In the era when a nation stood whole and flourishing — during Dachu’s most dominant period — did the affairs of the jianghu amount to anything significant?

Truly, they did not. A single imperial prohibition on martial practice was enough to send jianghu figures treading on thin ice, quaking at every step. The court controlled the flow of weapons — whether a great hero or a great bandit, who dared walk the streets bearing arms in plain sight?

But in a time like this, an age of chaos, the affairs of the jianghu were the affairs of the world entire. How many of those who founded dynasties had risen from the jianghu? One need only remember that Dachu itself had come into being precisely this way.

So the jianghu had to be taken seriously. Cao Lie’s desire to handle these affairs came from genuine concern for Li Chi. And as for who among those around Li Chi was suited to manage them — there was truly no one who could compare to Cao Lie.

After the two of them finished their hot pot and stepped outside, they began to walk without any particular destination — or so it appeared, the idle stroll of men letting their meal settle. But Cao Lie could see that Li Chi was drifting, whether by intention or habit, in the direction of the roast meat stall.

So Cao Lie asked, with some disbelief, “We just had a full hot pot meal — easily enough meat for six people. I ate maybe a two-person share at most, which means you ate four people’s worth. And now you want roast meat?”

Li Chi said, “Didn’t we agree on this? It’s not that I’m especially keen on the meat. I just care about keeping my word. A man of integrity, once he has spoken, cannot be moved even by four horses.”

Cao Lie sighed. “Even if we’re going for roast meat, we still need to walk around a bit first to let everything settle. Or do you not need that?”

Li Chi said, “Of course I need to walk around and let things settle. I’m not a god.”

Three or four steps later, Li Chi looked at Cao Lie. “I’ve had my stroll. What about you?”

Cao Lie: “You’re joking?!”

And so it was that the two of them filed into the roast meat stall, stomachs noticeably rounded. The server who saw Li Chi and Cao Lie walk in wearing their bloated expressions was momentarily taken aback.

He thought to himself: two such strapping young men, and they’re waddling in here like a pair of pregnant women. Shameless!

Li Chi picked a spot at random and called for the server to light the charcoal fire.

This was the kind of roast meat place where you did the cooking yourself. Set into the table was a recessed pit built from brick and clay, in which fruit-wood charcoal was placed. On top of the pit, rather than an iron grill, sat a specially made ceramic vessel — wide and flat, like a large platter.

Li Chi asked, “How many useful people do you still have around you?”

Cao Lie shook his head. “Not many.”

Li Chi said, “I know they’re not many. I asked on purpose. A certain someone’s subordinates seem to have been rather unreliable — played for fools here, played for fools there… Liaoyang City, for instance…”

Cao Lie said, “Give Xu Youru back to me.”

Li Chi said, “Ha.”

Cao Lie said, “What does ‘ha’ mean?”

Li Chi said, “Guess.”

Cao Lie sighed. “If you won’t give me Xu Youru, you expect me to go off alone and roam the jianghu?”

Li Chi said, “That’s not what I’d do at all. Xu Youru has exceptional talent for governing the people. Fengzhou just had its upheaval — I’m planning to have him stay on as prefect. Dragging him along on jianghu affairs would be a waste of his gifts. And besides, you know as well as I do: leaving him in Fengzhou as prefect is far better for him than trailing after you to handle jianghu business. You can’t cut off a man’s future just because he’s loyal to you.”

Cao Lie said, “Of all the people around you, how many were lured over by that mouth of yours?”

Li Chi said, “Suppose I told you that every step I’ve taken to get where I am today was because they lured me along — would you believe that?”

Cao Lie thought about it, then nodded. “I’d believe it. After all, birds of a feather.”

Li Chi smiled. “Put Xu Youru out of your mind. But I do have two people in mind for you — perfectly suited. You can meet them first.”

Cao Lie asked, “Who?”

Li Chi said, “Two centurion officers of the Tingwei Army. If they work for you, they’ll retain their Tingwei Army posts as well, which makes it easier to coordinate with the Tingwei Army or the intelligence forces when you need them. One is called Dong Dongdong, the other Qi Qiangqi.”

