Judy's expression briefly registered shock before she set down her knife and fork, wiped her hands with a napkin, and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, she nodded, poured herself a glass of fortified wine, and said, "It might sting my pride a bit, but I appreciate honesty."

With a seductive magnetic look in her eyes, she hooked her high heel around Li Yan's trouser leg. "If you really kidnapped me, would it just be for money?"

"I don't know. I'll decide when the time comes."

Li Yan had anticipated an awkward wine dinner today, but it turned out to be more palatable than he had feared, almost like a 'Duck on the Shelf' situation.

"Your turn," she said, "the same question as before?"

Li Yan nodded.

"It really varies from person to person," Judy mused, tilting her head with her palm supporting her cheek. "Bloodlust and violence—some recoil in fear or even disgust at these things, yet others are deeply fascinated by them. Fists, sweat, flesh, even killing."

As she chewed on a piece of foie gras, her lips parted slightly to say, "I belong to the latter group."

"There are actually many on the Dragon City Arena—"

"Too ugly," Judy interrupted.

Li Yan choked on his words and awkwardly replied, "Ah, that makes sense."

"The only one in Dragon City I had any expectations for was Red Ghost, until I saw your boxing match with Minami Kido."

Her cheeks flushed as she crooked her finger at Li Yan, beckoning, "Come closer to me."

Li Yan leaned in, and the woman before him had long, curved eyelashes and eyes deep as autumn waters. As she spoke, her fragrant breath caressed Li Yan's face.

"That night, I was wet."

Li Yan involuntarily swallowed hard, recoiling slightly as he picked up his glass of red wine, pouring and downing it in one go. His normally steady hand trembled.

At this, Judy chuckled.

In twenty-five years, Li Yan had never met a woman as unrestrained and sensual as Judy. He was no novice, yet she had him utterly discomposed with just a few words.

"Now it's my turn again. What did you do before coming to Hong Kong?"

Judy asked with a laugh, pouring more wine as if she hadn't just revealed something so personal.

Li Yan, having drunk quickly, was breathing heavily.

"Me? I've been on the move since I was a kid, following my dad to many places in the north and south. After he passed away, I worked as a security guard, dabbled in business, taught in a martial arts school, and even sold... electronic watches for a while."

Judy reached for the wine and drank it back with her head tilted up.

"Now it's my turn to ask."

Li Yan smacked his lips and asked, "What about you, Miss Judy? What was your life like before you got married?"

Judy raised her eyebrows and took a moment before answering.

"I was an orphan. Not long after I was adopted, my father died, and I can hardly remember his face," she said.

Li Yan listened quietly, not speaking.

"My mother... she was very good to me. Just too busy with work to spend time with me."

Suddenly, Li Yan looked up at Judy, who was staring back without blinking. They held each other's gaze for a moment, the atmosphere charged with a subtle tension.

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After a while, Li Yan cracked a smile, lifting his wine glass to drain the grape wine within.

Interestingly, Li Yan made no mention of Judy's Dead Ghost Husband, and Judy didn't seem keen to probe into why Li Yan had committed murder to smuggle himself over. Of course, even if she had asked, Li Yan would likely have spun a tale on the spot. He still couldn't fathom how Tapir, or rather Yan Fu, managed to maintain a false identity that was Flawless as Heavenly Robe. Making someone disappear without a trace wasn't difficult, but to have someone appear in another world just as silently, without the slightest flaw—that was truly terrifying.

"It's my turn," Judy chimed in. "Did you have a girl you liked back on the mainland?"

"...No."

"Oh~" Judy didn't know whether to believe him or not. But she drank heartily nonetheless.

Judy could hold her liquor much better than Li Yan had anticipated, yet she couldn't outdrink a true Northern Man like him. After a few rounds, Judy was visibly tipsy. She slung her arm over Li Yan's shoulder, her speech slurred, as Li Yan glanced toward the door. There stood several imposing female bodyguards with sunglasses, eyeing him with disapproval.

Li Yan gestured to them.

"Your boss is drunk. Take her home."

"Aren't you coming with us, Mr. Li Yan?" asked one of the older female bodyguards, her tone laced with peculiarity.

