Chapter 34 – The Great Thief

Xia Daohua reached out again and checked the man’s carotid artery. It seemed to be beating faster than before.

Uh-oh… was he waking up?

She scrambled to her feet, not daring to lay another finger on this “walking money bag.”

Looking around and seeing no one else approaching, she examined both exits of the alley. After a brief moment of hesitation, she picked the side where light was coming in and quickly ran toward it.

She had barely left for half a cup of tea’s time when the man lying on the ground slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.

He opened his eyes.

They were cold, merciless eyes.

He tested his limbs. Though still a bit numb, they could move slowly now. His head was foggy, but he could think again.

It seemed the drug’s effects were wearing off.

This knockout powder—damn, it was potent!

For Great Chu to have someone capable of concocting something like this… it was truly impressive and not to be underestimated.

Unfortunately, he’d lost his temper and killed that vile woman on the spot. Otherwise, he might’ve already secured the formula for that drug.

His thoughts churned wildly until he suddenly realized something was wrong.

He hadn’t been captured!

This wasn’t a prison cell!

Excitement surged. Summoning what little strength he had, he flipped himself up from the ground.

He cautiously scanned his surroundings. It was an unfamiliar place—he had no idea how he’d ended up here. Probably got chased too fiercely, the drug kicked in, and he fled blindly into this alley.

Still, the fact that he hadn’t been caught? That was a win.

Too bad he had lost contact with his comrades. Who knew where they were now? Were they still alive… or already dead?

He lowered his gaze, sorrow clouding his eyes. Then suddenly, he remembered something and hurriedly reached into his robe, patting himself all over.

Oh no!

Where were all his belongings? Why was he left with only his clothes? Even his cloak had been taken!

The thieves in Beiguan Town were out of control!

He instantly checked his inner pockets, and his face darkened.

His coin pouch and wine flask were gone.

But that was minor.

The truly critical item was the oil-paper package—gone without a trace.

It had taken him months of maneuvering in Xijing, dealing with Great Chu officials and sacrificing two covert bases, just to get his hands on that package.

That inconspicuous little bundle contained the military deployment maps for Great Chu’s troops in the Jieling Mountains.

Because of its importance, he had never entrusted it to anyone else. It was always on him. And now it was gone. Not even someone to blame for it!

The same night he secured the document, his identity had been exposed.

Great Chu’s forces had been on him like wolves—especially the damned Jinyiwei, with their inhuman noses! He’d been on the run nonstop and never had time to copy the map.

At the time, he had thought: “I’ve got the original, why bother making a copy?”

Now? He regretted it so much he could practically feel his guts twisting.

He had weathered countless dangers, only to fall into a ditch at the very end!

There had been government spies inside Huanhua House!

And that sweet-faced songstress? She’d spiked his drink with knockout powder while flashing him loving eyes!

If he hadn’t been so cautious—if he hadn’t sensed something was wrong the moment the drug kicked in and immediately cut that treacherous woman down, jumped out the window, and even set the place ablaze on his way out—

He would already be locked up, a tiger brought low and caged.

He let out a bitter laugh.

To lose the most critical item of the entire mission… to be left without even a coin in his pocket… wasn’t that exactly the definition of a fallen tiger stuck in a pit?

If the Beiguan authorities were efficient, his wanted poster was probably already plastered all over the city gates by now.

He sighed deeply but refused to give in.

If he returned like this, his imperial elder brother would no doubt make a fuss—scolding him for botching the mission, for undermining their foothold in Chu territory. He might even use this as an excuse to exile him to Ningguta to herd sheep!

No. He absolutely couldn’t go back like this!

Then it hit him—whoever stole from him must intend to pawn the goods for cash.

All he needed to do was station enough men at the pawnshops and wait. That thief would show up sooner or later.

And when he did?

He would make them wish for death but be unable to die.

Clenching his teeth, he swore silently to himself: he would lie low for as long as it took to catch the wretched thief who ruined his plan.

Casting one last look at both ends of the alley, he picked the darker exit. Moving his still-numb limbs, he staggered into the long shadows.

---

Meanwhile, Xia Daohua had already reunited with the Xia family.

Everyone was there—except for the eldest branch.

Xia Daohua had been the last missing child to be found.

The moment Jiang-shi saw her, she burst into tears.

She grabbed Daohua’s arm and hit her back hard several times while crying and scolding:

“You stupid child! Where did you run off to? Were you trying to scare me to death?!”

Her sobbing grew louder and more broken.

Xia Daohua stood there awkwardly, moved by Jiang-shi’s genuine concern.

But when it came to answering, she could only remain silent.

No matter how touched she was, she couldn’t exactly say in front of everyone, “Oh, I was out stealing from someone.”

Seeing Daohua’s silence, Madam Zhou spoke up:

“Alright, alright, Fourth Daughter-in-law, a couple smacks are enough. With how chaotic it was just now, we should be burning incense in thanks that no one kidnapped her!”

Jiang-shi barely held back her tears but continued sniffling. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she kept hiccuping from crying. Xia Daohua felt wretched seeing her like this.

Once Jiang-shi finally calmed down, everyone was exhausted.

Even the usually frugal Madam Zhou decided to splurge a little—they stopped at a nearby wonton stall, and she paid for a steaming bowl for each person.

While waiting for their food, the family told Daohua what had happened after they got separated, and she finally understood why Jiang-shi had been so upset.

It was said that the chaos started when Huanhua House caught fire. Government soldiers had been chasing down a notorious fugitive. The fire and chase led to two separate horse stampedes.

Panic erupted as people fled in every direction, away from Huanhua House.

A portion of the fleeing crowd happened to rush straight into the Xia family’s area, scattering them.

Later, due to the dense crowd, a stampede accident occurred.

Some girls were injured in the chaos. And with Xia Daohua missing, Jiang-shi nearly fainted from anxiety.

(End of Chapter)