A mule cart was pulled out of the inn. The mule led, not a carriage behind it, but a flatbed cart covered with canvas. Usually, the inn used this cart to shop for groceries.
Blind Bei sat steadily in the "driver's seat," holding a small whip in his left hand and the reins in the other. The humble little mule cart, strangely enough, gave Blind Bei a Cadillac-like feel as he "drove."
Blind Bei was driving, and A Ming, who was wearing a new outfit, sat calmly beside him without showing any surprise or feeling anything was amiss. The cart was small; unless one lay in the back, two grown men sitting up front would certainly be squeezed together.
The mule cart moved slowly onward. The bell around the little mule's neck would occasionally let out slow, crisp rings. The rain was still falling, but not heavily. Although it couldn't compare to the silken drizzles of inland Jiangnan, it perfectly masked the dust and sand in the air of the borderlands. It was a rare touch of gentleness here.
With the mule plodding along, the cart naturally did not move fast. Blind Bei would weakly whip the mule from time to time, and the mule, to save Blind Bei's face, would give a perfunctory neigh, but its hooves wouldn't speed up in the slightest. A man and a mule, in this curtain of rain, had reached an understanding.
"Not only did you change into new clothes, but you also washed your hair?" Blind Bei teased.
"It's a pity there's no hairdryer or mousse."
"Mousse, that's a term from a long time ago." Blind Bei yawned and continued, "Siniang is really generous. This set of clothes must have been expensive, right?"
"You have one too."
"New clothes?"
"It's a musical instrument that suits you, under the canvas at the back of the cart."
Upon hearing this, Blind Bei involuntarily leaned forward, his ten fingers dancing nimbly. "Ah, Siniang really went out of her way. In this era, to come up with a piano, it can't be easy."
"It's an erhu."
Blind Bei fell silent.
"Let's get down to business," A Ming reminded him.
"In Hutou City, there are four prominent gangs," Blind Bei began to describe the gang situation in Hutou City.
The permanent population of Hutou City was not large, only about 20,000. Among them were many elderly, weak, women, and children. Therefore, with the conscription of laborers several days ago, the usually bustling Hutou City had suddenly become desolate. The conscription of young and able-bodied men as laborers was one reason. However, the main factor was the sudden localized conflict, which had made passing caravans stop at the previous outpost; everyone was now adopting a wait-and-see attitude.
Once the caravans stopped arriving, Hutou City, a small town that relied mainly on external trade, naturally couldn't remain as lively as before. Moreover, the frequent coming and going of caravans, while promoting local economic development, had also inevitably attracted a motley crowd. Ordinary border towns wouldn't have so many restaurants, brothels, gambling houses, and gangs. Ultimately, as the 'pie' grew, so did the number of people.
The most peculiar thing was that because Yan State was full of powerful local factions and the ruler had a weak grasp on the region, there were many loopholes in the household registration system. Though the city had many residents, less than half actually possessed Yan State citizenship. As for those involved with the gangs, naturally, they were not registered in Hutou City. The Hutou City officials also turned a blind eye to this. If they were to seriously investigate the household registrations, those powerful factions would be the first to object.
"The Hyena Gang in East City, the Three Gods Association in West City, the Unity Gang in Central City, plus the Cart Gang in the outskirts, are the four prominent gangs in Hutou City.
The Hyena Gang specialized in human trafficking. The Desert Barbarian tribes frequently engaged in internal wars and massacres. Some prisoners of war were then transported here and trafficked by the Hyena Gang to the Yan State interior. The barbarian tribal nobility was very interested in women from Jiangnan, as well as from the inland regions of the Qian and Jin States. These women were also trafficked out by the Hyena Gang.
The Three Gods Association was an organization of outright charlatans. They worshiped a mix of local deities from Yan State, Barbarian gods, and even some deities from the Western Region. They gathered believers, accepted incense offerings, and maintained a group of enforcers.
The Unity Gang openly ran protection rackets. Not only did they open their own brothels, casinos, and restaurants, but everyone in Hutou City, including our inn, had to pay them a monthly fee.
The Cart Gang is somewhat similar to the Water Transport Association in the mainland, primarily dealing in carting and livery businesses. All carters and laborers relying on transport work in Hutou City had to give a portion of their wages to the Cart Gang; otherwise, they weren't allowed to make a living in this area."
"We're in East City now, so are we targeting the Hyena Gang first?"
"When it comes to taking action, picking the easiest target first is human nature. But for us—or to be precise, for you, who has been holding it in for half a year—you need to pick a target you can unleash your fury on without much worry about repercussions. There aren't many things in this world that carry less guilt than killing human traffickers."
"Guilt? You never used to think about problems this way. No, we never used to think about problems this way."
"But, after all, My lord is with us now. We need to learn to consider My lord's feelings. My lord hasn't completely turned dark yet. I only know that My lord is growing rapidly, and I can't guarantee that My lord will truly turn completely dark. However, for now, we must adapt our methods to be more to My lord's liking."
A Ming said nothing.
"Are you angry?" Blind Bei asked with a slight smile.
A Ming shook his head.
