Blade - Unbound

"W-what happened here?" Sha Lifei was initially puzzled, but his expression quickly darkened. "Damn it, don't tell me that old geezer deliberately gave us the wrong directions!"

Old Meng, the cart driver, shook his head. "Probably not. I’ve traveled all across the Divine Continent, and can tell you that villages aren't named randomly. This place should originally have been backed by mountains and facing water. It was a prime location to live.

"Perhaps something happened..."

As he spoke, he glanced around and walked toward a pile of weeds by the roadside. After rummaging through it for a moment, he dragged out a rotten wooden sign. Under the moonlight, three characters could still be made out: Wu Family Gully.

Li Yan raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop. "Wait here."

He flicked his reins and rode into the village. Entering a deserted village in the middle of the night naturally demanded caution. His left hand rested on his blade hilt, ready to activate his Three Talent Demon-Suppressing Coin tassel at any moment. Meanwhile, his right hand formed the Yang hand seal as he took a deep breath.

The scent of rotting wood, grass, and countless small animals flooded his senses. The vigilance in his eyes eased slightly. Whatever had happened here, at least there were no ghosts or spirits haunting the place.

After circling the village once on horseback, Li Yan quickly returned to the entrance and shook his head. "It's fine. The villagers have already moved away. We can head in and rest for the night."

The group immediately drove their carts into the village. Sure enough, every farmhouse they passed was completely empty. Not only were pots and utensils gone, even the doorframes had been removed. Moreover, the places where the frames had once been attached were covered in patches of moss.

Clearly, the village had been abandoned for quite some time.

They found a sizable complex in the center of the village. Yet, like everything else, it too was completely empty. Even the plaque above the entrance had been removed.

Lighting a torch, Wang Daoxuan burned dried mugwort. After inspecting the building inside and out several times as well as feeling around the altar table, he emerged and shook his head. "This was probably the village ancestral hall. The ancestral tablets were properly relocated using formal rituals.

"Moreover, it wasn't done in haste. People of the Divine Continent rarely abandon their homeland. Something significant must have happened to force them to relocate."

Sha Lifei scratched his head. "That complicates things. We don't even know where Senior Wu's house used to be... We can forget finding the graves of his wife and daughter... This whole situation is a mess!"

Li Yan pondered briefly before sighing, "Let's rest here tonight. A village relocation of this scale can't be a secret. Tomorrow we'll ask around. We'll find some elderly former villagers and learn what happened."

At that point, there was little else they could do. Everyone settled in as they chopped firewood, lit fires, set up cooking stoves, prepared food, and fed the mules. Before they knew it, it was already late at night.

The ordeal at Niubei Ridge had left the porters physically and mentally exhausted. Though they had arrived in an abandoned village, it felt much safer than where they were previously.

Once they relaxed, thunderous snores soon filled the ancestral hall. Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan continued their staggered meditation routine, taking turns keeping watch and protecting one another.

The battle at Niubei Ridge had taught them a valuable lesson. The jianghu was dangerous, and they still had a long way to go.

***

During the latter half of the midnight watch, Wang Daoxuan finished his meditation. Opening his eyes, he saw the campfire still burning brightly. Outside the ancestral hall, the night air was damp. A light drizzle had begun to fall again.

Li Yan was not sitting beside the fire. Instead, he stood motionless at the entrance of the ancestral hall with his back turned. For an ordinary person, the sight might have been startling. But Wang Daoxuan already had a suspicion.

Walking over quietly, he asked softly, "You saw it again?"

Li Yan nodded with a grave expression. "The direction changed."

Outside the ancestral hall, the Cold Altar Wandering Master had appeared in the rainy night once more. His tattered clothing was stained with blood, but this time, the direction he pointed in had shifted.

Following Li Yan's gaze, Wang Daoxuan looked into the darkness and sighed, "If the direction changed, then we're probably getting close. Where exactly did Senior Wu say his lineage was located?"

