Blade - Unbound

"Come on, let's find somewhere to talk." Seeing the serious look in Li Yan's eyes, Sha Lifei quickly pulled the two of them into the city. After weaving through several streets, they arrived at an inconspicuous inn.

The inn wasn't affiliated with any jianghu organizations, so most of its guests were merchants. The atmosphere was quiet and refined. After leading them into a room, Sha Lifei checked both ends of the hallway to ensure no one was nearby before shutting the door tightly.

Sitting down, he sighed. "Brother Lu San may be a man of few words, but he's a first-rate hero."

As he spoke, he raised his thumb and saluted the man.

Li Yan frowned. "The news leaked?"

Sha Lifei nodded. "It took a lot of digging before I found out. After we left, that kid returned to Wu Family Gully. He left his name behind, taking sole responsibility for all the killing and arson.

"Since we used the Wind Rumor Hall to gather information, they were bound by jianghu rules and couldn't reveal anything to those who came looking. With this move, Lu San completely separated us from the incident, painting himself as the only suspect. That is a brother worth befriending."

Li Yan fell silent for a moment before asking, "What's the situation now?"

Sha Lifei lowered his voice and explained, "So many people died that the authorities in Chang'an have already issued a nationwide wanted notice. The reward is substantial. It's attracted quite a few blades-for-hire, so many are heading toward Shangzhou.

"As for the Canal Gang at Manchuan Pass, they no longer dare shelter him. They've publicly declared that Lu San was merely a guest retainer, and that his actions have nothing to do with them. They've completely distanced themselves."

Li Yan frowned. "Where's Lu San?"

Sha Lifei spread his hands helplessly. "Obviously, he ran away. No one knows where. Qiao Sanhu's men have searched everywhere around Fengyang but found nothing.

"There’s rumors in the jianghu that he left Shanzhou overnight and fled to Ezhou for refuge."

Li Yan let out a sigh of relief. "At least he escaped."

To be honest, he was already something of a seasoned jianghu traveler. Most people he met shouted about loyalty and righteousness, yet schemed behind closed doors. Many wouldn't hesitate to betray their friends for profit.

Thinking back to Lu San's childlike smile when he looked at the foxes back in the mountains, Li Yan suddenly felt his chest grow heavy.

Sha Lifei saw the expression on his face and slapped the table. "Forget it, it won’t do us any good to keep thinking about this. Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on news in the jianghu for him. If Brother Lu gets caught, we'll rob the prison convoy! If he ends up at the execution grounds, we'll rescue him! If he dies, we'll avenge him!

"I'm saying it right now, so don't any of you try to stop me!"

Though he was genuinely moved himself, he said most of it to ease Li Yan's mind, afraid the latter might do something reckless out of guilt.

Li Yan glanced at him and snorted. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing."

At that point, there was no use dwelling on it. When the time came, he would do what needed to be done. If an opportunity arose, he would help clear Lu San's name.

He could already imagine how unwilling the young man would have been to leave his homeland behind.

After a moment, Li Yan asked, "What about Old Meng and the others?"

"Relax." Sha Lifei grinned. "A merchant in Capital Passage City happened to be transporting goods to Chang'an. I pulled a few strings and had Old Meng and the others replace some of the workers. They now have timelines and witnesses. The incident has nothing to do with them anymore."

"Good." Li Yan nodded. "We'll rest tonight. Tomorrow, we leave and head for Mount Taibai."

Sha Lifei laughed. "If there's anything you need prepared, just say the word."

Li Yan thought for a moment and spoke, "Just get us some clean clothes."

Wang Daoxuan stood up as well. "Perfect. My Daoist robe is practically in tatters. There are many practitioners of the mystic path on Mount Taibai. I can't exactly let them laugh at me."

Sha Lifei's eyes suddenly lit up. "I say, you two, we've suffered through wind and frost all this way. I heard the city has a pretty decent bathhouse. You can soak, listen to music, and relax. How about we go have some fun later?"

Wang Daoxuan looked tempted. "Is it expensive?"

Sha Lifei raised an eyebrow. "Daoist, what kind of question is that? Of course it's expensive. But would you refuse to go because it's expensive?"

Wang Daoxuan answered honestly, "No."

Sha Lifei burst out laughing. "Exactly."

Li Yan smiled helplessly as Sha Lifei dragged Wang Daoxuan out of the room.

Once they were gone, the room became quiet. Slowly, he turned to look at his left hand. Pulling back his sleeve, he revealed a leather wrist guard fitted with a concealed mechanism.

With a flick, a short blade would spring into his hand.

A traveler of the jianghu always needed hidden trump cards. His father had left him the sleeve blade, but despite its reputation, its true secret lay elsewhere. His father had always said to never use the sleeve blade if he could help it. Once people knew he possessed such a hidden technique, they would guard against it. That caution would affect their mindset in battle.

Every time it was used, it had to be at a critical moment. To put it simply, its greatest strength was psychological intimidation. Its actual lethality wasn't that great as it relied entirely on surprise. That was the true essence of using a sleeve blade.

