“…Miss, may I ask, how does one get to Zhang Village?”

Under the early autumn sun, wind blew across the sea of rice stalks on the plain. A swordsman dressed as a scholar stopped a dark-skinned village girl who was carrying water along the field path, and cupped his hands in greeting. The girl looked him over.

“Head toward the main road, you’ll get there in half a day… Lately so many people have been going to Zhang Village. What are you all going there for?”

“So many people going to Zhang Village lately?”

“Quite a few. Someone asked me yesterday too.”

“Oh, I wonder what they’re going for.” The scholar looked thoughtful, then smiled. “This one is a scholar from Huzhou. I heard that the Huaxia Army has won the realm, and I’ve come specially to Zhang Village to seek my fortune, to try for some rank and title.”

“Huzhou persimmon? You’re a person, how are you a persimmon?”

“Ah… a scholar, a man of letters — that’s what it means. Thank you for the directions, miss. Is that the road there?”

“Mm, the main road, heading south, straight on. A scholar — you should have said so sooner.” The somewhat dark-skinned girl looked him over once more.

“Thank you, thank you. My thanks for showing the way.”

The exchange over, the scholar bowed and watched the dark-skinned girl carry her water toward the nearby village, then walked on in the other direction. His five sworn brothers were waiting not far off by a small riverside sandbar. The scholar went over and confirmed with them that they hadn’t taken a wrong turn.

“So many people heading to Zhang Village lately — won’t that draw attention?” someone worried.

“If they were all martial artists, they might well be turned away. But it’s true the Huaxia Army defeated the Jurchens, so it’s only natural that many would come to seek service under them these days. We’ll just blend in among that crowd… The more people there are, the more troops the Huaxia Army has to prepare, and while we pull up a sentry post here and set a fire there, we can run them ragged.”

“That’s true enough.”

“Since we’re already near Zhang Village, we shouldn’t stay on the main road any longer. In my humble opinion, we should follow this road from a distance. If I’m not mistaken, there will certainly be extra checkpoints set up along the main road.”

“Then it’s settled.”

The group finalized their plan, and someone laughed.

“Speaking of which, that girl just now — she wasn’t bad-looking.”

“…A bit dark-skinned, but sturdily built. You could tell at a glance she’d bear you plenty of children.”

“Brothers, you don’t know — up close she was actually rather delicate-featured. When I said I was a scholar, she looked me over thoroughly, that gaze of hers… you know how it is, all these village girls dream day and night of marrying a scholar. That’s what all the old operas sing about.”

“I’ll say, Fifth Brother playing the scholar was simply brilliant. That girl just now — if we went and proposed marriage, it’d be a sure thing!”

…

The reckless chatter drifted on the autumn wind into You Hongzhuo’s ears, and he smiled faintly.

The banter of the six men ahead stirred a touch of nostalgia in him.

He had once fled a small mountain village after killing a man, and later met six sworn brothers and sisters, after which they had set out together into the martial world. Though not long after, their group had been torn apart by the betrayal of Fourth Brother Kuang Wenbai, and he had been hunted because of it — looking back, when he’d first entered the martial world he’d been alone and friendless, and afterward the world had grown ever more complicated and heavy. Only during that time with his six brothers and sisters had the martial world seemed, in his eyes, both pure and interesting.

In those days, the world he saw each day was fresh, the rumors he heard were delightful, and the seven of them had supported one another, sleeping without fear — though it had been an illusion, that warmth and sense of security had never come again since.

In the years of fighting that followed, resisting the Jurchens and men like Liao Yiren alongside many like-minded companions, he had indeed come across quite a few people worth relying on and trusting. But for himself, he no longer had the heart to swear brotherhood with anyone again. Looking back now, it was simply his bad luck — the path by which he’d entered the martial world had been too cruel.

The martial artists who lived in the south seemed, by comparison, somewhat naive and without much sense of the rules.

He followed the six men from a distance. The Chengdu Plain offered a wide, open view, and fortunately, for the first stretch these men stuck to the main road. In the latter half, the six of them — each harboring their own scheme — left the main road to wind through forests and side paths, which made it easy for You Hongzhuo to trail them.

Along the way, You Hongzhuo pondered in his heart the question of whom he should help, and who was in the right. The six men before him made him feel a certain fondness — overall, they truly had resolved to do what they believed was right. But on the other hand, the closer he got to the core territory administered by the Huaxia Army, the more the scenery around him struck him as refreshingly new — fertile land, endless paddies, solid roads, orderly villages, and in many places the clear traces of newly reclaimed fields.

