Yan Qi sighed, “If he insists on going, you might as well let him. Otherwise, he′ll just stand here arguing until morning, and he′ll still end up going anyway.”

  Mai Laoguang chuckled. “It′s pitch dark back there—watch your step.”

  The courtyard behind the shop was indeed very dim.

  The roasting room stood at the far end, a dark and shadowy building. Mai Laoguang moved with slow, shuffling steps.

  Guo Dalu ughed, “The way you′re walking, you look like you′ve had a few drinks yourself.”

  Mai Laoguang replied, “It′s a chilly night. I only had two cups, but I already feel a little tipsy.”

  Just as he spoke, his foot suddenly slipped, as if he were about to fall.

  Guo Dalu instinctively reached out to catch him, but in an instant, Mai Laoguang spun around like a coiling dragon emerging from the sea, like a hawk flipping in midair. His agility and speed were simply beyond words.

  As soon as Guo Dalu extended his hand, it was swiftly seized, his pulse locked in a firm grip.

  Yan Qi never could have imagined that this feeble-looking old man—who always seemed on the verge of stumbling when he walked—would suddenly become so terrifying. Shocked, he instinctively lunged forward.

  But before he could act, Mai Laoguang spoke in a deep voice, "Stop, or he dies."

  The words were spoken in a perfectly crisp northern accent, without a trace of a Guangdong dialect.

  Yan Qi froze in disbelief. "You are..."

  Guo Dalu grinned. "He′s Feng Qiwu—the one who moved the chests from under our bed. Haven′t you figured it out yet?"

  Even with his life hanging by a thread, he was still smiling, carefree as ever.

  Mai Laoguang—no, Feng Qiwu—coldly asked, "That′s right. I am Feng Qiwu. How did you know?"

  Guo Dalu replied, "At first, I was just making a wild guess. But aside from Gun Zi, Jin Shi, the men in bck, and the four of us, you're the only one who knew we had gold. You also had the perfect opportunity—while we were taking our time climbing back up the mountain, you could′ve easily gone ahead and moved the chests."

  Feng Qiwu sneered.

  Guo Dalu continued, "Not to mention, since Stick and his gang already ‘wrongfully accused’ you once, they wouldn′t suspect you again. And your roasting house? No one is allowed inside. Hiding the chests there couldn′t have been more perfect."

  Feng Qiwu asked, "Anything else?"

  Guo Dalu smirked. "Jin Shi has the keenest nose. Since he′s already met you, there′s no way he wouldn′t recognize your scent. That′s why you deliberately chose this line of work."

  He wrinkled his nose and took a deep breath before continuing, “Because no matter whose scent it is, it could never be as strong as burning charcoal. Not even a woman with body odor would be an exception.”

  Feng Qiwu asked, “Anything else?”

  Guo Dalu said, “I also heard that Feng Qiwu is a stingy miser who wouldn′t spend a single cent—even if he picked up silver on the street, he′d be reluctant to use it. He′s so frugal he won′t even marry a wife. And of all the people I′ve met recently, no one is stingier than you. You let fresh meat and wine go to waste, yet you only eat our leftover scraps and cold rice.”

  Suddenly, he ughed and continued, “I just realized that your name, Feng Qiwu, is truly brilliant. Lin Hejing had ‘Mei Qi He Zi,’ but you—your wife is yourself! No wonder your name sounds like ‘Qi Wu.’

  (T/N: 妻吾, Qī wú, meaning ‘wife is me’).”

  He seemed to be extremely amused by his own joke, ughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.

  But no one else ughed. No one could.

  Feng Qiwu simply stared at him coldly, waiting for him to finish ughing before asking icily, “Anything else?”

  Guo Dalu said, “No, that′s enough. Add these three things together, and it′s clear—Feng Qiwu is Mai Laoguang, and Mai Laoguang is Feng Qiwu.”

  Feng Qiwu replied, “I never expected a scoundrel like you to have moments of intelligence.”

  Guo Dalu smirked, “Even the dumbest person gets a fsh of brilliance once or twice in their life. Besides, I′m a genius—I just like to py dumb sometimes.”

  Feng Qiwu asked, “You want to go into my barbecue room, don′t you?”

  Guo Dalu replied, “I did think about it.”

  Feng Qiwu said, “Good. Go in.”

  Guo Dalu shrugged, “I was thinking about it before, but not anymore. I have no interest in ending up like a duck, hung up and roasted over a fire.”

  Feng Qiwu sneered, “Too bad—its not up to you anymore.”

  Yan Qi interjected, “Even if you kill him, it′s useless. You still have me. I can still reveal your secret.”

  Feng Qiwu said, “Once he goes in, you′ll naturally follow, because you would never pass up the chance to save your friend. I′m in my fifties or sixties—at the very least, I can still see that much.”

  Yan Qi clenched his teeth, his eyes turning red. Let alone a seasoned veteran of fifty or sixty years, even a two-year-old child could see how much he cared about Guo Dalu.

  Guo Dalu burst into ughter and said, “To have a true friend in life means dying without regrets. With a friend like you, does life or death even matter? It′s just that…”

  Feng Qiwu asked, “Just that, what?”

  Guo Dalu said, “I know you won′t kill us.”

  Feng Qiwu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  Guo Dalu continued, “Because even if you killed both of us, it wouldn′t do you any good.”

  Feng Qiwu responded, “Oh?”

  Guo Dalu expined, “Not only does Wang Laoda know we were coming here, but so does the Golden Lion. If we suddenly disappear, do you think they wouldn′t suspect something?”

  Feng Qiwu said, “That′s a problem for ter.”

  Guo Dalu said, “If you truly didn′t care, then why haven′t you made a move to kill me yet?”

  Feng Qiwu replied, “No one comes here anyway, so there′s no rush.”