"Tianzhu Mountain."

"Oh..."

Wang Daoxuan fell deep into thought for a moment before retrieving an old geographical record and searching through it.

"No wonder. I vaguely remember hearing of this place. It isn't counted among the officially recognized holy lands, but it's still known as a place where Daoist cultivators retreat from the world. According to legend, Ancestor Cave, Jiao Zan Cave, and Mengliang Cave are all located within these mountains. The ancestral altar of Senior Wu's lineage is probably there as well."

Seeing that Li Yan still wore a frown, Wang Daoxuan smiled. "Don't worry. We’ll worry about it when it happens. Once we've buried Senior Wu and go there ourselves, everything will become clear."

Li Yan nodded, but an inexplicable unease lingered in his heart. Looking at the blood-soaked Wandering Master whose body was pierced by chains, he had a faint premonition things would probably not go so smoothly.

***

"Everyone stay put and rest." Sha Lifei put on a straw raincoat and bamboo hat before laughing loudly. "Daoist Wang and I will be back soon. We'll even bring some good wine and food."

Old Meng chuckled. "Then this old man won't be polite. This place is close to Ezhou and has both river and land ports. There are plenty of fine wines around here.

"In Ezhou, people brew yellow wine for the Yang Festival. It's less than a month until the Double Ninth Festival[1]. The wine brewed this time last year should have just been opened. Its flavor should be perfect."

Sha Lifei could only give him a thumbs-up. "What can I say, Uncle Meng? That’s impressive."

As planned, he and Wang Daoxuan soon departed the ancestral hall, mounted their horses, and disappeared into the autumn rain.

Sha Lifei possessed abundant jianghu experience, while Wang Daoxuan understood local customs. Together, they were the best choice for gathering information. Meanwhile, Li Yan remained behind. As the strongest fighter in the group, he could protect everyone if trouble arose.

After they left, everyone else relaxed. The porters were especially carefree, since they had already reached their destination. Once Wang Daoxuan selected a suitable burial site, and they carried the coffin up the mountain for burial, the job would finally be complete.

Because of the dangers encountered at Niubei Ridge, Li Yan had already promised them an additional fifty percent in wages. There was also enough time remaining before the end of the year for them to take on a few more jobs and earn extra money.

The year would undoubtedly be a prosperous one for all of them.

Relaxed and content, some bragged while others listened to Old Meng's tales of jianghu rumors and strange happenings. It was a pleasant way to pass the time.

Li Yan, however, walked alone to an abandoned house some distance from the ancestral hall. He set up his drum stand and removed the waterproof oilcloth covering his Thundercloud Divine Drum.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drum thundered as dust immediately rained down from the ceiling. Since Li Yan was practicing the Thundercloud Resonance, he not only employed hidden force while striking but also unleashed the sacred chant.

The resulting sound was exceptionally loud, booming through the entire village.

The porters and cart drivers had long since become accustomed to the noise. Not only did they not mind, some even enjoyed listening. The divine drum possessed soul-shaking properties. Ordinary people found it noisy at first, but after the drumming ended, distracting thoughts and restless desires seemed to disappear. As a result, they often slept better afterward.

What surprised them was that the rhythm that day was noticeably different. The drumbeats carried a distinct cadence. There were three slow blasts followed by three rapid booms. Finally, three more thumps at a moderate pace.

Old Meng's eyes lit up. "That's the Qin-Han drum rhythm!"

Taking a puff from his tobacco pipe, he explained, "The Qin-Han War Drums are famous around Xianyang. There are many drum troupes, but they all use the same rhythm.

"The first movement is called Departure. The three slow beats are majestic and imposing. The second movement is Battle. The next three rapid beats are overwhelming like collapsing mountains. The final movement is Triumph, where the beats are neither fast nor slow. The rhythm is powerful and joyful."

"As expected of Uncle Meng."

"Broad knowledge indeed."

