It was during the day when he saw a young performer.

The boy seemed to have taken quite a hit; just as he tried to get up, he groaned and collapsed back down.

Bai Fanlu’s body stiffened. Through the thin layer of crimson bed curtains, something soft had made tangible contact with a certain part of his body.

“…” Bai Fanlu’s face turned slightly pale. He took a deep breath and silently raised his knee.

There was a muffled cry of pain as the boy rolled off him, landing on one side. Unfortunately, his head hit the collapsed bed frame hard again.

Bai Fanlu lifted the bed curtain and stood up to straighten his clothes. He saw the boy frowning and curled up like a big shrimp ball. The anger he had felt subsided, and he couldn’t help but find the situation somewhat amusing.

Just as he was about to say something, a knock came at the door. “Guest, I heard a loud noise just now. Is everything alright?”

Bai Fanlu glanced at the large hole in the roof, then looked down at the culprit who was clutching his chest with one hand and rubbing his head with the other, clearly in a daze. He casually walked a few steps forward and opened the door.

“This… What is…”

The first thing that caught the innkeeper’s eye was the messy room, the bed that had collapsed into rubble, and the person lying next to it.

The innkeeper’s immediate assumption was obvious; Bai Fanlu could read the shock and faintly suggestive look in his eyes.

“Look up,” Bai Fanlu said, not bothering to explain the innkeeper’s misinterpretation.

Only then did the innkeeper notice the large hole in the ceiling. Through it, he could see the moon and stars. While it seemed romantic and atmospheric, his mind remained clear as he pointed up and asked, “Guest, did this young man fall from up there?”

Indeed, just as you said. Bai Fanlu raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, young man, are you alright?” The innkeeper walked over to the boy.

The boy, holding onto the innkeeper, shakily stood up. His brow was still furrowed, and he shook his head, muttering, “I’m… I’m not okay!”

As if suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed, “Oh no, I still have to catch that flower thief!”

Flower thief? Bai Fanlu’s interest was piqued by the term, and his casual attitude shifted slightly.

The innkeeper, who had been smiling politely, quickly grabbed the boy as he tried to run out. “Wait a minute! You’ve wrecked my room, and now you want to just leave?”

The boy urgently replied, “I really need to catch up to him, or there will be more trouble tonight!”

More trouble? Bai Fanlu pondered, “What flower thief?”

Hearing this, the boy looked over at Bai Fanlu, halting his attempt to rush out. The innkeeper, noticing that the boy didn’t seem intent on escaping, loosened his grip but still held onto the boy’s sleeve.

“It’s the one wanted by the authorities. This is the fifth day. Every night, he harms a young woman…”

Hearing the innkeeper downplay it, the boy shouted, “It’s not just that simple. The next day, those girls all commit suicide. He is a heinous criminal, causing death and destruction!”

The boy was clearly getting more anxious, “I can’t wait! I have to go now! Sorry, innkeeper, I’ll return tomorrow to pay for the damage!”

With that, the boy broke free from the innkeeper’s grasp and darted out the door like a flash.

“This… hey! You—” The innkeeper hurried after him, but the boy was already gone.

“These… they’re all just con artists. Now that he’s run off, who am I supposed to go after for this?”

The innkeeper stomped his feet, then suddenly remembered the other guest in the room. His expression changed, and he walked up to Bai Fanlu with a half-pleading smile.

“Guest, what about this…”

For some reason, Bai Fanlu was particularly displeased with the innkeeper’s earlier comment about “con artists,” and this irritation led him to do something even he didn’t expect.

He took the jade pendant from his waist and placed it on the table.

“This is collateral. When he returns with the money tomorrow, I’ll come back to redeem it.”

The innkeeper’s eyes lit up at the sight of the jade pendant, and he eagerly reached out to take it.

Bai Fanlu flicked his wrist, and the hilt of his sword lightly tapped the innkeeper’s hand, stopping him. The force was both light as a feather and heavy as a mountain.

“No tricks.”

“…” The innkeeper’s face stiffened as he chuckled, “How could I dare? Sir, this room is no longer suitable for staying. Please, let me take you to another room.”

