After all, Cui Xuanliang had a foundation in internal energy, so his ears were far more sensitive than ordinary people’s. He was finally awakened by the noise. Opening his eyes to look, he was shocked to see two middle-aged men standing before him with wretched appearances, long whiskers on either side of their mouths, and large bundles on their backs, as if they were about to travel far. Cui Xuanliang roared and quickly flipped up to jump, imitating his uncle’s posture and saying sternly: “Who are you? Are you thieves?” Seeing Cui Xuanliang’s agile movements – though he was a pretty boy, his height was over eight feet with broad shoulders, resembling Zhao Zilong of Changshan – the two men were startled and said tremblingly: “We… we’re not thieves. We’re people from the guild hall.”

Cui Xuanliang said “Oh” and turned to look at the guild hall. Indeed, the main gate was open, so these two really had come from inside the guild hall and weren’t lying. Feeling somewhat relieved, he said again: “So you two brothers are from the guild hall. Where is Lord Shang the Sixth? Is he inside?”

The two men exchanged glances and blinked. One patted his chest proudly: “Here! I am Lord Shang the Sixth.” Cui Xuanliang said joyfully: “What! So you’re Lord Shang the Sixth! What were you doing just now? Why didn’t you answer the door?”

That “Lord Shang the Sixth” mumbled for a while, then suddenly coughed loudly: “I was taking an afternoon nap and didn’t hear the knocking.” Cui Xuanliang sighed: “Yes, summer heat is perfect for sleeping. I also slept soundly…” Just as he was talking to himself, he saw the two men slowly backing toward the shore, about to quickly jump onto a small boat. But Cui Xuanliang took a quick step forward and shouted: “Wait!”

The two men’s souls flew beyond the heavens as they cried in shock: “What… what do you want?” Cui Xuanliang quickly said: “I have goods to deliver to you! Don’t rush off!”

That “Lord Shang the Sixth” said tremblingly in fear: “You… you have goods to deliver to us?”

Cui Xuanliang said: “Yes, yes! Did you forget? These are goods my uncle was asked to bring you. Don’t you want them anymore?” He opened a wooden box to show Lord Shang the Sixth.

The two men looked at each other in amazement: “Damn… these are copper coins…”

Under the blazing sunlight, the box full of copper coins was dazzling, containing at least a thousand strings of treasure coins worth ten thousand taels of silver. Fearing they wouldn’t accept them, Cui Xuanliang opened the other wooden boxes, revealing box after box of blue and white porcelain with flowing calligraphy reading “Jiangxi” or “Huguang” – all exquisite pieces made by master craftsmen from various regions.

That “Lord Shang the Sixth” looked at four full carts of goods and couldn’t help but swallow: “All… all this is for us?” Cui Xuanliang smiled: “Yes, we went through great effort to transport this to the ‘Three Mountains Guild Hall.’ Please come inspect it.” He lifted a wooden box: “Where should this cargo be stacked?”

“On the boat, on the boat.” That Lord Shang the Sixth was very kind-hearted. Without waiting for Cui Xuanliang to slowly carry things, he actually made an effort to shoulder a box of copper coins himself. Cui Xuanliang was delighted: “Lord Shang the Sixth, you’re so kind-hearted. You’re even willing to do this rough work.” That “Lord Shang the Sixth” was very amiable and quickly said: “Of course, of course. If everyone works together, we can move things faster!” He angrily shouted at his companion: “What are you standing there for? Come help!”

Copper coins represented the court’s credit and could match silver and gold. Blue and white porcelain needn’t be mentioned – all of Southeast Asia and East Asia treasured them as family heirlooms. That “Old Seven” was both shocked and delighted, desperately helping to carry things, afraid of being even a moment slow.

The sea boat’s hold was spacious and could carry heavy loads. The three men worked together with one heart, and soon they had moved all the goods from the carts completely clean. Finally able to complete the delivery, Cui Xuanliang naturally breathed a long sigh of relief. Seeing these goods had gone through thousands of hardships and finally had a home, he felt quite comforted. He said: “This is good then. Lord Shang the Sixth, where’s my money?”

“Lord Shang the Sixth” said “Eh!” and rolled his eyes, then reached into his clothing to fumble around. After a while, he took out a paper ticket: “Look, this is the Ryukyu King’s silver contract. Take this paper inside, and our king will give you gold.”

Cui Xuanliang was shocked: “What? The Ryukyu King is inside?” Lord Shang the Sixth smiled: “Yes, our king has personally led an expedition and is now personally on Smoke Island. If he likes you later, he might give you an extra box of gold.” Hearing of such generous rewards, Cui Xuanliang was overjoyed. He quickly took the silver contract and ran joyfully into the guild hall, shouting: “This commoner pays respects to the great king!”

There was no one in front of him. The guild hall was full of chaos – cabinets overturned, drawers opened, papers scattered on the floor, calligraphy and paintings fallen from walls – like a ruin. Cui Xuanliang looked around in surprise and shouted: “Ryukyu King! Ryukyu King! I’ve come to collect money. Are you home?”

He shouted loudly and searched all around, but no one in the room made a sound. Full of confusion, he walked back and forth in the room. Suddenly he saw a horizontal scroll hanging before him depicting an ocean scene. Cui Xuanliang walked over, looked up at the inscription, and murmured: “Dream Sea…”

Before him was a “Dream Sea Painting” in ink wash with blank spaces, outlining clouds and mist over the sea. In the center was a small boat sailing swiftly through raging waves. The brushwork was quite exaggerated – the wave crests surged and rolled in layers, dozens of times higher than the small boat, like overlapping mountain peaks. Cui Xuanliang himself had entered the “Dream Sea” and knew this sea was actually the “Bitter Sea.” If it had any connection to the word “dream,” it could only be called a nightmare. The more he looked, the more frightened he became. Suddenly he saw another line of poetry on the painting and quickly read it aloud:

“When feathers are full, the day of high flight arrives, competing in beauty with plum blossoms. True dragons roam the four seas, the world beyond is my home.”

Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard soft whooshing sounds by his ear, as if someone was approaching. He shouted joyfully: “Ryukyu King!” and quickly turned to look. He was shocked to see someone standing by the wall – white clothes, white boots, all white from head to toe, with a white cloth covering his head. At first glance, he looked exactly the same color as the wall. Without careful observation, one probably wouldn’t recognize him.

Cui Xuanliang said in shock: “Ryukyu King, you… you look so strange.”

The white shadow flickered and actually walked down from the wall, then ran toward the window. Cui Xuanliang said in panic: “Ryukyu King! Wait! Wait! You haven’t paid yet!” His right hand shot out toward the white shadow.

With a “buzz,” a brilliant light flashed before him as something bright shot toward him. The thing was incredibly fast – even before it reached him, he could smell a fishy odor. Cui Xuanliang didn’t know what this thing was and was about to reach out to catch it when suddenly there was a strong wind sound behind him. A green shadow flew over, and the two shadows collided in mid-air. After a “chi” sound, the bright thing bounced back and was instantly shaken into invisibility. The object from behind didn’t slow down – after knocking away the front object, it still shot toward the white shadow.

With a loud “buzz,” blade light scattered from the white shadow’s body, protecting his surroundings. The green shadow came even faster. Blade light and flying shadow clashed, and suddenly the paper window exploded. The white shadow was knocked flying out, actually shocked outside. On the ground came a “clang” as something seemed to fall.

Bright and shiny fighting dark green – truly inexplicable. Cui Xuanliang laughed in bewilderment: “How strange.” He didn’t know that just now he had gone from life to death and back to life again. Looking around, he was about to search for that white shadow but it had already disappeared. Turning to look behind him, he saw no one either. Just as he was confused, he suddenly saw a green shadow floating down from mid-air, looking dark green. He caught it with his palm and examined it closely, shocked to see the thing in his hand weighed less than one qian – it was a tree leaf!

Cui Xuanliang was startled. The thing that had shot from behind him earlier was like thunder and lightning, yet it turned out to be this thin leaf! He stared blankly, then suddenly saw something else lying on the ground, apparently fallen from the white shadow. Cui Xuanliang blinked and quickly walked over to bend down and pick it up.

“Zhi zhi ya ya zhi zhi…” The moment his fingers touched the object, whispered conversations came from all around, as if ghosts were talking. Then a cold wind blew into the room, icy and stern.

If an ordinary person were here, they would certainly be frightened beyond measure. But Cui Xuanliang laughed heartily: “How refreshing!” He shook his clothing, feeling comfortable all over, then lowered his head to look at the thing in his palm – it was a key.

Ordinary keys were either covered in green rust or full of iron rust. Cui Xuanliang himself carried a string of them, all used on the ship, filthy and frightening. But this key in his palm showed no trace of rust and looked new. Cui Xuanliang took out his handkerchief and wiped the key, feeling that words were carved on it. He lowered his head to look and saw a line of writing on the key, with characters so small they were barely visible. He brought the key close to his eye and squinted to make it out. The first three characters were “Zhang Sanfeng,” and below was another line of tiny strange characters that looked like “力” (strength) or “乙” (second), seemingly Japanese writing that was incomprehensible.

Just as he was surprised, someone suddenly patted his back, making him turn around joyfully and shout: “Ryukyu King! You finally came!”

Behind him was no Ryukyu King, but eight common people – Old Chen, Old Lin, the Fang youth, and those five farmers. Everyone looked suspicious, all staring at him. Cui Xuanliang frowned deeply and stretched his neck to look outside the door, shouting: “Ryukyu King! Ryukyu King! Are you outside?” Everyone looked surprised, not knowing what he was yelling about. Old Chen coughed: “Young Master, how did you get inside? Where are those goods?”

Cui Xuanliang smiled: “Those goods have already been shipped away.”

Everyone said coldly: “Shipped away?” Cui Xuanliang quickly said: “Yes, yes! While you were eating, Lord Shang the Sixth came out. He loaded the goods onto the ship and sailed away!”

Old Chen and Old Lin swallowed, both having an ominous feeling. They looked into the room and said tremblingly: “Then… then where’s the payment?”

Cui Xuanliang quickly took out the paper ticket: “Received it, received it! Look, this is the silver contract Lord Shang the Sixth gave me.”

Everyone quickly crowded around to look at that “silver contract,” seeing Japanese characters written on the paper ticket: “Kyoto Flower House token, good for… one time.”

“Young… Young Master…” Old Chen’s eyes bulged, Old Lin felt cold all over. The two men looked at each other, teeth chattering, then suddenly remembered something important and asked tremblingly: “Wait, that… that bundle of gold?”

Cui Xuanliang said “Eh!” and only then realized he felt light as a swallow. He spun around in a circle, looking all over his body – that bundle of gold had also vanished without a trace. Old Lin and Old Chen exchanged a glance, immediately went weak at the knees, fell to the ground, and wailed: “It’s over! All over! We met thieves! We’ve lost a full hundred thousand taels of silver!”

Cui Xuanliang frowned: “Wait a minute, are you… are you saying Lord Shang the Sixth is a thief?” Old Chen wailed and roared: “Young Master! Don’t you understand yet? You didn’t meet Lord Shang the Sixth – you met swindlers!”

With an “Aiya!” cry, Cui Xuanliang leaped up, finally realizing he had encountered bad people. Seeing all the ship’s goods had been swindled away completely, not only was Second Master’s capital lost, but they probably didn’t even have travel money to return to the Central Plains. Old Chen and Old Lin held their heads and wept bitterly, while Cui Xuanliang fell to the ground, waving his hands and feet, crying aloud.

