Chapter 42: No Loss-Making Deals

"Master Chen, what do you mean by this..." Xu Qi knitted her brows.

Pan Ji let out a disdainful scoff. "It's not like I've never touched tender and delicate young men, but since the Young Master of the Zhang family has no need to serve others with his looks, why bother having his ears pierced?"

Xu Qi abruptly grasped her earlobe.

"A gentleman compares his virtue to jade... When I was young, I wore a jade pendant following the rites of the Shang and Zhou dynasties."

"Hahaha, still trying to quibble?" Pan Ji swept his robe and stood up, stepping closer to Xu Qi stride by stride. His eyelids fluttered as he scrutinized her as if appraising a precious treasure. "Do you think... you've seen more bags of salt in your life, or have I seen more women?"

His imposing aura pressed down on her, causing Xu Qi to unconsciously retreat half a step. The small crossbow in her sleeve had already slid into her palm, ready to fire at any moment. Behind her, a tightly focused gaze was also eager and poised, ready to step in and shield her at a moment's notice.

Yet Pan Ji stopped. He halted an arm's length away and curved the corners of his mouth. "Scared? Don't worry, this young master never plucks a melon forced from the vine."

"You..."

"I'm pleased by your grit, which is why I'm giving you this chance. Don't waste it. Speak, what brings you to me after all?"

Xu Qi loathed his arrogance, and loathed his flattery even more. Yet, truth be told, he had indeed protected them—protected her—earlier in front of Cui Mao; otherwise, matters would likely have been thoroughly ruined by her own hand.

At this thought, she took a deep breath, suppressed her displeasure, and said calmly, "Yesterday at the official granary of the Changying Granary, a century-officer named Huang Zhang met an unnatural death. He appeared to have dealings with you during his lifetime. In your view, could he have been hunted down by enemies seeking vengeance?"

The languid look on Pan Ji's face visibly froze for a fraction of a second, hardening into severity, though he transitioned swiftly and concealed it immediately.

"Huang Zhang? This young master has never heard the name. You must have the wrong person."

"I advise Young Master Chen to think carefully again."

Seeing how resolute she was, Pan Ji smiled. "I have indeed met a few century-officers. I have no other hobbies to speak of; I simply enjoy making friends far and wide. From high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants down to peddlers and foot soldiers, those who have shared a drink or crossed paths with this young master number at least half the city of Huai'an. But if you expect me to recount who each of them is and what their surnames and given names are one by one, then I'm afraid this young master is quite powerless to help."

He lied without blinking an eye, Xu Qi thought.

Unfortunately, if he stubbornly insisted he didn't know the man, there was nothing she could do to him.

How should she go about extracting information from him?

While she hesitated, Pan Ji took the initiative and turned the question back on her. "And why must you investigate this matter? A century-officer dying in a vital grain storage area is properly within the jurisdiction of the garrison. As a mere woman, you rashly meddle in it—aren't you afraid of courting trouble?"

Xu Qi seized upon his opening and questioned, "Oh? And how does Young Master Chen know that there is trouble lurking in this?"

"Heh," Pan Ji pointed a finger at her, amused. "Such a sharp tongue." He sat down again, unhurriedly sipping his tea.

Judging by his words and actions, he didn't seem entirely unwilling to speak. After all, if he grew annoyed or irritated, he could easily have summoned people inside to chase them out or even give them a beating.

Xu Qi pondered for a moment, then followed suit and sat down at the table.

"I've already given my warning. If you insist on inquiring, I suppose I can reveal a thing or two."

Hearing this, Xu Qi opened her mouth to speak, but Pan Ji paused his tea-drinking, raised a finger holding the teacup to signal silence, swallowed the fragrant tea, and continued, "I don't know who Huang Zhang is, and everything I said earlier was just drunken nonsense. It's simply that I cannot bear to see a lively, delicate young woman suffer hardships, which is why I spoke out of turn. Take it as mere passing wind—understood?"

"However, let me make things clear first: I never engage in a losing trade." Pan Ji raised his eyes and smiled at her, his slender fox-like eyes brimming with a seductive charm. "You must prepare something that interests me to exchange for it."

