Blade - Unbound

"My lord, we've been wronged!"

The man named Cheng San sobbed, tears and snot streaming down his face. "After the trouble started in the fields, everyone was terrified. Later, people began saying one after another that they had dreamed of a Daoist. I often travel to Yichang to deliver goods, so at first I suspected someone was behind this and planned to come to Yichang to report it to the authorities."

Li Yan asked, "Why didn't you come?"

The man replied, "Because that very night, I dreamed of that Daoist too."

"Oh?" Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "What did he look like?"

The man hesitated for a long while, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "This humble one saw him. His face looked exactly like the statue inside the shrine of Lord Sanlu!"

The prefectural courthouse's head constable's expression changed abruptly upon hearing him.

"Nonsense!"

The man was startled as well and hurriedly kowtowed. "This humble one truly isn't spouting nonsense! If that weren't the case, how would ordinary people dare smash a temple?"

But Li Yan had picked up on something strange. "Your village falls under Zigui County's jurisdiction. Why didn't you go to the county's courthouse after the incident? Why did you instead think of coming all the way to Yichang?"

But this time, the man did not dare answer.

Sha Lifei was an old hand at reading people. Seeing the man's mulish expression, he already had a vague idea of what was going on and chuckled. "You people aren't even afraid of ghosts and gods. Don't tell me you're afraid of a few brutes?"

After spending several days in prison, the man's nerves were already frayed to the breaking point. Hearing this, he finally couldn't hold it in anymore and said bitterly, "At least ghosts and gods still listen to reason. When people turn wicked, they don't reason with you at all!

“Everyone in the Zigui County courthouse, from top to bottom, is in cahoots with one another. The common folk have been complaining bitterly for a long time, which is why we thought Lord Sanlu was seeking justice for us. This humble one also heard that they've occupied a salt mine in the mountains and are profiting by selling illicit salt to the natives..."

The prefectural courthouse's head constable's expression changed drastically again at those words. His eyes widened as he cursed, "That's nothing but hearsay! What nonsense are you spouting?"

Li Yan glanced at him with indifference. "He only said he heard about it. What, he isn't even allowed to say that?"

Then he added, "Besides, what are you getting so worked up about?"

"I..." The head constable looked deeply aggrieved. He ordered someone to take the man back to his cell, then hesitated before cupping his fists together. "Everyone, I'm only saying this for your own good. Investigate the case if you must, but don't provoke the magistrate of Zigui County."

Li Yan was somewhat surprised and glanced at Captain Yuan.

Interesting. The Military Surveillance Department is also responsible for supervising government officials, yet the prefectural courthouse head constable actually dares say something like this openly. Just what sort of background does the other party have?

To his surprise, Captain Yuan remained expressionless, as though he had heard nothing. Li Yan narrowed his eyes and did not waste any more words. Instead, he had the jailers bring over the other villagers for questioning.

Sure enough, all of them had dreamed of the same Daoist. Every one of them swore with absolute certainty that he was Lord Sanlu. Some even openly cursed them, saying Lord Sanlu would never let greedy officials like Li Yan and the others off.

Despite being unjustly cursed at, Li Yan was not angry in the slightest. He turned around and calmly asked, "Captain Yuan, what do you make of this?"

"This matter isn't simple." Captain Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Ever since Lord Sanlu's death, the people have continued worshipping him for a thousand years without interruption. The fifth day of the fifth lunar month was originally a ghost festival of the State of Chu, but it has since become the Dragon Boat Festival.

“There are also countless folk tales and legends concerning Lord Sanlu around Yichang. Some say they have seen him reciting the Li Sao beside the river, while others say he became a deity who helps the common folk escape disasters and hardships. There are countless believers.

"That evildoer deliberately chose Two Stele Bay to cause trouble. Clearly, the intention is to incite the people and stir up chaos. It is most likely connected to this rebellion."