The youth Little Fang had been waiting to collect money, but since they had just been swindled out of everything and were probably in agony, if he chose this moment to demand cart payment, he might well be beaten to death by the group. With no choice, he could only stand to one side, waiting for a good opportunity to collect money.

Everyone was crying heartbrokenly when suddenly they heard voices at the door: “Who are you people? Why did you break into this haunted house?”

Hearing the words “haunted house,” everyone turned to look together. They saw a group of people entering the guild hall doorway, all carrying knives, wearing tight clothing, with white cloud swallows embroidered on their chests. Their leader was empty-handed, wearing a heavy cloak with a red sparrow embroidered on the front. Though it was a hot day, he wasn’t seen sweating at all.

Smoke Island had twelve instructors, all with excellent martial arts and capable methods, who always enforced the law on the island. Old Chen knew a savior had come and quickly knelt down crying: “Sir! Sir! Our goods were stolen – please help catch the thieves!”

The cloaked man quickly stepped forward to help him up: “Old gentleman, don’t panic. Speak slowly – don’t perform such grand ceremony.”

Old Chen wiped away tears, sobbing: “We… we are merchants with goods to deliver to Lord Shang the Sixth… but who knew… who knew the guild hall actually harbored swindlers…”

Thinking of how all their ship’s cargo had been completely swindled away while the boat workers’ families had old and young all waiting to eat, and Second Master would owe tens of thousands of taels in debt, Old Chen and Old Lin felt their hearts ache and couldn’t help but wail loudly again.

Cui Xuanliang also frequently wiped tears, crying: “Yes! Yes! Those two came from the guild hall and said they were Lord Shang the Sixth, then took things from my cart…” The cloaked man was about thirty years old with dark skin and a capable expression. Hearing this, he frowned: “I already posted a seal on the door to warn all visitors to be careful. Didn’t you see it?”

Old Chen and Old Lin’s hearts jumped, only then remembering the talisman posted on the door reading “Important Official Premises – Trespassing Strictly Forbidden” – so that was the meaning of the seal. Cui Xuanliang sobbed: “I… I didn’t know that was a seal. Anyway… anyway they came from the guild hall, and I didn’t think much about it, so I helped load goods.”

The men said in amazement: “You’re really kind-hearted. Don’t tell me you only focused on loading and didn’t ask them for money?” Cui Xuanliang sobbed: “I did ask! They… they gave me that paper ticket and said I could exchange it with the Ryukyu King for money…”

“Ryukyu King?” Everyone was slightly stunned. The cloaked man took the paper ticket to look and pondered: “Were those two men sallow-faced with long whiskers at the corners of their mouths?” Cui Xuanliang cried: “Right, right, right! They were also carrying big bundles, like they were going on a long journey…”

The cloaked man looked briefly at the paper ticket, already having a judgment, and said: “These two are Zhang Party members.” Old Chen was surprised: “Zhang Party? What’s that?” The cloaked man explained: “The ‘Zhang Party’ are pirates, all Han Chinese bandits. Because they used to be Zhang Shicheng’s troops, we collectively call them ‘Zhang Party.'”

Old Chen said in amazement: “Zhang Shicheng? The same Zhang Shicheng who fought against Emperor Taizu?”

The cloaked man nodded: “That’s him. After Zhang Shicheng’s defeat, his subordinates refused to surrender and all fled to the Ghost Sea to gather and cause chaos. Later when Japan’s ‘Einosuke’ came to the Ghost Sea, he killed their leader and incorporated the remnants under his banner.”

Old Lin said tremblingly: “Einosuke – isn’t this guy a major Japanese pirate leader?” The cloaked man said: “Correct. Now the ‘Zhang Party’ members have become pirate guides, specifically leading bandits to rob their own Han compatriots.”

Hearing there were such traitors in the world, everyone was filled with righteous indignation and cursed endlessly. Old Chen smiled bitterly: “What’s going on? These pirates never had the courage to come to Smoke Island before. How could Zhang Party members actually… actually…”

The cloaked man sighed: “I’m truly sorry about this. My master is sixty this year, and guests from all directions have gathered. We couldn’t very well interrogate guests’ identities, so all sorts of people came. Because of this, the island is in chaos and we’re all overwhelmed with work.” Hearing “my master,” Old Chen couldn’t help but say “Ah!” and quickly asked: “Are you… are you Wei Island Master’s disciple?”

The cloaked man said calmly: “Yes, I’m ranked fourth, known as ‘Lin Karate.'” Old Chen and Old Lin heard the three words “Lin Karate” and couldn’t help but say “Ah!” immediately remembering that Ryukyu helmsman who had joined with his skills, quickly saying: “So you’re Wei Island Master’s fourth disciple Lin Siyong. Our respects, our respects.” They bowed formally with great ceremony.

“Karate” was Ryukyu martial arts, originating from China. Like the Ryukyu national treasure three-stringed zither, it was also transmitted through Zhejiang and Fujian into the island, passed down through generations to gradually become Ryukyu national arts. Many Japanese also came to learn admiringly. Because “唐” (Tang) and “空” (empty) were pronounced the same in Japanese, over time error became accepted as truth and was finally called “karate.”

Ryukyu karate, Korean Silla palm, and Central Plains iron sand palm were all famous for external hard martial arts. This Lin Siyong was originally named “Lin Maruhana,” a Ryukyu native and karate master, hence called “Lin Karate.” But after coming to Smoke Island and witnessing Wei Kuan’s abilities, he was greatly shocked and realized “there are people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens.” He understood that no matter how much he practiced karate, without internal energy cultivation it would ultimately be insufficient. So he became Wei Kuan’s disciple to learn Daoist breathing methods. Because he was already twenty-five when he became a disciple, his age was much greater than other disciples.