Ever since the Lady Chancellor had gone to join the Tiger King years ago, she had devoted herself to developing agriculture and commerce, painstakingly reclaiming farmland everywhere. Especially against the backdrop of the Jurchen invasion, it was she who had struggled to hold the whole situation together — some places had been burned by the Jurchens, some destroyed by villains under Liao Yiren, yet she had kept rebuilding, again and again. Having assisted in the Lady Chancellor’s camp for years, You Hongzhuo had come to see these moving achievements with ever-greater clarity.

Through more than a decade of turmoil across the Central Plains, the whole realm had been shattered and broken, yet only the Jin region — where life had always been hard — had preserved a not-inconsiderable livelihood. On his journey south, You Hongzhuo had seen many places where, for a thousand li, no rooster crowed, and white bones lay exposed in the wilds. That was the achievement and pride of the people of Jin. But compared to the scenery of the southwest, it seemed to count for little.

The Chengdu Plain had not experienced any major warfare in all these years. Was this scenery something that had existed before, or had it been built up even further since the Huaxia Army’s arrival?

He walked on, weighing these questions in his mind.

On another note, he thought of his overall impression these past days — aside from the six knights-errant before him, there had indeed been no shortage of people heading to Chengdu recently intent on stirring up trouble, and those coming to Zhang Village these past few days were probably no fewer. The Huaxia Army’s forces were stretched thin after crushing the Jurchens — if so many people scattered out to cause this or that kind of trouble, how would the Huaxia Army cope?

In Jin territory, they had once faced a similar situation. Their enemies had not been only the Jurchens, but also Liao Yiren, who had thrown in with the Jurchens — he too had once offered enormous bounties, inciting all sorts of desperate men to seek the head of the Lady Chancellor. Some sought fame alone, others simply disliked that a woman held the position of Chancellor Lou, and, swayed by various slanders, wanted to kill her.

The Dragon King, as the Lady Chancellor’s guard, stayed by her side to protect her, while men like You Hongzhuo had spontaneously taken up the role of protectors within the greenwood — contributing effort, gathering information, and moving to stop trouble the moment they heard of it. In the process, there had, of course, been some cases of injustice, but far more often there had simply been one brutal slaughter after another.

What would the Huaxia Army do this time? Judging from the current situation, so many “righteous men” now stood arrayed against them. If so many enemies were to descend as chaotically as had happened in Jin…

As the sun set in the west, You Hongzhuo, still turning these thoughts over, followed the six men into the sparse woodland on the outskirts of Zhang Village…

…

The eighteenth of the seventh month, Chengdu. Sunlight still shone brightly down upon the city.

Crowds bustled, merchants came and went, and every sort of person within the city went about their own business. The great scholars’ quarrels in the newspapers grew ever more heated, article after grand essay dissecting the affairs of the world — and indeed several pieces sparked enthusiastic discussion, even leaving their names in certain historical records years later.

The scholars determined to try their luck at earning rank under the Huaxia Army had gradually gotten a feel for the patterns of the subjects on which they’d be examined. Besides burying themselves in study each day, private night schools and study groups had even begun springing up in corners of the city. Those who first found these places felt as though they’d found a shortcut; people tutored one another, debated, and gradually a new world opened before them.

The Grand Martial Arts Tournament of the Realm was beginning to stir up excitement within the city. The preliminary rounds of this selection contest were to formally conclude in the eighth month; in the last ten-odd days of the seventh month, most of the fighters who might stand out in the competition had already more or less arrived. Against this backdrop, the Bamboo Registry had compiled a list of fighters who, having won two bouts, had already secured a spot in the finals.

Since gambling was officially forbidden, and it would be improper to publish anything too subjective in the way of rankings, two underground gambling houses had privately joined forces with some authoritative experts to compile lists of the fifty strongest fighters temporarily present in Chengdu. The two lists vividly recounted each fighter’s life story and signature skills, and the odds for upcoming matches rose and fell accordingly — with gambling and drama both in play, the curiosity and enthusiasm of the city’s people for the tournament began to climb steadily.

Everything seemed to be flourishing. Even the fierce criticism once directed at the Huaxia Army had, after mid-July, grown somewhat more restrained. But beneath the surface of this bustling city, tension was steadily accumulating, waiting for something to erupt.

Having received word that Shishi finally had some free time, Yu Hezhong followed the woman soldier Xiaoling, hurrying through the courtyard ahead, and found the woman in a moon-white long skirt by the lake.

