Chapter 72: Plan

At the Green Serenity Courtyard, it was late at night, but the front hall was still buzzing with activity. Even the west wing in the back garden was set up for a small banquet. “No wine, no sleep?” Wei Hongqing frowned, deep in thought. For a moment, he couldn’t come up with a good plan. “If that’s the case, can Xiaolou really take him down?” Liu Xiaolou poured wine for the three of them. “It’s tough. I asked around a lot; and don’t worry, it was subtle. From what I’ve gathered, he’s been here a few times, but always in the main hall. He’s never gone into the private rooms, let alone the girls’ quarters. If that’s really how it is, then at best we’ll have a chance like we did with Lu Zi'an back then. Get him dazed and create an opening.” Tan Bajhang slapped the table. “Then let’s just go for it! Lu Zi’an had a tenth-level cultivation back then, and we still took him down, didn’t we? We’ve all improved since, especially Brother Wei. He’s gone up another level. Four of us against one, and it’d be a surprise attack. There’s no way we can’t win.” Zuo Gaofeng shook his head. “That was out in the wilderness. This is the Yueyang District Market, and we’re in the middle of Green Serenity Courtyard, one of the busiest places around. If we cause a big scene... who knows how many experts from the Qingyu Sect are nearby? We can’t afford that kind of attention.” Liu Xiaolou agreed. “Better to keep it clean and quiet. We can’t let the Qingyu Sect catch wind of this, or we’ll all be in trouble. Brother Wei finally got into Tianmu Mountain; if things fall apart now, I’d never forgive myself.” “Then we’ll need a different approach,” said Wei Hongqing. “If he won’t go inside, we’ll have to lure him out of the Green Serenity Courtyard and handle it in the wild. I’ve been to the Miluo River. There’s a narrow bend with a small stream nearby. Perfect spot for an ambush. Xiaolou, try to lead him there.” “You mean Tiger’s Maw?” asked Zuo Gaofeng. “Yeah, that place could work…” “Let’s go take a look tomorrow,” Wei Hongqing said. “But even if we set up an ambush, going straight for a kill like that, there’s still no guarantee it’ll work. Xiaolou, we’ll need you to come up with something better.” Liu Xiaolou looked troubled. “If it’s by the river, that’s going to make things even harder on my end. With the wind coming off the water... how am I supposed to pull anything off?” After all, Hou Sheng was at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement, and on top of that, he was an inner sect inspector of the Qingyu Sect; there was no doubt he was a skilled cultivator. As for the four of them, Zuo Gaofeng was at layer eight, Wei Hongqing at six, Tan Bajhang at five, and Liu Xiaolou himself at only layer three. Even with the soul-suppressing artifact Wei Hongqing had borrowed, unless they managed to catch Hou Sheng off guard first, a direct assault would still be risky. Wei Hongqing thought for a moment. “Forget the wine. Let’s head out tonight and scout the terrain early.” Nobody knew when Hou Sheng would check the message left at the Lotus Pavilion That Touches the Sky, or when he might show up at Green Serenity Courtyard to meet. Time was tight, and they needed to prepare in advance. Without further delay, the three of them climbed over the courtyard walls one after the other and slipped off into the night, making their way toward the Miluo River. Liu Xiaolou stayed behind to wait, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. If Hou Sheng arrived before the others had everything in place, they’d be out of sync. And something was bound to go wrong. Another day passed, and Wei Hongqing and the others still hadn’t returned. Liu Xiaolou was starting to get nervous. After weighing his options, he decided it was best to stay away from the Green Serenity Courtyard for now and only return once everything by the river was ready. He told Sister Qing, “I’m feeling a little stuck. My cultivation isn’t going well, so I’m heading out to clear my head. I’ll be back later today, or tomorrow at the latest.” “Not going well?” asked Sister Qing. “Do you want your master's wife to help you? Things have been so hectic these past two days. Tonight, I’ll make time. I’ll come to your room and keep you company for the night.” Liu Xiaolou left that message for Sister Qing mainly to throw off Hou Sheng. It had nothing to do with cultivation troubles. He said casually, “Just going to get some air by the lake, clear my head a little. We’ll talk more when you’ve got time.” Once he stepped out of Green Serenity Courtyard, Liu Xiaolou noticed that a newly opened teahouse had sprung up diagonally across the street. It had a great view, perfect