Volume One, Chapter Forty: Clues

“Don’t worry, I left them all alive.” Mode grinned as he patted the bald man on the shoulder, signaling for him to give up his futile resistance.

“Thank you for your mercy…” The bald man’s attitude shifted instantly. He now paid the utmost respect to the youth who had subdued him single-handedly, his head bowed, eyes fixed firmly on his toes. He knew the rules of the underworld—he dared not look the youth in the face for fear that, should he glimpse his true identity, he would not be allowed to live.

“What are you so afraid of? I’m wearing a mask. If you keep your head down, how are we supposed to have a chat?” Since they were out investigating, Mode and Mu Qing had naturally taken all necessary precautions. Both wore disguises, and the large black and white masks concealed the lower halves of their faces completely. Notably, Mu Qing wore a hooded black shirt, sunglasses, and a black mask. No one could possibly identify who she was.

“What brings you two here, gentlemen?” The bald man wiped the sweat from his brow, carefully probing for their intentions. As long as they weren’t rivals sent to kill them, everything else could be negotiated. The fact that this youth had subdued him—the moment he’d just broken through the Gatekeeper’s realm—with a single move meant he was surely a master well beyond that level.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Mode answered with a question of his own. After all, he was the one holding all the cards now.

With no choice, the bald man confessed everything to Mode.

His name was Ma Dai, and neither he nor his band of brothers were locals. They were only here in Qin City because of a certain “job.”

“We’re just errand boys, delivering a shipment to Qin City. We’ve kept out of trouble, and when we checked in with the local gangs, we were nothing but polite…” Ma Dai continued, wiping sweat from his face and sneaking glances at the calm youth in front of him and the silent figure further back, cursing his luck internally.

“A delivery? What kind of cargo requires a hand-off in a godforsaken place like this? Thirty men standing guard? I’d say it’s some kind of contraband you can’t let see the light of day.” Mode sneered, his aggressive tone making Mu Qing see him in a new light—she hadn’t realized he was such a performer. But standing around was getting dull, so Mu Qing picked up a “physics holy sword” from the ground, spinning the crowbar in her hand as she watched Mode’s act. The whistling, wind-cutting spin only added to Ma Dai’s tension.

“It’s a private job, that’s all. The client never told us what was in the case, but the deposit alone was enough to make the trip worthwhile for all of us. According to the code, since it’s a covert delivery, it’s not our place to ask questions.” Ma Dai felt himself suffocating under the pressure, sweat streaming down his bald head.

Suddenly, the mountain on his chest seemed to vanish. Ma Dai nearly stumbled forward. Unsure what mood this unpredictable master was in, he hastily grabbed the case he’d been sitting on and offered it to Mode with both hands.

“Spare us, master! All the payment is in this case. We can scrape together some more from our own pockets if you want—just please, show us mercy and let us go.” Their boss always hammered home the point in company training: when trouble strikes, save your life first; money and missions are secondary, losses can be deducted from future pay. As long as you’re alive, you can make more money—that was the boss’s motto.

Mode had already intended to let them go when he realized he’d gleaned all the information he could, but the scene before him left him momentarily stunned.

“Get up. We’re just passing by, got curious and wanted to take a look. If you hadn’t attacked first, we wouldn’t have needed to defend ourselves like this.” Mode pulled Ma Dai up from the ground, brushing the dust off his clothes. The sudden change in attitude caught everyone off guard.

Still wary, Ma Dai tried to hand over the case again.

“Relax, we really are just passing through.” Mode’s eyes curled with a friendly smile, as if to reassure Ma Dai that everything had been a misunderstanding.

It seemed these people were truly just couriers on a covert run. While the private deal might involve tax evasion or smuggling, that wasn’t likely the key point in the intelligence he’d purchased. The “suspicious” party must be the client they’d dealt with—and the goods themselves.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Mode prepared to wrap things up with Ma Dai and search for any clues about the man in black robes.

“That damned sneak—if he hadn’t egged us on, we’d never have dared to attack you two,” Ma Dai grumbled once he was sure their lives were safe.

“Oh? You managed to exchange words with the client?” Mode, who had been plotting his exit, feigned casual curiosity.

“Usually, us couriers and the client just make the delivery and go our separate ways, but the guy originally wanted to meet somewhere too sensitive. After a few rounds of negotiation, we settled on meeting here. The back-and-forth meant we chatted a bit more than usual.” Ma Dai explained while helping his brothers to their feet.

Once the others had come around, Ma Dai led them in a respectful farewell to Mode and Mu Qing. Only when their figures had vanished into the distance did he finally breathe easy and call for his men to pack up and leave.

“Who were those two, anyway?” Afei limped after Ma Dai, scratching his head.

“Don’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Ma Dai snapped, then gathered his men close. “I’ll handle the report to the boss. As far as you’re concerned, nothing happened today—the job’s done, the client’s gone, and we have no further ties. Lie low until the tide passes. I brought over thirty of you out here; I’m bringing every last one of you back, safe and sound. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” they chorused.

...

“That guy was pretty sharp—he knew you were after the man in black,” Mu Qing said, following behind Mode, watching him with amusement.

“They’re all seasoned pros. Some things don’t need to be spoken aloud,” Mode replied, slowing down and pausing at a street sign.

Mu Qing stopped too, circling around him as he checked the directions.

“Can’t get enough of me at home, is that it?” Mode nudged her aside with a laugh, continuing to search for Linzhu Park’s location.

“Funny, I never noticed at home—you’re quite the actor,” Mu Qing said, leaning against the signpost and lowering her mask for some air. “You’re pretty good at intimidation—did Li Changsheng teach you that?”

“It’s just about knowing how to talk to people. Sometimes being too tough makes them clam up; being unpredictable gets better results.” He found Linzhu Park on the map—it was indeed at the far northwest edge of Qing District, right up against the city’s security barrier. “So what would you say to me?” Mu Qing pressed, but Mode shot back at once:

“With you, I’d rather not talk at all.” He began plotting the route with the fewest residential areas—no sense drawing attention when they were already conspicuous enough.

“Come on, let’s check out the area around Linzhu Park. If that guy lives nearby, it’ll save us a lot of trouble.” Mode ignored her banter, knowing if he replied, she’d only get more wound up.

“Can’t you just say something nice for once and praise me a little?” Mu Qing huffed, jogging to catch up. “You’re so dull. How far is Linzhu Park from here, anyway?”

“About ten kilometers.”

“What? That far? Are we taking a cab or…?”

“I said we’re walking,” Mode replied, casting her a baffled look. “No drivers in their right mind would be out taking fares during the lunar tide.”

“We have to walk all that way? What about lunch? There’s nowhere to grab food around here…” Mu Qing was crestfallen. Didn’t this guy even have a bike? Oh, right—he wasn’t old enough to drive.

“We’ll just eat dinner later,” Mode shrugged, striding ahead. He’d secretly packed two sandwiches and some sausages in his coat that morning, but seeing the look on Mu Qing’s face as she despaired over lunch, he chose to keep his rations a secret for now.

“You! Are! The! Worst!”

Down the rural path Mode had chosen, the two of them chased and bantered, disappearing together into the distance.