Cui Xuanliang murmured: “Brother Lin… Brother Lin, those people haven’t gone far. Can you… can you help me catch them and bring them back?” Lin Siyong said: “Of course, it’s my duty. I should naturally handle this for you gentlemen.” He turned to instruct his subordinates: “Immediately prepare boats and pursue the Zhang Party from two directions. Report back immediately upon any news.”

Several subordinates loudly agreed and rushed out quickly – not one shirked responsibility. Apparently Smoke Island’s constables were quite different. Cui Xuanliang saw these people’s martial arts weren’t high and feared they couldn’t beat him, so he asked Lin Siyong again: “Brother Lin, aren’t you going to catch them yourself?”

Lin Siyong shook his head: “Sorry, I have urgent business and can’t leave temporarily.” Old Chen pondered slightly, seeing Lin Siyong’s troubled expression and guessing it related to the situation here. He quickly said: “Young Master Lin, what exactly happened to this guild hall? Why was it sealed?”

Lin Siyong sighed: “I won’t hide it – Lord Shang the Sixth has passed away.” Everyone was shocked: “Lord Shang the Sixth is dead? He… he was a Ryukyu magnate! How did he die?” Lin Siyong sighed: “He died of illness.” Everyone was even more shocked: “Died of illness? But a month ago he… he still sent word. How did he suddenly die?”

Lin Siyong said: “Lord Shang the Sixth’s illness came very quickly. I heard he was delirious with high fever. A doctor was called at midnight, but he died before dawn.”

This Lord Shang the Sixth was originally named “Shang Zhongzhi,” a great figure in the Ryukyu Kingdom who had long done business on Smoke Island. If he suddenly died of violent illness, it would definitely be a major event shocking Ryukyu. Old Chen said tremblingly: “What… what illness did he get? So severe? Was it a stroke?”

Lin Siyong shook his head: “Don’t know. Anyway, we’ve had people guarding here these past few days to prevent idle people from mistakenly entering.”

Cui Xuanliang murmured: “Having people guard? But… but when we knocked on the guild hall door for a long time just now, no one came out to answer…” Lin Siyong glanced backward, and a subordinate said quietly: “Reporting to Fourth Young Master, this… this guild hall isn’t very clean, so we… we didn’t dare guard inside the house, which is why… why…”

Old Chen was frightened and quickly said: “Not clean? What do you mean?” Lin Siyong coughed and gave his subordinate a look: “Say less. Go inside and check to see what’s missing.”

The group of men agreed submissively and quickly went into the house. Just as they were about to search around, they heard Lin Siyong add another instruction: “Remember to burn mugwort to fumigate, and especially don’t touch anything from Lord Shang the Sixth’s room, understand?”

Seeing the men trembling with fear as they lit mugwort and fumigated everywhere, Old Chen and Old Lin watched and couldn’t help but shiver all over. They already knew why the “Three Mountains Guild Hall” was empty of people. They asked tremblingly: “Brother… Brother Lin… this… how did Lord Shang the Sixth die? Could it be… could it be plague… plague…”

They were so frightened inside that though the word “plague” came to their lips, they couldn’t say it. Lin Siyong knew he couldn’t hide it and said: “Lord Shang the Sixth did have some illness, possibly caused by external infection, but the island is already prepared. You gentlemen needn’t panic.”

These comforting words only made everyone more frightened and trembling. Old Lin said quietly: “Young Master Lin, we also went inside the house. Could we catch the disease?” Lin Siyong comforted them: “Don’t worry. Look, I’ve been guarding in the house these past few days and haven’t gotten sick. Please don’t spread alarmist talk – if it causes panic among the island’s people, that wouldn’t be good.” He took out a bottle of pills, giving one to each person: “If you’re still worried, take this medicine. It expels illness if you’re sick and strengthens the body if you’re not.”

Old Chen saw the pills had a pungent, spicy smell and thought they could dispel miasma, so he quickly held out his hand and swallowed one whole. Old Lin and Cui Xuanliang were also scared out of their wits and each took one. Lin Siyong added: “Anyone else want medicine? Come over.”

Inside the house besides Old Chen and Old Lin were those five cart drivers. Everyone was fearful and immediately came to line up for medicine. Cui Xuanliang, fearing one pill wasn’t enough, lined up at the end again, wanting to take a few more.

While lining up, they suddenly heard someone say: “Gentlemen, can you pay now?”

Everyone turned to look – it was the Fang youth coming to collect money. This person was quite indifferent to life and death. Though there was plague in the house, he didn’t care much – apparently someone who wanted money more than life. Old Chen had a bitter, sour face. Seeing this trip had cost them everything, but the cart fare still had to be paid in full, he took out broken silver and was about to pay when Lin Siyong stopped him: “Wait, how much is he charging you?” Old Chen quickly said: “We hired five carts from him – one tael and eight qian silver, including loading and unloading.” He asked Lin Siyong: “Is… is this price reasonable?”

Lin Siyong looked at the Fang youth: “It’s reasonable. Pay him.”

Old Chen paid the full amount. Little Fang counted the silver, then distributed it to the cart drivers, and they all scattered like birds and beasts.

Seeing the Fang youth walk away, Lin Siyong still gazed at his retreating figure thoughtfully. Old Chen quickly said: “Young Master Lin, is this kid a bad person?” Lin Siyong sighed: “He can’t really be called a bad person. It’s just that this youth has never been honest in business, often cheating strangers and causing many disputes. If you meet him again next time, you’d better be careful.”

Old Lin was shocked: “Wait… could it be… could this boy also be a ‘Zhang Party’ member?”

Everyone became more frightened the more they thought about it. The timing of those two swindlers’ appearance was too coincidental – they might really be accomplices of that Fang youth. Old Chen and Old Lin panicked, but Lin Siyong said: “Don’t worry. Though Little Fang isn’t law-abiding, out of consideration for his parents’ sake, he wouldn’t commit crimes. Otherwise I would have arrested him long ago.”