"I see." Li Yan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

The people of the Military Surveillance Department had clearly made arrangements in advance. When they arrived at the ferry crossing, a wooden boat was already waiting for them.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The flat-bottomed boat was not particularly large and was far inferior to the boat Old Zhang captained. It was also somewhat old and shabby, looking no different from the other vessels around it. Neither the boatman at the bow nor the others aboard were members of the Military Surveillance Department, but they clearly knew Captain Yuan. They merely nodded to him before immediately setting sail and leaving the ferry.

Lu San waved his hand, and the hawk perched on his shoulder immediately soared into the sky. A fine drizzle was falling over the river, but the hawk showed no fear whatsoever, swooping and wheeling through the misty rain.

Captain Yuan did not seem surprised at the sight. He smiled. "This must be Brother Lu San. Impressive indeed."

Clearly, he had already gathered intelligence on Li Yan and the others.

Lu San did not even look at him, much less respond. Earlier, when Captain Yuan had spoken sincerely about wanting to earn merit so he could increase the compensation paid to his fallen brothers, everyone had secretly admired him. Yet inside the prison, he had shown an entirely different face. It was now difficult to judge whether he was good or evil.

Of course, they also knew that officialdom was nowhere near that simple. Officials shielding one another and relatives covering for relatives had been the way of things since ancient times. Not everyone could handle sacrificing one's own kin for the sake of justice and remaining utterly fair and impartial.

But that was simply Lu San's temperament. If he disliked someone, then he disliked them. In particular, his years of conflict with Commander Qiao Sanhu had left him with little fondness for people in official positions.

The wooden boat also had a small cabin, but it was extremely crude. It was nothing more than a few wooden posts supporting a woven-mat awning. With fine rain drifting across the river, it could only barely keep them dry.

Without betraying any emotion, Li Yan glanced behind them.

The port in Yichang was the throat of Bashu and extraordinarily busy. Thus, even though it lay close to the treacherous waterways of the Three Gorges, there were still plenty of boats on the river. At least a dozen vessels had left the ferry shortly after them. There were cargo ships transporting goods and grain as well as passenger boats, all of varying sizes.

Li Yan knew that some of them undoubtedly carried men from the Military Surveillance Department. Those fellows were quite skilled at concealing themselves. Even he could not tell which boats they were hiding on.

At the thought, something occurred to Li Yan, and he asked, "Lord Yuan, how can you be so certain those people will come looking for trouble with us?"

Captain Yuan smiled and explained, "The Beggars' Gang in western Yichang is a hidden asset of the Rising Dragon Army. If war breaks out in the future and they suddenly make their move, they might even cause Yichang to fall.

"Yet, the Rising Dragon Army was willing to expose such an important hidden asset ahead of time just to make trouble for you, Young Hero Li. They certainly won't let things rest easy.

"To tell you the truth, I'm quite curious myself."

"What's there to be curious about?" Sha Lifei, standing nearby, cursed irritably. "We accidentally ruined their plans, so of course they hate us to the bone. With the temperament of those assholes, how could they possibly let us off so easily?"

Captain Yuan smiled but said nothing. Although the Rising Dragon Army had been lying low for many years and the current Military Surveillance Department had never dealt with them before, he had spent the entire night going through old case files. He understood that those people were not nearly so impulsive. Otherwise, how could they have remained hidden until now?

There had to be another reason!

Of course, he had no intention of interrogating them too closely after all, Li Yan and the others had unusual identities and strong ties to the City God Temple. The greater situation still took precedence, so they could not be treated like ordinary members of the jianghu.

Both sides harbored schemes of their own, and for a time, there was nothing left to discuss. The atmosphere aboard the boat also became somewhat stifling.

Not long after leaving, Li Yan and the others were drawn to the sight before them. The river ahead suddenly widened, but despite the vast expanse of water, boats large and small all began slowing down, each becoming noticeably more cautious.

The boatmen aboard their vessel took out a large bundle of incense sticks, lit them, and planted them at the bow. Then they knelt one after another in reverent worship, scattered spirit money, and tossed pastries into the river.

