From the far side of the Sword Ark, at long last, a definitive word arrived.

The Imperial City merely relayed a single sentence, akin to a royal whisper, “The deed may be done.”

It bore the semblance of neither an Emperor’s decree, nor a military order from the Ministry of War born of council.

From Hanzhou to the nation of Qiu, within and without the capital, upon the mountain and in the valley, in the halls of power and the common marketplaces, within the estates of noble families and among the lowliest of the citizenry, a stirring began to ripple.

Zhou Haijing, puzzled, inquired, “Beyond the deployment of all spies and sworn blades within Hanzhou’s borders for infiltration and covert action in Qiu, why do they insist on drawing upon and dispatching so many accompanying cultivators? It seems a grave overreaction. Even if their aid is deemed necessary, why forbid them from direct intervention, commanding them only to observe? Were I to have my say, a pair of Jade Purity realm cultivators, a cohort of Earthly Immortal offerings from the Ministry of Punishments, coupled with a handful of Wandering Realm and Mountain Peak martial artists making a few discreet visits would resolve the matter swiftly. Or better yet, dispatch the Twelve of us to Qiu; we’d suffer no loss.”

Cao Gengxin, smiling, countered, “What need has a Celestial Mansion, blessed by the presence of an Immortal Ascendant seated in the Dao, for lower-ranked cultivators with records?”

Zhou Haijing pressed, “Spare the riddles, speak plainly.”

Cao Gengxin patiently elucidated, “First, this is a martial exercise conducted beyond the gaze of the sun, a test of strategy most peculiar, yet one that the Great Li Dynasty, which reclaimed half the lands of the Azure Bottle Continent, shall require in the decades, nay, century to come. Great Li must first assay the results, identifying and rectifying any weaknesses in each phase. Moreover, a cleansing of enemy spies is imminent. Second, it serves as an assessment of the efficacy of Great Li’s civil and military arms, a dual measure of rebuke and warning to silence the lesser kingdoms of the South. Third, it is a gauge of hearts, those of Qiu, of Great Li, and those South of the Great Bilge.”

Thus, the Vice Minister Cao of the Ministry of Personnel stood sentinel upon the Sword Ark. General Lu Song of Hanzhou, resentful and regarding him as a monitor, was not mistaken. For Cao held the power to bestow promotion or demotion on the spot.

“Cultivation is a subtraction, governance an addition.”

“Cultivation treads the void, feet never touching the earth. It requires unwavering persistence. Governance demands both the sharpening of swords and the patient respite of the people.

The Tongye Continent serves as a stark lesson. As barbarian hordes poured ashore, the kingdoms of the land found themselves unable to muster armies. Those who managed to gather forces discovered them to be ill-trained, lacking the strength to endure. The celestial abodes and sects occupying sacred mountains became as isolated islands. Only the Mountain of Heavenly Peace remained an exception.”

The Yellow-Eyebrowed Immortal materialized, a rare smile upon his face, correcting, “Minister Cao, the Jade Tablet Sect might also be counted, yet the sheer number of demons besieging their domain obscures the valiant resistance occurring below. A closer examination of the records reveals that the dozen or so kingdoms surrounding the Jade Tablet Sect fight with uncommon zeal.”

Cao Gengxin nodded, “An inquiry worth pursuing, given the opportunity.”

As the first light of dawn painted the sky, a youthful cultivator from the lands of Qiu ascended on the winds, launching into a tirade against the tyrannical and regressive ways of the Great Li Dynasty. He, so-and-so of the so-and-so sect, would demand justice for Qiu from Great Li, though it be a futile effort, ending in his demise…

Eloquent words, soaring with righteous fury.

Through the mirrored image formed by the swirling mist within the hall, Han E recognized him. Though sheltered within the palace, he knew the youth’s name – a young prodigy of Qiu, a Seer of the Sea. Had not his elder brother, Han Yun, walked arm-in-arm with this very man at a celebration two years past?

A surge of valor stirred within Han E. If this mountain Daoist, with the potential to forge a Golden Core and become an Earthly Immortal, could act in such a way, what then?

Considering his own choices, lacking such righteous courage, the young prince lowered his head in shame.

