284-288

Chapter 284: Blocking the Street

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Only the Baoyue house would dare to threaten people; no one else would ever dare to do the same to them.

The beautiful woman was Shi Qing'er. She was an assistant, trained by Yuan Meng. She believed that tonight, they would only be hosting officers of little repute. A subordinate had left to inform her that the "Mister Chen" they were catering to was a powerful man, and could be a difficult person for them to trifle with and challenge. That is the reason for her desire to compromise with Fan Xian. Ever since September, the big boss had made repeated requests for the Baoyue Brothel to operate as quietly as possible, to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. This was to be her aim with Fan Xian, but she never expected him to neglect an amicable solution to the ruckus and begin threatening them.

Shi Qing'er was fuming on the inside, and gazing at Fan Xian, she spoke each and every word slowly: "You are going to regret that which you have done tonight."

"Do not threaten me. Hurry up and go fetch me the contract." Fan Xian began laughing, and then called out, "You guys have ruined my mood. I'm going to go home!"

Seeing Fan Xian's soft smile, Shi Chanli could do little but sigh. He knew that whenever Fan Xian was unhappy, the possibility of ruinous circumstances could always follow. Perhaps in a few days, the Baoyue Brothel would no longer be in operation, and will have been closed down. Shi Qing'er's temper was stoked and she bitterly demanded for a subordinate to bring her the contract. After a little while, the thin parchment was placed upon the table for all to see.

"Cash only. If you have a 10,000 tael banknote on your person, then I will give Sang Wen over to you." Shi Qing'er stared directly into Fan Xian's eyes and continued speaking, "In Qing law, there is a clause attached to the proceedings that involve the purchase of others. I cannot put her on reserve and patiently await your deliverance of the tael. If she is on sale, she will be available for purchase by anyone and thus, there is every chance that someone may come along and buy her out in your absence."

Fan Xian's facial expression did not move an inch, but in his mind, he was laughing out loud and struggled to contain it. "Who would willingly purchase another human being for 10,000 tael, eh? But if I do not buy her, I can only suspect the next customer to come along and snap her up would be the Baoyue Brothel itself."

Shi Chanli brought out a quill and a small bottle of ink and wrote out the contract. He placed it beside the parchment provided by Shi Qing'er, which contained the details regarding the sale and ownership of Sang Wen. He then waited for Fan Xian to present the costly banknote, as he always had full, unwavering faith in Fan Xian's financial management. Shi Chanli himself was a studious, scholarly sort and for such people, finance wasn't a great concern for them.

Shi Qing'er had not yet averted her gaze from Fan Xian. Throughout her entire life, she had seen numerous amounts of rich people, but even the nobles and prosperous merchants of Jiangnan could not fathom the prospect of carrying 10,000 tael upon them. That is, unless they were preparing to present another certain noble a gift at some affluent feast. So, could this presumptuous young man could truly match the requested fee and bring out 10,000 tael? She did not believe it.

It felt as if time stood still there. It felt like it had taken the longest time, but in actuality, all this happened rather quickly. Fan Xian stood where he was, without moving. Shi Chanli was filled to the brim with feelings of terror and surprise. Shi Qing'er's lips were spread out in a manner that suggested unadulterated pride; as if a certain victory had already been decided favorably for her.

Fan Xian looked at the beautiful woman, who was now stood there, so full of herself. All of a sudden, he began feeling good about things. He poked Deng Ziyue, who had remained by his side the entire time.

Deng Ziyue bowed and said aloud, "Mister Chen, what is your desire?"

Fan Xian then whispered quietly to Deng Ziyue, "Are you feigning this stupidity? I don't have anywhere close to this amount on me, so I'm going to have to borrow it from you."

Deng Ziyue's face contorted into a look of sheer awkwardness. He had no idea why Fan Xian was so sure that Deng Ziyue possessed a banknote for 10,000 tael on him. But without hesitance, put his hand into his chest and searched around for the wallet containing the banknote. A long while had elapsed, as he repeatedly felt around the inside of his clothing and eventually, he found the puffed-up wallet of the First Bureau.

Everyone present in that room was stunned. Everyone looked upon Deng Ziyue's wallet with surprise, which looked as ordinary as one could be. He began pulling out a number of banknotes as if he were tearing out his own guts.

Deng Ziyue placed them all upon the table and repeatedly counted them, again and again, with a searing pain in his heart as if he had been stabbed. He counted ten, and then passed them over to Shi Qing'er.

Shi Qing'er's face could not have appeared any more disfigured from surprise. In her hands, she held 10,000 tael, and so much was the utter shock that she could not bring forth any words to her mouth. She was for all accounts speechless. She thought to herself that this young man might have been the son of a supremely wealthy family, but even his subordinate possessed the sum of 10,000 tael upon his person.

With the 10,000 tael banknotes grasped firmly in her trembling hands, she looked upon Fan Xian's unconcerned face. She was asking herself, "What kind of demigod is this man?"

Fan Xian ignored her expression of disbelief and lightly stroked Yan'er, who was still blissfully asleep behind him the entire time. His fingertips ruffled her neck a little, almost like a tease and after, she slowly awoke. As she arose, she greeted her widened, yawning mouth with her arm. It must have been a restful, deep slumber.

"Let's go."

He said these words gently and without acuity, and immediately after he did so, he stood up and walked out of the room. Deng Ziyue carried the damp man, who may have been dead or alive, and followed. Shi Chanli gave support and helped Sang Wen come along, as the intermittent shocks of the evening weighed heavily on her heart and ability to walk with a sense of composure. In this way, they all exited.

A while later, this collection of young people had passed beyond the pond of the yard and disappeared into the shadows, away from the Baoyue Brothel.

Shi Qing'er maintained her grasp of the banknotes in her hand, but was now beginning to squeeze them. The banknotes wrinkled and folded in on each other. Still, she knew that it would be foolish to throw away such a large sum of money and after a while she quickly pocketed them. Her eyes trailed the people who were now walking away, and the shadows that embraced them, and muttered, "You better watch out."

The Baoyue Brothel was owned by two figures, both of who were shrouded in secrecy. Shi Qing'er was with the second owner. Their operations were heartless and cruel. Presently, Yan'er frowned and was almost fully awake, save for a slight dizziness she continued to suffer from. Looking at the state of the room she was in, she was well aware that she hadn't simply fallen asleep. She thought that it was nigh unbelievable that such a young man, with the charming smile that he carried, could possess such power.

Shi Qing'er raised her hand and went to slap her across the face.

No one expected she had the capacity to quickly dodge the incoming strike. After the move, she looked at Shi Qing'er and said, "What are you trying to hit me for?"

Shi Qing'er grinded her teeth and spat out, "You useless wench! I asked you to gather intelligence and information from this person but instead, you slept through half the night."

Yan'er once again viewed the scene and was able to guess what occurred. She coldly smiled and responded, "I am useless. But if you are so useful by comparison, how could you allow those people to walk away in possession of Sang Wen? What reception do you expect to receive when you explain this to Yuan?"

"Humph!" Shi Qing'er looked at Yan'er's face, which was caked in heavy makeup. With a glance of disdain, she said, "Do not think you are able to get away with anything you please simply because the owner is fond of you. The Baoyue Brothel is a business, just like any other; we cannot simply take to having fights with our customers. But fret not, for I will find a way to resolve these issues."

These two women were well-known to the Baoyue Brothel and, as such, there was much bitterness between them. For whenever they would talk to each other, some manner of belittling would be hidden amongst their words, and fights were not an uncommon sight. The other workers of the Baoyue Brothel quickly backed away in fear of getting dragged into another of their quarrels that seemed to be brewing.

A while later, Yan'er smiled and said, "Do not forget. The owner wants you to maintain a low profile these next few months. That means you shouldn't go about committing any terrible deed you desire."

"Terrible?" Shi Qing'er smiled callously, saying, "We run the capital."

Yan'er raised her eyebrows to feign confusion and told her, "Oh! That guy today, I can only suppose he was a powerful figure of the 13th Yamen?"

"Pah, that's poppycock! He is not from the 13th Yamen." Shi Qing'er's eyebrows displayed the look of someone with murder in their heart. "In the entirety of the capital, how many people do you suspect can present 10,000 tael on a whim? There cannot be many. Even if we were to search beneath each and every rock and tile of the Ministry of Justice, I guarantee you we wouldn't find that sort of money. He must be the son of one of those barons."

Yan'er was visibly shocked, not believing that the enigmatic "Mister Chen" was someone of such identity. She thought back to manner in which she fell asleep, and what he did that made her feel absent-minded and lose consciousness.

Shi Qing'er watched her eyebrows soften, and with a raised voice, told her, "Don't get yourself all horny in reminiscence of that man; be wary of upsetting the boss, you tart."

Yan'er heard what she said, but was unafraid nonetheless. She began laughing and told her, "You arranged for me to serve a customer. Aren't you afraid that would upset the boss?"

