I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

The three of them left the inner hall.

After walking quite a distance, Chen Jin whispered, "Brother Yuan, I'll go with you."

"No," Chen Yuan shook his head. "You must stay in the palace. His Highness needs someone trustworthy by his side."

"But..."

"Chen Jin," Chen Yuan said, pressing his shoulder, "you're not a child anymore. There are some responsibilities you need to shoulder."

Chen Jin bit her lip and nodded vigorously.

Back in the side hall, Qin Xiang began preparations.

The headquarters of the Green Dragon Society is located in Mule and Horse Market in the south of the city, a place where all sorts of people mingle, making it the perfect hiding place.

She had Chen Yuan change into ordinary cloth clothes and found him a bamboo hat.

"The leader of the Green Dragon Society is Wei Qinglong, who is over forty years old. He used to be a hall master of the Canal Gang, but later went solo and spent ten years making the Green Dragon Society the number one gang in the capital."

As Qin Xiang helped Chen Yuan disguise himself, she introduced him, "This man is loyal, but also ruthless. No one who offends him ends up well."

"Why does he want to see me?" Chen Yuan asked.

"I don't know," Qin Xiang said. "But I guess it's related to Cao Jixiang. Wei Qinglong has a grudge against the Eastern Depot—three years ago, the Eastern Depot raided one of his warehouses and killed more than a dozen of his brothers. Since then, the Qinglong Society and the Eastern Depot have been at odds."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

That's what they say, but people in the martial arts world have their own rules.

Qin Xiang smeared some ash on Chen Yuan's face and said, "Remember, when you see Wei Qinglong, be polite, but don't be weak. People in the martial arts world look down on spineless cowards."

"Understood."

Everything is ready.

Qin Xiang told Chen Yuan to go out through the side gate of Yongshou Palace, where a carriage was waiting.

The driver was a lean man who didn't speak, only nodded in acknowledgment.

The carriage wound its way through the capital city for about half an hour before stopping at the entrance of an alley.

The driver pointed to the depths of the alley, where there was a two-story wooden building with a plaque above the door that read "Qinglong Goods Store".

Chen Yuan got out of the car and walked into the warehouse.

The room was spacious and filled with various goods, with several workers busy at work.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan enter, a manager-like figure greeted him: "What would you like, sir?"

"I'm looking for Boss Wei," Chen Yuan said. "Miss Qin sent me."

The manager sized him up a few times and nodded: "Come with me."

Passing through the warehouse, there is a courtyard behind it.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was kept clean and tidy, with several plum trees in full bloom.

Inside the main hall, a middle-aged man was drinking tea.

The man was in his early forties, with a square face, a wide mouth, and piercing eyes.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, but he wore three gold rings on his hands and a jade pendant at his waist, so he was clearly not an ordinary person.

"Boss Wei, the people have arrived," the steward announced.

Wei Qinglong put down his teacup and looked at Chen Yuan: "You're Chen Mingyuan?"

"Yes." Chen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Boss Wei."

"Sit down," Wei Qinglong gestured. "Serve tea."

Chen Yuan sat down.

Someone served him tea, which he accepted but did not drink—it's a rule in the martial arts world that one shouldn't easily drink tea from unfamiliar places.

Wei Qinglong laughed: "Afraid I'll poison you?"

"One should always be wary of others," Chen Yuan said.

"Interesting." Wei Qinglong took a sip of his drink. "Miss Qin said you were bold, and she was right. You broke into the Eastern Depot's dungeon yesterday, and you're here to see me today. You can't find another person with that kind of courage in the capital."

Chen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine—the Azure Dragon Society's information network was indeed incredibly efficient.

"Boss Wei didn't just call me here to praise me, did he?"

"Of course not." Wei Qinglong put down his teacup. "I called you here because I want to make a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll help you deal with Cao Jixiang, in return you'll do me a favor."

Chen Yuan remained calm: "What help does Boss Wei need from me? In terms of power, the Green Dragon Society is all-powerful in the capital; in terms of manpower, you have hundreds, even thousands, of brothers under your command. What can a nobody like me do?"