From the Sword Ark, a “flying sword,” as thick as a spear shaft, was unleashed. The young cultivator countered with a white jade pagoda, a defensive treasure of great power. With a thunderous roar, the pagoda, a treasure of his sect, shattered into dust, scattering like snowflakes upon the earth.

His innate treasure destroyed, the youth bled from every orifice, his form wavering. The Sword Ark dispatched an itinerant warrior from the Ministry of Punishments and an accompanying cultivator to drive him away. A verbal duel ensued, followed by the itinerant warrior’s offer of a ‘game’. The youth, beset by peril, refused to yield, engaging in a fierce battle, illuminating the cloudless expanse with dazzling light.

Han E watched, his blood boiling, clenching his fists, face flushed crimson. Had he not been upon the Sword Ark, he would have cheered for the stalwart young immortal of Qiu.

Zhao Yao rubbed his brow, vexed that a mere hundred-word speech could be so poorly delivered. How did the Ministry of Punishments in the auxiliary capital choose such a one?

Yet, this was the sort needed to “secretly” rally those within Qiu who harbored noble ambitions, to toil and rebuild their land.

It was necessary to provide those who proclaimed themselves “remnants of a fallen kingdom,” wandering in the rivers and lakes for years, a chance to find figures of consequence and strength, to rally around hidden strongholds and factions.

Within three to five years following the fall of Qiu, there would be those playing the white face and those playing the red, both within the court and without. Some would receive posthumous titles and honors, some would be exchanging their service for smoother paths to advancement for their families, and some would simply be doing it for the coin.

Han E finally discerned a shift in Zhao’s expression, and a realization dawned. The boy was struck dumb.

Zhao Yao, weary of games, spoke, “Within the court, the literary circles, the martial world of Qiu, there will be such figures of unyielding integrity. Like this one, fighting for his life. Before descending, he renounced his gilded record, openly courting death, yet secretly receiving a low-grade ‘Amulet of Innocence’ from the Great Li Ministry of Punishments, along with two Daoist scriptures and a purse of divine coin, all as agreed. The establishment of a Golden Core within a century is merely the base condition; our Ministry will furnish him with two additional identities.”

Han E gaped.

“Wipe the tears from your face. When you succeed your brother Han Yun and sit upon that throne, you will have the opportunity to behold those who truly embody the conscience of Qiu. Only then will you have cause for grief.”

Zhao Yao stated plainly, “Know this, the Ministry will record your every word and deed. Their scrutiny will surpass even that of the imperial recorder. Yet, fear not too much. So long as your actions remain within bounds, your thoughts are your own. Should you overstep, the Ministry shall merely punish you as prescribed by law. Again, not before time.”

Han E’s face was blank, his eyes lifeless.

Prefect Sima Xiguang of Hanzhou, having received an intelligence report from the Mountain Lord of Qiu’s Northern Peak, presented it to General Lu Song of Hanzhou, chuckling, “The origins of the assassins who sought to ambush our cavalry have been uncovered. One is a family blade of Chancellor Zhuang Fan, the other a hired killer who accompanied Liu Wenjin of the Ministry of Rites into Qiu.”

One of the assassins had even painstakingly constructed an array along a secluded stretch of road, only to be dealt with by a cultivator dispatched directly from the Great Li Ministry of Punishments. Indeed, the Sword Ark had observed the entire process of array construction by the assassin, leading several powerful military commanders to consider recruitment.

But Zhao Yao had not granted his assent, and so the assassin’s fate was sealed.

To strike the first blow against the Great Li cavalry, seeking a quick victory?

Chancellor Zhuang Fan’s idea was simple, yet its success would have been significant.

These officials, led by Zhuang Fan, feared nothing more than the absence of war and death upon the border, for only such events could incite the people.

What if the two Great Li cavalry units sent to the border swept through Qiu’s passes and counties unopposed, striking directly at the capital? How would they then demand exorbitant concessions from the Great Li barbarians, the Hanzhou generals who killed as easily as they breathed?

A stout general, seated toward the rear, muttered incredulously, “Is Zhuang Fan a fool? How did he become Chancellor?”

