Xue Jinxi’s mournful wails were trapped by the tall walls of the Forbidden City, echoing a few times within that dark, sunless room before despairingly fading away, unheard by anyone.
The cold wind of the twelfth lunar month swept through the quiet courtyard, crossed over the palace walls, caressed the streets and alleys of the capital, and blew beyond the city gates.
An Ziyang changed horses along the way and finally arrived at the capital.
That day in Miao territory, Li Miao told him to bring two Grand Witches and the Miao King's notes back to Shuntian Prefecture and give them to Xiaosi to resolve the hidden danger on her.
An Ziyang immediately went to find Lao Qifeng and said, “Lord Li wants you to send two skilled individuals to escort me to Shuntian. They must be the best in martial arts, ruthless, and say little.” Lao Qifeng naturally did not dare to delay and immediately dispatched two Nine-Pocket Elders to escort An Ziyang.
Therefore, An Ziyang was currently with three people and three horses.
An Ziyang looked like a playboy who indulged in excess; the two Beggar Clan Elders, who practiced horizontal training, were both eight feet tall with arms like cast iron, and they had two Grand Witches, tied up like zongzi, slung over their horses. They looked as suspicious as could be.
The soldiers guarding the city gate saw this and exclaimed, “Ho! What’s the meaning of this? These human traffickers aren’t even trying to hide it anymore, hey!”
“One ‘hooker’ with two thugs, and people still tied to horses trying to enter the city? You, are you trying to cause trouble for me?”
The soldiers guarding the capital city gate were not like those in the prefectures below. As long as you weren't wearing official uniform, even if the Wudang Sect Leader came, they would still stop you. An Ziyang and the two others looked travel-worn, clearly martial artists, and he wasn't intimidated at all.
He immediately held his long spear and stepped forward to block them.
“Dismount!”
“Get lost!”
An Ziyang lifted his chin.
“Hey! I’m going to —”
Just as the soldier was about to curse, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he involuntarily trembled.
An Ziyang slowly extended a hand and pulled open his outer robe.
A blade was revealed.
The blade was shorter than a typical waist saber, and the scabbard had a skirt with tassels woven into its bottom. Cloud patterns were cast in brass, and the hilt was wrapped in cowhide.
Everyone in the world recognized this blade.
This was an embroidered spring blade.
Thud.
The soldier’s legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground.
“Gr-Gr-Gr—”
An Ziyang did not even glance at him, simply patted his horse and rode past him.
When he was traveling the jianghu back then, he had been extorted by city gate guards quite a bit. Now that he had a chance to get even, he naturally wouldn't let it go.
At the city gate, many commoners had gathered, waiting to enter the city, and there were also some small vendors making a living there. When they saw the soldier step forward to block An Ziyang, they all gathered to watch the excitement.
Seeing the soldier so frightened that he sat on the ground, unable to speak, the commoners’ expressions also changed, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to look at An Ziyang.
An Ziyang was showing off his power in front, but the two Beggar Clan Elders felt he was truly tasteless, so they covered their faces with their sleeves and spurred their horses to follow.
Just as the three were walking towards the city gate,
Within the crowd, a gaze filled with amusement looked towards An Ziyang.
“An Family’s kid?”
“Oh~”
“Lord Li actually took him into the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).”
An Ziyang was suddenly startled.
“Who is looking at me?”
As someone who played with mechanisms and hidden weapons, he was best at ambushing others and equally skilled at guarding against being ambushed. He was most sensitive to prying gazes.
An Ziyang suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction of that gaze.
The owner of that gaze was a woman.
Her hands were soft and delicate, her skin like congealed cream, her neck like a graceful beetle, her teeth like gourd seeds, and her forehead and eyebrows were like a moth's antennae. Even when angry, she seemed to smile, and when glaring, she still conveyed affection.
Her figure was not tall, but rather petite. Standing in the crowd, she was like a touch of crimson, making everyone else appear dull in comparison.
A pair of eyes like a small deer looked at him curiously, and she smiled sweetly.
Even with An Ziyang’s experience, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“What a peerless beauty capable of toppling kingdoms!”
If it were peacetime, he would definitely dismount and introduce himself.
However, he wasn't someone who couldn't distinguish priorities. He was on an errand for Li Miao and had no time to waste on women. He merely glanced, sighed inwardly, and then walked through the city gate.
The woman turned and left, and when she reached a secluded spot, her figure suddenly flashed and disappeared.
An Ziyang, accompanied by the two Beggar Clan Elders, arrived outside the Jin Yi Wei Office.
On the way, he had taken off his outer robe, revealing the embroidered spring blade Li Miao had given him. When the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) guarding the gate saw the blade, they knew he was one of their own and immediately stepped forward to greet him.
“Brother, which Lord do you serve?”
“I serve Lord Li Miao.”
The two Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) looked serious and suddenly became respectful.
“Please come in quickly. Is this your first time at our home? Do you need me to lead you to the Baihu’s courtyard?”