"A nobody?" Wei Qinglong laughed. "A person who can be adopted by the Grand Princess, who can be seen as a thorn in Cao Jixiang's side, and who can single-handedly storm the Eastern Depot's dungeon—this is no nobody."

He stood up and walked to the window: "That old eunuch Cao Jixiang killed twelve of my brothers three years ago. All these years, I've wanted revenge every single moment. But the Eastern Depot is too powerful; a direct confrontation would be suicide. So, I need an opportunity."

"What was the trigger?"

"An opportunity that could bring down Cao Jixiang."

Wei Qinglong turned around. "You're in the palace, by the Grand Princess's side. You can see things I can't see and hear things I can't hear. What I need you to do is pass me a message at crucial moments."

"It's that simple?"

"Simple?" Wei Qinglong sneered. "Passing a message under Cao Jixiang's nose is harder than climbing to heaven. But you come from a background of night watchmen, and infiltration and reconnaissance are your specialties. This matter might not be difficult for you."

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment: "I can agree. But there are two conditions."

"explain."

"First, if Uncle Zhao is still alive, the Green Dragon Society must ensure his safety."

"Commander Zhao?" Wei Qinglong raised an eyebrow. "He did escape last night and is currently recuperating at one of my secret hideouts. Don't worry, he won't die."

Chen Yuan felt a weight lifted from his heart: "Secondly, I need the Azure Dragon Society to help investigate a few people."

"Who?"

"Duke Zhu Yong of Cheng, and his wife Zhang," Chen Yuan said. "I need to know who the Duke of Cheng has been associating with recently, what he has done, and what he has said."

A hint of admiration flashed in Wei Qinglong's eyes: "To catch the thief, first catch the king? A good plan. Duke Cheng is Cao Jixiang's biggest partner in the court. If we bring him down, Cao Jixiang will lose an arm. The Qinglong Society will take this on."

"Then it's settled." Chen Yuan stood up. "If Boss Wei needs any information, he can pass it on to me through Miss Qin. If I need any help, I can also contact you through Miss Qin."

"Excellent!" Wei Qinglong slammed his hand on the table. "I love dealing with straightforward people. Come, let's drink tea instead of wine and wish each other success in our cooperation!"

The two drank together.

This time, Chen Yuan drank tea.

After finishing their business, Wei Qinglong suddenly asked, "Brother Chen, I heard you escaped from Xuanfu? How's it going there now?"

Chen Yuan was silent for a moment: "Nine out of ten houses were empty, and corpses littered the fields. After the Tatars broke into the city, they slaughtered for three days. Less than 30% of the people survived."

Wei Qinglong's face was grim: "I have a brother who served in the army in Xuanfu. He died in battle last year. He has an elderly mother and a younger sister at home. I visited them, and their lives... are very difficult."

"The soldiers on the frontier risk their lives, yet some in the court are embezzling their pay and enriching themselves," Chen Yuan said. "This world shouldn't be like this."

"Yes, it shouldn't be like this," Wei Qinglong sighed. "That's why we, the people of the martial world, have to stick together and fight. If we don't fight, we'll be bullied to death."

The two chatted for a while longer.

Wei Qinglong explained to Chen Yuan some of the rules of the underworld in the capital, which places he could go, which places he couldn't go, which people he should be wary of, and which people he could trust.

Finally, Wei Qinglong saw Chen Yuan off at the door.

As they reached the door, he suddenly said, "Brother Chen, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

"Please speak."

"Be careful of someone while you're in the palace."

"Who?"

"Wang Zhen".

Wei Qinglong lowered his voice, "This person is more dangerous than Cao Jixiang. Cao Jixiang is an old fox, he does things methodically and is predictable. Wang Zhen is a venomous snake, he doesn't play by the rules, and if he bites you, it's fatal."

Chen Yuan nodded: "I've got it."

The carriage was still waiting at the alley entrance.

Chen Yuan got into the car, and the driver drove away without saying a word.