Chapter 23: Daring Raid on the Underground Bank

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With Xiao Jingchi’s covert assistance, the Shadow Guards of Qin Ying were making remarkable progress in their investigation.

Qin Yi handed Shen He a list of Cui Ya’s husband’s creditors.

Shen He frowned as she looked over the names and the amounts owed. The total came to more than two thousand taels of silver!

What on earth had that man been doing?

With a debt that large, even if Cui Ya washed clothes for the rest of her life, she might not be able to repay it. They would have to find a way to make Xiao Jingren cough up some money as well.

Shen He examined the interest attached to each debt and found it astonishingly high. Cui Ya had actually been foolishly repaying it bit by bit? Her meager monthly allowance probably was not even enough to cover the interest.

Shen He rose and instructed Guyu, “I’m going out. Find a guard from the residence to accompany me.”

Guyu asked in a low voice, “Miss, is there danger?”

“Don’t worry. Your young mistress knows what she’s doing. Just do as I say.”

Guyu did not dare ask anything more. She found A-Liang, one of the more skilled guards in the residence, and sent him out with Shen He.

Following the address Cui Ya had provided, Shen He found her in-laws’ home—a small courtyard hidden deep within an alley.

Before she even entered, she heard hearty laughter coming from inside.

Shen He knocked. An elderly woman answered the door. Behind her sat a short, sturdy old man of advanced age in the courtyard, leisurely eating peanuts and drinking wine.

“You are Cui Ya’s parents-in-law?”

The old woman froze.

“And you are?”

“I’m a friend of Cui Ya.”

The old woman looked Shen He up and down, a trace of wariness flashing in her eyes.

“What business do you have with us?”

Shen He stepped around the old woman and entered the courtyard. The table was laden with fish and meat, and even the wine smelled like an expensive vintage.

She glanced into the house. On the table inside lay a collection of expensive-looking jewelry, scattered carelessly across its surface.

Seeing Shen He enter without an invitation, the couple rose and demanded, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

“What happened to the money Cui Ya sends you every month?” Shen He asked bluntly.

Cui Ya’s parents-in-law exchanged a glance, their eyes shifting uneasily.

“What money? We don’t know anything about that.” Cui Ya’s father-in-law gave an awkward laugh.

Shen He let out a cold laugh. “Cui Ya works herself to the bone every month and sends all her earnings back to you to repay your debts. Meanwhile, you eat delicacies and drink fine wine. I doubt you’ve repaid even a single coin!”

The old woman’s expression changed. “What nonsense are you spouting? When have we ever eaten delicacies or drunk fine wine?”

“This table of food and wine must have cost one or two taels of silver.” Shen He pointed at the feast.

“We’re old. What’s wrong with treating ourselves to something good?” Cui Ya’s father-in-law retorted stubbornly.

“Cui Ya is not related to you by blood, nor does she have any children with your son. She had no obligation to support you in the first place. The debt on her shoulders was incurred by your son. And now you’re squandering her money here without the slightest fear of retribution?” Shen He demanded sharply.

Cui Ya’s father-in-law flew into a rage. “You little brat! Who are you to meddle in our family affairs? The two of us are going to die sooner or later. She’ll never be able to repay all those debts in this lifetime anyway. Letting us enjoy ourselves first is simply her filial duty!”

The sheer absurdity of his words made Shen He laugh in anger.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the gate.

“This is the place! You old bastard, come out and pay what you owe!”

The couple’s faces changed dramatically. They hurriedly cleared the food and wine from the table, then rushed inside to hide the valuables scattered across it.

By then, several burly men had shoved open the gate and stormed into the courtyard.

A-Liang drew his sword and stepped in front of Shen He protectively.

“Who are you people? We don’t know you!” Cui Ya’s father-in-law pretended ignorance.

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“You don’t know us? You owe us money and still want to deny it?”

“We’re here to collect the debt!”

Without another word, the men began rummaging through the courtyard, turning everything upside down.

“Hey! What are you doing? Don’t touch our things!” Cui Ya’s mother-in-law shrieked as she tried to stop them.

Shen He watched coldly, then pointed at a locked cabinet.

“The valuable things are in there.”

The men immediately crowded around it and forced the lock open.

Sure enough, it was packed with gold and silver jewelry, along with several valuable antiques.

The couple’s faces instantly went deathly pale.

The leader glanced back at Shen He and grinned. “Brothers, take it away!”

Working together, several men lifted the entire chest.

Cui Ya’s mother-in-law ran over, threw her arms around it, and wailed, “Help! Robbers! We’re being robbed!”

The leader yanked her away. “Robbery? Paying your debts is only right and proper! Our boss is merciful. Seeing that you’re both old and pitiful, he’s leaving you a place to sleep. If this matter reaches the authorities, we’ll take the courtyard too!”

When the couple heard that even their courtyard might be seized, they did not dare resist again. They collapsed onto the ground.

The men carried the chest out through the gate and loaded it onto a carriage.

Shen He glanced back at Cui Ya’s parents-in-law, who were sitting on the ground and wailing miserably. She rolled her eyes, then hurried after the debt collectors and stopped the carriage just as it was about to leave.

“Big brother, please wait.”

Having identified her target, Shen He addressed the leader directly.

“Well now, little lady. Thanks for your help just now!”

