Chapter 16, another chapter.
Xie Yuchen's phone call about the Queen Mother of the West Palace was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; before the ripples had subsided, another, more hidden undercurrent had already begun to surge.
On the surface, Hei Xiazi still maintained his usual lazy, joking demeanor, but the eyes behind his sunglasses were sharper than ever. He began to notice some very subtle anomalies—the shoe repair stall owner at the alley entrance was a different face, but his eyes kept glancing towards their yard while reading the newspaper; inappropriate reflections occasionally flashed from the rooftops in the distance; even the air seemed to have a faint, tense feeling of being watched.
Zhang Qiling became even more silent and vigilant. He almost never let Hei Xiazi act alone anymore; the two were inseparable, making Hei Xiazi feel like he had a top-notch bodyguard who was always there for him. This bodyguard not only took care of his medicine and food, but now even when he went out for some fresh air, Zhang Qiling would follow him a few steps away like a shadow, his eyes scanning the surroundings with an almost frighteningly professional angle.
"Hey, mute," Black Bear said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching Zhang Qiling finish checking the secret marks on the courtyard gate again. "Aren't you being a little too vigilant? We haven't even set off for the west yet, is it really necessary to be so on edge?"
Zhang Qiling walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and sharply scanned the gray residential building across the street. His tone was calm and even: "Better safe than sorry." He lowered the curtain and turned to Hei Xiazi, "Someone is following us. It started the day Xie Yuchen made that phone call."
Black Bear's heart skipped a beat, and he dropped his joking expression: "They're after the Queen Mother of the West's Palace? The news leaked out so quickly?"
“Not necessarily.” Zhang Qiling shook his head. “It could be a coincidence, or it could be caused by our previous actions (referring to the Gray Soil Shop). Or…” He paused, his eyes turning slightly cold, “it could be that Xie Yuchen’s phone call itself was a test.”
Hei Xiazi instantly understood. Xie Yuchen might not have completely believed their explanation of "closing down." That phone call could be a warning, or it could be bait, to see their true reaction to the news about the "Queen Mother of the West Palace," or even to observe whether anyone would be targeting them because of it. If it was the latter, then this Flower Master's intentions were rather frighteningly deep.
"Alright," Black Bear grinned, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "No matter what kind of deity they are, since they've come, wouldn't it seem like we don't know how to treat guests if we didn't go and say hello?"
His inherent recklessness and adventurous spirit were stirred. Passive waiting wasn't his style; he preferred to stir things up and see what kind of fish were lurking beneath the surface.
Zhang Qiling looked at him, her eyes showing no objection, only a hint of inquiry and confirmation.
“Tonight,” Hei Xiazi lowered his voice and pointed to a seemingly ordinary window in the building across the street—the spot Zhang Qiling had been observing closely—“let’s go meet our new ‘neighbors’.”
That night, with the moon hidden and stars sparse, it was the perfect time for night owls to be active. Two dark figures, as if blending into the darkness itself, silently slipped out of the courtyard. Instead of using the gate, they climbed out from a very secluded corner in the backyard and, using the shadows cast by the buildings, quickly made their way towards the residential building across the street.
Zhang Qiling led the way, moving as nimbly as a black panther, each step landing precisely in blind spots and where the noise was lowest. Hei Xiazi followed closely behind; their understanding was so profound that words were unnecessary—a glance, a subtle gesture, and they knew each other's intentions. Soon, they had infiltrated the back of their target building. The building was old, with numerous pipes and air conditioner units on the exterior walls that could be used for climbing.
Zhang Qiling pointed to a window on the fourth floor, its heavy curtains drawn but letting in a faint light, and gestured for them to go up. Hei Xiazi nodded, and the two of them, like well-trained rock climbers, moved nimbly and quietly up the building along the protrusions and pipes on the exterior wall.
Upon reaching the outside of the target window, the window was tightly closed, but the old window frame had gaps, allowing a faint, rhythmic sound of keyboard typing to be heard from inside, along with occasional brief reports in low voices.
