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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!


Volume 1: A Gentle Blade

Part 1: The Person Inside the Ruins on a Rainy Day


Li Dan took a deep breath, holding back his anger, and said, "Sister, with thirty-six branches and seventy-two subsidiaries at our command, no one dares defy us in the West Lake region. But so what? We siblings are still total nobodies in the martial world. Master Li and everyone here, please forgive my sister's rash words and pretend that you heard nothing. Should anyone have need of us Li siblings in the future, rest assured, we will spare no effort."

Shen Heng was the first to reply, "Don't worry, boss. Did the Second Madam even say anything just now? If she did, I didn't catch it."

The others, both men and women, echoed in unison.

Li Yue mumbled, "Such words should definitely not be spread."

Everyone's gazes immediately fixed on him.

Li Yue shuddered. I'm the outsider here, so suspicion is inevitable. If these seasoned killers of the jianghu fear I might betray them for personal gain, they might kill me to silence me.

He quickly declared earnestly, "Let me swear by the thunder god to show my sincerity. If I, Li Yue, reveal even a word of Second Madam's words, may I be treated like a rat in the street, doomed to a miserable end…"

"You're already treated like a rat in the street, hated and chased by everyone," Li Jiaohong interrupted.

"Second Madam jests," Li Yue replied awkwardly, but her words allowed him to finally relax a bit.

Li Jiaohong sighed, "Brother, must we really continue these immoral misdeeds?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Li Dan slapped his large palm on the table and shouted, "Shut up! Aren't you afraid of getting executed by the people at headquarters? You might not care about your own life, but don't drag us all down!"

WOOF!

Suddenly, a mournful bark came from outside, causing Li Jiaohong to hold back on her retort. The room's atmosphere changed instantly, falling so silent that one could hear the crackling of the oil lamp.

Li Yue listened carefully for a moment. After hearing another long and short bark, he smiled and said, "It's just my men making a report."

Li Dan's brow lifted, his eyes flashing dangerously, "What did they say?"

Smiling apologetically, Li Yue explained, "It seems that Master Gu from the Inkmaker's Guild and Master Ding from the Theater Guild have arrived."

"What? Those two? Really?" Li Jiaohong groaned.

"My brothers stationed outside wouldn't mistake them," Li Yue replied.

Just then, they heard a series of five continuous knocks followed by a thud.

Li Yue opened the door, and in the flickering candlelight, several figures entered the room. Two of them led the way, while others flanked them closely, as if they were afraid that someone might attack the person they were protecting.

The first leader was a middle-aged merchant dressed in heavily embroidered robes, with a small moustache and slanted eyes like a fox. At first glance, his bodyguards appeared to be scholars, but a closer examination of their eyes revealed murderous intent instead of wisdom.

The second leader was a fair-skinned young man with a high forehead, with two bodyguards who clung to him like ghosts. Unlike the first man's protectors, these men wore fish-skin pouches around their waists, a sign that they were skilled in the use of hidden weapons.

When they saw the Li siblings, the two men greeted, "Brother Li, Second Miss, how are you?"

Li Dan and his sister exchanged a few pleasantries with the new arrivals, then Li Yue gestured everyone to sit.

"It seems the headquarters has indeed assembled quite the impressive group tonight, sending not just Master Gu Hanlin, the head of the Inkmaker's Guild, but also Master Ding Shouhe, the head of the Theater Guild," Li Dan opened bluntly.

The brocaded merchant Gu Hanlin smiled. "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm only playing a supporting role here. You, Brother Li, Second Miss, and Brother Ding here are the ones favored by headquarters," he greeted.

However, the guildmaster of the Theater Guild, Ding Shouhe, was not so courteous. Furrowing his brows, he said worriedly, "We should be cautious tonight. I've received reports that Xue Xishen of Sunset Drizzle Haven is also in this area."

"So it was really him!" Li Dan and his sister exclaimed in unison.

"Have you seen him?" Gu Hanlin asked.

