Chapter 414: Caught One

The whole of Jin territory was still in a period of rest and recovery. The devastation of war was not something that could be healed in a single day.

Yingdu, however, was an exception.

First, no matter how badly the savages and rebels had rampaged back then, Situ Lei’s desperate final stand before his death had ultimately kept the Situ Clan’s capital from ever falling into enemy hands.

Second, refugees driven from their homes by war had instinctively poured toward Yingdu. The population they accumulated created a kind of deformed prosperity, making the city look even more bustling than it had before the fighting began.

At this moment, Fan Li walked silently through the nighttime streets with a burlap sack slung over one shoulder.

Yingdu had no curfew, so even after nightfall the city remained noisy and lively.

Outside a small tavern, Fan Li stopped.

He saw a man wearing a sword sitting alone, eating and drinking.

Yan people favored sabers.

Jin people favored swords.

Now, although Jin territory had already been incorporated into Yan, certain habits of the Jin people would not change overnight.

Fan Li simply stood outside and watched.

He watched the swordsman eat his fill, settle the bill, pick up his sword, and leave.

After leaving the tavern, the swordsman walked into a secluded alley.

He set his sword aside and began undoing his belt.

Apparently he needed to relieve himself.

Fan Li waited.

He waited until the man finished and began fastening his belt again.

Then Fan Li walked forward, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him into the air like a chicken.

At the same time, his other hand pulled out the burlap sack.

He was about to stuff the man inside when a faint blue glow suddenly burst from the swordsman’s body.

The man pressed one hand downward.

A dagger appeared in his grasp.

He stabbed straight toward Fan Li’s chest.

Fan Li was slightly surprised.

He immediately lifted his arm higher.

Fan Li was enormous.

Naturally, his arms were long.

The swordsman was relatively lean.

So even though the dagger thrust straight forward it could not reach Fan Li.

The swordsman instantly turned his wrist, preparing to slash Fan Li’s arm instead.

Fan Li’s fingers tightened.

*Crack!*

The swordsman’s neck snapped.

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

His head drooped lifelessly.

Fan Li released him.

*Thump.*

The corpse hit the ground.

Fan Li looked at the burlap sack.

He felt somewhat helpless.

His original intention had been to find a swordsman to examine the Sword Maid.

He had already invited several physicians in the city, but none had been able to identify the problem.

Worse the Sword Maid’s current condition could no longer withstand travel.

Fan Li did not dare forcibly take her back to Snow Sea Pass.

So his only choice was to find a swordsman in Yingdu and ask him to take a look.

They both used swords.

Surely another swordsman might recognize something?

Mistake.

Fan Li picked up the sack.

Then turned and left the alley to look for his next “doctor.”

Not long after Fan Li departed a group of armored soldiers flooded into the alley.

The man leading them was none other than Ran Min, who had once drunk with Ji Chengjue inside the county yamen.

One subordinate inspected the swordsman’s corpse.

Then turned and reported:

“Lieutenant Commander, he’s dead.

“His neck was broken by brute force.”

Ran Min’s gaze narrowed slightly.

“Interesting.

“We’ve been watching him for several days, and someone just happened to deal with him now.”

“Lieutenant Commander, could the Secret Intelligence Department have helped us?”

“The Secret Intelligence Department would bother with a little fish like this?” Ran Min asked.

But truthfully even he was not completely sure.

The former Minister of War had thought highly of Ran Min and entrusted him with a post as one of Yingdu’s city-defense Lieutenant Commanders.

But the local garrison and the Secret Intelligence Department followed completely different chains of authority.

If this really had been the Secret Intelligence Department’s work—

Ran Min would not know.

Nor could he simply go ask.

Normally, the Secret Intelligence Department focused primarily on spies from Qian and Chu.

Local Lieutenant Commanders like Ran Min handled Jin rebel organizations.

“Take the body.

“Search it carefully again.

“The rest of you, come with me.”

“Yes, Lieutenant Commander.”

...

In Yingdu’s northeastern quarter lay a broad open district.