Cui Xuanliang said: “Brother Lin, who else is in Little Fang’s family?” Lin Siyong said: “This boy has many family members, all living in ‘Fang Family Village’ on the western part of the island.” Cui Xuanliang said in amazement: “Wait, ‘Fang Family Village’? Are there many people surnamed Fang on this island?”

Lin Siyong said: “Correct. The Fang surname is the largest Han surname on the island, with at least over two thousand households.”

Cui Xuanliang was shocked. Last night he had heard Monk Tianjue mention that he was looking for a family surnamed Fang, but now hearing this, there seemed to be thousands upon thousands of people surnamed Fang on Smoke Island. He wondered where Monk Tianjue would start looking. He murmured again: “Brother Lin, do the people surnamed Fang on this island have any background?” Lin Siyong said: “According to elder traditions, all the Fang-surnamed people on the island are descendants of Fang Guozhen.” Cui Xuanliang murmured: “Fang Guozhen? Who is that?” Lin Siyong said: “Fang Guozhen was also one of the separatist warlords. It’s said that after he surrendered to Emperor Hongwu, several of his subordinates were dissatisfied, so they sailed out to sea and settled on Smoke Island, becoming the first group of Han people to arrive here.”

Old Chen was well-versed in founding dynasty history and knew this Fang Guozhen was like Zhang Shicheng – both had controlled Jiangnan during the Zhizheng years. But Fang Guozhen came from a pirate background and his abilities were far inferior to other warlords. Once Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng and others died successively, he quickly begged Emperor Taizu for surrender, hoping to preserve his life. His troops must have been ashamed of his actions, which is why they fled overseas.

Remembering that Fang Guozhen was from Huangtai, Zhejiang, Old Chen nodded repeatedly: “So this boy is a descendant of Fang Guozhen. No wonder he claims to be from Zhejiang. But why did he also say his ancestors once held office in Nanjing?” Lin Siyong shook his head: “I don’t know about that. If you want to inquire about his background, you might as well take a trip to the western part of the island yourself.”

Who would bother asking about the background of a mere laborer youth? Old Chen was worried the house wasn’t clean and just wanted to leave quickly, so he said: “Fourth Master Lin, since there’s nothing else, may we take our leave?” Lin Siyong said: “Of course. May I ask your honorable names and where your ship is moored? I’ll leave word here, and if I find your goods, I’ll send someone to notify you.”

Old Chen was grateful to tears and bowed: “Thank you for your righteousness, Young Master. My humble surname is Chen, this one is surnamed Lin. Our ship is moored at Gengwu Wharf on the north side of the island – you’ll know it when you come.” Though Lin Siyong looked weary, he still instructed his subordinates to make note of this.

In the past, relying on Wei Kuan’s reputation, Smoke Island residents never locked their doors at night and no bandits dared to commit crimes. But after organizing this sixtieth birthday celebration, the island had encountered so many incidents. Lin Siyong must have been exhausted from running back and forth these past few days.

Everyone didn’t dare stay long and were about to head for the door when they heard footsteps outside and an aged voice saying: “Is this the scene?” A woman said: “Yes, please come this way, Brother Shangguan.”

Seeing more people arriving, Old Chen quickly led Cui Xuanliang to step aside by the road. They heard footsteps as an elderly man entered first – silver-white hair, flowing robes with wide sleeves, somewhat short in stature but with robust, powerful arms covered in blue veins and hard muscle, extremely strong and forceful.

A martial artist had appeared. Cui Xuanliang quietly came to the doorway, planning to slip away, when suddenly he smelled a fragrance. His eyes lit up as a great beauty gracefully entered.

She was about thirty years old, wearing a delicate emerald silk short-sleeved garment that revealed half of her crystalline jade arms. On her wrist was an emerald bracelet of deep green color, extremely precious. But Cui Xuanliang saw none of this – he just opened his mouth wide, trembling all over, staring directly at her beautiful eyes, drooling.

Cui Xuanliang wasn’t inexperienced with women. His two female cousins at home and Xiao Ming and Xiao Xiu on the ship were all beauties. But when it came to beautiful eyes, no one could compare to the bright, intelligent eyes before him.

Those eyes were bright and clear, touching and moving, with a natural playful charm. Especially when she glanced around, as her eyes moved, all sorts of clever thoughts poured out. Anyone who looked into those eyes would have their heart pounding and lose their composure.

Their four eyes met. Those beautiful eyes first blinked with some surprise, probably not expecting to encounter a handsome youth here, then slightly turned aside with a hint of shyness, apparently not expecting this person to be so rude as to stare at her directly.

Cui Xuanliang stared blankly at those beautiful eyes, his heart growing more passionate. Unable to control himself, he actually leaned his head forward to kiss those beautiful eyes. In the blink of an eye, those beautiful eyes blazed with fury. With a loud “slap!” Cui Xuanliang felt the world spinning. He staggered and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Maruhana!” The beauty stood with hands on hips and angrily shouted: “What’s going on here! How did the room become such a mess? Who has been here?”

Lin Siyong quickly stepped forward and hastily bowed: “Just now ‘Zhang Party’ thieves entered the house to steal. We brothers were caught off guard and they stole some items.”

The woman looked charming, but once she put on a stern expression, she had an indescribable authority. She said in a deep voice: “Zhang Party?” Her voice rose slightly, as if she wanted to thunder with rage, but glancing around, she saw Old Chen and Old Lin trembling and hiding fearfully to one side. She suppressed her anger and pointed at Cui Xuanliang on the ground: “Who is this youth? He’s not one of the Zhang Party bandits, is he?”

Lin Siyong quickly said: “No, no. These people are merchants from the Central Plains. They were just unlucky and also had their goods stolen by Zhang Party thieves, suffering considerable losses.” The woman looked at Old Lin and Old Chen, pondering: “Merchants from the Central Plains – what are their surnames?”