"Hah. That's nothing. Have any of you ever seen the Chang'an Drum Festival? The banners stretch like oceans, while thousands of drums roar like thunder..."

While the others chatted and boasted, Li Yan had already entered a completely focused state.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drum alternated between fast and slow. As he continued to chant, the drumbeats reverberated like thunder as power surged throughout his body. It felt as though lightning were coursing through his flesh as his entire body tingled. Every pore opened and sweat poured down like rain.

Li Yan gritted his teeth and endured, his movements perfectly controlled. He had never found peace for proper cultivation during this journey. Multiple brushes with death had taught him something important.

He might be young and others might call him a genius, but the jianghu didn't care about age. Life-and-death battles certainly didn't. He needed harder fists and faster blades.

Now that he finally had an opportunity, he naturally wanted to break through. Learning the Pigua Fist wasn't urgent. Without a master's guidance, merely studying manuals could easily lead him down the wrong path. However, hidden force cultivation required daily practice.

While drumming earlier, a thought had suddenly occurred to him. The Qin-Han Drum Rhythm, when combined with meditation, could suppress evil and deter spirits. What if it were combined with hidden force? Would the results improve?

The idea had come to him suddenly, and so he had acted immediately. That confidence was one of his greatest strengths. With the Great Luo Dharma Body healing his injuries, he could push boundaries more aggressively than ordinary people.

Time and time again, he had broken through his limits to forge his exceptional martial skills. And indeed, the results were astonishing. The combination of a drum rhythm and the Thundercloud Resonance worked even better than expected.

He could feel every muscle in his body vibrating. He seemed to transform into a divine drum, resonating in harmony with the beats. More than that, the Qin-Han Drum Rhythm was originally a military formation drum. Its cadence was grand and stirring. Under its influence, Li Yan entered a peculiar state as though he had returned to the Qin and Han eras.

Battles raged across vast fields as blood stained the earth yellow. Dragons and warriors contended beneath heaven.

He didn't know how much time passed, but finally, he was forced to stop drumming. His entire body trembled while his muscles twitched rhythmically. Sweat poured from him like rain, soaking his clothes completely. Two wet footprints had even formed beneath him.

A stifling pressure built in his chest, forcing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. Taking a breath, sharp pain immediately stabbed through his torso. Li Yan understood. He had suffered internal injuries. His muscles, bones, and tendons had all reached their limits. His internal organs were far more fragile and couldn't withstand such punishment.

The Great Luo Dharma Body immediately activated, healing his injuries rapidly.

As he felt the swollen, numb, yet immensely powerful force coursing through his body, joy appeared in his eyes. He had gambled correctly. The method was astonishingly effective, worth several days of ordinary cultivation.

At the same time, however, he hesitated. The technique was powerful, but it consumed the durability of the Great Luo Dharma Body. It was like trading the lifespan of a precious treasure for cultivation progress.

Heavenly treasures were not easy to find, but his hesitation lasted only a moment. Li Yan quickly made his decision. He would use this method to rapidly grow stronger! After all, heavenly treasures were external possessions. If he wasn’t strong enough during a crisis, it would cost him his life.

Of course, his training had already reached its limit for the day. A martial artist's body was like a bowstring. Even with the Great Luo Dharma Body, it required periods of tension and relaxation.

After putting away the Thundercloud Divine Drum, Li Yan took out the Divine Tiger Token. Holding it in his palm, he formed hand seals and stepped through ritual patterns.

"Nuogao, I alone open the descendant Wang Jia. Six Jia Azure Dragon, Six Yi Encountering Star, Six Bing Bright Hall, Six Ding Hidden Yin..."

A wind suddenly arose from nowhere and Li Yan's entire presence rapidly vanished into the Divine Tiger Token. The Divine Tiger Token could also be used to perform the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique, and the results were far more powerful.

The sky was gloomy, and the old house was dimly lit. Though he was standing within a room, Li Yan's presence completely vanished as a Yin aura enveloped him. If someone looked through the window, they would find his figure strangely blurred and indistinct.