His form of address changed to “sir,” and Bai Fanlu inwardly shook his head. A merchant is a merchant, but it’s understandable.

After entering the new room, Bai Fanlu lay down on the bed. He recalled their mention of the “flower thief.” The boy didn’t seem like someone with real skills. Even if he caught up to the thief, could he handle him?

Should I go help?

The thought had just crossed his mind when Bai Fanlu startled himself.

In this world, his principle should be self-preservation, holding out until the very end. At most, he should make small moves to advance the main plot. The flower thief wasn’t even mentioned in the book. So why should an outsider like him care about righteousness and justice?

Better not to meddle unnecessarily.

As for the jade pendant… Ah, that was an impulsive move. If the boy doesn’t come back, it will just be a lesson learned.

Bai Fanlu pulled up the covers and forced himself to sleep.

It was only in the latter half of the night that he started feeling sleepy. He thought he could finally sleep undisturbed, but was awoken just as dawn was breaking.

“What’s going on? Who’s crying outside so early?” someone asked.

Bai Fanlu pushed open his door, and several other guests did the same, all looking at each other in confusion.

The innkeeper came upstairs, telling each guest, “Something happened, but it’s not the inn’s problem. The authorities are handling something across the street.” He assured the guests that there was no need for concern.

When he reached Bai Fanlu, the innkeeper’s expression was tinged with unease. Bai Fanlu noticed and asked, “What happened?”

None of the other guests had asked such a question. Most of them were outsiders unfamiliar with Dongchang, and Bai Fanlu was no exception. However, the innkeeper’s look suggested that this matter was somehow connected to him.

Sure enough, the innkeeper lowered his voice, “It’s… it’s that flower thief.”

“Was he caught?”

“No, he committed another crime.”

So, the boy had indeed failed. But did he not catch up to the thief, or did he confront him and lose? Or… Bai Fanlu’s heart tightened, and he decided to go down and take a look.

He left the inn. It was still early, and most of the doors along the street were shut tight. As such, Bai Fanlu immediately spotted several officials across the street, surrounding a woman sitting on the ground, crying her heart out.

Bai Fanlu moved closer and saw that the woman was holding a small girl, whose limbs were limp, her head lolling back weakly, eyes wide open—she appeared to be dead.

The possibility that crossed his mind felt like a knife carving a deep gash in his heart.

The innkeeper had followed him outside, seemingly worried. “Sir?”

“Is it that girl?”

“Ah… yes, it is…”

Bai Fanlu clenched his hand inside his sleeve. That girl couldn’t have been more than ten years old.

Ten years old… Bai Fanlu heard a cold sneer in his mind.

He looked up at the notice board across the street, where a conspicuous wanted poster was displayed.

At that very moment, a notification sounded in his mind.

“Side quest ‘Evil Begets Evil’ unlocked. Objective: Kill the flower thief.”

“Quest reward: 3 fragments of ‘Reader’s Imagination,’ with additional rewards for activating hidden events.”

“Mission hint: The environment shapes the mind, falsehoods contain no truth, evil arises from nature, truth is masked by lies.”

Listening to the system’s introduction, Bai Fanlu found himself already standing in front of the notice board, tearing down the wanted poster to examine the portrait on it.

Seeing this, the innkeeper couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, are you… are you also going to catch that flower thief?”

His tone clearly implied that someone who looked as frail and scholarly as Bai Fanlu couldn’t possibly be up to the task.

Bai Fanlu didn’t respond. He crumpled the poster in his hand and, with a gentle twist, it turned to dust. Then he returned to the inn and went upstairs.

The innkeeper was left staring at the scattered white powder on the ground. It was cold in the early morning, but large beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead.

To catch the flower thief, he would have to wait until nightfall. Bai Fanlu decided to stay another day, which also gave him time to wait for the boy to return.

Although the novel mentioned that the original owner’s jade pendant was a meaningful gift from Yun Zhan and that it somehow remained in place even when changing clothes, it wasn’t of much use to him.

However, it was still a piece of real jade, and he didn’t want to leave it as a

 gift for a greedy innkeeper. Even pawning it for silver would be better.

