CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Late at night, Zheng Chao switches off with another waitress. After retreating to the back room for a few minutes, she comes out wearing a white tunic that becomes gray near the bottom. Ready to leave, she walks to Li Feng’s table in the corner of the room. “Are you ready to see An Yu?”
“Yes, take me to her,” Li Feng says and stands. He follows Zheng Chao out of the shop and toward the center of the city.
People walk all around Li Feng and Zheng Chao, but Zheng Chao keeps a steady pace among the traffic. Miners coming out of the mine walk on the left side of the street, and miners entering the mine walk on the right side with Li Feng and Zheng Chao.
This late at night, the ones coming from the mines are mostly miners looking for a classy whore. Anything that can be found above ground can be found below, but the best quality is at the surface. Several men make comments at Zheng Chao, but she ignores them all.
At the entrance to the mine, Zheng Chao leads Li Feng inside. They walk against the iron chains on the left side of the stairway, going slightly slower than those on their right. Li Feng, having shorter legs than Zheng Chao and unable to descend as fast, uses air magic to help him glide down the stairs.
The first level of the mine is brightly lit by lanterns and fires. Unlike the wooden city above it, the mines of Quanchang have no limit to fires being used as a light source. Most buildings in the mines are just carved out from the walls of the mine, and wooden supports are rarely used in exchange for steel supports.
Li Feng and Zheng Chao do not stop at the first level and they continue down. The second and third level are similar to the first, brightly lit and mostly containing food stalls and shops, but the fourth level is residential. Here, Zheng Chao steps out of the stairs, and Li Feng follows her.
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Straight, left, right, and Zheng Chao follows the path she knows by heart to arrive at her friend’s tiny apartment. Li Feng can barely make head or tail of the dimly lit hallways, but Zheng Chao easily finds her destination, stopping outside a wooden door after a minute of walking. She knocks on the door, and looks at Li Feng. “This is where An Yu lives.”
A few seconds later, a person behind the door opens a viewing hole in the door and sees Zheng Chao. “Hey, let me open the door,” She says, and closes the viewing hole before opening the door.
“Hi, Yu,” Zheng Chao says.
“Hello, miss,” Li Feng says, bowing. “I was told you were working when my servant came to purchase steamed buns from your store. Do you perhaps remember her?”
“Hi. I might remember,” An Yu says, looking at Li Feng, surprised at a child would be bowing to her. Even Zheng Chao is a little surprised after seeing how Li Feng treated the miners at the shop. “Can you describe her?”
“She’s about as tall as miss Zheng, and wears a servant uniform like you’d see at the lord’s estate, and has a pretty face,” Li Feng says, describing Lam Bai as best he can. “She might have showed your her identification card. Her name is Lam Bai, and she works for the Li family in Shijiang.”
“Oh, I remember her,” An Yu says and squats to Li Feng’s level. “She came to buy a steamed bun of every sweet flavor, for her young master. Is that you?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Li Feng says, glad he found a lead. “Tell me, when did Bai leave your shop?”
“She left right after getting the steamed buns,” An Yu answers. “Why?”
“Did anyone follow her out?” Li Feng asks.
“I don’t think so,” An Yu says, racking her brain. “But, a table of five paid right after she left, didn’t take their remaining steamed buns, and left.”
“No…” Zheng Chao quietly says.
“Miss An, would you mind accompanying me and miss Zheng until we find these five men?” Li Feng asks, a fire burning in his eyes.
“Of course I will,” An Yu replies, both her and Zheng Chao worried over what might have happened to Li Feng’s servant.