Blind Bei smiled and said comfortingly, "Today is a good day for killing. It's your first release in half a year, and it's raining. So, cheer up."
Blind Bei pulled on the reins, and the mule obediently halted. Ahead was an alley with two courtyards inside. That was the Hyena Gang's headquarters.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention. Due to the recent war, the trade routes have been greatly affected. There should still be quite a bit of their 'merchandise' stranded in those two courtyards."
"I know how to handle it."
"TSK, TSK, I was being long-winded."
A Ming jumped off the mule cart but didn't hurry forward. Instead, he turned back and asked, "You should say it again."
Blind Bei nodded. "I have a plan for the subsequent targets and how to deal with the other three gangs. As for this first one, just have fun."
"Alright."
A Ming started to walk towards the courtyard. Behind him, a mournful and poignant melody drifted through the air. A Ming stopped once again, saying, "This piece sounds familiar."
From the mule cart, Blind Bei, who had taken out an erhu from beneath the canvas and was now playing it, answered, "The Moon Over a Fountain."
A Ming shrugged and asked, "Isn't that a bit ominous?"
"It's not for you. It's a send-off for them."
A Ming pondered for a moment. "True enough."
The curtain of rain, accompanied by the sound of the erhu, seemed especially mournful. A Ming's leather boots splashed through the puddles, occasionally sending up sprays of water.
Upon reaching the courtyard gate, A Ming suddenly felt there was some truth to Blind Bei's earlier comment that today was a suitable day for killing. Unfortunately, he didn't kill with a sword.
However, why shouldn't he give it a try?
At the entrance to the courtyard, two guards were stationed, slouched in a corner. Even when A Ming arrived at the gate, they didn't bother to move. In fact, they even joked in a teasing tone:
"That outfit looks pretty flashy."
"My guess is he's from an acrobat troupe that came with a merchant convoy from the Western Region. I went to see one last year; the magicians performing there dressed like this."
Upon hearing this, A Ming smiled. He wasn't in a rush to act; he felt he needed to let his mood build. Just like carefully arranging food on a plate before the main course, he was preparing to dine.
"No, don't sell me! Don't sell me! DON'T!!!"
At this moment, a girl's shrill scream came from behind A Ming. He turned and saw a somewhat raggedly dressed middle-aged man forcefully dragging a girl of about twelve or thirteen. The girl's clothes were also worn and torn. She had planted herself firmly on the ground, resisting, but the man's strength was too much for a young girl who hadn't fully grown. The middle-aged man simply dragged her onward, causing her to tumble and roll in the muddy puddles.
The two gatekeepers saw this and, realizing that business had arrived, lazily stood up.
"Don't sell me! Don't sell me!"
"I'm your father! If I don't sell you, we'll both starve to death! You money-losing baggage, do you want both father and daughter to starve to death?"
"You scoundrel! You bastard! I have no father like you! Mother was sold by you for your gambling debts, and now you want to sell me too!"
SMACK!
The man slapped the girl.
The girl was knocked flat on the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes reflected utter despair.
"Pah! Shameless money-losing baggage!"
The man bypassed A Ming and walked up to the steps. He bowed to the two gatekeepers standing there, an obsequious expression on his face, and said fawningly, "Could you please inform the steward?"
One of the gatekeepers chuckled, turned, opened the door, and went in to fetch someone.
The other stood with his hands on his hips, his gaze sweeping over the girl lying on the ground. He shook his head and said, "This little lady, she'll fetch five taels of silver at most."
"Hey, how can that be!" the man exclaimed. "I sold her mother here for four taels of silver! Anyway, she's still a virgin; surely she's more expensive than a woman who's had a child."
"Ha! This little lady would only fetch a good price if she were from the interior of our Yan State. If she were from Qian State, that would be even better. And if she knew a little about the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—then the price would be through the roof. Little ladies from here in the north don't fetch a high price to begin with. Look at this one of yours; one look and you can tell she wasn't delicately raised. Her skin is so rough, TSK, TSK, do you think those masters in the desert would like that? They buy her, take a look, and damn it, her skin's no different from the girls in their own tribes. Do you think they're fools? Moreover, consider your wife. Even though she was a bit older and had borne a child, she was strong, could carry heavy loads, and work hard—worth half a man in terms of labor. But your daughter? Can she do heavy labor? And most importantly, who knows what madness has struck recently, but war suddenly broke out, and the trade routes are cut off. Our yard here has already accumulated many 'mouths to feed' who are eating for free. Their food, drink, and upkeep—doesn't all that cost money?"
"This... no, that won't do! She has to sell for at least eight taels of silver! Five taels to pay off my debts, and three taels left to try and recoup my losses."
"Hmph. Then you can go talk to the accountant yourself later."
The girl lay on the ground, motionless, her eyes hollow.
At this moment, she saw a man in strange black clothes walk up to her and squat down. His face was very pale.
A Ming looked down at her, and she looked back at A Ming.
After a moment, A Ming asked, "Want me to help you... kill your father?"
The girl's body suddenly trembled. Then, a deep-seated hatred began to show in her eyes, and from her mouth, she bit out a single word: "I... do..."
A Ming nodded. "Alright."