The state was already very close to what Luo Mingzi achieved when using the Profound Bamboo Envoy Talisman. Naturally, the mental expenditure was equally shocking. After only a short while, Li Yan felt exhausted. The white light of his sea of consciousness at the center of his brow also began dimming.

With a sigh, he ended the technique. It seemed he truly needed to construct his inner temple as soon as possible. The Divine Tiger Token was powerful, but the consumption was too great. In ordinary situations, it was still better to rely on yarrow stalks and preserve his combat ability.

Holding the Divine Tiger Token again, he began practicing the Thousand Gold Protection Art The hand seals and ritual steps differed, as did the incantation.

"Nuogao, three stars upon the left, three prisons upon the right. Heaven overturns and Earth reverses. All nine paths are sealed. Let your mind be lost as east become west, south become north..."

Nothing happened, but Li Yan wasn't discouraged. Cultivation had never been simple. Inside the old house, he repeatedly cast the spell, quietly studying the subtle relationships between incantation and ritual movement.

While that was happening, Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan arrived in Fengyang County.

"Old sir, do you know where Wu Family Gully is?"

"Never heard of it."

"Brother, let me ask something about Wu Family Gully..."

"Don't bother me with that."

Sha Lifei had assumed the matter would be simple, and thought anyone could answer his question. Unexpectedly, everyone avoided the topic as though it were taboo.

Wang Daoxuan frowned. "It seems the relocation of Wu Family Gully isn't as simple as it appears."

"I don't believe that." Sha Lifei looked irritated. "If these people won't talk, someone else will! Come with me."

With that, he led Wang Daoxuan through the city.

The Shangzhou region belonged to Shanzhou, and was centered around Capital Passage City. Thanks to Manchuan Pass and its thriving river port, Fengyang County had once stood on the border between Qin and Chu. Thus, trade flourished to this day; its prosperity was second only to Capital Passage City itself.

Autumn rain fell steadily and mule carts filled the streets.

"There. This is the place." After wandering around for quite some time, Sha Lifei finally stopped before a teahouse. The stone pillars at the entrance were carved with auspicious clouds and lotus flowers. Wang Daoxuan only needed a glance to recognize it for what it was.

It was a jianghu establishment.

A jianghu establishment differed from an ordinary teahouse. Simply put, it served as a gathering place for information and rumors. Such businesses never lacked customers. Ordinary people who wandered in would likely leave confused, having no idea what was happening around them. Moreover, they would almost certainly be cheated out of their money.

A waiter immediately greeted them upon entering. "Welcome, honored guests!"

Sha Lifei formed a hand gesture and smiled. "An insider has newly arrived in your esteemed territory. We are not here for wine and not here for tea. Find someone who understands the jianghu. I would like to hear the wind."

The waiter immediately understood. Flipping his white towel onto his shoulder, he shouted loudly, "Wind Hall, second floor! Two guests! Dragon Gate Tea!"

Soon, he led them upstairs.

Many patrons sat quietly in the dim corners of the main hall. Some drank tea alone while others spoke in hushed tones. All discreetly sized up the newcomers, trying to guess their identities.

Pretending not to notice, Wang Daoxuan followed Sha Lifei and the waiter upstairs. There he immediately saw four wooden plaques hanging in the four directions of the second floor.

Upon them were written four characters: Wind. Forest. Fire. Mountain.

Though he had never personally visited such a place before, Wang Daoxuan was still a man of the jianghu. He vaguely understood the rules of establishments like this.

1. ninth day of the ninth month, According to the I Ching, nine is a yang number; the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar (or double nine) has extra yang (a traditional Chinese spiritual concept) and is thus an auspicious date. Hence, the day is also called Double Yang Festival (重陽節). It is customary to climb a mountain, drink chrysanthemum liquor, and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant (Cornus officinalis). Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses. ☜