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Chapter 82: Intimidation

At the You Hour(5-7pm).

The sky had already darkened.

Normally, by this time, Tietou should have been leading his brothers to the little tavern.

Ordering a few small side dishes.

Pairing the not-so-good snacks with some wine to wash away the weariness of a long day.

Then, once tipsy, they would sway and stagger their way home.

Every three to five days, they’d gather like this for warmth and camaraderie.

But today was different.

Though all fifteen men had gathered, they had shed their official uniforms and changed into civilian clothes.

Their expressions were grim, they had gathered not to drink, but to seek a path to survival.

Among them, Tietou was undoubtedly the most steady in conduct, and the most thoughtful in mind.

Since Boss Xiang’s death, it had been Tietou who watched over the brothers.

Now that he said he could prepare a gift to offer the Heir of the Jing’an Marquis, and that they might pledge themselves to this nobleman’s service, they naturally believed him.

“You all brought what I told you to?”

“Everything’s ready.”

“You’ve all memorized the shift changes for the Yusu Ward guards?”

Tietou randomly quizzed five of them, confirming they had all firmly memorized the timing of the guard rotations.

At the hour of Hai(9-11pm) curfew would begin. Anyone still wandering the streets would be arrested and thrown into jail for the night.

Once, a brother had gotten drunk, passed out on the street, and was tossed into the cells by the curfew guards, only to be fished out the next day.

If no one remembered he was inside, or if no one came to find him, he might have been locked up for several days.

Once curfew hit, not even beggars were allowed to loiter on the streets. Even snakes, insects, rats, and ants had to crawl back to their dens.

“Teams of five.”

“First team, you’re to watch the entrance to the Western Market.”

“San Gou, your team just as I told you this afternoon, monitor the five beacon towers and the nearby guards. Stay in touch and don’t let the patrol enforcers catch you.”

“The last team is with me. We’ll be the ones to fetch the gift ourselves.”

“Once the Hai Hour strikes, we regroup at the old place.”

“Let me say this clearly, if anyone’s missing at that time,

“then bury this night deep in your gut. Do not speak of it to anyone.

“Otherwise, don’t blame me for coming after you once I’ve pledged myself to a noble.”

Tietou’s gaze swept coldly across them.

He was absolutely confident that once they had the gift, they would succeed in pledging allegiance to the noble.

His brothers were indeed trustworthy but with a group this size, there were bound to be personal agendas. Each had their own calculations.

Desire and gain cloud the heart; who could guarantee no one among them would betray the others to rise through the ranks?

This wasn’t about brotherhood or loyalty anymore. At their age, there were bigger things to consider: families, futures...

Call it brotherhood if you will, it was more like huddling together for warmth to keep from being trampled.

Tietou could already name several among them who had their own schemes.

So he had to intimidate them. Make it clear: betrayal wouldn’t end well.

Play whatever little tricks you want within the group but once he had pledged to the noble, he’d use that noble’s power to crush any schemer underfoot.

“Is that clear?”

Tietou looked around at them. The reason he divided them into three teams instead of scattering them individually was also to ensure mutual oversight.

One or two might lose heart but five turning back at once? Almost impossible.

“Don’t worry, Brother Tietou.”

“Understood.”

“We’re all clear.”

Seeing that everyone, whether genuinely or not, agreed aloud, Tietou nodded in satisfaction: “Move out.”

At his word, the three teams sprang into action.

They were, after all, former Embroidered Guards. Entry into the Embroidered Guards required training in the internal art Pure Origin Strength and the Hundred-Battle Embroidered Saber. Even if they were no longer at their peak, they still had skills far beyond ordinary folk.

Moreover, they were survivors from a sea of blood, every one of them possessed internal energy.

And they had spent great effort studying the curfew rules and patrol routines. The patrolling enforcers didn’t even notice them.

Tietou himself was but a single step away from becoming a second-rate Bone Tempering expert.

He respected Boss Xiang but he had no desire to live like him.

He didn’t want to be a second-rate master who wasted his days in the Embroidered Guard, solving cold-blooded, dubious cases, only to grow old and end up watching over some prison gate.

Being feared felt grand, sure.

But after enough time, it meant nothing.

Now that their new superior was trampling them, he had no choice but to find another path.

As for what the brothers thought, he didn’t care.

Even if none of them showed up tonight, he’d still go through with it.

He wanted change.

...

Yusu Ward, one of Liang City’s two major districts that never slept, brothels and pleasure houses lined the streets, and the state-run entertainment bureau resided here too.

There were secret passageways everywhere.

The inner river flowed past Yusu Ward, and by morning its waters were coated with a greasy film.

When sunlight struck the surface, it sparkled in dazzling waves.

Passersby would only smell a heavy cloud of powder and rouge, enough to make breathing feel stifled.

Because right there along the riverbank was the boarding point for noblemen and officials to embark onto pleasure barges.

From one such barge now stepped a pale, plump man in common dress.

He looked drunk, his steps weaving and unsteady.

This was none other than Wang Zhi, the qianhu commander in the Embroidered Guards’ southern office.

Wang Zhi often visited the barges to listen to music and, incidentally, to network with powerful men. After all, he usually accompanied his wife’s elder brother.

Over time, it became his habit to climb aboard these pleasure boats.

He just couldn’t stay out overnight. If he did, the tigress at home would surely flip the heavens.

His post as a qianhu commander had only come thanks to his wife’s elder brother. If he upset his fierce wife, there’d be no peace at home.

Living under someone else’s roof was always stifling. He remembered how, back in the day, he had passed the juren exam, just one step from jinshi but that final step was like an impassable chasm.

Later, relying on his brother-in-law, he obtained a qianhu position in the Embroidered Guards. All these years, he regretted not pushing further up the ladder.

He had the ability, could please his superiors, and had a patron of third-rank in court, so why was he stuck here?

The thought made him angry, and increasingly resentful of mingling with roughneck soldiers.

“He’s out.”

“Grab him.”

As the plump Wang Zhi stumbled past a narrow alley,

A hand clamped over his mouth.

Then, a swift chop landed on his neck. His eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious on the spot.

...

Wang Zhi felt his head heavy, his neck aching with a dull throb.

When he tried to reach up to rub it, he realized he couldn’t move.

He tried to speak, but something stuffed his mouth, rendering him speechless.

Struggling and muffling for a long while, he finally gathered his strength and slowly opened his eyes.

“He seems to be awake.”

A bucket of cold water splashed over his head. The dazed Wang Zhi jolted with a shiver, sobering up immediately.

Looking around at the figures in the courtyard, his eyes widened: “Mmm! Mmm mmm!”

“Lord Qianhu, long time no see.”

There were seventeen people in the courtyard.

At their head was Tietou.

Tietou yanked the tightly-stuffed rag from Wang Zhi’s mouth.

“You’ve got some damned nerve! Kidnapping a qianhu commander, are you tired of living?”

“Untie me at once!” Wang Zhi shouted, his voice full of rage.

Fury surged in his chest, how dare these thugs mess with him!

But no matter how he shouted, the seventeen men before him only returned his gaze with cold, chilling eyes.

Their stares made his heart tremble; even his voice grew quieter.

His eyes flicked nervously, and he switched to a more amiable tone: “Brothers, there’s no need for this joke. I lost my temper earlier, my words were harsh.”

“How about this, brothers. Untie me, and I’ll take you all to Drunken Immortal Tower for a proper feast.”

“We’re all colleagues. As your superior, I will of course look after you.”

Short Rat let out a grim chuckle, turning to Tietou: “Seems our Lord Qianhu still doesn’t understand the situation he’s in.”

(Chapter End)