The Phantom Groom System

Chapter 10: Cops? Cash Cows.

It actually works.

Danny's mouth curled slightly as he looked up. "How much for these?"

"Cuttings can't compare to a whole root, obviously," the clerk said, sizing him up. "But this was still cut from a century root. Sixty dollars each, sound fair?"

Danny shook his head. "Fifty. I want two."

The clerk agreed without pushback. "Deal. I'll wrap them right up."

With both roots in hand, Danny let out a slow breath of relief.

It wasn't just the extra day of life he'd bought himself. It was proof, real proof that surviving the curse might actually be possible.

Whatever the equipment system did to these herbs when they passed through a slot, it clearly amplified their power far beyond what a normal person would get from just eating them. Two scraps of root like these should barely have registered on an ordinary body. There was no way they'd have restored this much vitality otherwise.

All he needed now was better herbs. A full century root. A thousand-year root, if he could ever afford one. With enough of that, the curse's drain might not even matter.

The second he stepped outside the apothecary, Danny consumed both roots straight from the equipment slot.

The Max Vitality boost three points wasn't worth holding onto long-term. Better to burn it as a one-time heal.

The root's icon flickered into the slot, then vanished. Danny tossed the empty box aside and felt warmth flood through him, filling something that had felt hollow for hours.

The stat line beside his name shifted.

【Vitality: 40/60 (Status: Cursed Phantom Bride's Toll: -10 Vitality daily)】

Squint couldn't wait any longer. "Danny did it actually work?"

"Yeah." Danny nodded. "Worked great."

Gimpy and Squint lost it, whooping and grabbing each other.

"It works! It actually works! Danny, you're not gonna die!"

"We just gotta keep grinding, make more money, get you a full century root and this thing's solved for good!"

Seeing their genuine joy, Danny couldn't help but smile.

"Come on. Let's celebrate."

A minute later, Squint stared blankly down at a bowl of soup dumplings.

"This is the celebration?"

Gimpy shrugged. "Danny already said we're hitting the Blue Rose tonight."

"There'll be food and drink there. Just grab something light for lunch."

Squint glanced sideways at Daisy, working the stall next to them, and reluctantly picked up his chopsticks.

Nobody needed to say out loud what Gimpy actually wanted, a little help getting food to a girl who clearly needed it. And since Danny had no objection, neither did he.

Daisy, busy at her post, caught the gesture and felt something warm settle in her chest.

"Officer! Please, mercy! AAH!"

A scream cut through the street, and Danny's head snapped toward it.

Across the way, a small vendor's tables and stools had all been kicked over. Two men in pale blue uniforms were stomping a fallen merchant, cursing the whole time, vicious, methodical, not stopping until he lay still.

"Pah!" The lead officer spat on the ground. "Filthy nobody."

Then he turned toward the dumpling stall.

He looked Daisy up and down, the venom draining out of his face, replaced by something worse. "Well, well. Daisy. Been a while. Filled out nicely, haven't you?"

He gestured to his partner behind him, thrusting his chest out and laughing.

Daisy went white as a sheet, eyes wide with fear. Still, she forced a smile. "Officer... please, sit."

He ignored her, trading crude jokes with his partner instead.

Danny watched in silence, pulling the two men's history up from the old memories.

The leader was Rick Dane. His partner, Lyle Ford. Officially, they were the beat cops assigned to keep order in Blackwood Alley.

In practice, they only showed up when they needed cash.

Nobody in the county cared what happened in an alley like this, even if a body turned up. That was just how it worked.

"Ah!"

Daisy flinched and stepped back.

Rick withdrew his hand with a slimy grin. "Daisy, you got this month's cut ready?"

The color drained from her flushed face.

"O-officer, this... I"

Her father had blown every cent on gambling. Where was she supposed to find money for these two on top of that?

Rick's smile vanished instantly. "Not ready?"

He nodded to himself, then kicked the table over in front of him.

"You tired of living?"

He crossed to her, grabbed her by the collar, and hauled her close.

"You ungrateful little bitch. No respect for us at all, huh?"

He raised his hand like he meant to slap her, then his gaze caught a glimpse of skin below her collar, and his eyes lit up with something worse.

"Tell you what. No money? Fine. You'll do."

He started to drag her off.

Then turned, and found someone blocking his path.

Danny stood there, calm, and pulled a couple of dollars from his pocket.

"Officer. This cover it?"

"The hell do you think you"

Rick didn't even glance at the money. He just shoved Danny, hard.

Danny didn't move an inch. It was Rick who stumbled backward several steps, like he'd shoved a brick wall.

His expression shifted instantly.

Something's off. That build, is this guy a fighter?

He studied Danny warily for a long moment, then grunted, snatched the money out of his hand, and walked off with his partner in tow.

Martial artists carried weight in this world, but the law wasn't scared of them outright, the crown trained and employed plenty more fighters than the streets ever produced. Still, push a martial artist too far, and he might snap and kill you on the spot. Even if the county caught him and hanged him come autumn, that was cold comfort to a dead cop.

Rick had no interest in making that kind of enemy. He chose to fold.

