Chapter Five: Master Zhang the Ninth

Hearing Master Zhang Jiu say this, He Lishan waved his hands in a hurry.

"Master Jiu, you and I have been friends for over a dozen years; how could I ever doubt you? Saying such a thing is an insult to me!"

"I didn't mean it that way!" Master Zhang Jiu replied. "Brother Shan, your guarded vault was breached, and I am truly anxious on your behalf. First thing this morning, I questioned everyone under my command, but they all claimed to know nothing."

Ever since Master Zhang Jiu became the leader of the Rong family's guild, he had not personally handled business for many years. Although he had many subordinates, they had coexisted peacefully with the Changfeng Escort Agency for over a decade, so naturally, He Lishan did not suspect him.

"The old hands understand the rules; they at least know to signal and ask for passage. Honestly, Master Jiu, I suspect it was some amateur."

"Tsk! They didn't even signal? That is truly reckless!"

Master Zhang Jiu’s reaction was identical to He Lishan’s; he was extremely surprised. An "amateur" referred to those greenhorns who only half-understood the rules of the underworld.

He Lishan took a sip of tea and seized the opportunity to ask, "Master Jiu, have your people taken on any new apprentices lately?"

In every trade of the underworld, apprentices usually came knocking on a master’s door; only those in the Rong family’s trade did the opposite—the master had to go out and scout for the apprentice. Why? Because they were thieves. Which master thief would ever write the words "I am a thief" on their forehead? If a student wanted to apprentice, they wouldn't even know who the master was, so how could they ask? Furthermore, if a student could easily identify a master thief, what credibility would the master have left to teach them? He might as well go home and farm. Moreover, in the Rong family’s business, teaching the trade was equivalent to exposing one's identity; the master had to trust the apprentice implicitly. Therefore, masters mostly recruited orphans with no family, as their clean backgrounds made them safe to train.

Master Zhang Jiu gingerly twirled his sparse mustache with two fingers and thought for a moment. "As for apprentices, there are indeed two kids who just entered the trade, but they are far too young—barely out of the nest. There is no way they could have taken down your men at the escort agency!"

Upon hearing this, the corner of He Lishan’s mouth twitched. Indeed, good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles.

"Master Jiu, then please do me a favor and pass the word around to inquire, just to avoid any future misunderstandings."

"Fine! I will ask around for you later. If those little monkeys are acting out, I’ll chop off their hands myself to make amends to you, Brother Shan!"

After a moment of silence, He Lishan asked again, "Master Jiu, the people in the city are quite mixed lately. Do you think it could be a thief from out of town?"

The townspeople all knew that after the New Year, there would be a temple fair in Liaoyang. The underworld figures from nearby areas were also hoping to make a fortune from the event. These people were nomads, treating every place as their home, so they arrived early to prepare. Suddenly, the city was filled with all sorts of people, and it was possible that one of them had caused this trouble.

"Yes, I have also heard that some big-time operators have arrived in Liaoyang these past few days," Master Zhang Jiu replied with a platitude.

He Lishan was not satisfied and pressed, "Master Jiu, your intelligence is sharper than mine. Could you give me a hint?"

"No, no, no!" Master Zhang Jiu quickly declined. "I wouldn't dare speak casually about things I’m not sure of."

He Lishan nodded helplessly. Since the man had put it that way, continuing to press would be lacking in decorum.

Silence. After a long while, Master Zhang Jiu snuck a glance at He Lishan, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "Brother Shan, the world is not at peace lately."

"Oh? How so?"

"I heard from the runners in the south that the Japanese and the Russians are arguing every day. It’s likely they’ll start fighting soon. Those with wits are already fleeing north or heading inside the Great Wall."

He Lishan fell into deep thought. After pondering for a moment, his eyes lit up and he stood up to clasp his hands in salute. "Master Jiu, I have much to attend to at home, so I must take my leave. Please forgive me."

Master Zhang Jiu set down his teacup and stood up as well. "Very well, go handle your business. If you need anything, just say the word!"

"Right, Master Jiu, my employer lost two jade thumb rings. I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for them over the next few days."

"Rest assured, Brother Shan! Whoever it is, if they dare to fence stolen goods in Liaoyang, they won't be able to hide it from me. Without my word, no one in the city's black market would dare accept them. I will notify you immediately if I hear anything!"

"Then I thank you for your trouble."

"You are too kind."

He Lishan turned and went downstairs to pay for the tea. As the head of a reputable escort agency, the only reason he was so polite to Master Zhang Jiu was for peace of mind. After all, whether it was protecting a home or escorting cargo, even the most skilled guards knew the principle: "Don't fear a thief stealing; fear a thief plotting." If you offend a master thief, unless you eliminate them, you will never sleep soundly again. For an escort agency, the guards themselves were secondary; their main worry was their employer's property being targeted. The slightest negligence could ruin the agency's reputation. Thus, despite their martial prowess, guards were often the most polite people in the underworld.

After leaving the teahouse, He Lishan hadn't walked far when he bumped into Li Qun.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay home?"

Li Qun wore a sour expression. "Master, the old man knows about last night. He sent me to bring you back."

He Lishan widened his eyes. "I told you not to say anything!"

"Master, the whole city is talking about it. I couldn't hide it! You know how the old man is."

"Never mind that. Do something for me first."

Li Qun leaned in close. "Master, tell me."

"Go around and inquire which of the big-time operators in the city came from the north. Don't make a scene. Get their names, write them down, and come tell me."

Li Qun dared not ask further and immediately went on his way. He Lishan looked back at the teahouse and couldn't help but sneer. Master Zhang Jiu was indeed a notorious schemer—smooth, slick, and careful never to offend anyone.

Earlier in the teahouse, as they were chatting, Zhang Jiu had suddenly and inexplicably mentioned that "the world is not at peace." After the subsequent conversation, He Lishan realized his meaning. The talk about the Japanese and Russians fighting was just a cover; the real point was that while the underworld figures from the south had their reasons for coming, the reason for the northerners' arrival was unknown. If He Lishan had been distracted and hadn't thought it through, Master Zhang Jiu would have had a clear conscience—he had given the hint; if you couldn't understand it, you couldn't blame him. At the same time, if the thief who breached the vault came to question him, he could stand tall and claim it had nothing to do with him.

"Speak only three-tenths of the truth to anyone, and never reveal your whole heart." This was called being watertight.

However, there was one thing He Lishan overlooked. Master Zhang Jiu was, after all, the leader of the Rong family's guild in Liaoyang! Any thief, no matter who they were, had to pay respects to Master Zhang Jiu if they wanted to operate in this territory. The thief who had skipped the protocol and robbed Wang Youcai had already offended the Changfeng Escort Agency; at this juncture, no matter how capable they were, they wouldn't dare offend the local Rong family powerhouse at the same time!

After He Lishan left, Master Zhang Jiu hummed a tune on the second floor of the teahouse. He went to the window, pulled a thumb ring from his sleeve, and held it up to the sun, turning it over and over. As he played with it, he mused, "Nice, but a pity it cannot be worn. Sigh! If a thumb ring isn't worn, it can no longer be called a thumb ring; if an escort guard isn't on the path, can they still be called an escort guard?"