Blade - Unbound

By dusk, the news finally arrived.

“Our procession has been assigned to Daozheng Street.”

Shopkeeper Wan looked rather excited. “Daozheng Street is beside the Prince's Manor. There's a three-storey tower there overlooking Xingqing Lake. Since we performed so well during the daytime, we've been specially assigned to that location. The people of the Prince's Manor will watch the procession from the tower, and every team will be presented with fine wine as a gesture of encouragement.”

“Excellent!”

The burly bearers immediately broke into cheers, their faces beaming with excitement.

Though they were also people of the jianghu, the trades they worked in were, bluntly speaking, considered lowly professions. Ordinarily, they would boast that nobles and aristocrats were worth less than dirt, yet being praised by members of the imperial clan still filled them with quiet satisfaction.

Regardless of the outcome, that night would become a story they could proudly tell for years to come.

Li Yan, however, had no interest in encouragement from some prince. Instead, his expression sank as he asked, “Which teams are nearby?”

Knowing exactly what he meant, Shopkeeper Wan's expression turned serious. “One is the team from Jin Province, stationed in Shengye Street. They're outsiders, but they also have the backing of a major banking house. The Prince will receive them first.

“The other is in Changle Street. It's a team formed by cultivators from Yulin. They have a decent reputation, and I know most of them personally.

“The Jinzhou team will most likely take advantage of the speed of their Running Drum Carts to leave ahead of everyone else. They'll build momentum along the route, gather incense offerings with their ritual banner, and secure one qualification slot before anyone else.

“The Yulin team, however, will meet us in the Eastern Market. That'll be the first encounter. Either we'll keep to our own paths and continue onward, or we'll have to fight it out.

“I prefer to conserve our strength. Carrying a Divine Tower all the way across Chang'an is exhausting enough. There's no need to start fighting from the very beginning. Also, I imagine they're thinking the same thing. If they leave first, we probably won't run into each other. But in the end... it'll depend on what they decide.”

At last, night fell, and lanterns throughout the city flickered to life. Everyone knew the real trial was about to begin.

Chang'an's Lantern Festival had always been a grand affair. During the height of the Tang Dynasty, people believed that the gods manifested around midnight. Thus, besides the various rituals held during the day, the nighttime festivities were even more elaborate.

For example, during the Tang Dynasty, the ceremony welcoming the Purple Maiden Spirit would not begin until the hour of the rat. Buddhism also flourished in that era, and people had lit lamps ever since the Han Dynasty to honor the Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

There was another reason as well. Chang'an normally enforced a nighttime curfew, but it was lifted on the night of the Lantern Festival. Even the imperial palace opened its gates, allowing the Son of Heaven to leave the palace and celebrate alongside the common people.

Singers and dancers dressed in their finest garments wandered beneath the moon through seas of lantern light.

A poet once described the glorious spectacle: Trees of fire and silver blossoms shone as the iron barriers of the Star Bridge were thrown open. Dust drifted away with the horses, while the bright moon followed the crowds. Graceful entertainers bloomed like luxuriant plum blossoms as they sang through the streets. On this night the Golden Guard forbade no curfew, let not the jade water clock hasten the passing hours.

Chang'an had long since lost the splendor of its former age. The heroes of the Five Mausoleums and the elegance of the flourishing Tang had long turned to dust, but the festive spirit of the Lantern Festival had stood strong.

Every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments. Endless rows of lanterns stretched along the streets. Merchants hired performers to dance dragons and lions, ride bamboo hobby horses, and perform the Dry Boat Dance.

The streets teemed with people. Children ran laughing with fish-shaped lanterns in hand, chasing one another through the crowds. Even if they accidentally knocked over a nearby lantern, the adults would not grow angry, instead taking it as an auspicious sign.

Naturally, the highlight of the night remained the Divine Tower procession.

Daozheng Street lay near one corner of the city walls. Shopkeeper Wan's procession had already assembled there. The tower bearers rubbed their hands together in anticipation, encouraging one another, pounding their chests, and roaring repeatedly to bolster their fighting spirit.

Now that night had fallen, they would be competing for real. If they encountered another procession in a narrow street, they would charge directly into the opposing Divine Tower and overturn it. That night, their actions were not considered disrespectful toward the gods. On the contrary, it was regarded as a form of entertainment offered to the deities themselves.

