Chapter 9 Three Groups of People Arrived

After a life-and-death ordeal and incidentally getting acquainted with the Special Affairs Bureau, Qiu Xiaoling immediately filed a report, exposing how her scumbag ex-boyfriend had nearly killed her. Fang Zhenbang took her statement and accepted the case, proceeding with the investigation arrangements.

After bidding farewell to Fang Zhenbang, Qiu Xiaoling went home and collapsed onto her bed.  

The day’s events had been truly harrowing. Who would have thought that what she initially assumed was just an ordinary case of being stood up—and buying an ordinary hairpin—would end up saving her life? She was deeply grateful to Shopkeeper Yan. Thinking back carefully, if she hadn’t gone shopping for the hairpin and had gone straight home instead, she might have eventually felt unreasonable after some time and gone to the hotel to wait for that scumbag. And perhaps, in a different mood, she would still have tried to avoid losing face in front of him by finding a place to touch up her makeup—inevitably running into that despicable couple again.  

At this thought, Qiu Xiaoling shuddered and quickly took off the hairpin, rubbing it against her cheek for reassurance. Without its protection, she would have surely burned to death—or at the very least, suffered severe burns. Her entire life would have been ruined!  

Truly, she had been incredibly lucky. Qiu Xiaoling sat up abruptly and began rummaging frantically through her belongings.  

No—she couldn’t just leave it at that. Though Shopkeeper Yan might be a bit eerie, she still had to properly express her gratitude for saving her life.  

After finally digging out a long-stored treasure from the bottom of her belongings, Qiu Xiaoling took a shower and went to bed, finally at ease.  

Of course, she was also afraid that if she didn’t show any appreciation, the shopkeeper might hold it against her…  

·  

Early in the morning, Yan Zhen was pulling things out from his inner courtyard. There was no visible place on his slender frame where he could have stored anything, yet with a flick of his wrist, the ground was suddenly littered with massive carcasses of bizarre beasts—each one grotesquely shaped enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.  

For instance, there was a creature resembling a quail, yet its beak and some markings were different, and its size was mismatched. There were several ape-like animals of varying sizes, each with differently colored fur. Some looked like snakes but had an abundance of wings. And then there were those with human faces, their bodies twisted into all sorts of unnatural shapes…  

The most terrifying part was the overwhelming pressure radiating from each carcass. An ordinary person standing here would likely be forced to their knees, unable to remain upright. Even those with some ability would find these creatures horrifying.  

Soon, the inner courtyard was packed with these monstrous carcasses, leaving almost no space to walk. Yan Zhen surveyed the scene and sighed in disappointment. “The nest is still too small.”  

At first, he hadn’t expected his precious treasure to arrive so soon. He’d thought this place would suffice as long as it could accommodate his shrunken true form. But now that his treasure was here, and he had brought everything from his mountain, the space felt cramped. Overwhelmed by choices, he suddenly found the place far less ideal than he’d initially thought.  

With a melancholic sigh, Yan Zhen walked to a small pool at the edge of the courtyard and began tossing things into it.

This time, with every flick of his wrist, one or even several flashes of shimmering light appeared, and fish of various forms were tossed into the pond. Besides fish, he flicked a few more times along the stream winding around the small hill, and colorful shells of all sizes were thrown in, landing in the shallow waters below, their iridescent glow making the hill seem even more ethereal.

After finishing all this, Yan Zhen fully realized that there was truly no more space left in his inner courtyard.

Among the things he had just brought out, what should he choose… Ah, decisions were so difficult.

Just as Yan Zhen was sinking into the throes of indecision, a voice suddenly called out to him from the moon gate.

“Master Yan, Master Yan! Are you there?”

Yan Zhen recognized it as the human male who ran errands for him. After a moment’s thought, he stepped out through the moon gate.

In the front courtyard, Zhou Yimin was waiting, surrounded by large and small packages. Seeing Yan Zhen emerge, he quickly picked up the items and handed them over, saying, “Master Yan, thanks to you for driving away the unlucky ghost and pointing me in the right direction. Wouldn’t you know it? I found the person who was harming me and resolved a major worry. Now I’m here to formally visit and express my gratitude… I can’t thank you enough.”

Yan Zhen waved his hand dismissively, placed the items by the moon gate, and led Zhou Yimin inside to sit.

