Chapter 30 - Shameless

They ordered rice and some dishes in the inn and finally had something hot to eat. Master Cha complained about how the food they served was not as good as Shen Leng’s cooking. Shen Leng said that because of their tight financial situation, she should force herself to make do with it. After that, Master Cha finally gave him face.

Du Weiming stared blankly, thinking to himself: How did this poor bloke get the girl? And a stunningly beautiful girl at that…

Finally, he could no longer hold himself back and pulled a long face before asking Shen Leng in secret with regards to how he managed to win himself such a beautiful girl. Shen Leng pondered for a moment before answering with five words, which angered Du Weiming greatly.

“A match made in heaven.”

Shen Leng had a smug look on his face before saying to Master Cha, “Master Cha, go take a rest first. Du Weiming and I have to check out the area first.

“I will go with you.”

“No, that’s not a good idea. Look at you - you are starting to have some dark circles after not being well-rested for a few days. Have a good sleep first, and let’s go get some good food in Changan at night.”

Master Cha curled her lips. “You might as well cook for me.”

Du Weiming wanted to leave silently.

After they left the inn, Shen Leng asked Du Weiming, “Do you know what I want to check out?”

Du Weiming pondered in silence for a while. “Yanta Academy’s topography?”

Shen Leng shook his head. “The area around Yanta Academy that is best suited to kill someone in.”

Du Weiming was rather confused. “You want to kill someone here? This is Changan city!”

Shen Leng replied, “I’m not the one doing the killing, and neither am I sure if there is someone out there who wants to kill him. But if they are going to do it, it certainly will not happen in the academy itself. Furthermore, I am also uncertain if I can locate him first before anything happens. Hence, I want to look for the area that is best suited to kill someone in.”

Du Weiming felt that Shen Leng was somewhat neurotic. Firstly, he hastily left for Changan city from Anyang, and before he even took some time to catch his breath, he wanted to look for the best area to kill someone there. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like nonsense. However, Zhuang Yong’s words were still lingering in his mind…In the future, follow Shen Leng. Do whatever he tells you to do. However, if there’s anything, you can always report to me.

“Alright!”

Du Weiming nodded. “Let me take a look around this area.”

After Du Weiming left, Shen Leng gritted his teeth and went to a nearby wine store to get a pot of aged wine and a roasted chicken. He walked to the entrance of Yanta Academy after. Before that, he had already noticed that there was an elderly man guarding the door. When he was talking to other people, he had an impatient look on his face. It seemed as though he did not want to engage in any conversation.

“Senior, you seem busy.”

Shen Leng smiled cheekily and walked over to him. “Can I get some information from you?”

The elder sat below under the shade of a tree. He narrowed his eyes, refusing to get up. “This is not a place for you to get any information. Look for someone else instead.”

Shen Leng placed the pot of wine and roasted chicken next to the elder. He looked like he was at least sixty years old - he had a sparse grizzled beard. He only had half of his hair left as well. He had a brandy nose and rosy cheeks. Evidently, he loved drinking wine frequently. When he spoke, he could see that his teeth were very yellow. It indicated that he must have smoked quite a lot.

“I will accept these.”

Shen Leng squatted next to him and smiled saying, “I came from Anyang. Two days from now is the big competition, which my cousin is taking part in. He had trained and studied hard for ten years for it. I would like to ask if I am able to go in to visit him. I will not insist on it, so if it’s not convenient for outsiders to go in, if you have seen my cousin, please help me relay a message to him. Tell him that I am waiting for him at the inn, that is right across from the academy.”

Evidently, the elder had a keen sense of smell. He smelled the wine and sat upright. His slightly puffy eyes started to open. “Your cousin? There is only one person from Anyang. His name is Meng Changan. Don’t tell me it’s him.”

“Whoa, senior, you have a good memory!”

Shen Leng gave him a thumbs up. “I keep calling him my cousin to the point I almost forgot his name is Meng Changan.”

The elder rolled his eyes. “Young man, you’re going slightly overboard on the boot-licking.”

