When Li Xuan and the others departed, Hadile, who was sitting behind the stall, also let out a sigh of relief.
"That old man… I can't see through him at all…"
Watching Chief Steward Shang's retreating figure, Hadile muttered to himself, still feeling a lingering fear.
Hadile could discern a person's depth to some extent; after all, he had traveled extensively for years, and without a keen eye, he would have long since died in some reeking ditch.
Yet, facing Chief Steward Shang, Hadile felt as if he were staring into an abyss, seeing only the unknown.
This was the first time Hadile had encountered such a situation.
"Alas, this dragon's den is not easy to navigate…"
Hadile casually picked up another painting and began to appraise it, but his mind was no longer focused on the task.
…
Meanwhile, Li Xuan and the others had returned to the carriage, and this time, Chief Steward Shang also joined them inside.
"Li Xuan, what do you think?"
Chief Steward Shang first asked Li Xuan.
The ones most aware of the situation were Li Xuan and Chief Steward Shang; Princess Ankang and Yuer were not yet privy to the matter of the half-treasure map.
Li Xuan's eyes darted about, and he immediately wagged his tail, writing indignantly:
"They are simply too arrogant."
"Chief Steward Shang, can our Great Xing tolerate such insolence?"
"I suggest we immediately apprehend them, torture them severely, and then hang them all!"
Chief Steward Shang glanced at Li Xuan, then smiled, stroking his chin, and said seriously:
"That is a good idea."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's send the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs to apprehend Hadile now!" Li Xuan eagerly wrote.
Princess Ankang and Yuer looked left and right, unsure what the man and cat were discussing.
But it seemed like serious business, so the two girls did not interrupt casually.
"Ah, that's not quite right."
"This matter is too important; I don't trust them to handle it."
Chief Steward Shang said this, then changed his tone:
"Given its significance, we must dispatch His Majesty's most capable secret agent."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan realized there was an unexpected gain and immediately showed interest, awaiting Chief Steward Shang's next words.
However, Chief Steward Shang remained silent, smiling as he looked at Li Xuan.
"Ah????"
Li Xuan tilted his head.
He had originally planned to hand this troublesome matter over to the Internal Affairs Bureau and wait to reap the benefits, curious about the secrets hidden within the treasure map.
Now, it turned out that after all that, he would have to handle it himself.
"The Emperor Yongyuan's most capable secret agent couldn't possibly be me, Little Cat, could it?"
Li Xuan spread his paws, marveling at Chief Steward Shang's ability to speak nonsense with a straight face.
Chief Steward Shang waved his hand, shaking his head repeatedly:
"Li Xuan, why belittle yourself? His Majesty greatly recognizes your abilities."
"You have effortlessly completed the previous missions."
"His Majesty said that in the future, the number one secret agent of the palace will be none other than you!"
Chief Steward Shang gave a thumbs-up, pouring flattery upon Li Xuan, one bowl after another.
"Damn it, he's treating me like a child!"
Li Xuan gnashed his teeth in anger, thinking that if he wanted free labor, he should just say so, instead of resorting to such methods.
"I, Little Cat, don't fall for that!"
…
The night was deep, the wind brought frost, and a thousand leaves fell into formation.
Autumn wind, falling leaves, and Little Black Cat.
These formed the main theme of tonight.
"Ah ha~"
Li Xuan let out a big yawn, stretching and flexing his body.
"The weather is getting colder and colder."
Li Xuan looked down at the passersby, each shrinking their necks, clutching their clothes, and walking like quails, sighing with emotion.
In the end, he couldn't resist his curiosity and willingly allowed Chief Steward Shang to enlist him.
Li Xuan stayed behind to investigate the Hu Merchant Hadile, while Chief Steward Shang took Princess Ankang and Yuer away.
During the day, Hadile set up his stall in the West Market to collect paintings; after the market closed, he drank and ate meat at a tavern in the West Market, only now showing signs of returning to his lodging.
Li Xuan had followed this fellow all day but had not discovered anything unusual.
But as a cat, Li Xuan knew the importance of patience in hunting.
Hadile, at this moment, staggered out of a tavern in the West Market, clearly drunk, supported by Abu, who had also drunk a considerable amount.
"Master Hadile, you're drunk. I, I'll take you back."
Abu's tongue was already somewhat tied.
It seemed that this translating job not only yielded a good reward but also allowed him to freeload on food and drinks, a truly decent treatment.
