Chapter 51: Muddy Waters

I never expected to see Yu Jingzi under these circumstances. Her sudden appearance caught me completely off guard. I hid behind Xiao Wu, sneaking glances at her group taking shelter from the rain; there were a lot of them, at least a dozen.

Four Hummers were parked outside the restaurant. Yu Jingzi was dressed lightly, wearing a black athletic jacket over a camisole that dipped low across her chest. She walked in, found a seat, and began ordering food with her crew.

Compared to them, our table looked downright modest. Not just us, even the surrounding tables were casting curious glances at this stunning woman leading such a formidable crew.

Xiao Wu was frozen stiff. I patted his shoulder to get him to relax, but he muttered, “Young Master, I can’t relax. Boss Yu knows me too. I think she might’ve seen me just now.”

I sighed inwardly. Useless.

Right now, I had no intention of making contact with Yu Jingzi. I hadn’t seen any sign of Fourth Brother or his men in her convoy. Plenty of people could be traveling this dirt road, but for Yu Jingzi to be here, her reasons were definitely not simple.

If her goal aligned with ours, my gut told me this woman wouldn’t cooperate easily, not even with our shared connection through Fourth Brother.

In this line of work, everything boils down to self-interest. If two parties have the same goal but don’t form an alliance, it automatically makes them rivals. And Yu Jingzi is no pushover. The people she brought are all ruthless types. Someone like Li Wanchou wouldn’t even register on her radar.

“Hey, that woman doesn’t look like someone to mess with. You think they’re headed to the same place as us?” Lai Qi, the local thug, mumbled around a duck leg.

Hou Jinshan glanced back once, then turned around and smacked Lai Qi hard on the head. I even heard the crisp slap.

“What do you mean ‘that woman’? Damn it, after all this time, you still don’t recognize her? What a waste of all the trips I’ve taken you on. That’s Yu Jingzi, Boss Yu on the street. She’s got more tricks than you’ve had hot meals. If you run into her in a Yin Dwelling, you won’t even know how you died. You don’t know shit!” he snapped.

Then he took a sip of wine. “If we could get her protection on this trip, things would go a hell of a lot smoother for us.”

Li Wanchou chimed in, his tone laced with disdain. “What, a bunch of grown men needing a woman to protect them? That’d be a joke. We’re not on the same path as them. Let’s just stick to our own route and ignore them.”

That was a rookie thing to say. I could practically see my own clueless self from a few months ago reflected in his expression and attitude.

Hou Jinshan’s point was clear: if our goals overlapped and we pledged allegiance to Yu Jingzi now, then once we were in the mountains, even if we weren’t walking the exact same path, at least we’d be on the same side. If we crossed paths, there’d be no unnecessary trouble. Sure, we might have to give up a bit of the spoils, but it wouldn’t be a big deal.

But if we didn’t align now, then once we entered the mountains, we’d officially be competitors. And if we ran into each other then, we’d better pray we didn’t get wiped out.

I slowly sat up straighter. Across from me, Yu Jingzi was sipping tea and cracking sunflower seeds with her people. I kept my head low, trying not to draw attention, then quietly asked Xiao Wu, “She saw you?”

“Pretty sure she did. She knows me. But for some reason, she didn’t react,” Xiao Wu replied.

That was odd.

I scratched my head and glanced over to see Hou Jinshan squinting at the tattered map on the table through his reading glasses. I leaned in and lowered my voice. “You guys have been poring over this damn map for three or four days. Have you figured anything out yet?”

Hou Jinshan took off his glasses and looked across the table at Li Wanchou. I got the message immediately. The old man didn’t want to say anything with Li Wanchou around. I shut my mouth.

Yu Jingzi’s crew ate fast, like a well-oiled machine. As soon as the rain let up a bit, they packed up and left all together.

Li Wanchou said it was time to go, too. But the moment he stood up, Hou Jinshan clutched his stomach and bolted toward the restroom out back. I gave Xiao Wu a look, and while Li Wanchou wasn’t paying attention, I quickly slipped out after him.

As I turned the corner, I found Hou Jinshan puffing away on his dry tobacco pipe behind the building.

“Master Hou, what kind of trick are you pulling now?” I stepped beside him, lining up with the wall to stay out of sight.

Hou Jinshan’s tone had lost its earlier ease. “That Li guy doesn’t know the rules. If he pisses off Yu Jingzi, we’re walking out of this empty-handed. The map Li Wanchou brought isn’t complete anyway. I can give you an excuse to turn back halfway. Take your people and go. Don’t head into the mountains.”

I thought, Hell no. I’ve come this far, and now he wants me to turn back? No way.

“No. You’re taking me in. That was our deal. Besides, the Ghost Market Map is closely tied to the Nine-Ring Jade Casket. Without the actual Nine-Ring Jade Casket, you won’t reach the place you’re aiming for,” I said.

Hou Jinshan took a drag from his pipe. “I’ve already seen that casket of yours. I can remember most of the map. Getting in shouldn’t be a problem. But tell me, why are you, at your age, so obsessed with this?”

His question caught me off guard. The moment I froze, I knew that wasn’t good.

Seeing me freeze up, Hou Jinshan chuckled. “You came to make this deal with me on your own, without Chen Si. That means you probably don’t know what the Ghost Market Map really represents, or what’s hidden in these mountains, do you?”

Up against an old hand like him, I was clearly out of my depth. I could bluff a little when I had time to prepare, but someone with no real experience couldn’t keep up the act forever. I knew this charade was bound to fall apart sooner or later.

So I dropped the pretense and said, “You’re right, I don’t know. I’ve only been in this line of work for less than six months. I’m not interested in your Ghost Market Map, but it’s connected to the Jade Casket. What I’m after is the Nine-Ring Jade Casket.”

Hou Jinshan frowned, then turned on his heel and started walking toward the front hall, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe. “That’s enough. This is as far as you go. Luckily, you haven’t strayed too far off course. Go tell your buddy from Ying Gan Hall to grab a cab with you and head back.”

I figured he was shutting me out because I was an outsider, and I couldn’t let that happen. We had only just touched on the Ghost Market Map, and I hadn’t even brought up the 1951 Secret Project. If I left now, this one and only lead would be gone for good.

So I grabbed his arm in a panic and blurted out, “No! Someone’s forcing me to keep digging into this. If I stop now, more people will die. That thief you sent wasn’t killed by me, but I know how he died. Someone murdered him and tossed his body off the roof. I was right across the street when it happened.”

Hou Jinshan froze for a moment, though he didn’t show the shock I had expected. His gaze just turned a little distant before he pulled away from me. He turned back, pointed a finger at me, and leaned in, lowering his voice:

“The one who died wasn’t you. If you keep sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, sooner or later it’s going to come back on you. Go home, bury that casket somewhere, and be done with it. Whoever picks it up, whether they live or die, that’s their fate. It has nothing to do with you.”

His words left me stunned. I stood there, rooted to the spot, my mind racing to process what he’d just said.

“What are you two doing? Get in the car! I told you, my time’s tight,” Li Wanchou called impatiently from outside.

Hou Jinshan seemed to realize he had lost his composure. He sighed, then gently brushed the front of my jacket and said, “I’ll see what I can do. If I can talk that Li guy into letting you go back, then go. The scenery around here isn’t bad, so take a look around and enjoy yourself. Gan Rukui only has one grandson, and Chen Si isn’t here. Don’t go any deeper into this mess.”