Chapter 27: Calculated Deceptions and Unexpected Guests

Xie Xiang’s initial plan was to rent the room adjacent to Quan Haoqing’s, employing the classic tactic of ‘walls have ears’.

To his utter dismay, however, every room surrounding Quan Haoqing’s—above, below, and on either side—was already occupied. All other suitable surveillance points had, by some peculiar coincidence, become unusable, leaving only the teahouse directly opposite as a viable option.

Xie Xiang had observed that the room You An occupied offered a perfect vantage point into Quan Haoqing’s quarters, and its diagonal position made detection by the target highly unlikely.

Yet, when he requested this very private room from the teahouse owner, he was informed it had already been assigned to someone else, a revelation that nearly drove him to apoplexy.

Having met with one setback after another, he resolved to discover precisely which insolent individual dared to claim the room he had set his sights on. The moment he stepped inside, however, he was greeted by the sight of You An, well-fed, well-watered, and snoring profoundly.

The scales of balance within his heart were instantly upended, and the flames of jealous fury swiftly consumed Xie Xiang’s rationality.

As the saying went, it was not scarcity but inequity that bred discontent. Both men had been dispatched for surveillance, yet while he had tirelessly exerted himself, striving to carve out his own operational space…

…he now discovered that the prime instrument for their task was being used by a slacker for nothing more than feasting and revelry.

It was akin to two serfs working for a landlord: one toiled ceaselessly under the scorching summer sun, preparing to plow thousands of acres of fertile land for his esteemed master, while the other, not only having taken liberties by cooking elaborate meals for himself, had also repurposed the farm’s finest hoe as a pillow, sleeping so profoundly that the world might as well have ended.

The diligent serf, daring not unleash his fury upon the oppressive landlord, could only direct his burning resentment toward his fellow, indolent serf.

Consumed by indignation, he abruptly delivered two sharp kicks to You An, yet his efforts yielded nothing but an even louder, more guttural snore.

“Hmph, sleep all you like,” he sneered. “I only hope you remain this composed when you have to explain yourself to the boss after waking!”

A venomous glint flickered in Xie Xiang’s eyes. He unceremoniously tossed You An onto the floor, then settled into the spot You An had previously occupied. Seizing the unfinished wine, he began to gulp it down, all the while continuously devouring the exquisite delicacies laid out on the table.

Lacking You An’s exceptional hearing, he could only visually perceive Quan Haoqing and Ye Qingfeng inside their room, clinking glasses, drinking with boisterous glee, and conversing with animated delight.

The ceaseless, thunderous snores relentlessly assailed Xie Xiang’s mind, plunging him into an intense state of vexation that momentarily extinguished any desire to continue his surveillance.

Before long, however, Xie Xiang’s irritation began to wane. After vigorously imbibing two large pots of the wine, he discovered its flavor was indeed superb, truly exceptional, yet its after-effects proved astonishingly potent.

He had initially intended to make a swift exit from the room before succumbing entirely to drunkenness. Alas, by the time he staggered to the doorway, a profound dizziness had already overtaken him, and he ultimately crashed to the floor with a thud.

****

Not long after Xie Xiang had drifted into slumber, Quan Haoqing, who was ostensibly engaged in conversation with Ye Qingfeng, quietly entered the room.

Taking in the pervasive scent of alcohol that filled the room, Quan Haoqing’s lips curved into a faint smile. He stepped directly over Xie Xiang, who lay sprawled on the floor, and approached You An, who was still deeply asleep, slumped over the table. After shaking him and calling his name two or three times without response, Quan Haoqing confidently signaled to the people waiting outside.

“Dead asleep,” he confirmed.

Ye Qingfeng pushed open the door, only to be momentarily halted by the pungent aroma of alcohol. Nevertheless, after furrowing her brows a few times, she stepped inside. Gazing at the two figures lying motionless on the floor, she inquired, “Are you certain they won’t suddenly awaken?”