The officer beside him, a friend, turned and quipped, “The same way you did – family connections.”

Zhao Yao, smiling at the young prince, remarked, “It is said that this Chancellor has studied military strategy since childhood. Before succeeding his father, he oversaw the Ministry of War for twenty years. In recent years, he and the Minister of Rites, Liu Wenjin, renowned for his swordsmanship, have been hailed as the twin pillars of Qiu, deemed no less capable than Cao and Yuan, the architects of Great Li’s resurgence. They claim that had Qiu not suffered from geographical disadvantage, had it been south of the Great Bilge, the talents of Qiu’s civil and military officials would have allowed it to rise to prominence within thirty years, becoming a colossus like old Zhu Ying and White Frost. Within fifty or sixty years, it could rival the Great Li Dynasty.”

Han E felt his very gall bladder would rupture.

Before, such sentiments had filled him with vigor, but now, they grated upon his ears.

Zhao Yao chuckled, “In the days when Qiu was yet a vassal state of the Lu Dynasty, many scholars of our Dynasty denounced State Preceptor Cui for his warmongering, claiming it would lead to ruin. Several celestial factions, including the Palace of Everlasting Spring, which had aligned themselves with Great Li, and several imperial merchants directly managed by the State Preceptor’s office, suffered losses in the smaller vassal states, leading them to excoriate the Song Dynasty for its profligacy, to denounce the Emperor as a fool, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue as useless drunkards, willing to be Cui Chan’s dogs to safeguard their positions, heedless of the welfare of the nation.”

Zhao Yao added, “Of course, to the victor goes the spoils. Had Great Li fallen to the Lu Dynasty of old, or later to the barbarian hordes, their words would not have been so wrong.”

Han E lamented, “So all that is written in books is fabrication?”

Zhao Yao smiled, “Read not blindly, lest your reading be in vain.”

In a corner of the hall,

Zhou Haijing eyed the rune-etched armor of the Hanzhou Deputy General. Such finely crafted, costly items had made warfare in the southern Bottle Continent ever more expensive. In the past, kingdoms employed celestial cultivators, seeking those willing to serve for coin. Now, prices had soared, and many lower-level Qi practitioners dared not venture near the battlefield, fearing celestial weaponry unleashed without warning. The sum they had been paid, scarce earned and still not held tightly, would become but a pittance to provide for their survivors.

During his early years wandering the rivers and lakes, Zhou Haijing had witnessed an old cultivator of the Cave Dwelling Realm, who had agreed to resolve the client’s troubles for a fee. He had ascended upon clouds, safely above the battlefield, weaving incantations and spells, leisurely performing a technique akin to scattering beans to create soldiers. He had, in a moment of smug satisfaction, found himself bisected by an arrow from an enemy ballista, his entrails spilling upon the ground.

If a Cave Dwelling Realm cultivator could meet such an end, lower-ranked cultivators found themselves increasingly unable to cope on the battlefield. Gone were the days of exhibiting celestial techniques in the morning, celebrating victories at noon, and counting coin by night. For a few paltry divine coins, it was not worth risking one’s life. It was far safer to cultivate quietly in the mountains, receiving a steady tribute and offering from the world below each year, visiting the capital to write charms for blessings and dispelling misfortune for generals, ministers, and dignitaries, and sending pills that were guaranteed not to kill. No need for the violence that displeased the heavens.

Then there were the untamed cultivators of the mountains and marshes, willing to take on any task. But they would either take coin from both sides, running off with advance payments, or embellish their lineage and powers to a ridiculous degree, claiming they could obliterate enemy forces with a single breath. There were even those who would betray their employers, or deliver the heads of enemy generals for bounty under cover of darkness.

The celestial masters of established sects were ever shrewd, the untamed cultivators ever wild, and those in the lower lands were not fools. Having been tricked once or twice, they sought new paths. Purchasing more standard celestial equipment from the Great Li Dynasty, for example. But now, at this critical juncture, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue were discussing the possibility of “repurchasing” these items.

Recently, they had changed their tune, no longer speaking of “repurchasing” at any price, but instead sending officials to each kingdom’s armory to inventory, examine, and reclaim them.

