TWWDS - Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Chao Qingxiu fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I remember that the area around Shouzhou is all Wenbei Sect territory, isn't it?"
When the Gang Leader showed interest, Yan Kaixian naturally offered to fill in some basics about the martial world. "As far as the major martial factions are concerned, the Wenbei Sect naturally takes the lead here. In fact, Beicang Residence and Hongye Temple are also in Shouzhou, but the disciples of those two sects have always valued cultivation above all else and do not involve themselves much with the mundane world outside." She lowered her voice slightly. "Ten years ago, Sun Rujin tried to control the Jiangnan martial world. The heroes of the south refused to submit to him. They fought several times, and some years later the Wenbei Sect suddenly rose to prominence, driving Sun Rujin's subordinates out of Jiangnan. Even Xue Heqi and Zuo Wenya, who had once been famed far and wide, had no choice but to move their residences to Rongzhou."
On hearing this, Chao Qingxiu turned to look at Yan Kaixian and asked curiously, "Who exactly is Sun Rujin?"
Yan Kaixian said, "...Sun Rujin is the prime minister at court." She quickly added, "The Gang Leader seldom pays attention to court affairs, so you may not have heard the name of that old, cough, that person."
Chao Qingxiu could tell that Yan Kaixian had probably started to curse him as an old wretch or an old scoundrel, but because she was in the Gang Leader's presence, she had hastily adjusted her wording.
Since Chao Qingxiu did not know the prime minister's full name, she probably would not know the identities or backgrounds of his subordinates either. Yan Kaixian added a couple more sentences: "Xue Heqi and Zuo Wenya used to be the prefect and assistant prefect of Shouzhou. They always followed the prime minister's orders, levied heavy taxes and extorted money, and persecuted heroes of the martial world who refused to submit. They were then hunted by Cen Zhaoque, who had just emerged from Hongye Temple. Xue and Zuo sent out every one of their best men, but none could match him, and in the end they had no choice but to admit defeat."
Even though Sun Rujin's power was overwhelming, Xue Heqi and Zuo Wenya still valued their own lives too much to risk them.
Yan Kaixian said, "Cen Zhaoque therefore founded the Wenbei Sect. Later, when Great Xia went to war with Northern Xi, the Northern Xi court secretly sent experts into Great Xia to assassinate the family members of important Suwei Guard personnel and disturb military morale. The Jiangnan heroes discovered their tracks, and Cen Zhaoque cut off the man's head with a single stroke. Cen Zhaoque later sent the head to the residence of the Minister of War, forcing him to stop shortchanging the Suwei Guard's rations and pay."
"This affair directly alerted the Capital Region's Embroidered Robes Guard. Fortunately, the guard was led that day by Zhuo Xisheng, Official Zhuo, and she managed to keep the matter from spreading. Official Zhuo and Yan Xueke, Chief Constable Yan, had both come from Qingzheng Palace and later joined the Six Doors, and were counted among the masters of the Upright faction." She added, "But both the Embroidered Robes Guard and Qingzheng Palace operated mostly around the Capital Region and had nothing to do with our martial world of Jiangnan."
Chao Qingxiu nodded.
With the Wenbei Sect's reputation like that, it was no wonder that the heroes of the south all acknowledged its authority.
Since Yue Zhiwen had already arrived in Huashui City, Chao Qingxiu no longer had to worry about the safety of Zhou's Medical Hall. She went to find Zhou Youwen to collect the escort goods and prepare to set out.
...If she did not set out soon, she would almost forget that the reason she had appeared here was not to solve a case, but to escort a batch of medicinal pills worth three hundred taels of silver.
Old Doctor Zhou bottled the finished medicine and placed the bottles in the bamboo chest Yan Kaixian had originally used to store the Gang Leader's snacks.
Chao Qingxiu noticed that the new recruit before her seemed to want to say something but held back, so she asked, "Old Doctor, is there anything else you wish to entrust to me?"
Zhou Youwen said, "It is nothing major. I only have a friend in Shouzhou whom I often correspond with. I am moving to Gaofang Prefecture, and since no one will be living in the old residence, I plan to write to let my friend know."
With an ordinary escort, one could add an item to a shipment for a little extra money, but with his superior before him, Zhou Youwen found himself to be the leader's client for the first time and hesitated for a moment.
Understanding, Chao Qingxiu said, "Since we are going there anyway, Sister Yan and I can take the letter along on the way."
Zhou Youwen saluted with clasped hands. "Thank you, Gang Leader."
Although the Zizhuo Gang had only just been rebuilt and its future was still uncertain, Zhou Youwen's decision to join was somewhat risky. But after watching from the sidelines for the past two days, he had found that Chao Qingxiu, though very young, was meticulous in her thinking and steady in character, no less capable than many famous martial figures he had known. As for Yan Kaixian, her title, the "Mountain-Cleaving Saber," was renowned throughout the martial world, and she treated the Gang Leader with respectful deference. Chao herself showed no arrogance at all, but was extremely easygoing. He suddenly felt that whether the organization had a future was another question; at least, the Zizhuo Gang was an organization in the martial world with an excellent workplace culture.
