Chapter 85: Chapter 77: Drink in Moderation, Know Much of Affairs
So, in this newly acquired two-courtyard residence, Du Chengfeng entertained the first guest.
Once the main gate was closed, this sparrowhawk couldn’t leave. But considering the special identity of this sparrowhawk, Du Chengfeng wasn’t in a hurry to tie him up and interrogate him. Instead, he laid out good wine and good food on the table to see if he could extract some information.
As for the good wine, there was enough stocked in the warehouse, so there was no need to buy more. For good food, there were some ingredients left in the kitchen, and Du Chengfeng had some cooking skills himself. Making some appetizers was not a problem—so after three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, this sparrowhawk was soon slumped over the table.
"You’re quite something..."
With a tipsy gaze, the sparrowhawk held up his cup, looking at Du Chengfeng with envy.
"You cook excellently, brew fine wine, and even at such a young age, you’ve managed to reach this position... Being a mere sparrow is an injustice to you. With your skills, you’d easily ascend to an eagle!"
"Oh no, not at all, just learned by haphazardly."
Du Chengfeng waved his hand repeatedly, making a humble gesture.
Indeed, some humility was in order, as he learned his cooking skills while sharpening knives, his identity as armory superintendent was a position forced onto him by Liu Yanran, and as for the self-brewed wine, it was left behind by the previous owner of this residence, having nothing to do with him.
Yet it was fortunate that these strong homemade wines were left in the residence. Even a cautious intelligence worker like this sparrowhawk couldn’t resist after smelling the aroma, eventually tasting a cup.
After tasting one cup, then another, and another... that jar of wine, which weighed about three or four pounds, all ended up in this sparrowhawk’s stomach.
This made it convenient for Du Chengfeng to initiate questioning.
"Come, brother, I’ll toast to you once more!"
Saying this, Du Chengfeng opened another jug of wine, filling both their cups with the delightful brew.
"Earlier, I was in the wrong. Being new here, I might have offended you unknowingly. Let’s just say I’m still a young sparrow, not fully understanding the rules... Come, these are all sparrowhawk brother’s knives; I’m returning them to you."
Saying this, Du Chengfeng simply brought out the dozen or so confiscated knives, pushing them back to the sparrowhawk.
Since those things were already sharpened, keeping them was pointless. Besides, handing them back to the sparrowhawk could be seen as a friendly gesture.
What’s more, as long as the sparrowhawk hadn’t left the courtyard, these items weren’t considered lost yet.
The sparrowhawk didn’t notice Du Chengfeng’s calculations and simply accepted the knives without hesitation. After tucking them back into his attire, the way he looked at Du Chengfeng became even more cordial.
The sparrowhawk felt at ease, while Du Chengfeng’s mind was racing.
As an intelligence agent, how could he trust someone so easily? Was there something wrong with the sparrowhawk’s head?
"Um, sparrowhawk brother."
After hesitating for a moment, Du Chengfeng decided to probe a bit.
"It’s an honor that you trust me so greatly, but if someone else came along wearing my clothes to deceive you, then our grand cause..."
"That’s impossible; you underestimate my keen intuition,"
The sparrowhawk burst into laughter immediately.
"Brother, do you think I’m incapable of even the basic discernment? Even though we were strangers, the reason I consider you one of us is because of my unique method."
Saying this, the sparrowhawk sniffed the air around Du Chengfeng, as if smelling something specific.
"Ah, yes, it’s this scent. No repulsive fragrance of cosmetics, just the boldness of a man... yes, exactly! You’re just like me, already harboring several grievances with the Southern Chen regime!"
"...Huh?"
Du Chengfeng nearly spilled his wine; it was the first time he’d seen such a method of identification.
How could someone smell rebellion on him? He wasn’t even originally from Southern Chen... well, now he technically was, considering his status as the Ji Prefecture’s armory superintendent granted him an official post within the Chen Empire.
As for those grievances against Southern Chen...
With all the troubles he experienced in Ji and Yan Prefecture, it was indeed hard to hold any respect for Southern Chen.
So maybe the sparrowhawk’s sense of smell was actually spot on?
"Bro, I’m not saying this lightly, but with your skills, staying in Southern Chen as a spy is really a waste of your talent."
Another few cups of wine down, sparrowhawk became even more talkative.
"I saw those carnage scenes on the road; those were blood-crazed madmen, usually requiring a few people to take down. But you, brother, managed to smack their heads in with one slap... with that kind of strength, wouldn’t it be better to serve under the Khan’s command? When our army moves south, you could clear the way, earning perhaps a command over a thousand households at the very least..."
"This... is all for the grand cause."
Du Chengfeng thought for a moment, imitating the sparrowhawk’s earlier gesture, he saluted northwards.
"For our grand cause, these little things are nothing."
"Great!"
The sparrowhawk immediately slapped the table, raising his cup.
"For the grand cause! Cheers!"
"For the grand cause, for the grand cause."
Du Chengfeng drank a cup of water, showing his respect.
With a shared language, the atmosphere naturally became livelier; Du Chengfeng resorted to toasting water instead of wine, while the sparrowhawk, already bleary-eyed from drinking, was a sprightly conversationalist. The two of them, host and guest, found themselves thoroughly enjoying each other’s company as if they were long-lost brothers sharing everything.
"So, old brother..."
With half a cup of wine spilled on himself, reeking of alcohol, Du Chengfeng threw an arm around the sparrowhawk’s shoulder.
"Are all the comrades who’ve come to the Southern Chen side as humorous as you? Do you folks meet often? Where do you get together to chat?"
"Meetings? Security first."
The heavily drunk sparrowhawk shook his head repeatedly.
"Since Southern Chen still poses some trouble, especially with those pesky Capturers, everyone normally stays connected to their direct superior to avoid being caught. Even I wouldn’t have approached you if it weren’t for seeing you overstepping boundaries late at night... wait, why are you asking this, brother?"
"Single-line contact? So basically, you don’t even know how many of your kind there are in the city?"
Du Chengfeng scratched his head.
"Then forgive me for being rude."
With that, his scratching hand slammed down, smashing the sparrowhawk’s head against the table.
Since he had already alerted the sparrowhawk, there was no need to ask more questions. Besides, he had gathered enough information on the spies, making the sparrowhawk no longer useful. It was just as well to turn him in to the Capturers, doing some good.
"No, this old brother still has some use."
Thinking for a moment, Du Chengfeng decided to take advantage of the unconscious spell, stripping the sparrowhawk’s robe and putting it on himself.
He glanced at the old robe he’d taken off, riddled with two holes, then at the new one he wore now—it was slightly worn but still well-tailored, even hanging with over thirty knives. Du Chengfeng couldn’t help but nod with satisfaction.
