"Shang Xin Ci, there is actually a proposal that I have for you," Fang Yuan said to her during their next lesson.
"Oh, what is it, Teacher?" Shang Xin Ci said. "Your student is eager to listen!"
Although she had won the position of Young Master, she still felt quite guilt-ridden that Fang Yuan had taken such a loss on her behalf.
She was not ordinarily a vengeful person, but given what Liu Nan had done to Fang Yuan, even someone like her felt great distaste for the man. She was beginning to think of him in the same way that Shang Ya Zi thought of Fang Yuan.
However, before she could even contemplate taking revenge, Liu Nan had already left Shang Clan City, so there was no point in even holding that grudge further.
Still, that only deepened her affection towards Fang Yuan. She had offered him a share within her new business multiple times as thanks for his help, but he had waved such things aside until now when he came to her with an idea: "It is an information collecting agency," Fang Yuan said. "An agency which can wander around nearly every corner of Shang Clan City, note what is going on, and report back to you. It would be beneficial not only for you but for the Shang Clan as a whole."
"A spy network?" Shang Xin Ci said, curious. "That is a good idea, Teacher, but I'm sure Father already has his network."
"True. He has one network," Fang Yuan said. "However, there is an untapped information network within Shang Clan City that he has not tapped into yet. One that is cheap, one that is present everywhere, and also one that you already have a good relationship with."
"Hmm?" Shang Xin Ci asked, surprised. She had not been building any sort of information force. What was Fang Yuan talking about?
"The next time that you go to distribute alms to the beggars," Fang Yuan said, a cold gleam in his eyes, "let me go in your stead. I want to have a simple chat with them."
***
There was a large crowd on the street that evening. Many people had gathered because they had either heard of or had received assistance from Shang Xin Ci in the past. Earlier, Shang Xin Ci had been limited in what she could give out to the beggars, and these events had been rare. Many people prayed for Shang Xin Ci to give them something, but they would sometimes be disappointed. Ever since becoming a Young Master, however, these events had become far more regular, to the point where many of them could rely upon her kindness.
While most of the people gathered there were mortals - either those who had no way of making money, or those who had been kicked out by Gu Masters or their employers for messing up; a few of them were Rank one Gu Masters, brought low due to the economic conditions in the city. While perhaps in some other village they would have managed to find at least a semblance of work as a logistics Gu Master, Rank 1 Gu Masters on their own had very little status within Shang Clan City. Many of them no longer had their gu worms as they either died or starved out from lack of food.
If Shang Xin Ci came around, they would actually get to eat that evening. If they couldn't, they would just go hungry.
Several of them were becoming antsy.
"Is Lady Shang Xin Ci not coming?"
"Be patient."
"She always comes out around this time, but she's already ten minutes late."
"She's probably just delayed because of some reason. Young Masters have their own problems, after all."
All in all, about eighty people had gathered there, bustling around in the square. Many of their clothes were in tatters, and several of them were shivering under the cold evening breeze. None of them wanted to stay there for much longer.
Suddenly, one of them piped up, "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what? I don't hear anything."
"No, wait, I think I hear it too. It sounds almost like... it almost sounds like horses coming this way."
"Don't be ridiculous. Why would there be horses within Shang Clan City?"
"No, you're wrong. Those aren't horses. Those are the footsteps of some other animal," someone else said, his ear close to the ground before his eyes widened. "Wait! They're heading this way!"
Before any of them could react, dogs burst forth out of the alleyways leading into the square like water from a dam. All of them looked like stray dogs, but they were moving with purpose, surrounding them from all sides like a besieging army.
"Hey, hey, get away!"
"Hey, you, get away, don't come near me!"
"Shoo!"
"Ah... who's a nice doggy? AHHH! It nearly bit my hand!"
Beggars and stray dogs were enemies, as could be expected especially during lean times. Beggars would often have to rifle through the trash to find their next meal; who else would be their opponent other than the stray dogs doing the same? The stray dogs, for that matter, did not like the beggars coming into their turf as well. Oftentimes, those who were homeless and sleeping on the street would find themselves on the receiving end of urine from one of them.
Growls tore through the air. None of the people - most of whom were ordinary mortals, and those who were low-rank Gu Masters - had any offensive-type gu worms. Even if they did it would not be enough to challenge a pack of this size.
"Everyone calm down. This is not a group of wild dogs," someone yelled out.
"Of course, it isn't! How could there be a group of wild dogs within Shang Clan City? Someone is controlling them!"
Even while they said so, the dogs drew nearer, foaming at the mouths as they barked at the people gathered there, ready to pounce.
"Hey, hey!" several of them cried. Most of them did not have anything even as ordinary as a stick to defend themselves, and these dogs looked rather aggressive.
"Hey, why are you here? We don't have any food!" one of them yelled out at one of the dogs, waving his hand to shoo it. The dog, though, did not run away, instead growling and snarling at him.
"Easy, there boy, easy there," someone began to say before something struck the lead dog.
"What? Who is that?"
Someone leaped out from a nearby rooftop - a figure clad in robes and wearing a mask on his face. He wielded a staff that was fifteen feet long with ease. It was no ordinary staff as it was able to bend to some extent when used, and the wielder handled it as if it weighed no more than a willow wand.
"Hmm, that staff. Could that be Rank 2 Staff Gu?" one of the Gu Masters remarked.
"It's not just the Staff Gu, but this technique that he's using - is this the fabled Dog Beating Staff martial art technique?"
The dogs were cleared out from the square as the masked figure turned toward them, removing his mask for them to see who it was.
"Is that... could it be Gu Master Fang Yuan?" a Gu Master said, sensing his Rank 5 aura.
"Indeed, it is I, Fang Yuan," he said, glaring at all of them.
"Fang Yuan? Isn't he the one who just lost to Liu Nan recently?"
"Yeah, I heard that, too." The match and its results had been widespread news throughout the city to the point where even lowly vagabonds knew of it.
"I guess he's just a paper tiger, then."