Chapter 20: Slate Wiped Clean

"Hold!"

Bai Fufeng barked a command.

A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes, but he forced a smile and adopted a mild tone:

"Eldest son Shen, a man can eat whatever he likes, but he can't say whatever he likes."

"These past days, the rash of missing children has alarmed the county authorities."

"My Bai family's reputation is spotless across generations. We are doing everything in our power to assist the magistrate's investigation."

"Do you have any idea what kind of damage your words just now could do to the Bai family's name if they reached the wrong ears?"

Shen Xiuhan's face gave nothing away, but inside he was laughing bitterly.

The intelligence had laid it out in black and white — the child-snatching ring was the Bai family's doing!

When he'd produced the interest money and Bai Fufeng still hadn't relented, Shen Xiuhan had been certain: the debt was a pretext. His real objective was Shen Momo.

That was exactly why Shen Xiuhan had deliberately dropped the words "child snatchers."

To rattle the snake by striking the grass!

Madam Zheng, terrified out of her wits by the scene, rushed forward and stammered:

"Young lord, please forgive him... Dalang is young and hot-blooded, and he's fiercely protective of his little sister. He spoke without thinking... Dalang — hurry, apologize to the young lord!"

Bai Fufeng stood silent, staring Shen Xiuhan down, his gaze cutting cold — yet he made no further move.

Shen Xiuhan read him like an open book and understood at once...

He's rattled!

Bai Fufeng had been struck in a nerve, and he was far less composed than he pretended!

Most likely...

He was already looking for a way to step down gracefully — and to find out what Shen Xiuhan's words actually meant.

Bai Fufeng's reaction didn't surprise Shen Xiuhan.

The Bai family might be powerful, but they were nowhere near strong enough to have Changyun County entirely under their thumb.

What Bai Fufeng feared most was those words getting out and someone connecting "child snatchers" to the Bai name.

With that, certainty settled over Shen Xiuhan.

You want a way down?

Then I'll give you one.

Shen Xiuhan abruptly turned his face aside, lips pressed tight, putting on a stubborn front.

Madam Zheng panicked, tugging desperately at his sleeve:

"Are you trying to kill your own mother? Apologize to the young lord — now!"

Shen Xiuhan clenched his jaw, wrestled with himself for a moment, and finally bowed his head like a child caught doing wrong, mumbling:

"I... I misspoke. I just heard the rumor going around the inner city, and in the heat of the moment, I blurted it out..."

Seeing him yield, Bai Fufeng quietly exhaled — but almost immediately, a jolt of shock flashed through his eyes.

The inner city... a rumor?!

Turmoil churned behind Bai Fufeng's gaze. After a stretch of silence, his voice came out low and hard:

"Fine. Now that it's been cleared up, we can move on."

"I certainly won't hold it against you. Your father served our Bai household and gave his life in the process — the family remembers his contributions..."

"Given that you were only acting out of concern for your sister, I'll let it go. However—"

Bai Fufeng had been spinning his reassuring nonsense when his tone suddenly shifted, as if the thought had only just occurred to him:

"I happen to come from the inner city as well, and I've heard no such absurd rumor. Where exactly did you hear this?"

"Oh — at Tongbei Martial Hall." Shen Xiuhan answered without a heartbeat's hesitation.

"Tongbei Martial Hall..."

The suspicion in Bai Fufeng's eyes deepened. He looked Shen Xiuhan up and down:

"What were you doing at Tongbei Martial Hall?"

"Delivering fish, of course!"

Shen Xiuhan raised his head, letting a trace of boyish pride show:

"Tongbei Martial Hall's Senior Brother Feng and Senior Brother Ma have been very good to me. Not only did they buy up my entire catch at premium prices, they told me that any time I land silver-stripes — or anything better — I should bring them straight to Tongbei. They guaranteed the price would never shortchange me..."

"Anything better..."

Bai Fufeng chewed on those words, doubt still lingering in his eyes.