These days she seemed very busy. Although she had been demoted from the Huaxia Army’s foreign affairs department into propaganda, Yu Hezhong had also learned, on the eve of the First Congress, that she would become one of the chief managers of the Huaxia Army’s future propaganda department in the days ahead. Yet despite the busyness, in Yu Hezhong’s eyes her spirit and complexion these days seemed to be growing ever younger and fuller.

The reason for this was not hard to guess — ever since their first meeting, he had certainly grown ever more devoted to her. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… a decade ago he might not have wanted to admit such a thought, but by now there was nothing shameful in it.

After exchanging greetings, Yu Hezhong suppressed the stirring in his heart and sat down solemnly in the chair across from Shishi, weighing his words for a moment.

“The situation in the city has been very tense lately. What exactly are you all thinking on your end?”

He opened with a challenge, showing his concern for their side. Shishi, as expected, showed no anger, only tilted her head and smiled.

“What situation?”

“Things have come to this point, no use hiding it now… Perhaps you, Shishi, have been busy with your writing lately and haven’t noticed, but before the month is out, there’s bound to be great chaos in the city. Did you know that?”

“Where did Brother Yu hear such a rumor?”

“I deal with General Liu and his people all day — whatever’s worth hearing, I always end up hearing it eventually. Shishi, Yan Daolun wanting to strike a deal with the Huaxia Army is one thing, but which side their hearts truly lean toward is another matter entirely. I don’t know what Liheng is thinking, letting so many people of every stripe into Chengdu this time, with a bunch of scholars fanning the flames on the side, and you all not keeping any check on it privately — sooner or later something is going to blow up…”

“It’s not that there’s no check at all. Anyone who commits a crime will still be arrested,” Shishi said with a smile, defending her side. “Besides, Liheng often says that if you want to do business, you have to take risks. If they don’t come in, everyone won’t even have the chance to get to know each other. Chengdu today is meant to give the Huaxia Army a chance to introduce itself to the world — otherwise, wouldn’t everyone just be left to guess in private what kind of thing the Huaxia Army really is?”

“But this is opening the door to thieves! There are too many of them!” Yu Hezhong rapped the table and lowered his voice. “They mean to assassinate Liheng — do you know that or not?”

“Liheng has been the target of enough assassination attempts over the years.”

“But this time is different from the others. This time, with so many Confucian scholars stirring things up, hundreds or even thousands of people might act all at once, and you won’t even know who they are — they’re saying so quite openly in private these days. These past few days alone, six or seven people have already brought this up with me. If you don’t rein it in…”

“They’re only talking. It’s not as though they’ve said for certain they’ll do something — we can hardly rein in mere talk. After all, Liheng said it himself — we have to introduce ourselves…”

“But every one of those riffraff down there could be incited! Those peddlers, escorts, and greenwood folk who’ve come into the city — for them, this is the one chance of a lifetime to make a name, and this time they’re all saying they’ll join in on something big. It’s like… a powder keg. Once it’s lit — boom — it’ll blow!”

Shishi thought for a moment. “…I think Liheng must already be well prepared for this.”

“His preparations aren’t enough! The gate shouldn’t have been opened in the first place!” Yu Hezhong grew agitated for a moment, then finally calmed down. “Never mind. Shishi, the people you deal with day to day are different from the ones I deal with, so what we each see and hear is probably different too. In all my years out there, I’ve seen all sorts of things — these people… they may not amount to much when it comes to accomplishing anything, but they’re plenty capable of ruining things. Against the Jurchens they may have been powerless, because the Jurchens are not of our kind and will fight and kill without hesitation, while the Huaxia Army has been far too gentle. Next, the moment you show the slightest opening, they may all swarm in at once. Back when Liheng was attacked by a few, even a few dozen assassins, he could still fend them off — but if hundreds or thousands within this city rush in at once, something is bound to go wrong. Do you all… really mean to introduce yourselves this way?”

Shishi nodded. “As for this… I believe our side will be prepared. I’m not in a position to know much about matters of fighting and killing. But Brother Yu, if you have a well-organized set of thoughts — for instance, on how to view this matter, how to respond, whom to guard against — why not go and see Liheng and discuss it with him? For this, I, as his sister, so to speak, can arrange something.”