Shi Qing'er smiled frostily and replied, "The man you were with - Mister Chen - is going to be a dead man very soon. That isn't a problem for you, is it?"

After hearing this, Yan'er was made visibly aghast. Her eyebrows frowned and she said, "You're going to kill again?"

"I will not settle for any individual to disrespect the Baoyue Brothel and get away with it." Shi Qing'er's eyebrows were full of ruthlessness. She continued, "Considering his identity, perhaps it would be best if we didn't kill him yet. But at the very least, we may be able to kill that bitch Sang Wen. Blame it on their misfortune, for today, the second boss and his men are enjoying the brothel as well."

After Yan'er heard this, she imagined that Mister Chen and his fellows had unknowingly walked into a death sentence. Even though she did not know of the identity of the second boss, she knew who his cohorts were. They were callous, unafraid of anything, and went about as if they dominated the entire capital. Even if Mister Chen was the family member of a baron, he might live through the night, but all around him were sure die.

Yan'er sighed and said, "Being reckless like this, doing whatever you please – it is only a matter of time before the government begin an investigation. And when they do, I am afraid none of us will be spared our lives."

Shi Qing'er looked at her with utter disgust. She began laughing and mocking her lack of courage. And as she did so, she said, "There is a popular officer within the council that would be willing to provide us with support. And there are others who speak for us in the palace. Who are we to fear? What have we to fear?"

Exiting the Baoyue Brothel, Sang Wen's face was flooded with tears. She bowed to Fan Xian, but this was something he did not desire to see. He did, however, comfort her with a few words of encouragement. With great haste, they hurried toward the carriages. The party split up into two separate carriages and had them ride through the brighter side of the street.

It wasn't long before the carriage was brought to a halt in the center of a lengthy lane. Fan Xian furled the curtains of the carriage windows and without much in the way of surprise, he noticed the presence of two groups of people blocking either end of the street. In each individual's hand was held a torch.

From what little he could tell, these people were not old. They were not even adults, for they appeared to be – teenagers 14 or 15 years old. Their pale faces portrayed the squalid living habits they were no doubt accustomed to. They were mounted upon horses, which revealed their identity, and further ahead of them were a number of servants tasked with their protection. They didn't seem to display a care toward their obstruction of the lane. Murdering others on the streets of the capital didn't seem like a foreign concept to these people.

"Get out of your carriages, fools!" The young man who led the nefarious posse had a wretched face full of scorn and hatred. His eyes harbored an excited, hyped-up malice, no doubt anticipating the thrill of being able to slaughter innocent people without remorse or reprieve. It would be fun.

"Wow, it didn't take long for the Baoyue Brothel to spring to action." Fan Xian mockingly complimented the would-be assailants from within the carriage. He turned around and asked, "Deng Ziyue, who are those people?"

Deng Ziyue's face looked dour, and with this look, he told Fan Xian, "They are the most infamous thugs of the capital. They are evil manifest, and they are not known to ever commit a deed of any remote decency. But furthermore, they are heirs to the dukes. As such, none have ever stood against them."

"It seems as if the Baoyue Brothel does not only bear an affiliation with Hongcheng, but they seem to have quite the relation with the dukes, too." Fan Xian shook his head and noticed several shadows flickering along both sides of the street; the Qinian Unit was on the move. Seeing this, he could not help but shake his head once more.

The Qing Kingdom began through force. The generals that followed the emperor into war for the establishment of the kingdom eventually retired, and they now lived in the capital. Their honor was forged upon the fields of battle and in respect and gratitude for their performance and sacrifices, they were given the title of duke. And now, the most recent emperor made sure to care for these aged warriors and continue supporting their families. They were not, however, permitted to be too involved with the dealings of the government. To ensure such restrictions remained in place, officers of the government would cheat them out of successful exam results and alter documents to keep them away.

Since the dukedom was bestowed upon these families, the third and fourth generations had now come. But now, the smart heirs of these families were few and far between, leading to many brutish, arrogant, and aimless children. They were now in their teens, and despite being uncared for and forsaken by their government, they were rich. Left to their own machinations, they could do whatever they pleased, with no obligations to adhere to. Youthful but bored, they bullied others. Possible consequences for their actions meant little to them, and their degeneracy only got worse with age. Nowadays, they were prone to drawing theirs swords and cutting down others whenever they pleased.

These kids also believed themselves to be saviors; well-meaning people who were set to going about the dirty business of the capital's truly heinous, criminal organizations. Being almost like sellswords, they referred to themselves as "Rangers". Of course, Fan Xian simply believed them all to be scum. There was no knowing how many people they had harmed or even killed in their free reign upon the city.

Even though Fan Xian was only a few years senior to those infamous thugs of the capital, he was much more mature. After assessing the situation, he returned his full attention to the carriage and did not engage them any further. He merely passed on his orders for his subordinates to follow.

The bloodline of the dukes was complex and difficult to trace and keep a track of, despite their lack of authority in the kingdom. Even the Fan family and Duke Liu shared relatives. How could one separate and dismantle this? Fan Xian always thought that if he did not have to be the one who took upon this task, that would be the better choice.

"Someone, go over there and smash that carriage!"

The noble kid who was in charge was audibly excited in the manner he yelled this command. He hurried his horse to approach it and, in his wake, a bunch of screaming kids were hollering strangely toward Fan Xian's carriage, bearing in their hands the manner of straight swords that were a common sight within the capital. Swinging them wildly, they were like sharks that had just detected the scent of blood.

Sang Wen watched the scene unfold in terror, but quickly withdrew her head to hide. She was holding her skirt as the carriage began to shake. She wanted to scream, but instead gritted her teeth and did her best to stay quiet.

Fan Xian looked at her, but did not say anything. He pulled back the curtains once again and saw the crazy kids bearing down on them upon their horses. He thought to himself how the public security of the capital must have degraded in recent times. But the capital magistrates were closely affiliated with the second prince. With the reputation these kids now held, nobody would be willing to take care of them. And there he saw them, with sheer adrenaline, excitement, and bloodlust in their eyes. His visible disgust toward the sight was as if he had just swallowed a fly.

While the kids possessed childish mannerisms and behavior, their cold approach to life was still plain to see. With the way they looked and preyed upon weaker folk, and how they craved for the sight of gore, it was sick. Fan Xian was a person who faced death when he was young and it was because of this that he never thought the act of taking someone's life was scary or alarming.

Still, he always ensured it was something he would never do pleasurably. He never wanted to enjoy the act. And on the flip side, he enjoyed being alive, for he cherished his life dearly.

Besides, tonight, all he wanted to do was relax with the public funds he had received. And despite that wish, the Overwatch Council's Commissioner had ended up getting into a fight with a bunch of thugs on the street. It was quite embarrassing.

Therefore, Fan Xian was upset.

Chapter 285: The Mantis Blocks the Road

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A whistle sounded.

Several men in black leapt down from the rooftops of the houses that adorned both sides of the lane. Quickly, they dashed into the crowd of the young, brattish nobles, separating their numbers through the middle. The Qinian Unit had trained as spies for several years, and their ability to assess and react accordingly was phenomenal. They went for the legs of their horses, toppling the kids that were upon them.

Much to Fan Xian's group's surprise, however, the kids did not tumble off and fall to the ground as expected. Although it was slightly awkward and without true finesse, the kids were able to land on their two feet. It seemed that these sons of dukes had been taught well.

"Screw you! Cut them up."

The leader of the immature group was about 14 years old, but he had eyebrows of aged aggression. Despite seeing that their opponents outnumbered them, they were unafraid. These kids had been out on the streets for a long time and by this point, were too far gone; nothing could strike fear into their hearts. They grasped their swords and to the nearest man in black they could find, swung their blades wildly in a bid to cut them down. One was in their sights.

The subordinate that had been targeted knew who his noble foes were. He saw his nearest assailant swinging like a madman, with no concern for his own defense. His chest was free to strike, but the man in black did not raise his own sword. The opponent looked so young, and his fighting style painted him as little more than a kamikaze fighter. The man in black chose to dodge the attack, but he suffered a gash upon his left shoulder.

The child arrogantly laughed and mocked him. "These people know who we are. They won't dare to attack us. Come on, my brethren, let's kill them all!"

The horde of kids was like a swarm, and the scene could be best depicted by the image of an elephant surrounded by an army of ants. But because of the Qinian Unit's knowledge of their identity as noble descendants, they each stayed their hands and dared not strike out at them. These children would rampage through the streets ceaselessly, in full knowledge that the government would not suppress them, out of honor and respect for their heroic forefathers. And now, they all bore down upon the Qinian Unit as a herd of berserkers. At the very least, they hoped to break the resolve and mess up the formation and composure of the Qinian Unit.

All the Qinian Unit did was keep them at bay, knocking them back. And even though they did this to many, it was still an even fight.

The swooshing sounds of swung blades were drowning the entire atmosphere of this night-veiled lane. The darkness was enveloping them all, and so the kids brought forward their torchbearers to shed light on their enemies. In the chimney-red and Halloween-orange of the torch's glow, one could see the spite and bloodlust that were consuming the kids.

