“Sister knows Brother is generous, but I simply can’t compete with others in bidding?” Shen Suining flattered He Hansheng while observing the subtle changes in his expression.
However, He Hansheng possessed exceptional control over his expressions, leaving Shen Suining unable to detect even the slightest flaw.
“Then… one ingot? One ingot will do—consider it a favor from me,” Shen Suining conceded. “This information took me three full days to uncover—it’s absolutely worth more than its price. If you don’t buy it from me, Brother, you might not be able to find it out on your own.”
He Hansheng remained unmoved, seemingly pondering the credibility of this girl wearing a human-skin mask and using a false identity.
According to the intelligence He Hansheng had received, Shuyu Villa had accepted a hefty sum to take Sheng Qingge’s life. Yet, the actions of this “Sister Cuihua” from Shuyu Villa seemed to contradict this information—
If she was already being paid to kill, why would she sell such a crucial lead as Sheng Qingge’s whereabouts to him?
Seeing He Hansheng remain silent for so long, as if uninterested, Shen Suining grew anxious. “How about… you name a price?”
He Hansheng thought for a moment and offered a price: “Twenty taels of silver.”
“Silver? Only twenty taels?!” Shen Suining widened her eyes—this amount wasn’t even enough for a single visit to Qianchun Fang.
He Hansheng hummed in acknowledgment. “If it’s too little for you, forget it.”
“Hey, wait,” Shen Suining grabbed He Hansheng’s arm, closing her eyes briefly. “A bit more—how about fifty taels?”
He Hansheng ignored her, pulling his arm back as if to leave.
“No? Then… thirty taels? Hey, not even ten taels more?”
Shen Suining chased after He Hansheng all the way from one end of the street to the other, yet failed to squeeze even one extra coin out of him.
Adhering to the principle that even a fly’s meat is still meat, Shen Suining gritted her teeth. “Fine, fine! Consider it a friendship discount—twenty taels it is!”
Only then did He Hansheng stop and turn to continue negotiating: “Twenty taels of silver—you tell me Sheng Qingge’s whereabouts and answer three additional questions.”
“Seriously? Who does business like this? Settling the price and then adding conditions?” Shen Suining laughed in exasperation. Having traveled the martial world for so many years, today she had finally encountered a more miserly swindler than herself.
“Disagree? Then forget it.” He Hansheng turned to leave.
As the saying goes, a single coin can stump a hero. Thinking of her recent expenses and foreseeable future costs, Shen Suining was completely trapped by the prospect of this easily attainable twenty taels.
After a moment of struggle, Shen Suining clenched her fist and agreed through gritted teeth: “Fine, it’s a deal!”
…
With the deal struck, both parties arranged to meet in a private room on the third floor of a teahouse, with Jiang Yuchu and Shen Fengyu guarding the door.
Shen Suining fulfilled her promise and revealed that Sheng Qingge was heading to Suzhou to take refuge.
“Qianchun Fang? Song Sanniang?” He Hansheng frowned—he had never heard of this person.
Shen Suining explained: “Like Wan Hua Lou, Qian Chun Fang is a renowned pleasure quarter in Jiangnan, while also being a hub for martial arts factions. Its premises are much larger—roughly over ten times the size of Wan Hua Lou—divided into five courtyards (east, south, west, north, and central) and four halls (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). Beyond that, it’s involved in gray-area businesses like underground gambling dens. Moreover, since Qian Chun Fang has no master proprietor, several managers operate independently with differing rules. Song Sanniang navigates among these managers and holds some sway as a mediator.”
He Hansheng indeed lacked Shen Suining’s depth and accuracy in such intelligence, especially concerning jianghu-affiliated courtesans like Sheng Qingge. Without adequate sources, his operations faced considerable obstacles and complications.
After a moment of contemplation, He Hansheng asked, “What is the relationship between Sheng Qingge and Song Sanniang?”
Shen Suining raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Is this one of your three questions?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t feel like telling you,” she paused, “unless you pay extra.”
“Forget it.” He Hansheng shut her down outright, leaving no room for negotiation. “I’ll begin now—three questions. Answer truthfully.”
Shen Suining grew wary. “I can’t guarantee honesty on matters involving confidential identities.”
“Don’t worry, I know your rules.”
“I also reserve the right to decline other questions.”
“Fine.”
Somewhat reassured, Shen Suining propped her chin lazily against the table. “Ask away. Whether I answer depends on my mood.”
Without hesitation, He Hansheng posed, “First, tell me: is your mission to eliminate Sheng Qingge?”
At this, Shen Suining straightened abruptly, her expression turning grave.
He Hansheng pressed, “Can’t even answer that?”
“Not exactly,” she mused, “but you must swear that whatever my reply, you’ll never disclose it later or interfere with my work.”
“Agreed.”
Shen Suining verified, “A gentleman’s agreement?”
“A gentleman’s agreement.”
After brief reflection, Shen Suining answered truthfully: “No.”
She immediately added, “Whether she lives or dies means little to me, but if you plan to kill her, let me settle my business with her first.”
“No problem,” He Hansheng concealed that he had no intention of killing Sheng Qingge. “Does your affair with Sheng Qingge involve any third parties?”
“Won’t answer. Next question.” Shen Suining refused bluntly.
“Then I’ll rephrase,” He Hansheng thought a moment. “If Sheng Qingge dies, will your mission be terminated?”
