363 Please embark on the journey, thirteenth day.

I was originally planning to visit the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, but I unexpectedly ran into someone who knew me. What a coincidence, or perhaps I already have subordinates.

It didn't bother me; I didn't sense any malice. "Shopkeeper, two more dishes, please."

Then, gently saying to Old Hu, "Old Hu, you should go first. I'll come find you after this is resolved. Taking you into the water later is not my intention."

Old Hu smiled gently, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm all alone; I come and go as I please, and I'm not bothering anyone."

Upon hearing this, each went their own way and said no more.

She said softly, "Do you know where this Vice Minister Wang's son, and the Third Prince, are?"

Old Hu's relaxed expression vanished instantly, his mouth agape, unsure how to respond.

Just moments ago, the atmosphere was calm and serene, but now, a pair of bright eyes stared wide open, as if in disbelief, and her hands trembled slightly without her noticing.

They gathered together and transmitted their voices, "My lord, who are you?"

He immediately interrupted himself again, "Please wait a moment, sir. The son of Minister Wang and the Third Prince will definitely be at the Five Directions Pavilion tonight. Everyone will be performing there tonight."

All the city's young talents will go there.

In the short time that followed, the dishes were served quickly: braised tofu, braised fish, one after another.

Looking around, it seemed as if all the diners in the restaurant had vanished, and the onlookers at the door were nowhere to be seen either.

Two headless corpses lay bleeding profusely in the street. A crowd had gathered around them from a distance, clearly a large group of onlookers.

Others were munching on sunflower seeds and peanuts, offering their opinions and waiting to see what would happen.

I took a small bite of the braised tofu that was served. 'It tastes good.'

A few silver ingots were gently placed on the table. "Waiter, bring on all the dishes you want, money's no object."

"Yes, yes, young hero, please wait a moment, it will be ready soon," the shopkeeper replied hurriedly, looking worried.

They wanted to get the young man to leave the shop, but seeing the fresh, still-warm produce on the street, they changed their minds.

"Old Hu, you should eat too. You need to eat well to have energy," she gently invited Old Hu to join her. The dishes were served quickly, and soon the table was full.

Braised rabbit, roasted lamb chops, braised eggplant, ten dishes, not bad.

Old Hu had calmed down by now and said softly, "Thank you, sir."

He got up, took a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat quietly. "Sir, this braised pork is excellent. The braised pork at this restaurant is truly exceptional."

After eating for a while, he whispered, "Sir, would you like portraits of these two men?"

He gently shook his head, and asked softly, "Where does this Vice Minister Wang live? And where is the Third Prince's residence?"

Old Hu immediately reported, "My lord, Young Master Wang's family resides within the inner city, on Qinglong Street, but the area is heavily guarded and has numerous servants. Furthermore, Minister Wang himself possesses exceptional Confucian and Taoist cultivation."

Old Hu wanted to say something like, "Sir, don't be so reckless," but he couldn't bring himself to say it. "You've brought a knife; are you here for sightseeing?"

"Alright, let's go to Minister Wang's house first, it's the Third Prince's residence." He ate a plate of bighead carp; it was spicy and delicious.

The Third Prince's residence is on Qintai Road, not far away. It is said that the Third Prince himself ordered the location of this road.

It used to be called Bluestone Road, but the Third Prince thought it sounded bad, so he changed the name.

It is said that this third prince is fond of collecting courtesans. He has nearly a hundred beautiful courtesans in his household, each one a peerless beauty, the envy of all.

As Old Hu explained in a low voice, a hint of envy flickered in his eyes—a genuine envy, for one's background is truly important.

He nodded slightly. 'Old Hu, you can go first.'

Just as Old Hu was about to say something, He Chen waved his hand, "Have some, it's a waste."

"Thank you, sir." At this moment, Old Hu felt a little heavy-hearted, and for some reason, his eyes were a little moist.

He devoured the plate of fish and waited quietly for a cup of tea.

On the street, the crowd automatically parted to make way.

"The Tiger Head Gang is here!" someone shouted, and everyone quickly retreated.

At this moment, a group of four yamen runners arrived slowly, emerging from the alley.

As soon as he came out, he shouted loudly, "Make way, make way, you bunch of lowly people from outside the city."

Instead of working hard, they just cause trouble.

Get out of the way, are you looking to die?

They pushed and shoved, instantly dispersing the crowd.

The head constable wore a square hat, half red and half black, and his clothes and shoes were also half red and half black. He had a fierce face, held a leather whip, and had a thin knife at his waist. His eyes held a hint of greed and impatience.

The three people behind them were dressed the same, each holding a thin knife, their eyes fixed on the dead body on the ground with disgust.

The leader of the Tiger Head Gang had a calm expression, with thick arms and legs, a bare upper body, a tiger skin draped across his body, and a large knife slung over his shoulder.

The broadsword is six feet long, clearly made of iron, and weighs several hundred kilograms.

Upon seeing the officials, he calmly said, "Greetings, Headman Shan. My subordinate was law-abiding and dutiful, yet he was murdered in the street. Headman Shan, you must avenge me!"

He spoke with deep emotion, but his eyes remained unmoved, as if he were dead, like a dog.

The third shift leader lowered his head slightly and laughed, "So that's how it is. It's truly a heinous crime. How dare they kill someone in public? Is there no law left?"

Third Master, rest assured, I will handle this matter impartially.

"Guards! Where is the murderer?"

The thin messenger whispered, his eyes darting around, pointing to He Chen, who was feasting inside the restaurant.

The head of the mountain gang, upon closer inspection, revealed a handsome man with refined features, clearly not bad-looking, likely a young master from out of town.

They probably thought that even in this small, local place, with some wealth and some cultivation, they would still be the same after arriving in the royal city.

What a joke! You'll see when you're thrown in jail that this isn't a game for a country bumpkin like you.

Keep it for now; I reckon it can still be fried to extract some oil.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, and not wanting to delay any longer, he said softly, "Old Hu, take a look. The woman who just went missing may have been found."

And where does this young master Hou live? Let's go check on him later.

Old Hu nodded and said, "Yes, sir. The Hou family is a merchant family that used to live in the Third Ring City."

However, she recently got on the good side of the Qi family's young master and only recently moved to the Second Ring Road area. It's said she gave her young lady to him.

Nod gently. No rush. Let's deal with the immediate issue first.

He stepped out lightly. The group of people who were just about to come over immediately stopped in their tracks.

He watched the young man who came out with a hint of probing in his eyes.

So young, yet so full of vigor and high spirits, a truly formidable young man. He is like a gentleman, unparalleled in the world, like a towering pine tree, soaring freely into the clouds. I am truly envious!

'So handsome!' 'So good-looking!'

'So handsome, how could he be a murderer?'