Before the Divine Tower stood a Daoist priest from the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. Holding a ritual banner in one hand while forming hand seals with the other, he fixed the banner atop the Divine Tower before lighting incense and performing the rites.

The round-faced priest was a familiar acquaintance. His Daoist name was Gu Chenzi. He was the very disciple who had accompanied Luo Mingzi to the mass graves outside Xianyang, where he and Li Yan had helped rescue and enfeoff the Mountain God.

Once the ceremony was complete, Li Yan immediately stepped forward to greet him.

Gu Chenzi remained as cheerful as ever, smiling broadly. “Fellow Daoist Li, it's been quite some time.”

Li Yan exchanged a few pleasantries before asking, “Has Daoist Luo Mingzi returned?”

“No.” Gu Chenzi frowned as a puzzled look flashed across his face. “Senior Brother left in such a hurry that none of us knew what urgent matter required his attention. Martial Uncle also forbade us from asking. However, word has come from the capital that Senior Brother Luo Mingzi may be transferred there.”

Li Yan nodded slightly “I see.”

He quickly started to ponder over the implications. It seemed Zhao Changsheng's affair had indeed attracted the attention of both the imperial court and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

With that in mind, he asked no further questions about Luo Mingzi. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the ritual banner atop the Divine Tower.

“Why were the rules suddenly changed? Why make such a grand production out of this?”

Gu Chenzi hesitated before glancing around. Lowering his voice, he said, “You're not an outsider, so I'll tell you, but don't spread it around.”

“This winter has seen heavy snowfall. By all accounts, next year should bring abundant rainfall. Yet repeated divinations all point to a coming drought. The Queen Mother Courtyard on Mount Taibai sensed something amiss, so one of the High Daoists performed a ritual and ascended the mountain to observe the qi. He discovered that the source of the calamity lay within the Qinling Mountain Range.

“When it comes to natural disasters, rituals can be performed to avert calamity and pray for blessings. But if it's a man-made disaster, then it has to be dealt with by human hands. So the Enforcement Hall sent people to investigate and discovered activity from the Maitreya Sect...”

Li Yan asked, “You mean that Drought Wraith?”

Gu Chenzi looked at Li Yan as his eyes widened slightly. “You certainly know quite a bit.

“Anyway, that thing is no simple matter. Let me put it this way, it was already recorded during the Tang Dynasty. It was later suppressed, but the killing qi around it was never completely eliminated. Then someone secretly removed it again. That's nothing but the result of human malice.

“Tonight's ritual imitates the ancient Shang Dynasty's Rain Dance, performed to entertain the gods. By borrowing divine power, we'll suppress that thing and keep it stable. Afterward, it'll be escorted safely out of Chang'an and transported to Mount Hua. Once that's done, the coming calamity can be resolved.

“The Maitreya Sect in Shanzhou has been almost completely wiped out, but there are bound to be people with ulterior motives still lurking around. You're a living yin emissary. If you hear anything, don't pretend you didn't.”

Li Yan nodded solemnly. “Don't worry. I'll keep an ear to the ground.”

Gu Chenzi cupped his fists in farewell and turned to leave.

Perhaps because of Li Yan's repeated accomplishments, Luo Mingzi and his fellow disciples had gradually come to trust him. Certain matters were no longer kept from him.

Watching Gu Chenzi's departing figure, Li Yan turned his attention back to the Divine Tower.

Daozheng Street bordered the Prince's Manor, and those who lived there were all high-ranking officials and wealthy nobles of Chang'an. The male heads of the households might maintain a measure of reserve, but the women and servants certainly would not miss such an occasion.

At that moment, the area around the Divine Tower was packed with people. They burned incense and prayed for prosperity in the coming year, while streams of bluish incense smoke rose straight into the night sky.

Li Yan could sense the incense energy gathering within the three Divine Towers coalescing into divine astral qi that connected directly with the ritual banner above.

The ceremony that night was, in a sense, a gamble. Constructing a Divine Tower required no small expense, but if the ritual concluded successfully, it would effectively undergo a divine refinement and consecration, truly becoming a spiritual artifact.

The greatest use of such an artifact was protecting homes and guarding estates. Its divine astral qi had already taken shape. Once it was enshrined within a family shrine or ancestral hall and worshipped with incense morning and evening, the vast majority of yin creatures and malevolent spirits would not dare approach.

