A clue was found.

Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai followed Yang Fei home. After everything was settled, Yang Fei instructed the servants to bring out the food. Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai hadn't eaten lunch because of Sima Ru's matter, and their stomachs were growling loudly. "Come try this braised chicken with shiitake mushrooms. It's your favorite. Hehe," Yang Fei said with a smile, placing a chicken thigh into Zhang Mobai's bowl. He then pushed the plate of stir-fried beef towards Tang Feng, saying, "Bai Bai said this is your favorite now, so I asked the kitchen to make some too."

Tang Feng picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The taste was alright, but it was nowhere near as tender as Qin Jiujiu's. Tang Feng poked at the rice in his bowl and asked, "If you're going to arrest someone, how will you do it?"

"Arresting him is easy, but I'm afraid you'll be scared." Yang Fei had always perceived Tang Feng as timid and afraid of trouble, someone who didn't want to cause any problems. If he were truly assassinated, he might stay in the manor for the rest of his life. Although Zhang Mobai said that his personality was very different from before, Yang Fei couldn't help but be a little worried.

"Where does the fear come from?"

"Using you as bait, I'll catch the fish."

Tang Feng ate his rice bowl slowly without saying a word. "I! Don't! Agree!" Zhang Mobai slammed his chopsticks on the table. "This young man is just a weak scholar. He escaped danger the last few times because he was very lucky. This time you're going to use him as bait! Even if it were Zhou Ziliang today, I still wouldn't agree!"

Seeing Zhang Mobai's anger, Yang Fei had already guessed what was going on. After Tang Feng's fall from his horse, Zhang Mobai had been filled with remorse, dragging his feet and saying he didn't dare to see him. But Yang Fei was somewhat surprised by Tang Feng's reaction. Based on years of experience, he knew that after saying those words, Tang Feng would be so frightened that his legs would go weak, he would wipe away his tears, and finally rush into Zhang Mobai's arms. But the Tang Feng before him was far too calm.

Tang Feng picked up the food on the table and ate it bite by bite without any reaction. After finishing the last bite, Tang Feng slowly put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, picked up his teacup and took a sip of water before asking Yang Fei, "How confident are you?"

"We have a 70% chance of catching him, and a 90% chance of protecting you."

Tang Feng rubbed the teacup between his fingers, slowly raised it to his lips, and took another sip. "I caught this fish."

"Hey bro, what's wrong with you?!"

Tang Feng patted Zhang Mobai on the back, reassuring him, "Little madman, I don't want to keep running away. I want to know the truth. I want to live. I won't have peace of mind until this murderer is found. I don't want to hide at home like a coward for the rest of my life. I believe in him, and I believe in you."

Zhang Mobai was momentarily at a loss for words, while Yang Fei laughed. Unlike his usual mockery, this time there was a hint of respect and admiration in his eyes. "Little Cry... no, no, no, Tang Feng, since you trust me so much, I certainly can't let you down."

Seeing that the two had gone on and on, Zhang Mobai didn't say anything more and simply told Tang Feng, "Since that's how it is, then I won't try to persuade you anymore." Then he turned around and grabbed Yang Fei's ear, saying, "You'd better not let me find out that my little brother is injured, or I'll skin you alive as a sacrifice."

"Ouch! My Bai Bai, don't worry! Your little brother will be perfectly fine in my hands! Let go, let go! It hurts~" Yang Fei kept grabbing Zhang Mobai's hand and yelling.

Tang Feng had never seen anything like this before, and after struggling to suppress his laughter, he finally burst out laughing. "I never expected this! So, Brother Yang, you're actually henpecked!"

"What do you know! This is called 'spare the rod and spoil the child'! You should learn from my Bai Bai, so your Zi Liang will be just as obedient in the future. Hey, hey, hey, why are you hitting me too!"

Mentioning it only made Tang Feng shudder and grit his teeth in hatred. "I just think that little madman's upbringing isn't strict enough. I'll give him a couple more slaps."

After the group had finished their commotion, Zhang Mobai brought up his encounter with Sima Ru earlier that day: "Sima Ru is getting more and more neurotic. Today she summoned the two of us for questioning, pressing us relentlessly. But it was interesting, though; she didn't keep us for very long, releasing us after about half an hour."

“Oh dear! He’s been so busy with the pawnshop business lately that he hasn’t been home for days. He doesn’t have time to deal with these things. You know the pawnshop is under Prince Duan’s control, unlike the usual court officials. Court officials can be arrested at will, but he can’t afford to offend Prince Duan.” Yang Fei paused, then leaned closer to Zhang Mobai and Tang Feng and whispered, “He’s afraid that if Prince Duan becomes the crown prince and ascends the throne one day, he’ll be the first one to kill him.”

Tang Feng wasn't interested in these political matters and just listened for amusement. Zhang Mobai, however, was quite concerned. "With three forces currently in a stalemate, it's indeed difficult to make a decision. However, Prince Duan has always been known as a sage. If someone in the pawnshop is indeed embezzling, he certainly won't let that person off easily."

"Easy for you to say. Wasn't His Majesty also known as a sage back then? Waaah..."

"Shut up, do you have a death wish?! Talking about the Emperor in private!" Zhang Mobai tightly covered Yang Fei's mouth.