Zhou Yimin sat behind the intricately carved table, his expression serious as he spoke to Yan Zhen. “Sigh, ever since you pointed out the direction that time, I noticed that the direction of the person harming me aligned with my company’s location. Right then, I felt something was off—it might have been a colleague. Later, when I returned to work after my leave, I decided to investigate…”

It turned out that Zhou Yimin worked for a large, publicly listed company. He was one of the sales department managers, a veteran employee with over a decade of service. Because Zhou Yimin was adept at handling people, he had built connections through selling products, even forming close friendships with some clients. His extensive network meant that, aside from his base salary, his monthly commissions were substantial. This was how he could afford a home in City B, quickly arrange Yan Zhen’s ID, and find a suitable property for him within days.

Recently, someone had hinted that their entire department had caught the attention of upper management. The reason was that their current department manager, due to outstanding performance, was about to be promoted. His departure would leave a vacancy, and the higher-ups planned to select a replacement from among the department managers who had worked there for over seven years.

Of course, this news hadn’t been officially announced, but those who knew about it naturally entered a state of preparation, giving them an advantage.

Zhou Yimin was the top performer among all the sales managers, with twelve years of service under his belt. Barring any mishaps, he was practically the shoo-in for the position. Among the other managers was a man in his thirties, surnamed Hu, who was ambitious and eager to climb the corporate ladder. He harbored hopes of becoming the department manager and continuing his ascent.

Manager Hu had been scheming to get rid of Zhou Yimin when a debt from his past came back to haunt him. Seeing the situation turning against him, he decided to go all out and sought help from the same person who had aided him in wrongdoing before. His plan was to make Zhou Yimin take his place as the debtor. If the unlucky ghost could kill Zhou Yimin, the creditor would be satisfied and leave. Zhou Yimin’s death would appear to be mere misfortune, absolving Hu of any blame. With his strongest rival gone, Hu could easily handle the rest and become the sole candidate for the department manager position.

Upon hearing this convoluted tale, Yan Zhen was momentarily stunned. “How treacherous.”

Zhou Yimin sighed. “Isn’t it? Grandmaster Yan, I won’t hide it from you—I was the one who personally trained Hu when he first joined the company. I didn’t expect gratitude, but I never thought he’d go so far as to harm me. I only realized what was happening when his streak of bad luck began. Because of the unlucky ghost, he botched several major projects, ruining his chances for promotion. The pressure got to him. When I confronted him, he confessed everything without much prodding. Now, he’s been tormented beyond recognition—worse than I ever was. Seeing that I’ve recovered, he tried to ask who helped me. I knew he wanted to beg for your assistance, Grandmaster.” He hesitated before adding, “But I refused and didn’t tell him it was you who saved me. If you think I was wrong—”

Yan Zhen waved a hand dismissively, his expression relaxed. “You weren’t wrong.”

Zhou Yimin brightened. “Exactly. Every debt has its debtor. He owes the creditor, and now it’s time to repay.”

Yan Zhen gave a noncommittal hum and let the topic drop.

Zhou Yimin exhaled imperceptibly in relief. Since Yan Zhen had so willingly saved him, he had assumed the Grandmaster was soft-hearted. He had worried Yan Zhen might be upset that he didn’t want Hu saved. Fortunately, the Grandmaster wasn’t angry—perhaps he understood. After all, Zhou Yimin wasn’t a saint. Why would he offer salvation to someone who had tried to kill him? That would just be foolish.

Yan Zhen handed Zhou Yimin a cup of tea. Though the taste was peculiar, a single sip dissolved the resentment clogging his chest—the bitterness of nearly being killed by a colleague. His heart lightened, even lifting his mood.

Zhou Yimin couldn’t help asking, “Grandmaster Yan, what kind of tea is this?”

Yan Zhen shook his head. “Not tea.”

“Then what is it?”

“Water steeped with pin grass.” Yan Zhen stood, retrieved a small potted plant from a shelf, and placed it on the table, sliding it toward Zhou Yimin. “Here, this is it.”

Zhou Yimin examined it. Wasn’t this just winter greens? But a closer sniff revealed an onion-like scent. Definitely not winter greens—those didn’t smell like this. Seeing that Yan Zhen wasn’t inclined to explain further, he didn’t press. The aroma alone lifted his spirits, so perhaps it was another extraordinary plant. He’d take it home, care for it, and brew a cup now and then.

Just then, Yan Zhen added, “You can also stir-fry it.”