Lin Siyong respectfully said: “Answering Master’s Wife, they claim to be surnamed Chen, with their ship moored on the north side of the island.”

Hearing “Master’s Wife,” Old Chen was stunned. The woman was clearly about the same age as Lin Siyong, but for some unknown reason had become his “Master’s Wife” – truly strange indeed. His thoughts turned and he immediately thought of someone, quickly pulling Old Lin and whispering: “Let’s go quickly, quickly.”

Old Lin also recognized her, and in his fear, he worked with Old Chen to carry the young master, about to rush out the door when they heard the woman say clearly: “You two please wait – I have some questions for you later.”

As soon as the order was given, two martial arts men stood at the doorway, hands on hips, saying coldly: “Please return, gentlemen.” Old Chen and Old Lin cried in anguish and could only obediently stand to one side. As for what beating or killing awaited them, they could only leave it to fate.

Seeing she had detained the people, the woman wasn’t in a hurry to question them. She turned to the silver-haired elder: “Brother Shangguan, Brother Shangguan, this is truly embarrassing. As soon as you arrive on Smoke Island, you have to make this trip…” The elder said: “Don’t say such polite words. We all served His Majesty in the past – blood is thicker than water. Wei Kuan’s affairs are my affairs, Shangguan Yi’s affairs…”

Hearing the three words “Shangguan Yi,” Old Chen’s heart jumped, feeling this name was very familiar. He carefully examined the elder, seeing he wasn’t tall but had robust, powerful arms, apparently having practiced extremely formidable external hard martial arts. Old Chen said “Ah!” and suddenly understood, remembering this person’s background. This elder was none other than “Earth Tiger” Shangguan Yi, one of the former “Eight Tigers of Yanshan.”

“Iron Staff” Meng Zhongzhi, “Standing Horse Blade” Guo Fengjie, “Wall Tiger” Qiu Zhong, “Earth Tiger” Shangguan Yi… along with the first-ranked “Flying Tiger General” Cui Fengxun – these were the “Eight Tigers of Yanshan.” Shangguan Yi wasn’t actually short, but since his military comrades were often nine feet tall, they always jokingly called him “Earth Tiger,” like Wang Ying in Water Margin. But Shangguan Yi was peaceful in his dealings and rarely quarreled with others. Emperor Yongle liked his calm nature and transferred him to the Criminal Investigation Bureau, commanding five thousand officers of the “Three Legal Departments.” After the Yongle reign, he turned to escort business. Who would have thought they’d encounter him here.

Since Shangguan Yi came from a Criminal Investigation background, he must have come to the scene to use his skills in case investigation. Just as he was thinking this, Shangguan Yi was already asking Lin Siyong: “Nephew Lin, has the inventory of stolen goods been completed?”

Lin Siyong quickly walked over, took out a ledger from his chest, and respectfully presented it to his Master’s Wife. The woman accepted it and handed it to the elder: “All the large and small items in the house are listed here. Please examine it, Brother Shangguan.”

This woman truly paid attention to small things but not big ones. Though a ledger was presented, she still had to add an extra hand, making it seem like complicated ceremonial procedures. Shangguan Yi smiled at Lin Siyong and took the ledger, flipping through page by page. After a while, he said: “This wasn’t robbery and murder – the jewelry and ornaments are all here.”

Hearing this, everyone realized the elder had come to investigate the case. They heard the woman say flatly: “Correct. No valuable items were missing. If not for this, how would Zhang Party thieves have been attracted here?” She glanced at Lin Siyong and others with displeasure.

Lin Siyong quickly bowed: “Master’s Wife, please calm your anger. The frequent theft cases and unstable security are all Maruhana’s fault. Please punish me severely, Master’s Wife.”

The woman said calmly: “You needn’t try to manipulate my words. After your master emerges from seclusion, he’ll naturally punish you.” Lin Siyong had originally been heroic and forthright, but standing before this woman, he inexplicably seemed to shrink, and after being coldly lectured by his Master’s Wife, could only bow repeatedly and not dare speak.

While they were talking, Shangguan Yi had already walked around the room and roughly examined the furnishings: “Who else was in the room when Shang Zhongzhi died?” The woman said coldly: “Maruhana.”

Lin Siyong, hearing the instruction, dared to step forward and speak: “Answering Senior, on the night Lord Shang the Sixth died, he had two martial arts bodyguards with him. Besides them, there were eight servants in the guild hall. They also called a doctor who watched over him all night.”

Shangguan Yi nodded: “I heard your Master’s Wife mention that Shang Zhongzhi seemed to pass very quickly. Is this so?”

Lin Siyong said: “What Master’s Wife said is naturally correct. It’s said Lord Shang the Sixth had a fever in the evening, became critically ill at midnight, and died before dawn. The guild hall called a doctor to treat him, but he couldn’t determine the cause of illness.”

Shangguan Yi frowned: “I heard Shang Zhongzhi was also a martial artist, correct?” Lin Siyong said: “Exactly. This Lord Shang the Sixth was fifty-seven years old, a famous master of our Ryukyu karate, with a robust body and usually no illness or pain. Yet after the fever, he couldn’t last one night before dying.” The woman interjected: “Could this Shang Zhongzhi have been poisoned?”

Shangguan Yi pondered for a long while: “Nephew Lin, have you examined the corpse?” Lin Siyong shook his head: “No. Lord Shang the Sixth was a Ryukyu magnate with extraordinary status. We didn’t dare act on our own authority. We must wait for the Ryukyu King’s envoy to arrive before we can perform an autopsy.”

Shangguan Yi said: “Was this your Master’s Wife’s idea?” The woman’s pretty face darkened: “So what if it was? What instruction does Brother Shangguan have?” Shangguan Yi coughed several times and had no instructions: “Nothing, just… just that the weather has been very hot these past few days. If the envoy arrives late, I fear the corpse will decompose.”

