After Transmigrating, My Younger Brother Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 25

After the commotion, the crowd no longer dared to disrespect them. Everyone who entered the alley obediently presented their invitations.

Zhu Zhenzhen and her group paid no attention to any disturbances within the alley their sole focus was verifying the authenticity of the invitations and searching for the thieves.

Fights frequently erupted in the alley, all over the invitations.

The outcome was predictable.

Ordinary citizens who mistakenly wandered in quickly sensed the danger and fled, while the brawlers were all notorious villains. Zhu Zhenzhen secretly hoped they would turn on each other, preferably to the point of bloodying each other’s faces.

The number of people entering the alley had dwindled, yet the two thieves remained elusive.

Until this day arrived.

As usual, Lu Yin strained his voice to mimic a woman’s tone. But after being forced to wear full makeup for seven or eight consecutive days, he decided to take a shortcut today. He simply donned a mili, a veiled hat, the white gauze obscuring his face.

Standing on the eaves, Zhu Zhenzhen could see the entire alleyway at a glance.

Normally, those who came to verify the authenticity of the Black Nether Post would eagerly crowd around Lu Yin, surrounding him so tightly not even water could leak through.

But now, she had been watching two figures hiding behind a stone mortar for quite some time. They would occasionally peek out furtively to observe the scene before retreating back into the shadows, their purpose unclear.

She leaped down, her robes trailing behind her as she silently approached them.

She stopped just around the corner, her footsteps so light that the pair remained unaware of her presence.

Pressing her ear against the wall, she overheard their conversation.

…Hurry and show her the item. We went through so much trouble to steal it if it turns out to be a fake, it’ll all have been for nothing.

A pause followed, then rustling sounds as they retrieved the post.

Uncle, the rumors only started spreading after we stole those people’s posts. I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off—like they’re deliberately trying to lure us out.

Let me ask you this whose Black Nether Post is it?

The honest child replied, Prince Jin.

Then whose are these inspection posts?

Prince Jin’s.

There you have it. If these three were already under Prince Jin’s command, why would they need to carry Black Nether Posts to the capital?

Three? Hearing this, Zhu Zhenzhen immediately recognized the two men and pulled out the rope she had been treasuring for so long.

She wrapped the rope several times around her palm, gripped the other end, and gave it a sharp tug.

Hmm, sturdy enough.

The man’s voice continued, If I hadn’t foolishly believed your words these past few days, I would have been out inspecting things. Now I can’t sleep soundly at night.

Zhu Zhenzhen peeked half her body out from behind the wall.

She signaled Lu Yin ahead, pointing to the area behind the stone mortar.

Lu Yin caught her gaze and immediately understood.

The two men were none other than Old Yue and the thief.

Lu Yin cleared his throat and called out, What are you two squatting back there for? If you want to see the posts, come forward. If not, move along. This isn’t a place for you.

Old Yue hurriedly stood up, took a few steps forward, and bowed slightly, nodding his head. His legs moved freely, showing no trace of the limp he had displayed at the residence that day.

Ah, yes, right away! I’ll have the magistrate inspect these immediately.

With that, he nudged the man beside him, signaling him to produce the invitations.

The thief reluctantly handed the two invitations to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin took them, examining them repeatedly.

Normally, inspecting an invitation took only two seconds. But now, he held them in his hands, opening and closing them again and again, as if unwilling to let go.

Seeing this, Old Yue grew anxious, his palms sweating. He asked cautiously, Magistrate… is there something wrong with these invitations?

Don’t rush me, Lu Yin replied lightly. I need to examine them more closely.

His casual remark silenced Old Yue.

The invitations in Lu Yin’s hands were the very two that had been stolen that day.

These invitations… Lu Yin drawled, striding toward the alley entrance as if to examine them under the streetlights.

Moments later, Lu Yin returned, handing the invitations back with a regretful announcement Fakes.

The bandit shouted, How is that possible?!

Lu Yin, speaking in a practiced female voice with a slightly stern tone, retorted, How is it not possible? A fake is a fake. Do you really think Prince Jin would personally hand you this invitation?

Seeing the bandit about to argue further, Old Yue immediately clamped his hand over the man’s mouth.

Eager to avoid conflict with Prince Jin’s men, Old Yue quickly admitted fault, forcing a smile. My lord, please calm your anger. It was my mistake. We’ll leave at once.

Old Yue dragged the reluctant bandit away.

Lu Yin let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and perfected the performance of an offended noble to a tee.

He subtly signaled Zhu Zhenzhen, who was observing from the shadows, that the mission was accomplished.

Zhu Zhenzhen immediately followed the pair.

Now that they had served their purpose, the bandits retained only a sliver of remaining utility.

Wicked Zhen tightened her grip on the rope. If they’re this easily fooled, they can’t blame me for showing no mercy.

Old Yue turned the Black Nether Post over and over, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

The reason he knew those three possessed Black Nether Posts that day was simple.

As merchants who constantly wandered from town to town, always on the run, they had naturally heard rumors about the Black Nether Posts.

But they had never obtained one themselves. Those they once knew who had either been imprisoned or had acquired a Black Nether Post had risen to great heights, forgetting their past struggles.

Between the cold iron bars of prison and the gilded life of nobility, anyone would naturally favor the latter.

After much deliberation, the two men decided to obtain a Black Nether Post before the Martial Arts Tournament began.