An Ziyang cupped his hands.
“Much obliged.”
“It’s nothing, nothing at all.”
The two Beggar Clan Elders carried the Grand Witches and followed behind. The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) guarding the gate led the way, guiding An Ziyang through the entrance.
When jianghu people entered the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) office, they either came in lying down or tied up. Being invited in like this, both the Beggar Clan Elders and An Ziyang couldn't help but look around.
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) leading the way, seeing the three of them looking like they hadn't seen the world, wisely began to introduce things.
“This is the scribes’ office, that side is where the on-duty Baihu work, and further on is the Northern Garrison Division’s Baihu offices…”
As they walked, An Ziyang secretly thought,
“Aside from having more armed officers, this Jin Yi Wei Office doesn’t feel much different from an ordinary government office?”
“It’s not as terrifying as the jianghu rumors claim.”
He had been a little afraid at first, but as they walked, his nervousness gradually dissipated.
“This Jin Yi Wei Office is nothing special after all!”
And the Beggar Clan Elders following behind thought the same.
The group continued forward and arrived at Li Miao’s office.
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) leading the way excused himself and left.
An Ziyang instructed the two Beggar Clan Elders to wait outside the door, then walked into the courtyard.
As soon as he entered, a chubby middle-aged man came to greet him.
“Young man, who are you looking for?”
An Ziyang initially thought he was a low-ranking gatekeeper and paid him no mind, his gaze casually sweeping over him.
“Sect Leader Deng!?”
He was suddenly startled.
This chubby middle-aged man, wasn't he Deng Boxuan, the Sect Leader of the Hengshan Sect!?
“Jianghu’s empty titles are not worth mentioning.”
Deng Boxuan waved his hand.
“Who are you looking for, young man? I’ll take you to see them.”
An Ziyang said blankly,
“By order of Lord Li Miao, I’m looking for his adopted daughter, Li Xiaosi…”
Deng Boxuan smiled kindly.
“Oh, you’re looking for Miss Xiaosi. You’ve come at a good time, young man. She’s currently in the office, seems to be interrogating a prisoner in the jail.”
“I’ll take you to the courtyard to sit for a while first, and I’ll go tell her.”
With that, he led An Ziyang into the small courtyard.
As soon as he entered, An Ziyang heard a series of dense clashing sounds of swords.
Clang, clang, clang, clang—
He followed the sound and saw two women sparring with swords. Their sword moves were incredibly exquisite, but it seemed they had some old grudge, as their attacks were slightly ruthless. A man and a woman stood by, watching with helpless expressions.
When he clearly saw the faces of the three, he was again astonished.
“Zhou Yingxue, the Sect Leader of the Songshan Sect…”
“Liu Baiyun, the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect…”
“The two watching on the side, they seem to be Zhang Jingfeng, the Sect Leader of the Hengshan Sect, and Gao Ling, an Elder of the Mount Tai Sect, right?”
“The Five Mountains Alliance Meeting has moved here!?”
Don't underestimate the Five Mountains Sword Sect. While they seemed insignificant in front of Li Miao, in the jianghu, they were all renowned major sects. Any one of them was a prominent figure An Ziyang would normally not get to meet.
Now, they were all gathered at once!
An Ziyang clenched his hand inside his sleeve, forcing himself to remain calm.
Deng Boxuan led him to a side room, then turned to find Xiaosi, leaving him there to wait.
An Ziyang’s previous thought of “Is this all there is?” regarding the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) had completely vanished, and he even felt a little nervous.
A moment later, a young man in his early twenties walked in. Upon seeing An Ziyang, he greeted him warmly.
“Brother, did you also just report to Lord Li today?”
An Ziyang, who had been a bit nervous, relaxed immediately upon hearing that this person was in the same situation as him.
“Yes! What’s your esteemed name, brother?”
“My humble name is You, You Zi'ang. And how should I address you, brother?”
“An Ziyang.”
“Oh, oh, Lingxu Gongzi! I’ve heard much about you!”
The two quickly became friendly, chatting enthusiastically. You Zi'ang pulled up a chair and sat next to An Ziyang, whispering,
“Brother, you might have spent little time with Lord Li and know little. In Lord Li’s office, second-rate experts are truly like dogs, and first-rate experts are everywhere.”
“You and I are both weak here. Since we are fated, we must look out for each other in the future to make a name for ourselves under Lord Li!”
An Ziyang nodded.
“Definitely, definitely.”
You Zi'ang, seeing his agreement, also nodded contentedly and stood up.
“That’s good then. I just came to see you; I still have things to do now. Let’s gather again, brother, another day!”
With that, he pressed both hands on An Ziyang’s arm, ready to leave.
An Ziyang, however, suddenly felt something was off. He raised his hand and grabbed You Zi'ang’s sleeve.
“Brother, give me back my things!”
You Zi'ang did not look back, his arm swiftly made a circle, trying to break free.
