Chapter 82: Dragon Vein

Ding—

The doorbell chimed crisply, and the vinyl jazz playing inside, bathed in warm light, spilled out once more through the opening door. This time, a girl emerged to greet them. She looked about the same age as Ye Chan, her eyes sly and lively. She looked up and said, “Hello there. Are you here to browse, or do you have an appointment?”

The girl wore a snow-white hoodie, like a college student picking up a quick part-time gig. Gu Xianwang was momentarily thrown off and asked tentatively, “This is the Red Pavilion, right?”

“That’s right. Doesn’t the sign out front say so?” The girl smiled and pointed to the display stand by the window. “Those two paintings over there are our newest arrivals. Anything in the shop with a price tag is available for purchase.”

Ye Chan cleared her throat. “Um, we’re not here to buy anything. Could you tell us if Third Sister Red is in today?”

At the mention of Third Sister Red’s name, the girl’s eyes flickered, but she kept smiling. “Third Sister isn’t in today. If you have something urgent, you can leave a note here, and we’ll make sure she gets it when she comes in.”

Good grief—even in an emergency like this, they wanted a note? Ye Chan rolled her eyes inwardly. Suddenly, she remembered the bag of gifts from the Flower Fair. Damn, she hadn’t brought the Red Pavilion voucher.

“It’s not like that. We have a voucher—from the Flower Fair, the one you gave us. I just forgot to bring it today. Come on, sis, level with me. Is Third Sister really not here?”

“She’s not.”

For some reason, staring at that unchanging smile made Ye Chan’s fists itch. She swallowed her frustration—couldn’t lash out here—and exchanged a glance with Gu Xianwang, jerking her chin toward the girl. The message was clear: time to try the honey trap.

Gu Xianwang sighed and pulled the Red Spider Brooch from her pocket. “This should be one of Third Sister’s tokens. We shared tea with her here just a couple of days ago. I know it’s presumptuous to drop by unannounced, but we really are in a bind. Please, make an exception and tell us the truth. Thank you.”

Her words were earnest enough. The girl thought for a moment and replied, “Just call me CC—no need for formal titles; you’d be killing me with kindness.”

“I don’t mean to make things difficult for you. That brooch is indeed one of Third Sister’s tokens, but it’s not for getting an audience with her.” She scratched her head, looking every bit like the cartoon bear printed on her hoodie. “You must have gotten it from one of you doing a deal with Third Sister. It’s really just a ‘credit’ chit. With it, you can buy intel from others on the path.”

Ye Chan made a face. “What path? The mob?”

CC shook her head. “Of course not. You’ve heard of nosy parkers, right? Those characters in stories who sell information—like the know-it-alls called Baixiaosheng back in the day. It’s a low-key trade on the surface, but behind the scenes? They’re a big deal. Both sides of the law rely on them. Even we Rat-Walkers have to give them some face. Their path is called the Yangguan Path. To get on it, you need an introduction or a solid token like this.”

Ye Chan listened for ages, her mind going blank. They had just come to ask about Sister Long’s whereabouts, and now this Yangguan Path business? Did that mean they couldn’t even see Third Sister and now had to track down some elusive informant, jumping through who-knew-how-many hoops just to buy useful intel?

If she’d known they couldn’t even get face time with Third Sister Red, they wouldn’t have wasted so long poring over that damn map at the café. What was the point of all this bluffing? Might as well be frying dough cakes.

Whenever she got agitated, she had to pee. She asked flatly, “Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?”

Gu Xianwang, who had seen the signs on her last visit, was about to point the way when CC cut in. “Oh, sorry, the shop’s bathroom is out of order today—under repair. You can use the one at the café next door.”

As she spoke, Gu Xianwang heard a sharp clang, like something had smacked against a metal door.

“Have to go outside? Forget it, I’ll hold it. Hey, can’t you at least give me Third Sister’s number? Or let me run up and take a quick peek. If she’s there, great; if not, I’ll leave with no hard feelings.” Ye Chan, determined to make the trip worthwhile, resolved to pester them relentlessly. As she spoke, she edged toward the staircase.

She figured the girl in front of her was about the same size as her—two against one, and with Gu Xianwang’s skills, if she lunged and pinned her down, they’d be upstairs in no time. What Red Pavilion mystique? All this high threshold nonsense. Looked like they’d need some strong-arm tactics.

Her eyes had just sharpened when CC, acting like a human scanner, instantly tapped her forehead with a single finger. That one touch dissipated all the momentum she’d been building for half the day. Gu Xianwang froze in place and said awkwardly, “What are you doing?”

