Blade - Unbound

In the Guanzhong Plains, the twentieth day of the first lunar month was marked by a custom known as Patching the Heavens.

It wasn't considered a major festival. People simply ate pan-fried crepes that day. A few were placed on the roof, which seemed like they were used to patch the heavens. Two pieces were tossed into the well, and the tradition was called patching the earth.

After tossing the pancake in his hand into the well and respectfully bowing three times, Yang Baozhu called loudly toward the house, "I'm heading out!"

His wife complained from inside, "You're going to the teahouse again? You just got back, and you won't even rest."

"Heh, all you do is nag!" Yang Baozhu cursed with a grin before tucking his clay tobacco pipe behind his neck. With his hands clasped behind his back, he hummed a little tune as he strolled out the door.

The old city of Huayin wasn't very large. Because it stood near Tong Pass, a strategic military choke point, it had been destroyed during the wars of the previous dynasty, leaving behind nothing but ruined walls and abandoned buildings. Not a soul could be found for hundreds of li. Only later did the city gradually recover.

Although Yang Baozhu was merely a suona player in the Zuo Opera Troupe, a profession that could be counted among the lowliest trades, his ancestors had once enjoyed great glory.

The Yang Clan of Hongnong had once been one of the most illustrious families in history. Four generations of emperors and five generations of empresses had emerged from the clan, along with countless famous ministers and generals. By all rights, they should have remained one of the dominant aristocratic families.

Unfortunately, the Yang Clan had risen during the Western Han, flourished through the Wei and Jin dynasties, and declined during the Sui and Tang. By the Song Dynasty the main family had migrated south, leaving behind only collateral branches like theirs.

Only during ancestral rites could they reminisce about their former glory. Whenever Yang Baozhu brought up the subject, people of the Guanzhong Plains invariably laughed at him. After all, whose ancestors hadn't once been prosperous?

The past two days, however, he had been positively beaming.

"Mr. Yang's here!"

Sure enough, the moment he stepped into the teahouse, someone greeted him loudly. Even the waiter eagerly brought over tea and served him attentively.

"Brother Yang, tell us about that night again!"

No sooner had Yang Baozhu taken a seat than several people crowded around him.

He feigned impatience as he complained, "Didn't I tell it all yesterday?"

But after taking out his clay tobacco pipe, and having someone beside him eagerly light it for him, he took two leisurely puffs before saying calmly, "Oh, there's plenty to tell about that night..."

"At this year's Drum King Assembly during the Lantern Festival, it wasn't just teams from Shanzhou that came. Teams from many other provinces showed up too. It was livelier than ever before...

"They all displayed their finest skills, but our troupe couldn't afford to lose face. The moment we unveiled the Eight Directions Projection Art, the entire audience was stunned!

"You've all heard of Xiong Baodong, right? The chief of Chang'an's Fire Bear Gang!"

Someone asked, "How did he compare to our Blood Blade Society?"

"Bah! They're not even worth comparing! That's Chang'an we're talking about. He had thousands of followers under him, every one of them a hardened fighter. Shame, he still got his head smashed to bits!

"Tsk, tsk... I was standing right beside him. Blood splattered all over me. What a pity, I had just gotten those new clothes made... Young Hero Li held the severed head in the air and let out a mighty roar. It was as if the wandering heroes of the Tang Dynasty had returned!"

Yang Baozhu truly deserved his reputation as a member of an opera troupe. Though he couldn't sing, he knew exactly how to tell a story. One dramatic flourish followed another, leaving the listeners gasping in amazement.

Unable to contain his curiosity, one man asked, "Wasn't it just the Drum King Assembly? Why were they fighting so fiercely? People even died!"

Yang Baozhu shot him a sideways glance before sighing. "For Mount Hua!"

"What?" Someone immediately sprayed out a mouthful of tea. "That lousy Mount Hua? I climb it all the time! If they wanted to go up, they could've just asked me to guide them. I know every path."

"Heh." Yang Baozhu sneered. "You ignorant fool. You really think Mount Hua is only what your eyes can see? There are places ordinary people simply can't reach. Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand.