It was also why Li Yan rarely used it. What truly interested him now was the Summoning Writ mark in his palm. He could feel a glob of cold energy circulating within it, flowing along the pathways of its marking.

That was his underworld divine ability, the Soul-Hooking Chain.

Most divine abilities in the world were formed through the six senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch, thought, and speech. They were primarily used for perception. Who would've thought an underworld divine ability could be used offensively?

Of course, ordinary people couldn't perceive its power. Only those with yin yang eyes or special abilities could glimpse the invisible chain. Its primary function was to hook one’s soul, and when sufficiently powerful, it could shred souls apart. It could also damage spiritual artifacts.

Thinking about it, Li Yan started to unleash the energy he stored through spirit visualization.

Clink... clink...

The faint sound of chains echoed in his ears as a cold yin killing qi emerged from his palm, coiling like a serpent. A smile appeared on Li Yan's lips. At his current level, the Soul-Hooking Chain could only extend about a foot. By itself, it wasn't particularly threatening, but if concealed behind the sleeve blade, he would possess a truly terrifying weapon:

It would become a Soul-Severing Blade.

***

Capital Passage City had been founded during the Qin Dynasty. Surrounded by mountains and bordered by water on three sides, it was considered a place of exceptional fengshui.

At the same time, that geography limited its expansion. Three main streets divided the city into sections. It wasn't especially large, but as the core city of Shangzhou, it remained bustling and prosperous. Those who could afford homes inside the city generally possessed some wealth, while the truly impoverished lived in villages outside. As a result, the city itself was remarkably clean.

Bathing culture had also existed since ancient times, with public bathhouses growing widespread during the Song Dynasty. For just a few coins, commoners could wash themselves and even enjoy a back-scrubbing service.

Many scholars loved visiting bathhouses. Among them was Su Dongpo, who not only enjoyed bathing but had surprisingly strict standards for scrubbers.

In Like a Dream: How Could Dirt Ever Cling to Me, he famously joked, "What dirt is there to scrub? Look closely and you'll find none. To the poor fellow scrubbing my back, you've worked hard all day with your elbows. Gentle, gentle, this man was spotless to begin with."

In essence, Su Dongpo had encountered an overly enthusiastic scrubber at a public bathhouse in Sizhou, and complained that the man was scrubbing too hard.

Of course, bathhouses varied greatly in quality.

The Capital Bathhouse was the most luxurious bathhouse in the city. Its environment was elegant and after bathing, guests could enjoy wine, tea, and performances from singing girls.

***

Amid the misty steam, Wang Daoxuan grumbled, "Lady, put a little more strength into it..."

Capital Bathhouse prided itself on luxury. Even the scrubbers were all women. Their movements were gentle and graceful. Their philosophy was subtle refinement rather than brute force, but the three travelers had spent weeks enduring wind and dust. They only cared about getting properly clean.

Naturally, Wang Daoxuan felt they were slacking off. The girl scrubbing him was becoming irritated as well. Honestly, Capital Bathhouse was one of the finest establishments in the city. Yet somehow these three rough-looking men had arrived today, covered in grime from head to toe.

Her arms were already sore from scrubbing, and they still weren't satisfied.

Finally she smiled sweetly. "If you're unhappy with my service, sir, I can find someone else."

As she spoke, she exchanged a glance with another attendant. The girl assigned to Sha Lifei immediately nodded and left. Only the one attending Li Yan lowered her head and pretended not to notice.

Moments later, two burly matrons entered. Rolling up their sleeves, they began scrubbing Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei so vigorously that both men started howling.

"Daoist, why'd you have to complain?!"

"Hahaha!"

Even after leaving the baths, Sha Lifei continued grumbling while Li Yan laughed uncontrollably. Fortunately, after a thorough wash, all three felt completely refreshed. Having changed into clean casual clothes, they reclined on cushioned couches in a room overlooking the bathing pools.

Servants soon brought food and wine. Across the water stood a small stage pavilion. Naturally, a place like this didn't perform the booming, powerful melodies of old Qin Opera. Instead, the performers sang the Capital Passing Daoqing Opera.

Originally derived from Tang Dynasty Daoist storytelling melodies, it had evolved into a local folk art. The play being performed before them now was Great Luo Heaven. It told the story of Immortal Lu and Immortal Ziyang descending to the mortal world to enlighten Chong Mozi and guide him toward immortality. Unfortunately, Chong Mozi was deeply attached to wine, women, wealth, and status, making him exceedingly difficult to reform.

The night breeze carried a chill. As they ate, drank, and listened to the music, the exhaustion of recent days seemed to melt away.

After some time, Sha Lifei got to his feet. "I'm going to take a look around."

That fellow could never sit still. Having grown bored of the opera, he got up and headed outside to see what other attractions the bathhouse offered.

But the moment he opened the door, he immediately pulled his head back and shut it again. "Well, that's a coincidence."

Wang Daoxuan raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Who is it?"