Li Jiaohong replied, "Earlier today, as we were on our way back from performing, we ran into a man who closely resembles that legendary assassin."

Gu Hanlin's smile faded. His expression turning cold, he muttered, "Xue Xishen, Xue Xishen… If Sunset Drizzle Haven has dispatched the Western Death God, this won't be easy."

"If Xue Xishen is here, then the midday murder of the twelve constables at the old Tan Family Estate might be his work," Ding Shouhe pointed out, his voice clear and pleasant despite the dark clouds hanging over his face.

"Twelve lives, taken as easily as plucking a leaf," Gu Hanlin muttered.

Li Dan scoffed, "We are not leaves."

"It makes no difference to that person," Ding Shouhe responded indifferently.

"What do you mean by that?!" Li Dan shouted, angered.

"There is no way we insignificant beings are worthy of the Western Death God's time."

Li Dan fell silent, at a loss for words.

Li Jiaohong asked, "Then why is he here?"

"I don't know, but I do know that in Beijing, the Six Half Hall and Sunset Drizzle Haven are at odds, and Xue Xishen has come here specifically because of someone," Ding Shouhe replied.

Li Dan gasped, "Don't tell me, is it the Twelfth Hall Master Zhao Tieleng?"

Ding Shouhe shook his head, "No. He's probably after the Ninth Hall Master, Huo Dong."

"Master Huo of the Ninth Hall!"

Ding Shouhe nodded. "I heard that three people from headquarters are coming tonight. Huo Dong is one of them, Zhao Tieleng another."

"What about the last…" Li Dan started, when two more barks sounded from outside, this time much more urgent.

The mood in the room immediately grew tense.

"The people from headquarters have arrived," Li Dan said, standing up.

"Not necessarily," Ding Shouhe cautioned.

Li Dan, already displeased with this man, glared at him.

However, Ding Shouhe ignored him and added, "I also have people nearby."

From a distance, two frog croaks rang out.

Finally relaxing, Ding Shouhe stood up to open the door, his demeanor even more respectful than Li Dan's. "It is indeed people from headquarters," he said.

However, Gu Hanlin suddenly restrained him. Behind him, the two scholar-like bodyguards quickly moved to the window, one pushing it open while the other struck a flint with his knife, igniting a spark.

Only when the bodyguards nod did Gu Hanlin smile and say, "It is indeed people from headquarters."

Li Dan snorted, "You sure have many informants, Masters Gu and Ding."

Gu Hanlin kept a stern face. "Since headquarters is coming to visit us, it's only natural that we must be fully prepared."

Li Dan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then asked, "There's still one person from headquarters who hasn't arrived yet. Does anyone know who it is?"

Ding Shouhe immediately began to look uneasy. He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of clapping from downstairs.

Wang Xiaoshi sighed soundlessly. He had hidden in the closet, hoping to overhear some information about the unfortunate cripples, but every time someone was about to say something important, they were interrupted. Regardless, he now found himself caught up in the excitement of seeing the famous figures of Northern Jiangnan, Zhao Tieleng and Huo Dong.

Someone knocked on the door again, this time five quick and one slow.

Li Dan, his sister, Gu Hanlin, Ding Shouhe, and the others all stood near the door as Li Yue opened it.

The door slowly swung open, revealing no one.

"How can there be no one there?" Li Yue wondered aloud.

Just as the candlelight flickered slightly, Wang Xiaoshi peered through the crack in the closet door, only to see three shadowy figures enter the room as silently as the leaves that were drifting in through the window.

The first was an emaciated, bald old man with silver eyebrows and beard, his hands hidden inside his sleeves as if clutching some precious treasure not to be seen by others.

The second was a man as cold and hard as metal, with a square face, a square body, and square hands, making him resemble an iron box.

Then the third man entered. As he walked through the door, he inadvertently glanced in Wang Xiaoshi's direction, and their eyes met for a moment.

Wang Xiaoshi shuddered. This man was the one he had seen looking at the sky during the day, but now he wasn't looking at the sky. Instead, he was looking at the candlelight, and the candlelight reflected in his sparkling eyes, accentuating his gracefully arched eyebrows.