for watching who came and went from the courtyard. On a whim, he turned and went inside, ordered a pot of tea and a few plates of fruit, then sat in a corner and waited. He stayed there, quietly killing time, for most of the day. By early evening, he finally spotted Tan Bajhang. Liu Xiaolou slipped out of the teahouse and gave a low cough to catch his attention. Tan Bajhang didn’t stop; he skirted around the courtyard entrance. Liu Xiaolou followed and fell in step beside him. “Brother Tan, your disguise is sharp. You look so different I almost didn’t recognize you.” “Just a little trick,” Tan Bajhang said with a chuckle. “We just got back. Let’s stick with the old plan first. Brother Wei and Chief Zuo are hiding out in the back garden, I’m stationed in the main hall. Try to lead him into one of the rooms back there. We’ve got something good prepared.” “I’ll do what I can. But what if he doesn’t take the bait?” “If he won’t go to the back, steer him toward Tiger’s Maw. There’s a cave beneath the cliffs there, and three willow trees above it. It’s easy to spot. We’ve set everything up.” “If it ends up at the Miluo River, it might be hard to isolate him. I’m worried he’ll call for backup.” “Brother Wei checked thoroughly. In the past ten years, Hou Sheng’s handled seven cases for the Qingyu Sect. Every time, he worked alone. Even in situations where he had to fight, six out of the seven times, it was just him.” “A lone wolf, huh?” “I figure he’s the type who chases merit. But who really knows? Brother Wei told me to test the waters; see what kind of attitude he shows. If he breaks protocol and brings backup, we pull out immediately and wait for a better chance. Also, you’ll need to tweak your story. Don’t make anything sound too final. The way we’ve set things up in the cave will make it look like you weren’t just making it up.” The two of them split up soon after. Tan Bajhang circled around, then strode confidently into Green Serenity, where the pimp welcomed him in. Liu Xiaolou waited another few minutes, then stepped through the gate himself. He’d barely made it inside when Sister Qing grabbed him by the arm. “You’re finally back, Xiaolou! Come on, quick. Inspector Hou is waiting for you!” Liu Xiaolou was startled. “When did he get here?” “He’s been waiting an hour already. Come with me.” Out of the corner of his eye, Liu Xiaolou spotted Tan Bajhang seated in the corner of the main hall, chatting and laughing with one of the girls over a pot of tea. “Sister Qing, I just got back. Let me run to the latrine briefly,” Liu Xiaolou quickly said. Just then, a figure leaned over the second-floor railing and crooked a finger at him. “Up here.” It was none other than Hou Sheng. Liu Xiaolou had no choice but to bite the bullet and head upstairs. Sister Qing clung to his arm as they approached the table, where Hou Sheng sat alone. There were no girls with him. Sister Qing smiled. “Inspector Hou, he’s here. I’ll go fetch Yong’e to play a tune for you. Liven the mood a bit!” On the table, another cup and chopsticks were added. Hou Sheng made a quick gesture. “Sit. Have you been at Green Serenity these past two days?” “Yes,” replied Liu Xiaolou. “I’m quite familiar with Sister Qing and the others, so I asked her to help me find a quieter room in the back. It’s a bit noisy out here; perhaps Steward Hou would prefer to talk over there?” “No need. Here is fine.” “Then… shall I ask Sister Qing to prepare a private room?” “Right here.” “It’s pretty chaotic here… but… alright.” Liu Xiaolou felt a flicker of disappointment but showed none of it on his face. He became even more respectful, perching on the edge of his seat. He poured wine for Hou Sheng, then raised his own cup with both hands in a toast. But Hou Sheng glanced at him coldly and didn’t raise his cup. He said with disdain, “I let you sit so it’d be easier for you to answer my questions. That doesn’t mean you’ve earned the right to toast me. You’d do well to keep that in mind.” Liu Xiaolou quickly set the cup down, flustered. “Yes, of course.” Moments later, Yong’e arrived with a pipa in her arms. She sat down about seven feet away, plucked a few strings to tune it, gave a small nod, and immediately began to play. As the music filled the air, Hou Sheng’s eyes swept constantly around the room, scanning both upstairs and down without pause. He didn’t relax for a moment. Watching him, Liu Xiaolou guessed the real reason he’d refused to go to a private room; he was being cautious, maybe even paranoid. In plain terms, the man was afraid of dying. That meant the original plan to quietly kill him in the back courtyard was no longer going to work. ... Please recommend and rate!