There was no shortage of people in Chang'an willing to pay a handsome price for such an item. Even now, several elderly stewards surrounded Shopkeeper Wan, constantly asking whether he would sell the Divine Tower.

Shopkeeper Wan merely shook his head again and again, clearly having no intention of parting with it.

Just then, one of the bearers suddenly looked up. “Look! The Prince has come out!”

Hearing this, many people raised their heads to look.

Across the street stood the Prince's Manor. Several dozen meters beyond its walls, a three-storey library tower rose into the sky. Its doors and windows stood wide open, brilliantly illuminated. Countless figures could be seen faintly leaning against the railings, looking down upon the festivities.

Having trained in martial arts for years, Li Yan possessed exceptional eyesight. He could make out both the Prince and his heir. They looked utterly ordinary and somewhat overweight.

The only person who caught his attention was the white-robed Daoist standing beside the Prince. He had strikingly handsome features, with a long black beard reaching his chest, and carried himself with extraordinary bearing.

Sha Lifei had become well acquainted with Luo Faqing and had discreetly inquired about the matter. Qiao Sanhu was not Yue Fachong's cousin after all, but rather the only son of their master.

Yue Fachong had protected him solely out of gratitude for his master's kindness. While that could be considered a virtue in one sense, failing to discipline him was no different from indulging a tiger that harmed others.

Because of that, Li Yan had little regard for Yue Fachong.

The view was naturally even better from the library tower of the Prince's Manor.

“Hahaha...” Gazing out over the city awash in lantern light, the Prince of Chang'an, Xiao Qingyuan, was in an excellent mood. Supported by a eunuch, he slowly took his seat and said with a hint of nostalgia, “When the Great Xuan Dynasty was first established, Chang'an had been half-burned by the Wolf Kingdom. The city was devastated and in ruins, and it took decades to recover.

“Then, ten years ago, the Maitreya Sect's rebellion brought another great fire. Looking at it now, however, it's clear the city has recovered quite well.”

Those around him immediately began showering him with praise.

“It is all thanks to Your Highness's benevolence.”

“Chang'an has truly been blessed to have Your Highness governing it.”

Though they were flattering him, many of them spoke sincerely. From its founding, the Great Xuan Dynasty had enfeoffed its princes using the names of the cities they governed, with strict rules that they were not permitted to overstep.

For example, every expense of the Prince of Chang'an's manor was calculated according to the local tax revenues. The imperial court would assess the amount before allocating the funds.

In other words, the prosperity or poverty of the region was directly tied to the prince's household. If his governance left the people destitute, he could even be stripped of his title.

The current Prince of Chang'an was the younger brother of the reigning emperor. Ever since arriving in his fief, he had never burdened the common people, and he enjoyed an excellent reputation throughout Shanzhou. Unfortunately, age and illness had now taken their toll, and many matters had grown beyond his strength.

However, the Prince merely shook his head indifferently at the flattery. “I know my own abilities are ordinary. As long as I can keep things peaceful and avoid causing trouble for His Majesty, that is enough.

“The other day, while chatting with Venerable Zhikong, I came to realize that stillness is better than needless action. From now on, I'll devote myself to recovering my health. Affairs of the manor will be entrusted to my heir.”

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances before hurriedly trying to dissuade him. The Prince simply shook his head again, too weary to explain further.

Yue Fachong's gaze dimmed, and he sighed inwardly. He knew exactly what those words meant. The Prince had completely abandoned any thought of forming a fleet. He intended to hand authority over to his heir early so he could gain experience.

Perhaps, he had also sensed that his own days were numbered.

Xiao Hongqi trembled slightly, his eyes brimming with tears, unable to speak. “Father...”

“It's the Lantern Festival. Why are you crying? What bad luck!” The Prince scolded him with a smile before continuing, “Hongqi, this year's Drum King Assembly has gathered heroes from every corner of the realm. I'm tired. From now on, you shall be the one to present them with wine before they set out.”

“I understand.”

Xiao Hongqi took a deep breath and accepted the drum mallet offered by the eunuchs. Swinging his arm, he struck the dragon-patterned drum beside him.

Boom-Boom! Boom!

As the drum sounded, Li Kongqing immediately stepped forward and shouted, “The Prince’s Heir bestows wine to send off the drum troupes!”

With Chang'an already roaring with noise, his voice could not possibly carry very far. Even Li Yan and the others outside the Prince's Manor could not make out what he was saying.

