Luo Li watched him quietly.
Although she had known this man was somewhat clever, his reaction speed was still unexpectedly fast.
"I suppose so."
Izzy’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed, and a smile spread across his face.
"Hehe, I knew it."
He paused for a moment.
"I won't ask for details. You probably wouldn't tell me even if I did, right?"
Luo Li wasn't quite used to having her thoughts cut off like that, so she could only nod.
"Then what kind of place are you looking for, Miss Li Luo? What specific kind of trouble are you facing?"
Luo Li’s brow tightened, and Izzy was quick to react.
"Don't misunderstand, Miss Li Luo. I won't ask too much. It’s just that if I know the nature of your trouble, I can find you a safer place, right?"
"What do you mean?"
Luo Li looked at Izzy with narrowed eyes, but he simply shrugged nonchalantly.
"It’s simple. Think about it—if you’re trying to avoid nobles, I’ll take you somewhere they rarely pay attention to. If you’re hiding from thieves, I’ll take you somewhere they can't go."
"It’s always better to be clear, isn't it? If you were hiding from thieves and I accidentally brought you right into a den of them, what then?"
Izzy had a point.
After looking at him and contemplating for a moment, Luo Li spoke slowly.
"I am avoiding a major problem. Are you certain you have a way?"
"That depends on what kind of trouble you've run into."
Izzy grinned.
Since they had come this far, Luo Li decided to take a gamble.
"I need to stay out of the sight of the nobility. The most critical one is the Borgia family, followed by the other nobles."
"Hiss!"
As soon as she finished her sentence, Izzy couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Clearly, even a fool understood that hiding from all the nobility was no easy feat.
However, this sparked a hint of doubt in Izzy’s mind.
"Miss Li Luo, if I may be so bold as to ask... if you’re trying to avoid the nobles, why did you insist on coming to a major city? Wouldn't the countryside be better?"
"There's no harm in telling you. I need to contact Brilliant City, which is why I came to a large city."
As for the rest, there was no need to mention it for now.
Izzy seemed to be thinking quite comprehensively, but he didn't understand her full situation.
That was why he had so many questions.
Still, this was enough. If she said any more, Izzy might start guessing things he shouldn't.
"I see. In that case, Miss Li Luo, do you plan to contact Brilliant City first, or should I take you to the hiding spot?"
Contacting Brilliant City was important, but the most pressing issue was ensuring her own safety.
"To the hiding spot first. But before that, we need to shake off the tails behind us."
"No problem. Give me a moment."
As he spoke, he shuffled forward, leaning toward the front of the carriage to tap on the driver's window.
"Hold up, head to the hub. Word's out, so we're diving in to swap skins. Tails behind, and the wind is tight."
Hearing these nonsensical words, four words popped into Luo Li’s mind.
Thieves' cant.
In other words, underworld slang.
She hadn't expected this man, who looked decent enough and dressed like a proper gentleman, to know such things.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a young noble, yet he was fluent in this?
While she was thinking, Izzy suddenly turned back to look at her.
He held out his hand and rubbed his thumb and index finger together.
"Hurry up and hand over the money. How can I get things done without funds?"
"Oh, don't misunderstand. Doing things costs money—but it’s not that I want your money. I’m using your money to handle your business. Understand?"
Luo Li looked down and thought. At this stage, she had nothing but money anyway.
A little bit of cash wasn't worth worrying about.
Luo Li took out five gold coins and twenty silver coins.
To avoid letting him see anything suspicious, she pretended to pull them from her sleeve.
In reality, she took them from her storage space.
Though the storage space wasn't large—only about one cubic meter—it was enough to hold some food and a decent amount of coins.
She placed the money in his palm.
With a flick of his wrist, Izzy transferred the coins to his other hand and then passed them out of the carriage.
Luo Li didn't believe for a second that he had spent all that money at once. Most likely, he only gave away one or two silver coins.
The rest had probably been pocketed by this fellow.
Fine, let him be greedy. At least someone like him, while money-grubbing, seemed to have some level of integrity.
