Qingshan

Chapter 54 : Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Sea Goshawk

"The credit is half mine, half yours—how about it?"

The originally lively gambling den was now quiet and still.

In the colorfully decorated private room, the plump Jinzhu sat at the edge of a round table.

Above the round table, a hanged corpse swayed from the beam. Yet Jinzhu smiled as if nothing was wrong, as though a laughing girl from Red Cloth Lane sat beside him.

I sat down across the table and asked curiously: "Lord Jinzhu, if we catch Jing Dynasty spies tonight, the credit won't be small. You're just giving it to me like this?"

Jinzhu poured me a cup of hot tea and said unhurriedly: "These years, thanks to Lord Inner Minister's trust, he's let me manage the Secret Spy Division's purse strings. At first I didn't really understand—grain and oil shops, brothels, gambling dens, clothing stores—I got scammed and fell into many traps, losing quite a bit of money. But the Inner Minister didn't say anything, only told me not to be afraid of making mistakes."

I suddenly realized that this Jinzhu was probably also an orphan raised by the Inner Minister.

At such a young age, he held the Secret Spy Division's financial authority. Even losing money could be tolerated by the Inner Minister—the two must have an extremely deep relationship. Almost every sentence Jinzhu spoke revealed his admiration for the Inner Minister.

To the outside world, he was the Poisonous Minister, but to Jinzhu, he was a father-like figure.

Jinzhu continued: "Later, I really did have a talent for business and gradually learned the ways of commerce. I discovered that third-rate investment is investing labor—learning to work hard at a small business like a noodle shop. Second-rate investment is investing technology—doing what others can't, like frosted sugar. First-rate investment is money making money, enormous profits with little capital, like money houses. But none of these investments are the most brilliant..."

I pondered: "Then what is the most brilliant investment?"

Jinzhu smiled: "Of course it's investing in 'people.'"

He said with emotion: "Over these years, my most correct investment was helping Tianma. Back then I wasn't yet Jinzhu, and he was just a small spy. Every time we caught spies, he charged to the very front. After finishing work, no matter how tired, treat him to a bowl of beef noodles and he'd wipe his mouth, happily go to sleep. Watching him eat noodles, it was as if beef noodles were the most delicious thing in the world."

"Later I became Jinzhu, and he was still just a small pigeon-ranked spy. So I gave him all my credit, helped him exchange it for a cultivation path, and he became the current Tianma. Over these years, the bottom nine positions have come and gone like falling flowers and flowing water. Only Xuanshe and I have sat firmly without changing. Xuanshe is because Bailong looks after him, and as for me, it's because of Tianma."

For a moment, I actually felt a trace of human warmth in the cold and ruthless Secret Spy Division.

I imagined the scheming Jinzhu after capturing spies, sitting in a noodle shop eating beef noodles with the young Tianma—what kind of scene was that? The two should peel garlic while chatting, saying "that was close just now."

No matter how I thought about it, it felt somewhat unreal.

No wonder that despite being only a bottom nine zodiac, he was much tougher than Yunyang and Jiaotu.

"May I ask Lord Jinzhu, what rank must one reach to obtain a cultivation path?" I asked quietly.

Jinzhu drained his tea cup in one gulp: "Sea Goshawk—this is a threshold. Once you become a Sea Goshawk, you're no longer a small spy, and even those civil officials won't dare look down on you anymore. At the same time, you'll also have the opportunity to glimpse the great path of longevity."

"Then, if I receive promotion, what does Lord Jinzhu need me to do?" I asked curiously.

Jinzhu smiled: "Currently the position of 'Sea Goshawk' in Luocheng remains undecided. I don't know if Lord Inner Minister is intentionally leaving it vacant or truly has no good candidate, but someone must fill it eventually. I have quite a few enterprises in Luocheng and naturally need someone to look after them. Don't need to do anything else—just don't let people harass them."

"What enterprises does Lord have?" I asked curiously.

Jinzhu laughed heartily: "Just added one, so this is a good opportunity for you to get familiar... Bring him in!"

......

......