Yu Hezhong was startled for a moment. He weighed it in his mind — this time, having heard the uproar of public opinion outside, his heart had grown anxious, and he’d felt he had a chance to talk with Shishi about it. But when it came to grasping such clear details, he truly had not the faintest clue. A bunch of scholars could chat vividly enough among themselves in ordinary times, but when it came down to specifics — who to guard against, who to arrest, who might talk carelessly, who would dare — who among them really knew?

After hesitating like this a moment, Yu Hezhong sighed. “Mainly I wanted to remind you — as for seeing Liheng, let’s just forget it. You know, that man has too many thoughts and too heavy a heart… we’ve hardly exchanged more than a few words in the past… I just wanted to remind you to be careful too, mind your safety…”

As he said this, he leaned forward, both hands moving naturally to take hold of Shishi’s hand resting on the table, but Shishi had already withdrawn it, smoothing back the hair by her ear, her eyes turned toward the lake beside them, as though she hadn’t noticed his overly forward gesture.

“I live right here, I won’t be running off anywhere. My safety is the same as everyone else’s here — there’s no need to worry.”

Yu Hezhong’s heart had been burning, and reaching out just now had taken some resolve on his part — if he’d managed to take her hand, he’d meant to press on and say something more. But Shishi’s avoidance had been so obvious that it was as if a basin of cold water had suddenly been poured over his head. His thoughts scattered in confusion for a moment, and he sighed, feigning composure. “You know, all those rumors outside — they all say you’re already someone’s… something to Liheng…”

“Hezhong, what if it’s not a rumor?”

Shishi’s eyes turned to him with a smile. Yu Hezhong was startled, then finally withdrew his hand. “…Heh, at a time like this, you’re still so fond of your jokes. If it were true, of course there’d be plenty of people to protect you — but if it isn’t, this rumor could do you real harm…”

He leaned back in his chair, then said, “In any case, I’ve been anxious about this, and that’s about all I wanted to say. Sigh, it hasn’t been easy for the Huaxia Army to get this far. You may see Yan Daolun and the others acting all friendly toward you when they’re face to face, but the moment they turn around, they’re hoping for the Huaxia Army to run into more trouble too. If someone really did assassinate Liheng before the eighth month and the Huaxia Army fell apart, they’d stand to gain no small benefit from it. Dull-witted as I am, I do know one thing — winning the realm is easy, but holding it is hard…”

“It’s not yet time to speak of holding the realm.”

“It’s much the same.” Yu Hezhong stood up. “Right, I should go. You’ve probably got plenty to do too. In any case… I hope you take good care of yourself, and I hope this deal comes through… talk again next time.”

“I’ll see you out.”

Shishi rose to walk him out. Yu Hezhong’s mood grew ever more restless, and by the time they reached the courtyard gate, he turned and blocked her way. “This is far enough — it’s not safe out there, and you’re busy too, don’t come any further…”

Shishi gave a helpless yet radiant smile, bowing slightly. “All right, see you next time then.”

“Next time, next time…”

Yu Hezhong waved his hand and walked away, forcing himself to appear calm, though his heart was sunk in a gloomy, turbulent mood. That line of Shishi’s — “what if it’s not a rumor” — had felt like a warning, a hint to him. But then again, he reflected, Shishi had always had a somewhat mischievous streak, even a decade ago; when she really wanted to joke, she’d do so however she pleased.

Was she with Ning Yi, or wasn’t she? He mulled over this the whole way, and couldn’t help but recall the awkwardness of having his hand avoided — that alone had left him feeling as though his innermost thoughts had been laid bare before her. Being exposed didn’t matter so much, but the pitiful part was being rejected — and once rejected, a whole host of problems would come slapping across his face like the back of a hand: he was a man with a wife and children, and the fact that he’d become the most important intermediary in this southwestern deal was entirely thanks to her looking out for him…

This realization left his head spinning, his sense of dignity in tatters. But as he walked on, recalling bits and pieces of the past, a flicker of hope rose in him again — he remembered that at their first meeting the other day, she’d said she hadn’t married herself off to anyone. She was someone who loved to joke, and she hadn’t firmly refused him either…

Then again, in his current state, it wasn’t surprising that he couldn’t win her favor. As he’d originally planned, he’d hoped to use this opportunity in the southwest to build up some advantages and standing, so that he might one day be worthy of her — today he really had lost his head for a moment… Still, since Shishi hadn’t refused him outright, with her sharp, perceptive heart, his intentions must already be plain to her. That was uncomfortable, to be sure, but thinking it over carefully, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing after all?