Whether they stole, robbed, or fought for it didn’t matter. After all, people like them didn’t need a good reputation.

Having made their decision, they arrived in the Capital early, waiting for anyone who came at this critical time.

And sure enough, they quickly caught three young people who seemed particularly strange.

Although the woman leading the group openly admitted her family’s decline, she still wore an air of disdain. Based on Old Yue’s years of experience navigating the streets, he recognized her as one of his own kind.

Zhu Zhenzhen’s words carried less weight with Old Yue.

Seizing the opportunity, Old Yue led them away, leaving him alone to search the residence. To his delight, he found exactly what he had been longing for—and not just one, but two sets.

Old Yue sighed.

But none of this mattered now. The Black Nether Post in his possession was a fake, meaning they would have to resume their search.

As he pondered this, the person beside him suddenly stopped walking.

Old Yue frowned and turned back, about to ask what was wrong, but saw the man staring silently ahead.

Looking in the same direction, Old Yue spotted a masked figure in black robes standing in the distance.

The late-night street was deserted, and the sudden appearance of this figure added an eerie layer to the scene.

He recognized the attire—it was the same as the woman’s guard from the alley earlier.

Old Yue immediately plastered on a smile, stepped forward, and his smile deepened into wrinkles. Did you perhaps misjudge us, sir?

Zhu Zhenzhen remained silent, maintaining her air of mystery.

Before they could wait long, she moved, charging toward them with lightning speed.

The two men were initially bewildered, but by the time a rope had bound their arms, they finally reacted, struggling frantically against her hold.

In the blink of an eye, they were trussed up like meat dumplings. Zhu Zhenzhen grabbed the end of the rope dangling to the ground and dragged them forward a few steps.

Perhaps the ropes were tied too tightly. Standing back-to-back, the two men swayed precariously, on the verge of toppling over with the slightest tug.

Escape was now impossible.

As the sun began to rise, the guard arriving for his shift at the yamen gate yawned and took his post. His eyes, still blurry with sleep, surveyed the peaceful, quiet street. The fifth watch of the night was always the easiest shift.

Through his hazy vision, he thought he saw someone walking down the street. The guard averted his gaze, resuming his daze. He didn’t expect the figure to walk straight toward him.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the guard numbly accepted the hemp rope from the woman’s hand.

The woman added helpfully, These two have been causing trouble for ages. They’re cunning swindlers.

According to Great Sheng law, the yamen should reward me for this.

The guard led the pair away to verify their identities, leaving Zhu Zhenzhen to stand alone outside, lost in thought.

She had received a message from Yan Guiyun two days prior Prince Jin intended to advance the start date of the Martial Arts Tournament, likely within the next five days.

The sudden change was rushed but not entirely surprising. Their recent disruptions had stirred up chaos in the Capital, with the Black Nether Post scandal reaching a fever pitch. Delaying the tournament would only allow the situation to fester further.

In the end, Zhu Zhenzhen left, carrying twenty taels of silver and a heart full of satisfaction.

She returned home for a brief rest, waking up around noon.

Now that the Black Hell Note had been recovered and her business in the alley was nearing completion, she finally had some free time.

Over the next few days, she took advantage of the lull to explore the Capital thoroughly.

As she wandered, she found herself in a familiar place

Min Yue Pavilion. Its carved beams and painted rafters, vermilion-lacquered doors, and gilded signboard framed in gold leaf were strikingly conspicuous.

Even from this eye-catching signboard alone, one could tell how glorious this place had once been, its business thriving, with a constant stream of diners.

But today was strangely different. Gone was the usual bustling atmosphere the main hall was completely deserted, eerily silent. The lively waiter who had eagerly solicited customers the previous evening was nowhere to be seen.

It

Fine, I’ll just go inside and buy some jujube cakes on the way back.

Before transmigrating, she had never understood the meaning of family or the warmth of being missed. After each mission, she would return to her empty home, collapse into bed, and repeat the cycle the next day.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face alone, sat at the dining table alone, pondering what to eat. On days without missions, she could spend the entire day sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. Apart from missions, she seemed to have nothing else to do.

A smile crept across her face as she thought of this. But now things were different. She had family. They played together in the courtyard, and when she was sick, she could faintly hear Song Heng’s deliberately hushed voice beside her.

Zhu Zhenzhen stepped inside, expecting to see someone immediately, but despite looking around, she couldn’t find the shopkeeper.

Instead, she got a clear view of the interior layout.

The exposed wooden rafters were intricately carved with openwork patterns, further embellished with vibrant painted lacquer that brought the designs to life.

A colossal carpet covered the floor, its texture so soft it felt like treading on clouds, utterly silent beneath her feet.

If the hall’s ceiling and floor were already this opulent, she could only imagine the extravagant splendor of the private rooms on the second floor.

Zhu Zhenzhen glanced around before withdrawing her gaze. It was only then that she noticed another person in the hall.

Earlier, her limited view from outside had prevented her from seeing the entire scene. The man was seated alone in a corner, quietly eating his meal.

He appeared to be young, perhaps only two or three years older than Zhu Zhenzhen.

He picked up two bites of food with jade chopsticks, then set them down to take a sip of tea.

A rather peculiar habit, Zhu Zhenzhen thought.

Since he was the only other person present, Zhu Zhenzhen’s naturally outgoing personality began to shine.