Shen Leng smiled embarrassingly. “That’s only because I’m slightly nervous. I was afraid that you might detest me.”

The elder lifted the pot of wine and twisted off its lid before taking a gulp. Damn it! You bought it from Hu Ji right? Today’s wine is more diluted than usual. That bastard has less and less conscience with each day, when it comes to doing business. In order to do business, the customers should get what they pay for…regardless of what it is.”

He smacked his lips. “It must because he heard how you spoke and found out that you’re not a local. I will go back and settle it with him.”

Shen Leng hurriedly advised, “Please don’t be mad, please don’t be mad. Let’s not lower ourselves to his level.”

“Your cousin, Meng Changan, is quite a person. He might very well be one of the candidates in the third rank. However, precisely because of this... I’m afraid he might get into trouble. He just returned to the academy not long ago. If you came slightly earlier, you might have ran into him at the entrance. However, I can’t allow you to enter. This is one of the rules of the academy…How about this - after I see him, I will tell him to go to the inn to look for you.”

Shen Leng asked, “Senior, what kind of trouble is my cousin in?”

“That’s hard to say…It is said that he who allows himself to be guided by the current course of events is a wise man. Of course, Meng Changan is considered an outstanding talent, but he is not one to submit to the circumstances. With his temper and personality, he is going to have a harder life than an ordinary outstanding talent…Run along, don’t squat here. If other people see us I will get lectured again. I have been with the academy for so many years - when is the sky ever not dark before the competition every year?

He shook his head and sighed. He seemed to be reluctant to say more.

Shen Leng thanked the elder before he turned around and was about to leave. He thought about how his worry was not unfounded.

The majority of the scholars in the academy came from illustrious families - they would absolutely not have the guts to do anything shady within the academy. However, outside of the academy…Shen Leng turned around and took out a piece of silver and placed it in the elder’s hand. “Senior, are there any triads in Changan?”

The elder opened his eyes abruptly. He looked at Shen Leng in disbelief. “Young man, don’t be so nosy.”

Shen Leng grunted. He got the answer to whatever he wanted to know from the elder’s facial expression.

“I was just casually asking. Thank you.”

Just as Shen Leng was about to leave, he heard the elder muttering to himself in a soft voice. “Gou Lan Zi, Guan Tang Kou, Liu Yun Hui, Hong Su Shou…the triads in Changan are more dangerous than the ones from other places.”

Shen Leng stopped in his tracks for a moment before he continued walking.

Approximately ten minutes later, Shen Leng found a gambling den nearby. He squatted near the entrance for about half an hour before he saw a haggard-looking middle-aged man with a milky yellow face. He looked as though he had not slept in a long time. He quickly got up and approached him. He smiled cheekily and said, “Aren’t you big brother Wang?”

The man stared blankly for a moment. “You got the wrong person. My last name is Zhang.”

Shen Leng stuffed the ten odd copper coins that he had prepared beforehand into that man’s hand. “Big brother Zhang, right? I came here alone from a different city, and I’m thinking of trying my luck at the gambling den. However, I don’t dare to casually walk in just like that. If you are willing to tell me more about the gambling den, I will treat you to some wine.”

Shen Leng’s observation skills were on point. Hooligans like him, who frequented gambling dens, were the easiest to strike a deal with. From the looks of that man, he could easily tell that he was already broke from losing all his money at the den. It was uncertain how long he had gone without eating.

“Oh, okay. Alright then, I got your back. Let me tell you about it.”

“Thank you, big brother Zhang.”

Shen Leng brought him to a small restaurant nearby and ordered three dishes and two pots of wine. He started talking about the gambling den first. Shen Leng listened with great enjoyment. Not long after, Shen Leng switched to talking about the triads.

“Big brother Zhang, I heard that the gambling den is controlled by the triads. The one you went to is under which triad?”

The gambling addict looked around before he answered in a low voice. “If you ask anybody else, you will not get an answer. You made the right choice coming to me. I’ve been hanging around this street since I was ten. I know everything around here. The one I went to earlier belongs to Guan Tang Kou. Normally, there are at least ten people guarding here. Nobody dares to create any trouble.”