Fan Xian, who was still in the carriage, was watching the scene. As time progressed, his face grew dour. He knew that those in the Qinian Unit were his closest bodyguards and even though they weren't as talented as Gao Da or the Tiger Guard, he thought they could have dealt with these kids with little to no hassle. It was only because of their years of service to the Overwatch Council and government that they did not dare to bring grievous harm to the self-proclaimed "Rangers".

He was, however, aware that his subordinates were taking Fan Xian's own well-being into consideration also, for they did want to bring political trouble on him for the slaying of these kids. But the Qinian Unit was choosing to gamble with their lives by not putting a permanent end to the young nobles' advances. Still, it brought Fan Xian's blood to boil through an overwhelming sense of unfairness, viewing his own men having to fight like wimps in the face of such petty enemies, whose arrogance continued to grow with each passing second. In Fan Xian's mind, he compared the complete turnaround to a football match in his past life, of when AC Milan was vexed by Liverpool's six-minute miracle goals.

"Nonsense!" Fan Xian had leapt from his carriage when he yelled this out in annoyance. The shout was infused with his zhenqi and so his voice boomed, billowing down the length of the street.

The battle that had been splintered into a number of smaller groups by this point was brought to a pause. The Qinian Unit took advantage of this and hastily retreated to the carriages. Two of them had been brought to calamitous harm, however, and blood gushed from their wounds down to the cobbles of the street. Due to the Qinian Unit's inability to fight back properly, the kids had all aimed at their weak spots.

Fan Xian looked upon his subordinates with a face that conveyed no emotion or sympathy and told them, "When you guys were fighting in the northern Qi Kingdom, how come you weren't this useless then?"

The subordinates were embarrassed and ashamed of their performance, and so they looked to the ground. In their pounding, breathless hearts, they too felt the state of affairs to be unjust. The little bastards were inferior to them in skill and yet they were taking pride in being able to beat back those who could not do the same. They could not murder the grandsons of the dukes themselves and thus, this disadvantage was too great.

Deng Ziyue exited the carriage now to join them. His face was motionless, as if chiseled from stone. He saw the kids approach, laughing with blood-smeared swords; their eyes conveyed the look of butchers preparing to decapitate another chicken.

"Sir, the identity of our opponents is… Don't worry, we can resolve this." Deng Ziyue noticed Fan Xian's face descending further and further into ugliness by the second.

Fan Xian was brought to such anger that it was almost lunacy. And in this fervor, he began laughing. "What identity? All I know is they are a bunch of thieves. And now, we have injured men in our ranks. If anyone hears of this, they will laugh themselves to death."

"Hey, you with that guy – what are you guys talking about?" The noble kid who was leading the swarm of brats had now gotten extremely close to the carriage. The bloodlust and hostility harbored in his eyebrows was becoming increasingly obvious. He called to them, "Hand over that woman in the carriage, make all your useless men chop off one of their own arms, and then we will let you go."

Fan Xian looked at the kid for one brief moment, and then looked away.

With a callous, soulless smile, the kid said, "Hey, pretty-boy! Yeah, you! I'm talking to you. Hand over that woman. How dare you cross the Baoyue Brothel. Do you have a death wish or something? Perhaps you would like to be the latest victim of our newly-invented torture method? We call it 'the cudgel'!"

Each word and accompanying tone was filled to the brim with humiliation, and it disgusted Fan Xian. A cacophony of laughter emerged from the crowd behind him.

Fan Xian, however, disregarded everything the kid had proudly told him. Smiling to his subordinates, he told them, "As long as they are our enemies, then we have to fight our best and be as cruel as possible. It does not matter if they are from outside our country or within; these principles, have you not yet learned them? Is it because following me around has been so relaxing and uneventful that you have laxed in your ability to fight and utilize all that Chen Pingping has taught you?"

The noble kid who was in front of the carriage, faced with Fan Xian's resilience to pay him any heed, had become furious. In his anger, the explicit requests that were made by the Baoyue Brothel was momentarily lost to him and it was in this madness that he ran towards Fan Xian with a horse whip in hand.

The distance separating Fan Xian and the noble youth was short by this point, but the horse whip was only a few inches long. It would have been impossible for him to hit Fan Xian's head, so it must have been a bluff.

Fan Xian's eyes detected the horse whip's immediate proximity, and with split-second reactions, he raised his left hand.

A cry of absolute pain resounded through the dark night.

The horse whip that was once in the noble kid's hand dropped to the ground. The brat held his wrist and screamed in pain. A black bolt was then fired from out of nowhere, piercing the flesh of his hand.

Blood gushed from the crevice of the child's hand. The kids in the rear were in utter shock at the sudden turn of events. They thought to themselves, "Crap! They are firing crossbows at us. Does that guy not know who we are?"

These kids had been doing wicked deeds and perpetrating crimes across the city each and every day; they had even killed. They held a fundamental disrespect toward life itself. It was as if they had been born without souls. But this was the first time someone had retaliated properly, wielding a deadly weapon against them. They weren't only brought to shock, but they were each brought to anger, as well.

As this happened, everyone looked toward Fan Xian. His eyes were strange, as if the human inside had died.

"Sir!" Deng Ziyue was shocked as well. He was afraid that if the commissioner was made any angrier, he would slaughter each and every little bastard on that lane of battle. If something such as this were to happen, the consequences held upon Fan Xian would be most lamentable. And for the preservation of stability in the capital, no amount of the Emperor's love for Fan Xian could spare him from this.

Fan Xian slowly brought back his left hand, and eased off the trigger on his right. He looked towards the kids, as if scanning the crowd, and did not respond to Deng Ziyue. As he looked at the children in front of him, he realized just how truly young they were. The youngest was approximately ten years old and yet even such a young face retained a look of ferocity and thirst for violence.

It was no wonder why the Qinian Unit behaved the way they did. Fan Xian took a deep breath and suppressed his fury, channeling it away from his body. Then, he looked at the noble children in front of him and said, "Whoever chooses to bar our passage will die. So tell me, who wants to be the troublesome mantis that blocks this road?"[1]

His frightening black bolt would only suppress the soulless child outlaws for a time. A little while later, the unnerved, scared faces of the children were veiled in masks of cruelty and ruthlessness once again. And the kid who had been struck by the bolt and was now in tears, called backwards, "What are you waiting for? Kill them all and bury them out in the Cang Mountains!"

"Have you ever killed anyone?" Fan Xian looked at him with an expression of curiosity as he asked this.

The noble kid heard this and began screaming. "A noble piece of dog waste like you? I have killed at least one every day!"

During this brief exchange of talk, the swarm of kids were whipped up into madness, charging forwards, consumed with a thirst for blood. But Fan Xian gestured for his subordinates to put away their drawn swords.

Amidst all this noise, Fan Xian raised his right arm incredibly fast. A kid approached and lunged towards Fan Xian with his sword, but before it could make contact, Fan Xian grabbed a hold of the kid's wrist. An audible snapping sound pierced the night, and the kid fell to the floor, writhing in pain, fearfully clenching his crushed arm.

Fan Xian turned around and threw himself backwards into the chest of another child. He kneeled, grabbed his opponent's arm above his shoulder and brought it down hard. Snap! Another arm was broken.

Immediately after, Fan Xian leapt up and performed a roundhouse kick to the wrist of another child who was coming at him. The sheer force of this strike caused blood to spurt from the child's mouth, and the power of such an attack would undoubtedly mean that the injured thug would be recovering at home for the next few months.

Fan Xian stepped forward and raised his arm with ferocious speed, assaulting an attacker's neck. Unlike the others, this kid did not scream. He merely fell to the floor.

Like a ghost, Fan Xian spirited his way through the children that were raging towards him. Whenever he raised his hand, a kid would fall to the ground. The only sounds that could be heard were the shrill shrieks of screams and the snapping of bones.

The boisterous war cries of the kids had subsided. A heavy, frightening atmosphere veiled the area like a suffocating fog. The number of fallen bodies continued to mount, their placements spreading further and further like a fractal pattern. A few kids from the outer ring had already decided to run off.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

It sounded like the striking of a gong, but in this world, there was no king of hell pounding on his gong. In their minds, the kids thought that the noises of their shattered bones were akin to the reaper harvesting their souls, coldly pounding the face of a gong.

The Qinian Unit, including Deng Ziyue, watched what was happening with mouths agape. They were in sheer admiration of Fan Xian.

Even though they would have been able to defeat the attacking children, none could have done so with such finesse. Fan Xian was doing it quick and clean, with flawless precision and unhindered speed. He was heavily injuring his opponents, yes, but was making sure that he would not kill a single person that came at him.

Shi Chanli covered his eyes, not wanting to view the scene. Sang Wen, on the other hand, gritted her teeth in suspense, eyes fixed on watching Fan Xian weave his way through the horde, battering their would-be assailants. She was fully aware of the deeds these children had performed in the past, and she knew the harm they had brought to the innocent civilians of the city, and thus she was overjoyed at the sight of their pummeling.

