On the outskirts of Zhang Village, at midnight that day, You Hongzhuo brought his long blade down.

The torchlight fell to the ground; blood sprayed through the darkness. Among the six knights-errant, the third brother froze for an instant — the arm holding the torch had already been severed and lay fallen on the ground.

Darkness closed in like some devouring beast, and then an agonized scream tore through the night sky.

The fourth brother turned and lashed out with the nine-section whip at his waist. The third brother staggered, drawing his blade with his remaining left hand for a counterstrike. You Hongzhuo drove forward with his blade, swift and fierce, smashing the man’s weapon aside.

The clang of clashing blades rang through the darkness, then dissolved into a spray of blood. You Hongzhuo, forged in the killing fields of Jin, wielded a rough and ferocious blade style; two or three strokes smashed through his opponent’s guard, cutting into the fourth brother’s arm and thigh. The third brother, his hand severed, turned to flee, only to be cut down across the back and roll onto the wasteland behind the village.

The fourth brother, cowed by the bloody ferocity, dropped his nine-section whip; having taken two blade wounds himself, he collapsed as well, crawling backward in a panic. Before he could even get out a plea for mercy, You Hongzhuo pointed his blade at him. The handless third brother was still crying out on the ground, and the village had already been woken by the commotion.

You Hongzhuo turned to look back toward the small hill not far off. In the woods over there, the other four men were heading toward another location, but they too had likely been alerted by now. Should he go back and pursue them, or let them go?

As he hesitated, a shout rose from the hilltop — it was the second brother among the six, crying out, “Trouble! We’ve hit trouble!” — as if he too had run into some enemy.

A chill ran through You Hongzhuo’s heart. Aside from himself, the only ones likely to be moving against these men now were the Black Banner. He had followed the six of them the whole way here and had noticed nothing amiss — but if the Black Banner had already been watching this place, then his own presence here…

In that instant of thought, a bang sounded from the small grove on the hilltop, sparks flashing in the night — it was the sound of a Huaxia Army thunder-fire gun. He withdrew his blade, meaning to leave, and turning, saw a figure approaching in the darkness off to his rear — already at extremely close range; he had only just noticed the person’s presence.

There was little warmth in the martial world of Jin — when strangers crossed paths unexpectedly, it was common to trade blows before words of allegiance. You Hongzhuo, honed for years in that kind of environment, felt every hair on his body stand on end the instant he sensed this figure’s approach, and he lunged forward, his long blade concealed at his side.

His body erupted with explosive force, the blade hidden along his flank, in his opponent’s blind spot; the strike, when it came, was like thunder — a killing technique honed through countless night battles. But in the instant his soundless blade shot forward, he realized that the figure who had walked so silently out of the darkness was a woman in a gray skirt, neither masked nor dressed for night operations.

He did not pull the blade back, because in that instant, the thought hadn’t even had time to fully form.

The woman held a long sword in her left hand; her right hand reached out, and the half-zhang distance between them seemed to vanish into thin air. She had already seized the shoulder and neck of the swift-as-thunder You Hongzhuo, and then came a dizzying sensation — he slashed once through the air, his body flying through the darkness, hitting the ground and rolling twice before finally coming to rest against the wall of the very house the two “knights-errant” had tried to burn down…

A withered tree he had slashed through mid-air was slowly toppling nearby. You Hongzhuo, leaning against that wall, looked at the gray-skirted woman before him, an indescribable terror welling up in his heart.

Back in Jin, he had once crossed blades with the formidable “Dragon King” in a friendly bout. That year, in Zezhou, the Dragon King, having just disbanded the Red Peak, had fought “Number One Under Heaven” Lin Zongwu to a narrow defeat by a single move; afterward, when the Dragon King had joined the Lady Chancellor’s side, her insight had deepened further, and her skills had surely advanced along with it. You Hongzhuo, one of the finest of the younger generation, had earned the chance to spar with her as a form of grooming, and had genuinely experienced firsthand just how vast the gap could be between oneself and a true grandmaster.

He had also, during the middle stage of the great war in Jin, once had the fortune, while recovering from severe wounds, to witness Grandmaster Lin’s own skill in action.

But whether it was the Dragon King or Grandmaster Lin, he had never truly felt the sense of utter helplessness he had just experienced in that single move.

Which figure of the Huaxia Army was this…

…

At the very moment You Hongzhuo went flying to the ground, the four men who had tried to flee up on the hilltop had already fallen in pools of blood. The instant the screams rose from outside the village below, two figures had launched a surprise attack on them.

