Volume 1: River City Song Chapter 24: Uninvited Guest in the Dead of Night

It was nearly the second watch when Li Ling emerged from the bank. The tea stall that had been near the entrance was already gone, but Gu Gang was still faithfully waiting in the corner. Upon seeing Li Ling, he hurried over with his cart. "Young Master Li, you’re finally out! Here!" He handed over two sesame cakes that had long since gone cold.

Although Li Ling had consumed some tea and snacks inside, he was only half-full. He took the cakes and began to munch on them, saying, "Did you wait long? The matter is settled. They agreed to lend us five thousand taels of silver at a monthly interest rate of five percent. It was worth the trip after all!"

Gu Gang’s reaction was not particularly intense; he just gave a simple, honest smile. "That’s great! Will we be able to take the silver back tomorrow?"

"Yes, the bank will arrange for people to help us transport it," Li Ling said, his face flushing slightly. He had made a fool of himself inside earlier by suggesting he could just carry the silver away himself.

Modern stories had misled him, making him underestimate the weight of five thousand taels. He had acted as if he could just reach out and grab it. In reality, with the current conversion rate of sixteen taels to a jin, five thousand taels weighed over three hundred jin—two full, heavy chests. He was no Li Yuanba; he couldn't just haul three hundred jin of cargo around with ease.

Fortunately, the bank provided excellent service, offering to dispatch men and carts to help deliver the silver to Jiangcheng County, which allowed Li Ling to breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, they might have also intended to inspect the Gu Family Bookstore in person, as five thousand taels was no small sum.

With the business concluded, the two could finally relax. They headed to the inn where Gu Yuezi often stayed when visiting the provincial capital. Not daring to splurge on the best rooms, they settled for a two-room suite facing the street, costing fifty copper coins a night. This alone made Gu Gang overjoyed; he was accustomed to sleeping in communal dorms for a mere ten coins.

Although the capital was far more prosperous and bustling than Jiangcheng County, it grew quiet quickly at night. After the second watch, there were no pedestrians on the street besides the night watchmen and a few patrols, keeping things peaceful. Yet, as Li Ling lay in bed, he felt little desire to sleep. His body was exhausted, but his mind remained unusually sharp.

He realized that he had nothing left to do. Once the silver arrived, combined with the countermeasures he had already set in motion, he would surely defeat the Wan Family Bookstore. There would be no need for him to continue playing strategist for Gu Yuezi.

After experiencing the cutthroat world of business, however, Li Ling felt a restless stir. Returning to his previous life of hiding away and writing books seemed terribly dull. And what would happen after he finished writing *Investiture of the Gods*? Should he continue to be a literary plagiarist, hunting for another book to copy? Was he really going to spend his entire life as a transmigrator just writing books?

Yet, when he thought about it carefully, he couldn't see another path, as he truly lacked the professional skills needed to make a name for himself in this era.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

"Slap, slap, slap..."

"Surround him! Don't let him escape! Where are you going, you thief... Ah!"

A sudden commotion erupted in the distance, jolting Li Ling upright. At this hour, could a thief have been discovered? As he wondered, the sounds of pursuit and shouting grew louder and closer, heading straight in his direction.

For some reason, a spark of curiosity flared in Li Ling. He rolled out of bed and went to the window. He had chosen an inner room facing the street, which made this convenient. As for Gu Gang in the outer room, he was already snoring loudly, fast asleep.

Through the paper window, Li Ling could vaguely see flickering torchlight in the dark, moving rapidly along the street. Not just from one direction, but as the commotion grew, lights from other sides began converging.

Curiosity piqued, Li Ling cracked the window open and peered out. Just as he looked, a dark shadow burst from an alleyway ahead. In a blur, the figure leaped into the air, pushed off a platform below, and vaulted upward, landing perfectly at his window. He found himself face-to-face with the intruder.

"..." Li Ling didn't know how to react. He was just an innocent bystander—how had the trouble landed right on his head? Before he could speak, the man reached out, pressed a hand over his face, twisted his body, and flipped neatly into the room, kicking the window shut behind him.

"Mmph..." Li Ling felt a powerful force pinning his face, leaving him unable to break free or even breathe properly. Panic flared, and he retreated until he saw the man whip out a blade and hold it before him. Li Ling froze, his eyes wide.