With their bated breaths, it felt as if this had happened for the longest time, but it had only been a few seconds. Aside from those who had run away, all that remained were the injured, writhing around on the ground. After a few more moments had elapsed, the sounds of crying children erupted like a geyser.

Fan Xian, seeing these kids, bleeding and clutching their broken limbs by his feet, felt pleased. And as he thought of this accomplishment, he gently rubbed the wrist he had just exercised. When he was young, he learnt of the human structure from Master Fei; and it seemed as if he hadn't forgotten what he was taught, after all.

Then, he looked at Deng Ziyue with a serious gaze. "The next time this happens, do not have me deal with it. It is embarrassing."

He walked over to the noble child who had been leading the others, and who was the first to fall. He gently smiled and told him, "To which family do you belong?"

This child was crazy. With his hand still being anchored to a crossbow bolt, he looked menacingly into Fan Xian's eyes without blinking. He then madly retorted, "Kill me, if you have the balls! Otherwise, you can wait until your whole family is executed."

Fan Xian continued to smile as he wagged his finger before the tantrum-throwing child and responded, "Firstly, I won't kill you. Secondly, you don't have the authority to plead for the execution of another. That is a privilege that belongs to the Emperor and the Emperor alone. If you say this again, perhaps it will be your family that is executed."

Fan Xian was no longer interested in engaging the pathetic noble youth with further conversation, so he signaled to the stagecoach driver to bring the carriages around.

At this time, far away, the servants who were holding the torches for the young masters were aghast. Slowly, and with great trepidation, they walked toward the downed children. After witnessing the scene, they would not dare to commit or attempt a foul deed against the carriages - they merely wanted to find their individual masters amidst the injured. But as the stagecoaches now passed them by, they stared at the crestless carriages with eyes beaded and focused like hellhounds.

Fan Xian and his party were now nestled inside the carriages again. The Qinian Unit and their two injured and ashamed members faded away into the black of the night. Inside, Fan Xian rested his eyes in a manner that suggested nothing had just happened. As the others watched him, they did not dare say a word.

All of a sudden, Fan Xian himself roused his eyes open again and said, "That was odd. How was the brothel able to summon such a legion of little bloodthirsty bastards?

Deng Ziyue asked, "You brought great harm to numerous grandsons of the dukes; don't you need to prepare yourself for possible backlash? I highly doubt your identity can remain hidden for much longer."

Fan Xian looked at him and replied, "Bah. They are just a collective of down-and-out fighters. Who gives a damn? What concerns me is who was behind this assault."

Deng Ziyue, with a lowered voice, then asked, "So, what do we do next?"

Fan Xian laughed and responded, "Tomorrow… you will go to the Baoyue Brothel and retrieve the 10,000 tael we left in their possession."

[1] Fan Xian referenced an anecdote from Zhuangzi, an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period. In that story, a praying mantis attempts to block a carriage from moving forward, unaware that it is not powerful enough for the task at hand.

Chapter 286: There is Concern

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The carriage traversed a fair number of quiet roads and lanes, going in circles around the capital when all of a sudden a sharp noise emanated from behind a nearby house. It was not, however, particularly loud. Deng Ziyue turned around to report it and said, "We knocked out a few more of their servants. We are good to go now."

Fan Xian gave a wry smile and nodded as he responded, "You know, it's strange. Even though you guys were selected by Wang Qinian, and the profiles of yours I was able to examine listed your talents that included spying, tracking, and the masking of trails – yet, when it came to fighting, why did you lack the prestige expected of the Overwatch Council?"

Deng Ziyue, with an embarrassed look, said, "Sir, most of the members of the group are composed of the First and Second Bureaus' elders. Mister Wang was always best at tracking, so the reason why he chose us was because we are good at precisely that." Deng Ziyue paused to think for a moment, and then continued, "Sir, about today, you stepping in as you did was our fault. It was a dereliction of duty. But, may I ask that you send for someone from the Sixth Bureau? They are the real assassins of the Overwatch Council. In our journey north, you saw what they are capable of. Their combat skills far exceed ours."

Fan Xian shook his head and gave no verbal response, as he feared establishing a relationship with "The Shadow". Upon one of the few times he went to visit Chen Pingping, he had only managed to see him once. Even though that person was absolutely silent, you could tell from a simple look that he was from the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. He had actually expressed interest in Fan Xian at one time, for he was a student of Wu Zhu.

This interest must not be taken for a romantic one; he merely fancied the prospect of a duel with Fan Xian.

Therefore, Fan Xian was slightly unnerved by the thought of making contact with the Sixth Bureau. But, in putting their strength into perspective, the Tiger Guards that Fan Xian's father secretly trained would still exceed and defeat the Sixth Bureau in battle. And according to Yan Bingyun's predictions, it may not be all that long before Fan Xian would be granted the protection of the Tiger Guards, anyway. As such, there was no need to hurry.

"Investigate every illegal aspect of business the Baoyue Brothel has been involved in."

Fan Xian issued this order quietly.

Deng Ziyue was horrified, and asked, "But what of the elusive owner? The man behind the curtains?"

Fan Xian thought for a while before shaking his head once more, and he told him, "If the Baoyue Brothel is covering for him, then we'll take it on from the outside and get that place shut down. If we do this, the owner might get anxious."

He was thinking that with the revenue and percentage share the owner would receive from the operations of the Baoyue Brothel, it may all have had something to do with Li Hongcheng. Firstly, Sang Wen did mention that the manager of the establishment was surnamed Yuan, and secondly, who else could make the brutish grandsons of the dukes do that which they attempted to? He continued to think, "If Crown Prince Jing and Ruoruo's wedding is already well-known, and if the second prince wanted to leverage tonight to suppress the Overwatch Council and I, then it may very well be true."

The thought and image of Crown Prince Jing making use of the events that had transpired with the Baoyue Brothel that night made Fan Xian's blood boil. Even though he had been trying to undermine their marriage, he would never allow anyone to exploit or tarnish his or his sister's reputation.

Fan Xian had only wished to visit a brothel with his workmates, but it had taken an abhorrent turn; one that would lead to the beginning of a new investigation. At the mere thought of what had occurred that evening, Fan Xian was greatly annoyed. He looked at Lady Sang Wen, who was sat beside him quietly, and then he said, "I will arrange to have someone escort and accompany you to someplace beyond the city walls for a while, until the heat cools off. When the case is wrapped up, you can come back safely. But first, there is something you must do for me. I need a statement. I want you to write down every last detail you can provide me with about the Baoyue Brothel.

After talking with Sang Wen, he knew that this Lady was a woman of careful deliberation and organization. In regards to dealing with the Baoyue Brothel, she would be of great service.

Deng Ziyue did not know why Fan Xian sought to get further involved with the Baoyue Brothel. He simply believed that Fan Xian was simply seeking revenge over what had occurred that night, or if not that, then to find out who was supporting them from within the Overwatch Council.

Shi Chanli then thought of something. He looked toward Fan Xian, and Fan Xian noticed his desire to speak. He gestured an allowance to do so and then he spoke before Sang Wen. "Sir, why don't you go ask Mu Tie? He was the temporary chief of the First Bureau in your absence from the capital. It was during that time that the Baoyue Brothel was established. If he reminded you, he must know something."

Fan Xian closed his eyes and shook his head and proceeded to reply, "The reason why Mu Tie reminded me, but did not provide me with all the details, was because it must have something to do with me or my family. If he would do his part and tell me, that would be enough. I wouldn't have to drag him into this mess any further. Besides, for something this small, if I am unable to handle it on my own, how can I expect to perform in the field of politics?"

The carriage then descended into silence, permeating the aura of the interior with an unnerving atmosphere. After all, everyone had just witnessed Fan Xian fighting like the spirit of a madman. And to now see him turn back into a thoughtful fellow with a soft smile was strange.

Fan Xian's talent in battle, was something the whole world knew of after what had occurred at Niulan Street last year. For those that had witnessed his skills first-hand, few could extrapolate or tell of any more, for they would most likely be dead. As such, what had been seen today was quite the rare sight.

Fan Xian once warned Mu Tie to not become Wang Qinian and try to be a funny guy. Deng Ziyue had been listening to the Commissioner the entire time, and he could tell from his tone that he was depressed. His mind wandered to ponder what their former masters were like in the performance of their duties. He then carefully asked, "Sir? Earlier in Baoyue Brothel, why were you so sure I was in possession of 10,000 tael?"

Fan Xian opened his eyes with a smile and replied, "the last time the Cui family gave us 20,000 taels as a gift, you said you were worried that your subordinates would do nothing but waste the money. So, you gave them 100 tael each; amounting to the total of 3,200. And then you gave that old man, Wang Qinian, 5000 tael, did you not? That left you with 11,800 tael."

