Chapter 925: Chapter 537: Contact with the Huai’an Prince Mansion
"What do you mean?" Zhao Douan stood inside the newly rented courtyard, looking somewhat surprised at the young girl standing at the doorway.
The names of the landlord’s family were quite interesting, as the male owner’s name was similar to a famous historical figure he was familiar with. Of course, having the same name was nothing unusual.
Du Ruhui had two children, an elder sister named "Du Shishi" and a younger brother named "Du Xiaobao".
The girl named Du Shishi possessed a maturity beyond her years. Meeting Zhao Douan’s gaze, she calmly said:
"The intermediary who brought you here has a bad reputation. He likes to sell information about tenants to the local Red Snail Gang. As an outsider with no ties, renting an entire courtyard immediately and paying half a year’s rent upfront during these chaotic times will quickly attract their attention."
Zhao Douan asked with interest, "So? Will I be robbed? Extorted? Charged protection fees? Attacked in the dark?"
Du Shishi frowned, enunciating firmly, "I’m not joking with you, nor trying to scare you. In the past, the city wasn’t this chaotic, but in recent months, even men need to know how to protect themselves while out."
... Zhao Douan replied with a strange smile, "Why warn me? Aren’t you afraid of offending the Red Snail Gang?"
Du Shishi responded indifferently, "You’ve rented my family’s property. If you’re robbed, it’s a problem for us too. Our family is local, and those gangs usually don’t bother locals, but someone like you—a fat sheep—might be different. I’ve said my piece, believe it or not."
With that, the young girl turned and left, returning to her own courtyard just across the wall.
Leaving behind only clusters of green bamboo at the courtyard gate.
She didn’t notice, as she turned away, a faint blue light flickered in Zhao Douan’s eyes. Under the collation of the "Heavenly Eye," the mana on her body was clearly detected.
"A wild mage, huh? Her cultivation seems shallow, but sufficient to deal with ordinary people. No wonder she’s so arrogant at such a young age..."
Zhao Douan was slightly surprised, not expecting his luck to be so good that he’d encounter a wild mage just by finding a place to live.
But considering the vastness of Yu Country’s martial world, it wasn’t all that unusual.
He shook his head, not overly concerned with the girl, deciding privately to have his Shadow Guard investigate later.
He then stepped out to buy supplies and familiarize himself with the surrounding neighborhood.
After a simple lunch, he left Red Mud Lane and headed to his pre-determined destination.
...
Yunshao Courtyard.
It’s the name of a brothel, and after inquiring, Zhao Douan soon found himself outside this pavilion.
Zhao Douan came here to familiarize himself and stake out a key figure.
"According to intelligence, Zhao Shixiong and the border army generals spend their days in the military, or in the city’s government offices, rarely going out. Direct contact with Zhao Shixiong is extremely dangerous."
"In contrast, initially targeting the ’supervisors’ inserted by Mu Prince Xu Jingtang in the city is a more suitable approach."
"Whether assassinating these supervisors or capturing them for interrogation are both good options—low difficulty, high rewards."
Zhao Douan squinted, looking up at the ’Yunshao Courtyard’ sign with ribbons and the elegant three-story facade, recalling the corresponding information.
The person he targeted was the highest-ranking supervisor in the city, effectively the head of the supervisors, named "Wang Qi."
According to intelligence, Wang Qi was not a military general but a civil servant of Mu Prince Manor, a confidant of Xu Jingtang.
This person had a fondness for elegance and, even in Yongjia City, frequently visited brothels.
Well... Considering the loneliness in the military and the pressures of war, the need for relief seems understandable...
And Yunshao Courtyard is one of the elegant places Supervisor Wang Qi frequented.
Zhao Douan adjusted his purse to a more visible position and prepared to enter the building, though his gaze shifted unconsciously behind him.
He had already noticed two people were following him ever since he left Red Mud Lane.
Judging from their poor tracking skills, they were unlikely to be rebels; more likely, they were members of the so-called Red Snail Gang.
Zhao Douan didn’t mind, pretending not to see them, and after buying a "ticket," he entered the brothel.
After he disappeared, a member of the Red Snail Gang, hiding behind a nearby wall, swallowed and said to his companion, "Go back and tell the boss, it’s a fat sheep! Damn it, he even snubs regular brothels, heading straight here, definitely a rich one."
...
Greeted by two attendants, Zhao Douan passed through the front yard and entered the main hall of the brothel.
The scene that met his eyes surprised him somewhat.
It was not the expected vulgar display of courtesans; instead, the interior was elegantly serene.
The lighting inside was soft, and music from strings and bamboo flutes was light and harmonious. On a circular platform covered with a red carpet, a beautifully slender woman in silk played the zither with concentration, her gentle, elegant eyes never casting a teasing glance at the guests in the booths below.
Though some scantily-clad women accompanied the guests, providing drinks, the atmosphere was far from lurid.
Though Zhao Douan remained true to the Empress, having seen much of the world, a phrase popped into his mind:
High-end establishment!
Indeed... the supervisors dispatched by Mu Prince Manor couldn’t be too vulgar and frequent high-end places.
At this moment, the soft, gentle footsteps came from the stairs, as a girl from the brothel gracefully approached with a smile, speaking softly, "What would the gentleman like..."
Common powder! Painted skeletons! Go away...