Blade - Unbound

Wind. Forest. Fire. Mountain.

Each represented something different.

Wind referred to rumors and information.

The characters of two “human” characters formed a "forest," so Forest represented finding partners. Many jobs in the jianghu couldn't be handled alone, and if someone couldn't summon their companions quickly enough, they could come here to find introductions and connections.

Fire in the jianghu usually meant goods or money. For example, when bandits raided an estate, a profitable target was called a "fire kiln," while an unprofitable one was called a "water kiln." In a place like the teahouse, Fire represented commissions. The rewards were often generous, but the jobs usually involved robbery, murder, fraud, or some kind of shady business.

As for Mountain, it referred to being immovable as a mountain. If a jianghu traveler got into trouble and needed a place to hide or someone to treat injuries, arrangements could be made. Naturally, the fees weren't cheap.

This was a kind of jianghu establishment known simply as a “shop.” Some openly welcomed travelers from all directions. Others conducted business that couldn't withstand public scrutiny. If robbery and murder were involved, then it became a "black shop."

Establishments with recognized reputations were usually part of larger organizations spread across different regions. They generally followed jianghu rules and didn't act recklessly.

***

The waiter opened a room and ushered the two inside. "Please come in."

The room was small and far from elegant. Aside from a table and chairs, it contained nothing else. Even the windows had been sealed shut. After lighting a candle, the room remained dimly lit.

These arrangements were deliberate.

First, it ensured privacy. Once the door closed, the room became its own world, signaling that nobody was listening. Second, it ensured safety. The sparse furnishings made it obvious there were no hidden traps or mechanisms.

After the two sat down, the waiter immediately left. Moments later, he returned carrying a wooden tray. On it were a teapot, a small stove, and several teacups. Without saying a word, he departed again.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "People from Ezhou love tea. Visit any house, and you'll be offered a cup. Even if you refuse, they'll still serve it."

"That's where you're mistaken, Daoist." Sha Lifei grinned. "This isn't about drinking tea. They're about to test our credentials."

As soon as he finished speaking...

Knock, knock, knock.

An elderly man dressed in coarse black cloth entered after knocking. His face was weathered by hardship, yet he wore a friendly smile.

The moment he entered, he cupped his hands. "You two have traveled a long way. It must have been a tough journey."

Anyone who greeted strangers by acknowledging their hardships was undoubtedly a jianghu veteran. To walk the jianghu was to live a difficult life. The old man looked ordinary, but a single sentence revealed decades of experience.

After sitting down, he didn't immediately speak. Instead, he picked up one of the small teacups and glanced at the two visitors. After some time, he placed the teapot and one cup inside the tea tray. The other cup he placed outside the tray.

The moment Wang Daoxuan saw his actions, he understood.

This was a tea formation. Tea formations were one of the jianghu's many coded languages. A teapot, a tray, and several cups could be arranged in countless ways, each carrying a different meaning.

But generally speaking, they fell into four categories. It was either a test, a request for aid, a request for friends, or a challenge to others. Each category contained numerous formations, with each formation having a corresponding response. It might seem complicated, but it served an important purpose.

Life in the jianghu revolved around relationships and favors. The more friends one had, the easier the road became. With enough connections, one could travel the entire world. Those who understood the codes and jianghu customs could wander through mountains and rivers without even a single copper coin in their pocket.

At the very least, they would always find a meal. Of course, another important jianghu rule was to never tell the full truth. After all, where there were favors, there were also grudges. The person trying to draw information might very well belong to a faction that hated one’s backers.

One moment, they greeted you with smiles. The next, they drew blades and attacked.

Although Wang Daoxuan had wandered the jianghu for many years, his background was different. Compared to Sha Lifei, and even Li Yan, his understanding of such matters was limited.

Even so, he immediately recognized the first formation.

It was a simple Willow Formation.

The saying went: "Within the Willow Formation lies the world. Among jianghu brothers, there are no outsiders."

Its meaning was straightforward. It tested whether someone truly belonged to the jianghu. For Sha Lifei, such a simple formation was no challenge. He immediately moved the teacup outside the tray into the tray itself. Then, he lifted the cup in a drinking gesture before setting it down and making a welcoming gesture.

The old man wasn't surprised as he continued arranging formations. The subsequent formations became increasingly complex. They tested not only one's background but also one's purpose.

Though tedious, every test served a purpose. If someone was merely some clueless newcomer who knew only a handful of jianghu customs, then unfortunately, the price of information would immediately rise.

If one got cheated, they had no choice but to accept it. That was the rule everywhere.

But who was Sha Lifei? He was a man who could turn sesame seeds into watermelons with his stories. He was a master of jianghu customs. He bluffed and improvised so convincingly that the old man was repeatedly caught off guard.

By that point, the old man had formed a rough estimation of his guests. He slowly washed the tea leaves, brewed the tea, poured cups for both men, and finally spoke. "What information are you looking for?"