Looking at the other boats around them, they saw the same thing happening everywhere. The smaller boats generally burned incense, while the large cargo vessels even began wrapping themselves in red cloth. Some had ritual masters beating gongs and drums while chanting incantations at the bow.

The Han River basin bordered Bashu to the south and the lands of Chu to the east. Their customs were closely related and their cultures intertwined, while traditions of shamans and spirit mediums were especially prevalent. These ritual masters who were beating the drums were essentially the southern equivalent of the spirit mediums.

Such elaborate rituals could only mean that the waters ahead were extremely dangerous.

Sure enough, Captain Yuan called out, "Everyone, Xiling Gorge lies just ahead. The channel here twists and turns, with numerous shoals and swift currents. You must be careful."

Li Yan knew that his warning was not merely about the treacherous waterway. He was also telling them to be on guard for an ambush. He shot the others a meaningful look, and Lu San immediately let out a whistle. His hawk spread its wings and shot toward Xiling Gorge.

There was more than one hawk in the sky. Two others were even larger, swooping up and down. They had clearly been released by the Military Surveillance Department. But how could birds trained on such a large scale compare to Lu San's hawk who could communicate with him? They even seemed somewhat dull-witted, knowing only to patrol overhead.

Watching Lu San's hawk, Captain Yuan could hardly conceal his envy.

At the same time, Li Yan warily surveyed the surrounding boats. A fine drizzle blurred the view, though the mist over the river and mountains was not particularly thick. Although there were many vessels, they all maintained a certain distance from one another for the sake of safe navigation.

Li Yan formed the Yang Seal with his fingers and took a deep breath. There were three boats within one hundred zhang, but all were ordinary merchant vessels, and he could detect no unusual scents.

That made sense. The ambush had only failed last night. Knowing that they would certainly be on guard, the beggar probably would not choose this moment to strike.

Sure enough, Lu San's hawk soon returned from its reconnaissance, descending from the sky and chirping repeatedly beside his ear.

Lu San pondered for a moment, then turned and said solemnly, "No one is hiding in ambush on the slopes along either bank."

He then pointed toward a distant mountain and continued, "There are quite a few people wandering around on that peak, though. I don't know where they're from."

Captain Yuan smiled. "Those are all sightseers. Xiling Gorge is the most strategically important and dangerous gateway of the Three Gorges. It has been a vital military stronghold since ancient times, so there are many historic sites here. There are ancient military fortifications at the foot of the mountain, first constructed during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and used throughout the Six Dynasties. Even today, you can still see the ruined walls.

"Halfway up the mountain is Sanyou Cave, a place of extraordinary scenery. During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian, and Yuan Zhen visited it together, which became known as the 'Earlier Three Visitors.' During the Song Dynasty, Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe visited together, and theirs became known as the 'Later Three Visitors'.

"As for the summit, legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhang Yide guarded the Three Gorges pass and once beat the war drums atop Xiling Mountain, drilling his troops day and night.

"Once we finish our business, Young Hero Li, if you're in the mood, I can take you up the mountain for a look."

"We'll see when the time comes." Li Yan nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Seeing his reaction, Captain Yuan fell silent for a moment before giving a bitter smile. "Does Young Hero Li think that we're merely holding our posts while doing nothing, ignoring that magistrate of Zigui County who's been throwing his weight around?

"By the way, Head Constable Liu wasn't wrong. This matter truly is difficult to handle. The magistrate of Zigui County is named Wu Dehai. He really is a good-for-nothing, but his elder brother is no simple figure; he is the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce.

"After the imperial court opened the seas, his elder brother gathered many of Ezhou's great merchants and sent expeditions overseas, reaping considerable profits. Quite a few powerful figures have stakes behind the scenes. Even the Prince of Hankou owns a share.

"In this campaign to pacify the southwest, the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce has been tasked with transporting supplies, and has also donated a vast amount of military funding. Forget someone of my lowly rank, even the inspector-general would simply turn a blind eye to his actions.