"I'm, not drunk, not drunk…"
"Abu, you don't believe me, I… I'll show you some qinggong…"
Like most people, those who are drunk always claim they aren't, and those who aren't always claim they are.
Hadile swayed as he took a large, clumsy step, as if trying to step onto the sky, as if to ascend invisible stairs.
Abu, startled, quickly pressed down Hadile's thick leg, fearing he might fall and injure himself.
This was his patron, Abu wouldn't dare let Hadile act so recklessly.
"Master, Master, can't I just believe you already?"
Perhaps due to urgency, Abu's tongue suddenly untied, and his originally muddled mind cleared considerably after being hit by the cold wind outside.
"Then, Master Hadile, please be careful on your way. I'll come to greet you tomorrow morning."
Hadile didn't listen to what Abu was saying, waving his hand haphazardly, and headed towards the Adaxi Inn where he was staying.
Although Abu was somewhat worried, he still turned and walked towards his home.
In his opinion, Hadile was a tough man with strong capabilities; even if he encountered trouble on the way back, trouble that Hadile couldn't solve, he himself wouldn't be able to solve it either. It was more practical to go back and rest early.
Abu had run a noodle stall in the West Market for many years, and his home was in a small alley not far from his stall.
Although it was called a home, it was merely a place where he could lie down and sleep; there was no other space besides that.
After all, Abu's home was just a woodshed before he rented it.
Abu's family was in his distant hometown, and he hadn't returned for many years.
To support his family, Abu worked hard alone in the capital, managing his noodle stall, sending money back home, and only keeping necessary material costs and living expenses.
Years passed, and Abu transformed from the young, inexperienced man who first drifted to the capital into a weathered noodle stall uncle.
Men in his hometown were already grandfathers at his age, but he hadn't even married a wife.
Every year he would say he'd go back once he saved enough money, but for some reason, the money was never enough.
However, the recent job of translating for Hadile made Abu very happy.
The work was much easier than the noodle stall, and he earned more money.
Hadile always took him to eat, and in the past few days, Abu had enjoyed many dishes he hadn't dared to eat for years.
"If only I could always have such a good job."
Abu hummed a little tune cheerfully as he walked towards home.
Li Xuan merely glanced at Abu's retreating figure and smiled faintly.
Abu's back gave him a sense of déjà vu.
But there was important business at hand, so Li Xuan didn't dwell on it further; instead, he followed Hadile below, moving along the eaves.
The West Market at night still maintained a certain flow of people, and there were also night market vendors on the streets.
But compared to the daytime, it was certainly much quieter.
It was evident that the nightlife on the West Market side was considerably less vibrant than on the East Market side; most of the business was from restaurants and taverns, while other shops closed early.
"It seems nightlife still depends on the Flower Street in the East Market."
This was Li Xuan's first time strolling through the West Market at night, and he found it quite novel.
Hadile swayed along, wandering through streets and alleys, not shying away from dark corners, heading straight back to his lodging.
Yet, he encountered no trouble along the way, moving unimpeded.
Even though this was the capital, the night Public Security was not that good.
Li Xuan watched from above and saw that just one alley away, a property transfer was taking place.
A Hu Merchant who didn't know his way around was warmly surrounded by a few ruffians in a dark corner, who enthusiastically helped him empty his pockets.
Such things could not be prevented even in the capital.
Who can guarantee that a few rats won't breed in the dark corners?
Li Xuan kept an eye on Hadile's movements while scanning his surroundings.
He noticed that the ruffians had stripped the Hu Merchant bare, not even sparing his silk underpants.
This made Little Black Cat shake his head repeatedly, then gently flick his tail a few times, and the ruffians immediately rolled their eyes and collapsed to the ground.
The Hu Merchant, stripped of all his clothes and only able to cover his shame with the fat on his belly, was instantly startled.
But he immediately saw a few small pebbles on the ground and instantly understood something.
"Thank you, hero, thank you, hero…"
He raised his head and repeatedly cupped his hands, not knowing who he was thanking, then quickly snatched his belongings and clothes from the ruffians on the ground before hastily fleeing the scene to a more bustling street, immediately drawing a burst of laughter.
Even though he was being laughed at, the Hu Merchant, having escaped a predicament, was relieved. He found a wall, slowly put on his clothes, and in his native tongue, cursed the bastards who were still staring at him.