"...The target did not leave... Everything is normal..."
Hei Xiazi and Zhang Qiling exchanged a glance; they were indeed monitoring them, and doing so very professionally.
Zhang Qiling traced an almost invisible mark on the dusty glass with his finger, then gestured to Hei Xiazi to stay and provide support. He himself, like a gecko, continued to swim towards the fifth-floor window above—a pitch-black spot that seemed like a better vantage point for observation or infiltration.
Black Bear held his breath, concealing himself in the shadows, his ears twitching as he caught every sound in the room. The observers inside were cautious, their reports limited to their daily activities, offering no further background information.
Suddenly, a very faint thud, like a person falling to the ground, came from the fourth-floor room. Immediately afterward, a rapid, low-pitched call came from a device on the table: "Number Three? Respond if you hear me! What's going on?"
Hei Xiazi's heart tightened. Had Zhang Qiling succeeded? Or had he triggered some kind of alarm?
Just as he was about to force his way through the window, the fourth-floor window was silently pushed open a crack from the inside. Zhang Qiling appeared at the window and gave him a "safe" gesture.
Hei Xiazi immediately climbed through the window. The room was simply furnished, as if it were temporarily rented. A man in ordinary sportswear lay slumped on the floor, unconscious. On the table next to him were listening devices, a laptop (the screen was black), and a communicator that was still emitting a faint static sound. Zhang Qiling stood to the side, holding a miniature camera and several newly printed, slightly blurry photos—pictures of him and Hei Xiazi in the courtyard over the past few days.
"Clean," Black Bear praised, crouching down to quickly examine the unconscious man. There were no obvious markings on him, his clothes were ordinary, and a thorough search revealed only a small amount of cash and an untraceable, cheap mobile phone. His professionalism was remarkable.
"The cleanup was thorough." Hei Xiazi stood up, his brows furrowed slightly. "Another assassin's scheme? It seems the mastermind behind this is no ordinary person."
Zhang Qiling picked up the communicator, from which came anxious, low-pitched calls. He pressed the call button but made no sound; instead, he gently and slowly blew into the receiver.
The sound traveled through the radio waves, and the other end fell into a deathly silence. A few seconds later, the communication was abruptly cut off.
"We've alerted the enemy." Hei Xiazi looked at the silent communicator.
“Perfect.” Zhang Qiling said coldly as she removed and destroyed the camera’s memory card. “Let them know that connections aren’t so easy to make.”
He glanced at the monitor on the ground, his eyes devoid of warmth: "These are just the eyes. The brain behind them is still in the shadows."
The two quickly cleaned up any traces they might leave behind, including fingerprints and fibers, and then, just as they had come, quietly withdrew and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Back at their lodgings, the atmosphere was heavy and tinged with a sense of impending doom. Although one threat had been removed, the professionalism and caution of the individuals monitoring them indicated that the surveillance was carried out by a well-organized force with a clear objective.
"The Wang family? Or something else?" Hei Xiazi leaned against the door, looking at Zhang Qiling to confirm the safety of the room again.
After Zhang Qiling finished his inspection, he straightened up, looked at him, and said with eyes as deep as the night: "Anything is possible. The commotion at the Queen Mother of the West's Palace has attracted more than just treasure hunters."
His early arrival, and the potential variables surrounding the Bronze Gate and the "ultimate," are already enough to stir up countless sensitive nerves. Now, with the added bait of the Queen Mother of the West's Palace, the waters have been stirred up even more.
Hei Xiazi walked up to him and patted his arm: "I don't care what kind of monsters they are, we'll take care of them one by one." He grinned, his eyes showing the calmness and fearlessness of someone who had been through many battles, "Anyway, wherever you go, I'll accompany you to the end."
Zhang Qiling looked at the familiar light in Hei Xiazi's eyes, and his tense jawline relaxed slightly. He reached out, not to slap Hei Xiazi's hand away, but to gently place it on the back of his hand, feeling a firm yet warm touch in his palm.
"Hmm," he replied softly, everything understood without words.
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