After all, if one wanted to make a name for themselves among the lower classes, they couldn't survive without being trustworthy.
Most of what they called 'honor' came from this.
The people at the bottom had no money or power, so the only thing they could rely on was their word.
Once the money was handed over, the driver outside hummed in thought.
Izzy added another line.
"Thanks for the trouble. Keane, the big shot of the South Gate, is a close buddy of mine."
"Oh? I didn't realize you were a brother who knew the score. Alright, leave the rest to me."
With that, the driver cracked the reins.
With a snap, the carriage’s speed suddenly increased by a third.
Izzy turned back and smiled at the confusion on the young girl's face.
"What I just said was all slang used by traveling coachmen."
"Can I know what you were talking about?"
Luo Li was curious. She didn't understand this slang at all, and this social class was different from the beggars currently under Lola’s command.
Once the beggars were organized, most of their communication was among their own, gradually forming an information network.
But this was entirely different.
These were the travelers and drivers, the people who mixed within all walks of life.
This was authentic thieves' cant, used by thugs, thieves, and bandits.
Essentially, it was the language of those hustling at the grassroots level.
Izzy thought for a moment and didn't hold back.
"There's no harm in telling you."
"'Hold up' meant wait a moment. 'The hub' is our base. 'Word's out' means there's trouble. 'Diving in to swap skins' means quietly returning to the base to change the carriage. 'Tails behind' refers to the people following us, and 'the wind is tight' means the situation is a bit tricky."
"And the last part?"
"Which part?"
"The big shot of the South Gate?"
"Oh, that’s nothing special. He’s just a famous guy among the drivers in the South Gate area named Keane. He usually looks out for the other drivers and porters. My 'close buddy' is actually a good friend of his."
"I see."
This whole system of codes was a bit much for Luo Li to process.
Learning it clearly wouldn't be easy.
However, she didn't intend to learn it. Since this man was being so candid, it meant he didn't plan on hiding anything from her.
And since he had taken the money, he would likely get the job done properly.
That was enough.
Thinking this, Luo Li closed her eyes and waited as time passed.
Seeing that she didn't want to talk, Izzy remained silent as well.
The carriage eventually reached what they called the 'hub.' It wasn't anything special, just a carriage yard.
To put it simply, it was a place where drivers frequently gathered, and there were many people there.
Most people looking for long-term carriage rentals would come here to find a ride.
The carriage quickly pulled into the parking area.
Before entering, the driver seemed to exchange a few words with someone.
Immediately after, the carriage came to a halt.
Another carriage pulled up right behind them.
The rear ends of the two carriages bumped against each other.
Izzy smiled, turned, and beckoned Luo Li, heading straight for the back.
Normally, carriage doors were at the front, and the back was sealed off.
However, this carriage looked different.
No, it should be said all these carriages were a bit unusual.
Behind what looked like a sealed back panel, Izzy pulled back a curtain, revealing that the panel could actually be opened halfway.
Luo Li followed Izzy as they crawled out of that half-door.
As soon as they exited, they stepped directly into the other carriage.
Immediately after, the back panel closed with a click. The driver didn't even turn his head.
He flicked the reins as if nothing had happened and drove the carriage away.
Through a gap, Luo Li watched the carriage they had just been in leave the yard.
The carriage they were now in stayed for a moment before slowly driving out of the parking area.
When she checked behind them now, she could no longer see anyone following.
Clearly, this bait-and-switch had successfully avoided the eyes of the Borgia family.
Luo Li turned to look at Izzy.
Not bad.
He had some skill.
You really couldn't judge a book by its cover.
Who would have thought that Izzy Capablanca, who had the gall to extort people the moment he opened his mouth, would have such capabilities?
Wherever there were people, there was an underworld.
Every industry had its own hidden rules.
If nothing else, the fact that he could navigate the carriage industry so smoothly was a significant talent.
Just as Luo Li was thinking, the door curtain was lifted. A tall, thin middle-aged man poked his head in, looking at Izzy with a smile.