Fan Xian closed his eyes, and spoke as if he were an omnipotent being who knew all about everything. He said, "You are a thrifty person. The food you eat and the clothes you wear are all provided by the Council. Even when you were invited to the Overwatch Council's Third Bureau, Mister Peng's son's wedding party, you only put 5 tael in your red gift packet. And even with such a meager sum, you made sure to moan and complain before me a multitude of times about it. You even went on to make a speech about how you sought to end this 'sordid culture'. At the rate you go, your monthly expenses likely do not exceed 2 tael.

"You are different from Wang Qinian. You aren't married; you have been single this entire time. So, what were you, such a frugal man, going to do with 11,000 tael? I knew from your cautious nature that you weren't going to simply leave it lying around at home."

Fan Xian smiled and patted Deng Ziyue's shoulders lightly, continuing, "But to be prudent is to be prudent. That young widow who is your neighbor; if you do not wish to marry her, you should at least buy her some jewelry or a well-meaning gift. Do not make her think you are a cheap man. The Overwatch Council cannot bear this sort of embarrassment!"

Everyone in the carriage started laughing.

Deng Ziyue's mouth was wide open in surprise. He then started explaining, "Sir, about the money thing, I informed you of how I was to distribute it. 100 tael is a lot of money!"

Fan Xian began laughing, and mockingly responded, "That's stingy! And tell me, why were you so generous to Wang? He is no longer your boss."

Deng Ziyue in his defense, quietly said, "Mister Wang is back in the northern Qi Kingdom. It crossed my mind to think that if anything were to happen to him, his family may have need of the money."

Fan Xian did not expect to hear a response like that. He sighed, for he was rather touched. If Wang Qinian was just an ordinary member of a diplomatic envoy of the Qing Kingdom, or even an exchange student staying in the northern Qi Kingdom, he would be totally safe. He could fit in with the locals without issue. But Wang Qinian was a highly-trained spy; if his identity were ever to be exposed, what would become of him?

Shi Chanli asked, "Are we really going back to the Baoyue Brothel tomorrow to retrieve our money?"

Fan Xian was still lost in thought, thinking of Wang Qinian, who was so far from home, and the recent development of Si Lili having now entered the palace. His mind was already entangled, so hearing Shi Chanli ask this made him look peeved. The Overwatch Council had been working their hardest, putting their lives on the line for the government, and yet the princes and nobles were constantly bickering and attempting to harm each other. They were even trying to drag the Overwatch Council into their petty feuds. It was horrible.

"Of course we are going!"

He coldly told Deng Ziyue, "And you are going to reveal your identity when you go there. Earlier, when I was talking to that woman, she mentioned that if I bought Sang Wen this night, then I would be bringing her back by the next. And then, they attempted to have us attacked during in the middle of the night. Someone who can do what they say – of course we have to be nice to them.

"If we said we will take back the 10,000 tael, then we will have to get it back." Fan Xian said this with firm assurance.

Teng Zijing accepted the order and prepared to escort Sang Wen to the village outside the capital when the gates opened the following day. After Fan Xian had dealt with all the arrangements, he returned to his room.

In the blankets, Wan'er noticed Fan Xian's worried demeanor. She asked him what had occurred to make him like this, and Fan Xian did not hold back. He told her of everything that had transpired that night. His insistence on visiting the brothel on behalf of an investigation was in some way truthful, and thus he did not lie.

Wan'er said, "Something is strange about this."

Fan Xian nodded. "I think so."

Wan'er had lived in the palace for a very long time. It was because of this that she did not understand what happened on Minister Lane and the issues concerning the dukes. She told Fan Xian, "Tomorrow, if you have the opportunity, you should go and ask Sizhe's mother about it. The Liu family grew up on Minister Lane, and their house is nearby the ducal manors. You might be able to gather additional information from her."

Fan Xian denied his own thought process to hear what Wan'er had to say. The Liu family was experienced, and they did all that they did without leaving a trace. They would not get themselves involved during their season of popularity. But now, Fan Xian was more familiar with the Liu family, and Sizhe's mother was always putting the Fan family, Fan Xian's father included, as a number one priority.

"Tomorrow, you plan to return to the Baoyue Brothel?" Wan'er's eyebrows were frowning as she asked this. "Those kids that run amok in the capital, they are manifestations of all manners of evil. Even if you did break each of their bones, you should still be wary."

Fan Xian shook his head and responded, "Do not fear for my well-being. I am really careful when it comes to such dealings, and I have been ever since I was young." He had a smile upon his face, and continued by saying, "Back in the day, when I was still in Danzhou, what I wanted to do more than anything was to beat up those spoilt, rich thugs. But I never did it. I find it hard to believe that I satiated my childhood desires tonight."

Wan'er lightly poked his chest and said, "In Danzhou? Weren't you the biggest, richest kid there?"

Fan Xian did not respond to her question, instead, he told her, "The scariest thing in this world is not the cold-blooded killer; it is the one who likes to kill without a purpose. Those kids were all like that. They wanted to kill without reason. If you must kill, then you should at least have a reason for doing so. Those kids were…

"...they merely reveled in the excitement of taking lives. If a baby could kill someone, they would do it just for a sip of milk. That is because babies don't yet have a conscience, and they cannot feel guilty. At that age, they don't know anything yet. Therefore, in regards to those brats, the younger they are, the worse they would inevitably be; possessing no respect for the earth, government, or people. The things they do will only become more and more ruthless and cruel. If they were to let go of their self-taught principles, it would become like the flood in Jiangnan this year, unable to be fixed."

He shook his head. He thought about the evil children that lay battered and beaten, strewn across the cobbled street where he stood earlier in the night, and as he did so, he felt slightly depressed. He closed his eyes, feeling it to be sadness deep in his heart.

That night, his fighting on the lane scared many people. The department in charge of the security of the capital took the most pressure. Those thugs on the street constantly leveraged their family's status to do that which they pleased, and that included their malicious deeds. To see their free reign come to a halt and for them to end up bloodied and broken, lying on the street, was quite the surprise.

The officers who were in charge of this case, after they saw the injuries of the kids and the broken bones that they suffered, were taken aback. After hearing of the elusive "Mister Chen", they were stricken with both fear and wonder. Whoever that person was, he must have been extremely harsh and uncaring to not consider the power that the royal families of the thugs possessed.

It was just like Deng Ziyue had said; it would be impossible to keep Fan Xian's identity hidden from everyone in the capital.

After the news of what had occurred that night had circulated across the city, and even though the government had yet to find the "Mister Chen" responsible, many smart people had it figured out. The men in black had been spotted jumping from roof to roof that night, and it was well-known that the Overwatch Council's young Commissioner had a collective of such people for bodyguards, who were referred to as the "Qinian Unit".

"Let Yuan Meng return." The Qing Kingdom's second prince had a softness in his eyebrows when he said this. He gently continued, saying, "If you offend Fan Xian, you aren't going to have a pleasant day."

The Crown Prince Li Hongcheng slowly walked to the window, his heart going cold as he reflected upon the concern shared by his brother. He told him, "No one could have guessed that Fan Xian would visit a brothel. With his lonely personality, he is sure to not let it go."

The second prince smiled and grabbed a piece of dried fruit from the plate beside him. He peeled away the skin and ate it, and as he chewed, he said, "The more information Fan Xian is able to gather, the more crimes he is sure to uncover there. He will become more and more confident as he does this, and it is sure to lead to some interesting scenarios."

Li Hongcheng looked at him and said, "In the beginning, you set this all up, but why are you now allowing Fan Xian the opportunity to show off?"

The second prince appeared to be quite inattentive, and after a while he said, "It is because, after all this time, I have been searching for a way in which I could reconcile with Fan Xian. This issue with the Baoyue Brothel is our final opportunity to make peace. If Fan Xian is willing to put his hand out, I would be honored to hold it. I want to give him a chance to be the one who wants to make this peace."

Chapter 287: Heroes Start Young

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The government's volition to investigate the Baoyue Brothel was restricted by the second prince. They were aware that the Baoyue Brothel's owner had associations with various criminal syndicates in the capital, but they always turned a blind eye to this. The restrictions that had been enforced by the prince, however, did not apply to the Overwatch Council. Even though they lacked the authority to investigate the government's problems, they were able to leverage the government's malpractices as a method to obtain information.

Fan Xian was sitting in his study, reading the case files in front of him, and he was frowning. The Baoyue Brothel was owned by two individuals, and a shroud of mystique veiled both of their identities from only a select few. In regards to the establishment at large, their methods of operation were both fearless and cruel. The Baoyue Brothel had only been open since the spring, and despite that, over the course of a few months, they had utilized their hard cash and brutality to intimidate and bully several other brothel establishments to close up and shutter their doors for good. It was through these measures that they were able to exclusively employ many well-known courtesans, as well, which would only serve to heighten their reputation.

