“Money or ware bartering?” asked the old man in a cold tone.

Zhang Xiaojing knocked three times on the stage with his fingers then took out his ident.i.ty card, “Official affairs. You’re the shop owner?”

The old man nodded.

Zhang Xiaojing came straight to the point, “You’re suspected of secretly keeping Fang map and colluding with Turks. We’re here to search the shop.”

It was a serious accusation yet the old man remained calm without any expression before he replied in an unhurried manner, “We only sell gold and silver wares. There isn’t such a thing as secretly keeping Fang map nor colluding with Turks on my own initiative.” He spoke with Tang language in such a fluent manner that not a bit accent was detected.

“I’ll know it after the search.”

The wrinkles on the shop owner’s face twitched before he stared at Zhang Xiaojing, “This old man is quite familiar with the magistrate of Jingzhao Office, you should go ask His Lords.h.i.+p first.”

Shops like this usually offered loans to officials of various ranks at court, which bought them quite some vast and strong backers that would normally frighten away average petty officials.

Zhang Xiaojing was planning to force the truth out from the old man as a trace of fierceness flashed across his eyes when one of the Indecent hurried into the shop while shouting, “Commandant Zhang, yellow smoke on!”

With a frown, Zhang Xiaojing lifted the curtain and walked out. Pedestrians on the street all halted their steps and discussed heatedly over the northwestern sky. Looking up, Zhang Xiaojing saw two beams of smoke shooting up high into the sky, one thick in black, the other faint in yellow, entangling together. It was indeed eye-catching.

The smoke originated from the direction where Yao Runeng went, the direction where FarFortune Trade located. FarFortune was run by merchant from Shu-lig, featuring in the trading of flocks and horses, and had a close connection with Turk that rendered it even more suspicious than Xifu Gold & Silver Ware.

The yellow smoke was from the fire smoke by members of Jing’an Department, which signified emergency that required immediate aid. Yao Runeng excelled in Kung Fu and had brought around eight Indecent with him, which followed that he must have met someone extremely difficult to deal with.

With that thought in mind, Zhao Xiaojing immediately gathered all the Indecent around and headed straight to where the smoke rose. After running for just one block, Zhang Xiaojing halted his steps abruptly, nearly being knocked by the man following closely behind.

A trace of doubt flashed by his mind as he recalled what the shop owner of Xifu had said: There is no such a thing as to secretly keeping Fang map nor colluding with Turks on my own initiative.

Did he imply that he had been forced, pa.s.sively, to do it?

Come to think of it, the old man’s awkwardness in mentioning the magistrate of Jingzhao Office had been an obscure way of saying: Please report this to the government?

With a smack, Zhang Xiaojing patted heavily on his own face in chagrin. ‘Only a short period of imprisonment should have clouded my judgement as this? If it were years ago, I should be able to notice that right away!”

“You go and see if Yao Runeng needs any help. I’ll go back for a check.”

With that said, Zhang Xiaojing turned around and dashed straight back to Xifu Gold & Silver Ware. He drew out the inch-crossbow and placed it firmly on his left elbow while his right hand grabbed tight at the saber hanging by his waist before he stepped into the shop.

The shop was quiet as usual. The old man wasn’t there to greet the guest. Zhang Xiaojing, with great caution, scanned the whole room before he walked to where the end of the stage and the pillars met. Kicking open the door on the side, he edged in while keeping his crossbow aimed at the stage.

At the backstage Zhang Xiaojing saw the old man leaning against the foot-pad by the wooden wall, his head tilting torpidly to the side and his eyes wide open.

Zhang Xiaojing walked over and squatted down, reaching his hand to feel the old man’s pulse by the neck, only to find him dead. He then turned the body over and found a deep wound by the old man’s waist.

Obviously, there had been a man holding a sharp weapon against the old man from behind as he talked with Zhang Xiaojing. The old man, being afraid to ask for help under threat, could only remind Zhang Xiaojing through implicit hints. Pity that Zhang Xiaojing failed to notice those which led to the old man’s death.

Zhang Xiaojing’s eyes darkened as he held the crossbow more firmly and walked to the back of the shop. He had only left for less than fifteen minutes, so the murder might not have the chance to leave.

Behind the stage was a messy long room in which a desk was placed in the middle. On it scattered several rolls of account books, scales and scissors. There were many sandalwood shelves by the desk with gold and silver wares of different designs that all were kept s.h.i.+ny.

About a dozen cases covered by hide were on the ground with some of the lids half lifted revealing the dazzling gold coins of different countries.

In addition to selling gold and silver ware, Xifu was also a place where golds and currencies of other nations such as Ancient Rome, Persia, Arab Empire, etc. were collected for the exchange of Tang coins and goods, and vice versa, which explained the large amount of currencies of various nations.   

Shop a.s.sistants and guards lay dead among the piles of golds, their bodies all stabbed right through the heart to keep the least bleeding.

Zhang Xiaojing walked through the messy crime scene as he roughly replayed what had happened: Wolf Guard rushed into the shop and was killing shop a.s.sistants and guards when he stepped in. In emergency, the Wolf Guard threatened the shop owner to bluff it out and killed him immediately after the alarm was cleared.

Wolf Guards were far more ferocious than Jing'an Department had a.s.sumed as they hadn't intended to negotiate at the very beginning. Zhang Xiaojing took a deep breath to ease his mind when he saw an unlocked door at the end of the room, on which dangled a lock with a flower-patterned key inserted. It should be the secret chamber where the most valuable were kept. Zhang Xiaojing pulled by the doork.n.o.b when he approached the door but failed to open it. So he pushed gently, only to feel slight resistance followed by clanging sounds of gold ware from inside the door.

