**Chapter Translation:**
Tu Liong felt uncomfortable meeting the host in an inn room, so he borrowed this place for their meeting. "Mister Wie has invited me here. He can be considered half the host. The guest arrives before the host. What is this...?" "Young Master Tu, you are still very young. You belong to the younger generation. Does this need to be an issue?" The guard's mouth was quite sharp. "Of course, I am of the younger generation, which is why I have to arrive early. But I have other matters to attend to..." At this point, Tu Liong intended to leave immediately. "I will leave for a while and return later."
"Young Master Tu, you've come from afar; why not wait a little longer?" "There's no need to wait. Even if I wait until tomorrow, Mister Wie will not come." "What do your words mean?" "Mister Wie will not come," Tu Liong said firmly. Feeling annoyed, he ignored the two guards and continued to walk out. The two guards didn't seem to block his path. However, upon stepping outside, he found many people waiting. At a glance, they looked like a wall blocking his way. Tu Liong didn't know how many were lined up in front of him.
Tu Liong possessed fists as hard as steel. He could defeat any strong opponent in a one-on-one duel. But against a wall of guards like this, he wasn't confident of victory. He laughed—a cold laugh. "Brothers, what is really happening? Would you be willing to tell me?" "Young Master Tu, we have no other intentions. Mister Wie only hopes you can stay here for a few days." "A few days? Why don't you just say you want to detain me here?" "That's how Young Master Tu feels, but not what Mister Wie intends." "Very well. I might be willing to stay as a guest for a few days, but I must first meet Mister Wie as the host, right? Please call Mister Wie to meet me." "No need to hurry, young master. You will meet Mister Wei tomorrow morning."
"I might as well meet the God of Death tomorrow morning," Tu Liong's face turned grim immediately. "Young master, your words are unpleasant to hear." Tu Liong said nothing more. He made a guess... everyone in this house had borrowed Mister Wie's name to trap him. They actually had nothing to do with Wie Ceng. Facing these large-bodied guards, did he have the confidence to fight them all at once? Tu Liong concluded that he could not win. Forced to return to the waiting room, he sat cross-legged in front of the table, sulking as he waited.
The wall of guards dispersed. He was again accompanied by the two guards who faithfully stayed with him, now waiting inside the door. In his heart, Tu Liong thought that if he could silently take down these two guards, he might escape. But the chances seemed slim, as the two guards stood side by side, one on the left, one on the right, not together. If Tu Liong launched a sudden attack, one would surely assist the other. Moreover, both guards watched Tu Liong intently. How could he launch a surprise attack?
"When is Mister Wie coming?" Tu Liong began to make conversation. "Not long," came the reply from the guard who had spoken to him before. The answer didn't really answer anything. Tu Liong felt helpless; he tried to converse casually. "There was once a rumor that Mister Wie had died out there." "That was just a baseless rumor." "Oh... But there's one thing that makes people suspicious. If Mister Wie is alive, why hasn't he shown himself to meet me?" The large-bodied guard didn't answer. Maybe he couldn't find a suitable answer. "I am good friends with Wie Kie-hong." "Because of that, Mister Wie observes Young Master Tu from afar." "Oh... Mister Wei has been observing me from afar?" "Inviting you to stay here for a few days is his way of caring for you." "I don't understand." "Young Master Tu will understand one day." "Hearing your words, it seems I'll be staying here for several days. Have you prepared a bedroom for me?" "We have prepared it. Is Young Master Tu feeling tired?" Tu Liong moved again. His legs were numb once more. "Lying down is much more comfortable than sitting here." The large guard tried to suppress a smile before walking over. "Young Master Tu, please." Tu Liong realized that staying in the waiting room wouldn't help him escape. Perhaps changing places would provide better opportunities. He followed the guard out to the bedroom.