His mind churning with such thoughts, and gradually settling as one grows numb after too much shock, he finally recalled, amid the peaceful atmosphere near Yingbin Road, the main reason he’d come today. Countless outsiders were all waiting to stir up trouble, and Yan Daolun and the others would be only too pleased to see it happen — yet their side was still being so careless about it, likely swollen with confidence after having driven back the Jurchens.

He did hope this deal would succeed, and that the Huaxia Army would make a smooth transition. But now, thinking these thoughts, he found himself secretly hoping something bad would happen after all. Once chaos broke out here, Shishi would surely come to appreciate his good intentions in warning her, and the Huaxia Army’s path forward would become all the more secure — and if real chaos did erupt, Shishi would surely tell Ning Yi about his warning today, and when he next met the man, many things might go more smoothly between them.

The sunlight fell upon him as he walked through the bustling streets of Chengdu, watching scholar after scholar, fighter after fighter, all seeming to wait like righteous men ready to strike. Every glance from these people seemed to whisper something in secret, plotting some conspiracy.

If trouble’s going to happen, let it happen…

he thought.

…

“…The Huaxia Army is prepared.”

In the afternoon, a gentle breeze blew across the water of the river, and the scent of tea lingered inside the pleasure boat.

It looked, on the surface, like an ordinary gathering. Guan Shanhai, Lang Guoxing, Mu Wenchang, and several others had assembled at the summons of Yang Tiehuai, choosing this river boat to avoid any listening ears.

Known as Lord Huai, Yang Tiehuai had had his head broken in a street argument over a month ago, and even now a bandage was still wrapped around his forehead. As he poured the tea, he spoke calmly:

“The Huaxia Army is prepared,” he said. “The situation in the city is common knowledge — lax on the surface, tight underneath. Many Bamboo Registry agents have long since entered the city, even infiltrating the ranks of those so-called ‘righteous men’ out in the open. Many who so much as lift a hand get caught right away. Yesterday there was a skirmish at Anqing Ward — two people died, both outside assassins. There was another incident near Yingbin Road too — the assassins were caught on the spot each time. The Huaxia Army has quite a knack for preventing assassinations; small-scale mischief probably won’t accomplish much… Please, have some tea.”

Everyone raised their cups. Guan Shanhai, seated to one side, said, “If you already know the Huaxia Army is prepared, Lord Huai, why call us old fellows here? If one or two of us happened to be the Huaxia Army’s ‘comrades,’ wouldn’t we be arrested the moment we stepped off this boat?”

“The Huaxia Army are heroes who defeated the Jurchens. We’ve gathered here today simply out of concern for the situation in the city — what crime is there in that?” Yang Tiehuai’s expression didn’t change as his gaze swept over the group. “The situation in Chengdu today is different from the assassinations organized by greenwood folk in the past. This time, a great many… bandits, have entered the city. Some have been marked, some haven’t. We don’t know who will act and who will hang back, but for the Huaxia Army, this is ultimately a matter of guarding against a thief for a thousand days — for every wave of opponents, they must assign a wave of watchers.”

“…Their manpower is limited. If these bandits come in wave after wave, the Huaxia Army can catch them wave after wave. But if dozens of groups act simultaneously, the net the Huaxia Army has cast will inevitably prove inadequate somewhere. So in the end, this matter comes down to a contest between the will of the people and actual strength — on one side is how much real strength the Huaxia Army truly has, and on the other… is how many people there are who don’t want the Huaxia Army to keep having things go so well.”

He raised his teacup. “If strength exceeds the will of the people, this net will hold firm as gold and iron. But if the will of the people exceeds their strength, this net may well break apart.”

The group of old men nodded, drinking their tea. Mu Wenchang, in his forties, looked around at everyone and said, “In other words, we don’t know today whether these ‘bandits’ in the city will act — but perhaps the will isn’t unified. Some want to act, some don’t, some are willing to risk their lives, some want to sit and watch… but if too many are just watching, then the will of the people won’t be able to overcome their strength after all.”

“If I were one of these bandits, I would certainly hope that, when the time came to act, there would be fewer onlookers,” Yang Tiehuai nodded.

“The Huaxia Army’s strength is right there for all to see, but the hearts of the people today shift and change. Because of the Huaxia Army’s power, talk of banding together within this city is impossible — whether they can overcome that strength depends on how many are willing to act… Speaking of which, this really does resemble that thing Ning Yi is always fond of using… open scheming.” someone remarked.

