Payback (Part 3)
If one were to achieve the impossible and sense Ming Feizhen’s presence on the rooftops, they would have imagined they spotted a mobile phantom. Similarly, Ming Feizhen was surprised Gao Muya refused to spill a word despite being threatened to be stripped and made to walk birds after being thrown off a building. In the end, Ming Feizhen was forced to cover Gao Muya’s eyes, pretend to sell Hou Jiling to a brothel and act out the roles of the seller, the appraiser and buyer all on his own.
After being subjected to that level of torment, the two no longer knew what fear meant as they cursed and yelled at him as though they were driving him out when he left.
What’s their problem? Brothels are for dining. What were they crying about? Far out.
Although Ming Feizhen now knew their assembly point, it was hardly useful information. If anything, knowing that Gao Muya finally told the truth was possibly more useful information. A road opposite a lake, where there was lots of traffic was a great place to take advantage of the hustle and bustle. With that said, it was hard to imagine what sort of big goal could be achieved there when the large gathering would just make them extra conspicuous. So, not only did he find out nothing new about Hua Yumeng, but he also did not find out their destination.
Hua Yumeng initiated communications with the members, and he did not set a concrete meeting time or contact method. His supporters were people whom he had aided in some capacity and were volunteering to support him. It was likely that only a few people in the group actually knew him. Once they were contacted and arrived at the assembly point, perhaps another clue would be provided to direct them to other rendezvous points, which meant that maybe the others were told to meet elsewhere. Considering how secretive somebody had to be in order to not employ their own subordinates for a big project, Ming Feizhen grew increasingly curious about Hua Yumeng’s true identity. In terms of martial prowess, Hua Yumeng could not have been a mob character. Then again, the perverted group with Mr. An, the iron-faced guy, Gongsun Chu and so forth, they were all weirdly veiled characters.
Thankfully – and surprisingly – it was Hou Jiling who let something important slip.
“H-he is not intentionally sabotaging women’s reputations.”
Hou Jiling did not cower and sell out Hua Yumeng when Ming Feizhen barged into the room in the most hostile way possible. Instead, she bashfully defended Hua Yumeng to the point that Ming Feizhen thought Hua Yumeng was a good person for a moment in time.
“I have been miserable ever since my father wanted me to marry into an official’s family. I don’t know how Hero Hua found out, but he came to me and helped me. He ignored my reputation for the sake of helping me break off the arranged marriage. Many other girls in the city face their own difficulties, and he’s been helping them relieve their woes.
“Miss Zheng has someone she likes, but her family insisted she marry a man in his fifties in Suzhou as his mistress. Had Hero Hua not been around when she jumped into a lake, she would have perished that day. Everything he did thereafter was to help her get together with her man of choice. Every time he visits me, he insists that my uncle accompany us to protect my reputation.
“I remember every part of the process. If you still have suspicions, you can interrogate me. Should I be unfaithful in any part of my recount, you can kill me on the spot. I have no regrets.”
Considering the determination she showed, Ming Feizhen trusted her, but, ultimately, it did not change the fact that he took Hong Jiu’s arm.
What left a deep impression on Ming Feizhen was when Hou Jiling said, “People may hail him as heroic, but he needs help, as well. He is constantly making contact with girls in the city because he needs answers of his own… He is pitiable, too.” The reason Hua Yumeng kept contacting daughters of rich families no longer mattered, nevertheless. What mattered was that Ming Feizhen had grasped Hua Yumeng’s modus operandi – he approached daughters of wealthy families.
Once there was clue on a criminal’s modus operandi, their capture was not far away. Based on the knowledge that he was going to contact daughters of wealthy families in the city, it was just a camp and trap game. The challenge was, Hangzhou was home to many wealthy families, so there were too many candidates.
“Miss Zheng” was the ninth daughter – and she had younger sisters, too – of rice merchant Zheng Dachun, who was in his sixties. Ming Feizhen attended their family’s celebration when Zheng Dachun’s seventeenth daughter, who was over ten years younger than his eldest child, was born. Zheng Clan’s case was not an exception but rather a common occurrence in Hangzhou. In reality, the few names currently being mentioned in connection with Hua Yumeng were just a few among the innumerable maidens in Hangzhou.
Shifu, is it really not you?
Seeing as Hua Yumeng had a habit of searching for daughters of wealthy families, the perfect bait was someone who possessed peerless beauty and immeasurable status in Hangzhou. The maiden Ming Feizhen had in mind might have sounded somewhat insane, but she knew what she wanted and was by no means a fool. The only thing he needed to sway her was some sincerity and an offer she could not refuse. There was no way Hua Yumeng would pass up an opportunity to speak to Song Yanluo.
Wait for me, Second. I’ll avenge you!
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