"Affairs of the imperial court truly aren't that simple..."

"Captain Yuan, I'm afraid that isn't quite right." Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head. "The realm is easy to seize, but the hearts of the people are difficult to win. The previous Great Xing Dynasty's government became corrupt and lost the people's support. Thus, even after defeating the Wolf Kingdom, when the Great Ancestor raised his call, he immediately took down the continent. Now that the southwest is being suppressed, if the people's hearts are not won over, I fear trouble will follow..."

Captain Yuan looked awkward, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes. "Matters like that are for the great lords above us to worry about. I'm nothing more than a lowly pawn risking his life, while all of you make your living in the jianghu. What good does complaining about such things do?"

Wang Daoxuan sighed and said no more. At the side, Li Yan remained calm, acting as though he had heard nothing.

Although the two sides were outwardly cordial, they were ultimately not people of the same path and could never truly see eye to eye. That was why even Guan Wanche in Chang'an had always maintained a certain distance from them.

As they spoke, Xiling Gorge drew close. Moreover, without anyone noticing, the rain had grown considerably heavier.

Upon entering the gorge, towering peaks and precipitous ridges loomed over them from both sides. The wind howled, scattering the fine rain into billowing curtains of mist. The mountains on either side appeared and disappeared through the haze, like ferocious beasts lying in wait. The raging river surged and roared, waves splashing as they smashed against enormous rocks along the banks with deafening booms. The river itself seemed to have transformed into a colossal dragon, rampaging wildly through the gorge.

The boatmaster, who had remained silent throughout the journey, finally revealed a different expression from his original calm.

He turned and shouted a warning, "My lords, hold on tight!"

He then hurried to work alongside the boatmen with a tense look on his face.

Captain Yuan frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

The boatmaster's teeth chattered. "The water has turned over!"

Li Yan and the others exchanged bewildered looks. When entering the mountains, there were taboos concerning what certain wild beasts could be called. Once one took to the water, there were similar rules. There was a saying in shipbuilding: The head must not bear mulberry, and the feet must not tread locust. It meant that mulberry wood was not used for the bow, while locust wood was not used for the deck beneath one's feet.

When sailing, there were also taboos against uttering words like capsize, break, separate, scatter, fall, and fire. However, the greatest taboo of all was saying "the water has turned over!"

That was a term from the jianghu's secret cant. It meant that a dragon had appeared!

Captain Yuan's expression also became extremely ugly when he heard the saying. "It's only spring. We haven't even reached the summer season of thunder and torrential rain. How can a dragon be causing trouble?"

The boatmaster's face had already turned deathly pale. "This humble one doesn't know either!"

Wang Daoxuan hurriedly took out his compass. His expression immediately grew grave, and he passed it to Li Yan for a look, who immediately frowned deeply.

The needle was swaying erratically and dipped slightly downward. These were the "obstructed needle" and "sinking needle" phenomena, indicating that the earth qi was unsettled and that a spiritual creature was causing trouble.

Could there really be a dragon?

Unfortunately, his divine ability could only sense a dozen or so meters beneath the water, so he could not investigate any deeper.

Meanwhile, the waves on the river were growing increasingly violent. The narrow channel made navigation extremely difficult. The slightest mistake could send a vessel spiraling into a whirlpool. The boatmaster personally took charge of the sail, while the boatmen, faces taut with tension, desperately worked their oars and bamboo poles through the rain, battling against the raging river.

The wind shrieked through the gorge, mingling with the furious roar of the river. It truly sounded as though a gigantic dragon were surging and thrashing through the gorge. Ancient vines covered the distant cliffs, swaying violently in the wind and rain.

Crash!

All at once, a dense blanket of vines snapped apart, and rocks tumbled down the mountainside toward the boats ahead.

Crack!

One merchant vessel was immediately smashed open. The people aboard were struck bloody, screaming as they tumbled into the river. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

At the same moment, Lu San thrust his hand into the water. His expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Careful! Something in the water is coming this way!"