Earlier, when the city had been preparing for possible attacks by rebels and savages, the houses there had all been demolished for military purposes.

After the fighting ended, new homes gradually began appearing here and there.

But a large stretch of land still remained empty.

One of the Prince of Cheng Residence’s shopkeepers brought people over, enclosed part of the area, and built an elegant establishment covering an enormous tract of land.

Its clientele was the city’s elite.

In a city with a population this large, finding another place with so much open land was difficult.

As for the Prince of Cheng Residence enclosing public land and turning it into a business officials in Yingdu, including the Yan authorities, mostly turned a blind eye.

After all this was the Prince of Cheng Residence’s property.

The Prince of Cheng Residence had become so obedient.

It had surrendered its military power.

It had surrendered the Situ Clan’s old political influence.

People still had to eat and live, did they not?

As long as nothing went too far most things could be tolerated.

Besides before the Yan people took over, the entire city of Yingdu had belonged to the Situ Clan anyway.

At this moment, in one corner of the elegant establishment two men sat opposite one another inside a small pavilion.

One wore white.

The other black.

Each had a maid attending him.

Along the corridor outside the pavilion dancing girls swayed gracefully.

The man in black was named Zhang Yiqing.

He was a native of Jin.

His father, Zhang Wentong, had once served as Prefect of Yingdu.

After the Yan people arrived, the office of Prefect naturally went to a Yan official.

But Zhang Wentong had still been allowed to remain in government service as an Assistant Prefect.

The office was smaller.

The rank was lower.

But amid the chaos of a dynasty-changing age, preserving one’s entire household through upheaval while still retaining an official post was already exceedingly difficult.

The man in white was named Chen Daole.

The Chen Clan had once been one of Jin’s great literary families.

Several renowned Confucian scholars had emerged from its line.

One ancestor had even been invited by a former Emperor of Jin to serve as Imperial Tutor.

Unlike the Zhang Clan, however the Chen Clan had suffered terribly during the wars two years earlier.

The family had secretly sheltered blood descendants of the Wenren Clan.

When the Yan army discovered this, the Chen household was broken apart.

The Chen Clan had not been exterminated completely.

But the surviving branches had no choice but to separate from the main line and scatter.

This time, Chen Daole had come to Yingdu with his mother and a book servant.

Ostensibly, he had come to visit his old friend Zhang Yiqing.

In truth, he was also seeking refuge with him.

Zhang Yiqing, for his part, was loyal enough to old friendship.

He did not look down on Chen Daole merely because the Chen Clan had fallen.

Instead, he had taken the initiative and invited him to this elegant establishment.

“Brother Daole, try the fish.

“This is cod from the Wang River.

“It’s common on the snowfields, but extremely rare in the Wang River itself. Difficult to catch too.

“Wait a little longer and the river will freeze.

“Then even if you want to eat it, you won’t be able to.”

Chen Daole picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks.

He put it into his mouth.

Then nodded.

“It truly is delicious.”

Zhang Yiqing drank some wine.

A trace of wildness appeared in his expression.

“How could it not be delicious?

“The fish in the Wang River are far fatter this year than ever before.

“Brother Daole, do you know why?”

Chen Daole shook his head.

Zhang Yiqing answered his own question.

“They were fed on flesh and blood.

“Two great battles.

“Hundreds of thousands of corpses ended up in the Wang River.

“How could the fish not grow fat?”

Chen Daole nodded.

Then smiled.

“If that’s the case, I should eat a little more.

“In the future—

“I doubt I’ll ever be able to eat this again.

“And I don’t think I’ll want to.”

As he spoke—

Chen Daole picked up his chopsticks and took another piece of fish.

Zhang Yiqing froze briefly.

Then nodded.

“It is good that Brother Daole has managed to think this through.”

Chen Daole understood that his old friend was trying to advise him.

He set down his chopsticks.

Picked up his wine cup.

Clinked it against Zhang Yiqing’s.

Then said:

“Brother Yiqing.

“I can let it go.

