Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"I've seen it." Yang Yu nodded. "But before we talk, it might be best if we changed a few forms of address. For instance, you calling me Mr. Yang—it sits oddly with me. Just call me Yang Ce, or Brother Yang. From the look of you, you're younger than I am, aren't you?"

Zhang Zhishen nodded. "All right, then I'll call you Brother Yang. I'm eighteen this year."

"I'm already twenty, so calling me Brother Yang puts you at no disadvantage," Yang Hengye said. "And another thing—in front of outsiders, don't call Lan Ling 'master.' Stick with the old way of addressing her. Call her Miss Lan."

"Understood." Zhang Zhishen agreed at once. He knew full well that in today's society, talk of masters and disciples was apt to invite misunderstanding and suspicion, so he nodded to show he understood.

"Good, then we can pick up where we left off," Yang Yanzhou said. "Lan Ling tells me you're skilled at countering gu poison. Is that so?"

"Compared with Miss Lan, I'm far behind." Zhang Zhishen gave a guileless laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't ask you to compare yourself with Lan Ling," Yang Jincong said with a smile. "I mean, compared with other people."

"Among my fellow disciples, I'm considered rather good," Zhang Zhishen said. "But when it comes to laying gu, Xiao Qi is stronger than I am. That's why Miss Lan had her come with me—to help you."

Yang Yu nodded. "Good, I think I understand. But at present my identity is just that of an ordinary university student, not some young heir to a great house. I can't go about with bodyguards in tow everywhere I go. So you may follow me covertly—only don't let anyone notice."

"No problem, I understand," Zhang Zhishen said. "Xiao Qi and I will just protect you from the shadows. We're very sensitive to anyone who uses gu—so long as no gu user appears, we won't react to anything. Brother Yang, to be frank with you, ordinary fighting isn't exactly my strong suit."

Yang Xutang burst out laughing. "Ordinary fighting, naturally, I won't need you for. When I do need you, I'll give you a call—say, to help me lay a gu and gu someone to death."

"That's not really proper. The master said we mustn't lay gu on innocent people of our own accord." Zhang Zhishen looked troubled.

"Anyone who sets themselves against me is hardly innocent," Yang Ce said with a chuckle. "Isn't that so?"

"That's true enough. Brother Yang is the one we protect—whoever opposes Brother Yang is our enemy, and laying a gu to kill him is only fitting." Zhang Zhishen nodded, thoroughly convinced.

"Tomorrow I'll have someone get you a car, and I'll have a satellite locator installed in mine as well, so you can always know exactly where I am. That will make it easier for you to follow," Yang Ce said after a moment's thought.

Zhang Zhishen was taken aback. He had not expected Yang Ce to think of everything so thoroughly—he had been worrying over these very matters, and here Yang Ce was, offering solutions of his own accord. He said happily at once, "That's just it, Brother Yang. You've thought of everything. This will make things much easier for me."

"You're the man Lan Ling sent me—that makes you one of us. I can't very well treat my own people badly, can I?" Yang Hengye said, clapping Zhang Zhishen on the shoulder.

"By the way, while you're in Songjiang, have you had any contact with Lan Ling's grandmother?" Yang Ce asked after a moment's thought.

"No, none. I only have a one-to-one line to Miss Lan, and my task is simply to keep you safe. Other matters—Miss Lan doesn't have me take part in them," Zhang Zhishen explained, shaking his head.

Not taking part was just as well. With Zhang Zhishen's present level of skill, he was certainly no match for those enemies. Even Lan Ling's grandmother could not be very confident of victory—let alone the likes of them.

"Right—tomorrow I'll have a friend find you a few places to stay, all near the spots where I usually put up, so it'll be convenient for you to follow me. They may not be very big—just a few dozen square meters or so, since I live in an old building myself and there are no large units," Yang Ce said after some thought. Zhang Zhishen could hardly stay in an inn forever; that would be no good at all for the work. Finding him a place to stay was the proper thing to do.

Yang Ce planned to have Hou Lin buy a small unit in the Huashang residential compound tomorrow, and to buy or rent another place in the compound where his own family had lived, to serve as Zhang Zhishen's temporary base.

"That would be wonderful," Zhang Zhishen said. "A few dozen square meters—is that small? It's far better than this place at any rate. But Brother Yang, this will put you to expense. Miss Lan didn't give us much funding."

"Ha, I've still got money. Whatever Lan Ling gave you, treat it as pocket money. Here—I'll give you a bank card and put a little money in it every month. Day-to-day expenses like fueling the car can come out of that," Yang Yanzhou said.

Zhang Zhishen nodded without declining. He knew the relationship between Yang Ce and Lan Ling was no ordinary one, so there was no need to stand on ceremony with him. Before Yang Ce, he could be as he was before Lan Ling.

With the essential matters settled, Yang Ce rose to take his leave, but Zhang Zhishen offered to see Yang Puqi out. Yang Ce hesitated a moment, then finally nodded—it would be good for him to get familiar with the surroundings.

So Yang Ce and Zhang Zhishen left the inn one after the other, while Xiao Qi stayed behind to look after the place.

"You drive—get familiar with the terrain of Songjiang," Yang Ce said, tossing him the car keys.

To be continued

1006. The Capture of Chen Afu

Zhang Zhishen caught the keys, got into the car, and though he was a little clumsy at first, he got the engine started in the end and set off in the direction Yang Ce indicated.

"After I learned to drive, I didn't touch a car for years—I was in the Miao village the whole time—so I'm not very smooth at it," Zhang Zhishen explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You're all right. A few days of driving and you'll have the hang of it." Yang Yu nodded. It was much the same as when he himself had first learned—everything took a period of adjustment.

Zhang Zhishen drove rather slowly, since he was unfamiliar with the roads, but Yang Ce did not urge him on. The whole point of this trip was to help him learn the way; drive too fast and he would remember nothing, which would make the whole outing pointless.

The car passed the main gate of Songjiang Engineering University and headed for the Huashang residential compound not far across the way. By this hour the students had all gone to rest, and most of the residents in the compound worked at the nearby tech companies and had likewise turned in early, so all was quiet. Apart from the occasional passing vehicle, few pedestrians stirred.

Suddenly Zhang Zhishen slowed the car further, until it was almost stopped in the road.

"What is it?" Yang Mo asked, somewhat puzzled.

"There's someone nearby," Zhang Zhishen said softly, frowning.

"Someone—what someone?" Yang Xutang was baffled; he had no idea what Zhang Zhishen meant by "someone."

"Someone who knows how to use gu," Zhang Zhishen explained in a low voice. "People who can work gu are rare in an ordinary metropolis. I never expected to run into one the moment I arrived."

With that, Zhang Zhishen pulled the car over into the temporary stopping lane by the roadside and quietly observed their surroundings.

"Does this gu-user have anything to do with us?" Yang Minlan was not especially concerned; if anything, she thought Zhang Zhishen was being a little too sensitive. So long as the person was not targeting them, it had nothing to do with them for the time being.