His very presence in the room made the candlelight seem to shine just for him, yet he seemed so carefree that not even the candlelight could touch his clothes.

Who is he? Wang Xiaoshi wondered. He did not remember any such person among the famous martial artists.

By now, the roomful of martial artists had also noticed the three additional people.

"Hall Master Zhao."

"Hall Master Huo."

They greeted the first two, but no one greeted the third man. Apparently, no one knew who he was either. Well, at least the man himself seemed unconcerned, perfectly content to just stand there quietly.

Zhao Tieleng cleared his throat and spoke in a raspy voice, "Today, Headquarters has called us here to ask about three things, and to have you do three things."

Li Dan and the others replied respectfully, "Please instruct us, Hall Master."

"Li Dan, I asked you to capture all the people on the list and disfigure them completely. Have you done it?" Zhao Tieleng asked.

Li Dan replied, "Of the forty-two people on the list, nineteen were captured. Some were castrated, some were mutilated, but as you instructed, Hall Master, we made sure that they were turned into dwarves or monsters so that their own parents wouldn't recognize them, nor would they be able to talk about it themselves."

"Good. Have you kidnapped the only son of Grand Coordinator Wen yet?"

Li Dan nodded eagerly, "Yes, he's in our hands."

Zhao Tieleng grinned. "Inform that scoundrel Wen that if he continues to support the people of Sunset Drizzle Haven, we'll transform his son into a monkey, make him perform on the streets, and pocket all his earnings! Isn't that right, Li Dan?"

"Of course, though to me, following your orders is much more important than money," Li Dan quickly insisted.

Zhao Tieleng sneered, "Spare me the nonsense. Money is more important to you than morality. I know all about you jianghu performers scalding people with boiling water, poisoning them with scorpion venom, or breaking their limbs and spines to sell them as 'soft-boned children' or 'human balls' for no reason other than a little extra sympathy and coin from passersby! I've seen these tricks countless times. But… do you know why I want you to do these things?"

"Please enlighten me, Hall Master."

Zhao Tieleng's icy eyes swept across the room. "Remember I said I was here to ask you to do three things? Well, the first thing I want you to do is this: Deliver retribution!

"The parents of these children were once members of the Six Half Hall, but now that Sunset Drizzle Haven has the support of the court officials, many of them have defected. Therefore, to punish them, we'll severely mutilate their closest kin and turn them into monstrous, non-human, fiendish beings. I'm sure that when these deformed family members are sent back to them, they will deeply regret their betrayal.

"But that's not all. After we break their hearts and minds, we'll eliminate them one by one. This should deter any potential traitors. Let's see if anyone else dares to rebel!

"As for Grand Coordinator Wen, he's been taking bribes from Sunset Drizzle Haven and aggressively arresting our people. Therefore, I ordered you to capture his son to see if he dares to continue his misdeeds."

Silence fell over the room.

After a pause, Zhao Tieleng said, "Master Ding, Master Gu."

Ding Shouhe and Gu Hanlin bowed. "Yes, sir."

"I instructed you to scout for talented scholars and warriors in the Hanlin Academy and the Theater Guild. Any updates?"

Gu Hanlin hurriedly replied, "Right now, I have identified a few people who failed the Imperial Examination, but are ambitious and talented. I believe they are ready for a final interview with Hall Master Zhao."

"As for me, I have found a few outstanding martial artists from other troupes and a few from escort agencies. They are currently waiting in my troupe," Ding Shouhe added.

Zhao Tieleng sternly said, "Well done. Since our enemies are expanding, this is exactly the time we need to recruit talent. Those bastards already control the escort agencies and the Hanlin Academy, making it difficult for us to find good scholars and warriors, so you'll have to work harder. The good thing is, unlike Sunset Drizzle Haven, we only hire on the basis of talent, regardless of moral character. This is the second thing I wanted to tell you."