Yang Tiehuai smiled. “Today’s tea is purely to chat about the situation in the city. I know quite a few of you present have followers under your command. It hasn’t been easy for the Huaxia Army to build up what they have — if something happens next, they’re bound to react harshly. Everyone should keep a tight rein on their own men, and not let them do anything that would please our enemies and hurt our own… All right, this has just been idle chat. If any of you have anything more to say, feel free to speak freely — we’re all here out of concern for the Huaxia Army after all.”

He smiled and waved his hand.

“…Please, have some tea.”

Sunlight streamed in through the lattice windows of the pleasure boat. Throughout the city, in countless unnamed corners, similar gatherings and conversations were taking place. Rousing words are always easy to say; deeds are not so easy to carry out. But when enough rousing words have been spoken, something that has been quietly brewing may well erupt.

By the time the scholar named Mu Wenchang left the boat, evening had already fallen. In this golden autumn dusk, he found himself recalling the shock and despair he’d felt over a decade ago upon first witnessing the Huaxia Army’s battle formation.

That had been in the second year of Wujian, when becoming the chief advisor to Yan Zhenguo, Military Commissioner of Qinfeng Circuit, had marked the first high point of Mu Wenchang’s life. After the Wu Dynasty lost the Central Plains, Yan Zhenguo had been forced to submit to the Jurchens to protect himself, and when Loushi advanced on the northwest, they had been pressed into joining the assault on Yanzhou.

That autumn, he had for the first time witnessed the brutality of that black banner — flying the flag of Huaxia, yet striking friend and foe alike, Jurchen and Han without distinction. Some believed the Huaxia Army fearsome, but that battle dragged on for years, and in the end the entire northwest was massacred, reduced to a blank, empty wasteland, with countless neutral parties and reluctant conscripts killed in the crossfire.

For so many people who might otherwise have been won over, who might have been persuaded — even during the fighting, Mu Wenchang himself had once cautiously hinted that he’d be willing to join the Huaxia Army for a position — but the Huaxia Army showed no mercy at all. They would only accept him as a common foot soldier; toward a senior aide like Mu Wenchang, they seemed utterly indifferent.

There had once been countless people in the Central Plains willing to defect to them, but the Huaxia Army had thought only of fighting, tolerating not the slightest compromise.

In the fourth month of the fourth year of Wujian, the Huaxia Army crushed the combined forces of Yan Zhenguo and the Zhe clan at Sha Wolf Ridge, killing Marshal Yan and many sons of the Zhe clan. In the three years that followed, the Xiao River swallowed several million Han soldiers of the realm… but what did it matter in the end? Didn’t they still end up fleeing? In the end, countless people who needn’t have died, died anyway.

Mu Wenchang had fled south in disgrace; his wife and children had been crushed in that war, one of his daughters having even been married off, at his own arrangement, to a Jurchen officer — later, when Loushi was killed and the Jurchens suffered a crushing defeat in the northwest, that daughter of his had died among a mob of anti-Jin rebels.

Resisting the Jin required fighting, yet everything he had learned in his life told him that this realm could not be made better through fighting alone — turning oneself as savage as the Jurchens, even if one won the realm by it, would leave one unable to govern it.

—The Huaxia Army must be wrong! —The Huaxia Army has to be wrong…

This time, Chengdu would make this truth plain to the whole realm.

He thought this over and over as he walked through the dusk-lit streets.

…

At that same hour, a burly man named Shi Yuanmeng found himself recalling the gunshot and the chaos in the golden throne hall over a decade ago.

“Ah, Zhou Zhe…”

That faint, almost inaudible sigh was a sound he would never forget for the rest of his life, and what followed was a scene he still could not let go of to this day.

How could there be such a person?

That had been after the first siege of Bianliang, when the Jurchens had first been repelled, and the reckoning of merits had followed the handling of the treacherous chancellor Qin Siyuan. Relying on his family connections, and having also gone through Tan Zhen’s channels, he’d had his first audience with the emperor. For that audience, he had paid respects at the graves of every ancestor in his family, even fasted and bathed in incense for three days, treating that imperial audience as the most glorious moment of his life.

To avoid any impropriety before the throne — even though he would never actually exchange words with the emperor — he had spent most of a day at home drilling nothing but the proper etiquette, practicing kneeling and kowtowing before the ancestral portraits, and the gestures of gratitude after receiving honors. The grand banquet to follow the audience had already been fully arranged.