CC grinned and withdrew her hand, pointing at the surveillance cameras in the four corners. “Saving you—what else? You didn’t really think the Rat-Walkers have survived in the underworld for so long just by bragging, did you?”

Gu Xianwang hurriedly pulled Ye Chan behind her and apologized. “Sorry, I get what you mean now. Here’s the deal: I have a message for you to pass on to Third Sister. Tell her I’m willing to help her find that girl and hope she’ll give me a chance to make a trade. I’ll wait right here. If she’s willing, please show yourself.”

CC raised an eyebrow. “I already told her, pretty sister. Our Third Sister—”

“How do you know I’m looking for a girl?” The voice remained alluring. They caught a whiff of smoke before she appeared, followed by the click-clack of high heels on the wooden stairs.

Gu Xianwang breathed a small sigh of relief. She needed a favor from this woman and had to seize the opportunity. She stepped aside and pointed at the old photo she’d seen last time. “The girl you’re looking for is the one in this picture. She’s been missing a long time, if I may presume. Venturing a guess, did she go to the Long Family Ancient Village?”

Gu Xianwang posed it as a question but didn’t expect an answer. She just needed a glance that let her continue. With a slight nod, she pressed on. “The paper crane in the photo is the same as the one tied to Third Sister’s pipe. It’s old, but Third Sister still protects it in plastic wrap and carries it everywhere. It must be very important. If the crane matters that much, the person matters even more.”

Ye Chan suddenly got it. She stepped closer to peer at the photo, sneaking glances to compare it with Third Sister Red’s current look. She pointed at the tall girl in it. “Oh, so this is Third Sister Red in the photo.”

Third Sister Red glanced over with a faint, indifferent chuckle but said nothing.

The photo showed two girls, one tall and one short, dressed alike but worlds apart in expression and looks. The tall one sported a ponytail, her face bold and unrestrained, laughing with wild abandon and flashing two little tiger teeth. It echoed Third Sister’s current freewheeling, domineering allure—like a childhood bully who had grown into a reigning queen. The girl beside her paled in comparison, with straight bangs and short hair. She looked camera-shy, limbs rigid, as if dragged there unwillingly by the taller one, her face etched with embarrassment and reluctance.

Under Third Sister Red’s gaze, Gu Xianwang slowly approached the photo. She whirled around and pointed at the short-haired girl. “That’s Third Sister for sure, but this is the one.”

Ye Chan: “…Huh?”

Third Sister Red took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled a slow smoke ring. “That’s enough, Miss Gu. You want to trade with me, but picking apart this one photo isn’t much leverage.”

Gu Xianwang answered carefully. “The leverage is thin indeed, so I’m not asking Third Sister for anything right now. But over the past few days, my friends and I looked into the Long Family Human Skin Map that surfaced at the Flower Fair. The location marked on it is intriguing. That saying, ‘Eight Hundred Qinchuan, Ten Thousand Ancient Tombs’—with the Long family members prospecting there by reading sands and waters, they’re probably not after ordinary burial sites.”

Third Sister Red smiled at that. “No idea about that. The map got released by accident—equipment glitch. Who knows if it’s real. If that’s what you’re after, I can’t help.”

Gu Xianwang smiled too. “No need for Third Sister to worry on that score. But I suspect my master has been gone for days because of the place on that map. His personality makes it unlikely he’d travel with company. Still, since the Long Family Human Skin Map went on display at the Rat-Walkers’ venue that day—and given the ties between the two bosses and my master—they probably wouldn’t let the old man head out alone.”

“It’s been days with no word from home. As his disciple, I’m worried sick, so I came to Third Sister to ask around.”

“Heh, little girl, ever think why your master didn’t tell you where he was going?”

“Master is kind-hearted and frets over my safety, but this disciple’s heart is flesh and blood too, isn’t it?” Gu Xianwang stepped forward without backing down, clasped her fists, and said, “About that deal I mentioned—if Third Sister agrees, I’ll follow the Long Family trail all the way to the Long Family Ancient Village. I figure Long Li’s deal with you is much the same. She’s capable, sure, but her hands are tied. I’m different. I’m a true heir to treasure spotting, background squeaky clean. What I can pull off, she might not.”

“Heh.” Third Sister Red suddenly clapped her hands and laughed. After a moment, she said, “I really didn’t expect it. Turns out the wolf cub that Ninth Master Shang brought back is a real piece of work. How interesting.”