Tongbei Martial Hall had risen quickly these past two years, true, but its master Yan Xiao and his wife Song Yanrong — one at peak Hidden Strength, the other mid-Hidden Strength — would have to be out of their minds to risk poaching business from the Bai family, which had a Transforming Strength expert holding it down.

It made no sense.

Unless... this little runt was lying to him?

But no — not if you gave him ten times the nerve.

While Bai Fufeng was still deliberating, one of the guards suddenly leaned in close:

"Young lord, look over there!"

Bai Fufeng followed his gaze. There, leaning against the wall beneath the thatched eaves, was a fishing rod — jet-black, gleaming faintly with a cold luster. Refined iron.

"Is that... a custom rod from my family's Southside Forge?"

Bai Fufeng's eyes narrowed.

"Sharp eyes, young lord!"

Shen Xiuhan jumped on the cue with a smile:

"That's exactly right — it was a gift from Tongbei Martial Hall's Senior Brother Ma Xianyang himself, so I could fish more efficiently!"

"Tongbei Martial Hall..."

Bai Fufeng's hand, hidden behind his back, clenched slowly. He turned his head and murmured:

"The moment we're back, run a check. Find out whether Tongbei Martial Hall's Ma Xianyang has recently purchased this kind of equipment from one of our shops!"

"Yes, sir!"

Bai Fufeng half-closed his eyes, his mind racing.

If the rod really was bought by Ma Xianyang, then Tongbei Martial Hall wasn't just secretly hoarding treasure fish and cutting into the Bai family's business — they might well have...

Stumbled onto the Bai family's hidden operations!

This is bad!

I can't stay here. I need to report to the patriarch immediately!

Bai Fufeng drew a deep breath, turned to face Shen Xiuhan, and plastered on a smile that barely held:

"It seems this was all a misunderstanding. Eldest son Shen, I'll take the silver. The three days' interest is waived. The outstanding sampan fee and back rent — consider the slate wiped clean."

As his words landed, the other guard immediately produced two yellowed slips of paper from inside his jacket.

The Shen family's promissory notes.

Shen Xiuhan tucked them away carefully, but still held out the six strings of coins:

"Thank you, young lord. But please, take the interest as well... call it a round of drinks on us."

Bai Fufeng paused, then reached out and took the copper:

"...Thoughtful of you."

With that, he spun on his heel, sleeves sweeping wide: "Let's go!"

The two guards shot Shen Xiuhan one last, lingering look, then fell in behind.

Night deepened.

After they'd walked a good distance, one of the black-clad guards could no longer contain himself. He sidled up and made a throat-slitting gesture:

"Third Young Lord, are we really just letting this go? Why don't I circle back and just... take care of the whole family—"

Bai Fufeng's brow furrowed, irritation in his voice: "No rash moves."

"The patriarch's orders are clear — with the heat this intense, we keep a low profile... Tomorrow, send someone to Dongxi Ward. Get that girl from the Liu family first..."

The guard's face twisted with reluctance. He spat to the side:

"God-fucking-damn it. Then all that work we did drowning that Shen Sanhuai bastard out on Yunshui Lake — was that all for nothing?"

"Shut your mouth!!"

Bai Fufeng stopped dead. His eyes flew wide like a wrathful guardian deity, and his hand whipped around — CRACK — a vicious slap landed square on the guard's face!

The blow sent blood spraying from the man's mouth. He staggered and crashed to the ground.

"Are you in a hurry to die?! Is that it?!"

Bai Fufeng's face contorted, feral as a man-eating ghost. Every word ground through his clenched teeth, laced with a warning cold enough to freeze marrow:

"Keep that filthy mouth of yours shut. If you dare breathe another word of this... I will flay you alive and feed you to the dogs!"

"Y-yes, sir — this slave deserves death! Thank you for your mercy, young lord!"

The guard clutched his swelling cheek, kneeling in the snow and hammering his forehead against the ground in frantic kowtows.

Bai Fufeng let out a frigid snort and strode into the boundless dark.