Zhou's Pharmacy had two packages that needed to be delivered, both destined for Yongning Prefecture in Shouzhou. The larger package was for the Wenbei Sect, while the smaller one also contained a letter addressed to Han Xiyi, an academy official at the Chongming Academy.
When the letter reached them, Yan Kaixian tensed for a moment, but soon relaxed during her exchange with the leader. Luckily, the current Gang Leader looked like someone who was well read; otherwise, she would not have known that the middle character of the recipient's name was pronounced xì...
Yongning Prefecture in Shouzhou was Great Xia's secondary capital in the south.
Chao Qingxiu had heard the name of the Chongming Academy from Xu Zhongzhi before. It was the prefecture's official academy. Most of its academy officials held official degrees, while experts were stationed there to protect the academy. As for Han Xiyi, literary talent and martial skill were equally impressive, a truly outstanding combination.
In his letter to his friend, Old Doctor Zhou described in detail how he had been rescued. He had boldly asked the Gang Leader to carry the letter partly because he was growing old and wanted to entrust some of his long-standing connections to Chao Qingxiu.
Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian set out with the escort goods, traveling light.
Perhaps because the martial world's evil forces also understood the importance of balancing work and rest, they were not quite so villainous as to keep stirring up trouble around the clock, through all twelve watches of the day. This time, the two encountered no setbacks on the road, and several days later they reached Yongning Prefecture safely.
The horses galloped, and the outline of the distant city grew clearer. Chao Qingxiu reached out to rein in her mount. Across a moat about a hundred feet wide, she looked up at the towering city walls.
Flags fluttered above the walls, and vague figures could be seen moving back and forth. Sunlight cast a cold silver glint across the soldiers' armor and blades.
Gaofang Prefecture was already a large city, but beside Yongning it looked decidedly small.
Chao Qingxiu dismounted and walked toward the city gate with Yan Kaixian. They carried little luggage, nowhere near the taxable threshold, and after a cursory inspection of their travel permits, they were admitted.
The streets inside were broad, a full two hundred feet wide. Fine carriages and horses came and went, and pavilions and towers lined both sides. In Gaofang Prefecture, one rarely saw people riding horses inside the city, but here in Yongning, people could be seen galloping past from time to time.
Chao Qingxiu could understand. After all, the two cities differed enormously in size. If residents of Yongning encountered an urgent matter and were not allowed to gallop, their only option would be to hire martial artists to run errands with lightness technique...
As a gang famous for commerce, Buer House had also opened an inn in Yongning Prefecture. Once she had recognized the sign, Chao Qingxiu went in and checked in with practiced ease.
The Buer House Inn had a price board at the front desk. A standard room here cost fifty copper coins a day, or thirty copper coins for half a day, slightly more than in Huashui. But perhaps because the logistics industry was so developed in a large city, the meals were cheaper by contrast.
Chao Qingxiu had entered the city in the morning and originally planned to go straight to Wenbei Sect after setting down her luggage. Now, after taking in the city around her, she decided to sit in the inn for a while and experience its local customs.
Yan Kaixian had no objection. If the Gang Leader had not approached her work with such a relaxed attitude, she could not have misled the enemy either.
It was not yet mealtime, so Chao Qingxiu ordered only a serving of Hundred-Flavors Soup and asked the waiter about conditions in the city. After finishing the soup, she asked the inn to arrange a carriage and headed straight for Wenbei Sect.
The carriage in Yongning was different from those in Gaofang Prefecture. Its interior was fitted with soft cushions covered in silk, and even a faint scent of sandalwood hung in the air.
Yan Kaixian said, "If you like the scenery of Yongning City, Miss Chao, we can come often in the future."
Chao Qingxiu said, "There is no need to go to that much trouble."
She meant it in all sincerity. With a place this size, someone carrying the aura of a famous detective would probably soon run into a major case.
Yongning was a thriving city. Outside, carriages and horses streamed in both directions, and the city was extraordinarily lively. Chao Qingxiu lifted the carriage curtain and admired the scenery along the way.
Many tea shops and restaurants lined the streets, most of them doing good business. A waiter stumbled while serving tea. The customer seated beside the waiter did not turn around, simply sweeping one arm backward to lightly support the bottom of the tea tray. The tea bowl immediately settled back into place, with not a drop of water spilling out.
Yan Kaixian followed the leader's gaze outside and saw the same thing. She murmured, "Impressive." Then she said to Chao Qingxiu, "That was a move from the Tiger-Subduing Fist. That person may have been a lay disciple of Hongye Temple."
