As dusk fell and the lanterns were lit, the once tightly shut shops of the western market began opening one after another. In an instant, the entire commercial district was illuminated. Compared to the daytime, the night market of the western district carried a more vibrant, down-to-earth charm.
The brothels and pleasure houses, in particular, were full of music and alluring voices that tugged at the soul, seducing every man that passed by.
At this time, Shen Lang, who would normally have returned home to lie down, was still wandering through the streets of the western market—a rare occurrence. Looking at the newly opened pleasure houses and imagining the women within, singing and laughing in bed, Shen Lang couldn’t help but feel a surge of desire.
In this feudal era where martial cultivation reigned, entertainment was scarce. For ordinary folk, the greatest joys were listening to a tune or engaging in deep… conversation with these heavily adorned women.
Truth be told, ever since transmigrating to this world, Shen Lang had yet to experience such pleasures. The main reason, of course, was lack of money. Back at the border of Bingzhou, there had been chances to secretly swim across the 3-kilometer-wide Han River into Northern Yan, where, for a small fee, one could share an intense and passionate “symphony of life” with exiled Yan women who had committed crimes.
Many soldiers stationed long-term in Bingzhou had done just that, boasting of their great exploits after each return. On this matter, both Bingzhou and Northern Yan’s border guards turned a blind eye and didn’t enforce restrictions too harshly.
The problem, however, was that Shen Lang found it not quite worth it—risking his life to swim through the icy river just to visit a brothel. Besides, there were men who, after too much enthusiasm, overexerted themselves and ended up drowning on their way back.
Nowadays, the courtyard he rented cost 9 taels of silver per month. After food and other expenses, barely any money remained.
But today was different.
After accepting a private job, he had earned 20 taels. It was hard not to consider indulging himself a little.
Still, he resisted the urge.
“Forget it. Business comes first. I’ll deal with you lot later.”
He reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the alluring buildings and turned into a dark alley.
Unbeknownst to him, not long after he entered the alley, a graceful figure silently followed him.
In this world, where there is light, there is darkness. Behind the surface prosperity of Jinling lay unseen underworld forces, especially in these inconspicuous corners near clusters of shops.
“Hurry up and place your bets! It’s about to start!”
Inside a gambling den, gamblers crowded around a table, staring eagerly at the dice cup swaying in the dealer’s hands. Everyone looked fired up.
Bang—
With a crisp thud, the dealer slammed the dice cup onto the table.
“Any more bets? It’s about to open!”
The dealer’s shout pushed the atmosphere to its peak.
“Twelve!”
“Thirteen!”
“Sixteen!”
The red-eyed gamblers lost all reason, slamming their chips down on their chosen numbers with trembling hands.
“It’s open!”
“Three sixes—triplets. House wins all!”
The moment the lid was lifted, collective sighs echoed from the crowd. The chips on the table were swiftly swept away by a dealer using a long rake.
“Again!”
The entire gambling hall was a smoky mess, filled with gamblers desperate to win back their losses. Those who had lost everything even started borrowing high-interest loans from the house, gambling away their futures.
Inside a private room of the den, a scar-faced middle-aged man was lying in bed, drinking wine and embracing a voluptuous woman.
His name was Chen Ba, the boss of Jinling’s underworld—the infamous head of the city’s criminal underbelly.
Just as the two were about to engage in some… deeper exchange, a loud knock sounded on the door.
“Tch. Damn it, who’s knocking like that? Trying to summon my soul?”
Irritated at being interrupted, Chen Ba grabbed a machete and stormed over to open the door.
A small lackey outside quickly said, “Calm down, Boss Chen. Hundred-Man Commander Shen is here to see you.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier?! Hurry up and let him in! And go order a banquet from Huifeng Restaurant—now!”
Hearing Shen Lang had arrived, Chen Ba instantly threw away the machete, kicked the woman out, and straightened himself up. His attitude turned respectful.
The reason? He had been subdued by Shen Lang through brute force.