Lin Siyong said: “Senior needn’t worry about this. The Ryukyu envoy will arrive tomorrow. Lord Shang the Sixth’s remains are covered with lime and placed downwind on the south side of the island. They should last one day.” Shangguan Yi said: “Wait? You covered his corpse with lime? And placed it downwind?” Lin Siyong coughed a few times and nodded: “Exactly so.”

Shangguan Yi chuckled, apparently seeing something, and immediately said: “Nephew Lin, where is the doctor who diagnosed Shang Zhongzhi that night? Can you bring him to see me?” Lin Siyong coughed: “Sorry, that person is no longer here.”

Shangguan Yi’s expression changed slightly: “No longer here? What, did this person flee?” Lin Siyong said: “No, this doctor is also dead.” Everyone was shocked, and Shangguan Yi also took a deep breath: “Dead? What happened?” Lin Siyong sighed: “Lord Shang the Sixth died at dawn. By that afternoon, his two martial arts bodyguards and the doctor who treated him that night had also died successively.”

Hearing this, Old Chen was startled, Old Lin’s teeth also chattered, finally realizing the plague had spread. Shangguan Yi snorted: “Have all these bodies been examined?”

Lin Siyong shook his head: “No. The matter was too strange – no one dared risk their lives to try. These bodies have now been cremated. The only remaining clues are this haunted house and Lord Shang the Sixth’s corpse. We hope Senior will find time to give guidance.”

Lime could preserve corpses but also kill germs. Seeing the corpse covered with lime, this case was clearly plague from the start – how could it be a murder case? Shangguan Yi was somewhat annoyed and immediately said: “Where is your master? Does he know about this?”

Lin Siyong glanced at the woman and, seeing her nod permission, said: “Answering Senior, I have not yet reported this matter to my master.” Shangguan Yi frowned: “Nephew, I’m not criticizing you, but what kind of great person is your master? What scenes hasn’t he witnessed? When such strange events occur, why didn’t you tell him?” Lin Siyong coughed: “First, my master is in seclusion. Second, he’s about to celebrate his birthday in a few days and shouldn’t be contaminated by these bloody matters. For this reason, Master’s Wife invited Senior to investigate.”

As the words reached his mouth, the woman snorted, and Lin Siyong quickly corrected himself: “Yes, yes, inviting Senior here was my idea, my idea.” Shangguan Yi didn’t know what they were up to and was too lazy to think about it. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head: “Sister-in-law, I used to be a Guard Commander, managing Beijing’s security, not medical treatment. Are you really sure Shang Zhongzhi didn’t contract an acute illness?”

The woman said: “Brother Shangguan, if I weren’t one hundred percent certain, would I trouble you to come personally?” Shangguan Yi sighed: “I’m not certain about women’s certainties.” The woman’s pretty face darkened: “Watch carefully – a woman’s certainty is all here.” She took out a wooden bead from her chest, flicked it with her finger, and shot it toward Shangguan Yi.

The wooden bead flew out, filling the room with fragrance. It flew level for several zhang with incredible speed. Shangguan Yi was startled and was about to reach out to catch it when the bead suddenly dropped down and landed steadily in his clothing pocket with rarely seen accuracy. Old Chen and Old Lin were about to cheer loudly when the woman raised her hand and said coldly: “No need.”

The woman deliberately displayed her martial arts to suppress the men’s arrogance in the room. As for these boring flatteries, she naturally declined with both hands. Shangguan Yi swallowed and was somewhat afraid of her too. He retrieved the wooden bead from his pocket, and as soon as he took it out, he smelled a strong fragrance. He was slightly surprised: “This… this is…”

The woman said: “This is an evil-warding bead. This object wards off evil and dispels illness. It’s said that wearers are immune to all poisons, and snakes, insects, and miasma cannot approach them. I’ve worn this bead these past few days, and even my chronic headaches have improved.” Hearing of the bead’s miraculous effects, Shangguan Yi was naturally somewhat curious: “Is this object related to Lord Shang the Sixth?”

The woman said calmly: “Doesn’t Brother Shangguan understand? This bead is Shang Zhongzhi’s relic.” Shangguan Yi said in amazement: “You… you mean Shang Zhongzhi usually wore this bead?” The woman said coldly: “Maruhana.” Lin Siyong, hearing the summons, immediately bowed and stepped forward: “Answering Senior, this evil-warding bead was found in a drawer. Whether Lord Shang the Sixth usually wore this bead, I dare not say definitively.” Shangguan Yi frowned: “This is strange. If this precious bead has such miraculous effects, he should have worn it day and night. How could he have taken it off? Could it be… could it be…”

Everyone’s eyes met, knowing something was suspicious. Since Shang Zhongzhi had this precious bead, why didn’t he carry it with him? Could someone in the house have tampered with it? But if someone had malicious intentions, why didn’t they steal it but let this treasure remain in the house? Could they have feared exposure? Old Chen and Old Lin exchanged glances, both feeling there was more to this matter.

Shangguan Yi pondered for a long while, playing with the wooden bead: “Sister-in-law, these evil-warding beads are rare in the world. Where did Shang Zhongzhi get this?” The woman said: “Hold the bead up to the sunlight, and the answer will naturally be clear.”

Shangguan Yi took the precious bead and walked several steps closer to the window. The sunlight was dazzling, instantly making the precious bead shine brilliantly. Three characters were clearly carved on the bead: “Zhang Xuanxuan.” Shangguan Yi was shocked and cried out: “Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang! This… this was given to him by Master Zhang?”

The woman said: “It should be, otherwise why would the bead be carved with Zhang Sanfeng’s name?”

