Once he finished his noodles, Li Yuan went to bathe. The spring nights were still chilly, but his body was strong enough that he wore just a loose robe afterward. Under the lantern glow in the rear courtyard, he spread out a piece of leather and a map.0

A red lantern swayed in the breeze, casting enough light to read by. He studied the leather map he’d taken from Ruan Ah-Fei, recalling what Senior Li had told him back in the black market.0

Senior Li knew every shady dealing out there. The moment he saw the leather map, he recognized its origin. It was a so-called ghost market map, also known as a fence’s den map. It was traded among only the...0