Naturally, the Prince's Manor had prepared for this moment. The moment Li Kongqing called out, the manor guards below immediately echoed in unison.

“The Prince’s Heir bestows wine to send off the drum troupes!”

The proclamation quickly spread beyond the manor walls. Outside, mounted messengers had already been waiting. Upon hearing the order, they immediately spurred their horses toward every corner of Chang'an, shouting as they rode, “The Prince’s Heir bestows wine to send off the drum troupes!”

Ordinary citizens merely wondered why someone else had taken over the ceremony this year. Those with influence within the city, however, immediately understood.

From that day forward, the true master of the Prince’s Manor would be Xiao Hongqi!

Some people were indifferent, while others sighed repeatedly. The Shanzhou Merchant Guild they had spent so long planning for was now officially dead in the water. Given Xiao Hongqi’s temperament, he would never allow the Prince's Manor to participate in overseas trade.

The only thing they could do was cling tightly to the Li Family's influence. Although the procession teams were stationed throughout every corner of Chang'an, each already had attendants from the Prince's Manor waiting beside them.

Large black wine jars wrapped in red cloth stood nearby. These contained the manor's private reserve of fine liquor, aged Xifeng wine that ordinary inns could never hope to serve.

Upon hearing the order, the manor officials immediately got to work. One smashed open the clay seal and picked up the ladle, while another began handing out the tall stack of earthenware bowls beside the jars.

The members of each drum troupe had already lined up. Though the wine jars were enormous, every troupe numbered well over a hundred men. By the time each person had received a single bowl, the jars were nearly empty.

The leader of each drum troupe let out a mighty roar, drained his bowl in one gulp, and smashed it forcefully against the ground.

“To victory!”

The others followed suit, downing their wine together before shattering their bowls as well.

“To victory!”

That was an ancient military custom, symbolizing the resolve to be shattered like jade rather than remain intact like common pottery.

After drinking the farewell wine, everyone's morale rose even higher.

Boom! Boom-Boom!

Just then, midnight approached.

With three cannon blasts, the true highlight of the Drum King Assembly, the nighttime Divine Procession, officially began.

Guo Luquan’s voice rang out like thunder. “Brothers, lift!”

“Heave-ho!”

The bearers hoisted the Divine Tower once more. Calling out with all their might, accompanied by the drums and music, they set off.

The surrounding spectators were no less excited. The elderly smiled and waved from the roadside, while the younger crowds cheered without end, each carrying burning incense as they eagerly followed behind.

The Qin-Han War Drumbeasts were majestic by nature. Marching through the lantern-lit streets at night with crowds following in their wake gave everyone the exhilarating feeling of accompanying an army setting out for war.

In ancient times, shamans performed exorcism dances while common people marched through the night carrying blazing torches to drive away plagues and evil spirits. Though shamanic traditions had long since declined, traces of them could still be found in many religious ceremonies and folk customs even today.

Gradually, more and more people joined the procession behind them. When viewed from high above Chang'an, twenty four rivers of fire could be seen flowing in from every direction, converging upon Zhuque Avenue.

“Awooo!”

The people waved their incense wildly, howling and crying like ghosts and wolves, yet no one laughed. Everyone was completely immersed in the atmosphere.

Guo Luquan and the other Divine Tower bearers had already exhausted themselves during the daytime procession. But they seem to have forgotten all their fatigue. Their eyes bulged; their faces flushed crimson; and they shouted their marching chants as they strode forward.

The massive Divine Tower rose and fell rhythmically with their steps. The Qin-Han War Drum Ensemble thundered behind them, further amplifying the momentum.

As for Li Yan, he merely struck the drum casually. He was not slacking off, conserving his strength in case something unexpected happened.

Rumble!

No sooner had they left Daozheng Street than a thunderous roar sounded ahead.

The Jinzhou’s procession was seen thundering down the street as their war carts hauled gigantic drums, charging forward with unstoppable momentum. Behind them followed a vast crowd of townsfolk, while streams of incense stretched after them like a dragon.

Just as Shopkeeper Wan had predicted, they had chosen to seize the initiative. Quite a few thrill-seeking youngsters immediately broke away from the crowd and sprinted after the Jinzhou drum carts.

Li Yan and the others paid them no mind and continued onward.

At last, near the Eastern Market, they encountered the procession from Yulin.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!