After his trip to the Baoyue Brothel, Fan Xian could see that the owner must have been exceptional at running businesses, all the way down to the finest of details. But despite the legitimacy of the establishment, there was no possible way to hide the darker side of the place, and the notoriety of the methods they had used to secure their current position were plain to see. Mu Tie was correct; for in less than a month, four underperforming escorts had completely disappeared, and for all anyone else knew, they most likely were killed and had their bodies disposed of. But there was far worse, too, for there were records indicating the employment of under-age prostitutes and their willingness to cater to sick fetishes.

As Fan Xian read more, his eyebrows became sharper and sharper; all the while his heart continued to sink. From between now and his past life, the world seemed to never be free of darkness, and here, in the clear skies of the Qing Kingdom, the obscenities and immoralities highlighted this all the more. The nobles would make frequent use of the authority that their positions yielded in order to exploit and abuse those who were below them. That which has been occurring with the Baoyue Brothel was nothing particularly unique under the administration of the government. All the nobles and officers were known to make use of these methods to line their pockets.

In regards to those who were not wealthy, and to those who scraped by in poverty and the unfairness they were treated with… Back in the day, Fan Xian would have gladly obliged to remain a bystander, letting the evil of this world be and do as it may. He would have forced himself to ignore it, if that's what it took, for he did not think of himself as a savior to any particular person. Fan Xian himself already had enough benefits, and with the authority he had been given, he enjoyed his social standing. As a person of wealth and status, however, he still showed refrain whenever he engaged with the rich, noble circles and, for the previously mentioned issues, held his tongue.

But his silence and acceptance of the current state of affairs did not mean he had gotten used to it. And despite being in this muck for as long as he had, he had still not goten over it.

The events at the Baoyue Brothel were not enough to change his principles. Perhaps he would attempt to do what he could in the name of good, like his freeing of Sang Wen and the attempt to suppress the establishment in question, in order to reel in the nobles and have them be gentler going forward. He wanted to adjust and possibly diminish the class segregation that existed within society, but he resolved to do what he could through smaller acts; he chose to not do things by any drastic means, like a thunderbolt.

To react like a thunderbolt would be to deny everything the Baoyue Brothel had committed. It would mean he was to challenge the entire world, or some such act that was equally incredulous. Only one such other person had done so before, and that was Ye Qingmei. But considering this was Fan Xian's mother, it would be a safe bet to say she failed.

The Baoyue Brothel did not seem quite right, and the reasons for its establishment were most certainly not so simple. Fan Xian could smell the stench of nastiness and antagonism from outside of its doors. Deep in his heart, he made repeated assumptions about the nature of the place, each one worse than the last, but it got him nowhere. His frustrations were only exacerbated.

Therefore, he resolved to return to the Baoyue Brothel and confirm whether or not his assumptions were true or not.

It was a sunny day for an autumn afternoon. The leader of the Qinian Unit, Deng Ziyue, had come again to the Baoyue Brothel.

Seeing his emotionless face, each and every security guard of the Baoyue Brothel quickly gathered around with the intent of beating him to death. But taking notice of his black and dour outfit, it made his possible assailants take a step backwards. It was as if they were taken aback by an unpleasant smell that emanated from his clothing.

Deng Ziyue was wearing the Overwatch Council's uniform on this day, so his identity was not the same as it was the prior night. It had been previously stated that the Baoyue Brothel was receiving support from the Overwatch Council, and so, they dared not attack him. They immediately called for the attention of a manager, which then approached and directed Deng Ziyue to a quiet room on the third floor.

Inside the room, there were curtains veiling someplace he could not see behind.

In front of the curtains lay a table that had been built from Qingzhou stone. The table's surface was immaculate. Shi Qing'er, bearing a wide smile, welcomed Deng Ziyue and bid him to sit at the table. Charmingly, she then spoke, "Oh, you are the lord from the Overwatch Council? Yesterday's kerfuffle was entirely our fault. If I had known you were from the Overwatch Council, I would have handed Sang Wen over to you right away, free of charge. I would never have dared to take your money!"

As she spoke, her eyes would occasionally flicker toward the curtain. She did not take action to present the money, either.

Deng Ziyue knew someone had to be behind the curtain, and the thought of that person being one of the elusive owners of the Baoyue Brothel crossed his mind. He had been in the Overwatch Council for eight years, but never once had he engaged in a transaction with a corrupted merchant of sorts. But Fan Xian, his master, had demanded him to return the 10,000 tael banknotes. And having made the trip, here he was once more. After a while, he coldly smiled and responded, "You are quite polite. It was just that when we departed last night, we bumped into a few puppies on the road. Today, I came here to enquire about whether or not those dogs belonged to this establishment."

Shi Qing'er's face did not change, but she was worried. Last night, she assumed that the guests were officers from the 13th Yamen. Who could have expected they actually came from the Overwatch Council? The second owner's brothers were always rampaging about the capital, and no one would have guessed that they were to be the ones who beat them up as brutally as they did. But now one of them had returned and he had not come politely. It already seemed as if the day's proceedings would go awry.

It was strange, for despite the time that had since elapsed, their inability to yet uncover that Mister Chen was Commissioner Fan of the Overwatch Council was rather quite vexing. And it was because of this that she still did not take the enigmatic Mister Chen seriously. She could also be unwilling to return the 10,000 tael because the man behind the curtains had encouraged her not to.

Shi Qing'er's face was chilled, and she returned a fickle smile. Then, she told Deng Ziyue, "Sir, that which you say is quite interesting. Since when did the Overwatch Council become involved in the prostitution trade? Shouldn't these matters belong to the government? If you, Mister, were to be bitten by a dog, be wary of infection. What you should do is return home and rest, rather than coming here and patronizing our establishment again." She smiled and continued, "Sir, your stamina is impressive."

Deng Ziyue's voice suddenly erupted with anger. In rage, he yelled, "This is ridiculous! If you do not make amends for your misdeeds last night, be wary of inciting the wrath of my boss, who will tear this hovel down and burn it to cinders!" Fan Xian had ordered Deng Ziyue to be hostile at the Baoyue Brothel, but the man felt uncomfortable shouting at others in such a way. After all his years in the Overwatch Council, however, the ability to speak in an intimidating manner came naturally.

Behind the curtain, someone coughed.

Shi Qing'er's face turned deadly serious, and she then slapped the Qingzhou stone table and madly replied, "You witless worm! How dare you come down here to extort money from the Baoyue Brothel? The contracts were written clearly, indicating your purchase of Sang Wen. Are you unable to read? If you do not leave now, I will strip you of your clothes and then have you thrown out. May the whole capital witness your naked body!"

Deng Ziyue, with the sharpest of gazes, peered directly into Shi Qing'er's eyes. His ears however, were directed at the curtains, to which he then picked up movement. With a callous tone of voice, he told her, "It seems as if you people are against the Overwatch Council, also."

It was just a brothel, and thus, they were hardly qualified to be a formal opponent of the Overwatch Council. But Shi Qing'er was strangely unafraid and smiled back, saying, "Don't you bring up the Overwatch Council to scare people. Perhaps other organizations may buy into your threats, but the Baoyue Brothel most certainly won't."

Deng Ziyue laughed out loud and responded, "Ha! You have some nerve, lady." He then stood up, gave another look toward the curtain, and prepared to leave.

"Stop right there!"

Save for two coughing sounds, the area behind the curtains had been silent thus far. And now, someone spoke. The voice was of a young person, unmistakably, but it possessed a tone of disdain and a flourish of nobility. The curtains then withdrew a bit. The owner of the Baoyue Brothel, who had remained out of sight from all, now appeared in front of Deng Ziyue, as clear as day.

Deng Ziyue, with great surprise, slowly turned around. His eyes were now opened wide, and his pupils receded in size. He had never expected the owner's identity to be him, and he would never have guessed that this owner desired an audience with him.

He looked upon the young person who was stood behind the curtains, dressed up fancily in yellow clothing and, in his heart, Deng Ziyue was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the nigh unbelievable ridiculousness of the scenario. Not only was the Baoyue Brothel the biggest and most popular brothel in the capital, but it was the most wicked and heinous, too. In this place, where each and every day of business was met with countless customers and their coinciding nighttime moans and groans, it was owned by… a little boy who was less than ten years old.

Deng Ziyue stared at the young boy, who was clothed in yellow, utterly dumbfounded. When the initial shock had passed, his eyebrows descended into a frown. Even though his identity was quite special, if he was indeed the owner of the Baoyue Brothel, it was an extremely shocking revelation that shook Deng Ziyue to his very core.

After a moment of silence, he dropped to his knees and bid the boy, "I am a subordinate of the boss of the Overwatch Council. Greetings, third prince."

The Third Prince?

…

...The Emperor's youngest son was an owner of the Baoyue Brothel.

Shi Qing'er, seeing this Overwatch Council officer, who had just previously been yelling with a face of fire, now go soft and drop to his knees before the owner, began laughing in spite. Did it matter how much authority and power that the Overwatch Council possessed? They were mere dogs in comparison to the Emperor. The room was quite typical for that of a brothel, but then there stood the son of the Emperor.