Two spies dragged in a thin, short wealthy merchant and made him kneel on the ground.

The wealthy merchant said through tears and snot: "Lord, I'm Chao Cang—I've always operated honestly. This gambling den has absolutely no connection to Jing Dynasty spies!"

Jinzhu squatted in front of him calmly: "You say there's no connection, so there's no connection? If there's no connection, why would Jing Dynasty spies pass through your establishment? And why would a fight break out in your shop? Honestly sign the property deed and you can avoid physical suffering. Otherwise, your entire family will be executed or exiled to Lingnan... Give him the paper and brush."

A spy threw the already-written contract on the ground and said coldly: "Boss Chao, sign and press your handprint."

I: "..."

So all of Jinzhu's enterprises came this way?!

This wasn't enormous profits with little capital—this was enormous profits with no capital!

The gambling den owner trembled, but ultimately pressed his handprint and was dragged away like a pile of mud.

I asked doubtfully: "Lord Jinzhu, this businessman shouldn't be a Jing Dynasty spy... Doesn't the Chief Punishment Division care?"

Jinzhu glanced at me and said earnestly: "Of course he's not, but I manage the Secret Spy Division's purse strings. So many people need to be fed—naturally I must find ways to increase revenue and reduce expenses for Lord Inner Minister, to share his worries. Hehe, Chief Punishment Division's Lin Chaoqing isn't in Luocheng today. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"What if someone discovers it?" I asked curiously.

Jinzhu stood up and patted my shoulder: "Gambling dens harm people greatly. That Boss Chao is deeply sinful and will commit suicide out of guilt tonight. Rest assured, no one will discover anything."

Having said this, he looked at me with a smile: "I'm only telling you these things because I consider you a confidant. You wouldn't report me, would you? Rest assured, following me is much more comfortable than following Jiaotu and Yunyang. From now on, the court will give you twenty-four taels of silver salary annually, and I'll give you another twenty-four taels—forty-eight taels total."

I thought to myself, forty-eight taels isn't enough for my cultivation expenses: "Is it only for a few people, or does everyone get it?"

Jinzhu responded: "Everyone gets it. Brothers risk their lives with their heads tucked in their belts—what can twenty-four taels of silver a year accomplish? Civil officials restrict our salaries, but Lord Inner Minister naturally has his methods. Many people look down on my position, saying I'm full of the stench of copper. But what do they understand? The Secret Spy Division's internal allowances and pensions are all managed by me. Life is tight—how can we get by without careful calculation?"

Seeing my expression, he slowly added: "Once you become a Sea Goshawk and have a cultivation path, you'll receive additional cultivation resources monthly."

I probed: "What can an ordinary Sea Goshawk receive, and how much?"

Jinzhu thought: "For an ordinary martial artist's cultivation path, if there's no merit that month, probably six old mountain ginseng roots. If there's merit, the more merit, the more you receive."

My heart stirred. So this was the most important part. The Ning Dynasty's twelve provinces had over two hundred cities combined—that is, over two hundred Sea Goshawks. Just distributing cultivation resources monthly was an astronomical figure!

Just the six ginseng roots distributed in one month, totaling about 190 taels, was more than many people could earn in ten years!

Jinzhu stared straight at me and said seriously: "But you must remember—this is what the Inner Minister gives you, not what the court gives you."

I understood. What Jinzhu managed wasn't the Maritime Trade, Silver Bureau, Textile Manufacturing, or other offices. The money those offices earned was for the emperor's inner court. What Jinzhu managed was the Inner Minister's own private treasury.

I stood up and cupped my hands: "Lord Jinzhu, this subordinate will go through fire and water for Lord Inner Minister without hesitation!"

Jinzhu smiled and pulled my hand: "Tonight's merit for luring and killing Jing Dynasty spies is one thing. If we can capture that defecting spy, that's another great merit. I know you're exceptionally clever—this matter still depends on you."

I pondered for a moment: "Lord Jinzhu, are there any clues?"

In fact, this was what I cared about most.

This Jing Dynasty spy had seen my appearance. I had to find this person before the Secret Spy Division did.