The laughter on the street seemed to catch Hadile's attention; he peered with blurry, drunken eyes in the direction of the laughter.
Li Xuan lay on the eaves, blending into the night.
Hadile scratched his head, muttering something as he continued on his way.
Li Xuan followed him, slowly resuming their journey.
"Hmph, he's definitely faking drunkenness."
Li Xuan couldn't help but think to himself.
His earlier act of chivalry wasn't purely out of boredom.
As Li Xuan used the Stone Flicking Technique with his tail to subdue the ruffians, his eyes were fixed on Hadile.
Before Hadile turned his head upon hearing the laughter, his right ear clearly twitched, precisely at the moment Li Xuan launched his attack.
Such an unconscious reaction is the hardest to conceal.
Especially when Hadile believed no one was following him nearby.
It was precisely for this reason that Li Xuan concluded Hadile's vigilance was not as low as it appeared.
"If you hadn't run into me, this acting skill of yours could have deceived most people."
It had to be admitted, Hadile's act was indeed very convincing.
Soon, Hadile returned to the Adaxi Inn where he was staying.
[Adaxi Inn]
Below the removable signboard, there was also a small line of Western Region script, presumably the name of the inn.
"He even has a bilingual signboard."
Li Xuan estimated that this inn must specialize in business with people from the Western Regions.
Hadile went straight to the best room on the third floor. He didn't light any lamps, just went in and lay on the bed, snoring loudly, so loudly that Li Xuan could hear it clearly from outside.
Li Xuan wasn't in a hurry to enter Hadile's room to investigate; he patiently observed from outside for a while.
By now, he was certain that Hadile was 100% suspicious and most likely came for that half of the treasure map.
"I just don't know who this guy is working for?"
Li Xuan waited outside until midnight, listening to Hadile's snoring for most of the night.
The snoring would sometimes abruptly stop, with no sound, making Li Xuan think Hadile had stopped breathing.
But after a restless moment, the snoring resumed, as loud as ever.
"Strange, I didn't detect any nearby support either."
Li Xuan furrowed his tiny brows, continuously surveying the surroundings of the Adaxi Inn.
Even with his full attention, he didn't discover any presence worth noting.
After some consideration, Li Xuan decided to take action.
"Since you're so careless, don't blame me for taking the bait and spitting out the hook!"
Imperial Secret Agent 00-Meow, attack!
Li Xuan stealthily approached the Adaxi Inn and soon arrived outside Hadile's room.
He first quietly listened to the sounds inside by the window, finding nothing but snoring.
Li Xuan immediately and decisively performed his famous technique, flipping through the window.
The furnishings in the room were quite exquisite, living up to the name of a superior room.
Hadile's massive body lay on the bed, his exposed, hairy chest rising and falling with his snores.
Seeing Hadile sleeping soundly, Li Xuan did not go forward to disturb him and began to search the room.
There weren't many furnishings in the room; besides a large bed and a table, the only other furniture was a wardrobe and a chest.
The rest were small items, unable to hold much.
The chest and other furnishings in the room were distinctly different in style, suggesting it was brought by Hadile himself.
Li Xuan first rummaged through this chest.
Fortunately, the chest was not locked, and Li Xuan easily opened it.
As soon as the chest opened, Li Xuan smelled a peculiar fragrance emanating from inside, and his vision instantly blurred slightly, his Yin Yang True Qi accelerating its circulation.
But this anomaly quickly disappeared.
"Huh, what just happened?"
Li Xuan blinked, momentarily disoriented.
Inside the chest, besides changes of clothes, there were numerous scrolls of paintings.
"These must be the paintings this guy collected during the day."
"Are there already so many?"
Li Xuan quickly scanned them; there must have been dozens of paintings there.
He frowned, feeling a bit troubled.
"Could the other half of the treasure map be hidden in here?"
Li Xuan was tempted to steal all these paintings, but he was afraid of alerting the enemy.
According to his own inclination, it would be best to tie Hadile up and interrogate him severely as soon as possible.
However, Chief Steward Shang had specifically instructed Li Xuan before leaving not to act against Hadile yet, but to focus on gathering information first.
It was best to clarify Hadile's true identity and background.
"Ugh, being a secret agent is so troublesome~"
Li Xuan sighed, about to thoroughly search the chest, when he suddenly felt something was amiss.
He leaned over the chest and looked towards the bed.
"Huh, why does the snoring sound seem to be getting faster?"