"This… Mister Deng? Do you not have anything further to say?" Shi Qing'er's face was dressed with a most scornful smile.

Exceeding Shi Qing'er's expectations, Deng Ziyue, who had quickly descended to his knees, had already now stood up before the third prince had even responded. On his feet, he spoke, "I am following my master's orders. I've come to make inquiries and yet the lady here has yet to answer any of my questions. I will report all of my findings upon my return, but as for what happens next, the Commissioner will deal with such matters."

The third prince was the youngest son of the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom. His mother was the most favored wife in the palace, Yi Guipin. He was just a child and already he had built a brothel. The entire concept sounded ridiculous, but there it was, directly before Deng Ziyue's eyes. His temples leapt twice, and he had to bury the feelings he wished to express deep down in his heart. Politely, he said, "I will take my leave."

The face of the third prince was still one that looked immature, but seeing the little officer attempt to walk away from him incited great wrath. Fiercely, the prince threw his teacup at Deng Ziyue. Even Fan Xian, outside the city gates when he had first returned from Northern Qi, could see that the third prince was young, but that his age did not belie the smarts he possessed. Still, he really was just a child, and it was because of this that he became furious at a mere hint of disrespect. For all intents and purposes, he was a spoiled brat.

The third prince went forward, pointing at Deng Ziyue's nose and began yelling, "Why are you leaving, huh? Where are you questions now? Did you not want me to return your 10,000 tael?"

Deng Ziyue gave a wry smile, and he thought to himself, "No matter how powerful the Overwatch Council is, it would be futile to go against a prince for any sum of money. But judging from the way the Emperor operates, the Overwatch Council doesn't owe the prince anything. And Fan Xian repeatedly reminded me last night that, as a subordinate of the Commissioner, no matter what was to happen, I should not embarrass the Overwatch Council." Therefore, Deng Ziyue maintained his composure and politely responded, "Regarding the banknotes, my boss will come here to talk it over next time. But, my third prince, would it not be best to avoid getting too involved in a business such as this?"

Shi Qing'er, who had watched the exchange, was absolutely shocked at what she heard. In her heart, she believed that if the Overwatch Council was indeed as reckless as the tales told, then he did not respect the prince at all.

The third prince was less than ten, but he was born to the royal family. This little boy had been born with power and, as such, the way his mind worked was different from most. The prince coldly smiled and said, "Since when did the Overwatch Council's men become beggars, asking for money in such a manner? Cousin, do you know who this man is?"

After he said this, the half-open curtain fully withdrew to reveal the presence of a multitude of fighters. Seeing the faces of the fighters, Deng Ziyue was surprised, for he could immediately sense the power that emanated from them. These were not the average thugs that patrolled and bounced for the establishment.

One of the first two young men who stood in front of the fighters appeared to seethe with anger. His right hand was bandaged tightly and had blood cascading from out of the claret-soaked cloth. It was the person who had his hand pierced by the bolt of a crossbow the previous night.

Deng Ziyue did a double-take, for he knew how unlucky he was today. But he saw the person beside the boy who had been the recipient of a bolt, and noticed that his face appeared even worse. To see his face brought Deng Ziyue a surprise greater than the initial reveal of the owner being none other than the third prince himself.

He frowned and looked upon the chubby young man, who had a mole on his cheek. He then quietly said, "Sir, you are the owner of the Baoyue Brothel, too?"

This chubby young man wasn't unknown to him, for he was Fan Xian's little brother, Fan Sizhe.

Deng Ziyue could never have expected that the Baoyue Brothel, the establishment that Commissioner Fan Xian had decided to investigate, was owned by none other than his younger brother.

Compared to the third prince, who was profoundly arrogant, and the fighters that desired nothing more than to beat up Deng Ziyue, Fan Sizhe's face looked notably more awkward. His face was pallid, and his eyes harbored an image that suggested a desire to murder Deng Ziyue. But this was out of fear more than anything else.

He exploded into a rage, looked towards the prince and hollered, "You idiot! Do you not know who he is!?"

The third prince was taken aback upon hearing the belligerency of the tone that was spoken toward him and, after thinking, he replied, "You dare to yell at me?!"

Fan Sizhe grinded his teeth and took a deep breath to regain composure. He knew what had occurred the previous night, and he had sent for someone to take a look and report the aftermath to him . He had hoped to learn why the 13th Yamen officer had attempted to disrupt their business, harm their reputation, and falter their stream of income. He would never have guessed it was someone from the Overwatch Council.

He closed his eyes and took two almost humorously long breaths and looked toward the third prince again. He stroked his head and, in an appeasing tone, told him, "Oh, but look at all the great deeds you have done." His heart jumped, knowing that someone must have hidden something.

The third prince and Fan Sizhe were cousins. At the beginning of the year, they opened the Baoyue Brothel together and everything had been smooth sailing ever since. Knowing that the older cousin was a genius of managing business and finance, he could not fathom why he was not quite himself this day. The prince thought to himself, "Even if they are from the Overwatch Council, what is he afraid of? I am the prince, after all, and his brother does hold the highest position of authority in the Overwatch Council."

His youthful face was distorted into a perplexed look.

Fan Sizhe, took yet another baritone breath and after its release, looked upon Deng Ziyue with a strange glimmer of hope. He asked, "This Mister Chen, is he…?"

Deng Ziyue calmly looked at the young man and pondered as to why he felt such regret and remorse towards his master, Fan Xian. In response, Deng Ziyue nodded.

Fan Sizhe's face looked as if it had just been petrified, but the insides of his mind were whirling like a hurricane. He thought about whether or not he should slay Deng Ziyue right where he stood and abandon all of his dealings with the Baoyue Brothel. He was horrified at the thought of what were to happen if his big brother found out.

Chapter 288: Follow Me Home

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

What kind of person was Fan Sizhe?

Actually, he was a fairly ordinary young man of the capital, whose heritage was that of a wealthy family. Due to his family's affluence, he had always been a popular child in the city. He was only a small boy when Fan Xian arrived at the capital, and at 12 years of age, hated his brother with a passion. Of course, he was a smart guy, and so he knew that he had been restricted by the baron's heir. He was the sort of person that could not stand losing, but when it came to his personal interests, he was always keen to read ledgers and other financial documentation. Perhaps he did not even realize it himself, but he was exceptionally articulate and knowledgeable when it came to business and financial management.

There are many sides to a person, and that most certainly applied to Fan Sizhe. As a 14 year old noble of the capital, he was naive, enthusiastic, presumptuous and he even contained a streak of a callousness. It would not be fair to look at him from solely one perspective.

His father was a prominent man in the government, for he was the minister of the Ministry of Revenue. His name was Fan Jian. Fan Sizhe's grandmother was a nanny for the Emperor, and his birth-mother was a valued friend of Yi Gui Pin. His big sister, Fan Ruoruo was perhaps the most famous, intellectual woman in the entire city and soon, she was to be married to the Crown Prince, Li Hongcheng.

And with his big brother, to which it seemed as if he held great contempt towards, they actually got along fairly well with each other. His brother was perhaps the finest linguist of the generation, the Emperor's most trusted young officer, and to top it all off, he was the commissioner of the Overwatch Council. The man was an idol to every scholar, student and remote intellect in the entire world. He had married a princess, sorted out the palace treasury and even sat in the Emperor's study room! His brother must have been the luckiest person to ever exist and his name, at this point, must have been distinguished enough to be heard by all. It was as if he had garnered so much renown, he was like a shining statuette of gold whenever he walked amongst the populace.

Yes. That was his amazing big brother, Fan Xian.

With an illustrious heritage such as this, they seemed to be a one-in-a-kind entity. It was doubtful that any other family had achieved as much success ever since the very establishment of the Qing Kingdom. Being born into such an environment, however, what could be expected of him, Fan Sizhe?

Before Fan Xian entered the palace, Fan Sizhe was already an infamous thug of the capital. Back then, it was due to him being young and still undecided as to what he wanted to do with the life he had been given. Therefore, what he chose to do was to be little more than a delinquent, in which he would spend his days eating freely, thieving from others, riding horses in the street and being a plain, old bully to others. He never went overboard or was responsible for huge misdeeds and grievous crimes, however, for Ruoruo was in charge of familial discipline. But this was the sort of life he had grown accustomed to. It was in his bones and it beared the seeds of today's recklessness.

After Fan Xian entered the capital, he was allied with his big sister and big brother, and with them, they reigned in Fan Sizhe; they attempted to turn his life around and have him become a well-behaved individual. His parents were always putting pressure on him as well, forcing him to study arduously to become an officer, but such burdens were reduced upon the arrival of Fan Xian. It was if Fan Xian had opened a whole new door for Fan Sizhe, providing opportunities no other nobleman had ever given him.

And now, Fan Sizhe finally knew what he wanted to do. He discovered what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to obtain the sort of wealth that the hostess of Ye possessed. That sort of wealth would be enough to threaten an entire country. Therefore, he set to utilizing all the knowledge he had accumulated about accounting, business and finance he had gathered over the years.

