Seeing a fish drawn on the wooden box, covered in spots and bristling with spines, the young clerk found it strange and asked, “Young master, what kind of fish is this? I’ve never seen one so strange.”
“It’s an invasive species. Naturally, not many people have seen one.” The young man in white smiled faintly. “It’s called a pleco. It specializes in cleaning up trash.”
“You certainly know a lot, sir,” the clerk flattered him. The young man seemed to have an extraordinary charm, and listening to his voice felt like basking in a warm breeze. But after hearing what he said, the clerk looked at the fish again and, for some reason, felt goosebumps rise along his back.
“Young man, may I borrow some paper and a pen?” The young man in white thought for a moment, took them, and wrote a few words. He put the note in an envelope and handed it to the clerk. “Please deliver this.”
The clerk readily agreed. Before he could see him off, the young man in white turned and walked out of the escort agency. After a few steps, he pulled a wine gourd from behind his waist and drank as he walked.
The clerk stared after him, entranced. By the time he came to his senses, the man had been gone for a while. He quickly set the wooden box and letter together, then considered opening the box to put the letter inside.
Just as he was about to open it, the shopkeeper pressed down on his hand.
The shopkeeper shook his head. “If I were you, I wouldn’t try to open it.”
…
Blades flash beneath the autumn waters. How long will the grudges of the martial world endure?
