The Qingshui Pier district.
In a remote alley near the slums, inside an unnamed pawnshop, an old, weathered Shopkeeper was bundled in a thick, tattered cotton coat, leaning back against the counter with his eyes closed to rest.
Just then, a tall figure in plainclothes, a Long Saber at his waist, strode in.
"A customer pawn... Master Chen, what brings you here?"
The pawnshop's Shopkeeper was none other than Jian Luchuan, an Incense Master of the Thief Gang. This pawnshop was one of their strongholds.
Using the pawnshop as a front made it easy to both sell stolen goods and for gang members to communicate—killing two birds with one stone.
"A wily rabbit has three burrows. The Thief Gang certainly operates in secrecy!" Chen Cheng nodded slightly, offering a word of praise.
Jian Luchuan quickly put on a servile smile. "It's all just the petty tricks of the lower class, hardly worth mentioning."
Chen Cheng asked, "Is everything ready?"
