Chapter 177: Walking Right In

Zhao Jin slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Until we've investigated thoroughly, we stay cautious. There aren't that many coincidences in this world — do you think those death-sworn assassins aren't short on money?"

At noon, Liu Yong passed the orders down. His men and those of the other factions in the city all received the command: keep an eye out for anyone who's suddenly flush with cash. If anyone tries to exchange gold for money, report it immediately — Lord Jin will reward you.

After all, copper coins were the common currency in the market, and even silver wasn't used much in daily trade. To spend those gold ingots, one usually had to exchange them at a shop. Wealthy households had their own channels, and common folk couldn't produce gold anyway. The moment it surfaced, it could be traced.

Aside from this, Chen Ergou and Butcher Li were both called over to Zhao Jin's for a chat. After returning, the two of them each laid out a feast and invited all their men to drink. At the table, they laid it out bluntly: everyone was to ready their own tools and weapons. In a few days, they'd be following Lord Jin out of the city to strike Yan Heilian, and when the time came, no one would be short of benefits.

This news was never something that could be kept secret, and the jianghu drifters were a showy lot by nature. Word soon spread like wildfire through Xuzhou city and beyond.

Zhao Jin, however, paid that no mind. He had noticed something else: the four-hundred-tael reward was tempting, and that night the evangelists of the Fragrance-Smelling Sect had all been red-eyed with greed, yet apart from that dead shopkeeper, not a single sect member had come forward to inform or betray. Instead, it was a bunch of idle loafers from the lower rungs of society who reported a slew of unreliable things.

"There are only two possibilities. Either only the shopkeeper who informed and that apothecary were in the know, or else, once those two died, everyone else was scared witless," Wang Zhaojing analyzed back at the distillery.

Someone was eyeing the distillery like a tiger watching its prey, intent on destroying the place completely. What's more, this person had the ability to kill and silence witnesses, and even had archers at their disposal. A threat like this, Zhao Jin could not afford to ignore. Fortunately, Zhao Jin's precautions were extremely tight. Though he used no brilliant stratagems, he had completely sealed the distillery off from the outside world. Anyone outside who wanted to make a move could only attack head-on; the most troublesome thing — collusion between inside and outside — was no longer a worry.

The distillery might be secure, but the families of his friends also had to be looked after. They could only follow the old method: the Wang, Chen, Dong, and Sun households could fend for themselves; everyone else moved into the goods yard. Zhao Jin's parents, well-versed in the routine, also moved over.

Zhao Jin's side grew cautious, yet everything turned quiet instead. Day and night, no one harassed the distillery. The men Liu Yong had deployed, and the eyes and ears throughout the city, all sent back no word. It was as if the world was at peace.

On the third day after Zhao Jin issued the reward, another heavy snow fell on Xuzhou. All was calm everywhere. Zhao Jin remained on edge, but everyone else had relaxed a little.

Before nightfall, Zhao Jin led his men on an inspection of the distillery, then headed to the goods yard. Three families were living there now; they too had to be guarded with vigilance, without a moment's slack.

Zhao Jin walked in front, his companions unconsciously maintaining a clustered formation around him. They had grown up playing together for years. Back when they first sparred at the goods yard, Zhao Jin had taken it very seriously — systematic procedures, strict rules. Back then, everyone just found it fun and interesting. After these few years, they had all grown accustomed to this attitude, unconsciously matching and imitating it.

"Bingfeng, you'll leave the city tomorrow. Remember to change your clothes. You'll go from the city to Bali Pu, where Yan Heilian is. No need to go inside Bali Pu to spy; just walk the route once and memorize it. When the time comes, the brothers mustn't get lost," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice. Dong Bingfeng quickly nodded.

There were no vulnerabilities at the goods yard, and the household guards had grown adept at their protective duties. Everyone felt fairly reassured after looking things over. The household guards were all very excited — they'd been cooped up in the city too long, and were all eager to go out and do something. They hadn't suffered in any of the previous fights, which had instead built up their confidence. And now that they all had weapons in hand, their thirst for battle burned even hotter.

Zhao Jin, however, strove for caution. After arranging for Dong Bingfeng to scout the route, he added, "Safety comes first in everything. If they spot you, run immediately. Under no circumstances should you try to fight."

"Don't worry, Big Brother, I'm not a child!" Dong Bingfeng was brimming with confidence.

In truth, before instructing Dong Bingfeng, Zhao Jin had already sent Liu Yong's men to gather information there. His men were a motley crew; even if they blended into Bali Pu, no one would notice. The reason he had Dong Bingfeng walk it again was to give everyone some training. Zhao Jin didn't think Yan Heilian's side could put up much resistance, but this was a rare chance to temper everyone.

By now, the sky had darkened somewhat. A cold wind whistled, and barely a soul could be seen on the road. Just as Dong Bingfeng finished speaking and Zhao Jin was about to tease him with a grin, he saw a figure dart out from an intersection ahead, walking quickly toward them.

Zhao Jin's hand was already on his saber hilt. Ji Xiang, standing behind him, reacted almost at the same instant — the short cudgel in his hand flew out, aimed at the approaching man's legs. Everyone had drawn their weapons.

Ji Xiang often carried a three-chi jujube-wood cudgel, using it as a pointer when training the household guards. It was inconspicuous in his hand normally, but at critical moments, it was a practical weapon. His throw was no wild fling either — it was a little trick Chen Sheng had taught him. If the target's movements were the slightest bit slow, they'd be tripped by that short cudgel.

