Hutou City was not large. Although it was considered prosperous among border towns, compared to the cities with multiple ring roads of later generations, it seemed rather petite.
The four of them led their horses and arrived at the inn shortly.
On usual days, the inn should have been relatively quiet by this time, with perhaps only two or three tables of customers left, engaged in silent standoffs to see who would declare their departure first and thus be stuck with the bill—a true contest of endurance.
But tonight, the inn was clearly unusual; it was too quiet. Aside from a small lantern hanging by the entrance, the rest of the premises were enveloped in darkness.
"My lord, there’s a problem," Xue Three said, quickly positioning himself in front of Zheng Fan protectively.
There was definitely a problem. It was like a club in modern times suddenly closing its doors at ten o’clock: either something serious had happened, or there was a crackdown.
Zheng Fan squinted. He was genuinely worried that some accident might have befallen the inn. This place, after all, was his home in this world, and there were people inside.
"Has Ah Lang returned?" At that moment, an old man with white hair, carrying a lantern, peered towards them from the entrance.
Zheng Fan recognized the old man. He was the inn’s doorkeeper. Typically, after the inn closed for the night, he would set up his bed behind the door panels to keep watch.
He had no relatives in Hutou City and had been unable to make a living. It was Siniang who had shown him kindness, giving him food to eat. He received no wages, but his meals were provided, and he even got a red envelope during festivals.
"What happened at home?" Xue Three asked the old man.
"Oh, you have indeed returned, all of you, my lords!" The old man surveyed the four of them with his lantern. "Ah Langs, the inn is no longer open."
"No longer open? Did something happen?" Zheng Fan asked.
"No, no. A while ago, Siniang and Mr. Bei acquired a new residence, and everyone had moved there. Now, only I, an old man, am left to watch over this place," the doorkeeper explained. "Oh yes, Siniang also instructed me that if you, my lords, returned, you should go to the courtyard in the innermost corner of the street, by the old well."
Moved? Zheng Fan was somewhat puzzled. They were doing perfectly fine, why would they move? Even if they wanted to speculate on land or property... Hutou City offered no real prospects, did it?
In contrast, Xue Three and Liang Cheng didn’t seem surprised by this explanation. It appeared they had already mentally prepared for something . After all, while they had been out fighting alongside their lord, how could those left at home remain idle? If they didn’t make some moves, wouldn’t they be completely outshone?
Blind Bei sat on a chair, peeling an orange. Due to the ample sunshine here, the oranges were very sweet and delicious. As he peeled, he made his decision: "The monthly allowance for all officials in Hutou City, according to the accounts, is to be doubled."
"Double?" A Ming, holding the account book, was somewhat confused. "Isn’t that too much?"
Under Blind Bei’s "One Song Breaking the Bowels" operation, the entire leadership of the Three Gods Association had, overnight, sought refuge in the embrace of their respective deities. The remaining followers had scattered like monkeys from a fallen tree the very next day. A faction , built entirely on scamming worshippers for donations rather than legitimate business profits, was incredibly easy to dismantle.
The Hyena Gang had been almost completely wiped out by A Ming single-handedly. Perhaps a few stray cats had survived, but they wouldn’t affect the overall situation.
However, Blind Bei, mindful of Zheng Fan’s attitude, had directly halted the Hyena Gang’s businesses. The barbarian slaves had been kept as servants, while the dozen or so little ladies had all been retained by Blind Bei under special arrangements.
The Unity Gang and the Car Gang seemed to have been taken over relatively smoothly. However, it was important to note that once the inn’s faction had consolidated these four powers within Hutou City, they also inherited the obligation for these four groups to pay monthly tribute to all levels of Hutou City’s officialdom.
The high-ranking officials cared little how the gangs below fought and destroyed one another, as long as the monthly tribute was delivered to their doorstep. They wouldn’t interfere.
This was the essence of ’the underworld has its rules, and the legitimate world has its rules.’ Though seemingly separate, like well water and river water never mixing, they were in fact intricately connected, like the taijitu symbol, impossible to truly sever throughout history.
And now, the inn’s side, after losing two sources of income, was, by Blind Bei’s decision, obligated to shoulder double the previous monthly allowance.
Facing A Ming’s confusion, Blind Bei simply gestured with his chin towards where Siniang sat. "A Ming, ask Siniang. She’s run countless brothels in various eras and cities; she knows far more about this."
Siniang nodded. "This expense cannot be spared. Moreover, since we’re new here and just making our mark, we need to demonstrate our sincerity more convincingly."
A Ming shook his head. He actually didn’t like these kinds of calculations and schemes. However, there was one more thing he didn’t understand. "Why was the Three Gods Association dismantled so directly?" he asked. "The monthly donations from their followers were quite substantial."
"Our lord is a cultural creator—well, I mean, he used to be," Blind Bei said.
"And what does that have to do with our lord?" A Ming asked.
Siniang explained, "Just like his strong aversion to human trafficking, our lord is unwilling to get involved with matters concerning churches or cults. So, we can’t count on that money. That kind of business is best left untouched."
Siniang then picked up her teacup, took a sip, and added, driving the point home,