C8

On the bustling west side of the city, in the largest and liveliest teahouse around.

"Young Master, when are we heading back?" Zi Luo, dressed in a plain, dusty outfit, looked helplessly at Cui Zuoyu, who was disguised in men's clothing, his face darkened with makeup.

Three days had passed since Zi Luo sent out the letter. True to her word, the lady of the house returned Cui Waner's birth chart the day after Yaen Jinying's birthday. Along with it came the rejection of the inkstone Cui Qiao had painstakingly chosen and sent as a gift, hoping to curry favor. His chance for promotion vanished with the returned inkstone.

It was clear to everyone that this was the Marquis Mansion's retaliation. Cui Qiao was furious, taking his anger out on Mrs. Qian, and Cui Waner was confined to the ancestral hall to reflect on her actions. Meanwhile, Cui Zuoyu, outwardly gloomy and staying indoors, secretly changed his appearance and slipped out, dragging Zi Luo with him to explore the city's underbelly, searching for a group known as the Profound Secret Pavilion.

"Let's keep looking. The city is huge; someone must have heard of it," Cui Zuoyu said, a hint of frustration in his voice. In his past life, when the Second Prince ascended the throne, the Profound Secret Pavilion, originally used for gathering wealth and intelligence, became renowned. It later became a powerful tool for the new emperor to oversee officials.

She was reborn with nothing but an abundance of money, so she wanted to get in touch with the Profound Secret Pavilion for some tasks. However, who would have thought that the now-famous Profound Secret Pavilion was so elusive back then?

"Let's go. We'll continue the search tomorrow," Zuoyu sighed, leading Zi Luo out of the teahouse empty-handed.

As dusk settled, the streets grew increasingly deserted. Zi Luo couldn't help but ask, "Miss, how did you even hear about this Profound Secret Pavilion? And why are you so keen on finding it?"

Zuoyu chuckled, "Well, the first part is a secret. As for the second, would you believe me if I said I wanted to give them money?"

Zi Luo was speechless, "Miss, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine, but why tease me?"

Zuoyu felt a bit frustrated. She was telling the truth, so why did no one believe her?

As they passed a street corner, a sudden gust of wind hit, and Zuoyu felt a sharp pain in her neck before losing consciousness.

...

"Ouch... that hurts."

When Zuoyu came to, her neck was sore. She sat up quickly, scanning her surroundings with caution. She found herself in a dimly lit room with no doors or windows, illuminated only by flickering candlelight.

In front of her, separated by a beaded curtain, sat a tall man dressed in black. He wore a strange beast mask, and in the candlelight, his silhouette appeared particularly ominous and mysterious.

"Are you from the Profound Secret Pavilion?"

Recalling the scene before she lost consciousness, Cui Zuoyu asked tentatively.

The voice from behind the beaded curtain was low and raspy, making it hard to discern the speaker's age.

"What business does Miss Cui have with the Profound Secret Pavilion?"

Cui Zuoyu was initially startled but quickly composed herself.

She had been searching everywhere for the Profound Secret Pavilion, and they must have caught wind of it, observing her from the shadows. Her identity was no secret, after all.

"I have a business proposition for the Profound Secret Pavilion," Cui Zuoyu said, producing a banknote she had prepared in advance and placing it before her.

"This is a down payment of ten thousand dollars. Upon completion, I will gladly offer at least another ten thousand."

"Why should I engage in business with you?" The figure in black showed a hint of amusement. "A mere twenty thousand dollars is nothing compared to the worth of the capital's most beautiful woman."

His tone was flippant and cold, sending a chill down her spine.

Cui Zuoyu chuckled softly, exuding a calmness that seemed indifferent to life and death.

"Twenty thousand may not match my worth, but if you sell me out, this business can only be done once. On the other hand, if you choose to work with me, I am confident that the benefits I can bring will far exceed my value."

Cui Zuoyu, the capital's most beautiful woman, was renowned not only for her unparalleled beauty but also for her notorious temper, known to all.

In front of him stood Cui Zuoyu, a woman who was certainly not raised in a sheltered environment. Her fearless demeanor was something he had only seen in those who had endured countless hardships yet remained steadfast in their goals.

Reflecting on the dramatic scene orchestrated by this woman three days ago at his bedside, the man in black gazed at Cui Zuoyu and slowly spoke, "I'm all ears."

Cui Zuoyu smiled slightly, "What I want from the Profound Secret Pavilion is simple. Within seven days, I want the Yongjing Marquis Mansion to be in dire need of money—a lot of it. Of course, this financial crisis must not be traced back to me in any way."

"What do you mean?" The man in black narrowed his eyes. He had anticipated various demands from Cui Zuoyu, from teaching Cui Waner a lesson to even eliminating Yaen Ting, but he hadn't expected such an unrelated request. The Yongjing Marquis Mansion had nothing to do with her.

"You only need to tell me if it can be done," Cui Zuoyu said calmly. "For this task, I'll pay at least 2,000 taels. If the Yongjing Marquis Mansion loses 2,000 taels, I'll pay 4,000; if they lose 3,000, I'll pay 6,000, and so on. However, the timeframe must be within seven days. If the Profound Secret Pavilion accepts this task, the remaining silver will be deposited at the White Deer Bank, and you can collect it with a token."

In the future, I have plenty of business to conduct with the Profound Secret Pavilion," Cui Zuoyu said, removing the jade pendant hanging from her waist and placing it in front of her.

This crazy woman!

The man in black couldn't think of any other way to describe Cui Zuoyu. If he wasn't absolutely confident in his sources, he might have suspected she had some deep-seated grudge against the Yongjing Marquis Mansion.

Spending twice the money to make the Yongjing Marquis Mansion lose half as much—it's a move that harms others without benefiting oneself. Apart from a blood feud, he couldn't fathom why Cui Zuoyu would do such a thing.

Cui Zuoyu casually mentioned sums of tens of thousands, as if it were nothing. But for the Yongjing Marquis Mansion, which only appeared prosperous on the surface, losing so much money at once could easily lead to a dire situation.

"So, what do you say?" Cui Zuoyu asked with a relaxed demeanor. "Is the Profound Secret Pavilion going to take this job or not?"

"We'll take it," the man in black replied coldly.

Cui Zuoyu had claimed she was there to bring money to the Profound Secret Pavilion, and she wasn't lying. For someone like Cui Zuoyu, who was secluded from the world, causing such a financial loss to the Yongjing Marquis Mansion was impossible. But for the Profound Secret Pavilion, with its extensive network, it was a piece of cake.

This money seemed to fall from the sky, like a windfall. As for how much the Yongjing Marquis Mansion would lose from this deal, the expression beneath the man's mask was indifferent. What did it matter to him or the Pavilion Master?