26

Qingchen, a smile plastered on his face, quickly rose to refill Li Muyun's teacup.

"Brother Yun, you flatter me."

He bowed, his voice extremely low, tinged with deliberate humility. "Back then, I was just a henchman in a brothel. It was all thanks to Brother Yun's help that I got this position.

This seventh-rank Assistant Commander might seem prestigious to others, but in my heart, Brother Yun, you are my elder brother, my great benefactor. I will always be your errand boy!"

He paused, glancing at Li Muyun's expression.

Seeing the other man's smile soften slightly, he continued, "These past three months, I've been walking on eggshells, afraid of doing something wrong and embarrassing you, Brother Yun.

I only managed to find some time yesterday and booked a private room at Maple Forest Tower. It's very secluded and has top-quality medicine. Brother Yun, please do me the honor of joining me!"

Li Muyun finally smiled with satisfaction, patted Qingchen on the shoulder, and laughed loudly:

"You've got a conscience, kid. But your position as Zuo Sima isn't just a nominal one; you have over three hundred men guarding the city gates. Go tomorrow night and be back immediately, don't miss your duty."

After seeing Li Muyun's sedan chair out the door, Qingchen's smile vanished instantly. He turned and went into the inner hall, calling out into the shadows:

"Niu Dali."

The curtain was lifted, and a burly man walked in.

This man was wearing a blue military uniform, with a ring-pommel sword at his waist; it was Niu Dali.

He's now the captain of the West Gate's first squad, commanding fifty men. A ninth-rank official, though not high, it's a hundred times better than his days as a thug in the Double Eagle Society.

Qingchen's second brother, Qingjie, has also become the captain of Qingchen's personal guard.

Niu Dali and his former Double Eagle Society brothers all serve under Qingchen; those who survived are at least squad leaders.

"Chieftain." Niu Dali bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming but deliberately low. "You called me?"

Qing Chen sat down in his chair and gestured to the stool opposite him. "Sit. I need you to do something. It must be done discreetly, without the slightest mistake."

Niu Dali had just sat down halfway when he heard this and sat up straight again. "Give me your orders, and I'll do it right away."

"Select a few old brothers from the Double Eagle Society."

Qing Chen tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes turning cold. "Change into bandit clothes, go out of the city to the surrounding villages and towns, and kidnap a pharmacist who knows medicine. They must be back within three hours, and don't let anyone see your faces.

Preferably, handsome, fair-skinned, and slender scholars, without any scars."

Niu Dali's heart skipped a beat. This was no small matter.

But he didn't dare ask any questions, only nodding. "Yes! I'll go select the men right away, I guarantee I'll get it done."

He knew Qing Chen's temperament all too well; he shouldn't ask questions he shouldn't, and he should just do as he was told.

Qingchen added, "Don't kill anyone, and don't steal anything, just tie them up. If anyone resists..."

He paused, "Breaking their legs is fine, just don't kill them."

Niu Dali nodded and turned to leave.

Out of the inner hall, he went straight to the soldiers' barracks at the west gate and found eight brothers who had come with him from the Double Eagle Society, all ruthless characters with blood on their hands.

Under the cover of dusk, the group slipped out through a side gate of the city.

Upon reaching a desolate slope outside the city, they hastily changed into coarse black clothes that had been prepared beforehand, tucked short knives into their waistbands, and smeared soot from their faces.

"Let's go! First to Qingxi Village. I know a scholar there who knows medicine." Niu Dali mounted his horse, cracked his whip, and galloped towards Qingxi Village.

At this moment, smoke rose thickly from the chimneys of Qingxi Village.

The scholar, Li Yunyi, sat on a stone bench in his courtyard, holding a copy of *Compendium of Materia Medica*. Beside him was a mortar and pestle, with some unground licorice root still inside.

He had only recently married and his life had been relatively peaceful. He never expected trouble to come knocking.

"Clatter, clatter—"

The sound of hooves came from the village entrance, growing closer.

Li Yunyi looked up and saw a group of men in black riding towards his courtyard. The leader, a burly man, had a menacing face and eyes that looked like he wanted to devour someone.

Panic gripped him, and the book fell to the ground with a "thud," its pages fluttering in the wind.

"Run!" Li Yunyi only managed to shout one word before turning to hide inside the house.

But Niu Dali's horse had already reached the courtyard gate. He leaped off, his large, fan-like hand grabbing Li Yunyi by the collar and lifting him up like a chick.

"Boy, come with me!" Niu Dali's voice was rough and hoarse, tinged with blood.

Li Yunyi struggled, kicking wildly: "Who are you? Kidnapping an innocent citizen in broad daylight?"

"An innocent citizen?" Niu Dali sneered, giving a signal to his men behind him, "Tie him up!"

Two men stepped forward, binding Li Yunyi's hands behind his back with rope, and stuffing a rag into his mouth.

Li Yunyi's wife, Wang, heard the commotion and rushed out of the house, her hair disheveled, holding a half-finished garment, threads tangled in the needle and thread.

"You beasts! Let my husband go!"

Wang rushed forward, trying to grab Niu Dali's arm, but a man kicked her in the stomach.

She cried out and fell to the ground, her sewing box falling beside her, silver needles scattered everywhere, several piercing her palm, drawing blood immediately.

Niu Dali glanced at her, a cruel smile on his face: "Little lady, consider yourself lucky. We only want your husband. If you know what's good for you, don't meddle!"

Wang got up, trying to rush forward again, but the man pressed her shoulder down with the back of his knife.

She watched helplessly as Li Yunyi was tied to the horse, tears streaming down her face, forced to watch the caravan disappear into the distance.

By the time they returned to the west gate in their carriage, it was completely dark.

The gate guards, seeing it was Niu Dali, let them pass without asking any questions.

Li Yunyi was tied up in the carriage, his mouth gagged, his face deathly pale, trembling all over.

Niu Dali led him to an abandoned granary near the city gate, locked the door, and assigned two brothers to guard it before turning to see Qingchen.

Qingchen was waiting in the inner hall, where two cloth bundles sat on the table.

He opened one; inside was a grayish-brown shell with fine patterns—the very same Infant Shell mentioned in the *Xuanyou Jianwenlu* (Records of Mysterious Mysteries).

In the other bundle were several gleaming black fangs—the Five Spider Fangs.

"Did you bring the person?" Qingchen asked, looking up.

"Reporting to the chief, he's locked up in the granary," Niu Dali replied, bowing.

Qingchen nodded: "Very good."

Li Muyun had recently developed a fondness for Five-Stone Powder and handsome men; he particularly liked handsome scholars who understood medicine and were literate.

Add to that this specially made Five-Stone Powder, and taking too much will lead to a quick death.

...

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), night deepened, and the Maple Forest Tower was brightly lit.

"Hahaha, Brother Yun, you've come a bit early tonight?"

Qing Chen greeted Li Muyun, who had just entered, his face beaming with smiles.

Li Muyun chuckled, his expression showing a mixture of eagerness and anticipation:

"Oh dear, Brother Qing, to be honest, I'm quite impatient. A moment of bliss on this night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, let's get to the point!"