The sword at Li Yun’s waist had been unsheathed at some unknown moment and was now held steadily against the other man’s neck.

"One more look, and you can forget about that worthless life of yours."

Li Yun’s voice wasn’t loud when he said this. It didn’t even carry a hint of intimidation, as if he were asking something as mundane as, "Have you eaten?"

But it was precisely this calm that instilled a more profound and genuine fear—the kind that made you believe if you dared to look again, the sharp blade would slit your throat the very next second.

The man finally learned his lesson.

With an Evil God like Li Yun keeping watch in the courtyard, Ming Lingyi’s questioning proceeded much more smoothly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Five years ago, do you know who lived in the courtyard next to yours?"

"Miss, are you pulling my leg? Everyone who lives around here is a prostitute. How many of them even live that long? I’ve lost count of how many have come and gone. You can’t possibly expect me to remember every single one, can you?" the man snickered.

Ming Lingyi said, "Surely there was one who was special? One you couldn’t possibly forget?"

Landlord Liu had certainly been cunning, hiding his mistress away in this red-light district.

But this also came with considerable drawbacks.

The unlicensed courtesans here secretly traded information. A new household suddenly moving in, one where the resident never stepped outside and didn’t receive clients, was bound to be conspicuous.

"...There was one household that was special." The man seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking. "It was a woman who rarely left her home. She had two young servant girls in her courtyard. When she first moved in, heh heh, I thought she was a new girl and even went to knock on her gate!"

Ming Lingyi: "..."

"And then what?" she asked.

"How much silver is this information worth?" Seeing Ming Lingyi’s obvious interest, the man’s mind spun. He was clever enough to directly ask for a price.

Ming Lingyi gave Shi Mingyue a look, and Shi Mingyue took two taels of silver from her purse.

"That’s it?" The man was clearly dissatisfied. He could tell Ming Lingyi wasn’t an ordinary person and had assumed she was the young lady of some wealthy family, hoping to make a fortune off her. But this was all she offered? "Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?"

The man’s expression soured in an instant as he barked at them.

But his memory was short. He had just been taught a lesson by Li Yun. Now, halfway through his sentence, Li Yun kicked him in the back of the knee. With a loud THUD, the man fell hard, landing squarely on his knees at Ming Lingyi’s feet.

Even Ming Lingyi jumped in surprise.

’How dare this little thug shout and yell in front of Ming Lingyi, a person he himself couldn’t even bear to raise his voice at?’

And so, that kick had been a bit heavier than intended; he hadn’t controlled his strength at all.

"How much do you think your information is worth?" Li Yun said coldly. "Anyone who’s lived in Xinghua Alley for a while would know this much. If you try to act tough in front of her again, you might as well say goodbye to your tongue."

After that kick from Li Yun, the man felt like his lower body was going numb. The fall to his knees wasn’t even the worst of the pain.

The words spoken next to his ear sent a sudden shiver down his spine.

’How could I have forgotten there was an Evil God right next to me? He acts like he’d cut a man down at a moment’s notice! This guy has no honor!’

"Spare me, sir! Spare my life, brave warrior! I was blind not to recognize my betters! Miss, whatever you want to know, I, Old Hu, will tell you everything I know without holding anything back!"

The man, who called himself Old Hu, nearly burst into a torrent of tears and snot right there in front of Ming Lingyi.

After that, Ming Lingyi barely had to ask any more questions. Old Hu spilled everything he knew.

"I thought a new girl in the flesh trade had moved in next door, but it turned out she was someone’s mistress. That young lady was actually quite delicate and fair-skinned. When I was home, I’d hear lots of men knocking on her door. Heh heh, looks like I wasn’t the only one with ideas. But those two maids of hers were a couple of real spitfires. Your average riffraff couldn’t get the better of them."

Ming Lingyi cut in, "You can skip that part. How long did they live here?"

Old Hu replied, "About two years, I’d say. Later, the woman got pregnant. Heh, they thought they’d hidden it perfectly, heh heh. In reality, almost everyone living in this alley at the time knew. They should have thought about it—what’s the one thing these brothel girls fear most? Getting pregnant, of course! Everyone has their connections to doctors and clinics in the city. From the moment she got pregnant, that family was buying medicine and hiring outsiders like doctors and midwives. We all knew what was happening."

A glint appeared in Ming Lingyi’s eyes. "Then do you know who the midwife they hired was?"

"That, I really don’t know. As you can see, Miss, I’m a single man without a wife. How would I know people like that? However, if you want to ask around, you can go to the first house on the left as you enter the alley. That’s Yang Pozi’s place. She’s raised many daughters, has lived in this alley for a long time, and knows a lot of the older women."

Before Ming Lingyi could say anything in response, Li Yun, who was standing beside her, made a hand signal.

A moment later, someone appeared, dragging the very Yang Pozi whom Old Hu had just mentioned into the courtyard.

Ming Lingyi: "..."

’Though she was at a loss for words, she had to admit Li Yun’s methods were far more swift and decisive than her own.’

Yang Pozi had no idea how it happened. One moment she was sitting at home, and the next, disaster struck as if from the heavens.

She was still a bit dazed when she was hauled into Old Hu’s courtyard.

However, the moment she saw Old Hu, Yang Pozi’s feisty nature flared up. She pointed a finger at his nose and began to curse him out.

"You damn good-for-nothing! What do you think you’re doing?!"

"Quiet down," Li Yun’s cold voice cut in.

He furrowed his brow, his gaze turning somewhat hostile as he glanced at the Hidden Guard still standing behind Yang Pozi.

’If you’re going to bring someone here, you should at least teach them some manners first.’

The Hidden Guard who received Li Yun’s glare felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. ’I forgot! It’s not just the master in the courtyard right now, but the Empress as well! The master never likes the Empress hearing or seeing anything foul. I just broke one of his biggest rules.’

The Hidden Guard hadn’t even made a move, yet at that single phrase from Li Yun, Yang Pozi suddenly went silent.

It was only then that she seemed to notice her old neighbor, Old Hu, was kneeling on the ground, looking as pathetic as could be.

Yang Pozi couldn’t help but shrink back.

’People like us have to know how to read a situation if we want to survive.’

’In a situation like this, it’s best to do what that man in the courtyard—the one who looks like you don’t want to mess with him—says.’

Ming Lingyi, still seated, looked at Yang Pozi. "We have a few questions for you, madam."