Chao Qingxiu thought for a moment and said, "I remember that Sect Leader Cen used to be a disciple of Hongye Temple?"
Yan Kaixian said, "Yes." Since the Gang Leader did not seem to be someone who often went out, she added, "Hongye Temple, Baoyue Altar, and Beicang Residence are all renowned Buddhist sites, each packed with masters. Sect Leader Cen was one of their most outstanding disciples. Though he was still young, his martial arts were truly unfathomable, and every martial hero in Jiangnan admired him. That is why friends of the martial world also called him Cen Ban'nan."
Yan Kaixian had never met Cen Zhaoque. But when people of the martial world praised someone, they would necessarily base their praise on that person's qualities. For example, when she described her own Gang Leader to outsiders, she would certainly not leave out a phrase such as "seeing the tiniest details," which sounded like the language of a Six Doors leader who had come down to inspect gang life. Since friends from Jiangnan praised Cen Zhaoque's formidable martial arts, he must have been an unmatched master.
Chao Qingxiu caught the implication in Yan Kaixian's words and roughly understood Sect Leader Cen's standing. Since he was called Ban'nan, she guessed that half of the Jiangnan martial world was more or less willing to defer to him, while the other half was harder to say.
It took the two of them half an hour in the carriage to reach the Wenbei Sect.
After getting out of the carriage, Chao Qingxiu briefly surveyed the Wenbei Sect headquarters. At a cursory glance, she immediately noticed that buildings connected with the sect occupied more than half the street.
It was said that when the sect was founded, its location in the secondary capital made it unwise to draw attention. The sect therefore reduced the scale of its buildings and established elsewhere any departments that could not conveniently be housed together.
Chao Qingxiu felt a sense of wonder at the contrast. Although people of the martial world rarely boasted about their wealth, and the sect grounds before her had no excessively extravagant decorations, she could still see that their finances were far better than the Zizhuo Gang's.
Yan Kaixian went forward, presented her calling card, and explained the purpose of their visit. They were then invited into a small reception hall inside the Wenbei Sect.
Before long, a young woman in brocade came over, saluted the guests, and asked, "I am Zhu Yingshui. How may I address you two, elder sisters?"
In fact, she was older than Chao Qingxiu, but since they were not acquainted, she addressed them both as "elder sisters."
Yan Kaixian said, "My surname is Yan. This time I accompanied my young lady on an escort trip; her surname is Chao." She added, "Your surname is Zhu. Could you be a junior of Hero Zhu?"
Zhu Yingshui inclined her head and said, "That is my uncle."
After exchanging names, Zhu Yingshui waved a hand behind her, and a disciple came forward carrying a packet of silver on a lacquered wooden tray.
Zhu Yingshui said, "You have come from afar and worked so hard. This is a small token of my regard. Please accept it."
Chao Qingxiu smiled and said, "Our client already paid the escort fee when we set out. How could we let you bear any more expense?"
Zhu Yingshui said, "It is no more than the carriage and horse fare within the city."
She urged several more times, found that Chao Qingxiu remained determined not to accept, and finally gave up. Then she called for wine and food to be brought and said, "We are all friends of the martial world. Having come so far, please honor us by having some wine."
Chao Qingxiu declined politely. "Thank you for your generous hospitality, but neither Sister Yan nor I drink wine. There is no need for all this trouble."
At the words "do not drink," vague memories floated through Zhu Yingshui's mind. After pondering for a moment, she suddenly turned to Yan Kaixian and asked, "Could you be Hero Yan, the 'Mountain-Cleaving Saber'?" As she spoke, she gave Chao Qingxiu an extra look.
Few people in the martial world abstained from alcohol. Yan Kaixian had always been able to hold her liquor, but after what happened to the former Gang Leader, she never touched a drop.
Yan Kaixian said, "Not at all, not at all."
She was rarely called a hero, except in social situations that called for mutual flattery.
Since the guests did not drink, Zhu Yingshui ordered only a table of food for them. After keeping them company through lunch, she said, "Hero Yan and Miss Chao have made a rare visit. Why not stay here for a few days first?"
Chao Qingxiu said, "Thank you, but I still have matters to attend to and dare not delay." She stood and saluted Zhu Yingshui with clasped hands.
Hearing this, Zhu Yingshui did not press them to stay. She saw them to the door, then turned back.
Chao Qingxiu stayed at the Wenbei Sect only long enough for one meal, and she visited only the reception hall. From what she had seen that day, the sect's disciples moved with strict discipline, and the atmosphere was solemn, truly befitting a great sect. Besides, many elite disciples were hidden in the shadows. Although Chao Qingxiu had cultivated inner strength for only a short time, she had already begun studying the methods in Yuxuan Taiyin Scripture, so she was able to sense them faintly.
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