At that stage, coded language was no longer necessary.

Sha Lifei got straight to the point. "We're escorting the coffin of a senior member of the mystic path back to Wu Family Gully, but the entire village is gone. We can't even find the graves of his family. What happened there?"

The old man's expression immediately grew serious upon hearing that it involved the mystic path.

"Wu Family Gully..."

After some thought, he dipped a finger into tea and wrote a single character on the table.

Tiger.

Wang Daoxuan frowned. "Was Wu Family Gully plagued by tigers?"

"Not real tigers," the old man sighed. "Though sometimes, people are more frightening than tigers.

"Wu Family Gully was originally nothing special. It was just an ordinary village. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known a mystic path senior once lived there. But two years ago, gold was discovered in one of the village streams. There wasn't much, but it still attracted the attention of County Commandant Qiao Sanhu.

"You both know the court's laws. Gold, silver, copper, and iron mines cannot be privately mined. To conceal the discovery, Qiao Sanhu first silenced those who knew. Then, through overt and covert pressure, he forced the entire village to abandon their ancestral homeland."

A cold smile appeared on his face as he continued, "He did it carefully, but how could he possibly hide something like that from the jianghu?"

"I see." Wang Daoxuan sighed. "Where did the villagers relocate?"

"Ezhou."

Sha Lifei blinked. "Why run so far?"

"What choice did they have?" The old man shook his head. "Someone in the Wu Family Gully discovered what was happening, and wanted to travel to Chang'an to report it."

"Unfortunately, Qiao Sanhu had connections in Chang'an. After learning of the plan, he hired the Fire Bear Gang. They kidnapped the man from an inn and buried him alive outside the city. The Wu Family Gully couldn't afford to oppose him and could only flee far away."

Anger filled Sha Lifei. "That dog official deserves to die. Didn't anyone from the jianghu ever plan to kill him?"

The old man laughed bitterly. "You can say that here, but never repeat it outside.

"Qiao Sanhu may only be a county commandant, but he's far from ordinary. One of his cousins is an expert from the Shang Mountain Mystic Lineage and is quite famous in Chang'an. He's even retained by a prince's estate.

"Thanks to those connections, Qiao Sanhu has influence throughout both the underworld and legitimate circles of Shangzhou. He's gathered numerous jianghu scoundrels under his command and operates gambling dens at Manchuan Port. It has allowed him to amass considerable wealth. Even several successive county magistrates had to consider his opinion before making decisions.

"People call him the Tiger of Fengyang."

The moment Sha Lifei heard the introduction, he awkwardly scratched his head. "Oh. In that case... Never mind. We can't afford to provoke him."

The old man nodded seriously. "To be honest, I always warn visiting jianghu travelers about him. Otherwise they might lose their lives. Since you're only escorting a deceased senior home, it's best not to get involved.

"As for finding your way... The villagers may be gone, but I know of someone who understands everything about Wu Family Gully. He ferries passengers on the Money River, and goes by the name Lu San. He’s entered the Canal Gang, but finding him won't be easy."

***

Back at the abandoned ancestral hall in Wu Family Gully, Old Meng and the porters were drinking happily.

The yellow rice wine they bought was cheap, and the food consisted mostly of pickled vegetables and salted beans, but whatever it was, everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After returning, Sha Lifei deliberately avoided them. The others didn't mind. Though they were jianghu folk themselves, they followed their own rules.

Things that shouldn't be heard weren't heard and things that shouldn't be asked weren't asked.

In another room, Sha Lifei finished recounting everything. "That's the situation."

Then he shook his head. "Only one villager from Wu Family Gully remains, but finding that kid won't be easy. You'll probably have to handle it personally."

Li Yan frowned. "What kind of trouble do you think we will run into?"

Wang Daoxuan answered, "I suspect he's a practitioner of the mystic path. According to the intelligence we gathered, Lu San wasn't originally from Wu Family Gully. He was abandoned in the mountains as a child.

"The village fool who guarded the settlement found him and raised him at the Earth God Temple near the village entrance. The villagers pitied him and often brought him food. He survived on charity. After the village fool died, Lu San remained at the Earth God Temple, sweeping and maintaining it daily. The village even allocated grain from communal fields to support him.

"This person was strange from childhood. He rarely spoke and preferred being alone. Also, he often talked to the mountains as if carrying on conversations."

"Oh?" Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "They managed to find out that much?"

"There's a reason for that." Sha Lifei continued. "After Wu Family Gully relocated, he didn't leave with them. Instead, he went to Manchuan Pass and joined the Canal Guild.

"Strangely enough, he never actually worked on cargo boats. Instead, he spent all his time ferrying people across Money River. Surprisingly, everyone in the Canal Guild treats him with unusual respect. He's also clashed with Qiao Sanhu's men several times.

