Chapter 101: Rascal
Lin Qian made a hand gesture to the subordinates beside him.
Three Crew Members holding tiger-head pliers and other tools crawled out from their hiding place, relaid the Wooden Boards, and stooped into the tent.
Two of them were responsible for removing the Pottery Jars and pouring the molten lead into the water, while the other was responsible for cutting the red-hot iron bars.
After about the time of two incense sticks, two men walked out of the tent.
One held a Wooden Tray and transported the Broken Pottery Shards out in batches.
Each time they transported, the Wooden Tray was dipped in water to prevent it from being ignited by the high temperature of the Broken Pottery Shards.
The other used iron tongs to clamp the severed iron bars, the cut end still glowing red.
That man placed the iron bars on the ground and buried them with soil.
The instant the soil touched the red-hot iron bars, it sparked a burst of white smoke, then more soil was piled on, suppressing the white smoke under the earth.
Afterward, the Crew Members deftly dismantled the tent and leaned the fake iron bars back in place, so even if Guards patrolled nearby in the pitch dark, they wouldn’t see the hole in the Water Gate.
After finishing everything, the Crew Members removed the Wooden Boards from the waterway, returning everything to its original state as if nothing had happened.
With the Wooden Boards removed, most of the Guests from the Birthday Banquet had left, and the floor-standing red lantern at the gate let out a few final sputters before burning to the end.
Heaven and earth returned to Silence.
Lin Qian released the soil clenched in his palm and exhaled deeply.
It was now about the beginning of the Hai hour, not yet time to act; the Crew Members hiding in the darkness could only wait quietly.
In the Late Autumn night, as it deepened the dew grew heavy; the ground gradually drew away the body’s warmth, the lapels were wetted by the dew, extremely uncomfortable—everyone could only endure it.
As the Birthday Banquet ended, the clamor of Lin Mansion gradually died down.
Around Zi hour, the lights in Lin Mansion had dimmed considerably; clearly everyone in the manor had gone to bed.
At this time people had just lain down not long ago, their sleep still shallow; Guards immersed in the splendor of the Birthday Banquet still felt excited—it was still not a good time.
They waited until around Chou hour, when the lanterns of the Guards on the Courtyard Wall also slowed their movement.
Lin Qian said in a low voice: “Move out.”
As soon as he spoke, Bai Qing, Bai Langzai, and over a dozen good swimmers rose from the ground, hurried stooped to the Water Gate, shifted the fake bars aside, and leaped into the waterway.
In a short while, lanterns shook on the Courtyard Wall, and Lin Mansion Back Door slowly opened.
Lin Qian led the others in through the back door.
The back door bolt lay fallen to one side, and beside it lay a Guard’s corpse, stabbed in the throat with blood still surging out steaming hot.
Lin Qian called Lei Sanxiang and Zheng Zhilong over and instructed again: “Third Brother, after clearing the west route’s Courtyard Wall, come to the rear hall to rendezvous with the central route. Yiguan, after finishing the east route, guard the Courtyard Wall—withdraw on the signal of three clappers, understood?”
“Understood!” Both cupped their hands and replied.
With that, Lin Qian drew his saber, leading the twenty in the central route into the Back Alley.
The Back Alley was narrow, allowing only single file.
The first two held Wild Goose Feather Sabers and Shields, wearing leather armor to lead the way.
Following behind were Bai Qing, Xie Er, Bai Langzai, with Lin Qian behind Bai Langzai.
The Back Alley was pitch black, almost impossible to see in, but after countless drills everyone knew Lin Mansion’s layout by heart—even advancing in the dark they moved swiftly.
After walking forward a distance, the two leading the way stopped.
Moments later, a lantern turned in.
“Who goes there… ugh…”
The lantern bearer had just spoken when a Shield smashed his throat, followed by a cold flash as a saber thrust into his abdomen.
The saber was pulled out, staining the Back Alley’s green bricks dark red.