Zhang Sanfeng was elusive as a dragon – legends said he had already passed away, but others said he had ascended to become an immortal. Even Emperor Yongle sent envoys to the mountain six times but never found him. If this bead was truly personally given by Zhang Sanfeng, it meant this old Taoist had actually left the Central Plains long ago. Otherwise, how would he have known this “Shang Zhongzhi”?

Shangguan Yi nodded: “This matter is indeed very strange. Fine, I’ll take this case. If this Shang Zhongzhi was murdered, it definitely won’t escape my ‘Shangguan Earth Tiger’s’ eyes. But sister-in-law, let me say the ugly words first – if this Lord Shang the Sixth really died of disease, you’ll have to find someone else more capable. Otherwise when the plague spreads, this brother can’t bear the responsibility.”

The woman said: “Don’t worry, I’m already prepared for this.” Shangguan Yi said “Oh”: “What? You’ve also invited a famous doctor to assist? Not Doctor Yuan from Beijing, I suppose?”

The woman smiled slightly: “No, this time it’s Doctor Yuan’s nemesis – Ghost Doctor Wang.”

Shangguan Yi was shocked: “‘Ghost Doctor’ Wang Kui has come? What? Is he also here for the birthday celebration?” The woman laughed: “That would be presumptuous. I’ve inquired – this Wang Kui came to Smoke Island for His Majesty’s health.”

Shangguan Yi said in surprise: “His Majesty?” The woman said: “He came on the ‘Prestige Warship.'” Hearing this, Shangguan Yi immediately said “Ah!”: “I see, I see. He came to gather medicine for His Majesty? This means that boy Bai Bixia also came?” The woman said flatly: “Correct. I met Commander Bai yesterday. His fleet is now moored south of the island.”

Shangguan Yi chuckled: “Sister-in-law, this Bai Bixia came such a long way – besides official business, he must have some private business too?” The woman frowned: “Brother Shangguan’s words are hard to understand. What official and private business? What connection does my Wei family have with Commander Bai?” Shangguan Yi smiled: “Sister-in-law, why pretend to be confused? Bai Yuntian’s unrequited love for your daughter has long been rumored in the martial world. Don’t you pity him at all?”

Suddenly hearing this bolt from the blue, Old Chen and Old Lin were terrified out of their wits. Cui Xuanliang was still unconscious on the ground, unaware that the biggest piece of fat meat in the bowl had been quietly snatched away. He would probably wail loudly again when he woke up and saw this.

Shangguan Yi laughed a few times and was about to say more when the woman closed her eyes solemnly: “Brother Shangguan, the Ryukyu King’s envoy will arrive tomorrow morning. When they ask about the case, if I know nothing, that would be quite embarrassing.” Shangguan Yi said apologetically: “Right, right. Let’s talk less and focus on business.” He turned to Lin Siyong: “Nephew Lin, please accompany me to examine the house. Sister-in-law, please wait here for a moment. My daughter and son-in-law will arrive shortly – all my investigative tools are with them.”

The woman said: “Brother Shangguan, go about your business. I’ll handle things here.” She walked to Old Chen and Old Lin, smiling: “Sorry to delay your time, gentlemen. Please sit down first.”

This woman had previously shown authority and commanded decisively, but now she spoke softly and kindly to Old Chen and Old Lin. The two old men laughed dryly, their eyes all looking at the ground, not daring to meet hers. The woman smiled, then bent down to look at Cui Xuanliang, saying softly: “Child, are you alright?”

Cui Xuanliang had been knocked unconscious by a slap earlier. Now hearing the gentle call like celestial music and a goddess descending, he said confusedly: “Who’s calling me?” The woman smiled slightly, lifted him up, and pillowed him on her lap, pinching his philtrum.

The woman clearly had martial arts skills and considerable internal energy. Where her power reached, Cui Xuanliang slowly awakened. Opening his eyes, he saw delicate jade feet before him – three-inch golden lotuses right before his eyes. Smelling the rose fragrance, he quickly turned his head and first saw a willow-leaf flowered skirt. His shoulder touched warm, soft jade. Cui Xuanliang opened his mouth wide, realizing he was lying in a beautiful woman’s embrace.

Cui Xuanliang was shocked, delighted, panicked, and afraid, shouting: “Am… am I already dead?” Giggling laughter rang out. Cui Xuanliang looked up urgently and saw those beautiful eyes again. He cried “Ah!” and quickly covered his face, sitting up and fleeing to Old Chen’s feet, saying tremblingly: “Don’t hit me, I don’t dare anymore, don’t dare anymore.”

Earlier, in his infatuation, he had tried to kiss the owner of those starry eyes and was immediately knocked to the ground unconscious. Now awakening from the dream and seeing those beautiful eyes again was like seeing an angry lion or tiger, terrifying him. The woman saw him cowering and smiled again: “Don’t worry, with me here, who dares hit you?”

Cui Xuanliang looked at the ground timidly, but hearing this pleasant voice, he quietly raised his eyes again to look at her.

Only then did Cui Xuanliang see her appearance for the first time. The lady before him was not young, about thirty years old, with large starry eyes that were divine and electric. Especially when her long eyelashes blinked, it made him blush all over. He lowered his head again, not daring to speak.

The woman smiled slightly, reached out to stroke Cui Xuanliang’s forehead, and said gently: “Child, you’re from the Central Plains, aren’t you?”

The lady’s voice was gentle and pleasant, and she even reached out her jade hand to touch him. Cui Xuanliang’s spirits revived and he immediately roared: “Yes!” Before he could answer in detail, Old Chen jumped ahead, smiling apologetically: “Yes, yes, we… we’re from Quanzhou. My humble surname is Chen, that one is surnamed Lin… that young brother is our… our little nephew…” Cui Xuanliang said “Eh!” not knowing when he had changed his surname to “Chen.” Just as he was about to ask, Old Lin grabbed his sleeve, signaling him not to speak.