Cao Lie’s eyes went wide.

Just from his reaction, Li Chi knew those names had struck him. The first time Li Chi himself had heard them, he’d been struck the same way.

That there were parents in this world who named their children like this — and not just one pair, but two.

Li Chi gestured toward the entrance. Before long, Dong Dongdong and Qi Qiangqi came through the door, grinning broadly. They greeted Li Chi first, then acknowledged Cao Lie.

Cao Lie looked them over. Both were fine-looking men — completely at odds with the absurdity of their names.

That their appearances had not been suppressed by those catastrophic names was, in itself, proof enough that both men were made of stern stuff.

“Sit down and eat with us,” Li Chi said, gesturing to the empty seats.

The two men sat immediately, still smiling.

Li Chi asked, “While you were waiting outside just now, what were you thinking?”

Dong Dongdong said, “We were thinking… you finished the hot pot without calling us. If you finish the roast meat too without calling us in, we really should have eaten something before coming.”

Cao Lie nodded. “That’s how I know they’re your people.”

Li Chi said, “Is it that obvious?”

Cao Lie sighed. “Is it not obvious enough?”

Li Chi smiled and said, “Let me give you a brief summary. Whether it was the Yin family’s rebellion or the Wang and Xie families’ rebellion within Fengzhou — neither was unconnected to the self-proclaimed King of Heaven’s Destiny, Yang Xuanji.”

Cao Lie nodded. “I figured as much.”

Dong Dongdong said, “From what the Tingwei Army has gathered so far, both rebel factions maintained close correspondence with Yang Xuanji.”

Li Chi said, “So with his rebel armies routed, Yang Xuanji will be furious. And since he can’t defeat Tang Pidi in a straight fight, he’ll pour greater effort into stirring up trouble in Yuzhou’s rear.”

Cao Lie understood. He looked at Li Chi and said, “But Yang Xuanji’s people are all from Shuzhou — they don’t know Yuzhou well. If they want to cause trouble in the rear, they’ll need people from the Yuzhou jianghu. Whether it’s gathering intelligence or buying informants, they’ll start by recruiting from the jianghu.”

Li Chi said, “So you’ll be busy.”

Cao Lie looked at Dong Dongdong and Qi Qiangqi, then pointed to himself. “Just the three of us?”

Li Chi said, “I’ll transfer two centurion-strength squads from the Tingwei Army to you.”

Cao Lie thought: two hundred elite Tingwei soldiers — now that was more like it. He was just warming to the idea when Li Chi continued, “The Tingwei Army soldiers assigned to you — their pay and expenses, naturally, will come out of your pocket. Don’t misunderstand, this isn’t my idea. This comes from the Chief Tingwei of the Tingwei Army. I did spend some time persuading her to see it that way, of course. She was most receptive to the logic of saving those funds.”

Cao Lie: “…”

Seeing that expression on Cao Lie’s face, Dong Dongdong and Qi Qiangqi began to worry about their own futures.

Li Chi said, “Don’t be fooled by his manner. He remains the wealthiest man in the world.”

Cao Lie said, “The word ‘remains,’ the way Prince Ning says it, sounds rather grudging.”

Li Chi said, “Don’t talk nonsense. You have money — why wouldn’t I be happy?”

Cao Lie: “…”

Li Chi pulled a sheet of paper from within his robes and handed it to Cao Lie. “To give you something to practice on, I’ve drawn up a list. These are jianghu sects and underground organizations in Dengzhou and Fengzhou that may already have been bought by Yang Xuanji.”

Cao Lie took the paper and looked it over, then let out a long sigh. “So from the very beginning, you anticipated that I would ask for the jianghu affairs?”

Li Chi shook his head. “No. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would have found a way to hand them to you. I’m good to you, aren’t I?”

Cao Lie: “What am I supposed to say to that?”

Li Chi said, “Express some gratitude.”

Cao Lie said, “I’ll pay for this meal. But I’m asking you to leave, so I can eat with these two.”

Li Chi said, “Ask them if they agree.”

