Chapter Ninety-One: Deliberate Provocation

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but who in Blue City has ever seen the Du family’s second young master? At most, people have only heard of him.”

He shook his head.

Sure enough, he had no intention of admitting anything.

“Earlier, you stole silver from the Du family’s second young master. You knew who he was, so you did it on purpose.”

Han Qing exposed him again.

The little thug was left with no way out.

“I do know him, but those grand officials would at most make me apologize and that would be the end of it. Why are you insisting on making such a big deal out of this?”

He was still trying to muddy the waters.

“Your background probably has something to do with the Du family, doesn’t it?”

At that question, the man’s expression changed completely.

He had hidden it for so long.

How had some stranger seen through him so easily?

“Who exactly are you? How do you know so much?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is this: do you really want to stay in a place like that forever, with no hope of ever rising above it? If you had already given up on revenge, you would never have deliberately provoked the Du family’s second young master.”

Han Qing spoke word by word.

Every sentence struck straight at his heart, each one sound and undeniable.

And it left him helpless.

It was the truth.

“You’re just an outsider. Even if you know all this, it won’t change anything. After all, I pose no threat to the Du family.”

He shook his head.

So he might as well stop pretending.

There was no point hiding his identity anymore anyway; this person could see through him at a glance.

“Then what about your friend? What if I told you your friend’s death was also connected to the Du family?”

This...

The thug instantly grew alert.

Only then did he finally understand that, after all the twists and turns, he had still walked right into the other man’s trap.

“What do you need me to do?”

“What can you do for me?”

Han Qing said leisurely.

“I’ve been mixing around in Blue City for seven or eight years. Which place nearby gets information the fastest? Which place has seen the most killings? I know it all inside and out.”

He spoke slowly.

Since this was mutual exploitation, he had to show some sincerity.

“Good. That’s enough.”

Then Han Qing let him go.

It was rather surprising. This man, who looked like an ordinary thug, was actually the illegitimate son the old master of the Du family had fathered in a dalliance years ago.

This was, in truth, a pleasant surprise.

However, the old master of the Du family increasingly found this hotpot restaurant an eyesore.

He had already sent the steward to deal with it several times, but in the end, every attempt had been forced back in failure.

Nor could he resort to open force, unless he wanted to tear his face off with those officials.

He himself also understood the Prince of Yan’s present predicament: one wrong step now would mean every step after that would be wrong as well.

“Old master, why must we drive them to ruin? Since they’re already in Blue City, why not let them blend in here instead?”

The steward spoke slowly.

It was indeed a good idea.

It would even save a great deal of trouble.

“Find a time for my second son to go take a look and see whether they’re willing to obey my arrangements and sendings.”

The old master nodded.

They could not make things too stiff just yet.

As long as they could work things out, and the Du family could take a share of the profit, then everything would be fine.

The Du family’s second young master was in charge of three taverns already, so having him manage this matter would be a natural fit.

The next day, he hurried over with a number of lavish gifts.

The man was indeed shrewd, deliberately coming to show goodwill.

“Is your proprietor here?”

“Young Master Du, I’ll go inform him at once.”

After a short wait, Han Qing slowly emerged from behind the screen.

He took one look at the precious gifts the other man had brought and showed no particular reaction.

Instead, he prepared to courteously send him back.

“I didn’t know Second Young Master Du was coming. What brings you here?”

He asked with earnest politeness.

“Brother Han, I’ve come on behalf of my father to pay you a visit. I’m sure you know my father’s position in the trade association. Since you’ve opened a shop in Blue City, shouldn’t you come make a formal call?”

So that was the plan.

But Han Qing was unwilling.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go. As you can see, I’ve been busy these past few days. And there are too many troubles to deal with afterward. For the moment, I simply can’t leave.”

There was a trace of amusement in his eyes.

“Waiter, see the guest out. As for these gifts, since they’ve already been delivered, it wouldn’t do to have them taken back. Otherwise, if word got out, wouldn’t people say the Du family is stingy?”

He had run into a wall.

And had nothing to say.

Han Qing had not been in the least negligent; he had merely found a good excuse.

After returning home, the man immediately reported the matter to the old master.

The old master of the Du family flew into a rage.

“A mere child dares to turn the world upside down? He’s only had a few kind words spoken for him, and he thinks he can ignore our commands in Blue City?”

“Exactly. I doubt they have the nerve. But their attitude is clear enough: they simply don’t want to come and pay you a visit, and they used all manner of excuses to brush me off.”

That much was the truth.

The old master of the Du family wore a face full of resentment. A young man had actually dared to act so high and mighty; this could not be ignored.

If they did not dare move against him openly, then what about in the shadows?

They hatched a plan together.

After all, the hotpot shop had been open for less than a month. No matter how impressive its reputation became, it was impossible for every customer in the city to go eat this one kind of food.

With a little underhanded trickery, the shop would not be able to hold out for long.

Once the steward understood the plan, he nodded.

Yet the quieter things became on this side, the more uneasy it felt.

“Brother Han, that last speech of yours was bound to anger the Du family. But until now, they still haven’t made a move. Something about it feels strange.”

“They can’t possibly stay this quiet. That old fellow certainly can’t just watch the trade association he’s run for so many years be outdone by others.”

Han Qing shook his head without concern.

He had deliberately provoked them in the first place; if they still refused to act now, they would be missing their chance.

“But if we provoke them, then we won’t be able to gain a foothold in Blue City.”

“You seem to have forgotten that what truly matters is the people’s support. Our shops have given the common folk here exquisite food and proper service. They won’t fall.”

He spoke with unwavering certainty.

Everything he had done was for the people’s benefit.

No matter how capable these men were, they still could not destroy that.

“You still need to be careful. The less angry they seem now, the more suspicious it becomes.”

Before a storm, all is always eerily calm.

He nodded and continued quietly studying his martial arts manual.

These past few days, he had felt the flow of inner energy surging through him, and whenever he touched the hilt of a sword, it could draw forth even more true qi.

This was enough to show that he had already grasped the subtleties of the technique.

But the crashing waves had never ceased.