Until I found them, I wouldn't rest easy for a single day.

Speaking of clues about the defecting spy, Jinzhu also cursed: "This spy was severely injured and should have been easy to catch, but a rain shower broke his trail. Now trying to find him in Luocheng is like searching for a needle in the ocean."

At this time, a cat's meow sounded outside the window. No one paid attention, assuming it was just a wild cat sheltering from the rain under the eaves.

I cupped my hands and said: "Then Lord Jinzhu continues waiting here for Jing Dynasty spies. I'll go down and see if there are any clues about that defecting spy."

Having said this, I left the private room door and pressed down my bamboo hat.

Inside the room, a spy said: "Lord, he already knows our plan to lure the enemy. Should we be careful he passes information?"

Jinzhu nodded: "Watch him closely. Don't give him a chance to leave 'Chao Cang.' Although Dream Rooster tested that he's not a Jing Dynasty spy, caution ensures safety for ten thousand years."

......

......

I walked down from the second floor. Spies with hands on their waist knives guarded every passage, almost everyone with a hand crossbow at their waist.

Under this kind of control, if the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Division wanted to come silence witnesses, they would certainly pay a terrible price.

But what did this have to do with me? I only cared whether I would be exposed.

However, just as I walked halfway down the stairs and casually looked down, I discovered a familiar figure: it was none other than my direct second elder brother, Chen Wenxiao!

Strange, why would Chen Wenxiao appear at a gambling den in the middle of the night? Could he also be related to Jing Dynasty spies?

No, his complexion was pale and sallow, with dark circles under his eyes. Gone was his elegant young master appearance from daytime—he was clearly a true gambling addict!

I suddenly recalled the rumors about myself being a gambling addict and felt there must be more to the story.

Just as I was pondering, Chen Wenxiao quietly raised his head to survey his surroundings. I pressed down my bamboo hat and walked elsewhere.

In the gambling den, copper coins and silver money scattered on the ground. A trail of blood dripped from the entrance to the rear courtyard—presumably the escape route of that defecting spy.

I followed the blood trail toward the rear courtyard. Upstairs, the spy beside Jinzhu leaned against the wooden railing, his gaze closely following my steps.

When he saw I wanted to leave the gambling den, his gaze tightened. He made hand signals across the distance to two spies downstairs, indicating they should follow.

However, I stopped before leaving the gambling den and turned to another corner. Only then did the spies relax.

I came to a certain corner, bending down while pretending to search for clues, and lowered my voice: "Dark Cloud, Dark Cloud?"

In the shadows of the corner, Dark Cloud was soaked through and meowed: "I'm here!"

My expression was shrouded under the bamboo hat. I asked quietly: "How did you find your way here?"

"I wanted to go to the clinic to tell you that Consort Jing plans to have Chunhua seduce you, but I discovered you weren't at the clinic," Dark Cloud answered. "I asked many cats along the way before finding this place."

I asked in shock: "Wait, you asked many cats?"

"Yes," Dark Cloud didn't quite understand my shock. "You humans find other humans to ask directions. What's so strange about us cats finding other cats to ask directions?"

"Can they answer questions... I mean, can those who haven't developed spiritual intelligence also answer your questions?"

"Fat orange cats and cow-pattern cats definitely can't—they're not very smart. Asking them is useless. But tabby cats can. They're relatively clever, can really fight, and control large territories. But tabby cats are somewhat hard to deal with—bad tempers," Dark Cloud answered.

My heart surged. This was a development I had never imagined. Stray cats were everywhere in Luocheng!

I asked quickly: "Then can you have them help me find someone? The person is severely injured and escaped from Chao Cang gambling den at night, whereabouts unknown!"

"Where did they escape to?"

"I don't know."

"That's not easy to find..." Dark Cloud was silent for a moment. "Need to find a calico cat. They have good relationships with other cats—have them go to various territories to ask tabby cats."

"This matter concerns my life and fortune. I must find this person before the Secret Spy Division does!"

Dark Cloud curled up her paw and knocked her chest with a bang bang sound: "Leave it to me, rest assured!"