Sha Lifei whispered, "It’s Fengping, the guard from the Lu Family."

Li Yan nodded thoughtfully. "The Lu Family is one of the major households in the city. Seeing him here isn't strange. We've got our own matters to handle. Let's not get involved."

Sha Lifei nodded. He simply lay back on the couch, drank a few cups of wine, and was snoring loudly before long.

***

Outside, a tall young man asked, "Fengping, what's wrong?"

"Young Master." Fengping cupped his fists respectfully and explained, "I saw a familiar face. They were jianghu wanderers who once gave us space to shelter from the rain during our travels. There is nothing worth worrying about."

"Hmph. I told you we shouldn't have come to a place like this."

Beside the young man sat another noble-looking youth. He was clearly older, dressed extravagantly, and carried obvious signs of overindulgence in wine and women.

Though the Capital Bathhouse was luxurious, he looked around with disdain. "Places like this are for servants. In Chang'an, I wouldn't even spare it a glance."

The two young men were the sons of Lu Kang. Though Lu Kang had enjoyed a successful official career, he was deeply devoted to his wife and never took a concubine.

His eldest son was named Lu Xiaowen. But as Lu Kang rose through the ranks, he failed to discipline him properly. The result was one of Chang'an's most notorious playboys.

The younger son was Lu Xiaowu. Born when the couple were already advanced in age, he became the focus of their attention. Determined not to repeat their earlier mistakes, they hired excellent tutors as he grew up. Both his scholarship and character were widely praised.

Hearing Lu Xiaowen's complaints, Lu Xiaowu shook his head. "Big Brother, mother wants us to dispose of the family's assets as soon as possible. But in all of Shangzhou, only Qiao Sanhu dares take everything. He's ruthless and overbearing. The fact that he invited us here is clearly meant to establish dominance; please don't provoke him."

Lu Xiaowen immediately grew annoyed and snapped, "Qiao Sanhu?! Years ago he came to Chang'an begging to meet me. Back then, he acted like a humble servant. Now he's putting on airs?"

"Big Brother!" Lu Xiaowu's expression turned serious as he lectured, "Things aren't the same anymore. The Lu Family's future hangs by a thread. You can't act recklessly. If you can't tolerate the humiliation, then go home. I'll handle the negotiations myself."

Lu Xiaowen shook his head. "Not a chance. You've always been the clever one. When Mother talked about splitting the family assets, I didn’t say anything, but don't think you can play tricks behind my back."

A trace of killing intent flashed through Lu Xiaowu's eyes, but his expression remained calm. In the end, he muttered, "Then follow me, but on one condition. You can’t say a single word. If you can't manage that, I'll leave immediately."

Lu Xiaowen waved dismissively. "Fine, fine. I'll listen to you."

After Lu Kang's death, their mother had decided to divide the family estate.

Lu Xiaowen had no interest in remaining in the tiny city. He wanted his share of the money so he could return to Chang'an where he had countless friends. With the connections he had built over the years, he was confident he could start any business and prosper.

Travel all the way to Shandong? Not a chance.

Watching the brothers, Fengping quietly shook his head.

A servant guided the three to a secluded courtyard behind the bathhouse where the facilities were even more luxurious. It was a private compound, reserved for the wealthiest guests.

There, Qiao Sanhu had already finished bathing. Now he sat drinking tea and humming to himself. When he saw the two brothers enter, he merely glanced at them and smiled. "Oh? The young masters have arrived. Come, come. Sit.

"Bring the tea!"

He had rushed from Fengyang for one reason alone: the Lu family's assets.

Under Lu Kang's protection, the Lu Family had flourished for years. Their holdings included not just countless shops but also enormous tracts of farmland. It was a piece of fat meat no one else dared touch. After all, people would accuse them of bullying a widow and her orphaned children.

That only made it perfect for Qiao Sanhu. Whether he could swallow a whale whole like a snake depended entirely on the night’s negotiations.

***

Four hours later, Li Yan and his companions left the bathhouse. Talking and laughing, they headed back toward the inn. They had already decided on their plans; they would depart the following day.

Another four hours passed, and the night had grown deep. Only then did the Lu brothers and Fengping emerge from the bathhouse.

All three wore grim expressions.

Lu Xiaowen was purple with anger as he shouted, "Lu Xiaowu, how could you agree to those terms?!"

Lu Xiaowu sighed. "We had no choice, Big Brother."

Lu Xiaowen snorted as his brother walked away. He climbed into a nearby carriage, and barked at the driver, "Take me to the Drunken Pavilion. I'm in a terrible mood."

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaowu returned to the Lu residence, and reported everything to Old Madam Lu.

The old woman sighed. "I've completely lost hope in your elder brother."

Then she looked toward Lu Xiaowu to ask, "When do you plan to depart?"

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes. Lowering his head, he replied, "Mother, father's fake funeral successfully deceived everyone. We shouldn't delay any longer. Tonight, I'll secretly escort Father's coffin to the treasured burial site."