Night had fallen.

On the eastern side of the city, the district once called Zhong’an Fang now flew the banner of “Equality King” Shi Baofeng.

Having been occupied early on and thus spared much of the upheaval, Zhong’an Fang had by now become one of the busiest, most prosperous marketplaces in the city. Entering through the western gate of the district, one side was crowded with all manner of shops and businesses belonging to the “Baofeng Trading” enterprise, while the other side was enclosed by a large cluster of courtyards, forming what outsiders called the “Hall of Assembled Talents”—guest quarters for honored visitors.

As the faction among the Fair Party’s five most skilled at business, responsible for logistics and the movement of goods, “Equality King” Shi Baofeng had, from the very start of his uprising, taken the approach of cultivating wide-ranging connections. Though the Fair Party’s chaotic early circumstances meant this side had never had much direct contact with the largest powers in the realm, many small and mid-sized factions drawn to the idea of seeking fortune amid danger found it easiest to make contact through Shi Baofeng’s “Baofeng Trading” network.

And in this process, no small number of desperate outlaws had also risen up through dangerous trade dealings with “Baofeng Trading,” gradually climbing out of their dire circumstances to become small or mid-sized armed factions in their own right, forging deep ties with Shi Baofeng along the way.

With news of this Jiangning gathering now spreading, each faction had put its own distinctive style on display: “Wheel-Turning King” Xu Zhaonan had gathered a vast following of believers, even bringing in the long-traveling Great Radiance Sect leader to preside in person; “King of Hell” Zhou Shang maintained his characteristically extreme approach, drawing in a great many reckless, death-defying outlaws while also sweeping up countless opportunistic hangers-on looking to profit from the chaos, building up an imposing show of force; “Equality King” Shi Baofeng’s side, meanwhile, had from the very start attracted numerous established factions, large and small, coming to pay their respects—by the eighth month, representatives from every corner of the martial world, bearing famous names and no shortage of heroic exploits to their credit, were streaming into Zhong’an Fang day after day.

Compared to the “Wheel-Turning” and “King of Hell” factions, whose numbers were large but often little more than a disorganized rabble, those gathering around Shi Baofeng tended to be far more “proper” and “respectable” in bearing. Among them were far-traveling, well-connected escort agencies, powerful merchant guilds representing local gentry factions, and many genuine “heroes” who had actually mounted real resistance during the Jurchen’s rampage, with real deeds to their names…

As each faction entered Zhong’an Fang, dedicated agents in the surrounding streets would begin promoting and praising their backgrounds, drawing crowds of admiring onlookers in turn.

Those who had built their fortunes through business understood better than anyone the art of mutual flattery and image-building, and the various factions arriving from afar understood this logic just as well. In no time, the different factions entering the “Hall of Assembled Talents” fell into constant mutual visitation, cultivating connections and praising one another daily, creating an atmosphere of harmonious camaraderie, a gathering of worthies all around. So much so that some “in the know” had already begun comparing this “Hall of Assembled Talents” to Chengdu’s famous “Guest Welcome Road.”

Of course, with so many large and small factions gathered together, beneath the surface harmony and bustle, all sorts of complicated affairs, good and bad, inevitably surfaced like ripples beneath still water.

Take, for instance, the Yan Family Fortress caravan that had arrived a few days earlier—initially, thanks to the Yan family’s history of resisting the Jurchen, and rumors that Yan Taiwei’s only daughter might be marrying into the Shi family, they had drawn considerable attention and discussion, with representatives from several small and mid-sized factions specifically paying visits to the caravan’s leader, Second Uncle Yan.

But over the past two days, following the sudden emergence of certain news, talk of the Yan family had rapidly died down. Even when someone did bring it up, most people’s attitudes turned evasive and vague, stammering as if trying to forget the matter entirely for the time being.

On the sixteenth of the eighth month, Yan Yunzhi sat in the courtyard late into the night. In her hands, she turned over the two short swords she always carried with her; in the quiet of the night, a faint buzzing sometimes echoed in her mind.

The sudden burst of attention from a few days earlier had died down just as suddenly…

In truth, this marriage alliance hadn’t been an absolute, must-achieve objective for the Yan family’s visit. Her father had said, from the moment they set out, that verbal agreements weren’t necessarily binding—that for two great households, the most reliable relationship was always a mutual exchange of interests that both sides genuinely needed. If both parties could cooperate, and each respected the other’s character, then a marriage alliance would naturally strengthen the bond further. But if neither side found the other suitable, the Yan family had its own dignity, and had no need to curry favor with any so-called “Equality King.”