“And I can see things clearly.

“People—still have to eat.”

Zhang Yiqing drank his wine.

Then silently set down the cup.

Chen Daole gently pushed away the maid’s hand and personally lifted the wine jug to refill their cups.

At the same time, he said:

“The Yan people are powerful.

“Truthfully, back when my family was wavering and uncertain, I really did place some hope in the Situ Clan.

“I hoped they might carry the banner of Jin.

“After all—to say something that would have been taboo back then—whether the Wenren Clan, the Helian Clan, the Situ Clan, or even the Emperor of Jin himself ultimately ruled—at least Jin people would still be deciding Jin affairs.

“Unfortunately, the Situ Clan suffered this calamity.

“In the end, the lands of the Three Jin all fell into Yan hands.

“Alas.”

“Brother Daole.

“Why do I still hear some knot in your heart?”

“Of course there is one.

“Others hold the butcher’s knife while we lie on the chopping board.

“That is our present situation.

“But at this point—we Jin people can only blame ourselves.

“Now, I hear Qian and Chu are glaring across the borders and trying to stir up trouble.

“But for Yan’s overall position, it does not seem to have much real effect.

“Yan opened the imperial examination to scholars from Jin.

“Then it issued acts of grace allowing Jin people to serve as officials.

“Yes, many yamen now have a Yan official in charge and a Jin man serving beneath him as deputy.

“But regardless—one can see that the Yan court intends to absorb Jin territory and the Jin people completely.

“Because of that—even though men occasionally raise banners calling for the restoration of Jin, most amount to little more than mountain bandits wrapping themselves in a tiger skin and pretending to be something grand.

“They cannot accomplish anything.

“I have seen through all of this.

“That is why I decided to bring Mother here.

“Since I do not possess the courage to refuse Yan grain—

“I can only bend my waist for five pecks of rice.”

“Brother Daole, why speak that way?

“As the saying goes, a worthy bird chooses the tree on which it roosts.

“You are a descendant of the Chen Clan.

“Your family name still carries weight.

“Once my father recommends you, obtaining an official position should not be difficult.

“Outside Yingdu, the lives of our Jin commoners are not easy at all.

“If Brother Daole is ever posted to a local office—you can still do more for the people of the Three Jin.”

“I owe Brother Yiqing much.”

“You and I are like brothers.

“Why speak so formally?”

“Yes.

“I became trapped by appearances.

“Come.

“I punish myself with a cup!”

“Together!”

After that the two men stopped discussing official affairs.

Instead, they looked out at the scenery and began speaking of romance, beauty, poetry, and moonlight.

Only they were talking about the romance and beauty of the past.

As they talked both men’s eyes gradually reddened and became moist.

Eventually—

Chen Daole rose.

“Brother Yiqing.

“Mother is still waiting at the inn.

“I truly cannot return too late and make her worry.”

“Naturally.

“Naturally.

“We will have many chances to meet again later.

“Oh, right, Brother Daole.

“This sword—is my gift to you.

“Brother Daole is now a famed blade hidden inside its sheath.

“One day—you will surely have your moment to leave the scabbard!”

“Brother Yiqing’s friendship—

“I will remember it in my heart!”

The two men parted.

After leaving the establishment, Chen Daole stood by the roadside for a while.

He let the cool night wind clear the alcohol from his head.

Then, he glanced behind himself.

Walked forward.

Changed streets several times in succession.

And finally entered a small residence.

After closing the door behind him—

Chen Daole slapped his hand four times in succession.

Immediately the heavy snap of crossbow strings came from inside the house.

Clearly, the moment he entered several crossbows had already been aimed at him through the paper windows.

*Creak...*

The inner door opened.

A man wearing an iron mask emerged.

Chen Daole did not bow.

He merely asked calmly:

“I can settle down now.

“What do I do next?”

The masked man answered:

“Nothing.

“Do nothing.

“Over the past year, fewer and fewer of the great Jin clans that once supported us remain willing to help.

“Since you have an opportunity to obtain official status—treasure it.

