Chapter Ninety-Four: Entering Perilous Territory

“It was Old Master Cheng Guang who sent me to see your friend. Please take this to your gentleman.” Zhang Qinglin held out the pen in his hand toward the man.

The other party glanced at it, then took the pen from Zhang Qinglin’s hand and said, “Please wait a moment.”

After a short while, the man came out and said, “The gentleman requests your presence.”

Zhang Qinglin nodded and entered. He stopped at the door of the inner room because he heard the sound of chanting. Inside, he saw a person sitting cross-legged on the floor, with a ghost-faced Buddha hanging on the wall in front of him.

Zhang Qinglin carefully observed the figure’s back—it looked strong and did not seem old.

The man slowly stopped his actions, stood up, bowed deeply, then turned around.

The moment he turned, Zhang Qinglin’s eyes widened in horror. The approaching man’s face was like that of a demon, frightening to look at directly. His agile body was covered in scars, except for his face, which was shocking to behold. Beneath his ear was a distinct tattoo. Zhang Qinglin was certain this was Wu Mingshi.

“What is your connection to Cheng Guang, and how did you find this place?” Wu Mingshi said as he walked past Zhang Qinglin.

Zhang Qinglin watched him approach the square table inside the room, following behind and replied, “I am a friend of his son. I have important matters to discuss with Senior Wu.”

Wu Mingshi placed the pen onto the table, then poured himself a cup of tea from a small teapot and took a sip. “What is it? Speak up.”

Zhang Qinglin explained the purpose of his visit. “Senior Wu, can you contact Ma Ye?”

Wu frowned slightly, his eyes glancing upward. “Ma Ye, huh? That man is truly troublesome. He moves around unpredictably, making him hard to reach. But he does regularly deliver goods to the small market in Mentougou.”

“Then, Senior Wu, when does Ma Ye go there? I’ll wait for him there. If I can meet him even just once, I thank you in advance!”

Wu Mingshi cleared his throat and said, his hollow eyes fixed on Zhang Qinglin, “Young man, don’t thank me too soon. The small market was shut down some time ago, so he won’t appear there for now. If you want to see him soon, you’ll have to find another way.”

“Please, Senior Wu, guide me.”

“Well… for Old Master Cheng’s sake, I can help you. I’ll have someone spread some information on the street these days. Ma Ye is clever. You should stay nearby. Once there’s news, I’ll send someone to inform you. But you must do something for me first.”

Wu Mingshi surprisingly did not make things difficult for Zhang Qinglin and even offered to help lure out Ma Ye. This was a great opportunity for Zhang Qinglin, but he could not accept Wu’s condition. “Senior Wu, I cannot do that.”

…

By evening, Zhang Qinglin and the others returned the same way to the Good Luck Inn. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Cheng Che, having not eaten enough at the Big Buddha Temple’s vegetarian meal, went out looking for food. As he stepped out the door, he saw Zhang Qinglin walking out with Wu Cheng’an close behind. However, Wu Cheng’an didn’t seem to be accompanying Zhang Qinglin; rather, he looked like he was following him.

Cheng Che sensed something was wrong and hurried after them.

Just outside the courtyard, looking to the right, he saw the two figures turn a corner toward an uninhabited area beside the Good Luck Inn.

“Zhang Qinglin.”

“Xiao An?”

Wu Cheng’an stepped in front of Zhang Qinglin and said, “I noticed you were distracted all the way out from the Big Buddha Temple. What’s going on? Did that old man Wu say something?”

“Nothing much. Weren’t you going to inquire about Bronze Jue’s whereabouts?” Zhang Qinglin glanced at Wu Cheng’an, then at the darkening sky, and continued, “It’s almost dark. The mountain roads aren’t safe at night. You should go tomorrow instead.”

Wu Cheng’an nodded. “Then where are you headed now?”

“I... I just want to take a walk. I’ll be back soon. It’s nothing—go back and rest first.”

“All right, be careful.”

After sending Wu Cheng’an off, Zhang Qinglin walked alone. After about fifteen minutes, the cold wind blew ceaselessly, chilling him through even his thick clothes.

He reached a nearby open field and recalled Wu Mingshi’s words: “I’ll give you three days. As long as you get me the contract for the Boyang Building development project that Chen Shengxiao has been working on recently—whether you steal it or snatch it—just bring the contract to me. I can help you solve everything, including Ma Ye or other matters.”

Though he was hidden in the mountains, Zhang Qinglin was not oblivious to the world outside. Wu even knew every move of Chen Shengxiao’s company, and was aware that Hu Ren had been killed and Bronze Jue lost.

At the time, Zhang Qinglin couldn’t understand why, among so many capable people around him, he was the one tasked with this.

He immediately refused to steal the contract. For Zhang Qinglin, even if Cheng Che and Chen Shengxiao were not related, he would never steal something so crucial. Chen Shengxiao had already told him much about his father’s whereabouts. How could he ask for something so vital to her?

Moreover, if he did as Wu Mingshi said, how would Cheng Che view him afterward?

After Zhang Qinglin’s refusal, Wu Mingshi said something that sent a chill through his heart: “Look at me. Am I not frightening? Chen Shengxiao’s father is the one who made me like this. I originally planned to live quietly. Heh… If you don’t agree to this, nothing else will be discussed.”

Zhang Qinglin lowered his head and kicked at a tree stump forcefully, then lifted his gaze to the bright moon shining in the dark night.