Chapter 198 -
Chapter 198: Chapter
The courtyard remained silent for a long while after An Li finished speaking.
The stories they had just shared carried too much pain for anyone to treat lightly. Every man standing beneath the shade of the old tree bore scars left behind by Tiger Alley in one way or another.
Yet despite the suffering they had endured, they were still here, standing together in the same courtyard, refusing to give up and still holding onto the hope that one day they might finally fight back.
I slowly swept my gaze across the faces surrounding me before speaking.
"Then let’s stop talking about why Tiger Alley needs to fall and start discussing how we’re going to make it happen."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the atmosphere shifted.
Taking a slow breath, I gathered my thoughts before continuing.
"The first thing we need to understand is that we cannot afford to fight Tiger Alley directly."
Several men frowned at my statement, and one of them quickly voiced the question that had appeared in everyone’s mind.
"But why? They’re not invincible."
I nodded in agreement.
"No, they aren’t invincible. The problem is that they’re stronger than we are right now."
The courtyard fell quiet once more.
"If we rush into a confrontation today, we will lose."
An Li leaned forward slightly and nodded.
"She’s right. Most people assume Tiger Alley’s strength comes from the men who fight for them, but that’s only part of the truth."
The attention of everyone in the courtyard immediately shifted toward her.
"Their real strength comes from information."
She pointed beyond the walls toward the city stretching out in the distance.
"They have eyes and ears everywhere. Street vendors, gambling dens, dock workers, messengers, servants, and countless others quietly feed information back to them. They often know what is happening long before anyone else does, and that advantage is one of the main reasons nobody has successfully challenged them."
I nodded in agreement before speaking again.
"Which means that before we can fight them, we first need to understand everything about them."
The men exchanged thoughtful glances.
Fu Sheng remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"There may be a way."
As everyone turned toward him, he slowly began sharing everything Wei Meilan had revealed. He spoke about the businesses secretly connected to Tiger Alley, the routes used to move goods throughout the district, the individuals responsible for handling their finances, and the names of several important figures who operated beneath the organization’s leader.
When Fu Sheng finally finished, silence settled over the courtyard once again.
Han Fuji stared at him for a moment before letting out a low whistle.
"That information alone could cripple a large portion of their operations."
Fu Sheng nodded.
"Which is exactly why we need to use it carefully."
An Li leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face as she considered everything she had heard.
"If those details are accurate, then attacking Tiger Alley directly would be the worst thing we could do."
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"Exactly."
The discussion continued for quite some time as various ideas were thrown around the courtyard. Some were practical, while others were immediately rejected for being too risky. Eventually, Fu Sheng, who had remained unusually quiet, suddenly seemed to remember something important.
"There may be another opportunity."
The courtyard gradually fell silent.
Everyone turned toward him.
Fu Sheng looked around the group before speaking.
"When I met Wei Meilan, she mentioned something that I initially thought wasn’t important."
An Li immediately straightened.
"What was it?"
Fu Sheng’s expression became serious.
"Tomorrow at noon, one of the Empire’s generals will be passing through the Barren Lands to inspect several military supply routes before continuing his journey."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere changed.
Even the older men sitting nearby exchanged surprised looks.
A military general was not someone who appeared in places like the Barren Lands without reason.
I narrowed my eyes.
"And why is that important?"
Fu Sheng folded his arms.
"Because Tiger Alley has been secretly involved in activities that could be considered crimes against the Empire itself."
The courtyard immediately became silent.
He continued.
"According to Wei Meilan, Tiger Alley’s leader keeps a private ledger containing records of every illegal transaction conducted over the years. Bribes paid to officials. Smuggled goods. Names of corrupt merchants. Records of money exchanges. Even information involving certain government officials who have been secretly cooperating with Tiger Alley."
Several men inhaled sharply.
Han Fuji’s eyes widened.
"If that’s true, then that ledger is worth more than gold."
Fu Sheng nodded.
"Exactly."
An Li leaned forward.
"If we can get that ledger into the general’s hands..."
"Then Tiger Alley won’t just be facing us anymore," I finished.
"They’ll be facing the Empire."
A slow smile appeared on Fu Sheng’s face.
"That’s the idea."
The group immediately became excited.
One of the men quickly asked,
"Where is the ledger kept?"
Fu Sheng answered without hesitation.
"Inside Tiger Alley’s main residence."
The excitement immediately faded.
Everyone knew how difficult that would be.
Breaking into the residence was nearly impossible.