Quan Haoqing offered a slight smile. “Of course not,” he replied. “We purchased potent spirits, and crucially, I added a special ingredient. They will remain asleep until at least the following day.”

Even upon awakening, You An would never suspect that the preceding conversation had been meticulously crafted and deliberately delivered for his ears by Ye Qingqing and Quan Haoqing.

The auspicious ‘feng shui treasure spot’ (TL Note: A location believed to bring good fortune, often chosen for its optimal position or energy flow.) Quan Haoqing had arranged for You An appeared to offer both an unobstructed view of their movements and a clear auditory channel to their conversation. In reality, however, it harbored two absolute blind spots: one directly beneath the window Ye Qingfeng faced, and the other in the bottom right corner of the folding screen that Quan Haoqing sat opposite.

One side featured red characters, the other, white.

Quan Haoqing and Ye Qingfeng transmitted their true intentions to their respective Book Spirits, instructing them to inscribe these messages within the blind spots each faced, making them visible only to the other.

Ye Qingfeng’s abrupt pivot, directing the sharp edge of her words toward Rong Guangliang and his companions, had, of course, been at Quan Haoqing’s subtle prompting.

Quan Haoqing had shared all he knew regarding the personalities and methods of Rong Guangliang and his associates with Ye Qingfeng, subsequently granting her full liberty to improvise.

Suffice it to say, the outcome was nothing short of brilliant.

As for Xie Xiang, his presence proved to be an unexpected, fortuitous bonus.

Quan Haoqing understood that while his acting might have been emotionally compelling, it was utterly impossible to earn the trust of a group of desperate outlaws who lived with their lives perpetually on the line.

His proactive request for surveillance was not merely to reassure Rong Guangliang; You An, a low-ranking gang member perpetually subjected to exploitation, held significant utility for Quan Haoqing.

Knowing full well that Rong Guangliang would undoubtedly dispatch others to keep watch over him, Quan Haoqing had meticulously calculated his moves in advance.

Both the location and the room for his rendezvous with Ye Qingfeng had been meticulously chosen. He had provided the Yuelai Winehouse (TL Note: A common name for inns or restaurants in historical Chinese settings, often translated as ‘Come-As-You-Are Winehouse’ or ‘Welcome Inn’.) proprietor with a substantial deposit well in advance, citing a preference for lively and boisterous surroundings, and requested that other guests be preferentially accommodated in rooms adjacent to his own.

Furthermore, he had bribed vagrants to create disturbances at other potential surveillance locations, ensuring that the only truly suitable vantage point remained the teahouse across the street.

The prime surveillance room in the teahouse had already been prepared for You An, who was openly positioned. Any attempt to monitor from the remaining rooms would have been exceedingly difficult to conceal from Quan Haoqing’s perception.

What he had never anticipated, however, was that Xie Xiang would ‘magpie-occupy-the-swallow’s-nest’ after You An had succumbed to drunkenness and fallen to the floor.

Though he had already endeavored to underestimate these individuals who merely knew how to live out their days in a drunken stupor at the lowest echelons of society, had he, in the end, still not underestimated them enough?

Had they possessed even a modicum of ambition or team spirit, they surely wouldn’t have cast such a crucial mission to the winds, choosing instead to indulge in drinking and dining here, would they?

Reflecting, however, on Rong Guangliang’s methods for managing his gang members, Quan Haoqing found himself unsurprised once more.

While such a terrifying, oppressive reign might indeed guarantee the loyalty of his subordinates with minimal cost, to then expect any proactive initiative from them in service of the gang was nothing short of fanciful thinking.

Oh, yes, the room meticulously prepared for You An had, of course, been subtly tampered with by Quan Haoqing.

A bronze mirror, precisely positioned at the room’s diagonal, faced directly toward the doorway and perfectly encompassed You An’s location. It stood silently on a stand crafted from solid redheart wood.