"All you need to know is that those qualification slots were incredibly valuable. Otherwise, why would people from other provinces come all the way here to fight over them?"

Someone couldn't help but ask, "How valuable?"

"At the very least, two thousand taels each."

Ssssss...

Everyone inhaled sharply.

Pfft!

Just then, laughter came from a distant corner. Yang Baozhu looked up only to see a red-faced man wearing a tattered sheepskin coat. He was exceptionally tall, with a Guanshan blade hanging from either side of his waist.

A bladesman!

Yang Baozhu had been a little annoyed at first, but his heart immediately tightened. Cautiously cupping his fists, he said, "My apologies, hero. I was just talking nonsense. Please don't take offense."

"Your information is outdated." The red-faced man drained the tea in his bowl in one gulp before shaking his head. "One qualification slot sold for ten thousand taels. Li Yan held nine tokens, and they sold for a total of ninety thousand taels."

This time it was Yang Baozhu's turn to be stunned. "What?!"

The twenty taels of reward money in his pocket suddenly didn't seem nearly as satisfying anymore. He couldn't help but curse the troupe leader for being so stingy.

The red-faced man clicked his tongue. "Ninety thousand taels, and that's not all.

"The Qiao Family of Fengyang County, along with several of the Fire Bear Gang's old veterans, jointly put up a bounty of five thousand taels for Li Yan's head.

"Right now, his head is the most valuable prize in the jianghu."

Yang Baozhu laughed nervously. "Still... Young Hero Li casually killed a Jin Transformation Realm master, and he's a cultivator. Who would be so tired of living as to accept that bounty?"

The red-faced man slowly rose to his feet. "There are plenty of people who value money more than their lives. As it happens, I'm one of them."

Only then did everyone realize just how enormous he was. He stood nearly six chi tall[ref]2.0m[\ref].

Yang Baozhu gulped hard before respectfully cupping his fists. "My apologies, my apologies... May I ask who you are, Brother...?"

"Yuan Heizi of Pu County."

The red-faced man burst into hearty laughter, and strode out of the teahouse as the patrons exchanged frightened glances.

"It's Peerless Yuan from Pu County!"

Leaving the teahouse, Peerless Yuan strode directly toward the city gates. His unusually massive physique made him impossible to miss as he walked through the streets.

At the gate, his wanted poster was prominently pasted upon the wall. Yet after seeing him, the city guards simply turned their heads away, pretending not to notice.

"Hmph."

With a cold laugh, Peerless Yuan swaggered straight out of the city.

Upon reaching the loess hill outside the walls, a man suddenly leapt down from a nearby tree. Wearing a broad smile, he respectfully cupped his fists. "Greetings, Big Brother."

"Did you find him?"

"The target's hiding in the mountains thirty li from here. That place used to be an imperial Tang mausoleum. I heard several groups of bladesman have already gone there."

"What happened to them?"

"Well... They all went mad and slaughtered one another. According to the only survivor, they ran into something unclean. In fact, the mountains are crawling with those unclean things."

"Bah!" Peerless Yuan sneered. "What a bunch of idiots. The man's a cultivator. Charging in that blindly is no different from courting death.

"Go, gather everyone."

"Yes!"

The short man leapt down the loess hill, mounted a swift horse, and galloped away, disappearing in moments.

Peerless Yuan, meanwhile, stuck a stalk of straw between his teeth, and pulled his bamboo hat down over his face. He crossed one leg over the other, and reclined lazily beneath the tree to rest.

Half an hour later, three figures approached along the official road.

It was a monk, a Daoist, and an elderly woman. They were the very same three unorthodox cultivators who had stood beside Xiong Baodong during the Lantern Festival.

As though sensing their arrival, Peerless Yuan suddenly lifted his bamboo hat, rose to his feet, and jumped down to meet them. Glancing at the three of them, he cupped his fists in greeting. "Seniors, according to our agreement..."

"We weren't supposed to meet until tomorrow."

The only reason Peerless Yuan had learned what had happened was because of the three people before him.

All three wore grim expressions. The one-eyed monk said in a deep voice, "That brat is slippery. We don't know why he still hasn't gone up Mount Hua, but if he gets away again, we'll lose our chance for good."

