Chapter 81: Death Bringer

Sensing things were going south, I knew brute force wasn’t an option. This was their turf, and if it came down to knives and guns, we didn’t stand a chance.

So I forced an awkward smile and said, “Big bro, boss, we’ve never met Qian Chuan’er before. We’re just here to ask him about something. Don’t get the wrong idea, we’re not here to cause trouble.”

Maybe Brother Guangtou saw that my eyes looked honest and clear, not like a seasoned veteran on the streets, because after I finished speaking, he signaled for his crew to relax.

He rubbed his bald head and asked, “What do you want to ask Qian Chuan’er about? People who come looking for him are usually debt collectors or street punks looking for a fight. Which line are you guys in? Give me a name.”

I thought to myself, damn, I was a little too honest just now. Judging by their setup, if He Yu and I couldn’t give them a proper explanation, they definitely wouldn’t let us walk away that easily. But if we told the truth, it’d be like setting a hook and putting ourselves on it as bait.

“What’s the matter? Is whatever you’re asking about a secret?” Brother Guangtou grinned slyly.

But he soon snorted, walked past us back to the stall he had set up earlier, and leaned against the dirt wall. “Whatever business you have with him today, I can only tell you that you’re one step too late. He went into the mountain alone yesterday before dawn, lost his footing, and fell into a ravine. He’s dead.”

I was shocked. “Dead? How could he be dead?”

Brother Guangtou sneered at my reaction. “Dead is dead, what do you mean how? Nobody knows what that good-for-nothing was doing in the deep woods in the middle of the night. When he wasn’t around this morning, we went looking for him, and someone found him in the stream. Whatever you came for, you won’t find him now. Go back.”

“Are you sure he’s dead?” He Yu spoke up.

Brother Guangtou exhaled a puff of smoke and laughed. “Of course I’m sure. His head was completely soaked and rotten. God only knows how he ended up in that place.”

Hearing this, I got a bit anxious. I knew that right now, our only way to track down Qiao Sangui was through this Qian Chuan’er. Now that he was inexplicably dead, there was no point in putting on an act anymore.

I decided to lay it on the line, though I checked myself right before the words left my mouth. “Actually, bro, you can tell we’re in the same line of work. Truth be told, we came here because we heard about something recently…”

He Yu gave me a sharp tug. The movement was subtle, but I deliberately made a big show of reacting, reaching out to signal him to hold back right under Brother Guangtou’s nose before continuing.

“We’ve been hearing things about that item, and since we’re not familiar with Yunnan, we figured we’d ask around. We pulled some strings and got connected to Qian Chuan’er. He said he knew Third Master Qiao. He was supposed to meet us here today and take us to see him.”

“You’re here for that item? To meet Third Master Qiao?” Guangtou’s expression turned serious. He muttered, “Word’s spreading fast.”

He believed me completely. That little test had worked better than I expected. Seemed like the Nine-Ring Jade Casket was already making waves in Yunnan’s underground. I shot a glance at He Yu, who immediately caught on and nodded, jumping in to back me up.

“Man, what a mess. How does a guy just drop dead like that? Guess we won’t be seeing Third Master Qiao after all. Shame about that casket though. Now that it’s in Yinggan Tang’s hands, who knows where it’s gone? We’ll be lucky to even get a whiff of it!” He Yu patted my shoulder, signaling me to leave.

But just as I took a step, Guangtou called out, “Hold up! Pretty boy, you said that thing’s with Yinggan Tang now? You sure about that?”

Well, that was a quick change of tune.

I turned back, pretending to be a bit annoyed. “You’re not Third Master Qiao. Why should I tell you anything? We just came from Henan. This is first-hand info.”

I lifted my foot to leave again, but Guangtou quickly jogged out from behind his stall, grinning obsequiously. “Of course, of course. Don’t let Qian Chuan’er fool you. He was a nobody, probably never even met Third Master Qiao. You two want to meet him, right? Come to me. If your info’s legit, I can take you to him right now.”

I feigned sudden interest and turned back. “Oh? You know Third Master Qiao? You’re not trying to scam us, are you?”

“Come on, now. This place is Third Master Qiao’s pankou. Eight out of ten people here pay him a cut. You think I’d dare lie in his territory? You guys free now? The old man just got back from Guangdong a couple days ago. I can take you to him right away,” Guangtou said.

He Yu and I exchanged a glance, then nodded at Guangtou. It seemed this antique village was just one of Qiao Sangui’s pankous; he himself wasn’t here.

Whether Guangtou was lying or not, the village was full of his people. Getting out of here was the smart move. Once we were outside, even if we were exposed, he wouldn’t be a match for the two of us alone.