The lantern fell to the ground and ignited flames, extinguished in an instant by a foot.
The Servant still had one breath left, his throat gurgling continuously as he stretched bloody hands toward the Crew Members, seemingly begging for mercy.
Immediately several more stabs followed; the Servant was thoroughly dead, no longer twitching.
The team stepped over the Servant’s corpse and continued onward.
Lin Qian reached the spot where the Servant had entered and saw it was a rockery, realizing they had arrived at Lin Mansion’s garden.
The team pressed on without stopping; the last three in the team turned into the rear garden as planned to clear the Guards and Servants there.
At this hour the whole manor slept soundly, most night servants dozing off; the group moved unimpeded through the Back Alley.
Along the way they encountered three lantern-holding Guards, all dispatched neatly and silently.
After passing several more intersections, another dozen or so Crew Members dispersed to their assigned spots as planned.
At that moment the two leading the way suddenly halted.
No footsteps were heard nearby, nor any Torch light seen.
While puzzled, the front of the team said: “Ship Master, there’s a pile of Wine Jars ahead—the path is completely blocked.”
“Hm?” Lin Qian looked toward Xie Er.
Bai Langzai pressed his saber against his waist.
Xie Er said tremblingly: “The manor’s Birthday Banquet was too hectic; surely the servants got lazy and stacked the empty Wine Jars here.”
Bai Qing stepped forward, felt the Wine Jar’s surface—no dust—then sniffed the mouth, hit by a strong whiff of alcohol.
“Newly placed,” Bai Qing said.
Lin Qian: “Can they be moved?”
Bai Qing: “Yes, but it will take some time.”
Lin Qian turned and looked deeper into the Back Alley; about a zhang behind moonlight spilled in—an exit, likely where the manor servants had carried the Wine Jars from.
This exit led to Lin Mansion’s rear quarters; this Alcohol was probably for the women’s banquet.
From here the front courtyards were linked by a central axis road; continuing through the Back Alley no longer made sense.
Thus Lin Qian said: “Exit from here.”
The group left the Back Alley into a square courtyard housing the main wife’s female kin.
As they prepared to press on, Lin Qian heard a woman’s voice: “You wretch, why are you back again?”
The courtyard was lightless and empty, not a soul in sight.
The voice came from an unknown source.
Lin Qian quickly signaled the Crew Members to halt and listened carefully to pinpoint it.
Moments later the woman said coquettishly angry: “You wretch, didn’t I just feed you this evening—why are you hungry again now?”
Lin Qian pinpointed the voice: it came from the nearby side room.
A man panted roughly in a low voice: “Good auntie, don’t know why but today my body’s burning up.”
“Keep your voice down…” the woman pleaded softly.
“What’s to fear? Everyone else is asleep long ago.” The man’s voice grew heavier. “Good auntie, I want you so bad.”
“Don’t… don’t call me auntie, just hurry up and do it…”
……
Lin Qian listened at the base of the wall for a moment, confirmed the pair inside were occupied with their business and wouldn’t be free soon, then waved toward the room signaling his men to deal with them.
The subordinates were about to enter the Room to strike.
Suddenly torchlight and chaotic footsteps came from outside the Courtyard Wall.
“…The maidservant saw the eldest young master enter the courtyard with her own eyes.”
“Men, surround the courtyard—don’t let anyone escape.”
Lin Qian knew it was bad and directed his men to retreat into the Back Alley, hiding temporarily in the shadows.
Footsteps outside the courtyard drew near.
The man inside also stopped thrusting, gasping out of breath: “Bad—someone’s coming.”
“Quick, take the Back Alley!” the auntie said.
“Can’t—the Back Alley’s blocked by Wine Jars; going back that way I’ll surely be found.”
Since the men’s quarters were at the manor’s front, the man referred to it as going back.
“You go hide first!”
With that the door swung open; a disheveled man was shoved out—seeing no escape he gritted his teeth and headed straight for where Lin Qian and the others were hiding.
