Chapter 30: The Ruse of Courageous Deeds

Xu Qi followed Tan Jiuding to the Huai'an Prefectural Office. Unexpectedly, after casting a glance at the wanted poster pasted beneath the office’s watchtower, the man merely strolled away and turned into East Street instead.

"Are we not going in?" Xu Qi thought he intended to exercise his privileges as an imperial censor, and she glanced back at the solemn, towering gates of the yamen.

"It is not yet time to play our hand."

Tan Jiuding, dressed in a slightly worn, wrinkled robe, sauntered along with his hands behind his back. He wandered the street, looking left and right, until he finally selected a bustling teahouse from which the sounds of a storyteller emanated, and stepped inside.

The teahouse, sporting a banner that read "Lin Cao Pavilion," had few empty tables left. The front rows were packed so tightly one could hardly squeeze a foot in, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat and hot tea; there was no need for a brazier to keep the chill away.

A pot of tea and a plate of snacks arrived. Tan Jiuding nudged his chin forward, signaling Xu Qi to listen closely. A sharp crack of the wooden gavel silenced ninety percent of the chatter. The storyteller, though gaunt and bony, was spirited, his date-pit-shaped eyes flashing with vigor.

"As we were saying, the righteous thief of the previous dynasty, 'A Gust of Wind,' returned to Lin'an City last night!" The storyteller’s rat-like whiskers twitched. "He manifested at the residence of General Zhang in the west of the city—three thousand taels of military funds in the treasury? Untouched! Yet he chose to take the Hetian jade crouching tiger tally, which sucks the marrow of soldiers, from the desk!"

Xu Qi felt a jolt in her heart. Was this not about the theft at the Commandery? She glanced at Tan Jiuding, signaling him with a meaningful look. But he, indifferent, simply leaned back, cracking nuts and listening with great relish, as if they had come out purely for amusement.

Xu Qi pursed her lips and looked back at the storyteller. Amidst the sharp intakes of breath from the teahouse crowd, the man continued, spittle flying.

"What use 'A Gust of Wind' has for this tiger tally, I shall not say for now. But see how he turned under the cloak of night and entered the residence of Squire Li by the South Gate! Seven heavy locks could not stop him; he trod upon piles of gold and pearls as if they were mud, stealing only the sandalwood box from the Ninth Concubine’s bedside—" his tone rose sharply, "—a stack of deeds for women forced into his service! Truly, he acts on behalf of Heaven—"

"Act on behalf of your mother!"

With a loud crash, two street bailiffs jumped out from somewhere and kicked the table over! Tea bowls shattered, scattering everywhere in a chaotic mess!

The sudden turn of events shocked the crowd. As they watched, snake-like iron chains coiled around the storyteller’s thin, brittle neck; no one dared to utter a sound. The bailiff roared, "You old dog, spreading fallacies to deceive the masses! Drag him back to the yamen for a taste of the heavy torture!"

"Mercy, officers! I did nothing! I was only telling old tales from the previous dynasty! No, it was all lies, all lies!"

The storyteller was devastated, struggling and begging for mercy, but his frame was as frail as a withered leaf in the wind. As the bailiff yanked the chain, he was nearly lifted off his feet.

Soon, the echoes of his wails vanished into the street. The teahouse erupted in whispers. Since the storyteller’s tales closely mirrored the recent string of burglaries in the city, the fact that he had been arrested cast a veil of uncertainty over the truth, making the gossip-hungry patrons even more intrigued.

"The fun begins," Tan Jiuding hummed. He leaned into Xu Qi’s ear and whispered a few words, causing her eyes to widen in shock. "Shall we play?"

Xu Qi’s lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile, and she sighed, "Sometimes I truly cannot tell who is the official and who is the thief." She stood up as she spoke.

Tan Jiuding chuckled, left payment for the tea, and followed Xu Qi out of the teahouse one after the other.

In the back alley, a foul stench assaulted their noses. The poor storyteller had been kicked down beside a swill bucket, the iron chains still biting deep into his flesh, as he continued to plead his innocence.