"Long time no see, little Izzy. You've got quite the nerve using my name to get things done without even saying hello."
Before he even finished speaking, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Izzy’s face.
"Uncle Keane? What are you doing here?"
"Hah! I heard someone was using my name to handle some business. It just so happened I was visiting a friend nearby, so I came to see who was so bold. I didn't expect it to be you, kid."
As he spoke, the man glanced at Luo Li and raised an eyebrow.
Without asking a single question, he turned back to Izzy.
"Wind is tight?"
"A bit."
"Alright, I got it. Can you handle it?"
"No problem!"
Izzy responded with a grin. Keane gave Luo Li one more look before letting the curtain fall back into place.
"Fine, I won't meddle in the rest. Where do you want to go? I'll take you."
"Great, thanks, Uncle Keane."
"Why are you being polite with me? Where to?"
"The Pas Building."
"Huh?"
Outside, Uncle Keane froze for a second. He suddenly whipped his head back and yanked the curtain open again, his gaunt face filled with shock.
"You brat, what are you going to that place for?"
"Hehe, to hide someone."
Izzy didn't hide it and spoke directly.
Uncle Keane was stunned. He turned to look at Luo Li, who was left feeling bewildered by the gaze.
Then, with a look that said 'I understand,' he turned back and drove the carriage.
Luo Li blinked and was dazed for a long while before turning back to Izzy.
"This Pas Building you mentioned... what kind of place is it exactly?"
The look Uncle Keane had given her just now was very strange.
Something... felt very off about this.
When Luo Li asked, a rare, embarrassed flush appeared on Izzy’s face.
"Uh... well, it’s a place with... expertise."
A place with... expertise?
As someone with a bit of a dirty mind, two words flashed through Luo Li’s brain like a bolt of lightning.
A brothel!
What the hell!
This kid actually wanted to hide her, a grand Saintess, in a place like a brothel?
But on second thought... it actually made sense.
Hiding a leaf in a forest was the best way to keep it secret.
In her current state, Luo Li would be easily exposed anywhere else.
But hiding in a place like this might actually prevent her from being found.
No one would ever expect an elegant woman they were looking for to be hiding here.
But... this was so freaking awkward!
Between her two lives combined, she had never stepped foot in a place like this!
Even if she had a bit of a dirty mind, that was only in her thoughts; her body was still very honest and pure!
After thinking it over, it seemed there were no other good options. This was likely the safest place.
It was impressive that Izzy could think of this place in such a short amount of time.
But why did it feel so weird?
The carriage continued forward and finally slowed to a stop ten minutes later in a noisy area.
"We're here."
Uncle Keane’s voice came from the front.
Luo Li thought about it and felt a tiny bit of excitement in her heart.
But then she realized... now that she had even had her 'tools' confiscated, what was the point of being excited?
Following Izzy out of the carriage, she saw a very luxurious courtyard before her.
The tallest building in the center was nearly twenty meters high.
For this era, that was a very tall structure.
On both sides of the main building were several wing buildings.
Luo Li and Izzy were currently at the back gate of this large courtyard.
Izzy stepped forward and pushed open the iron gate. Without a word, he strode inside.
Luo Li hesitated for a moment before following him. The carriage behind them lingered briefly before slowly driving away.
The young girl followed Izzy all the way.
As a person with a curious mind visiting such a place for the first time, Luo Li looked around with great interest.
Izzy, on the other hand, didn't even look. As soon as they entered the courtyard, he turned toward a small sentry box nearby.
When he came back out, he had a smile on his face. He gestured for Luo Li to follow and walked toward a nearby wing building.
"This way."
Luo Li took a couple of quick steps to catch up with him and followed him into the building.
When he pushed the door open, she saw that the room was quite clean and tidy, with no strange odors.
"This place is specially reserved for certain guests to stay overnight. Don't worry, it’s very clean."
The young girl’s expression became meaningful.
Is this 'clean' as in... proper?
Rate on N.U.