The kingdoms had no choice but to repeatedly consult with Great Li’s officials. The words spoken were all the same, “We of Great Li have merely permitted your restoration and establishment. Throughout the process, all contracts and agreements have been kept clear, without any hardship placed upon you. We even provided you with all manner of mountain-moving creatures and hundreds of talismanic laborers to clear waterways and fortify your territories. But the weapons and armor were recorded by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue of our auxiliary capital. You are merely holding them in safekeeping. When was it ever said they were given to you outright?”

The dynasties were both distressed and filled with trepidation.

Those in the rivers and lakes yearned to possess a divine weapon that could cleave iron as though it were mud.

Before, such a weapon was the stuff of dreams, but now, it could be acquired with coin. Those with wealth cultivated connections with officials and meritorious warriors, agreeing upon a price. The warriors would smuggle the celestial weapons out piece by piece, and those with ambition would pay for them, seeking to unleash carnage in the rivers and lakes. But when they met their rivals, they found, to their surprise, that they, too, were so armed.

In recent years, how many sons of the wealthy and powerful had grown rich through such means? Women of pleasure? Courtesans were no longer enough, they now sought to bed mountain fairies.

Perhaps history was always thus, a tapestry of murk and fog. Though the faces changed, the identities remained the same.

Cao Gengxin, facing the wall, took a clandestine drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He shook the purple gourd, saying, “State Preceptor Cui once made a determination, stating that, ‘The Confucianist disrupts the law with words, the martial artist violates it with force, and the celestial master overawes those below with spells, compelling them to obedience.’ The cultivators regard kings and lords, and scorn the laws. The relationship between the Great Li Dynasty and the celestial world is now, and shall ever be, one of wary alliance.”

Cao Gengxin smiled, “Miss Zhou, you have not walked the halls of power, nor have you studied history deeply. You are not aware of the corruption that arises from the long-standing dominion of scholars over the court, especially the power of the clerks who become ‘families’ in the lower levels of government. These are not matters that can be governed by a few upper five realms, or even ascendant, cultivators. To avoid war is, of course, the best course. To prevent killing, or to reduce the number of deaths, is admirable. But one must also be mindful of the world beyond war. Be wary of those who kill hearts without showing their hands. Be ever vigilant about the inertia of officialdom and the hearts of the people, but do not intervene blindly, excessively, or haphazardly.”

Zhou Haijing found such official rhetoric tedious, promptly forgetting all she had heard.

She was observing the spirited female general of Great Li, while the Yellow-Eyebrowed Immortal studied the martial arts master who had risen to fame in the Great Li capital.

Cao Gengxin mused, “The garrisons of Qiu are pitiful, numbering but a few tens of thousands, mostly young men who have never drawn blood. But Great Li, possessing half the Bottle Continent, sees, each day, the rise and fall of countless ordinary lives. In this very moment, how many are there in densely populated towns and rural coasts who face disappointment, despair, or who embrace hope, yearning for the dawn?”

Zhou Haijing was taken aback.

The martial arts master, born of fisherfolk, was struck by the mention of “coasts.”

“They suffer blows each day, yet deem it unrelated to themselves,” Cao said. “It seems we truly are capable of enduring hardship.”

Cao Gengxin chuckled, “Was the realm that State Preceptor Cui and the iron cavalry of Great Li struggled to win something that could be guarded by a few ascendant cultivators or pinnacle martial artists?”

Zhou Haijing clicked her tongue, “You scholars insult without uttering a single curse.”

Cao Gengxin sighed, retorting, “I included myself in that number.”

The Yellow-Eyebrowed Immortal smiled knowingly.

Cao Gengxin abruptly inquired, “General Huang, Miss Zhou, who is the true enemy of Great Li?”

Zhou Haijing asked, “All the kingdoms to the south of Bottle Continent?”

Were they to return what they had seized, only to seize it again?

Huang Meixian said, “The celestial masters of the continent, long filled with resentment and finally turning against us?”

Cao Gengxin shook his head, “Great Li is its own enemy.”

Huang Meixian fell silent in contemplation.