Xu Qi felt as though she had been targeted by some predatory beast, a trace of danger creeping up her spine. Tensing her body, she asked warily, "What does Young Master Chen want?"

"As for that... we'll speak of it later. I have a bad habit: I rather enjoy watching people owe me favors." Pan Ji feigned mystery, his lips curving upward. "Was that century-officer from Gusu?"

"...... Exactly."

"With a scar on his hand?"

Xu Qi nodded.

Pan Ji said knowingly, "We shared a drink once; a tedious bore. He was fond of gambling, while I dislike losing money. Our interests didn't align, and we never met again."

At these words, Xu Qi's heart sank. If Pan Ji was not lying, then the whereabouts of Zhiwei would remain forever unknown. Just as she had finally brushed away the fog, she discovered she was standing at the edge of a cliff, unable to advance another step. Just as her brows drooped in despair, she heard him speak again:

"That time, he came to beg me. Just like you, rash and reckless—though he was far less interesting than you are."

Xu Qi leaned forward slightly. "What did he beg of you?"

"To spare him a vacancy on a salt boat. He had cargo to transport."

"What cargo?"

"Unknown, and I have no desire to know." Pan Ji looked utterly bored. "Too many people come to me with pleas, mostly dreaming of striking it rich, cutting corners for the sake of a few coins while imagining themselves terribly clever, hmph."

"Then did you grant him the space?"

Pan Ji flashed a smile at her. "Didn't I say? I like it when others owe me favors."

"Which boat was chosen? When does it depart?"

Xu Qi's urgency caused Pan Ji to narrow his eyes slightly, catching a scent. "...... You seem far more concerned with what cargo he intended to transport than with whether Huang Zhang is dead or alive. What's this? Are you not here to catch the murderer?"

Xu Qi was startled. She hadn't expected her momentary impatience to betray her inner thoughts and give her opponent a handle against her. This man was truly cunning and sharp; it seemed she really couldn't treat him as a mere dissolute playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and make merry.

Composing herself, she explained, "Apart from gambling, the last person Huang Zhang contacted before his death was you. Therefore, whatever cargo he intended to transport is very likely the reason for his brutal demise. I must figure it out down to the smallest detail."

Whether this explanation convinced Pan Ji was impossible to tell, for whenever this man smiled, his eyes always concealed other layers of meaning, making it entirely impossible to discern his sincerity.

Yet he pressed no further and instead gave her the hull number of a salt boat.

Setting down his teacup and rising to his feet, he tapped the tabletop and abruptly stated, "West Lane at Qingyan Bridge, the gold and jewelry shop with black-painted doors."

"What?" Xu Qi looked up from her deep contemplation in confusion.

"My residence. Whether you've figured things out or not, you may come find me at any time." Leaving behind these enigmatic words, Young Master Chen strolled leisurely out of the Listening Snow Pavilion.

Xu Qi blinked, and by the time the implications fully registered, her face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and vexation.

*Clack.* Tan Jiuding slammed down his ox-ear-tipped knife, dropped heavily onto a seat, poured himself three cups of tea in succession, and after gulping them down, wiped the moisture from his fake mustache with a cold expression. "What an entangled and slippery aristocratic dandy."

Bai Tingyi also stared at the doorway where the man had vanished, shuffled over hesitantly, and marveled aloud, "Is this fellow... an enemy or a friend?"

"He admitted himself that he never does a losing business; no doubt he'll come looking to us for repayment later. But we can't afford to worry about that right now. We must go investigate that ship first. It sets sail in three days."

Bai Tingyi wondered aloud, "That century-officer is already dead, and there are still days before departure—surely they didn't have time to load the cargo onto the ship yet, right?"

"That's hard to say. Even if Huang Zhang is dead, what if he has other accomplices? They can still carry out the plan..." Xu Qi nudged Tan Jiuding's arm, reminding him, "Do you still remember that embroidered seamstress who was rescued that you told me about?"

"Wasn't she stuffed onto a boat? And didn't you mention that the other party told the boatman someone would naturally meet her upon arrival?"

"I'm wondering... if they might use the exact same method to send Zhiwei onto that ship as well."