After lighting a stick of incense, a middle-aged man with an average appearance walked into the teahouse. His eyes wandered around and locked onto the private room where Zhou Mo was.
He walked over and tapped the pillar three times with his finger, two short and one long, and a voice came from inside: "Come in."
The man opened the curtain and entered the private room, where Zhou Mo sat alone at the table and sipped tea.
He cupped his hands in a sly salute and said in a rough voice, "See you, young master."
Zhou Mo said a faint "hmm" and asked straight to the point: "What are you doing in Huaqing County?"
The man replied: "The master ordered his subordinates to come down and find the young master."
Zhou Mo paused while holding the teacup, raised his eyes and gave him a serious look.
The man looked at him: "The master asked, it has been some time since the young master took over the task. When are you going to take action?"
Zhou Mo lowered his eyelashes: "This matter is no small matter, I have my own plan."
The man said: "Young master knows the best, but the sect leader asked his subordinates to tell the young master that the affairs in the sect are heavy. The sect master has high hopes for the young master. He also asks the young master to complete the task and return to the sect master."
Zhou Mo's hand holding the tea cup tightened, and there was a coldness in his lowered eyes.
The man continued: "The master also said that his subordinates should stay with the young master until he returns."
Zhou Mo suddenly narrowed his eyes: "He sent you to spy on me?"
The man was neither humble nor arrogant: "Young Master has misunderstood. The sect master ordered his subordinates to assist Young Master."
Zhou Mo sneered: "No need!"
The man insisted: "This is the master's order."
Zhou Mo took a breath and calmed down: "There are a lot of experts around them, and the secret guards are all the best. If you follow me, you will be discovered sooner or later, and then you will fail."
The man frowned, seeming to be deep in thought.
Zhou Mo didn't give him a chance to weigh things up, and then asked: "Why do you hang out with the Stingers?"
The man said: "My subordinates met them when they were secretly looking for the young master, and accidentally learned that they wanted to kill the woman who was traveling with King Qi."
"It happened that the young master was going out with her, so his subordinates took the opportunity to sneak in and deliver the news to the young master."
Zhou Mo asked again: "Who wants to kill her?"
The man shook his head: "I don't know."
It is an unwritten rule in the killer industry to strictly guard the employer's information, and the killers he met were all sting-level killers, so it was impossible for him to know such secrets.
Zhou Mo tapped the rim of the cup with his slender fingers, thoughtfully.
After a while, he stood up and wanted to leave, but the man followed suit. He paused, turned around and said, "I told you, I don't need you."
The man looked at him straightly: "I am following orders."
Zhou Mo closed his eyes and suppressed the anger surging in his chest.
The person in front of me is that person's confidant. He has always only taken orders from that person. He is as stubborn as a cow. It is extremely unlikely to get rid of him.
Zhou Mo's thoughts changed and he took a step back: "King Qi is extremely cautious, and he is even more impeccable in handling the emperor's missions. It will definitely not work for you to join the team with me."
"In this case, you will still be dormant as before. If anything happens, I will contact you. How about that?"
The man thought for a moment and nodded.
Zhou Mo patted him on the shoulder and issued an order: "King Qi's people are staring at me. I managed to get away to meet you. Going back blatantly will definitely arouse suspicion. Go and lure them away."
The man hesitated.
Zhou Mo said calmly: "Since the sect master sent you to assist me, if the mission fails due to my exposure, you will not be able to escape the responsibility."
The man remembered the owner's temperament and methods, turned around and left the door.
Not long after, three figures rose and fell under the cool moonlight, drifting away like the passing wind.
Zhou Mo drank the last sip of tea, went back to the brothel, and slept until dawn.