Who could have known that when the seven of them entered the throne hall, in what should have been the humblest positions in the entire hall, that merchant, that matrilocal son-in-law who couldn’t even perform the proper etiquette smoothly, would, after kneeling, sigh and stand back up.

To this day he could not comprehend that scene. The man had sighed and called out the emperor’s name, and then there had been a bang — everyone was still frozen in shock when he had already walked over and slapped, with brutal force, the face of the utterly exalted Prince Tong. Prince Tong, a man of countless battle honors who could make generals tremble in fear before him — in that instant, he had gone flying, his head smashing hard against the golden steps.

How could one walk in the throne hall like that? How could one strike Prince Tong? How could one lift the god-like emperor and hurl him down onto the ground so violently?

He had never imagined that such a lawless, unfilial person could exist in this world, had never imagined such a monstrous, treasonous act could occur. But at the time, he simply couldn’t react — from beginning to end he’d remained kneeling by the door.

“A bunch of trash.”

That man, standing before the throne, had used the back of his blade to strike the emperor’s head, and spoken those contemptuous words to every high official of power in the hall. Li Gang had cursed and shouted, Cai Jing had stood frozen like a block of wood, Prince Tong crawled in a pool of his own blood on the floor, Wang Fu, Qin Hui, Zhang Bangchang, Geng Nanzhong, Tan Zhen, Tang Ke, Yan Daozhang… some officials had even collapsed to the floor in terror…

Strange to say, after living through that event, Shi Yuanmeng felt that nothing in the world could ever seem more bizarre again. He grew, if anything, unshakably calm in the face of most things thereafter. After the fall of the Central Plains he had come south, spent time in the army, and later worked for a few wealthy households — being ruthless and efficient by nature, he’d earned quite a bit of favor, and eventually gathered a few loyal sworn brothers he could trust.

Now that the gates of the southwest had opened wide, he meant to come here and do something that would once again shock the entire realm.

He remembered the sight of Ning Yi walking past him that day, remembered him saying “a bunch of trash” — likely without even including the few kneeling by the door in that judgment… Today he too would do the same thing, to warn the whole realm of lawless, treasonous men: their lives too would be claimed by loyal and righteous men!

“Big Brother, everything’s ready.”

A brother working in the courtyard came over and told him this.

Shi Yuanmeng turned to see the two wooden barrels already set up in the courtyard, and went to check them once more.

“Do you all know?” he said. “Ning Yi keeps talking about this so-called study of natural principles, but it was never his to begin with… He conspired with the treacherous chancellor, and after crushing Liangshan with the power of the chancellery, he captured a man of the Way — Master Gongsun, known in the martial world as ‘Rising Dragon in the Clouds.’ This Master Gongsun was a master of the art of thunder and fire, and Ning Yi took both his formulas and his person. It’s only through this that, over the years, he’s been able to develop his gunpowder techniques to their current level.”

Shi Yuanmeng looked at the men in the courtyard. “This demon steals the achievements of Heaven and claims them as his own — a lawless, unfilial monster of countless crimes. His ability to defeat the Jurchens comes from nothing but these firearms, and now, while the whole realm is in chaos, he hides in the southwest, waiting for the Jurchen army to have crushed everyone else before defeating them with these weapons… I will not sit by and watch this any longer. This time we kill Ning Yi, and someone will rescue Master Gongsun from the southwest — once the art of firearms spreads throughout the realm, defeating the Jurchens will be no difficulty at all. Our Wu Dynasty’s rivers and mountains will stand forever! We, all of us here, will truly be the ones who save the entire realm!”

The evening sun sank into the horizon like a fireball. Someone cupped his hands. “We will follow Big Brother to the death.”

“For the sake of the realm, we follow Big Brother to the death!”

The city burned in fiery red, and countless commotions beneath that sea of fire gave voice to all sorts of things.

That night, in Wen Shoubin’s courtyard, Ning Ji heard, for the hundred-and-first time, the man’s grand prophecy that “it’ll happen in the next couple of days.”

The next day, at the tournament grounds, Huang Shan came over to pry information out of him: “Everyone outside’s been saying Chengdu is about to see trouble — aren’t you Huaxia Army people going to guard against it?” His tone made it seem as though he were deeply worried on the Huaxia Army’s behalf. Ning Ji, having given up any expectations of these people’s ability to actually act, replied flatly, deadpan, “If you all want to make trouble, go right ahead.”