Cao Gengxin smiled, “The question was not one I first asked, nor was the answer mine to give.”

Vice Minister Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Punishments had been observing the corner.

Cao Gengxin had leaked the questions set by the State Preceptor’s office, even providing the answers.

It seemed that Cao the Patrol regarded Huang Meixian, the Deputy General of Hanzhou, with favor.

Zhao Yao approached, chuckling, “To gather the strength of the realm and forge a handful of cultivators of the fourteenth realm was an idea conceived in the early days of the barbarians. Alas, it never came to fruition, else it would have provided a valuable precedent.”

Han E, the least welcome guest upon the ship, held fast to one principle, following Zhao wherever he went.

Zhao Yao called out the name of an official, reciting a number. The young official of the Great Li Ministry of Punishments immediately retrieved a dispatch, bearing relevance to the estate of Prince Han E of Qiu.

Zhao Yao presented the intelligence to Han E. The young man’s face turned ashen, his lips trembled. He sought to curse, yet could find no words.

It seemed the curses and hateful words he had learned were insufficient to express the indignation within him.

Zhao Yao said, “According to my personal inclinations, or the usual style of the Ministry of Punishments, the maidservant of the royal palace who grew up with you would have been fatally wounded last night, her body discarded near the palace, for you to retrieve upon your return. But we of the Ministry of Punishments dare not act so. Instead, we sent her a bottle of specially crafted medicine from the mountain realms.”

Han E looked up, staring intently at the powerful Vice Minister of the Great Li Ministry of Punishments.

Were the secret agents of the Great Li Ministry of Punishments truly so depraved?

Zhao Yao’s gaze was pitying. “Do you hate me, and the Great Li Ministry of Punishments, more? It should be Han Yun who almost whipped her to death who you despise, surely?”

He raised his hand, striking the young man’s face repeatedly, leaving red welts upon the prince’s cheeks. “To be stupid is one thing, but do you have any shame? Han E, let fear dwell within your bones, not hatred upon your face.”

Han E stumbled, blinded by the blows. The final slap sent the youth sprawling.

Minister Cao hastily leapt aside, proclaiming in the vernacular of the capital, “He’s feigning injury!”

Upon the Sword Ark, besides Prefect Sima Xiguang of Hanzhou, General Lu Song of Hanzhou, and Deputy General Huang Meixian, were also a contingent of officials from the prefecture.

There were also the Education Proctor and the Daoist Proctor of the prefecture, included to make up the numbers. One held a noble but idle post, the other a low rank in the Daoist hierarchy, with no contribution to offer.

In Qiu’s capital, the morning court was sparsely attended, the hall half-empty compared to other days. Some claimed illness, while others did not even deign to offer an excuse.

The state letter from Great Li had made it plain. Nearly four hundred individuals, from Empress Dowager Dou Mi and Emperor Han Yun to scholars who formed societies, practiced sophistry, and seduced the people under the guise of elegant gatherings, were regarded as traitors on par with those who raised armies and provoked border conflict. The Great Li border army had granted a two-day grace period for the severing of relations with these individuals.

The consequences of failure were not stated, for state letters were but officialdom upon officialdom.

Unlike the daily court sessions of Great Li, Qiu held morning court only three times each month, attended by officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital.

Emperor Han Yun sat upon the dragon throne. In years past, there had been a yellow cushion for his feet, but it had since been removed.

Behind the throne stood a high platform, veiled by a curtain adorned with pearls. Behind it sat the elegant young Empress Dowager.

Han Yun, bleary-eyed, stifled a yawn, lowering his head and shielding his mouth with his fist. He raised his eyelids, surveying the hall.

Six members of various departments stood. They were steadfast in their attendance, for they were Great Li officials stationed in Qiu.

They represented the Sacrificial Administration of the Ministry of Rites, the Military Selection Bureau of the Ministry of War, the Merit Examination Bureau of the Ministry of Personnel, the Water Department of the Ministry of Public Works, the Transportation Office of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Mitigation Department of the Ministry of Punishments.