Of course, in practice, under ordinary circumstances, this marriage would most likely have gone ahead regardless.

Yan Yunzhi was seventeen this year, and her thinking wasn’t especially rebellious or unconventional. As for marrying into the Shi family, she had, from the start, already prepared herself mentally for it.

Having arrived in Jiangning a few days earlier, “Equality King” Shi Baofeng was reportedly still occupied with other matters north of the river, and in his absence, the Hall of Assembled Talents had been hosting them under the care of several senior stewards from Shi Baofeng’s “Heaven, Earth, and Man” triad of chief managers, along with Shi Baofeng’s second son, Shi Weiyang. Barring any major complications, this young Master Shi Weiyang would be the one to fulfill the marriage contract with her.

In their initial encounters, Yan Yunzhi’s impression of him hadn’t been unfavorable. Assisted by the senior stewards, this Young Master Shi had handled every matter with proper decorum, spoken with reasonable poise, and combined with his decent looks and reputed martial skill, Yan Yunzhi, though anxious about the prospect of marrying such a man, hadn’t felt any particular aversion toward it either—everyone had to go through something like this in life, and there was no escaping it.

But once that news had come out, everything had quickly soured.

Amid the enthusiasm of those first few days, most of the praise had centered on the Yan family’s exploits resisting the Jurchen; the marriage alliance with the Shi family, since Shi Baofeng himself hadn’t yet arrived to formally confirm it, had only circulated as unofficial rumor. But that “Equality King’s” faction had been willing to let such rumors spread suggested they weren’t planning to back out of the arrangement.

But once the news about Tongshan County had suddenly surfaced, the various worthies who had been calling on them so persistently over the past couple of days had abruptly steered well clear of the area where the Yan family was staying. When it came to the matter of the marriage, people weren’t joking about it anymore—they had simply chosen to say nothing at all. To outside observers, it seemed clear that Shi Baofeng would no longer accept this marriage alliance, and continuing to discuss it now would only risk offending the “Equality King” himself.

At seventeen, this young woman had already been through a great deal, had even fought her way through killing two Jurchen soldiers under harrowing circumstances. But in any stage of her life before this, had she ever encountered a shift in the atmosphere around her quite like this?

Facing an enemy, she could fight with all her strength; but facing something like this, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of humiliation just from being present—she wanted to cry out, to defend herself, but found she had no way to even open her mouth.

In the days before, she had liked sitting quietly in the front hall, listening to people talk about all the various happenings in the city. But over these past two days, she found even leaving the courtyard felt unnatural, and had confined herself to the courtyard even for meals and fresh air.

Around the hour of hai, her uncle Yan Tiehe came to sit with her for a while, making conversation.

“…Quite a few big things happened outside today. The most talked-about, by far, was Great Radiance Sect Leader Lin Zongwu single-handedly taking down Zhou Shang’s Five Arenas—the whole city’s already telling wildly exaggerated tales about it…”

Perhaps worried that she was feeling stifled cooped up here, Yan Tiehe had made a point of sharing some fresh news from the city with her. But at that moment, Yan Yunzhi’s mind wasn’t on any of this.

“What about our family’s situation…” Yan Yunzhi tried to keep herself calm. “Maybe… I should just go home…”

“It hasn’t come to that.” Yan Tiehe said. “As for this matter… honestly, no one’s saying much of anything about it anymore. Because, in the end, your Uncle Shi still hasn’t entered the city himself. He’s a discerning man who understands things clearly—once he arrives, he’ll handle it properly, I’m sure of it. Don’t worry.”

“But…” Yan Yunzhi sniffled, pausing slightly. “Have you found out who started the rumor?”

Yan Tiehe lowered his head, falling silent for a moment. “‘Five-Foot Y-Demon,’ of all things… a nickname like that surely couldn’t have come from that little demon himself. And as for what happened in Tongshan—besides us, and that damned creature… who else even knows about it?”

“…The Li family? Why would they do such a thing? Didn’t we settle things amicably in Tongshan?” Yan Yunzhi’s eyes widened.

Yan Tiehe shook his head. “…Li Yanfeng is in the city right now. His father’s already a guardian of the Great Radiance Sect, and he himself has just accepted a guardian position too. Spreading this kind of rumor is nothing more than an attempt to embarrass your Uncle Shi.”

“Is Xu Zhaonan at odds with him?”