Their luck had been terrible as well. With Xiong Baodong dead, they had lost any opportunity to compete for qualification slots. After going through so much trouble to reach Shanzhou, none of them wanted to return empty-handed. Yet Li Yan's group had vanished without a trace after the Lantern Festival.

The only news they received was that a cultivator called Night Crier in Fengyi Ward had been entrusted with selling off the remaining tokens. As unorthodox cultivators, the three of them had no intention of honestly paying for them. That very night, they sneaked into Fengyi Ward intending to seize them by force.

The outcome went without saying. They had run into someone far tougher than expected. Night Crier had merely raised his soul-summoning banner and let out a series of mournful wails.

The three of them had nearly died right there and then. Terrified out of their wits, they fled Chang'an in utter panic. Even so, they still refused to give up.

They reasoned that Chang'an was filled with powerful experts. Once Li Yan and his companions left the city, those experts surely wouldn't accompany them. Thus, they joined forces with Peerless Yuan, the hottest rising bladesman, intending to ambush and kill Li Yan.

"Don't worry. He won't escape." Peerless Yuan sneered. "I've heard of Li Hu's reputation. His son may be formidable, but he'll still die today."

The Daoist carrying the large gourd said coldly, "You've got quite the mouth on you, youngster. Even Xiong Baodong, a master of the Jin Transformation Realm, was killed within a few exchanges. Where does your confidence come from?"

"Hahaha!" Peerless Yuan roared with laughter. "You'll find out soon enough."

Not long afterward, dust rose from the distant dirt road. Roughly thirty horsemen came galloping toward them, every one of them disheveled and fierce-looking.

The old woman dressed in black smacked her lips. "So you actually have this many subordinates. Are you planning to flee into the mountains and become bandits?"

Peerless Yuan scratched his chest, rolled a little ball of dirt from the grime on his skin, and flicked it away. "I robbed and killed a few wealthy families. Now the Imperial Court is after me. I can't take the profitable jobs anymore, so I might as well head into the mountains.

"Either way, it's all about making money. Isn't robbery faster?"

As they spoke, the mounted group arrived. After one of his men brought over his horse, Peerless Yuan retrieved an oil-paper package hanging beside the saddle and grinned. "Seniors, do you recognize this?"

The Daoist with the gourd sniffed the air. His expression immediately changed. "Gunpowder?"

"That's right!" Peerless Yuan laughed. "You three probably haven't heard. There's another story making the rounds lately. Bai Ruoxu, who used to be the hall master of Chang'an's Brokers Guild, stole one of the Military Surveillance Department's divine firearms.

"A few days ago at Manchuan Pass, experts from the Canal Gang intercepted him, hoping to rob the robber. But instead, the Canal Gang's chief had half his body blown apart by a single shot!

"He was a long-famous master in the Jin Transformation Realm!

"And two days ago at Tong Pass, a newly established gang from the Central Plains ambushed a merchant caravan from Jinzhou using buried explosives. Even the renowned Tianshun Escort Agency suffered a crushing defeat."

He shook the explosive packet in his hand and chuckled darkly. "These days, this is the real hard currency on the black market.

"Cultivators... Jin Transformation Realm masters... In the end, they're still flesh and blood. For ten taels of silver, you can buy their lives. So tell me, seniors, what do you think of my mystic art?"

"Hahaha!" The bandits around him burst into uproarious laughter.

The three cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions all rather ugly. Originally, they had never intended to share any of the spoils. Their plan had been to seize the tokens first, and conveniently dispose of Peerless Yuan as well.

But looking at the explosive packets held by the bandits, they couldn't help feeling uneasy. They had personally witnessed the terrifying power of firearms on the night of the Lantern Festival.

Seeing that none of the three spoke, Peerless Yuan merely chuckled and said nothing more. Instead, he ordered horses to be brought for them. With a sharp whistle, the mounted group immediately headed toward the distant mountains.

***

The first lunar month had yet to end and the weather remained bitterly cold. The mounted bandits thundered across the road, every rider wrapping a cloth around his face against the wind.

High overhead, a hawk circled through the blue sky, sometimes soaring in wide loops, sometimes diving steeply toward the earth.