The sixth brother was struck down instantly by a barrage of punches from one figure. Someone then walked straight over and warned the others to drop their weapons and surrender at once. The second brother traded a few blows with the one who’d felled the sixth, shouting loudly that they’d hit real trouble, while on the other side, the one who had called for their surrender raised a short firearm and shot down the eldest brother — who was shouting for the others to flee — dropping him into a pool of blood.

The fifth brother, disguised as a scholar, rushed to save his second brother, only to be caught square in the belly by a heavy punch that sent him staggering back, his insides churning. Through the pain, he managed to make out the figure who’d thrown that punch — it was the very same dark-skinned, sturdily built village girl, the picture of good child-bearing stock, whom he’d asked for directions during the day.

“Huzhou persimmon…”

In the night wind, he heard the woman give a soft, mocking laugh, followed by a whistling kick that broke the shinbone of the “second brother,” whose fists and feet had been the sharpest of the group. Then she walked toward him.

Coming close, she threw a punch straight at his face…

…

“This afternoon they alerted me that someone with decent martial skill had come, though it wasn’t clear if he was friend or foe, so I came to have a look.”

A voice sounded, and the woman in the gray long skirt walked toward him, her gaze free of hostility.

“…Since you tried to stop them from setting the fire, then you’re not an enemy. Zhang Village welcomes you. May I ask where you’re from, sir, and what your name is?”

The woman’s tone was gentle, carrying a warmth and approachability such as You Hongzhuo had never seen in any grandmaster before. In the night sky, more whistling signal arrows and fireworks rose up — no telling where else enemies had appeared. But it was clear that the Huaxia Army’s people here had already prepared for all of this.

The night was still long, and after that first great commotion, several waves of greenwood fighters did indeed proceed to carry out their own plans one after another… News of that night’s chaos spread to Chengdu the next morning, and in some sense, it even emboldened the scholars and greenwood heroes there.

Few people knew the truth of what had happened here. All they knew was that in Zhang Village, group after group of “righteous men” had rushed in to act, each eager to be first.

The twentieth of the seventh month, Chengdu.

“The night before last, over two hundred righteous men launched an assault on Zhang Village…”

“Someone nearly killed Ning Yi’s wife, Su Tan’er…”

“Lu Dingming of Huzhou drank the blood-oath wine and threw caution to life and death…”

“Magnificent, magnificent…”

“Last night must have seen an even bigger show — perhaps they’ve already succeeded…”

“Just no confirmed word yet…”

Under the bright daylight, countless whispers were already circulating privately.

It was another lazily windswept autumn day. Two days had passed since the gathering with Yang Tiehuai, and Guan Shanhai had not left his residence, spending the day composing calm, meditative lines of verse with a companion by his side to grind his ink, while receiving all manner of scattered news from his trusted men.

Of this news, only a small portion actually came from Zhang Village itself — since it wasn’t territory they had cultivated connections in, it was hard to get a clear picture of the details of the unrest there. It was truly the Huaxia Army had taken action, but the details of that action were extremely obscure; outsiders had no way of knowing whether Ning Yi’s family had been harmed, whether his children had been kidnapped, or whether the Huaxia Army had been drawn away by some diversion on a large scale.

The difficulty with this information lay not so much in a total lack of it, but rather in an excess of rumor. With so many people in the city, so many scholars cooped up in inns, a single piece of news, passed through three tellers, would come out unrecognizable. For someone like Guan Shanhai, who relied on information to act, it was genuinely difficult to grasp any clear thread.

Though fond of both beauty and reputation, when it came to actually doing things, Guan Shanhai still knew when caution was needed, and wouldn’t rashly play the reckless fool. But in such chaotic times as these, all he could do was wait quietly — he knew something would happen, sooner or later. This affair might end up an utter mess, but it might also decide the fate of the realm to come — and if it were the latter, he certainly hoped to seize the opportunity for himself.

Throughout the city, there were plenty of others like Guan Shanhai. Lang Guoxing told Huang Nanzhong, who then had his dozens of household retainers make thorough preparations. An assassin named Chen Wei had already been quietly watching near Yingbin Road for days, occasionally catching glimpses of what might be Ning Yi’s carriage. Wang Xiangfo wandered the city at leisure, savoring the light, breezy mood, feeling the relaxed yet tense sensation of blood pulsing through his veins.

Lu Xiaolun, whom Wang Xiangfo had once beaten, had told his father everything. Lu Liutong had, over days of gatherings, already sensed the air of impending storm, and occasionally let slip a few hints to others.