Most were young, in their thirties. Though they attended Qiu’s court, they rarely spoke, as immutable as statues of wood upon gold-brick floors. Their personalities varied, and in their offices, they showed few inhibitions, mingling with their colleagues. Besides the Great Li official dialect, which had become the lingua franca of the continent, they all spoke Qiu’s former official tongue.

As the suzerain, Great Li annually “sent out” young officials from the capital to train in the courts and government offices of the various vassal states, familiarizing themselves with governance. After three to five years, they would return to the Great Li bureaucracy.

Han Yun often had the impulse to drag out a few of the newcomers and butcher them. Might this persuade Great Li’s capital to release the heads of Liu Wenjin and Han E?

Chancellor Zhuang Fan was a man of many generations of high ranking officials and passed that down through his sons.

He was a poet, calligrapher, and connoisseur of books.

At this moment, the Chancellor was maneuvering with his mouth, declaring to the six officials of Great Li how Qiu should first battle upon the border, then within some county, then wage a war of attrition in the capital region, and finally, engage in street battles within the capital, and outside the imperial palace…taking each action as a logical step.

But the court session differed slightly from the usual. In the past, there would have been shouts of approval, rising and falling, or officials, faces flushed and bodies trembling, echoing the Chancellor like poets responding to a verse.

Today, the hall was strangely quiet.

General Dou Man, the undisputed leader of the Empress’ clan and her brother, cut a handsome figure. After the end of the Bottle Continent conflict, he had been busy searching the lands, personally leading the troops to capture remnant barbarian demons hiding in the wilderness. Their heads now adorned the city gates, a joyous spectacle.

Venerable Fu Xian, styled “Spiritual Banner,” wore a jade-green robe. His water techniques were exceptional.

Fu Xian was the current head of Qiu’s largest celestial sect, home to an ancient cultivator of the nascent soul realm in seclusion. It was said that he had been severely wounded in the battle of the auxiliary capital, where the lives of celestial masters were as cheap as weeds. On the banks of the Great Bilge, he had distinguished himself in battle, sacrificing himself to destroy a high ranked demon.

Behind the curtain, the young Empress Dowager Dou Mi reclined languidly, resting her cheek upon her hand.

An ancient instructress and a slender sword-bearing palace maid stood at the base of the platform.

Dou Mi bade the instructress to lower the jade hook, causing a second curtain to fall, obscuring her view. With Liu Lang gone, the old fools were loathsome to behold.

The mention of Liu Lang caused her eyes, already alluring, to grow even more moist.

The young Empress Dowager shifted, extending her leg forward, raising the tip of her foot, offering it to the maid who was both her close confidant and bodyguard. The maid was compelled to lift her skirt, the Empress brushing her foot between her legs, slowly moving her toes upward.

Seeing the maid tremble, the young Empress smiled and cursed inwardly, *Hypocrite! How long can you bear it?*

The old woman turned her head slightly, gazing at the pearl curtain. The court of Qiu was filled with civil and military officials.

And then, it happened.

The palace maid, still facing forward, loosened her grip, allowing the sword she held to slide toward the ground. Her hand grasped the hilt, and she let the scabbard fall. With a single stroke, she beheaded the instructress.

The old woman, a cultivator of no small power, abandoned her physical form, summoning a secret technique, transforming into billowing black smoke, seeking to engulf the traitorous maid and flay her alive. The maid twisted her wrist, the runed sword bursting with light, unleashing hundreds of golden threads that easily tore through the smoke, which dissolved with a hiss upon contact with the light. The palace maid, with a horizontal sweep, decapitated the young Empress Dowager, whose cheeks were still flushed red, her eyes still glistening.

Holding aloft the head by its hair, she used the tip of her blade to raise the two layers of curtains. She strode toward the throne, tossing the head into the lap of the young Emperor.

Han Yun instinctively caught the object, gazing down at it. The young Emperor froze, dropping the head. He fainted.

The palace maid removed a Great Li Amulet of Innocence from her sleeve, fastening it to her waist. With both hands upon her sword, she declared, “The evil woman Dou Mi has been slain.”

With a crash, the doors of the great hall slammed shut.

A young palace attendant of Qiu, born of the land, removed a paper from his sleeve, shook it out, and began to call out names.

