Volume One: The Untraceable Wanderer Chapter Four: A Motley Gathering

There is always someone stronger, always a higher sky; Yang Ning wholeheartedly agreed with this saying. Though he was clear in his grudges and gratitude, he was not one to seek trouble. He had previously believed that the monkeys and their companions had truly been subdued by his beating, but now it seemed those fellows had ulterior motives.

Yang Ning thought it best not to be too self-satisfied at times.

“Rest for a few days. I’ve already spoken to them—not to let anyone know you’ve recovered,” Old Bark always wore a look of melancholy and sensitivity.

Yang Ning found it odd. “Why is that?”

“Why?” Old Bark smiled bitterly. “If Boss Fang finds out you’re well again, do you think he’ll let you rest?”

“Boss Fang?” Yang Ning recalled hearing that name before and soon remembered, “Wasn’t it Boss Fang who brought me into the Beggars’ Guild?”

Old Bark nodded. “Boss Fang is the leader of several hundred Beggars’ Guild disciples in Huize City. He took you in because you’re quick and nimble.”

“So if he finds out I’m well, he’ll come looking for trouble?” Yang Ning was curious as to what grievances the Beggars’ Guild leader might have with him. “Why shouldn’t he know I’m recovered?”

Old Bark, convinced Yang Ning’s mind had been muddled by illness, explained, “Not to make trouble, but to put you back to work. Why do you think we’re able to shelter here in the Earth God’s Temple? It’s all thanks to you.”

Yang Ning grew more curious—was it his doing that they could live in the temple?

“Boss Fang knows you’re quick, so he brought you into the Beggars’ Guild to do those things. Over the past half year, you haven’t failed once, and you’ve earned Boss Fang a lot of credit.” Old Bark sat on the threshold. “There are hundreds of guild disciples in the city, but not everyone can find shelter from the elements. You earned us this place to stay.” His face flashed with anger. “But Boss Fang is truly heartless. When you fell ill, he wouldn’t spend a single coin to get you treated—ignored you completely, probably thinking you’d already died.”

Yang Ning cursed Boss Fang inwardly, but from Old Bark’s words, it seemed the original owner of his body, Little Mink, was a remarkable character, earning Boss Fang much credit. He sat beside Old Bark and asked, “So, what kind of things did Boss Fang have me do? What great deeds did I accomplish?” Seeing Old Bark looking at him, Yang Ning quickly pointed to his head, indicating he’d forgotten many things.

Old Bark smiled bitterly. “What great matters could us beggars possibly do?” He extended a shriveled hand, middle and index fingers reaching forward like scissors, then looked at Yang Ning without speaking, his expression clearly saying, “Surely you understand now.”

Yang Ning was momentarily stunned, then imitated Old Bark’s gesture. The motion felt shameless, so he quickly withdrew his hand and frowned. “Isn’t that the gesture for pickpocketing?” He stared at Old Bark in surprise. “Old Bark, are you saying I... I used to help Boss Fang steal things?”

Old Bark nodded solemnly. “You’re the fastest under Boss Fang!”

Yang Ning shuddered, unsure if Old Bark was praising or mocking him. He smiled wryly—he hadn’t expected Little Mink to be someone who earned merit this way.

“Do Beggars’ Guild disciples live by stealing?” In that moment, Yang Ning’s long-held esteem for the guild collapsed.

Old Bark sighed with regret. “If Boss Lu were still alive, things wouldn’t be like this.”

“Who is Boss Lu?” Yang Ning asked.

“Boss Lu used to be the chief of the Beggars’ Guild in Huize City. When he was around, the guild rules were strict, and no one dared to cheat or steal.” A glimmer of light appeared in Old Bark’s eyes. “There was order among seniors and juniors. I’ve been with the guild for over twenty years, so I’ve some seniority. Boss Lu looked after us old beggars well, always consulting us on big matters.” He showed rare pride.

Yang Ning couldn’t help but think: you’ve been with the guild for over twenty years and still ended up like this—no wonder the others don’t respect you. Yet, he understood Old Bark’s honest and kind nature, uninterested in conflict. Where there are people, there will be a world; where there’s a world, there will be strife. The Beggars’ Guild was the greatest of all, naturally rife with internal struggles—Old Bark’s temperament was hardly suited to such contention.

“So Boss Lu has passed away?” Yang Ning frowned. “How did he die?”

“When Boss Lu was around, the constables didn’t dare touch our guild disciples.” Old Bark’s face showed pride. “There are hundreds of disciples now, all thanks to Boss Lu. When he was alive, even Xiao Yishui had to show him respect.” He sighed. “Sadly, he died of a sudden illness three years ago.”

“Xiao Yishui? A sudden illness?”