The two men looked at each other. They didn’t dare say so outright, but their eyes said it clearly enough.

Most likely they also felt that although Prince Ning had already eaten an entire hot pot meal, if he didn’t leave, the two of them would be lucky to get much of the roast meat at all.

Li Chi sighed. “Then I’ll be going.”

And he actually stood up. He reached into his robes and pulled out a silver ingot, holding it up for the proprietor to see. The proprietor came over at once with a bow, hand already extended.

It was a solid ingot — a full fifty taels. That much silver gleaming in the hand was impossible not to notice.

Li Chi dangled the ingot without handing it over, because he had something to say first.

He held it up and addressed the proprietor: “You see how much silver this is?”

The proprietor said, “I see it.”

Li Chi said, “Spend exactly this much on them. Don’t worry about whether they have the money to pay — just bring them the finest wine, meat, and food you have.”

Then he put the fifty-tael ingot back into his robes, pointed at Cao Lie, and told the proprietor: “He’ll settle the bill.”

And with that, he walked out.

Cao Lie’s eyes went perfectly round. He had thought he understood Li Chi by now, but clearly he had been far too naive.

Dong Dongdong and Qi Qiangqi showed almost no reaction whatsoever. Cao Lie assumed they had simply grown used to it.

The proprietor’s expression was also somewhat complicated. He glanced toward the door where Li Chi had departed, then back at Cao Lie, and after a moment’s hesitation, asked: “So this fine wine and food and meat — shall I bring it? Or shall I bring it?”

At that, Cao Lie went suddenly on guard. He stared at the proprietor and demanded, “Are you one of Prince Ning’s people?!”

The proprietor was startled nearly out of his wits.

Dong Dongdong quickly intervened. “He’s not, he really isn’t. Young Master Cao, please don’t be so suspicious.”

Cao Lie: “Was I the one who got frightened?”

Qi Qiangqi said, “Once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well-rope…”

Immediately realizing Prince Ning hadn’t gone far yet, he looked back — and found Li Chi standing at the entrance, looking right at him.

This gave Qi Qiangqi such a fright that he shuddered.

Cao Lie unfolded the list again and looked it over. It was dense with writing — at least a dozen jianghu sects, another dozen underground organizations, plus a number of merchant establishments. Working through all of them would take far more than two centurion-strength squads.

But then again…

Cao Lie slowly exhaled. Since he had already made his decision well before this, how could he possibly not have already reached out to the people loyal to him?

Cao Zuluo, master of the Shanhe Seal — unwilling to spare any effort in protecting his most treasured son — had naturally provided everything he could.

Back in Yuzhou City, there had been a dedicated unit working both openly and covertly to protect Cao Lie.

And Cao Lie knew he needed a force that was entirely and completely loyal to himself alone — unconnected to the Shanhe Seal, unconnected even to his father.

After returning from Yun Hidden Mountain, Cao Lie had divided and dispatched his people along the way back, sending them racing ahead to Yuzhou to gather his forces.

By his reckoning, they should be arriving in Fengzhou just about now.

Dong Dongdong asked curiously, “Young Master, are you truly the wealthiest person in the world?”

Cao Lie gave a nod, then sighed. “Before I knew your Prince Ning, I was… whether I still will be going forward, I have my doubts. He probably doesn’t.”

Dong Dongdong, somehow, understood perfectly.

Cao Lie folded the paper and tucked it away, then smiled and said, “Eat quickly. Once we’re done, we’ll pick one of the easier ones on this list and go take a look first.”

Dong Dongdong and Qi Qiangqi both called out to the proprietor at the same instant: “Don’t bother bringing everything at once — we’re in a hurry to leave!”

Not a single word out of place between them, called out in perfect unison. Their chemistry was unmistakable. Cao Lie felt a quiet satisfaction — having people whose minds moved in such harmony would serve him well.

Then he witnessed something even more harmonious.

The two of them, after shouting that, exchanged a glance and broke into identical sly grins — then called out in unison again: “Pack up the rest of it nicely. We’ll take it with us when we go.”

Cao Lie: “…”

—