Li Yan gave her a look.

"I'm taking a taxi back to Kowloon's Fortress Village."

"Then, take care on your way."

"I will."

Li Yan helped Judy into the car and watched it drive away. He unbuttoned his shirt, stuffed his suit back into the bag, and in the thin shirt he had rented from the photo studio, he jogged off to hail a cab.

...

"Li, what do you think of him?"

In the backseat of the car, Judy crossed her arms, showing no signs of drunkenness.

"The man is very cunning."

The female bodyguard driving didn't turn her head.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it? I think he's quite charming."

Judy laughed heartily.

"Judy, he killed four Big Circle Boys single-handedly. He's dangerous when he snaps. Don't play with fire."

Judy shifted her position, crossing her long left leg over the right. Her lips pursed, a competitive tone in her voice.

"If that crazy woman can do it, so can I."

Li rolled her eyes and after a moment of silence said, "Anyway, if he dares to harm you, I'll blow his head off with one shot."

The car sped on, carrying the sound of the woman's unrestrained laughter.

...

At the entrance to Kowloon's Fortress Village, a silver metal sign bore the words "Kowloon Fortress."

Dodging the advances of warblers and swallows and junkies, Li Yan walked through the cramped alleys, stepping over old newspapers and dirty water.

It was only then that Li Yan finally caught his breath, finding the leisure to ponder the details of the Yanfu Incident.

Li Yan had planned to trigger the Yanfu Incident only after reaching the seventh match on the stage of Fortress Village. However, due to an unexpected twist of fate, he acquired two Fragmented Manuscripts from He Andong, thus achieving his goal ahead of schedule.

It was clear that the whereabouts of the remaining Fragmented Manuscripts were inextricably linked to He Andong and his associates. Li Yan had thoroughly searched them and confirmed they only possessed two fragments. According to the police, all five chapters of the Ancient Novel Sinker Records were stolen by He Andong.

So, where were the remaining three chapters?

There were two possibilities. One was that He Andong had disposed of them. Indeed, they had liquidated a large collection of cumbersome antiques for easier transport. The piles of Hong Kong dollars Li Yan had seen were partly the result of this liquidation. Given the hasty chase by the police, these antiques were still in their possession before Little Jin was shot, a fact confirmed by the authorities. After Little Jin's injury, they had fled to Kowloon's Fortress Village to treat his gunshot wound, leaving no time for other dealings. It was highly probable that they had disposed of the antiques right there in Kowloon's Fortress Village!

The other possibility was an inside job by the bank staff, who might have taken advantage of the chaos to pocket the treasures themselves, especially if the gang couldn't be apprehended, leaving no evidence behind. If Li Yan wanted to find all five Fragmented Manuscripts, particularly the elusive Guhuo Bird Fragment, he would have to start from these two leads. Considering the locations of the five Fragmented Manuscripts would be reported to him every 24 hours, Li Yan felt confident that finding them in the remaining half-month would not be too difficult.

On the roadside, a golden-haired, blue-eyed middle-aged nun was handing out flyers, likely about services for disaster relief and disease prevention at the church. She spoke in an awkward Cantonese, which almost made Li Yan laugh. It reminded him of his childhood in Guangdong when a local kid, pointing at his nose, had taunted him, "If you can't understand, go back to the countryside!"—a remark that had earned the kid a thrashing from Li Yan.

As Li Yan was about to walk away, a searing pain suddenly shot through his chest!

"The location of the Ancient Novel Sinker Records Fragmented Manuscripts has been reported. Please be ready to receive."

Before Li Yan's eyes, a three-dimensional map emerged, displaying the full geography of Kowloon's Fortress Village, akin to a sand table. Four golden-red flame icons were scattered across the expanse of Dragon City, with two overlapping flames marking his own location. One of the flames was less than a hundred meters away from him and moving!

Li Yan turned sharply, no longer paying attention to the old vendor by the roadside. He stepped over the vendor's straw basket and hurried through the intricate network of streets and alleys, closing in on the location of the flame.

"Make way! Make way!"

Strangely, the speed of the moving flame suddenly increased!

**********

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