Chapter 50: Lady of the Bitter Lotus, Lin Heier

Several constables escorted Zhang Yuanyuan downstairs. Magistrate Liu Ziyuan dared not meet her gaze, turning his face to the side. Zhang Yuanyuan cast him a cold, indifferent glance, then held her head high and strode out of the Spring Fragrance House. Mr. Liu clapped his hands and laughed. “It seems Magistrate Liu truly does not know this woman. There were many misunderstandings earlier.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Liu Ziyuan replied, “As the parent-official of this county, how could I possibly collude with rebels? That Sansheng Stone is clearly making false accusations.”

Mr. Liu waved his hand. “Sansheng Stone did render some service by reporting Zhang Yuanyuan as a rebel. Let us speak no more of it.”

Liu Ziyuan shot Sansheng Stone a resentful look, but when he saw the other's calm and collected demeanor, a chill ran through him. He thought to himself: This man first offended Liu Shengkui, then me, yet remains unharmed—truly a ruthless character. If such a man cannot be utterly destroyed, it is best not to provoke him further.

Thinking thus, Liu Ziyuan took the initiative to step forward, laughing awkwardly. “Sansheng Stone, though you falsely accused me, your intent was to capture the rebels. Let us put aside any misunderstanding between us, shall we?”

Sansheng Stone smiled slightly. “Thank you for your understanding, Magistrate.”

Once the officers had left, the pale little demon crawled out from under the bed. He first sought out Jadeite in the room at the end of the corridor to relay Zhang Yuanyuan's message.

Since Zhang Yuanyuan was apprehended without a struggle, the other girls remained confined to their rooms. Jadeite had been unaware of her capture. The news greatly alarmed her, but since Zhang Yuanyuan had instructed her not to act rashly, she was at a loss for what to do, only urging the pale little demon to find Wang Wu as quickly as possible.

After receiving five hundred copper coins from Jadeite, the pale little demon hurriedly left the Spring Fragrance House and made his way to the small courtyard he was renting.

Chen Hao had gone to the Li residence but did not find Li Pisen. He then visited the foreign trading house, purchased half a pound of mercury fulminate and a barrel of black powder, and returned to the courtyard to reload cartridges. He had only ten spent shells, picked up after wandering the southern part of the city for some time. In just two minutes, he managed to turn them into five usable bullets.

There were too few players using guns now, and it was difficult to find spent shells in the wild. Chen Hao considered trying to gain access to the shooting range at the patrol camp. Just as he was about to leave, the pale little demon burst in, flustered. “Brother Chen, Zhang Yuanyuan has been arrested. She told me to come find Senior Wang Wu for help.”

Chen Hao was stunned. He had worried about Zhang Yuanyuan when she stepped forward to save Wang Wu, but now that the turmoil had passed and with the magistrate backing her, she should have been safe in Penglai County. Why was she taken now?

He quickly thought of the newcomers from the provincial city—it was likely her arrest was connected to them. To uncover the truth, it would be best to gather information at Li Pisen’s residence. But before that, he needed to accompany the pale little demon to see Wang Wu. Zhang Yuanyuan’s identity had always been mysterious; meeting Wang Wu might trigger a chain quest.

The two of them entered the side room where Wang Wu was staying. The pale little demon said, “Senior, Miss Zhang Yuanyuan has been taken by the authorities.”

“What?” Wang Wu tried to get up, but his injuries were not yet healed. The pain in his leg forced him to sit back down in frustration. Sighing, he said, “She had Magistrate Liu Ziyuan's protection—how could she have been captured?”

The pale little demon replied, “It was Liu Ziyuan himself who led the soldiers to apprehend Miss Zhang Yuanyuan.”

“That scoundrel!” Wang Wu cursed bitterly. “If only my injuries were healed, I’d behead the dog myself.”

“Pale little demon, congratulations on completing the quest ‘Find Wang Wu’ issued by Zhang Yuanyuan. You have received a silver dollar as a reward.” The system prompt quickly appeared, and Wang Wu handed him a silver dollar.

Were it not for Chen Hao’s presence, the pale little demon might have received a new chain quest instead of the silver dollar. But it was clear Wang Wu placed greater trust in Chen Hao. After rewarding the pale little demon, he turned to Chen Hao. “Baxian, Zhang Yuanyuan is an important figure in the Righteous Harmony Fists. Now she is imprisoned, and my injuries prevent me from rescuing her myself. Would you save her?”

If Chen Hao refused, his relationship as Wang Wu’s apprentice would be severed. Thus, he replied without hesitation, “Miss Zhang Yuanyuan is also my martial aunt—rescuing her is my duty.”

A look of approval appeared on Wang Wu’s face. “In my youth, I had the good fortune to study under the famed Shuangdao Li Fenggang of Cangzhou. His younger sister, much younger than I, was my martial aunt. She was a master of the twin sabers, married into the Lin family of Tianjing, and has since passed away. All her skills, save those she taught her daughter, were passed to but one disciple—Zhang Yuanyuan.

“Besides Zhang Yuanyuan, I have another junior martial sister, Lin Heier, who leads the Red Lanterns of the Righteous Harmony Fists. Zhang Yuanyuan remained at the Spring Fragrance House to help Sister Lin establish a branch in Dengzhou Prefecture. Now that she is captured and I am crippled, we must find Lin Heier to rescue her.”

“Baxian, my many collaborations with the Righteous Harmony Fists stem from these bonds. I do not approve of all their methods, but Zhang Yuanyuan must be saved. Set out for Zhili as soon as possible, find the Red Lanterns’ stronghold, seek out your martial aunt Lin Heier, and tell her of Zhang Yuanyuan’s capture.”

“Player Chen Baxian, NPC Wang Wu has issued you the quest ‘Find Lin Heier.’ Completion condition: Locate Lin Heier and inform her of Zhang Yuanyuan’s capture. Reward: Unknown.”

After accepting the quest, Chen Hao was overwhelmed by the sudden good fortune. He had always found Zhang Yuanyuan mysterious, but never expected the game’s system to have woven such a story. He did not know that Wang Zhengyi was Wang Wu, but he did know of the Red Lantern leader Lin Heier—famed as the “Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus.”

The Red Lanterns were the most renowned women’s organization within the Righteous Harmony Fists, and “Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus” Lin Heier was a legendary heroine in history. Chen Hao did not wish to become too entangled with the Righteous Harmony Fists, but a quest related to the famous Lin Heier was another matter altogether.

When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, Lin Heier was captured and never heard from again. Chen Hao wanted to change this part of the story. If he could recruit Lin Heier and the other Red Lantern heroine as his bodyguards—both pleasing to the eye and highly skilled—it would be an exciting prospect.

For now, however, Chen Hao was still a minor character in the game, while Lin Heier was the Red Lantern leader—a rose with thorns, not easily won. After collecting the quest from Wang Wu, Chen Hao extorted the silver dollar and a half the pale little demon had just been given, then left the courtyard for Li Pisen’s residence.

He had originally planned to practice his marksmanship, but Zhang Yuanyuan’s arrest forced him to change course and head to Zhili instead. First, he needed to learn the details from Li Pisen, lest he embarrass himself before Lin Heier by knowing nothing.

(Today I was busy and couldn’t update during the day. When I returned, I saw I’d fallen off the new book rankings again—utterly frustrating. Please, give me your clicks and recommendations!)