“…This time, the real experts who’ve entered the city haven’t rushed onto that arena stage. Sooner or later, something big is going to happen in this city. You young people — if you’re not prepared for it, don’t go joining in. Some of the experts this old man has seen in his day have probably all come this time… people are going to die…”

Lu Liutong’s words carried the air of a seasoned elder’s foresight, and the ordinary fighters at these greenwood gatherings could immediately sense something out of the ordinary in them, which matched the atmosphere they’d been sensing elsewhere. It felt as though they could glimpse the outline of some great beast hidden behind the city’s prosperity. When someone dared to ask Lu Liutong which experts were involved, he would casually mention one or two, and would sometimes speak of the demeanor of Lin Zongwu, Master of the Great Light Sect.

“…Lin Zongwu holds a deep, bitter grudge against the southwest. But whether he’s come to Chengdu this time, this old man doesn’t know — you all shouldn’t guess wildly either…”

Having said this, the guessing only grew wilder, and even a rumor spread quietly that the entire top echelon of the Great Light Sect was lurking in Chengdu. Yang Tiehuai and the others had privately searched around for a good while, and finally concluded that this must be a smokescreen the Huaxia Army had put out.

The twentieth passed peacefully through the day — perhaps sensing the coming storm, the fighters up on the arena had been holding back somewhat in their bouts lately. There were no injuries in the last few matches of the afternoon, and Ning Ji clocked out on time, in a light and easy mood.

As night fell, having eaten dinner, Ning Ji had already gone to Old Little Mean Dog’s courtyard, climbing onto the roof to enjoy the cool evening air. He had done some soul-searching about his habit of sneaking around and spying on people with his martial skills lately, and once he returned to school in Zhang Village in September, he wouldn’t be able to keep doing this.

At that same hour, Ning Yi was by the Moheh Pool courtyard, discussing matters of reform going forward with Chen Fan — since it was just the two men together, they occasionally traded some gossip about their enemies too, making a few undignified gestures and exchanging knowing smiles.

At the first quarter of the hour of Xu, an explosion sounded through the city.

Ning Ji stood up on the rooftop, gazing into the distance.

Ning Yi and Chen Fan also stood by the lake for a moment, even taking out a spyglass to look, before Ning Yi waved a hand. “To the tower, to the tower… it’s higher up there.”

Signal arrows and fireworks shot into the night sky — this was the Huaxia Army’s warning signal and directional marker within the city.

At that same moment, countless people fixed their eyes on that patch of night sky. Guan Shanhai pushed aside the woman beside him, who wore nothing at all, and rushed out of the courtyard, even fetching a ladder to climb the wall. Huang Nanzhong charged into his own courtyard’s inner chambers, and countless household retainers began making their preparations. On the eastern side of the city, a fighter named Xu Yuanzong picked up his spear, and his dozen-odd sworn brothers who had fought alongside him began readying their gear. From countless vantage points, some people looked at each other, some waited, and some had heard the whisper spreading: “There’s going to be great chaos.”

“A hero’s blown Ning Yi to bits!”

“Should we move? Should we move?”

Wang Xiangfo sat cross-legged, composing his mind, then after a moment rose and walked out into the street.

In the courtyard where Lu Liutong and the others lived, at the sound of that explosion, the old man leapt up from his seat. “Xiaolun! Where’s Xiaolun!”

“Senior Brother went out for a stroll, to walk off his meal,” a disciple answered.

“Go find him! Go find him and bring him back! Seal the courtyard gate today — no one leaves, until I say so—”

The night was thickening, seeming about to come to a boil.

South of the city, having traveled in from elsewhere, Huo Liangbao of the Weiwu Escort Agency and a group of his brothers quickly assembled in their courtyard. Signal arrows had already flown up over the city beyond — surely the Huaxia Army was already engaged with the “righteous men” over there. This night was going to be a long one, since there’d been no coordination beforehand; many were going to wait quietly, hoping to find their chance to successfully assassinate that demon once the city descended into chaos.

“Somebody has to be the first to act!”

They readied their weapons, each donning soft armor, formed a rough line, and embraced each other tightly, one by one.

“—For this realm!”

“—We’re on our way!”

Huo Liangbao turned, threw open the gate, and charged out through the door.

His brothers surged after him, only to find themselves blocked right at the entrance.

Huo Liangbao, the first one out, charged forward two steps and stopped on the stone steps outside. Two zhang down the road ahead, ten Huaxia Army soldiers stood arrayed in a line.

A soldier of middling build had already walked over, a sheaf of papers in hand, his gaze fixed on the part of the city where the signal fireworks were rising. He seemed not to notice at all that Huo Liangbao and the group behind him were all armed to the teeth, and walked straight up to him.

“There are bandits stirring up trouble in the city; this area is under temporary curfew. Would you all mind staying home for a while tonight? Visiting friends and family can wait until tomorrow… This is an order from the City Patrol Office, duly stamped. If you suffer any losses, you can file a complaint tomorrow. Here, take this.”

