Chapter 166: Meeting an Enemy

Lin Qi carefully touched up his eyebrows in front of the mirror, adjusted the small mustache stuck to his upper lip, and tilted his head to carefully examine his reflection—pale yellowish hair, deep-set eye sockets, somewhat darkened skin, and eyes narrowed into thin slits that appeared lackluster. Within those slits, his light gray pupils gleamed with a feverish light.

A degenerate gambler worn out from too many late nights was vividly portrayed. Lin Qi had seen plenty of such hopeless gamblers in Dun Er Ke who had lost everything. They looked just like this: listless, like sugarcane drained of its juice, yet with burning eyes as if hiding a mad volcano within.

“Looks just like a gambling expert!” Lin Qi twisted his waist and grinned as he asked Yulian, “Even if I take off my mask, they still won’t recognize me, right?”

Yulian stroked his chin, scrutinizing Lin Qi’s new appearance before nodding slowly. “Boss, they definitely won’t recognize you. After all, tonight’s gathering has many activities. Although gambling is important, I doubt those two ladies will come to watch the gambling.”

Lin Qi shrugged and snapped his fingers contentedly. He turned to Long Cheng standing beside him. This black-haired, black-eyed noble from the East had also transformed into another guise—his face was deathly pale, almost translucent, his cheeks sunken like a dying tuberculosis patient, and his scarlet eyes gleamed with a bone-chilling, sinister light. His messy long hair hung behind him like a bunch of dead snakes.

Long Cheng now looked like a demon that roamed at night and drank human blood. The faint traces of cold emanating from his body made one think exactly that. Lin Qi’s refined ancestral makeup skills, combined with Long Cheng’s extraordinary cultivation technique that allowed him to control his muscles and blood flow, had created such a perfect disguise.

“Well, it’s not that I’m afraid of them!” Lin Qi smugly clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s just that, before they climb into Tixiang’s bed, before we get the two million Gold Coin reward, before Yulian’s elders officially secure those five positions, we can’t take even the slightest risk. They must not know we’ve returned to the Imperial Capital. It has to be kept secret—absolutely secret!”

Long Cheng shook his head indifferently, admiring his new face with some disappointment. “I really look like a lustful ghost drained dry by women. Why do I have to look like this? But, fine. Are you sure I can get the information I want at that damned gathering tonight?”

Long Cheng wanted to get the Imperial Emperor’s itinerary, something an ordinary person couldn’t possibly know. Being new here, Long Cheng had no good way to probe for such information; he didn’t even know whom to kidnap and interrogate.

Therefore, the secret gathering Lin Qi was taking him to tonight was Long Cheng’s biggest hope. He needed to quickly learn the Imperial Emperor’s movements, fulfill certain conditions from his bet with someone in The East, and return to The East as soon as possible.

Lin Qi gave Long Cheng’s shoulder a firm pat and laughed heartily. “Relax, take it easy, it’s no big deal. Well, the information you want—you’ll get it tonight, trust me! Yulian, back me up, right? Everyone attending tonight is of similar status as Sir Tixiang?”

Yulian nodded eagerly. “Yes, the people attending the gathering at Sir Tixiang’s private club tonight are all big shots of similar status as him. They are well-informed; nothing in the Imperial Capital can escape their notice. With just a bit of clever questioning, there’s nothing we can’t find out.”

Satisfied, Long Cheng straightened his back and sighed softly. “Well, I’ll join you reckless kids in one more mischief then. Hmm, it seems since I came to the Western lands, I’ve done quite a few reckless things, haven’t I?”

Shaking his head, Long Cheng sighed deeply again, feeling rather despondent—as if a good man like him was being forced into villainy.

After busying themselves for a while, Lin Qi, Long Cheng, and Yulian dressed neatly and boarded a Four-Wheel Carriage sent by Tixiang, leisurely heading toward his secret private club outside the city. As for Enzo, the poor guy had earned significant military merits, receiving commendation from the Military Department and a medal for his achievements. Because of this, he became the favorite of the Army Academy instructors these past two days—they had plenty of free time and frequently called upon him, sometimes to patrol, other times to clean the dormitories, or simply drag him to the training grounds.

So Enzo couldn’t join tonight’s gathering, but tonight’s matters didn’t really require his help anyway.

The Four-Wheel Carriage moved swiftly along the clean street. This avenue was reserved for the high officials and nobles of the Imperial Capital when entering or leaving the city. Even during the heaviest snowstorms, the street was kept perfectly clear. With no snow to obstruct them, it took less than an hour for Lin Qi’s group to exit the Imperial Capital through the eastern gate, then turn northeast onto a tree-lined path. After traveling for over half an hour more, they arrived at a large bend of the Sain River.

The area around this large river bend was so expansive it almost resembled a lake. Surrounded by small hills, it was an ideal spot for seclusion and tranquility. Even when blizzards raged outside, this place remained as peaceful as a hidden paradise.

Rare and exotic flowers and trees were densely planted here. A three-story building was nestled among the greenery, with strong men in tight-fitting outfits patrolling silently along the paths. Each group of men led a fierce fighting dog, ensuring the area was tightly guarded.

This was Tixiang’s secret hideout, a lavish money-burning den he had spent a fortune to create. He often hosted various clandestine gatherings here, with all sorts of characters coming and going. The place was famous for its extravagance and luxury among the playboys of the Imperial Capital.

A group of tough-looking men stopped the carriage, and Lin Qi’s group had to get out and walk. Not just them—everyone who arrived here had to dismount or get out of their vehicles and proceed on foot along the designated paths. This was one of Tixiang’s precautionary measures to prevent people he didn’t get along with from bringing strange or dangerous items onto his turf.

A few years ago, at another private venue of similar nature near the Imperial Capital, someone had smuggled in a high-level magical beast using a carriage. The consequences, as one could imagine, were a nightmarish chaos.

The trio had only taken a few steps when a shout came from behind them.

“Who’s that? Isn’t that Tixiang’s newly acquired lackey, the down-and-out Yulian?”

Lin Qi turned around angrily and saw Beya, fully clad in tight-fitting clothes, striding toward them from a luxurious carriage.