The bailiff cursed and kicked him viciously. "Do you take us for fools? Anyone can hear that you’re singing the praises of that thief! I think you’re clearly his accomplice!"

Three kicks were enough to take half the storyteller’s life. "Speak! Where is that thieving monkey hiding! If you won't speak, we’ll kick your guts out today!" He raised his foot to strike again!

"Oh? That impressive? Then why don't you try my foot instead?" A chilling voice drifted from behind them.

Before the bailiff could turn to see who the unfortunate soul was, a fierce gust of wind from a kick struck him square in the face! With a thud, he toppled headfirst into the swill bucket, rolled aside with a clatter, and lay motionless.

"Ah...!" The other bailiff, seeing his companion bested, felt a mix of seven parts fear and three parts fury. "Who are you! How dare you obstruct official yamen business... you!" *Slap!*

The force of the backhanded slap felt like being struck on the head by a ship's oar! The bailiff spun in a dizzying haze and fell to the ground, bewildered. Beyond the ringing in his ears, there was only a mocking, cold laugh.

He watched helplessly as the newcomer hauled the storyteller up, tore off the iron chains, and supported the man as they carried him away.

Terrible, simply terrible. With movements as swift as the wind, this must surely be the great thief who had been turning Huai'an City upside down!

The bailiff tried to crawl up, swaying unsteadily, but couldn't rise. He could only try to shake his companion awake while shouting intermittently, "Someone—come quick, come quickly—"

His voice was weak, but it worked; it actually summoned a handsome young scholar. "What's wrong? What's wrong? Good officers, what has happened here?" The young scholar was eager and helpful; he rushed into the alley to assist, struggled to pull the bailiff up from the ground, and then turned to check the pulse of the one who had been knocked unconscious.

"This officer is unharmed, it seems he has only fainted. Why did you two end up in such a sorry state?"

"Did you see a tall, burly man just now?"

The young scholar shook his head. "May I ask, officer, what did he look like?"

Indeed, what did he look like? The bailiff was caught in an embarrassed silence, realizing that everything had happened so fast that he hadn't seen a thing. He couldn't afford to be so disgraceful, so he gritted his teeth and shouted, "He looked just like the man on the wanted poster! Did you see him or not?"

Seeing the young scholar think for a moment before shaking his head again, the bailiff felt frustrated and dejected—a perfect, first-class credit for a promotion had slipped right through his fingers.

By now, his companion had regained consciousness, taking a long time to groggily figure out what had happened.

"It seems you were ambushed by a villain. Would you like me to help you call for more men?"

"No need, we will return to the yamen to report it ourselves." If their colleagues saw them in such a wretched state, they would never be able to hold their heads high in the yamen again.

"In that case, seeing that you two officers were harmed while protecting the peace of our region, I feel truly terrible. Why don't we find a place ahead to rest, quench your thirst, and tidy yourselves up?" The young scholar had a kind face and a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. "Give me a chance to express my gratitude and offer you both a small token of respect."

After running for three streets and turning through three alleys, the storyteller finally ran out of breath and waved his hand. "That's enough, that's enough. We're here; they surely can't catch us now..." He had only half a life left; if he kept running, he feared that half would be breathed away too.

He cupped his hands toward his savior. "Many thanks, hero, for your righteous aid. If not for you, I would have been finished today."

"Think nothing of it, sir. I happened to be passing the teahouse and found your tale of the chivalrous thief quite refreshing. I also cannot stand those lackeys who bully the weak and treat people like nothing. It was merely a small favor."

Seeing the man speak so lightly—having seen him fell two fierce bailiffs with a mere two moves—and observing his sturdy, iron-like build beneath the plain robe and his weathered, calloused hands, the storyteller knew this was no ordinary passerby. A sense of deep respect grew within him.

"This debt of saving my life, I shall never forget. May I ask the great name of my benefactor? In the future, I shall strive to repay you in any way I can."

"You are too kind, sir. My name is Dingzhi, Tan Dingzhi." Tan Jiuding smiled slightly.