Danny watched them go, then glanced around at the gathered crowd.

Too many witnesses. Not the time.

He shook his head and called Squint over. "Find out where those two live."

Squint hesitated, lowering his voice. "Danny... you trying to look out for Daisy? I don't think it's necessary. Scaring them off should be enough"

"No." Danny cut him off. "I'm not letting two cash cows like that just walk away."

Squint sighed. Danny had gotten a lot sharper lately, but underneath it, he was still soft-hearted where it counted.

Shaking his head, Squint headed off to dig up the information.

Danny and Gimpy lingered at the dumpling stall until Squint returned with everything they needed.

By dusk, the three of them arrived at the Blue Rose, down in the south end of the city.

Locals considered the place a den of vice, even street rats from Blackwood Alley had heard whispers about it.

Gulp. Squint swallowed hard and turned to Danny. "Danny, you've still got a lot riding on your health. You sure we should be blowing money on a place like this?"

Danny just smiled, said nothing, and walked up to the madam at the door, tossing her a coin purse.

"Good wine. Good food. Good company. And draw me a hot bath first, I want someone to scrub my back."

The madam had eyed the three of them with open disdain at first. The moment she felt the weight of that purse, her whole face lit up.

"Oh, sir! Right this way, I'll have everything arranged immediately!"

When Danny emerged from his bath, Squint and Gimpy were already deep into dinner. Squint, ravenous as a starved ghost, hadn't even glanced at the woman beside him, just gnawed on roast duck, grease dripping down his chin.

Gimpy, meanwhile, was having a very different evening.

"Hey, quit poking me, eat your food!" The girl beside him looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Both of them snapped upright the second Danny walked in.

"Danny! Sit, sit, I saved you some!"

Never forget who dug the well. The prettiest girl in the room was seated between the two of them, given her own plate.

Danny shook his head slightly. "You two keep at it. I need to rest a while."

After a round of pleasantries, he turned to the last remaining girl. "Bring the food. Show me to a room."

"Of course, Danny!" Gimpy winked. "We'll be along to rest too in a bit."

He put a lot of weight on that word rest.

Danny laughed and cursed at him halfheartedly before heading off.

He genuinely did need the rest. The blood-and-vitality loss from the curse had left him drained in a way that went beyond ordinary exhaustion, and in this state, it was best to avoid burning any more of it than necessary. If the wrong kind of exertion drained his reserves further, it could shorten what little time he had left.

"Give me a massage. You can go once I'm asleep," he told the girl, lying back, and was out within minutes.

When he woke, night had fully settled in. The Blue Rose was lit up bright, louder and busier than it had been all day.

Danny checked in on Squint and Gimpy's rooms both dead asleep, then slipped out of the building.

Time to get to work.

Before long, he reached the address Squint had dug up. Home of the two "officers."

Tonight, the two gentlemen were getting a visit.

Danny found a shadowed corner and settled in to wait.

At the same time, inside a Kessler branch office elsewhere in the county

The Ashford County chapter of Kessler operated with three senior lieutenants and eight stewards under them.

Frank Osgood, the lieutenant overseeing the dock trade division, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and asked quietly, "Where do we stand?"

Steward Nathan Tate, in charge of all business at the East Docks, sat with his head bowed.

"The item was delivered to old man Wells a few days back. Should be finished any day now."

"Should be?" Frank paused, cup still in hand.

Nathan stiffened, then quickly added, "I'll go check on it myself tomorrow."

Frank hummed, unbothered. "I called in a family favor to get my hands on that blood jade bracelet. By rights, it's a waste using it on some small-time thug from the Razor Society."

"But it's not like I've had much to show for a year running this county."

"Get rid of Cutter, hand this county over to us clean, and I go back to headquarters with a real accomplishment. Maybe walk away with my own chapter to run."

"You follow?"

Nathan broke into a cold sweat, nodding fast. "Understood. I know how important this is."

Mess up something tied to a lieutenant's career, and getting kicked out of Kessler would be the good outcome.

Wiping his forehead, Nathan looked up. "But sir, even if Cutter slept with Vince's wife before, she's not exactly young anymore. Would he even still want her?"

"And we never hid the fact that Vince joined our crew. Won't Cutter be suspicious?"

"Ha, you're missing the point." Frank chuckled. "Cutter came up from nothing. Doesn't matter how high he's climbed, his tastes never changed. He's always had a thing for married women."

"Especially ones who used to belong to our men. Taking one back and bedding her again? That's exactly the kind of humiliation he can't resist handing a rival."

Nathan's face lit up with understanding. "I see it now. You've thought three steps ahead, sir. I should've caught on sooner."

"Enough flattery." Frank waved a hand. "As it stands, I'm one of the only internal-strength fighters left in this whole miserable county. Too many eyes on me, I can't be seen anywhere near this."

"You're the right man to handle it."

"But be careful." Frank's eyes narrowed, voice going cold. "Don't botch this for me."

Nathan swore up and down that nothing could go wrong, Vince was completely secure.

Moments later, back at the East Docks, he stared in disbelief at the messenger standing in front of him.

What did you just say?

"Vince... is dead?”