He regretted his curiosity immensely. He had never been one to seek out trouble; what had possessed him tonight? Now he had invited the wolf into the house. If he lost his life here, it would be a disgrace to all transmigrators.

"If you don't scream for the guards, I won't hurt you. If you understand, blink your eyes." Only after the man spoke did Li Ling relax slightly, blinking quickly to show his cooperation.

The man slowly removed his hand. Seeing that Li Ling didn't shout, he eased up, though he didn't sheath his sword. He took a half-step back and looked Li Ling up and down. Seeing Li Ling watching him in return, he grinned. "You're quite bold."

Li Ling saw that the man was in his thirties or forties, with a heroic appearance, a slim waist, and broad shoulders—a frame that exuded explosive power. Thinking back to how easily he had leaped onto the window, Li Ling knew this man was a formidable martial artist. He forced a smile. "Your courage isn't small either, daring to cause trouble in the capital and slipping through the net of the guards."

"Hmph, if it weren't for... would I have been surrounded?" The man cut himself off, his tone softening. "Don't worry, I am not a murderer of the innocent. As long as you don't alert the authorities, I won't harm a hair on your head. I will be gone by dawn."

Li Ling nodded and pointed to a nearby chair. "Then sit and rest."

Surprised by his composure, the man scrutinized him again before sitting down. "What brings you to the capital?"

"Oh, just some trade, some business. Did you know I wasn't a local?"

"Do locals stay at inns?"

"Fair point."

They exchanged a few desultory words before falling into silence. Soon, however, the commotion outside intensified. As the torchlight gathered, a heavy pounding on doors began. When someone inside asked what was happening, the men outside replied sternly, "A fugitive has fled to this area. We are here to conduct a search. Open up!"

Clearly, the man's trail had been picked up, and they were searching house to house.

The man’s expression tightened, a murderous glint appearing in his eyes that startled Li Ling. Were the guards of this era really this diligent? Over a mere thief, they were conducting a house-to-house search?

Their actions were thorough; not even the inn was spared. The entire place was soon in an uproar. When a knock sounded at their door, Gu Gang, who had been sound asleep, woke up. "What's going on in the middle of the night?"

"Apologies, guest. The authorities are conducting a search. A highly dangerous fugitive has escaped here. It would be no small matter if he got in..."

This response startled Gu Gang. He jumped up and asked toward the inner room, "Young Master Li, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Tell them we went to bed early—what thief could possibly be here?" Li Ling said, his voice calm as he glanced at the man, who was poised like a leopard ready to spring.

Gu Gang opened the door and relayed the message to the waiter and two constables waiting outside. Seeing his sleepy, honest face, the constables didn't seem suspicious. They peered into the room, scanned it, and added, "Keep an eye out. The fugitive might have slipped in." With that, they moved on.

Once the door was shut and Gu Gang went back to bed, the two men in the inner room exhaled in unison and locked eyes.

"You really helped me. I will remember this favor."

"I was only looking out for myself. Otherwise, they might have mistaken me for your accomplice. If the authorities labeled me a member of the Luotian Sect, I’d be in serious trouble," Li Ling said solemnly.

At the mention of the "Luotian Sect," the man’s body stiffened, his hand hovering over his sheathed blade. "You guessed my identity?"

"Is it that hard to guess?" Li Ling smiled. "I heard whispers about your group when I entered the city today. It seems you tried to infiltrate the city but were spotted. I was wondering why the authorities would go to such lengths for a common thief, but it makes sense if you are from the Luotian Sect."

"Knowing who I am, you aren't afraid? You even covered for me."

"As I said, I was afraid of being implicated, and I'm no match for you. Most importantly, I don't believe the Luotian Sect is inherently evil—at least you don't seem like it. Otherwise, you could have easily killed me when you broke in."

"Heh..." The man let out a bitter laugh. He never expected to meet a stranger here who would trust his character. It was a strange feeling.

"But have you thought about it? The entire capital is searching for you. Do you really think you can get out?"

"I have to try, no matter what." The man sighed. He shouldn't have entered the city in the first place.

Without knowing what possessed him, Li Ling suddenly said, "Actually, I might be able to help with that. I could get you out of the city safely, if you're willing to trust me!"