Chapter Twenty-Two: Guan Wenyan

With a smack, the man dropped to his knees.

“Subordinate Guan Wenyan, pays respects to Protector Hu!”

Upon seeing the token, Guan Wenyan’s doubts vanished instantly—this was the Shadow Cult’s Protector Emblem.

Hu Qideng, that guy, is actually a Protector?

Li Changqing’s eyes darted slyly about. He coughed, adopting an air of importance. “Wenyan, what took you so long?”

He could at least be sure now that Guan Wenyan had never met Hu Qideng in person.

Guan Wenyan drew a deep breath, his eyes reddening. “Protector Liu was killed by the Thirteenth Bureau. I was the only one who survived. Even my shadow was destroyed by their hands.”

He wiped away a streak of tears at the corner of his eye. “Before Protector Liu died, he told me to come to you. He said I should treat you as my own revered father, heed your instructions, make your will my own.”

He’s flattering me already? Seems he really believes I’m a Protector.

At that, Li Changqing relaxed a little, smiling as he settled into the sofa.

Guan Wenyan rose, deftly poured tea for Li Changqing. “Please, have some tea. Your skill is truly profound, to even transform your shadow into a beautiful maiden.”

“You came alone? There’s no one else?” Li Changqing asked.

Thirteenth Bureau? Is that something like the Thirty-Sixth Bureau?

So, before they came looking for me, they’d already been wiped out by the Thirteenth Bureau?

That thought eased his nerves. Looking at Guan Wenyan, who was practically treating him like a father, he wondered if he should just notify the Thirty-Sixth Bureau and have him arrested—would that finish his assignment?

How easy could this be?

Li Changqing’s mood lightened considerably.

Guan Wenyan stood beside him, hands clasped respectfully behind his back. “You look much younger than Protector Liu described.”

“It’s just an outward shell. Remember, I’m currently using the name Li Changqing. When outside, call me Detective Li, or we might give ourselves away.”

Better to warn him now—if someone calls me Detective Li and he slips up, that would be hard to explain.

“Yes, Protector Hu.”

Guan Wenyan stood quietly in the living room, saying nothing more, simply staring at Li Changqing.

The stare made Li Changqing uneasy. He finally said, “If you’ve nothing else, go find a place nearby to stay. I’ll notify you when I need you.”

“I… I have no money,” Guan Wenyan admitted, embarrassed. “I escaped from the Thirteenth Bureau in such a hurry, I didn’t bring a single coin.”

“Then how did you get here?”

Guan Wenyan pointed to the black token, a little puzzled. “We Shadow Cultists can sense your token through our techniques.”

Li Changqing coughed. “Of course I know that. I meant, if you had no money, how did you get to Nanlin City?”

“I walked. It took seven whole days.”

Only then did Li Changqing notice Guan Wenyan’s sneakers were worn through at the soles.

“Go take a shower and change into my clothes for now. You can stay here temporarily.”

He fetched a set of his own clothes from the closet and handed them over. They were a bit small, but would suffice.

“Thank you, Protector Hu.” Guan Wenyan received the clothes with both hands, kneeling in gratitude.

“No need to kneel all the time.” Li Changqing, unaccustomed to such deference, added, “My undercover identity is a detective. If anyone sees such strange behavior, neither of us will survive. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Guan Wenyan went to the bathroom to wash up.

Li Changqing hurriedly grabbed his phone and stepped into the corridor, dialing Bai Chuan.

It rang for quite a while, but no one answered.

“Damn it, where did that guy go?”

Unable to reach Bai Chuan, Li Changqing frowned and glanced toward the bathroom. This fellow had no money—was he really supposed to pay for his hotel?

He tried two more times, but Bai Chuan still didn’t answer.

He’d have to try again tomorrow.

After showering, Guan Wenyan—over thirty, sturdy, but with an unmistakable air of simplicity—emerged.

“Sit.” Li Changqing gestured to the sofa. Tang Xiaoyu had already moved to one side and was absorbed in watching TV, having tired of clinging to Li Changqing’s back.

“Yes, Protector Hu.”

Guan Wenyan sat respectfully, eyeing the young Protector as he asked, “Protector, what shall we do next?”

You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?

Should I have him help me solve cases?

Li Changqing maintained a calm expression, sipped his tea, and searched for a casual topic. “Wenyan, why did you join the Shadow Cult?”

Guan Wenyan was startled, not expecting the question.

He scratched his head and chuckled. “I’ve been a bit slow since childhood. My family was poor and couldn’t feed so many children, so my parents sold me off, hoping I’d at least have enough to eat. Later, I met Protector Liu—he raised me.”

Li Changqing narrowed his eyes, smiling. “That’s not bad. You learned a skill, enough to start a family and make a living.”

“Protector Liu said that, besides me, there will be others from our cult coming to join you. When they arrive, our future will depend on you.”

More are coming?

Li Changqing kept his composure, not letting Guan Wenyan sense anything amiss.

“That’s good. The more, the merrier.”

They continued their conversation, exchanging only a few words at a time.

Li Changqing wanted to learn more about the Shadow Cult, but was wary of exposing himself.

Though the mood seemed relaxed, he was always careful, maintaining his role as Protector while trying to extract information—a delicate balance.

In the end, he didn’t send Guan Wenyan elsewhere. The guest room was empty, so he let him stay. Tang Xiaoyu, instead of staying in the living room, moved her wallet into the main bedroom.

Although Guan Wenyan didn’t make him as uncomfortable as Hu Qideng had, he was still a cultist.

Late at night, Li Changqing and Tang Xiaoyu sat on the bed.

He kept calling Bai Chuan, but the calls went unanswered.

“Bastard,” Li Changqing muttered under his breath.

At last, the call connected.

“Hello, Bai Chuan, the Shadow Cult has already found me. When can you take action?” Li Changqing asked in a low voice.

Bai Chuan’s voice came through the line. “I was busy today and got delayed. How many Shadow Cult members have arrived?”

“One.”

“One?” Bai Chuan sounded surprised.

Li Changqing hesitated. “But he said more are coming.”

Suddenly, Hu Xiong’s voice came from the other end. “Good work. For now, gain their trust and wait for further instructions.”

“They’re already here—can’t you just come and arrest them?” Li Changqing thought. Am I supposed to host a house full of cultists?

What kind of situation is this?

Hu Xiong replied, “The Shadow Cult is special. Their branches are complex and scattered. Don’t worry—as long as they believe you’re a Protector, you’ll be fine. They respect Protectors even more than their own fathers.”

“Earning a hundred thousand Lang coins isn’t so easy.”

With that, the call ended.

“This money really isn’t easy to earn.” Li Changqing took a deep breath and set the phone aside. “Xiaoyu, when—”

Before he could finish, Tang Xiaoyu had already fallen asleep sitting on the bed in her cartoon nightgown.

Such a delicate beauty, in a cartoon robe, sleeping on his bed—how could he possibly sleep?

He nudged her with his foot. “Don’t sleep on my bed. Go back to your wallet.”

Tang Xiaoyu rubbed her eyes, grumbled at being woken, and crawled into her wallet.

Only after she left did Li Changqing lie down himself. The bed was narrow enough for one—let alone two.

In the guest room next door, Guan Wenyan was huddled under the covers, phone in hand, whispering like a mosquito.

“Don’t worry, I’ve managed to approach Hu Qideng and gained his trust. Rest assured, he hasn’t discovered my undercover identity.”

A voice came from the other end, “Wenyan, be careful. Don’t be fooled by Hu Qideng’s appearance—he’s ruthless. Remember, you’re the pride of our Thirteenth Bureau.”

“I will. I’ll be careful!”