Atop a high ridge, a black-robed youth sat in a large tree. Beneath his hood was a round face with bright, lively eyes. Even when he wasn't smiling, two distinct dimples formed at the corners of his mouth. The moment he noticed the hawk's flight pattern, he leaped from the tree.

Sliding swiftly down the steep hillside, he sprang lightly from rock to rock. His movements were nimble, like a mountain antelope. Before long, a small valley came into view. Beside it stood a dilapidated, long abandoned earthen shrine, yet wisps of smoke still drifted from within.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Sha Lifei emerged from the shrine with an ingratiating smile plastered across his face.

"Oh! Brother Lu San's back! Come, come, let me carry your things."

Lu San immediately took a step back, his face as expressionless as ever. "No need."

"Come on, we're brothers. No need to be so polite."

Although Sha Lifei spoke warmly, his eyes remained fixed on Lu San's waist. Hanging there were Fire Ghost's bone mace firearm and several ammunition pouches.

Lu San shook his head. "Forget it. I've already given you three rounds. We still haven't figured out the formula. There isn't much ammunition left. We have to save it for critical moments."

Sha Lifei's heart itched with desire. Rubbing his hands together, he pleaded, "Just one. Just one more. If we can figure out the formula, neither of us will ever have to worry again."

Unfortunately, no matter how much sweet talk he tried, Lu San remained completely unmoved.

At that moment, Wang Daoxuan also stepped outside. Shaking his head, he said, "Enough with the pestering.

"Brother Lu, did you discover anything?"

After the Lantern Festival, Li Yan and the others had left Chang'an and waited in a village outside the city while Night Crier disposed of the remaining tokens. Originally, Li Yan had been afraid the Military Surveillance Department might be tracking them, so he hadn't contacted Lu San.

Who would have thought that Lu San would take the initiative to find them to bid his farewells? How could the three of them possibly allow that? After much persuasion, they finally convinced him to join them.

Lu San was already a wanted man in his hometown. Now that his revenge had been fulfilled, he no longer knew where in the vast world he ought to go. In the end, he simply chose to stay with the three of them.

The advantages were obvious. Lu San could understand the language of birds and beasts. He had even tamed a hawk to scout for the group. Two days earlier, when enemies had approached, it had been Lu San who detected them in advance.

Hearing Wang Daoxuan's question, Lu San nodded like a wooden chicken. "Yes. There is a group of around thirty men. They're riding this way."

"What are we afraid of?" Sha Lifei laughed. "No matter how many there are, it's useless. Little Yan cultivates every night surrounded by wandering ghosts across the mountains. I doubt they'll even be able to get close."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "We can't be careless. If they attack during the daytime, what if they disturb Brother Yan's cultivation?"

"Brother Lu, please notify Brother Yan. Old Sha, come with me and help set up the ritual altar. If they make it up the mountain, we should at least be able to hold them back for a while."

Whenever Li Yan was absent, Wang Daoxuan naturally took charge. Sha Lifei accompanied him to prepare the ritual formation.

Meanwhile, Lu San walked into the ravine behind them. Taking out a charcoal pencil, he began writing and sketching on a strip of cloth.

He pursed his lips and let out a sharp whistle. "Squeak! Squeak!"

Immediately, a rat emerged from the nearby grass. It scampered up his trouser leg and climbed obediently into his hand. Lu San tied the strip of cloth around one of its hind legs before walking over to the entrance of a cave. After making several more squeaking sounds, he released it into the tunnel.

The rat immediately dashed forward at astonishing speed. The narrow, pitch-black passage offered it no obstacle whatsoever. Within moments, it had disappeared deep into the mountain.

The entire mountain was in fact an enormous burial mound.

Squeak! Squeak!

In less than half the time it took a stick of incense to burn, the rat had already reached the mountain's interior, where an ancient imperial tomb lay.

The mausoleum was extremely old. Many sections had already collapsed with age. At the center of the burial chamber, a solitary candle flickered dimly. There, Li Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed as his palms slowly rubbed against one another.

A muffled rumble of thunder could faintly be heard. At the same time, crackling arcs of lightning flickered between his hands.

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