“Those whose names are called will leave their heads here, the bodies may go.”

Upon a cloud-shrouded mountain, within a ancestral cave, the old cultivator of the nascent soul realm dismissed his beautiful celestial maids and knelt alone upon the floor, quivering, “I obey the commands of the celestial masters of the suzerain state. I shall cleanse my house.”

A lowly disciple retrieved a list from his sleeve and tossed it to the old man, “You have an incense stick’s worth of time to complete it.”

The old cultivator, whose supposedly nascent soul was merely a Golden Core caught in a bottle, crawled forward, seizing the paper. Several names glared from the page, and he grew hesitant.

The disciple, who had toiled within the mountain for years without recognition, said, “I am merely of the Cave Dwelling Realm. You may kill me if you wish.”

The old cultivator stood, tearing the list to shreds, swallowing them down, “I would never presume to have such a thought. I shall go and kill them at once.”

Not far away, ripples formed in the air, and a round-faced girl in a Daoist robe appeared, hovering on her sword. She praised, “Your skill is low, but you possess a certain talent for self-preservation.”

The old cultivator cast a sidelong glance at the sword immortal. Was that not the garb of the Divine Decree Sect?

Before attending the morning court, a Rightful Secretary of the Seal had eagerly devoured a medicinal meal according to a celestial recipe. As he ate, he began to bleed from every orifice.

A carriage heading to the court entered a secluded alleyway, reaching a dead end. The occupant pulled back the curtain, frowning.

The prettiest courtesan in the capital cowered in a corner, swathed in embroidered silk covers. Upon the bed lay an official, bleeding from the brow, with a dagger wound through his chest. The assassin, who had not even bothered to disguise himself, was a young man whom she vaguely recognized as a tea-server from the brothel, one of the lowest of the low. He was smiling, placing a finger to his lips, urging her to remain silent.

She had never witnessed such carnage. If she had seen the face of the assassin, she would be killed and her mouth forever sealed!

The assassin, annoyed, waved his hand.

In that instant, a streak of light flew past his neck. He barely managed to react in time. He had, silently and swiftly, eliminated three high-ranking officials who had come to cavort together. The first two were taken so unaware that the five or six women sharing the bed had not noticed a thing.

That, he realized, was why he should not have let his guard down.

A gust of sword Qi blasted through the window, shattering the projectile and cutting down the woman who was about to pounce. As the woman’s corpse collapsed upon the bed, the relieved assassin turned to see a man of unearthly beauty standing in the corridor, heading onward. Speaking the secret code, he said, “My name is Su Lang, a fellow traveler. I am responsible for the aftermath here. Be careful in the future.”

As dawn broke, a mid ranking officer of the ministry of war in full regalia was strolling down the hallway of his mansion. The officer was deep in thought. A frail handmaid bowed her head and stepped aside and as the officer drew near she called out tentatively, “Good Morning, Master”. The Officer nodded slightly and as they were about to cross paths, the handmaid pulled out a dagger from her sleeve, stabbed it straight at the Officer’s chest, pulled the dagger out and stabbed again, and then slashing the blade against the officers neck. As she retracted the dagger, she wiped the blade against the officer’s gown and continued to walk forwards, leaving the mansion through the gates.

Inside a book room, the old and retired official looked up. He watched as the man opened and closed the door, the face was unfamiliar, he wasn’t shocked nor did he say anything. He remained calm, and asked with a smile “Where are you from?”.

The old official was a long term player in the political sphere. He had a reputation that was half revered half condemned, but his strong attitude against the Grand Li Dynasty and the Qiu kingdom’s need to remove the vassal status had never changed. He sought nothing, and he didn’t seek benefits for his children and grandchildren. The old official sighed, even though he had asked his men to strengthen the barricades, they were still easily breached. The man just nodded and didn’t say anything.

The old scholar muttered an “Oh”, and asked: “Other than me?”.

The man just responded simply: “They’re not on the list”.

The old scholar said nothing more, he just stared at the man, perhaps fearing that the assassin would not tell the truth to a dead man.

