed time to spread his wings.

Though You Zhenrong's face remained calm, his heart was somewhat worried. With such a formidable man moving outside the city, there were bound to be upheavals. Most of his own family's properties were outside the city; he had no idea how they would be affected.

Chen Ergou and Butcher Li, on the other hand, had excitement on their faces they could not conceal. Whether willingly or unwillingly before, the two of them could now be considered to have submitted to Zhao Jin. Regardless of whether any jianghu ceremony had been performed, in terms of their relationship, Zhao Jin was their Dragon Head Big Brother.