Gu Hanlin declared, "I am committed to serving Headquarters even at the cost of my life."

"I am truly honored to help lighten the burden for Headquarters," Ding Shouhe asserted.

Zhao Tieleng laughed, "There is no need for you to die, nor is there any honor in death. If you perform well, you will be promoted, and if not, you will be penalized. That's the rule of the Six Half Hall, and it applies to everyone equally."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, do you know that Xue Xishen has come here?"

"Yes, a few days ago I received a report of his arrival in Hubei," Gu Hanlin replied.

Li Dan chimed in, "Actually, we ran into him on the street today. Should we deal with him?"

"He's staying at the River God Temple on Prosperity Street. We are prepared to act at any moment, just awaiting your command," Ding Shouhe added.

Zhao Tieleng burst out laughing, and Huo Dong started to laugh as well. Soon, the two of them looked at each other and laughed together.

Finally, stifling a snicker, Zhao Tieleng patted the beautiful young man's shoulder and asked, "Brother, isn't this funny?"

"Indeed, it is." The young man smiled slightly, a smile that held much grace and reserve. Still, he did not join in the laughter.

Turning back to the others, Zhao Tieleng said, "Xue Xishen is someone favored by Master Su Mengzhen of Sunset Drizzle Haven. What can you do against him? But have no fear, Hall Master Huo came here specifically to deal with that Xue fellow. That's the third thing us Hall Masters wanted to tell you tonight."

Li Dan, Li Jiaohong, Ding Shouhe, Gu Hanlin, Li Yue, Shen Heng, and the others chuckled awkwardly, their faces betraying their embarrassment.

Still grinning, Huo Dong suddenly raised his voice and said, "The one hiding over there, have you heard enough? Come out now!"

Everyone realized that although Huo Dong was laughing, there was no trace of mirth in his eyes, and his words startled them all.

No one, of course, was more shocked than Wang Xiaoshi. Have I been discovered? he thought, panicking and wondering if he should bravely reveal himself.

However, at that very moment, Huo Dong suddenly "drew" his hands from his sleeves, as if he was "drawing" a pair of unique weapons!

And unique weapons they were. They were extraordinary hands, pale and gold in color.

As soon as Huo Dong slapped these hands on the table, they immediately stuck to the surface. Then, he flipped the table up and sent it hurtling towards the ceiling with the speed of a shooting star.

As it turned out, except for Wang Xiaoshi, who could clearly see Huo Dong's strange hands, the others only saw the table after it crashed into the rafters like a giant eagle, causing all the candles on the table to fall to the ground, perfectly aligned, none of them extinguished.

Then they saw the light of a blade. It was a faint, delicate, and dreamy light, like a beautiful woman highlighted in a lover's poem.

Wang Xiaoshi had never seen such a mysterious blade light before. However, it was this very gentle light that silently split the hardwood table into eight sections like eight dragons flying in different directions, and outlined a figure slowly descending from above.

With a loud roar, Huo Dong struck the ground with his pals. Everyone thought that this time, they would be able to see his technique clearly, but instead, the six candles on the ground all shot up and slammed into the person who was swooping down!

Unfortunately for him, though, the blade light was not yet spent. Sure, it was faint, like distant hills in the evening light, the setting sun barely visible, but where the blade light passed, the candles were instantly extinguished, leaving the room in pitch darkness.

Except for one candle.

This candle rested in the palm of the newcomer like a tiny dragonfly on a lotus leaf, not stirring a single dewdrop, the blade light reflected in the candlelight, the candlelight reflected in her face, the blade light shimmering in her eyes.

She landed in the crowd.

As graceful as a poem, as dreamlike as a fairy.

This was Wang Xiaoshi's first time seeing Wen Rou.1

The whole world was illuminated by a single candlelight.

A single candlelight, shining brilliantly in her palm.

Footnotes:

  1. Wen Rou: Wen Rou is a person's name, and it also means "gentle". The volume title "A Gentle Blade" can also be read as "Wen Rou's Blade", giving it a double meaning. ↩

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