“Heh, just joking, joking — not talking about us, we’re not planning to cause any trouble. Look, my senior brother and I are even competing in the tournament, aren’t we… I’m just worried, that’s all, if the situation gets chaotic, won’t this tournament have to be called off too? You Huaxia Army folk had better keep a close eye on this…”

“The First Division’s gone to help put down the unrest over at Old Cow Head’s place. The other divisions are already understaffed, busy resettling prisoners and guarding all of Sichuan and Sizhou. Chengdu’s only got this many people left. But there’s nothing to be afraid of — we already drove back the Jurchens, didn’t we? What trouble could a bunch of country bumpkins from outside possibly stir up?”

“That’s right, that’s right… Little Brother Long’s got a point, we did drive back the Jurchens after all…”

“Don’t you all go causing trouble now, or I’ll beat you to death…” Ning Ji glanced at him.

Huang Shan laughed good-naturedly. “How could we, how could we. We really do plan to make a name for ourselves at the tournament.”

The two of them put on a show for each other, but though Ning Ji clearly understood the burly man was acting, he had waited far too long for anything to actually happen, and had all but given up expecting real events to unfold. It was much the same with Wen Shoubin — he’d started out talking a big game about doing something wicked, but after making a start of it, had sent out two of his own “daughters,” and now spent his days going to banquets, “slowly working toward” the matter of sending Qu Longjun to Big Brother’s side.

This latest business in the city would probably go the same way — a bunch of people talking a big, rousing game, and in the end no one daring to lift a finger, turning it all into a joke… A pity he wasn’t in Zhang Village right now, or he could have had a good laugh over this with his little friends… well, once September came school would start again anyway, and he could tell them all about it then.

…

On the small hill beside the villages near Zhang Village, the night grew steadily deeper. Past midnight, starlight and moonlight spilled down from the sky, and in the woods, the only sound was the occasional rustle of nocturnal creatures’ footsteps.

The six knights-errant sat in a circle, speaking in low voices.

“I wonder how things are going over in Chengdu…”

“So many people, all saying they’ll do something big — what if no one actually acts?”

“The Huaxia Army is fearsome. Falling into their hands won’t end well…”

“What if only we act and nobody else does?”

“Surely it won’t come to that…”

“We just need to stir up chaos and draw the nearby Huaxia Army out…”

“So, brothers, do we do it, or not?”

“I’ll go with whatever the group decides…”

The men, who had once seemed so resolute, had by now reduced themselves to empty talk. You Hongzhuo, hidden in the darkness not far off, sighed with a touch of helplessness. Just then, a whoosh sounded in the distant night sky — a firework streaked across, and shortly after, the sounds of fighting seemed to drift over.

“Someone’s made a move…”

“No more thinking. Let’s act too.”

“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, take the torches, get ready to go set a fire on the left…”

“Burn the rice paddies?”

“The rice isn’t fully ripe yet — it won’t catch…”

“Burn the houses. That small village down to the left — once the houses catch fire, it’ll draw the most attention. After that, use your own judgment…”

“It’s nighttime. People are in those houses.”

“If you’re going to accomplish something big, you can’t be so soft-hearted about it. If you don’t make the Huaxia Army feel some pain, why would they come out! If the rice would catch, you’d go light the rice…”

“Once the fire’s lit down there, get out immediately. In wilderness like this, how many people would the Huaxia Army need to lay out a proper net? By then, everyone can act as the situation allows, stir up more chaos elsewhere — if the Huaxia Army comes after you, we’ll set fires and kill people somewhere else…”

In the darkness, You Hongzhuo’s brows furrowed slightly.

The third and fourth brothers took their bundled torches and headed down; You Hongzhuo followed behind. From the earlier conversation, he could tell the two were somewhat hesitant — fighting an enemy on a battlefield was one thing, but burning the fields and homes of ordinary people was another.

The two of them reached the edge of the village and still hesitated.

Someone said, “This isn’t a virtuous thing to do.”

“What else can we do, go back and say we won’t do it?”

“I…”

They fell silent at the edge of the village for a moment, then finally moved toward the back of a house. The one who had spoken of it being unvirtuous took out a fire-striker, blew on it a few times, and a flame flickered to life in the darkness.

They lit the torch.

Behind them, You Hongzhuo sighed.

He swung his blade down.

…

The twentieth of the seventh month. Chengdu.

Not long after night fell, Ning Ji heard a tremendous explosion echo through the city — countless others heard that same commotion.

That chaotic night had begun…

Couldn’t do without the buildup, but too much buildup makes people impatient, so I had no choice but to release a giant chapter — over ten thousand characters.