Old Bark explained, “Xiao Yishui is the constable of Huize City. He...!” He shook his head, saying no more about the constable. “Boss Lu was robust, but suddenly fell ill. Boss Fang tended to him personally, but within days Boss Lu passed away, and Boss Fang took his place.”

Yang Ning noticed Old Bark’s evasiveness and sensed something was amiss, but didn’t press further.

Old Bark continued, “After Boss Fang took over, he quickly teamed up with Xiao Yishui. Before, guild disciples made a living by begging or doing odd jobs—anything, really, except dishonorable deeds... But after Boss Fang came to power, the brothers started...” He sighed, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Yang Ning now understood—the guild’s change began with Boss Fang’s ascendancy.

Boss Lu died, Boss Fang took over, and soon allied with the constable Xiao Yishui. Taken together, these facts invited speculation.

Yet Yang Ning cared little for the guild’s past. Now that he was part of it, he focused on its current state. “The Beggars’ Guild disciples in Huize City are a mixed lot, chaotic and undisciplined. Does the Winged Fire Serpent branch master not care? Boss Fang ruins the guild’s reputation—doesn’t the guild chief intervene?”

Old Bark laughed aloud. “The guild has twenty-eight branches across the land. Just our Winged Fire Serpent branch reportedly has ten to twenty thousand members. In a small county like this, with a few hundred disciples, how could the branch master oversee everything? And who would dare report Boss Fang’s misdeeds? As for the guild chief, we’ve heard of him, but never seen him. I’d say we’ll never meet him in our lifetimes.”

Yang Ning nodded. With a guild of tens of thousands, it was a vast force; but such size meant uneven quality, and even if the chief had three heads and six arms, he could not manage it all.

When Monkey returned to the Earth God’s Temple, Yang Ning had already bathed in the pond outside. The grime on his body was deep-set and couldn’t all be washed away, but after soaking in the clear water, he felt refreshed, his strength and energy greatly restored.

Monkey, after some effort, brought back several wheat cakes. Yang Ning, hungry, chewed them but found them tough and dry, utterly lacking any crispness. He thought to himself that in this era, people hadn’t mastered the use of wheat flour; the cakes were clearly unleavened, making them hard to swallow.

Since he had come, he would settle in—Yang Ning understood this principle. The air after the rain felt crisp, but in his heart, he remembered Little Butterfly.

Yang Ning was clear in his grudges and gratitude; Little Butterfly had saved his life, and he was sincerely grateful. From Old Bark’s words, he knew Little Butterfly’s current situation was dire, making him all the more eager to see her and find out if she was safe.

Yang Ning had intended to set out early for Dead Man’s Alley where Mama Hua lived, but Monkey feared that place and urged Yang Ning to go later. Since Yang Ning was unfamiliar with Huize City, he didn’t insist. Only at dusk did he have Monkey guide him to Dead Man’s Alley.

As the sun neared the horizon, all of Huize City was bathed in the final golden glow of sunset.

Though Huize City was small, its people were divided in rank. Most stalls and shops were in the front city, but the tea houses, taverns, and the rare pleasure houses and singing halls lined a long street in the rear city.

The streets bustled with people, lively and crowded.

Yang Ning observed the customs and scenery of the era as he walked, realizing what he saw was not the picturesque antiquity he’d imagined. Most buildings in the city were chaotic and unplanned, clearly lacking proper design. Thus, the streets and alleys formed a maze—those unfamiliar with the routes could easily wander into a dead end.

He’d heard the city was crowded with refugees, but upon reaching the main street in the rear city, though lively, it was not as packed as he’d expected. Monkey explained that the refugees were settled in a corner of the county; that area and the rear city were like two different worlds.

“Boss Mink, see that intersection ahead? Turn in there, go straight through the next street into another alley—that’s Dead Man’s Alley.” Monkey pointed out the route as they stood by a wall.

Yang Ning saw the alley entrance and asked softly, “Is the next street as lively as this?”

“Not at all,” Monkey shook his head. “That street is much quieter, mostly residential... Oh no, Boss Mink, lower your head...!” Before he finished, his face turned anxious, he spun around, and even lowered his head, as if afraid of being seen.

Yang Ning, seeing Monkey act so, looked around but noticed nothing unusual. He asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”

“Look at Ten Mile Fragrance across the way...!” Monkey didn’t turn, but spoke in a low voice, “See the two people coming out?”

Yang Ning glanced across and saw a two-story tavern, quite prominent on the bustling street. Its wooden structure, with a sweeping front eave, looked imposing. Above the entrance hung a black plaque, gold-lettered with the name “Ten Mile Fragrance,” clear and striking.

Yang Ning looked closely, and saw two men standing before the entrance. One wore a silver-gray fitted outfit, tall and upright, one hand behind his back, the other supporting his chin, his bearing elegant. The other was slightly shorter, sturdily built, leaning close to the first, one hand cupped to his mouth as he whispered in his ear.