Shen Leng looked at him in awe. “Big brother is indeed knowledgeable and experienced. Do these triads only run gambling dens, and not dabble in other businesses?”

“Apart from gambling dens?”

The gambling addict smacked his lips and ate a mouthful of food before taking a gulp of wine. “Let me tell you - there are two most powerful triads in Changan city. One is called Liu Yun Hui. Be it merchants on land or water, as long as they pay their fees, it is guaranteed that nobody will ever harass them. The other is called Hong Su Shou. All the brothels in Changan city are owned by them…After those two would be Guan Tang Kou, who is in control of gambling dens.”

“The dirtiest of them all is Gou Lan Zi. As long as you give them money, they will do anything. Do you know why they’re called Gou Lan Zi? It’s because they are like a bunch of crazy dogs holding a basket with their mouths. As long as you toss a bone into their baskets, they will help you bite others. If you toss a fat meat, they will help you bite them to death.” (Note: ‘gou’ means dog, and ‘lan zi’ means basket)

Shen Leng leaned closer and asked, “Where can I locate Gou Lan Zi?”

The gambling addict was about to say something but he snapped out of it and said, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

Shen Leng smiled and said, “I’m just curious.”

“I don’t know, I’m not a member of Gou Lan Zi.”

The gambling addict had finished eating. He started to get sleepy. “I have something to do so I will go home first.”

Shen Leng quickly thanked him and walked him out of the small restaurant. He originally wanted to follow that fella and to ask him more questions when there was nobody around. Little did he expect that fella to be a slicker. He sensed something amiss and took the copper coins that Shen Leng gave him and entered the gambling den once again. As long as he had money to enter the gambling den, nobody would be able to lay a finger on him.

Shen Leng thought to himself: The underworld is indeed different from the military.

Shen Leng returned to the entrance of Yanta Academy and realized that Du Weiming had been back for a while now. He spoke to Shen Leng in a lowered voice, “The main street right in front of the academy has a lot of traffic - it will be hard for anyone to strike at night as well. There is a military arsenal on the left and houses on the right. As for the back, there is a river with woods on both sides. The river and woods stretch over a long distance. I can’t be sure where the most suitable place is.”

Shen Leng grunted before he gave Du Weiming a tael of silver. “Buy some rations and bring some water with you. Go to the river and see which area allows you to get to the opposite bank in the shortest possible time. Probably a place with a bridge or boats. After you find it, look for a hidden place. Hide there and wait for me.”

“What if it has both boats and a bridge?”

“Then pick a place that’s closest to the academy.”

After he finished his words, Shen Leng allowed Du Weiming to leave. He went back to the inn alone and explained everything to Master Cha. He did not hide a single detail.

“If something were to happen to Meng Changan, it will happen tonight or tomorrow night. Stay in the inn. If Meng Changan received my message, he will come to the inn to look for me. So we need someone to be here. I still have to make a trip somewhere.”

Master Chef grabbed Shen Leng’s hand. “Where are you going?”

“To look for a dog.”

Shen Leng laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

For some reason, that even Master Cha did not know of, she had an impulse and tiptoed before kissing Shen Leng on the cheek. After that, she was so scared that she pulled back like a little cat. “Head out early…ahem. Head out early and come back early.”

Shen Leng got a shock and retreated. Thereafter, he said, “Why did you sneak attack me earlier?”

Master Cha answered, “I…”

Shen Leng said earnestly. “Sir said that we should always be open and aboveboard. Launching sneak attacks is not a skill. If you’re that great, why don’t you do it one more time openly?”

Master Cha said, “Get lost…”

Shen Leng laughed cheekily. He turned around and walked off.

Master Cha took a deep breath. “Stay safe.”　

Shen Leng nodded. “Don’t worry, why would anything happen to me? After you sneak attacked me, I had already thought of the names for the children…”

Master Cha replied, “Shameless…”