The moment the man saw the cudgel flying at him, he dodged frantically. Once he evaded it, he realized that all the weapons on this side were already drawn — sabers, swords, and short axes all gleaming coldly.

What no one expected was that the man did not press on. Instead, he dropped crisply to his knees right there on the spot. Bang, bang, bang — three resounding kowtows. The winter ground was iron-hard; just hearing his forehead slam against it made onlookers wince. But what he said next stunned Zhao Jin and the others even more.

"This lowly one is Yan Liu, come to beg Lord Jin's forgiveness. Kill me or cut me to pieces, as Lord Jin pleases. I only beg Lord Jin to spare the lives of my family." His voice was full-throated and strong. After speaking, he kowtowed again.

It took Zhao Jin a moment to realize who this was. Yan Heilian was the sixth child in his family. Poor folk didn't stand on ceremony — the birth order simply became the name. It was just that after Yan Heilian made a name for himself in the jianghu, everyone preferred to use a nickname. To his face, they all called him "Sixth Lord"; the name Yan Liu was actually used the least.

"Yan Heilian..." Liu Yong muttered blankly. Only then did the others who hadn't known the name catch on.

No one had imagined Yan Heilian would have this kind of nerve. He had set an ambush south of the city, hiring a desperate blade-master to deal with Zhao Jin. After failing, he had fled the city. Although Zhao Jin hadn't made a move yet because of Cloud Mountain Temple, everyone knew this feud was irreconcilable — a reckoning was only a matter of time.

And ever since that bloody battle with the blade-master, everyone had grown even more aware of Zhao Jin's ruthless and merciless style. Many people discussed it in private, all wondering how Zhao Jin would settle this. This time, when Zhao Jin declared he would strike, everyone was pondering what miserable end awaited Yan Heilian. Even Cloud Mountain Temple had sold Yan Heilian out completely. Under such circumstances, for Yan Heilian to dare enter the city himself, and come alone before Zhao Jin to beg for mercy — his courage was considerable, to say the least.

Hearing that this man was Yan Heilian, after the initial shock, everyone tensed up. Chen Sheng, his long saber still unsheathed, strode toward the intersection ahead. Sun Dalei, short blade in hand, followed close behind. Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang fanned out to the left and right. The rest guarded Zhao Jin's flanks.

In a few short moments, every nearby entry point and corner where someone might hide had been searched and confirmed clear. Only after receiving the all-clear signals from his companions did Zhao Jin smile and say, "You've got some nerve, daring to block our path and kowtow like this."

Though his tone was relaxed, Zhao Jin kept a distance of two paces from Yan Heilian, who was kneeling on the ground. His hand also remained on his saber hilt.

At these words, Yan Heilian, kneeling on the ground, gave a bitter smile. They were close enough that, even in the dim light, the blood on his face was visible — clearly, the kowtows had opened a wound on his forehead. Yan Heilian bared his teeth and said, "If this lowly one truly had nerve, I wouldn't have run off to Bali Pu. If this lowly one truly had nerve, when those bald donkeys from Cloud Mountain Temple schemed, I shouldn't have listened, and wouldn't be bearing this black pot for nothing."

After saying this, Yan Heilian shuffled one step forward on his knees. His movements were very deliberate — his hands never left the ground. Yan Heilian surely knew that if he made the slightest suspicious move, Chen Sheng's saber behind him would come cleaving down.

"Lord Jin, this lowly one has no face to claim I'm blameless. At the time, I truly was blinded by greed, thinking I could profit from it. I just never imagined Lord Jin's divine abilities were so vast. Lord Jin, whatever I say now is too late. I only beg Lord Jin to show mercy. This lowly one's death sentence is hard to escape, but my family has no part in this. Please, Lord Jin, spare them!" Yan Heilian said, his voice hoarse.

"That's a fine-sounding speech. If we brothers had fallen there that day, what about our elders and families? Is your family the only pitiable one under heaven?" Zhao Jin said with a cold laugh.

Yan Heilian's words just now had sounded pitiful, and a few of the men around Zhao Jin had shown sympathy. Hearing Zhao Jin's retort, they came to their senses, their expressions turning cold.

Yan Heilian's face had been full of tragic misery, but at Zhao Jin's words, it stiffened. After a moment's hesitation, he kowtowed heavily again and said, "With Lord Jin's ability, you were never meant to stay cooped up inside the city. Now that you wish to spread your wings, you may not be familiar with the lands outside. This lowly one has roamed for many years and knows every corner of Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties fairly well. I am willing to be Lord Jin's beast of burden, to lead the way and serve."

At this, the smile on Zhao Jin's face finally lost some of its chill. He simply asked with a smile, "Do you know the ins and outs of Cloud Mountain Temple?"

"Four lower courts, eleven estates, and several business storefronts — this lowly one knows them all like the back of my hand," Yan Heilian answered without the slightest hesitation. After speaking, he looked up and glanced at Zhao Jin, noticing that Zhao Jin's expression had cooled. Yan Heilian gritted his teeth, and this time, instead of kowtowing, he fixed his eyes on Zhao Jin and said, "Lord Jin, you have the ability to turn stone into gold, building a liquor business this big. But our Xuzhou region borders Huai'an Prefecture, which is a source of Huai salt — not to mention that Xuzhou produces coal and iron. These are the businesses of mountains of gold and seas of silver. This lowly one knows a thing or two about all of them, and is willing to be Lord Jin's guide."