“Haven’t you gotten a read on things after these few days in the city? Among the Fair Party’s five factions, who isn’t at odds with whom? And there’s more to it than that. Have you forgotten… where that boy came from…”

Yan Yunzhi thought about it for a moment, then understood. “He’s trying to make… this side… into an enemy of the Southwest…”

“If this blows up big enough, and you—the Equality King’s future daughter-in-law—have been disgraced, how could they not seek justice for it? And that boy from the Southwest—do you think he’s some pushover? Li Yanfeng calls himself ‘Monkey King,’ but he’s actually quite deep and calculating—that’s exactly how he built his little empire in Tongshan. The other side caused trouble in Tongshan, and he simply turned around and tossed the problem onto someone else’s plate. Now the headache belongs to either us or your Uncle Shi. We’ve seen firsthand just how formidable he is.”

Yan Yunzhi lowered her head, falling silent for a moment before finally looking up. “Back in Tongshan, everything was settled so amicably… All I want now is to confront him face to face, and then kill him…”

The slender young woman sitting there gripped her sword, her eyes looking almost as if they might bleed with rage. Yan Tiehe watched her for a while, then reached out and patted her hand. “…You can’t beat him. Be patient for now. There’ll be an opening in a few days.” By saying “can’t beat him,” he meant he himself had no confidence he could defeat that “Monkey King” Li Yanfeng either.

The two of them talked a while longer, Yan Tiehe doing his best to console her, but with little real effect. After he left, the lanterns hanging under the courtyard eaves swayed gently in the night wind. Yan Yunzhi sat gripping her sword at the stone table in the courtyard for a long while, her mind sometimes drifting to the repugnant faces of the people she’d encountered these past few days, and sometimes to that formidably skilled little demon from Tongshan county… He’d said he would come to Jiangning… She almost wanted to go find him right now and run him through with her sword.

Time gradually crept past midnight, the distant clamor of the city fading into quiet. Then, amid the stillness, some laughing, chattering figures came back this way, apparently drunk, roughhousing all the way, the mood rather lively.

Yan Yunzhi sat at the table, paying them no mind, assuming they would pass by along the side of the courtyard—but instead, they came right past the courtyard gate itself, laughing and carrying on. She turned her back, unwilling to appear as though she’d noticed them, as the late-returning revelers passed by the entrance one by one.

After a moment, though, faint footsteps came through the gate.

Turning to look, Yan Yunzhi saw Shi Weiyang, carrying a lantern, already approaching. He reeked of wine, but his words came out courteous and gentle. “Miss Yan, still not asleep.”

If nothing went drastically wrong, this man would be her future husband. She gave a slight bow of the head. “Young Master Shi.”

“I’ve been remiss these past two days, failing to check on you—truly negligent of me.”

“Young Master Shi has many matters to attend to. There was no need…”

“No, that’s not it.” Shi Weiyang shook his head with a smile. “These past two days, with all the rumors flying about outside, I had to deal with them first… but I should have realized that facing such rumors, it’s you, Miss Yan, who’s suffered the most. It was thoughtless of me. I’ve come today… to apologize.”

“That’s not—” Yan Yunzhi shook her head, a sudden warmth welling up inside her, leaving her momentarily unable to find words. Shi Weiyang stepped closer, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Sit.”

Yan Yunzhi stepped back slightly and sat down on the stone stool. Shi Weiyang sat down beside her; now that he was closer, the smell of wine was even stronger, though his tone remained gentle. “I understand how you must be feeling, Miss Yan. Truly, there’s no need to take this too much to heart—I’ve heard my father speak of the Yan family’s character and integrity since I was young, and I have no doubt he’ll stand firmly behind you on this… hic… forgive me…”

He offered a few more words of comfort; Yan Yunzhi lowered her head and thanked him. He continued, “By the way, since arriving in the city, you haven’t had a chance to go out and see the sights, have you?”

“Ah, being cooped up here all day would drive anyone stir-crazy…”

Shi Weiyang’s voice was warm and considerate, and the two of them talked a while longer in this vein. Then he said, “Miss Yan practices the sword, doesn’t she? That sword of yours looks quite interesting—might I take a look?”

Yan Yunzhi nodded and handed over the short sword. Shi Weiyang reached out and, in taking it, grasped her hand as well. Yan Yunzhi jerked her hand back sharply, and the short sword clattered onto the stone table with a loud clang. Shi Weiyang looked momentarily startled, then laughed. “This sword of yours is quite interesting, Miss Yan—I hear your family’s hereditary swordsmanship is called…”

“Tan Gong Sword.”