Outside, he realized that even if he managed to escape the waiting room, he wouldn't have a chance to get out of this place. The garden was surrounded on all sides by guards. At the main entrance, guards stood watch. Tu Liong entered the bedroom. The only window there was barred with a large piece of wood, making it impossible to open. The only way in or out was the bedroom door. Tu Liong laughed coldly. "This isn't a guest bedroom." "Young master is a guest now. This room is prepared to host you. Perhaps it's not appropriate for you. We apologize." "This isn't a bedroom; it's a prison!" "Please, young master, don't harbor such thoughts. If you do, you'll hurt the host's feelings." "Who is the host?" "Mister Wie." "I don't think it's Mister Wie." "Then who do you think the host is, young master?" "No matter who it is, they must show themselves. If not, I won't stay here peacefully." The guard replied coldly, "It's better if Young Master Tu tries." With those words, the guards left him alone.
Tu Liong realized he'd acted rashly. Any thoughts he had should be kept to himself for now. Why did he have to voice them? He lay on the bed, trying to calm his mind—an unsettled mind wouldn't make good conclusions in any situation. Mistakes would be inevitable. Right now, Tu Liong couldn't take the risk of making mistakes.
First, he could confirm that the person wanting to meet him wasn't Wie Ceng. Why was he confident of this? There were two reasons: if Wie Ceng was the killer restrained by Leng Souw-hiang, he could now roam freely outside. As his friend's father, he wouldn't harm or trouble him like this. If Wie Ceng was under Cu Taiya's pressure, he would have even less power. Even if Wie Ceng invited him here, it would be under Cu Taiya's orders, which was also impossible. Thinking it through, the person most likely detaining him here was Cu Siauthian. If so, what was Cu Siauthian's main purpose in detaining him here? Had he been obstructing Cu Siauthian's movements? All he had done was help Wie Kie-hong search for Wie Ceng. That's it.
If so, was Cu Siauthian detaining him here for fear of him uncovering Wie Ceng's identity? The more he thought about it, the more certain Tu Liong felt. Using Wie Ceng's name to trap him here was an old tactic known as "there is no three hundred taels of silver here."
1. **There is no three hundred taels of silver here:** A story about someone who wanted to hide three hundred taels of gold. He dug a secret hole and buried all his gold there. After covering it back up, he worried he'd forget the spot, so he marked it. Afraid of suspicion, he wrote on the mark: "There is no three hundred taels here."
Now Tu Liong could decide that the current events were indeed like that. Did he need further proof? Tu Liong thought of many ways to prove his assumption. But he hesitated. If he was right, Cu Siauthian's annoyance would turn to anger. Wouldn't this bring more trouble?
Thinking this far, he made a decision. He had to leave this place quickly. It was just a thought. Execution would be difficult. He lay on the bed. From there, he could clearly see the ceiling, which seemed like the only escape route. But if he could think of it, others would have too. The rooftop guard would be as tight as the guard below. Tu Liong seemed out of ideas.
Suddenly, he felt thirsty. He had spoken a lot earlier, and all he had been offered was a cup of tea he hadn't even drunk. He got down from the bed and walked out. Upon opening the door, two guards approached. They asked politely, "Is there anything we can help with?" "Tea!" Tu Liong was still annoyed. He answered the question rudely. The guard remained polite, "The tea will be here shortly." A pot of hot tea was quickly brought to him. The old man over fifty, who had poured tea for him earlier, brought it.
"What tea is this?" Tu Liong didn't have a particular topic in mind, but he tried to start a conversation. "Koan-in tea." "I only drink Liong-kim tea." "Then I'll prepare a new pot immediately." Suddenly, Tu Liong lowered his voice, half-whispering, "Would you like to earn a hundred foreign coins?" The old man looked at him suspiciously. "No need to rush to answer. You can think it over. You can answer when you bring the tea later." The old man then took the teapot away. Tu Liong placed great hope in him. The guards outside seemed unaware that he had made an agreement with the tea server.
**
Glossary:**
1. **Tu Siauya** - Young Master Tu
2. **Wie Ceng** - A character possibly linked to the plot
3. **Cu Taiya** - A character with influence over Wie Ceng
4. **Cu Siauthian** - A character likely detaining Tu Liong
5. **Liong-kim tea** - A specific type of tea
6. **Koan-in tea** - Another type of tea