Quan Haoqing stepped forward, carefully peeling away the thin film crystal that covered the mirror’s surface. The instant the crystal detached from the bronze mirror, it rapidly transformed into a deep, inky black, much like a drop of ink dispersing into clear water.

This was a Splitting Mirror, a disposable magical artifact designed for short-range remote surveillance. Once imbued with spiritual energy, its maximum operational duration was two *shichen* (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of time, equivalent to two hours.). After this period, the mirror’s surface would render itself ineffectual, and the artifact itself would shift from transparent to an opaque, dark black.

In truth, the practicality of this item was rather limited. While it indeed offered remote surveillance capabilities, its continuous emission of spiritual energy fluctuations during use meant that anyone even slightly attentive would inevitably detect its presence.

You An, however, had been preemptively given a dose of sedative-laced wine by Quan Haoqing before entering the room, rendering him utterly incapable of focused attention.

As for Xie Xiang, he had initially been blinded by his rage toward You An, and later, by his own heavy drinking, thus failing to perceive the mirror’s unusual nature.

Despite its limited practicality, this particular artifact commanded a hefty price.

Nevertheless, Quan Haoqing, always aiming for greater returns, was never one to be parsimonious with initial investments.

Now, with this Splitting Mirror rendered useless, dozens of spirit stones had effectively vanished.

If the cultivator from the Blood s*ave Sect and those bandit cultivators didn’t possess something truly valuable, he might not even recoup his initial capital.

Yet, on this occasion, his endeavors were not primarily driven by the pursuit of wealth.

Quan Haoqing turned his head, his gaze softening as he watched Ye Qingfeng cautiously checking Xie Xiang’s breath. “Tell me,” he inquired gently, “do they seem familiar to you?”

Ye Qingfeng, oblivious to the subtle shift in Quan Haoqing’s gaze, rose to her feet and pointed at You An. “He’s been tailing me several times,” she stated, “though I always managed to shake him off quite easily. As for the other one, I believe I’ve seen him before, but I can’t be entirely certain.”

Comprehending her meaning, Quan Haoqing recalled the attitudes Rong Guangliang and Song Mo had displayed towards You An, and his confidence solidified further.

Witnessing Quan Haoqing’s meticulous calculations, Ye Qingfeng inquired, “Is this individual truly so important among those bandits that you had to stage an entire charade just to deceive him?”

Quan Haoqing shook his head. “Not important,” he replied. “He’s likely of the lowest rank. However, he also seems to be the one who performs the most tasks among those bandits. It is often the seemingly insignificant individuals who, in their inconspicuousness, possess the greatest capacity to cause disruption.”

“A needle has now been embedded deep within his heart,” Quan Haoqing elaborated. “So long as he continues to endure Rong Guangliang’s exploitation, this needle will only pierce deeper, inflicting ever-increasing pain. This will persist until the anguish becomes utterly unbearable. Finally…”

Ye Qingfeng eagerly interjected, her voice rising in theatrical flourish. ” ‘Finally, he’ll let out a mighty roar: A true man, born between Heaven and Earth, how can he long remain suppressed beneath others!’ ” she declared. ” ‘And then, he’ll promptly seize his godfather’s dog-head!’ ”

Quan Haoqing offered a bewildered, silent query.

The first part had resonated perfectly, but the second seemed distinctly odd.

“Where did You An acquire a godfather?” he asked, perplexed.

Ye Qingfeng chuckled mischievously. “It’s Rong Guangliang, of course! It’s a metaphor, a metaphor. After all, if one utters such a grand declaration, it simply wouldn’t feel right without slaying a ‘godfather’!

Quan Haoqing looked at Ye Qingfeng, a wry, helpless smile playing on his lips, amused and annoyed by her antics.

After relocating You An and Xie Xiang to a guest room in the winehouse, Quan Haoqing and Ye Qingfeng began discussing their serious matters in the now-vacant room.

Quan Haoqing initiated the conversation. “Has your side of things progressed smoothly?”