After calming down, Bai Fanlu did feel a tinge of regret—not for pawning the jade pendant or tearing down the wanted poster, but for not following the boy last night.

What he couldn’t be sure of was whether the boy who had chased the flower thief last night would return today.

Fortunately, the boy came back to the inn in the morning, and the innkeeper led him directly upstairs.

When Bai Fanlu saw that, aside from the bump on his head, the boy seemed unharmed, he felt a bit relieved. But the boy, upon seeing Bai Fanlu, awkwardly scratched his head.

“Sir, I’m really sorry for causing you trouble.”

“It’s nothing,” Bai Fanlu replied, “In fact, I admire your sense of justice and keeping your word.”

“I…” The boy lowered his head. “But I just calculated with the innkeeper. The money I have isn’t enough to pay for the damages, and I have nothing else to offer as collateral. Sir, your jade pendant…”

The boy looked up, his eyes sincere as he gazed at Bai Fanlu. “The innkeeper said you were only staying for two days. Could you… could you please stay a few more days? I’ll save up the money and redeem the jade pendant for you.”

The boy’s voice was like a babbling brook, and his eyes were bright, reflecting a crescent moon in the water. As he looked at Bai Fanlu, his face seemed to blush slightly with embarrassment.

Bai Fanlu was momentarily stunned.

Though they were about the same height, the boy’s pure and natural demeanor felt completely fitting with his appearance, evoking a sense of familiarity.

When he had first seen the boy’s profile yesterday, he had felt an odd sense of familiarity.

“Sir?”

“… It’s fine,” Bai Fanlu snapped out of his daze and took out his money pouch. “I still have some silver here. Innkeeper, how much is still owed?”

“Not much, just five taels,” the innkeeper replied quickly.

“But sir…”

The boy was about to object when Bai Fanlu raised his hand and placed the last five taels of silver on the table. “I’d rather redeem the jade pendant sooner.”

The boy looked down, clenched the hem of his clothes, and fell silent.

This small gesture didn’t escape Bai Fanlu’s notice. After accepting the jade pendant from the innkeeper, Bai Fanlu checked it and reattached it to his waist.

The innkeeper left with the silver, while the boy stayed, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know how.

Bai Fanlu said, “Have a seat.”

The boy obediently sat down on a stool. Bai Fanlu poured him a cup of tea and pushed it toward him. “There’s no need to worry. A little silver doesn’t matter much to me.”

Though he didn’t know how the original owner made money, there were always ways.

The boy, however, shook his head, biting his lower lip even harder. When he finally spoke again, the clear imprints of his teeth were visible.

“But I care, sir. I must repay you. I was too clumsy last night and lost him, which resulted in that girl getting hurt. Tonight, I have to catch the thief. Then, I can use the reward money to pay you back.”

Bai Fanlu wasn’t concerned about the reward money. What he cared about now was, “How good are you at fighting?”

“I… I’m okay, I guess.”

That didn’t sound very reliable.

“How did you find the flower thief last night?”

Bai Fanlu asked. This was the biggest challenge he needed to solve.

Operating at night, indiscriminately committing crimes in such a large city as Dongchang, finding a flower thief was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But the boy smiled brightly, “I relied on Zizi!”

“Zizi?”

The boy whistled, and the little white monkey that had been playing tricks yesterday suddenly leaped in through the window, landing on the boy’s arm, chirping.

“It’s him. The flower thief has a foul smell on him, and Zizi can sniff him out! But if the chase takes too long, Zizi can’t track the scent as accurately, which is why we lost him last night.”

“I see,” Bai Fanlu nodded. “In that case, we’ll go together tonight. You track the flower thief, and I’ll handle him.”

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “You, sir?”

Bai Fanlu didn’t blame him for his skepticism. He did look a bit too harmless, more like a frail scholar than a powerful cultivator.

“Two people are better than one. When we catch him, I only need the five taels.”

“How could that be?”

“It’s fine. We’ll discuss it after we catch him.”

Bai Fanlu was already prepared, his eyes soft but holding a faint, steely determination.

He might not have noticed the change in himself, but the boy across from him had been quietly observing his expression. Seeing this, the boy’s face darkened slightly, and he pressed his lips together tightly.