“I can’t tell you your master’s exact whereabouts, but I suspect that’s not really what you want to know, is it?” Third Sister Red walked down slowly, tapped her pipe against the fireplace to knock out the ashes, then leisurely packed it with fresh leaves. Only then did she speak again. “Long Li did go on my behalf this time, and it’s not exactly a safe journey.”

Gu Xianwang caught the metallic tang of blood in those few short words. From the moment Master and his group had set out to Long Li going dark, barely a day or two had passed. Master surely hadn’t gone alone—there had to be pillars from other sects traveling with him, backed by the Rat-Walkers as escorts. How could a group like that run into real trouble?

Gu Xianwang frowned. “Did Long Li… go by herself?”

Third Sister Red arched an eyebrow. “What else? Should we have invited those old foxes along for some autumn sightseeing?”

Gu Xianwang pressed her lips together. This woman’s words made it clear she knew all about the organization backing Long Li. But for Long Li herself, the Rat-Walkers were hardly trustworthy allies. She was reaching into the fire from both sides, neither one a saint. Slack off for a second, and she’d find herself caught in a pincer.

From the scraps of information Gu Xianwang had pieced together so far, Master had hit some snags, but nothing catastrophic. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent just Long Li. The Rat-Walkers guarded their golden reputation like a treasure; nothing like the total annihilation at Long Family Ancient Village would happen twice.

With that realization, Gu Xianwang felt a weight lift from her chest. She cupped her hands again. “Then I’ve gotten the answers I came for. Does Third Sister have any further instructions?”

“Yes.” Third Sister Red gave her a strange look and spat out the words. “Take that annoying chicken in the bathroom with you.”

Gu Xianwang: ?

Ye Chan: ?

Eyes met across the room, and Gu Xianwang stared at the medium-dog-sized airline crate in front of her. Disgust creased her furrowed brow as she pinched her nose. “How… long has it been in there?” The stench was overpowering.

CC put on her best customer-service smile, all teeth and no warmth. “A full day. This chicken eats like a horse and shits like one too. If you don’t take it off our hands soon, even Red Pavilion’s fancy diffusers won’t mask the smell.”

Ye Chan’s jaw dropped. “You’ve just been keeping it shut in there? At least scoop the poop or something!”

She immediately regretted it under two withering glares. She forced an awkward laugh. “I mean, uh, doesn’t it have a litter box? Wouldn’t that be… cleaner? Ha, haha.”

Her laughter hadn’t even faded when Third Sister Red shooed them out—people, crate, and all. Just perfect. They still hadn’t pinned down Long Li’s location, but now they’d inherited her “orphan.”

Ye Chan dragged the crate alongside Gu Xianwang as they headed back. The stink wafting from it was brutal; three cabs in a row turned them away flat. She glanced at the somewhat bedraggled Bird Lord and asked, “You think that spot we guessed at the coffee shop holds up?”

“Which one—the spot on the map, or the one on the floppy disk?”

“Both.” Ye Chan sighed. “I bet plenty of people cracked the map location. Sure, we’ve got the Boshan Water Viewing Chart for reference, but like you said, it’s just Treasure Spotting 101. That Yang Baibai definitely clocked it on sight. With the crowd from the Flower Fair, they’re probably crawling all over it by now.”

“So I figure the real key is that place name on the floppy disk.”

Ye Chan threw herself into the analysis. Sister Gu must trust her to loop her in on this. The disk itself was nothing special, but those three strings of numbers? Gold. Per Sister Gu, right after the mystery floppy showed up, someone had commissioned her to pass along some documents—including those ancient tomes. No way it was pure coincidence. Whoever was pulling the strings wanted Sister Gu chasing leads on the Witch Clan and Long Family. They wouldn’t waste effort on a dud.

Thus, she followed the trail and sure enough found a copy of Qilin Eight Tones among them. This book was truly marvelous, a compilation of the Qi Adjutant Ba Yin Glossary and Master Tai Shi Lin Bashan’s Pearl Jade Harmony. It served as an ancient comprehensive guide to the phonetic system of the Fuzhou dialect. The Qi Adjutant mentioned inside was none other than Qi Jiguang. Back when he was resisting the Japanese pirates, he invented a communication code called the Fanqie Code. It worked by recombining characters through the method of slicing and merging the initials and finals from upper and lower tones. For this purpose, Qi Jiguang had specially compiled two poems to serve as the codebook.

Ye Chan matched the three groups of numbers on the floppy disk against the numbers in the codebook. In no time at all, she deciphered three characters, which together formed a place name: Sheep Bend Gully.