“Keep yourself in reserve for future use.”

Confusion appeared on Chen Daole’s face.

“Then what did all of you come here to do?

“I thought you needed me to cooperate with some operation in Yingdu.”

“The Prince of Cheng Residence has become completely enslaved to the Yan people.

“In Yingdu—there is no room for us to act at all.

“We are merely stopping here temporarily.

“We will leave in a few days.

“Once you obtain office, manage your position carefully.

“The Yan dogs are at the height of their power now.

“We must temporarily avoid their edge.

“But the Yan dog emperor’s body should not hold out much longer.

“One day, when the winds and clouds change—we can immediately raise the great cause and restore the rivers and mountains of Jin.

“Chen Daole.

“I only ask that you guard your true heart.

“Remember you are a descendant of the Chen Clan.

“Remember—you are a man of Jin.”

“I do not need you to remind me of those things.

“If there is nothing else—

“I will leave first.”

“Good.”

Chen Daole left the small residence.

He looked like a scholar.

But the way he carried his sword and concealed his movements clearly showed that his martial skill was genuinely good.

Nobody had ever said the descendants of the Chen Clan—famous for producing generation after generation of great scholars—could not practice martial arts.

Nor had anyone ever said that a son of the Chen Clan, whose family had been broken because it sheltered Wenren blood descendants had to surrender to reality.

Chen Daole had always carried one obsession in his heart.

Drive the Yan people out of Jin.

Restore the Three Jin.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Chen Daole dodged in advance.

He flipped onto a courtyard wall.

Then concealed himself inside a scholar tree growing within the yard.

A moment later a patrol of armored soldiers passed through the place where he had just been standing.

At this hour, the Yan people still had not gone to sleep.

Running through the streets in the middle of the night something must have happened.

Chen Daole did not immediately climb down.

He remained in the tree a while longer.

Truthfully, two years earlier—right after the Helian and Wenren Clans were exterminated—the resistance movements and sects throughout Jin territory had been extremely active.

At the time, the Yan people had only just arrived.

Yan armies held the major cities.

Their control over the countryside was weak.

Meanwhile, the Situ Clan still existed.

Jin people still possessed hope.

But after Yan implemented the imperial examination and reformed Jin’s administrative system the resistance groups gradually lost the support they had once received from great Jin clans and fortified estates.

Then the Situ Clan surrendered to Yan.

The last pillar collapsed.

And once the Yan people recovered from the wars, they began turning their attention toward crushing the resistance.

Those who needed to be captured were captured.

Those who needed to be killed were killed.

For men like Chen Daole the situation had become extraordinarily dangerous.

Even he sometimes woke deep in the night and felt lost.

He wondered whether his persistence was truly right.

But when morning came when he saw Yan people again when he heard that Yan accent the instinctive disgust and rejection rising from his bones still made him deeply uncomfortable.

He was different from the other organizations.

Some were remnants of the Wenren Clan.

Some were remnants of the Helian Clan.

There were even Situ Clan remnants.

Not everyone under the old Situ order had willingly followed the Prince of Cheng in surrendering to Yan.

Chen Daole belonged to none of them.

He followed his own road.

He had contact with many factions.

But he was not truly a man of any single house.

Nor did he care who ruled Jin after the Yan people were driven out.

As long as entering a city gate or passing through a checkpoint no longer meant listening to Yan accents interrogating and inspecting him he would be satisfied.

Only after confirming that the armored patrol had gone far away did Chen Daole jump down from the tree.

He dusted off his hands.

Then lowered his head and looked at the sword Zhang Yiqing had given him.

Emotion welled up.

He murmured softly:

“Hide the sword within the sheath.

“Move when the time arrives.”

*Smack!*

A heavy blow suddenly struck Chen Daole’s head.

His vision instantly blurred.

He lost consciousness.

A huge man emerged.

He took out a burlap sack.

Stuffed Chen Daole inside.

Then muttered:

“Sure do talk a lot.”

————

[End of Chapter 414]