An Ziyang’s eyes narrowed, his arm also made a similar circle, and he suddenly looked up at You Zi'ang.
“Shen Thief Sect!?”
“You too!?”
You Zi'ang also exclaimed in surprise.
The two were practicing the same martial art!
You Zi'ang chuckled.
“Brother, since we are from the same sect, you should also know our sect’s motto—a thief never leaves empty-handed!”
“Consider this a debt I owe you today, you can steal it back from me another day!”
With that, his body contracted, and he actually stripped off his clothes. His entire being suddenly transformed into a blurry black shadow, and with a whoosh, he shot out of the room.
“You damn it!”
An Ziyang had never expected that he, a direct descendant of the Shen Thief Sect, would be stolen from by a fellow sect member right inside the Jin Yi Wei Office! How could he tolerate this!
He also used his lightness skill and chased after You Zi'ang.
However, he didn't expect to lose track of You Zi'ang after just flipping over two courtyard walls.
“This!”
“What kind of lightness skill is this!?”
An Ziyang reluctantly stopped.
He checked his belongings and gnashed his teeth again.
You Zi'ang had stolen two packets of poisonous pills, a bundle of sleeve arrows, and five hundred taels of silver notes from him.
He didn't particularly care about the items, but for him, a direct descendant of the Shen Thief Sect, being stolen from was more unbearable than being slapped twice.
An Ziyang stomped his foot and sighed deeply.
“Lord Li’s subordinates truly include all sorts of immortals.”
“I wonder what other grand immortals are waiting for me next.”
He turned to walk back.
But then he suddenly stopped.
He couldn't help but shiver.
Because he felt a cold gaze fixed on his neck.
An Ziyang forced a smile and slowly turned his head to look.
In the courtyard, under a tree, on a meditation cushion.
A young woman in her early twenties sat cross-legged, a long sword resting flat on her lap.
A pair of cold eyes were staring intently at him.
“Expert, a sword expert!”
“A first-rate expert!”
An Ziyang secretly groaned.
This woman was clearly practicing the “Heart and Mind Cleansing Sword” technique, and she had been startled by him and You Zi'ang.
Judging by her demeanor, her cold gaze, and the dew collected on her sword, this person had probably been sitting there since last night, cultivating until now!
This person was probably a sword fanatic!
Disturbing a sword fanatic’s practice was a matter of life and death!
“Your, Your Excellency, I was sent by Lord Li Miao to deliver a message, and I accidentally wandered in here. I didn’t mean to disturb you…” An Ziyang said cautiously.
The woman said nothing, only looking at him coldly.
“Your Excellency, I’ll leave now, I’ll leave now, okay?”
The woman still said nothing.
“Your Excellency, please say something…”
An Ziyang was starting to tremble.
The woman still quietly looked at him, not saying a word.
“I, I’m leaving, I’m leaving now!”
An Ziyang fled in a panic.
Mei Qinghe suddenly blinked.
“Who was that again… I didn’t recognize them…”
“Never mind, continue practicing the sword… This move should…”
And then she closed her eyes again.
An Ziyang ran wildly, returning to the side room where Deng Boxuan had told him to wait. He was out of breath, feeling as if he had just escaped death.
“Damn it, is Lord Li really just a Baihu? I haven’t even been here for a cup of tea, and I’ve already encountered six first-rate experts!”
“What other grand immortals are waiting for me later, just bring them on… I really can’t take it anymore…”
An Ziyang picked up the teapot on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
Before he could even catch his breath, footsteps sounded from outside the door.
“Miss Si, the person is waiting here. He says Lord Li sent him back to find you.”
Deng Boxuan walked in quickly, extending a hand to guide.
An Ziyang held his breath.
“I wonder who will walk in…”
“Lord Li’s adopted daughter, a peerless expert? She wouldn’t be an eight-foot-tall extraordinary woman, would she?”
Click.
A petite figure walked in from outside the door.
An Ziyang looked intently, but was momentarily speechless.
Contrary to his expectations, the person who entered was actually a delicate and very cute young girl.
The girl walked into the room with small, pattering steps. Her bright eyes looked at An Ziyang, and before she even spoke, two small dimples appeared on her face.
“Big brother, hello.”
An Ziyang, on the other hand, was a little unsure how to respond.
Xiaosi didn’t mind. She quickly walked to the chair opposite An Ziyang and sat down, her two legs dangling, and asked,
“What did my Baihu ask you to bring me?”
An Ziyang let out a long breath.
Finally, finally, there was a normal person.
He reached into his 懷, pulled out the Miao King's notes, and handed them to Xiaosi.
“Miss, these are the notes Lord Li asked me to bring you. Please take a look.”
“Oh.”
Xiaosi jumped off the chair, walked over, and extended her small hand to take the notes.
An Ziyang’s pupils constricted.
Where her small hand had touched, a startling crimson bloodstain was left behind!