He handed a stamped document to Huo Liangbao. Huo Liangbao had a long red spear strapped across his back, a broad saber at his waist, and beneath his open robe a row of red-tasseled throwing knives was faintly visible. He stood there, mechanically reaching out to take the paper.

Behind him, the group crowding the doorway were all men who lived by the blade; some wiped their mouths and noses, some ground their teeth, glancing at one another.

The Huaxia Army officer simply watched them all calmly; the ten soldiers along the street watched too, just as quietly. Huo Liangbao, dazed, raised his left hand holding the paper, signaling the brothers behind him not to act rashly. The officer then nodded. “It’s dangerous out there. Go on back inside, all of you.”

…

Signal arrows flew, and more fireworks rose into the sky.

Having finalized his plan, Xu Yuanzong pushed open the gate. Since discretion had been necessary, the courtyard he and his sworn brothers lived in was rather out of the way, and only now did they step outside — where they found someone already approaching on the road not far off.

At the front was a tall, imposing warrior with two blades strapped to his back. Just as Xu Yuanzong froze for a moment, the man had already spoken.

“Huaxia Army Squad Leader Wang Dai. Today I dare to ask Grandmaster Xu to abandon this course and stand down. In days to come, you will surely be grateful for this and come to thank me in person… please, Grandmaster Xu, stand down!”

Wang Dai… Xu Yuanzong’s face flushed at the name — of course he’d heard of him, this was the hero who a few months back had single-handedly slain the Jurchen general Balishu at Jianmen Pass. By comparison, his own reputation as a martial grandmaster now seemed almost trivial. He had entered the city and lain low with painstaking care, never imagining that his movements had already been exposed.

He listened closely to the commotion rising from other parts of the city, then waved a hand. “For the Huaxia Army to have found me — impressive indeed. But I can stand down — will the other heroes throughout Chengdu be willing to stand down too? If I withdraw, how could I face up to their struggle—”

Xu Yuanzong’s words rang out, impassioned and resolute…

The people on the street, startled by the sudden chaos, scattered in different directions as the Huaxia Army began sounding gongs along the street. Lu Xiaolun walked homeward for a while, seeing distant flames rising, a stirring excitement rippling secretly through him — he knew that the Huaxia Army’s real trouble had finally arrived.

Skilled in martial arts and swift of foot, he wound through the streets and alleys, wondering where he ought to go to catch the excitement. He was walking down a quiet street with few pedestrians when his footsteps suddenly stopped.

A figure, seemingly unhurried, was approaching from down the road — tall, with a head of wild, disheveled hair like a lion’s mane, dangerous-looking. It was the very same martial grandmaster who had come to test his skills that day, the one his father had guessed had come to make trouble for the Huaxia Army.

Amid all this chaos, he too had come out, it seemed.

Lu Xiaolun’s first thought was that he wanted to know the man’s name, but in that instant, he realized this grandmaster’s heart must surely be filled with murderous intent — encountering him now, by such coincidence, if he rashly approached to speak with him, he might well be misunderstood and struck down on the spot.

Thinking this, he edged slowly toward the roadside, turning his face toward the wall, trying to slip away without drawing the man’s attention.

At that very moment, a voice sounded beside him.

“Hmm, that guy, that guy over there…” A sturdily built, muscular man rose from a wooden bench beside Lu Xiaolun — he’d apparently been sitting there eating skewers — and, popping the last piece of tofu from a skewer into his mouth and tossing the stick aside, said again, “Hmm, that guy over there…”

The man’s voice was so loud it was bound to draw the attention of others on the street, which meant Lu Xiaolun standing beside him would surely be spotted by the martial grandmaster too. Facing the wall, his heart clenched, he turned his head to look — and sure enough, the wild-haired grandmaster down the street had already looked their way.

“Hmm, Wang Xiangfo!”

The muscular man beside him called out the name. The wild-haired grandmaster’s eyes lit with an amused look, and he glanced around.

“Huaxia Army’s Niu Chengshu! I’ve come today under orders to arrest you!”

Lu Xiaolun stood frozen against the wall.

In that instant, cold sweat soaked through his robe. He finally understood — that martial grandmaster’s name was Wang Xiangfo, and the muscular man beside him was the one meant to face him in battle.

Down the street, Wang Xiangfo spread his arms wide, a smile playing on his lips.

The burly man named Niu Chengshu struck his fist against his palm and stepped forward. Lu Xiaolun heard him mutter under his breath, “…Resisting arrest.”

The two figures surged forward at the same instant. Lu Xiaolun, standing at the wall, turned to watch as they collided head-on in the middle of the street—