Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 182 Golden Mask
When the figure was finally illuminated by the candlelight, everyone gasped—the newcomer wore a half-gold mask, had a sharply defined jawline, a normal black-brown right eye, but a striking amber pupil in his left eye—heterochromia! A Khitan!

It seems they really are Khitans! What are they doing in the Great Zhou? Although the Great Zhou and the Khitans have ceased hostilities, the peace talks are not yet over. Their appearance in the Great Zhou at this time is not necessarily a good thing.

There is a fraud in this matter!

The wealthy young man stood with his hands behind his back, smiling silently, but pulled Yan'er behind him and used his body to shield her.

When Yan'er saw the young master arrive, she immediately straightened her back, seemingly because someone was backing her up, and became even more righteous, showing no remorse on her face.

"They killed someone, but only said they caused trouble for them. How hypocritical and cold-blooded!" Rong Wanyin looked at the two of them and snorted coldly. The world is really big, and there are all kinds of people.

The young man nodded slightly, showing no remorse, and continued, "Gentlemen, today was our mistake. We will take full responsibility for the old beggar's funeral arrangements. I have already placed a one-hundred-tael silver note in room number one of the Heavenly tiers, which should be enough for the funeral arrangements. Yan'er, I will take her back now. I apologize for the intrusion."

"Wait a minute, you killed someone and you think you can just leave? One hundred taels? You think just paying compensation for taking a life is enough? What did you think our Jiuqu Pawnshop was?" Qian Shouyu and Qian Shoujun blocked their way from the left and right.

"Hmph, ignorant brat! If it weren't for the fact that this old beggar died in your Jiuqu Pawnshop, do you think I would have given you a hundred taels? If he had died by the roadside, he probably wouldn't even have a straw mat! Don't push your luck!" The rich young master sneered upon hearing this. Before he finished speaking, he flicked his long sleeves and his figure approached Qian Shouyu and Qian Shoujun like a ghost.

His footwork was strange, unlike the style of Central Plains martial arts. Suddenly, two silver lights shot out from his sleeves, aiming straight for Qian Shouyu and Qian Shoujun's faces. They were hidden weapons!

Qian Shouyu reacted extremely quickly, wielding his longsword horizontally and deflecting the hidden weapon with a "clang," sending sparks flying. The hidden weapon landed on the ground; it was a seven-star dart!

The seven-star dart gleamed with a jet-black luster.

"This dart might be highly poisonous! Everyone be careful!" Yan Mingzhang, after all, had read so many books by the Medicine King and had some understanding of basic toxicology.

"Hmph! I don't believe you can all stop them!" The young master sneered, throwing a poisoned dart hidden in his sleeve towards the guests' seats. The seven-star dart streaked through the air, startling screams from the guests. In the chaos, the sounds of shattering cups and overturned tables and chairs mingled together.

Rong Wanyin and the others reacted swiftly, drawing their swords and attempting to deflect all the poisoned darts. A flurry of swordplay ensued, and most of the darts were knocked down, but a few still struck several guests. Those hit instantly collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain, their wounds rapidly turning a strange bluish-purple. The injured writhed and convulsed on the ground.

The crowd stirred, and Yan Mingzhang turned to Mo Yun and said, "Mo Yun, come help me!"

After saying that, Yan Mingzhang quickly ran to the injured person's side to examine him carefully, his forehead beaded with sweat, and Mo Yun followed closely behind.

While tearing open the injured man's clothes to examine the wound, he quickly pulled out a dagger, grabbed the wine and candlesticks from the table, poured strong liquor on the dagger, and then heated it over the fire—all in one swift motion.

After the poisoned blood of the wounded men was released and the wounds were treated with antidote and bandaged, their faces regained some color. Yan Mingzhang, having finished the treatment, said in a deep voice, "Don't panic, everyone! Although this poison is extremely painful, it is not fatal!"

On the other side, the rich young master did not linger in the fight. The moment the poisoned dart was thrown, he grabbed Yan'er, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and leaped into the air, using his lightness skill to jump onto the roof. The roof was ripped open, and most of the roof tiles were instantly shattered.

This person's gait was very strange; he disappeared from sight after just a few steps.

When Rong Wanyin and the others chased after the Jiuqu Pawnshop, they found only empty streets and alleys; not a single person was to be seen.
"Don't pursue a cornered enemy... We'd better proceed with caution." Qian Shoujun frowned. "After all, he still has poisoned darts."

The group had no choice but to turn back dejectedly.

When everyone returned to the Jiuqu Pawnshop, the guests were filled with righteous indignation, cursing one after another: "So it was the Khitan dogs! No wonder they were so vicious! This poor old beggar was hoping to exchange this bowl for money to enjoy his old age, but now he has been killed by these Khitan dogs and died tragically here! If it weren't for Lord Yan's miraculous healing and the chivalrous people who came to his aid, we might all be dead here!"

"Yes! Yes!" everyone echoed.

Amid the commotion, Yan Mingzhang stood quietly to the side, lost in thought. He murmured to himself, "The Khitans, what are they doing here?"

A chill ran down Yan Mingzhang's spine, and he had a bad feeling—this was no simple murder case. Could they be plotting something? This matter concerns the relations between the two countries; it is of utmost importance!
The indignant shouts from the crowd in the hall gradually subsided. After all the commotion, everyone was exhausted and gradually dispersed.

Rong Wanyin and Yan Mingzhang exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.

The silence was finally broken by Manager Qian, who smiled broadly and bowed to the crowd: "Honorable guests, thanks to you all, the reputation of Jiuqu Pawnshop has been preserved. Our boss is extremely grateful and has prepared a banquet to thank you all. We hope you will grace us with your presence."

Yan Mingzhang had already planned to ask the head manager about the jade bottle, so he immediately and politely agreed, "I would be honored to comply."
-
"You mean this is the jade bottle?" The head steward, with his gray hair, held up the painting by Yan Mingzhang against the candlelight, raised it high, moved it back, and squinted to examine it carefully. As he looked at it, he said with a self-deprecating smile, "As people get older, their eyesight gets worse. If you don't look at it like this, you really can't see it clearly. I hope you all understand."

Yan Mingzhang's expression was solemn as he nervously spoke, "Boss, this jade bottle is of utmost importance to me. I heard it was pawned at Jiuqu Pawnshop fifteen years ago, but the receipt has also been lost. It was probably around May or June. I wonder if you could help me investigate and find out where this jade bottle is?"

The head manager stared at the picture of the jade bottle for a long time, then sighed, "Ah, well, good and evil will be rewarded in the end, it's fate. Actually, I shouldn't have told you the whereabouts of this jade bottle. According to the rules of Jiuqu Pawnshop, once an item has been sold, its whereabouts must never be revealed. This is also the secret to our survival for so many years. However..."

"But what?" Rong Wanyin asked anxiously.

The head manager seemed to have made a big decision: "However, you are lucky that the jade bottle has not been sold and is still stored in the warehouse."

Upon hearing this, Yan Mingzhang and the others' eyes lit up instantly, and smiles appeared on their faces: "What did you say? This jade bottle didn't sell?"