Guangtou led us around to the back of the village, where a few mud-splattered, beat-up motorcycles were parked haphazardly. He tossed us a set of keys, then confidently mounted his own bike and told us to hop on.

I thought to myself, what’s he so smug about? It’s just a muddy old bike. He Yu took the keys and climbed on, and I quickly got on behind him. We followed Guangtou down the road, the bike kicking up mud all over my backside with no fender to block it.

We rode for about an hour. The bike jolted so much I thought I’d lose my breakfast. From the village to the county, then from the county back into the city—we zigzagged so much I completely lost my sense of direction. Finally, the bike turned into a narrow alley right next to the Wumiao Antique and Jewelry Market.

Whether it was because it was a weekday afternoon or just mid-afternoon, business at the neighboring antique and jewelry market was pretty slow. The shopkeepers sat idle in their air-conditioned stores with the doors shut tight and hardly any stalls set up, while only a few people wandered aimlessly around the market.

He Yu walked ahead, and I followed him deeper inside. At the very end, I noticed that the antique shop facing the intersection had its doors wide open. Two small stone lions stood guard at the entrance, and a sign hung above the door: Qiao San Antiques.

I was a bit confused, thinking that the name was way too direct. Usually, people in this line of work kept a low profile in a place like a secret hideout, yet Qiao San dared to open a shop in a spot that was bustling even during holidays. Clearly, he had some serious backing.

Brother Guangtou led us into the shop. A wave of sandalwood incense hit my nose the moment we stepped inside, blending with the cool air from the AC and making it feel surprisingly pleasant. The lights were off, and right by the entrance stood a glass table. Wooden shelves were lined with boxes of tea in various colors.

On the surface, the place didn’t look much different from a regular antique store.

“Hey, over here, you two,” Brother Guangtou called out. “Third Master usually hangs out in the back, listening to opera or watching the toads in the water jar. He likes tinkering with that kind of stuff when he’s got nothing to do.”

Listening to opera I could understand. Big bosses in this line of work often had their quirks. But watching toads in a water jar? What could anyone possibly see in a bunch of toads?

Just as I was thinking that, He Yu nudged me and whispered in my ear, “I heard this Qiao Sangui used to run with Liu Sanshui. Liu Sanshui was a total freak, and this guy is just as weird as Liu. Watching toads? What the hell can he even see with that one eye of his?”

I almost burst out laughing. Qiao Sangui’s antique shop was built much like Fourth Brother’s place: it looked small from the outside, but inside it went deep. We passed through the front hall and entered the courtyard in the back.

From a distance, I saw a man in his fifties wearing a floral shirt. He was hunched over under a large patio umbrella, holding up a pair of reading glasses and peering intently at whatever was in the water jar in the middle of the courtyard. I noticed he had only one eye. The other had been removed or corroded away.

This was the man once known across Guangdong as the “Death Bringer^[1],” Qiao Sangui. Decades ago, he had expanded his influence along the coast under Liu Sanshui’s name. Years had passed since he left Liu Sanshui’s protection, but he was still sturdy and seemed to be living comfortably.

“Third Master, these two friends say they’ve got some information about that thing and wanted to meet you, so I brought them over,” Brother Guangtou said, bowing and scraping as he stepped into the courtyard.

Yet Qiao Sangui remained completely absorbed in staring at the jar of toads, showing no intention of acknowledging him. Brother Guangtou turned back and saw us watching him. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he leaned in and whispered a few more words into Qiao Sangui’s ear.

“Who knows what he’s telling him about us,” He Yu muttered under his breath. “What’s this Qiao guy putting on airs for? No matter how big he acts, Liu Sanshui was the one who raised him up. If Liu Sanshui were still alive, would he dare call himself ‘Third Master’?”

“This old bastard is stubborn as a mule. We might not get a word out of him, so you’d better think of another way,” He Yu added quietly.

I didn’t know what Guangtou said to him, but Qiao Sangui finally agreed to fold up his reading glasses. Guangtou was quick on the uptake, stepping forward to take them from him, and Qiao raised his head to look at us.

The whole routine took at least ten minutes. My legs were sore from standing, and with the sun beating down on my head, my expression probably wasn’t very friendly. Qiao Sangui glanced at me and He Yu, then gestured for us to step inside.

“Whatever business you have, let’s talk inside,” he said, sounding as if he had phlegm stuck in his throat. That single eye of his made me feel thoroughly uncomfortable.

I pay close attention to details in life, so I could tell Qiao seemed quite interested in me, sizing me up and down with his one eye. As he passed by me, he asked, “Where are you from?”

I answered truthfully, “From the Central Plains. I came to ask you about a few things.”

Guangtou opened the door for Qiao Sangui, who sighed with emotion. “Henan… that’s pretty far. Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like your grandfather?”