“Barring unforeseen circumstances, yes.” She paused, then warned, “But that’s no excuse for backtracking. In the jianghu, reputation is everything. If you deceive me, you’ll never marry in this lifetime.”
He Hansheng chuckled, inexplicably finding the woman opposite him somewhat endearing.
“What’s so funny?”
He shook his head, an unrelated question popping into his mind. “Why aren’t you covering your face today? Not afraid I’ll see it?”
Shen Suining froze, baffled. “Is this the third question?”
“Consider it so.”
“Such a trivial question isn’t worth asking.” Shen Suining laughed but still pondered seriously, “Probably because we’ll have plenty of opportunities to cross paths soon enough—you’ll see eventually. And I’ve never been one for trouble that only calls more attention to itself.”
“Fine.”
He Hansheng snapped his fingers, and Jiang Yuchu brought in a box from outside, placing it on the table.
He Hansheng pushed the box toward Shen Suining with a meaningful smile. “Well then, pleasure doing business.”
The box was heavy, and Shen Suining’s face lit up with delight at the sight.
“Brother Iron Pillar, you’re quite straightforward,” Shen Suining said, happily hefting the box in her arms. “How about I do you another favor?”
She tapped the table, and Shen Fengyu entered, presenting a scroll.
Shen Suining took the scroll, twirled it in her hand, and set it in the middle of the table. “A portrait of Song Sanniang. Qianchun Workshop is a massive establishment with countless people—finding someone without the right connections is no easy task.”
He Hansheng raised an eyebrow slightly. “More money?”
“Tsk, do I seem that money-grubbing?” Shen Suining rolled her eyes and pushed the scroll toward He Hansheng. “This portrait is a gift from your little sister.”
He Hansheng accepted it graciously.
He unrolled the scroll, and his expression froze instantly.
The paper was splattered with several ink blots of varying sizes, shapes, and shades. A few crude lines barely outlined what might be a face.
He Hansheng: “…”
“Sister Cuihua, forgive my poor eyesight,” He Hansheng said, looking up with a strained smile. “Is this even a person?”
“Of course! I painted it myself. Exclusive work, honest and fair.”
Shen Suining brazenly boasted, noticing the slight twitch at the corner of He Hansheng’s eye. Seizing the opportunity, she added, “If you want the artist’s version, it’ll cost extra. Not much—just fifteen taels of silver.”
He Hansheng snapped the scroll shut with a sharp “thwack.”
Seeing his obvious displeasure, Shen Fengyu quickly intervened, “Actually, Cuihua’s portrait of Song Sanniang is quite accurate. There’s no need for you to spend extra, Brother Iron.”
“…Accurate?” He Hansheng’s smile was tight and unconvincing. “Do you think I’m a fool?”
“Really, truly! Once you get to Suzhou and see Song Sanniang for yourself, you’ll know we’re telling the absolute truth.” Sensing the situation turning sour, Shen Fengyu hastily grabbed the money box from the table. “Alright, alright, we have other matters to attend to. We’ll take our leave now.”
With that, she dragged Shen Suining away in a hurry.
After Shen Suining left, He Hansheng sat at the table, taking several deep breaths and remaining motionless for a long time.
Jiang Yuchu asked worriedly, “Young master, your patience today is truly unusual. Could it be… you’ve fallen under their bewitching spell?”
He Hansheng: “…”
“Young master, we must be cautious. What if the information they gave is a trap…”
“She’s clever. If it were a trap, they’d have found a more unexpected way to reveal it to me—no need for such blatant strong-arming.” He Hansheng forced a slight smile. “As for bewitchment, come here.”
He beckoned Jiang Yuchu closer, and when the latter leaned in, He Hansheng calmly raised his hand and slammed Jiang Yuchu’s head hard onto the table.
“Thump!”
…
Once outside the teahouse, Shen Fengyu finally let out a long sigh of relief. “That was close, too close.”
Shen Suining frowned and shook off her hand, “Why did you stop me? We just missed out on fifteen taels of silver! Do you know how rare it is to come across such a gullible spender?”
Shen Fengyu shot her a glare and turned to leave.
“Hey, what’s with that look?” Shen Suining grumbled, catching up to her. “Selling such crucial information for only twenty taels—don’t you think we’re losing out big time?”
“I’m more worried about your life than these measly gains!”
Shen Fengyu halted, took a deep breath, and scolded her sternly: “Shao Zhu, no matter how tight our finances are, you can’t just sell any piece of information! Forget that we still have no leads on the buyer’s background—those two were clearly no fools. When he asked those three questions, I was sweating bullets for you!”
Rarely seeing Shen Fengyu so serious, Shen Suining was momentarily stunned and at a loss for words. She waved a hand dismissively, “Fine, fine. It was unexpected money anyway. Something is better than nothing.”
As they walked down the street, Shen Fengyu hugged the box in silence, clearly still sulking.
After a moment’s thought, Shen Suining offered an olive branch: “Well… why don’t you use this money to settle Miaoyin Pavilion’s debts first?”
“Miaoyin Pavilion isn’t the only one!”
Shen Fengyu seized the opportunity to vent, rubbing her temples at the thought of recent accounts.
When they returned to Miaoyin Pavilion, Shen Fengyu opened the box given by He Hansheng—only to find several heavy, ordinary stones inside.
Author’s Note:
【Mini Theater】
Author: A small victory today—any insights, Young Marquis He?
He Hansheng: The most skilled hunters often appear as prey.
Author: Speak plainly.
He Hansheng: My wife is slipping away T T