Then Han Fuji suddenly frowned.
"Wait."
He looked at Fu Sheng.
"Isn’t there a wedding tomorrow night?"
Fu Sheng nodded.
"There is."
For a moment, silence filled the courtyard.
Then An Li’s eyes suddenly lit up.
"The wedding."
Several people immediately understood.
For one night only, countless strangers would be entering and leaving Tiger Alley’s territory.
The perfect opportunity for infiltration.
A grin slowly spread across Han Fuji’s face.
"We don’t attack."
"We sneak in."
I nodded.
"While everyone is distracted by the wedding celebrations, our people enter the residence, locate the ledger, and get out before anyone realizes it is missing."
The more everyone thought about it, the better the plan sounded.
Then An Li suddenly remembered something else.
"There is another target."
Everyone looked toward her.
"The abandoned warehouse near the eastern edge of the district."
Several men looked confused.
"It looks abandoned," An Li continued, "but it isn’t."
Her expression darkened.
"According to information gathered over the years, Tiger Alley uses it as a hidden storage site."
"For what?"
"Weapons."
The courtyard immediately became tense.
"Not ordinary weapons either," An Li said. "Weapons smuggled from western nations. Most of them were originally meant for military use, yet somehow they found their way into Tiger Alley’s hands."
The seriousness of the situation became obvious.
Possessing illegal weapons was already dangerous.
Stealing military supplies during a time when war was approaching could be considered treason.
Fu Sheng’s expression hardened.
"If that warehouse is exposed alongside the ledger, Tiger Alley won’t be able to talk their way out of it."
A slow smile appeared on my face.
The pieces were beginning to come together.
"We split our forces."
Everyone listened carefully.
"One team infiltrates the wedding and retrieves the ledger."
I pointed toward the eastern side of the city.
"The second team investigates the warehouse and gathers proof of the hidden weapons."
An Li nodded.
"If possible, we destroy the weapons after securing evidence."
Han Fuji laughed.
"Now that’s the kind of chaos I enjoy."
The courtyard suddenly felt alive again.
This was no longer simply a plan to weaken Tiger Alley.
This was a chance to drag every secret they had hidden into the light and place it directly before a military general who would be arriving less than a day later.
If they succeeded, Tiger Alley would not simply lose money.
They could lose everything.
....
Meanwhile, on the other side of the district, Bai Ming was getting ready to leave for the market.
Several jars inside the kitchen had been emptied over the past few days, and a number of spices and household necessities needed replacing. Since she had some free time, she had decided to make the trip herself.
After checking the contents of her basket one last time, she stepped into the courtyard and raised her voice.
"Fu Li!"
Her voice echoed through the house.
"I’m leaving now! If you’re still coming, then hurry up!"
No response came immediately.
Bai Ming rolled her eyes.
"That girl..."
Crossing her arms, she waited patiently near the entrance.
A few moments passed.
Then a few more.
Just as she was beginning to lose patience, Bai Ming pushed open the gate and stepped outside, deciding to wait there instead.
The morning streets were already becoming lively.
Merchants were opening their shops.
Street vendors were arranging their goods.
Customers moved back and forth along the road as the district slowly woke up.
Bai Ming shifted the basket on her arm while glancing back toward the house, wondering what could possibly be taking Fu Li so long.
Then her gaze landed on a familiar figure standing several meters away.
Her entire body froze.
The annoyance on her face instantly disappeared.
For a moment, she thought she might be mistaken.
But after blinking twice, the figure remained exactly where he was.
Fu Fong.
The very last person she had expected to see standing outside her home.
Bai Ming’s brows immediately furrowed.
What was he doing here?
After everything that had happened between them, she could not think of a single reason why he would voluntarily come looking for her.
Yet there he was.
Standing in the middle of the road as though he had been waiting.
The expression on Fu Fong’s face was unusually complicated.
There was none of his usual arrogance.
None of the confidence he normally carried.
Instead, he seemed strangely hesitant.
Almost nervous.
The realization only made Bai Ming more suspicious.
She tightened her grip on the basket.
"What are you doing here?"
Her voice was neither warm nor welcoming.
Fu Fong clearly noticed.
A trace of bitterness flashed across his eyes before quickly disappearing.
For several seconds, he simply stood there without speaking.
As though he was struggling to find the right words.
Bai Ming had no intention of helping him.
If he had something to say, he could say it.
Otherwise, she still had errands to run.
Just as the awkward silence began stretching longe he finally said something, "You have to be careful Bai Ming!"