Gateway of Immortality

Qin Sang glanced around and motioned for Zheng Kun to stay alert. They led the children into a nearby grove.

Qin Sang looked the boy up and down, asking, "What's your name? How old are you?"

"My name is Xiao Liuzi. I'm fifteen. I’ve had no parents since I was a child and don’t have a proper name or surname."[1]

"Have you ever studied?"

"When I was begging, a teacher took me in and let me stay in the school overnight. I listened in on lessons for three years, but after the teacher passed away, I was thrown out."

"Did you all come from the north?"

"Yes, there was a drought in the north, so we all headed south. Their parents died on the way, so I took them with me to beg for food."

"You're a beggar yourself. Why would you want to take on so many burdens?"

"When the teacher took me in, he said saving a life would accumulate blessings. In the next life, I might be reborn into a good family."

Qin Sang nodded and glanced toward the edge of the grove. "Those men are gone. You should go too. Don't head north again, or you might run into them."

"Please, sir, take us in!"

With a thud, Xiao Liuzi knelt on the ground. The other children, following his lead, knelt as well, pleading in unison.

Qin Sang shook his head. "I can barely feed myself. Why should I take you in?"

Xiao Liuzi remained kneeling. "We can do anything. My sister can cook and clean, and we can do hard labor. Just give us a bite to eat, and we'll do whatever you say!"

Qin Sang chuckled. "If I told you to kill someone, would you do it?"

Xiao Liuzi hesitated for a moment. "I would! My younger brother and sister lost their parents and were almost cooked and eaten. If others can kill, so can I."

"But how can you accumulate blessings if you kill people?"

"Then I'll save more people than I kill to accumulate blessings."

Qin Sang exchanged a glance with Water Monkey.

Water Monkey pulled Qin Sang aside. "Leader, are you really going to take them in?"

Qin Sang pondered for a moment. "It's time to start building an assassin team…"

Without waiting to see if Water Monkey understood, Qin Sang walked back to Xiao Liuzi and said, "If you want to follow me, you must first acknowledge a dead man as your father. His name was Wu Yaba[2], and his grave is in Zhenshui Commandery. I'll take you there later. You don't need to know who he really was; just remember that he was Wu Yaba. You'll take the name Wu Chuanzong, and you'll have to burn paper offerings for him every year to continue the Wu family line. Are you willing to do it?"

"Yes!"

Xiao Liuzi was overjoyed. "From now on, my name is Wu Chuanzong, and my father is Wu Yaba. I have a name now!"

The other children also jumped with joy.

Qin Sang nodded slightly. He didn’t care what Old Wu’s real name was. He had promised to find Old Wu a son, so giving the boy the Wu surname kept his word.

"Zhang Wenkui, take these children, find a place to settle them down for a short rest, and then immediately inform General Mu of my decision."

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as Zhang Wenkui led the group away, Zheng Kun rushed in. "Leader, Liu Ji has left the city!"

The Liu Family was a prominent local clan with estates outside the county. After confirming their identities, Qin Sang and his companions cleaned themselves up outside the city, changed out of their beggar clothes, and disguised themselves as Liu family servants to sneak into the city just before nightfall.

Liu Ji had secretly acquired a property and was conducting business under the radar.

The group quietly entered the backyard. After confirming that no one had followed them, Liu Ji closed the double doors tightly and began reporting on the situation in the city to Qin Sang.

"Leader Qin, I have investigated thoroughly. There are three main figures in charge of Hening County. The county magistrate, Li Ji, is only twenty-one years old but quite capable. In less than two years since his appointment, he has won the hearts of the people, and the locals now call him Li Qingtian[3]. However, he is a close confidant of Jiangzhou's prefect. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be promoted to commandery level after completing his three-year term, with a bright future ahead. It's unlikely we can persuade him to surrender. Since Hening County is a small and relatively simple jurisdiction, there's only one other official, a registrar surnamed Ma. He’s slick and worldly, always deferring to Li Ji, and isn't worth worrying about. Then there's a man named Chu Dazhuang, who isn't an official, yet currently commands both the county constables and the local militia. If we want to take the city, we must deal with him carefully."

Qin Sang was curious. "This Chu Dazhuang isn't an official? How does he command such authority?"

Liu Ji explained, "There are two reasons. First, he has a sister of exceptional beauty who became Li Ji’s concubine. Second, he is a disciple of Xuanji Temple and studied under the head of the Arhat Hall, fully inheriting their teachings. His martial arts are extraordinary, earning him the nickname 'Reckless Monk' in the martial world. After his sister married Li Ji, the Reckless Monk changed his secular name and brought a few of his senior brothers to Hening County. Even the local inspector doesn’t dare challenge him. With the recent military conscription and the inspector’s departure, no one remains to counterbalance his power."

So it's him!

Qin Sang silently noted Liu Ji's heavy expression.

Since joining the Blood-Clad Tower, Qin Sang had become well-versed in the affairs of the martial world. Every well-known martial artist had been listed by the Blood-Clad Tower, and each name on the list represented a top-level expert.

His master, Yang Zhen, was considered a martial expert by ordinary people but wasn't qualified to be on that list.

However, this Reckless Monk was different. Not only was he on the list, but he was ranked among the top tier. His martial skills were likely not far off from those of Bai Jianglan.

But what made the Reckless Monk truly fearsome wasn’t just his martial prowess, but his affiliation with Xuanji Temple.

In the martial world of the Great Sui, two places were famous: Yanlan Manor and Xuanji Temple, both regarded as sacred martial sites with countless experts.

Yanlan Manor was in the imperial capital on Yanlan Mountain, while the gate of Xuanji Temple was located in Jiangzhou.

It's rumored that both of these sects had innate experts in residence, holding transcendent status, and even the government treated them with deference.

Qin Sang knew more of the inside story. Xuanji Temple and Yanlan Manor were not just martial sects; many of the imperial court's top experts hailed from these two sacred sites.

Even now, there were several experts from Xuanji Temple serving as close guards to the commander of the Duling County garrison.

The Reckless Monk, being a disciple of Xuanji Temple's Arhat Hall, couldn’t be easily dealt with by the forces the Blood-Clad Tower had in Hening County.

Since the Dongyang King raised his flag in rebellion, the campaign had progressed smoothly, capturing Yingnan Commandery within a year. The primary reason for this success was that the Dongyang King was the emperor’s full-blooded brother, sharing the late emperor's lineage, unlike an external invader. As a result, the defending officials and troops, seeing the tide turning, found it easier to surrender.

But the prefect of Jiangzhou was different. When the Dongyang King was the heir to the emperor, this prefect was a staunch supporter of the current emperor and had contributed significantly to his rise to power. He would never surrender.

Since Li Ji was the prefect's confidant, there was no point in attempting to persuade him to surrender.

If force won’t work and persuasion is impossible, Qin Sang asked Liu Ji what he had planned.

"I have two strategies. One is to capture Magistrate Li Ji and use him to coerce Chu Dazhuang into opening the city gates. The other is to poison him—if we can kill Chu Dazhuang, victory is within reach. However..."

Liu Ji glanced at Qin Sang. "Both strategies require the right timing to ensure success. I’ve learned that the day after tomorrow, Li Ji plans to host a banquet for the county elders to discuss the refugee unrest and how to stabilize the area. We could infiltrate the gathering and, amidst the chaos..."

1. Xiao Liuzi translates to "Little Sixth One", implying that it is not a proper name. ☜

2. Yaba translates to "mute", implying that Qin Sang was referring to Mr. Wu, the mute burlak. ☜

3. Qingtian is a reference to Bao Qingtian, a just ruler. ☜