Not long after, Shen Lang swaggered into the private room with a gait that said he recognized no one.
“Yo, Boss Chen, living it up, I see. Already eating well? I haven’t even had dinner yet.”
“You’re joking, Commander Shen. I’ve already sent someone to Huifeng Restaurant to prepare food and wine for you. If only you’d told me earlier—you caught me off guard.”
Standing before Shen Lang, Chen Ba didn’t even dare breathe heavily.
Don’t be fooled by Shen Lang’s youth—once he got ruthless, blood would flow like a river.
Chen Ba still remembered when Shen Lang had first arrived a year ago. Back then, he’d tried to bribe him. After being coldly rejected, he sent dozens of his thugs to intimidate Shen Lang.
Shen Lang responded with a single dagger.
He slaughtered the entire group.
Their corpses were hung at Chen Ba’s front door that very night.
Since then, Chen Ba had developed a psychological shadow toward Shen Lang. He didn’t even think of resisting anymore.
After subduing Jinling’s largest underworld force, Shen Lang didn’t destroy it. Instead, he used them to gather intel and complete the missions assigned by the Imperial Guard with ease.
This was also one of the reasons he could leisurely eat from the court’s grain stores while lazing around every few days.
“Comfortable.”
Shen Lang reclined on the couch, stretched his neck, and clapped his hands, motioning for Chen Ba to sit.
“Commander Shen, may I ask what brings you here this time?”
“Find out everything about Qingyi Tower’s recent movements. I heard they’ll be arriving on the outskirts of Jinling in the next couple of days. Get me that intel by tomorrow morning.”
Shen Lang shot him a glare. “Whether or not they’re easy to deal with is my problem. What does that have to do with you? Just find out how many people came and their cultivation stages. Don’t ask about anything else.”
“Yes, I’ll get it done.”
He stood and called out, “Ghost Shadow!”
As soon as he spoke, a shifty-eyed man with a look that screamed ‘thief’ respectfully stepped forward.
“Boss, you called?”
“A few disciples from Qingyi Tower will be arriving near Jinling in the next few days. Go investigate and report everything to Commander Shen before dawn. He’s waiting.”
“Yes, Boss. I’ll get it done immediately.”
Ghost Shadow departed at once.
Chen Ba smiled and said, “Commander Shen, that guy’s useless at most things, but he’s clever and has great qinggong. He can cover 400 kilometers in a day. He’ll definitely bring you the information.”
Shen Lang nodded. “Good work. I’ve got something else to do, so I’ll leave first.”
Chen Ba quickly said, “Commander Shen, I’ve already ordered food and wine for you. Perhaps you’d like to—”
“Not hungry,” Shen Lang cut him off bluntly. “Keep it for yourself.”
Without giving Chen Ba any chance to respond, Shen Lang left the gambling den directly.
Chen Ba immediately followed him to the door, seeing him off until Shen Lang disappeared into the dark alley before finally returning inside.
On the road home, Shen Lang felt like someone was following him.
He suddenly turned around, only to see the bustling market filled with people.
“Strange… Maybe it’s just because I skipped dinner?”
He muttered under his breath and continued walking home, doubts lingering in his heart.
Only after Shen Lang’s figure disappeared did Jiang Mengxuan emerge from a jewelry shop nearby.
“So, he’s Shen Lang. What keen senses—he almost noticed my presence.”
“This man actually made someone like Chen Ba—who has no respect for law or royalty—bow his head. Shen Lang is truly capable.”
Though Jiang Mengxuan didn’t know what Shen Lang and Chen Ba had discussed, one thing was clear.
There was a deep connection between Jinling’s most powerful underworld force and Shen Lang.
Judging from their interaction, Chen Ba clearly feared him greatly.
If that was the case, Shen Lang’s capabilities might be far greater than she had imagined.
However, based on his conversation with Han Chaozong earlier today, this man didn’t seem very loyal to the Great Chu court.
“I should return to the palace and investigate Shen Lang’s records immediately.”