His intuition told him that it indicated the worst. So he hurried to push the door open, only to see a long staircase leading deep down into the cellar where now lay a marigold cup distorted from the fall.

The intruder was seasoned to place a gold ware by the door which would fall down the steps to alarm should anyone else push it. Zhang Xiaojing retightened the string of his crossbow before he stepped down the staircase. At the bottom of the steps was a narrow path that revealed dim lamplight by the turn.

He pressed himself against the wall, slowly extended his crossbow, then darted forward.

No one was there.

Only a candle was lit on the wall.

By the dime candlelight, Zhang Xiaojing soon got a complete view of the room.

It was a small room with a few but precious items that all sparkled under the light. He lowered his head and saw an overturned glided tea case inlaid with the pattern of an immortal riding a crane. The half open drawer was empty.

“s.h.i.+t!” cursed Zhang Xiaojing in a low voice.

Apparently, the shop owner had kept the Fang map inside the tea case but it had already been taken by Wolf Guard.

That was, by no means, good news.

At the other end of the room hung a carpet that concealed a hole on the wall which would allow a person to crouch out. Apparently, it was the secret tunnel that the shop owner had prepared for emergency escape. Merchants were always cunning in nature. Zhang Xiaojing a.s.sumed that the intruder must have left through this tunnel when hearing the alarm.

Zhang immediately dashed to the tunnel when he halted abruptly to take off his coat and threw it into the tunnel after rolling it into a ball. The next second, an arrow shot right into the rolled coat after the sound of a string being pulled. Without delay, Zhang Xiaojing shot two successive arrows into the tunnel.

The man in the tunnel had such a meticulous mind that he deliberately left the candle on while he himself hid inside. Should anyone rush to the entrance of the tunnel, he rendered himself an easy target with his body completely blocking the candlelight.

However, crossbows could only allow single shot each time. Zhang Xiaojing’s coat had bought him the chance to shoot two arrows before the wolf guard did the second. In the narrow tunnel, there was no way that wolf guard could dodge them.

Zhang Xiaojing jumped into the tunnel without delay and heard the scurry of feet in the dark. It seemed that his arrows didn’t bring any fatal injury to his enemy. Zhang Xiaojing chased closely behind as he loaded his crossbow. However, there came a sudden sting under his feet. He hurried to lift his leg and bend down to touch the ground, only to feel a dozen of iron caltrops scattering along the tunnel. Should he run a bit faster, these iron caltrops would impale his whole feet! While he was checking the ground, the intruder took the opportunity to distance himself from Zhang Xiaojing.

Rounds of clash of two brilliant minds happened in just seconds.

Zhang Xiaojing swept away the iron caltrops and shot into the darkness as he shouted, “Stay down and surrender!” Yet the wolf guard ran even faster upon the words.

The tunnel was narrow with many turns. Luckily, this was the only path without any sideway. The intruder ran desperately forward, scattering iron caltrops randomly along the way that annoyingly slowed down Zhang Xiaojing who chased closely behind. While the intruder’s staggering footsteps indicated that he was seriously hurt by the arrows.

The run and chase lasted for quite a while before Zhang Xiaojing saw a beam of sunlight. The exit, a dry well, was only meters away with a wood ladder against the wall. On the ladder climbed a man who already reached the top when Zhao Xiaojing reached the bottom. The intruder tried to push down the ladder but failed as the well was simply too narrow. He then smashed the empty crossbow at Zhang Xiaojing, who, however, dodged away and shot an arrow up. But it missed. Then Zhang Xiaojing threw away his crossbow and began to climb the ladder. However, his head nearly crashed into a windla.s.s when he tried to get out of the well.

The exit was disguised as a deserted well with all that was necessary for getting water. The very moment Zhang Xiaojing climbed out, he drew his Zhang Dao (Lit. barrier dagger about 15-20cm long) out and lifted it against his ear to prevent possible attack. This dagger was shorter and lighter than Heng Dao (a type of Tang broadsword about 60-80cm long), more suitable for close combat as in the narrow s.p.a.ce around the well.

Nothing happened. The intruder had already run away, seemingly aware that he would lose when confronting Zhang Xiaojing.

Zhang Xiaojing, by the length and direction of the tunnel, concluded that this should be somewhere in Huaiyuan Fang, south of West Market. The shop owner was remarkable to dig out a tunnel across Fangs.

Huaiyuan Fang was a place where quite a few Hu people gathered. Great trouble would ensue should the intruder hide himself among the crowd.

Zhang Xiaojing looked around and immediately followed the footprints on the gra.s.s.

The well lied in the backyard of a temple enshrining the G.o.d of Huayue Mountain, a folk-built temple without even walls. Thus, the front door of the temple led straight to the main street of Fang. In the time of Lantern Festival, quite a few neighboring folks came to offer incenses.

Zhang Xiaojing walked to the front of the temple and saw the civilians rebuking and cursing as they looked at the two overturned booths selling cakes and mutton soup. Looking ahead, he saw a young man lying on the ground cursing with his horsewhip pointing to a direction. Apparently, the young man’s horse had been robbed.

Zhang Xiaojing looked sullen. With a horse, the wolf guard would easily run away. Thinking of that, Zhang Xiaojing dashed to the street and stopped a single-thill carriage. The driver, startled, immediately lifted his horsewhip but was kicked off the carriage by Zhang Xiaojing.

Zhang Xiaojing shouted when a girl poked her head out of the carriage in fright, “Jing’an Department in duty, your horse is requisitioned.”

The girl was so scared that she covered her chest and shrank back.

Zhang Xiaojin cut the ropes connecting the horse and the shaft of the carriage, mounted the horseback, bear without saddlery, and tightened his legs to urge the horse to run after the Turkish Wolf Guard.