The man then said: “The Ministry of Justice did not order the grass to be uprooted, and I dare not disobey”.

As if he was having a hard time keeping a straight face, he squeezed out a possible smile. “I’ve carefully read your books, other than your criticisms against the Grand Li government, the rest is beautifully written”.

The old scholar looked surprised. After a moment of silence, he said with a smile: “Since I’m old, I’m afraid of the pain, could you kill me another way? With poison perhaps?”.

Seeing that the man was shaking his head, the old scholar was just about to regret a few words, when he felt a pang of pain and he died.

An old undersecretary of rites known for his strong writing style through the kingdoms, was praised as Qiu’s pillar of knowledge. Before the Qiu Kingdom became a vassal state of the Grand Li Dynasty, he had used all his power to berate and condemn the Grand Li barbarians. His wordings were harsh. After the Qiu Kingdom became a vassal state, he was sick for a few years, and then came back to be an official. The young Empress Dowager had personally asked the Chancellor to ask him to come back. At this moment, the official’s face was covered in tears and snot, and with a choking voice he said to the assassin who was in the room: “Oh Valiant man, to be honest, I was a Yizhou man from Grand Li. I moved to this place with my family, but I was just tricked into saying those things. Deep down, I desperately hope the Grand Li Dynasty can last forever, that is my homeland”.

The assassin nodded: “All the secret records write about that, I’ve read them many times”.

The last thing the old officer heard before dying was: “I’m also from Yizhou”.

Above the Immortal passing boat, there were 2 guards, both heavily wounded. They were leaning against the wall face to face, with the family providing for the sake of the Duke squinting his eyes. One of them said with a sinister smile: “Oh, you’re also in this? I couldn’t tell before, usually you’re all glib tongue and fancy words. You really are ruthless, you ripped down the Duke’s head”.

As he was saying those words, he covered his mouth and there was blood seeping through his fingers. He muttered resentfully: “I couldn’t stop you from committing murder, nor did I stop you from leaving, so why kill me too?”.

The assassin that was responsible for killing based on the list, was sitting on the floor, and covered his neck. He said: “Because you’re on the second list”.

A spear crashed through the wall and went through the foreign agent’s head, killing him on the spot. From behind the wall someone said with a heartfelt voice: “After a simple dressing, are you still able to get up and leave?”.

The man nodded: “I can”.

In Qiu, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the civilian officials, the military generals, the rich and powerful, the famous heroes, and the known immortals, the three hundred or so people on the list, all died. Besides the list, the dozen or so generals in the Qiu army, none of the soldiers died, not to mention the people on the roads between the Qiu border and the capital. Along the way, in the counties, the halls in the county government were called upon, the sound of children reading came from the schools, the fields were busy with labor, and the temple gathering all started to boom up again. Everything was still the same.

The wind blew through the mountains.

A group of travelers who secretly left the capital and headed towards the peaceful county, were flustered with their horses and carriages overturned. The assassin had already disappeared into the morning fog after successfully taking the shot.

At slightly before daybreak, the Daoist looked like a lonely crane and crossed the great river.

He thought he was successful, and was looking for a place to hide, not knowing that he would be assassinated by the tip of a sword that came from a bush.

The normal civilians of the Qiu capital knew that the council in court was still held, other than a few officers being missing. The Emperor Han Yun had passed down the throne to his brother Han E, apparently because the Empress Dowager Dou Mi thought that his brother was more talented. It was also said that the Chancellor had asked to retire during the ceremony of the new Emperor, who granted the wish. The Guardian Real Man Fu Old Man, apparently was going back to the mountains to train. The military on the borders were also ordered to come back. The areas in the capital that traded with officers of court in the morning, and the peddlers who had carts and were waiting for the gates to open had already started packing up. There were a lot of story tellers that had suddenly appeared inside and outside of the capital city. They were on top of bridges, inside the wine towers and on sides of temples that were gathering people to start the show, getting ready to tell a new story.

And the day just kept getting brighter.

On the path of normal peace, just travelling, and already left the vicinity of the capital city, after listening to a lot of rumors, the young girl who had already left her hometown blamed: “Qiu hasn’t been chaotic at all”.