As he grew older, his life goals became clearer and clearer. Through both his intellect and noble authority, he became reckless; he became Fan Sizhe, he who was afraid of nothing.

If he desired to do business, what would garner him the most revenue? Even though the Danbo bookstore was being looked after by Fan Sizhe and was being managed by Shopkeeper Ye of the Qingyu Hall, the books they sold did not yield a terrible amount of profit. And this was even after several other branches of the business had opened up, in different corner of the kingdom. Furthermore, the bookstore was still under Fan Xian's name. Even though the latter point did not concern him too much, Fan Sizhe desired to build a career of his very own.

At the same time, the third prince of the palace, the cousin of Fan Sizhe, held great disdain for the prospect of receiving education. He could not stand listening to scholars talk all day long. But still, the prince had a mind of greater maturity and so, these two began to plot and devise the founding of something grand in the capital.

One was 14 years of age, and the other was eight. It was this strange combination that led to the creation of the much renowned Bao Yue house.

While this collaboration may have seem childish, the outcome was indeed quite fruitful for them both. And undoubtedly, it was the result of both of their unique backgrounds. The restrictions employed by the government turned out to be of benefit to them. And much to Fan Sizhe's surprise, he later learnt of Crown Prince Li Hongcheng's tight business relationship with the Liu Jing He brothel. It was from this place that he borrowed the manager, Yuan Meng.

It was the results of Fan Sizhe's business acumen, Yuan Meng's ability to run a brothel effectively and the third prince's power and authority that led to the Bao Yue house becoming what it was. The brutality and reckless nature of their operations also aided their ambitions, and served well to close down most of the competing brothels in the capital, all within two to three months. But as for the death toll they had incurred, and the lives they had ruined? They did not care at all.

His name was Fan Sizhe. Although he was young, he was a noble, the very reason he was not concerned with others' necks being on the chopping block. He was young, reckless, and didn't much care about or think through the things he did. This is what Fan Xian and Wan'er always worried about.

But Fan Sizhe did fear something.

He did whatever he could to make the Bao Yue house shine whilst his brother was away in the north for a few months. When the business was established, and it had achieved the popularity he desired, he didn't worry too much. Fan Sizhe believed that even if Fan Xian was to later find out about the brothel, there was nothing he could because of how far it had come.

But he hadn't thought that something so major would happen half a year after his brother had left.

The Fan family was still really close with King Jing during the spring. People believed them to be aligned with the second prince, which is why he didn't think it was all that bad, making Li Hongcheng a business associate, that is. Nor should there have been a problem getting closer with the third prince, that had been raised by the second prince. But after Han Sen returned, it surprised him to learn that his brother was now in conflict with the second prince.

As the brother of an officer, Fan Sizhe didn't think his wretched misdeeds would insult and set off his brother in the way that they did. But in regards to the politics of it, he knew that if he got too close, and his brother found out, it would mean big trouble!

Ever since September, he had ordered the workers of the Bao Yue house to maintain a lower profile. He was desperate to get out of the business, and it had led to him being extremely busy recently. But he didn't know who made the third prince hide in the palace, delaying everything until today.

Fan Sizhe nervously looked at Deng Ziyue, and recognized him. He was a member of the Overwatch Council and was the head of Fan Xian's bodyguards. But at the moment, he had given up the idea of killing him. He knew his brother would find that he was the owner of the Bao Yue house eventually, and if he killed even more people, things would only get worse for him.

"Go back. I will tell him about this."

Fan Sizhe's fat cheeks trembled in fear. He waved and gestured for the hitmen to hold off on their assault. His admiration for his big brother still came first, it would seem.

Deng Ziyue looked at him, bowed and then left.

Third prince, with his childish voice, yelled out, "You let him go? How am I supposed to show my face in the capital now? How can I allow an officer to bully me?"

Fan Sizhe sighed. He sat down, and glided his hand across the table's smooth surface. He looked at the woman called Si Qing'er. He asked her, "Where is Yan'er?"

Si Qing'er was already confused by what she had just witnessed, wondering why he would be afraid of an officer from the Overwatch Council. But her status wasn't high enough for her to learn and be involved with such complicated affairs. So, she just said, "Yan'er is resting in the backyard. Would you like to see her?"

Fan Sizhe was only fourteen, and yet had a cruel look only adults tended to have. After a while, he said, "It's nothing. Everything will remain the same."

His heart was panicking as he raced to find a solution that would get him out of this ordeal. If his father learnt about all this, he was sure he would be beaten to death. His mother loved him and would most likely go beg before Yi Gui Pin so that she would beg Fan Xian… but he wouldn't even let the eldest princess go. He wouldn't be convinced by Yi Gui Pin.

His heart jumped and he looked happy. He thought he might be able to beg his big sister and sister-in-law. If they both said something on his behalf, perhaps he wouldn't be punished so cruelly.

"I have something I must do. I have to go now." Fan Sizhe coldly looked at the third prince, and he knew something strange was going on. Although he was young, he was brave. He then coldly said, "I won't be visiting this place again. I don't care about the benefits. But in the next three months, hand me my share."

The third prince shook his head while laughing, and said, "There is my second brother and your future brother-in-law here to support you; what are you afraid of?"

Fan Sizhe ignored him. With an evil look in his eye, he told Si Qing'er, "That ten thousand cheque, send it to him. It may save your life."

Si Qing'er silently agreed. She knew that she had offended someone she shouldn't have the night before.

At the pond near the Bao Yue house, Fan Xian was watching the boats and birds upon it and the people that wandered around it. His fingers were tapping a table, and he calmly contemplated everything that had been transpiring. He didn't use much energy in formulating his plan of action.

This brothel's owners was Sizhe and the third prince, so the government would assuredly not look into it. The Overwatch Council wouldn't do anything because of him. Perhaps the populace might be led to believe the brothel was Fan Xian's. No one would report to him, and they would even hide it. Mu Tie had some balls to mention this whole thing to his face.

Fan Xian had a wry smile on his face as he sipped some wine. He knew Sizhe had been up to something strange lately, but as his older brother, he didn't pay him much notice. He told off Ruoruo and Wan'er, not expecting in this world where men were the boss, as a sister and sister-in-law, they couldn't control Fan Sizhe if he desired to do something bad away from home.

And in regards to the second prince's plans, Fan Xian knew all about them.

In the spring, his relationship with the second prince hadn't been too bad. The reason why the second prince was doing business with the third prince and Sizhe was to earn some money. He didn't think there was anything bad he was doing to the Fan family, he just thought he could improve their ties through the whorehouse. So, he hid himself, all the while believing he was doing himself a favor.

In his past life, he had an experience at a brothel. What was the relation between opening a brothel and welcoming a customer? If there was really a connection, then it would be difficult to separate.

But there were some small changes following his return to the capital, and the second prince was surprised.

With this situation, the Bao Yue brothel was supposed to improve relations. Instead, it became a tug of war.

If Han Sen wanted to make a move on the second prince, he would have to acknowledge the assistance of the Bao Yue house. After all, Fan Sizhe had done some terrible things there. With the evidence the Overwatch Council had discovered, the place could be shuttered and Sizhe could go to jail. If people found out, even though the Fan family could escape the law, it'd weaken everyone's integrity. It would be a difficult thing for the Fan family to bear.

To Fan Xian, to be able to stand in court, he knew that aside from his strange identity, the most important thing was the way he would fight for his reputation in the past two years.

The brothel that the Fan family opened with the third prince, had just ended up with harming all parties involved.

Fan Xian, who was always so cool, was now finally annoyed. He didn't have to care about clearing his own name, but he did feel compelled to care about his brother's fate now, not to mention how his father would take things. Chen Pingping always said he owned his father. So far, things wouldn't be too difficult to settle. He just needed to be nice and everything that happened in the Bao Yue house would be taken care of in the capital. He also had enough time to think about what he might do with Sizhe. What he needed to do was just shake his hand. It seemed as if that would be the simplest option for benefiting them both.

But Han Sen would not shake hands with the second prince's dirty hands. Even if his hands were offered as a call for peace, he would be very careful in testing out his sincerity. He wouldn't do anything real.

He could tolerate other people threatening to ruin his reputation, but he could not tolerate someone using his brother to threaten him. No matter what the second prince was thinking, he still missed the most important part. He always thought of things through the benefits they might yield. That was his sole point of view. He looked at Fan Xian as little more than an officer, and he didn't realise there was a lot more to certain prospects than just their benefits. And Fan Xian was not your usual officer.

Deng Ziyue safely got aboard the carriage and left Bao Yue house.

Fan Xian felt pleased, now knowing that his brother could still be saved. He raised his hand, pushed the door open, and walked into the room. He then pushed open another door.

He looked at the strange people in there. Fan Sizhe looked both surprised and afraid. With a emotionless voice he said, "Follow me home."