Tang Feng, however, seemed unimpressed. "Just saying it is fine! It sounds quite interesting! By the way, Yang Fei, what kind of fishing are you talking about?"

Yang Fei pried Zhang Mobai's hand away, holding it tightly, and said to Tang Feng with a relaxed expression, "Here's what I'm thinking. Since they always target you at night, I suggest you go to the south of the city more often at night. There are fewer people there, making it easier to strike. Then, cause some big trouble so that they know your whereabouts. Bai Bai and I will be watching you from the city wall. If you see them, run towards the city wall."

Tang Feng nodded, then asked, "I can wander around, but how can I get those people to notice me?"

“I’ve heard there’s a gambling den in the south of the city,” Zhang Mobai said, dipping his index finger in the water in his cup and drawing on the table as he spoke. “This is the city gate, and the gambling den is just around the corner. There are all sorts of people there, mostly from the martial arts world. If you spend a few more days there, the news should spread quickly.”

Tang Feng stared at the drawing Zhang Mobai had made on the table, lost in thought. He remained silent for a long time. Zhang Mobai noticed Tang Feng's hesitation and said, "I'll go with you to the gambling den the other day. I'm always uneasy about you going alone."

"I am a little scared, but bringing you in was really not my intention." Tang Feng still vividly remembered the assassination attempt. If Zhang Mobai hadn't picked up that hidden blade that day and hadn't had the courage to help him escape, wouldn't they both be dead? "I can handle it myself. You and Brother Yang can keep watch from the city wall."

After discussing it, Tang Feng decided to put it into practice the next day. At midnight the following day, Tang Feng entered the gambling den. The gambling den was a mixed bag of people. Following Yang Fei's advice, Tang Feng sat in a relatively conspicuous place and tried to bet on every round, putting in more money and talking less. After gambling a few rounds, Tang Feng sat down in a chair further back and asked the waiter for two jugs of wine, and then started drinking. Tang Feng carefully observed his surroundings and, finding nothing amiss, returned to the gambling den. He placed a hundred taels of silver, each piece bearing the character "Tang" in official silver. Ignoring the outcome, he swaggered out of the gambling house. Tang Feng had been doing this for seven or eight days now, and Zhang Mobai was starting to tire of it. Going out late at night and returning early in the morning meant he had virtually no time to sleep, and he was also worried about Tang Feng. He feared Tang Feng hadn't rested well and might be too slow to react if they encountered an assassin.

Tang Feng was also exhausted. Although he thought Yang Fei's method was simple and feasible, working late into the night every day wasn't a long-term solution. He had never been this tired when he worked overtime in the factory.

Finally, having exhausted all other options, the group discussed that if no one came out by the last day, they would postpone the meeting for a few more days. After all, physical health was one issue, but mental well-being was another; they couldn't bear to live in constant fear and anxiety.

On the last day, Tang Feng went to the gambling den again. This time, he didn't gamble; he simply sat at the back, quietly drinking. Afterward, he left a considerable errand fee on the table, turned, and left. As Tang Feng stepped outside, he tightened his outer robe. Early autumn was here, and the evening wind was inevitably quite strong. Coupled with the lack of residents in the south of the city, Tang Feng felt a sense of unease as he went out. The old, withered tree in front of the gambling den was covered with crows. Just then, Tang Feng heard the familiar sound of hooves. Startled, he slowly turned around and saw a masked assassin in a black cloak riding a horse on the deserted street, holding a dagger, waiting for him! Tang Feng instinctively took a step back, accidentally stepping on a stone. He dared not move his head, afraid that if he ducked, an arrow would fly towards him without warning. He wanted to signal Zhang Mobai and the others; after all, they had been planning this for eight days, and their bodies were already at their limits. He wasn't sure if Yang Fei and Zhang Mobai were still watching him. Tang Feng slowly crouched down, tilted his head back, felt for the stone he had stepped on, grabbed it, and slowly stood up. Taking advantage of the assassin's inattention, he quickly ran backward. The assassin tightened the reins and spurred his horse to give chase. Seeing that he was almost at the city wall, Tang Feng used all his strength to smash the stone against the wall. Yang Fei heard the sound and immediately stood up. Before Zhang Mobai could react, Yang Fei pulled three arrows from the quiver on his back, lifted his robe, placed one foot on the city wall, and, holding a bow, said, "What do you want?"

Zhang Mobai was still unconscious when he uttered the word "mask."

"Just you wait!" With a whoosh, three arrows shot out like wild horses. The assassin, perhaps sensing the killing intent, quickly pulled on the reins and turned back. Tang Feng heard the sound of the arrows leaving the bowstring and looked up. He saw the arrows flying swiftly past his head. Before Tang Feng could react, he heard the horses neighing and then the sound of hooves fading into the distance.

Yang Fei flew down from the city wall carrying Zhang Mobai, put Zhang Mobai down, and went to check the spot where they had shot him down.

"Tsk! You ran pretty fast," Yang Fei said with some regret, holding half of the mask in his hand. "What a pity, I didn't perform well, but it shouldn't be a big deal. Half a mask should still give me some clues."

Yang Fei then walked towards the gambling den. By the light, he could see the masked face clearly. He remained silent for a long time before finally asking in a hoarse voice, "Tang Feng, who exactly have you offended!"