Zhou Yimin nodded. “Ah.”

Just as the atmosphere between the two was about to become awkward, footsteps sounded outside, and another person walked in.

It was a pretty young woman, dressed in a short-sleeved top and hot pants, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, exuding youthful energy.  

This was Qiu Xiaoling. She had come to visit Yan Zhen but had deliberately avoided wearing a skirt—mainly because of that fire incident. Even though she hadn’t been burned, the psychological trauma remained. If not for the fact that short hair made her look particularly silly, she would have chopped it all off.  

Qiu Xiaoling was also carrying several bags in her hands. The moment she saw Yan Zhen, she rushed over and bowed deeply. “I didn’t get the chance yesterday, but today I really must thank you properly. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been burned to death yesterday.”  

Zhou Yimin, hearing this, immediately felt a sense of kinship—another kindred spirit in misfortune—and turned to look at her.  

Yan Zhen, however, said, “You bought it yourself. It has nothing to do with me.”  

Qiu Xiaoling presented the gifts, waiting until Yan Zhen accepted them before speaking respectfully. “Something that can save my life—you sold it to me for just three thousand yuan. Isn’t that a kindness? Anywhere else, that amount of money wouldn’t even get you anything.”  

Zhou Yimin couldn’t help chiming in, “That’s exactly how it is. A while back, I was almost killed by someone, but Grandmaster Yan saw it coming and gave me something on the spot that saved my life.”  

Qiu Xiaoling had been struggling to find a topic to discuss with the shop owner, so she quickly seized the opportunity. “You too, uncle? That day, I took a liking to this hairpin.” She carefully pulled it out of her pocket to show Zhou Yimin. “The shop owner said it had a strong connection with me, and that very afternoon, it saved my life. Looking back now, maybe the shop owner could tell I only had three thousand in cash on me and that I was facing a life-threatening calamity—that’s why he sold it to me.”  

Zhou Yimin nodded in realization. “Exactly, exactly. That’s just how Grandmaster Yan is.”  

Yan Zhen listened to the praise, unmoved.  

He wasn’t like that. He hadn’t done any of that. He had simply seen one person shrouded in dark clouds and another whose face was blackened to the point of disfigurement—he just couldn’t bear to leave them like that.  

As they chatted, Zhou Yimin and Qiu Xiaoling shared their respective misfortunes, each feeling righteous indignation on the other’s behalf. In this way, they formed an unlikely friendship centered around Yan Zhen. Though Yan Zhen himself barely engaged in their conversation, they still managed to get closer to him—which was enough.  

A short while later, another customer entered.  

This newcomer was tall and burly but had a baby face. He seemed lively and cheerful, appearing to be in his twenties, giving off a sunny and enthusiastic vibe. The young man walked back and forth between the shelves, examining almost every piece of jade in the shop. After finishing his inspection, instead of making a selection right away, he headed to the innermost wooden shelf filled with miscellaneous items, picked up a few fruits, and brought them to Yan Zhen.  

“Shop owner, how much for these?”  

Yan Zhen glanced at the fruits, then at the sunny young man.  

“Twenty thousand per piece.”  

Without hesitation, the young man transferred the money. “That’s a fair price. Do you have any more in stock? I’ll take all of them.”  

Yan Zhen thought for a moment. “Tell me where your captain lives, and I’ll give you two for free.”  

The sunny young man froze instantly.  

Th-this…  

Yan Zhen tilted his head slightly, puzzled. “You smell like Fang Zhenbang. Why aren’t you saying anything?”  

The young man’s face darkened immediately.

“Hey hey, what do you mean by having Deputy Captain Fang’s scent? That sounds way too ambiguous! He’s just a team member, okay? He was called over by Deputy Captain Fang for a talk earlier and only picked up a bit of the scent because he stayed there for a while. And with such a faint trace of aura, what kind of Dog Nose could possibly detect it… What horrified him even more was being seen through the moment he got close. How was he supposed to complete his mission of befriending and winning over this person now? Finally, the other party wanted Captain Lin’s address—should he give it or not? If he didn’t, would negotiations with this dangerous individual break down? But if he did… Captain Lin would definitely make life difficult for him after being forced to sell his charms. He might even order someone to beat him up on the spot—Captain Lin’s punches hurt like hell, you know.”

Yan Zhen furrowed his brows: “You’re not going to tell me?”