Hu Li couldn't avoid his old adversary, Xu Cheng. Eventually, the two men behind Xu Cheng would be at odds with him, and there was no need to be discreet about it. Hu Li would always side with family or justice, as long as family wasn't too out of line. Regardless, Xu Cheng had caused trouble for the No-Phase Zen School many times in Yanran.

"Young man, that's not what you said earlier, is it?" A grim-faced escort behind Xu Cheng said, "Just now, we were trying to reason with Brother Xu, but now you speak like this. We just want to seek justice."

"Innocent victims," Hu Li scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Xu Cheng demanded, "Stop speaking in riddles."

"What I mean is, next time I'll make sure to tell Master Uncle to have people sign contracts before gambling, so there won't be any losers crying foul," Hu Li replied.

Xu Cheng raised his knife to strike, but someone stopped him with a palm.

"We strictly prohibit gambling in the Ming Dynasty," Jiang Yu said calmly, casting a glance and suggesting, "Why don't we all go to the government office?"

Xu Cheng saw Jiang Yu's expression and immediately quieted down, while the two behind him were still unaware of the situation.

Hu Li smirked and said, "Master Xu and Lord Jiang have known each other for a long time. Once we're in the government office, Lord Jiang might even release you early."

With that, the two men fell silent.

Xu Cheng sheathed his knife. "So, Lord Jiang has also arrived in Shangying City."

"I'm here, and you're not aware of it?" Jiang Yu's words were direct. The three men looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Jiang Yu was just informing them. He added, "Causing trouble won't do you any good."

With that, Jiang Yu turned and left, Hu Li following behind.

Xu Cheng gritted his teeth in anger, feeling humiliated, and retreated into his room, slamming the door shut.

"Is that Jiang Yu?" the grim-faced escort asked.

"Yes."

"How can an official like him be associated with those No-Phase Zen School people?" the pale-faced one asked.

"I have no idea." Just thinking about Xu Cheng made Hu Li's teeth itch, and he spoke with irritation.

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"The head of the escort asked us to enter Shangying City after Jiang Yu left. Now that we've encountered him, what should we do?" the pale-faced one said nervously.

The grim-faced escort gave him a disdainful look. "We're just escorts. What's there to be afraid of? Is he, a Jinyiwei, more powerful than heaven? Can he control the Black Horse Escort Agency?"

"I feel like the head of the escort telling us to avoid Jiang Yu is a bit suspicious. Could it be that we're transporting a corpse?" The pale-faced one looked even paler.

Xu Cheng slapped him on the head. "All you think about is gambling. You have no brains left. No wonder you're always penniless."

Suddenly, the grim-faced escort asked, "Where's Shi Yun?"

"It's been a while since we saw him. We were just eating together, and then we ran into that swindler named Bai..."

There were two knocks at the door.

Assuming it was Hu Li coming to cause trouble again, the three didn't respond. But it was Shi Yun's voice from outside, "I had urgent matters to attend to. I'm back late."

The pale-faced one went to open the door and said, "We were all looking for you. Where did you go?"

"I went to see a friend. Didn't I tell you last time that my hometown is in Shangying City?"

Shi Yun was the oldest among them, and the other men respected him. However, when it came to having fun, Xu Cheng was the one to follow.

"Brother Shi, when do we hand over to the client?" the grim-faced one asked.

Shi Yun glanced at him and said with a smile, "There's really nowhere good to drink or eat in Shangying City. Brothers, endure for two more days, and once we finish the delivery, we'll leave immediately."

Shi Yun reassured the three, finished his tea, stood up, and said, "Alright, everyone, get some rest."

With that, he left.

The next morning, it was overcast and rainy.

Bai Huai Shui held up a tattered oil-paper umbrella under the eaves for a while, couldn't stand the treatment, and immediately went on strike, saying, "I'll just escort you two to the door. Be careful on the way."

Initially, he had insisted on tagging along, but now he was backing out because of a broken umbrella.

Hu Li was about to ridicule him when Bai Huai Shui found an excuse and quickly ran downstairs, saying, "I've been thinking, the inn should leave someone to keep an eye on those escorts. Besides me, there's no one else suitable. You don't need to worry about me."

Jiang Yu put on his raincoat and ignored Bai Huai Shui's chatter. Hu Li glanced at Bai Huai Shui before turning away.

The rain fell without wind.

If this rain fell in Jiangnan, it would be considered gentle and lingering.

But here, apart from the eaves making them feel like they were in Jiangnan, Shangying City had nothing to do with the bustling south.

Bai Huai Shui waved his broken umbrella, his large sleeves swaying.

The three men had decided to visit the old man's house early that morning.

"Most likely, we'll be kicked out," Hu Li said.

"You've been kicked out before. What are you afraid of?" Jiang Yu said.

"Experience doesn't necessarily make you wiser, does it, Lord Jiang?" Hu Li glanced at Jiang Yu.

Rainwater dripped from the straw hat onto the stone slab road.

The heavy rain gradually softened their voices.

The two men hurried into the courtyard.

The old man was already standing under the eaves, not surprised to see them.

Jiang Yu glanced at the old man and chuckled, "We've kept you waiting, Elder."

"I was prepared to stand here all day. You're early," the old man said.

Hu Li found it strange and glanced at Jiang Yu, who was smiling as he walked under the eaves.

If there was a table set up in front of the old man, Hu Li would have thought it was a feast for the Hongmen. Hu Li stood next to Jiang Yu.

The old man spoke, "That person from the capital, who once raided my home and still isn't satisfied. Now he wants a piece of the pie."

"It has nothing to do with the person from the capital."

The old man turned his head slightly, amused. "You two are trying to distance yourselves. Then who are you going to talk to?"

The more the old man spoke, the more agitated he became. "If it weren't for people's insatiable greed, Shangying City wouldn't be the dilapidated mess it is today!"

"You're right. People's greed knows no bounds. But why does the Liangwang's underground palace still exist in this world?" Jiang Yu looked at the drizzling rain and said slowly.

After hearing this, the old man calmed down, sneered, and said, "Even if you say such things, it's useless. Don't expect to know anything from me. If you have the ability, just take my life."

The topic circled back into a dead end. The old man was stubborn and couldn't be persuaded to speak.

"Who are you waiting for, Elder?" Hu Li suddenly asked.

"Waiting for a group of ravens," the old man said, "Ten years, like clockwork. The one on the mountain watches the rain just like me. Only that old guy has been relieved."

The old monk from Qinglong Temple and the blind man from the east side of the city.

The old man's eyes had lost their light long ago. Waiting in Shangying City for ten years was probably waiting for the day to fall, so everything could finally come to an end.

The three stood quietly.

The rain was gradually stopping. The sunlight poured down on the ground.