“Ah, that’s right…”

Shi Weiyang toyed with the short sword for a moment, then said softly, “Actually, little sister Yan probably already knows that once Father arrives, he’ll make the final decision on this matter, and… um…”

“I’ve heard, brother, about your exploits killing Jurchen dogs before—honestly, I’ve long hoped to meet a heroine like you…”

“In my heart… I’ve always been willing to go through with this…”

Amid these warm words, Yan Yunzhi lowered her head, her face burning, but the smell of wine beside her grew ever stronger. Even as Shi Weiyang spoke, he leaned in closer, reaching out to gently touch her chin, tilting her face upward.

“Little sister Yan… you really are beautiful…”

he said.

Yan Yunzhi’s eyes went wide as she watched him lean in to press his lips against hers. She shoved both hands forward and abruptly sprang backward.

“Ugh…” Shi Weiyang was pushed back, staggering, taken by surprise.

Yan Yunzhi stood there, her chest heaving. “Young—Young Master Shi… you—you mustn’t do this…”

“It’s, it’s fine…” Shi Weiyang stood up, breathing heavily now, his eyes carrying a flicker of excitement. He stepped forward and seized Yan Yunzhi’s left hand. “Little sister Yan, I… I’ve decided it’s you. We’re… we’re going to be husband and wife sooner or later, I… I want you…”

His other arm reached to embrace her. Yan Yunzhi said, “No,” and stepped back, but Shi Weiyang’s grip on her hand was extremely strong—Yan Yunzhi felt a sharp pain shoot through her left wrist as he pulled her forward. She pressed her right hand against his chest and twisted her left wrist, employing a technique to break free of his grip. Shi Weiyang, almost managing to pull her into an embrace, felt her resistance and only laughed. “Heh, your skill won’t get you out of this…”

Both of them had practiced martial arts for years. In that moment, one trying to embrace, the other struggling to break free, they grappled back and forth on the spot. Shi Weiyang kept murmuring, “Little sister Yan, I want you… I’ll marry you…” his wine-soaked breath pressing close to Yan Yunzhi’s face. Yan Yunzhi, having trained mostly in finesse and precision techniques over the years, found she had no way to evade a grown man’s full strength in this moment. She strained backward with everything she had, pushing against him with her hand, and just as his lips finally reached her, she let out a sharp “Ah!” and, with her other hand, drew the second short sword from behind her back.

With a swift motion, Yan Yunzhi stepped back twice, breaking free of Shi Weiyang’s grip. She now stood with her sword raised in her right hand, her left arm held behind her, her wrist still throbbing with pain. Shi Weiyang stood there swaying for a moment, then slowly advanced, raising his left arm—a fresh cut had appeared across it, blood already welling up from the wound.

“You, you…”

“Don’t come any closer…” Yan Yunzhi said, backing away, sword raised.

A flicker of viciousness crossed Shi Weiyang’s eyes. He walked toward her, reaching up to tear open his own robe, baring his chest. “Come on, then.” He strode forward with heavy steps. “I’m going to have you today, no matter what!”

“Get away from me!”

Yan Yunzhi shrieked and swung her sword. Some shred of reason still remained in her mind—the thrust was only half-committed, not daring to actually strike him—but the flash of the blade still swept past right in front of Shi Weiyang’s eyes. He, striding forward heavily, flinched violently, breaking out in a cold sweat, and lashed out with his right hand without thinking.

“Crack—” The sound rang out against Yan Yunzhi’s face.

At that, both of them froze.

Yan Yunzhi’s head snapped to one side from the blow, her hair falling to cover the side of her face; for a moment she didn’t react at all. Shi Weiyang stood there, breathing hard and heavy, glaring at her with a look of pure malice, then started forward again. “Yan Yunzhi, if you don’t submit to me today, I’ll drive your whole family out of Jiangning…”

He assumed Yan Yunzhi had been stunned senseless by the blow. But in the next instant, her form shifted, and the flash of her sword shot forward with a swift, sharp thrust. Shi Weiyang staggered backward in alarm, and saw the young woman before him now standing perfectly upright, sword held forward in her right hand, left hand tucked behind her back—the textbook opening stance of the Tan Gong Sword.

This Tan Gong Sword style was, in truth, an assassin’s blade, its intent modeled after the wandering knights of the Assassins’ Biographies—embodying a spirit that would rather break than bend, that cared nothing for its own survival. A moment ago, facing her future husband, Yan Yunzhi had of course borne no true intent to kill. But now, beneath the moonlight, the young woman’s lips pressed tight, her gaze turned to ice, her body standing tall and unyielding—she now radiated a sharp, keen edge that even her ordinary training had rarely allowed her to reach.

Shi Weiyang’s chest heaved. His own martial skill wasn’t insignificant either, but even fortified by drunken bravado, he found himself, for the moment, not quite daring to lunge forward directly.