"No one knows where he learned martial arts, but he's already entered the Dark Jin Realm and possesses impressive skills. While the Canal Guild hasn't openly sought revenge on Qiao Sanhu for him, they've made it clear they're protecting him. Qiao Sanhu's people regard him as a thorn in their side. However, they’ve failed every single time they've tried eliminating him.

"The bigger problem is that Lu San has no fixed residence. He's mysterious. Even members of the Canal Guild don't know what he's doing most of the time. He's extremely cautious. The moment anything seems wrong, he jumps into the river and disappears. If we go looking for him, we'll probably never find him."

Li Yan sighed. "I see."

He looked outside to see the sun setting.

After thinking briefly, he spoke. "Very well. I'll leave immediately."

Sha Lifei raised his eyebrows. "Is it that urgent? Why not wait until tomorrow?"

Li Yan shook his head. "We still have other matters to attend to. We can't remain here too long. Besides, day and night make little difference to me."

With that, he gathered his belongings. He mounted his horse, and flicked the reins before gradually disappearing into the setting sun.

***

Manchuan Pass lay about a hundred li southeast of Fengyang County. By the time Li Yan arrived, night had already fallen.

A surprisingly large ancient town was nestled amidst the mountains. A river split the town in half, but even at night, the settlement blazed with lights and the river was crowded with boats. Countless fishing lanterns shimmered like stars.

Before even reaching the town, the official road was already bustling. Large mule caravans arriving from the north stretched across the road as dozens of wagons formed long lines. The merchants were numerous and visibly worn by the hardships of travel.

Such caravans maintained their own guards. The moment they saw Li Yan approaching on horseback, hands instinctively moved toward their weapons.

Li Yan casually glanced at them, and paid them no further attention. The road was too congested; he could only follow the flow of traffic.

Inside a caravan, a young man who had only recently entered the jianghu stared at the brightly lit town ahead with sparkling eyes. "Senior Brother, this dock is huge!"

The older disciple immediately seized the opportunity to show off. "This is a combined land-and-water port. Goods travel south by road until they reach here, then they're transferred to water routes. That's why it's called a land-and-water port.

"Manchuan Pass connects north and south. It's been a strategic location since ancient times. Of course it's prosperous.

"See that side? That's the land port. The other side is the water port. Half the street is called Qin Street while the other half is called Chu Street."

The young man yelled, "I know! That’s the saying 'Qin in the morning, Chu by evening,' right?"

"You little fool, look at you showing off. Just remember. Once we enter town, don't cause trouble. Jianghu factions from north and south all gather here. It's full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. People die every night."

"What?!"

"Don't be too scared. Just stay close to your senior brother. We will have completed our escort mission once we arrive. When we’re done, I’ll take you somewhere fun."

"For drinks?"

"Idiot, we're finding women. Hahaha!"

The young man's face instantly turned red as the surrounding merchants burst into laughter.

One teased, "Little Lu, tonight the girls might have to pay you."

"W-why?"

"That’s the rules. If they get the spring chicken, shouldn't they pay for the privilege?"

"Hahaha!"

The group continued mercilessly teasing him until his face and neck turned bright red. He looked ready to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Li Yan only listened to half the conversation before losing interest.

The information he gained from the teahouse was too limited. Just as those caravan men had said, Manchuan Pass was a gathering place for every kind of person imaginable. There were merchants, laborers, dock workers, and even people from the north and south jianghu factions.

The entire jianghu seemed compressed into a single town. Finding one man here would not be easy.

Where should I even begin?

***

Lost in thought, Li Yan passed beneath Manchuan Pass's enormous archway and down an old street. The town had no surrounding walls, with teahouses, taverns, brothels, and even gambling halls lining the street. All were brightly lit. The noise and excitement rivaled even the busiest night markets of his previous life.

Not far ahead stood the Horse and Mule Chamber of Commerce.

This was the territory of the caravan guilds. Among their many businesses, they also had horse boarding, where the fee depended on the quality of the stable and feed. After stabling his horse, Li Yan headed toward Qin Street. A rough plan had already formed in his mind.

Who knew a person best? Aside from family, probably their enemies.

Lu San was hiding in Manchuan Pass and constantly clashing with Qiao Sanhu's men. He was likely waiting for an opportunity to avenge the villagers. It would make sense if Qiao Sanhu's people were monitoring him at all times.

As Li Yan pondered the matter, a familiar scent suddenly tickled his nose. It seemed strangely familiar, yet he couldn't immediately place it.

He quickly looked up to see a middle-aged man in a green robe walking through the crowd. His face was lean, and his complexion slightly yellow. However, his posture was upright and imposing. Two subordinates followed behind him.

His presence was extraordinary.

Li Yan recognized him immediately. It was none other than Han Kun, the leader of the Xianyang Canal Gang.