Chapter 20: Do You Recognize This Object?

“How much can you offer?” Wang Lu stopped and asked.

At this moment, Wang Lu felt calm inside; his earlier thoughts had proven correct.

He himself was fine; he just lacked an opportunity. Now that the opportunity had arrived, someone was even eager to hand over money.

“Twenty taels!” Jinghai declared solemnly.

???

Wang Lu narrowed his eyes and asked, “Master Jinghai, do you take me for a beggar? Or do you think the lives of the two of you are only worth twenty taels?”

Beizhai observed Wang Lu curiously, her heart uncertain about what this man was really up to.

Shouldn’t the Embroidered Uniform Guard have simply arrested the two of them and claimed the reward?

Wei Yan hated her with a passion. If he had succeeded in capturing her, it would have been a great achievement. Yet here was this man seriously asking for money?

“The temple’s farmland is scarce; it mostly relies on the devotees’ incense money, and even so, it must sustain the temple’s repairs…”

Wang Lu raised his hand, cutting off Jinghai’s complaints. “Just tell me the maximum silver you can give. I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

Jinghai gritted his teeth and held up five fingers. “Fifty taels.”

“Deal,” Wang Lu said. “You may go now and bring the money. I’ll stay here and enjoy some tea with Mr. Beizhai.”

“This…”

Jinghai looked between Beizhai and Wang Lu, hesitating for a long moment before timidly asking, “What if you take this chance to kidnap him?”

“What if?” Wang Lu stepped forward two paces, now only about ten steps from Jinghai, and teased, “That’s for you to worry about, not me. I only want the silver.”

Jinghai’s face wore a resigned and heavy expression. “No, you Embroidered Uniform Guards are the most untrustworthy. I, a humble monk, cannot believe you!”

Then he glanced at Beizhai. “Sir, rest assured, unless he steps over my corpse, he will never let harm come to you.”

“Pfft~” Wang Lu poked at Jinghai’s thick hair and said, “Enough already. You talk as if you could kill me if you wanted. I’ll give you three counts. If you don’t give me an answer by then, you might as well die.”

But before Wang Lu could finish counting, Jinghai lifted his foot to advance.

Suddenly, a cold voice spoke from nearby.

“Host, listen to him,” Beizhai said, her eyes no longer filled with fear.

Jinghai was confused. “Sir, don’t you know? The Embroidered Uniform Guard are Wei Yan’s lackeys. They can’t be trusted. Once I leave, he’ll surely abduct you. Even if you are a noble lord…”

“Host!” Beizhai’s voice grew urgent. “If you trust me, please listen to him. If he truly meant to kill us, we wouldn’t still be standing here talking.”

Not far away, Wang Lu smiled faintly and looked at Beizhai. “You’re smarter than that bald monk. Looks like ‘extremely intelligent’ isn’t always accurate.”

“You!” Jinghai, insulted, grew angry again, his face darkening.

But Beizhai shook her head at him. Jinghai took a deep breath and said, “Since Sir insists, I will do as you say. If you die, I swear I will make war with this villain until death.”

“Pfft~” Wang Lu couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Jinghai almost lost control of his anger. “What’s so funny?!”

Wang Lu stepped forward, ignoring Jinghai, and casually picked up a painting spread on the stone table.

A black rooster and a black cricket.

This was no ordinary cricket—it was the very cricket that Shen Lian had been fascinated by... the cricket in Beizhai’s painting.

“Keep your filthy hands off!” Jinghai said angrily.

Wang Lu didn’t even glance at him.

Jinghai had long been judged as belonging to Xin Wang’s faction. Under the methods of Pei Lun from the Nan Town Patrol, he hadn’t leaked a single word.

Such a tough nut Wang Lu neither had his weakness nor the confidence to turn him into an ally.

“Mr. Beizhai’s painting is quite good. But your works are always metaphorical and satirical. Who does this cricket represent? Surely it isn’t Wei Qiansui?”

Beizhai parted her lips softly. “How to interpret a painting depends entirely on the viewer. If you think so, then that is its meaning.”

Wang Lu smiled, poking Beizhai with a finger. “Trying to trap me? Not bad, you’re not completely brainless.”

Then Wang Lu suddenly turned to Jinghai, who was glaring furiously, and asked, “Why are you still here? Where’s the silver? You’re just itching for me to kill Beizhai, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to get it now!” Hearing Wang Lu threaten with Beizhai as leverage, Jinghai restrained his emotions, swallowed hard, and cast a deep glance at Beizhai.

Beizhai simply nodded slightly without saying more.

Wang Lu sat at the stone table and politely extended his hand. “Please, have a seat.”

Beizhai sat opposite him and spoke, “Sir, you’re different from the other Embroidered Uniform Guards. Have you ever considered abandoning darkness and embracing the light?”

“Hah— I’ve always been a Ming loyalist. How else do you expect me to ‘embrace the light’?” Wang Lu’s eyes followed Jinghai’s retreating figure as he chuckled softly.

“Wei Yan won’t last long. Even Master Jinghai, so merciful and compassionate, now stands with us. Wei Zhongxian is hated by the whole world and has now failed in his duties, causing the emperor to nearly drown. His fall is only a matter of time.”

Wang Lu said nothing. He reached for the cup before Beizhai and poured himself some tea from the kettle, blowing on the rising steam before taking a sip.

The mountain path was rugged, and the temple steps steep. Wang Lu had come without pause, making his throat very dry.

Beizhai quickly said, “That cup was mine.”

Wang Lu looked at her and said, “Or would you prefer I use one that Jinghai used?”

Beizhai was silent for a moment, still expressionless, but a flicker of embarrassment passed through her eyes.

Soon, both of them looked toward the direction Jinghai had left; his figure was now reduced to the size of a soybean.

“Sir, if you have something to say, now is the time.”

Beizhai gazed calmly at Wang Lu.

“Smart,” Wang Lu said, surprised, and pulled from his chest pocket a hairpin carved with peonies.

During this, Beizhai’s lips curled faintly. “You have no intention to kill me. I’ve seen many Embroidered Uniform Guards and can tell that much. Yet you keep urging Master Jinghai to leave quickly. You must want to speak to me alone.”

“Look at this. Do you recognize it?” Wang Lu handed over the hairpin with a smile.

No matter how smart one is, what good does it do?

As Beizhai’s eyes were drawn to the hairpin, her face suddenly changed, her eyes widening. She quickly reached out to snatch the pin.

Seeing that Beizhai recognized it, Wang Lu clenched the pin in his hand and held it before her. “Let’s not beat around the bush. Since you recognize this, things become much easier.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t want your only sister to lose her life, would you?” Wang Lu asked with a teasing smile.