Chapter 309 - 245: The Imperial Capital’s Underground Leader

Chapter 309: Chapter 245: The Imperial Capital’s Underground Leader

Anxiang Pavilion.

As one of the most renowned brothels in the Imperial Capital, while its scale and class couldn’t match top-tier clubs like the Rain Building, its more approachable nature made it quite popular among mid-level officials.

Whether it was a routine work dinner or a celebratory banquet for a promotion, a new house, or even a new wife, this was the place most would choose to hold it.

When Wu Liangchen and his group arrived, Anxiang Pavilion was at its liveliest. The lights on every floor shone brilliantly, and the distant sounds of music, drinking, and laughter filled the air.

Jiang Feng was very familiar with the place, and since he had made arrangements beforehand, he quickly led Wu Liangchen to meet the owner of Anxiang Pavilion.

The owner of Anxiang Pavilion was a major figure in the Imperial Capital’s underworld. Though he wasn’t widely known to the public, his power and connections were truly astonishing. Otherwise, he never could have held on to Anxiang Pavilion—a veritable cash cow that raked in a fortune daily.

But now, this man, who could only be described as a major figure, didn’t even dare to sit. Instead, he stood with his hands respectfully at his sides before Wu Liangchen, listening with complete deference.

"Did He Chang’an use to come here often?" Wu Liangchen asked.

"Master Wu, I’ve already looked into it," the man replied immediately. "He Chang’an did come here often, mostly to drink with his colleagues. Occasionally, he would come alone to request the company of a few girls."

"Oh? And did he have contact with anyone else?" Wu Liangchen asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"What sort of people do you mean?"

"Unfamiliar faces."

Wu Liangchen asked because he knew that while the owner of Anxiang Pavilion might not be omnipotent in the Imperial Capital, he was extremely well-informed.

And just as he expected, the owner immediately turned to a man standing behind him.

"Go and check if there have been any new faces or suspicious individuals among our guests at Anxiang Pavilion recently. Remember, be discreet. Do it quietly."

The man acknowledged the order and immediately departed.

Only then did the owner turn back to Wu Liangchen and say, "Master Wu, please wait a moment. We should have results in fifteen minutes at the most."

Wu Liangchen gave the man a slightly surprised look. Judging from the order he had just given and his subordinate’s reaction, his success was clearly no accident.

He smiled slightly. "And may I ask your name?"

The man instantly grew excited. "I wouldn’t dare use such a formal term in front of you, Master Wu! My humble name is Zhang Fan. You can just call me Xiaofan!"

In truth, Zhang Fan was at least in his late thirties, if not forty. Yet, in front of Wu Liangchen, he willingly humbled himself, taking on the role of a junior.

And he felt deeply honored to do so.

The reason was simple: Wu Liangchen was at the height of his fame, his prestige at its absolute peak.

In fact, his status as an eighteen-year-old Martial Arts Grandmaster alone was enough to earn him respect, to say nothing of the "earth-shattering" deeds he had accomplished since.

Wu Liangchen didn’t actually call him Xiaofan. The age difference was too great, after all. Besides, although Zhang Fan ran Anxiang Pavilion, he had a good reputation. At the very least, he had never been known for bullying the weak or forcing innocent women into prostitution.

This was why Wu Liangchen was willing to deal with him in the first place.

"Brother Zhang, if you find a suspicious person, are you confident you can track them to their residence without tipping them off?" Wu Liangchen asked.

He had a feeling that He Chang’an’s visits to Anxiang Pavilion were merely for the initial contact. The real ’big fish’ was still behind the scenes.

Zhang Fan didn’t answer immediately. He lowered his head in thought for a moment before saying solemnly, "Master Wu, I don’t want to boast, but as long as they live within the Imperial Capital, I have ways of finding them."

"Good. Then I’ll leave it to you."

’It’s best to leave professional matters to the professionals,’ he thought. ’Rather than investigating myself, it’s better to let these local experts handle it. Not only is it more discreet, but it’s also more efficient.’

Hearing Wu Liangchen entrust him with the task, Zhang Fan felt like he was walking on air.

In truth, if it were merely about Wu Liangchen’s status and power, Zhang Fan wouldn’t have reacted this way.

After all, he had been an underworld kingpin for many years and had dealt with his fair share of top Martial Artists and influential figures.

He would be respectful, yes, but not to the point of being so completely humbled.

The main reason was that he deeply admired the things Wu Liangchen had done recently.

First, he had blown up a hall in the Imperial Palace. Then, he had repelled spies from the East Sea. And now, he had taken silver directly from the national treasury and distributed it to the common people.

Any one of these acts would have been an earth-shattering event, yet Wu Liangchen had accomplished them all, seemingly with ease.

And the people Zhang Fan admired most in this world were those who were not only capable but also dared to act, unafraid of the powers that be.

After all, he was such a person himself, which was how he had climbed his way up from a low-level street punk to the underworld figure he was today.

Just then, the man who had left earlier returned.

"Master Wu, Boss, we’ve found something. In the last while, there have been a total of one hundred thirteen new faces at Anxiang Pavilion. We can rule out seventy-eight of them. Of the remaining thirty-five, only one has had any contact with He Chang’an."

"Oh? What’s his story? Have you looked into it?" Zhang Fan asked at once, his interest piqued.

"He once told one of the girls here that he’s from the Huangpu Guard region and makes his living in overseas trade. He calls himself Wei Heng. We’re still verifying the details, but we should have results soon."

"Good. Tell everyone to stay sharp. Especially when He Chang’an comes in—I want you to watch him like a hawk. See who he meets with," Zhang Fan commanded once more.