“Big brother, is the debtor named Zuo Pengyun?”

The leader looked her up and down. “Yes. Why?”

“I’ll repay what he owes.”

The men who had just climbed into the carriage exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

“Brother Yong, this little girl is quite something!” one of them said between laughs.

A-Liang stepped forward to shield Shen He.

Shen He stopped him with a gesture and shook her head. Then she looked toward the man they called Brother Yong.

“You’re Brother Yong, are you?”

The man’s name was Wu Yong. He had a broad, powerful build, and his dark skin gleamed with healthy vitality beneath the sunlight.

“Little lady, that’s a bold claim. Do you know how much he owes?”

“If I dared say it, naturally I’ve already looked into the matter. I know Brother Yong probably cannot make the decision himself, so I hope you can take me to someone who can.”

Wu Yong examined her again.

Today Shen He had her hair swept into a high coiffure, with a few loose strands falling lightly across her forehead and lending her an unstudied softness. Even though Wu Yong had visited every pleasure quarter in the city, he had never seen a young woman so beautiful.

Several simple, elegant flowers adorned her hair. They were neither ostentatious nor lacking in refinement.

She was clearly very young, yet her words carried a composure and efficiency far beyond her years.

Wu Yong’s expression grew serious. “Our boss isn’t someone just anyone can ask to see.”

Shen He tactfully took out a banknote and placed it in his hand. “We’re discussing business. Since I’m coming to bring you money, there’s no reason to turn away a profitable deal. Wouldn’t you agree, Brother Yong?”

Wu Yong lowered his eyes to the banknote and could not help marveling inwardly. What an extraordinary young woman.

“All right. Follow our carriage. As for whether our boss will see you, that isn’t up to me.”

“Thank you, Brother Yong.”

Shen He gave him a proper salute, then gestured to A-Liang. The two of them drove their carriage behind Wu Yong’s.

After an indeterminate length of time, the carriage finally came to a stop.

“Little lady, we’re here,” Wu Yong called from outside.

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Shen He climbed down from the carriage, but Wu Yong handed her a blindfold.

“What is this?”

“For your safety, please put it on.”

Shen He hesitated briefly, then accepted the blindfold and tied it over her eyes.

A-Liang was blindfolded as well.

The world instantly fell into darkness.

Wu Yong supported Shen He as she walked forward step by step, relying only on her senses.

She had no idea how long they walked before the sounds around them gradually grew louder.

Voices rose and fell in a lively din, accompanied by shouts and cheers, as though they had entered a bustling marketplace.

After walking a little farther, the sounds became clearer. The crisp clatter of dice mingled with the excited cries of gamblers.

A gambling den.

Shen He realized it at once.

They passed through the noisy gambling hall. Gradually, the sounds faded until only their footsteps remained, echoing through an empty corridor.

“We’re here,” Wu Yong said again.

He removed Shen He’s blindfold.

She blinked several times, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light.

Before her stood a room that was not especially large, yet was furnished with great luxury.

A man sat in a chair, idly turning a string of jade beads in his hand.

He wore a well-tailored dark blue brocade robe embroidered with understated yet intricate patterns. He was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a sturdy back. His sharply defined features, slanting brows, and deep-set eyes gave him a striking presence. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth—not ostentatious, but carrying a hint of roguish irreverence.

Wu Yong walked over to him and whispered a few words.

The man raised his head and fixed Shen He with a keen gaze.

“You intend to repay the money Zuo Pengyun owes?”

“Yes.” Shen He met his eyes directly, her tone resolute. “Zuo Pengyun was the husband of my good friend Cui Ya. Though he is dead, Cui Ya is still being crushed beneath the burden of his debt. So I will repay it in his place.”

“Oh?” The man raised a brow. “There are still friends like you in this world?”

“You must be tired of hearing people talk about loyalty between friends.”

The man gave a soft laugh. “Why should I believe you can afford to repay it?”

“Because Zuo Pengyun is already dead, while his parents are utterly shameless. From what I saw today, they have probably squandered all of Cui Ya’s money. Very little of it has likely gone toward repaying your debt. So you have two choices: wait for those two old bones to slowly squeeze out whatever they can give you, until the debt turns into a complete loss—or believe me.”

Hearing her lay everything out so plainly, the man suddenly became interested. He straightened from his previously languid position and glanced at Wu Yong before turning back to Shen He.

“Where did such a clever little lady come from?”

Wu Yong smiled. “Brother Zhi, it was all thanks to this young lady that we managed to pry an entire chest of money and valuables out of those two old bones today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared bring her before you.”

The man’s name was Mu Qizhi, the leader of this underground gambling den.

“Excellent! Ha! I haven’t seen such a beautiful and intelligent young lady in a long time!”

“Thank you for the compliment, Brother Zhi.” Shen He smiled faintly, appearing all the more graceful.

As he spoke, Mu Qizhi came around from behind the table and stopped in front of Shen He.

“The fact that you dared come here proves that you have courage. But since you’re so clever, if you merely wanted to repay the debt, you could have done so directly. You came to see me because you have something else to say, didn’t you?”

Shen He raised her head to meet his appraising gaze.

“Brother Zhi is indeed perceptive. You’re right. I will repay Zuo Pengyun’s debt, and I intend to settle it in full in one payment. But I do have several conditions.”

“What conditions?”