C21.1

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The water in the tub was serene, yet ripples swept away in Huo Linfeng’s mind, each ring dispersing outwards, gradually forming the two figures in the scene at Jia Yanxi’s estate. Du Zheng exclaimed in shock, finding it hard to believe: “Young Master, don’t swindle me! You’re already this powerful, how can there be someone that hard to deal with?”

Huo Linfeng spat out four worlds: “Hydra* of Immortal Souls.”

*nine-headed snake

Du Zheng was astonished: “Is that a group of nine?”

These nine people each had unimaginable skills in martial arts. Hidden behind masks, they had brutally murdered countless people. They were all as synchronized as brothers were, each under the surname of “Chen”. As the adopted sons of the Grand Councilor Chen Ruoyin raised, they followed his each and every order.

Hydra of Immortal Souls rarely acts alone. For this reason, the nine of them fell under this title. When working together, their prowess grew exponentially. They understood each other and coordinated together seamlessly. With two or more working together, it would be a tough fight. However, if all nine acted simultaneously, what awaits the other party would undoubtedly be death.

The two swordsmen in Jia Yanxi’s estate would be the fifth and sixth-ranked, Chen Mian and Chen Xiao. Besides their swordplay, these two have a special technique called “Heart Tempering Palm”, capable of destroying one’s meridians and giving the victim pain worse than death.

Huo Linfeng rose from the tub. Du Zheng helped him get dressed, asking: “Young Master, since the Hydra of Immortal Souls is that strong, could it be that there is no one who can deal with them?”

Huo Linfeng replied: “If they’re alone, then they have no way of defeating me.” If all nine of them came together, perhaps the Huo clan’s trio of father and sons would be enough to draw a tie. However, as military officials, any sudden movements would incur suspicion, so they could not rashly start a fight without preparation.

The belt was fastened, the robes draped over the broad shoulders and powerful waist, covering his pair of long legs. Du Zheng held a jade hair crown in his hands, fastening it on for his master. Not lingering on troublesome matters, he fawned: “Young Master, as I see it, you’re the most handsome in this entire Extraordinary Palace!”

Huo Linfeng snorted. At times of war, he rarely paid attention to his appearance and often looked haggard. However, when it comes to others, it seems that he pays quite the attention, especially to that good-looking one from the Nameless Abode. He wanted to ask how Rong Luoyun was doing when he smelled something strange: “What’s that smell?”

Du Zheng jolted: “The pork is scorched!”

Last night, he had only eaten a few bites of cold food. Huo Linfeng was now extremely hungry and went to a quiet place in the bamboo grove to enjoy a lavish meal. He was observing the tiny blooming flowers when a thought randomly popped in his head: if there was a magnolia tree planted here along with the green bamboo, it would look much more refined.

But he let go of the idea soon after. A tree takes several years to grow. He will not be staying that long.

After his meal, Huo Linfeng sat by the stone table, drinking tea. He watched the bamboo after the rainfall and remembered the bamboo lantern handle Rong Luoyun broke. Since he has leisure time, and he had the materials readily at hand, he decided to make a new one for that certain someone.

He picked carefully and cut down a good piece of bamboo. He sliced away and polished it shiny. Assembling the pieces together, the lantern’s structure was complete. After covering it with cloth, a small plain lantern was finished.

Huo Linfeng picked it up to look over. Feeling that it was a little plain-looking, he fetched a brush and ink and drew cloud patterns on the handle.

The lantern was complete, but there were still strips of bamboo left on the stone table. Tossing them out would be a waste. He was suddenly struck by inspiration and took the leftovers to craft a kite. He made it white with a swallow-like body and temporarily couldn’t think of what to draw on it.

At this time, Du Zheng muttered: “Adding another mark in my book — making a lantern for Rong Luoyun.”

Huo Linfeng’s face was sometimes thin, sometimes thick. At this moment, it was particularly thick. He deliberately said: “This kite is also made for him.”

Du Zheng clicked his tongue: “He flies even faster than a kite. He won’t be flying the kite, but the kite will be flying him.”

Huo Linfeng was extremely pleased. The beautiful immortal-like being using Roaming the Eight Directions appeared in his mind, floating about like the gentle mist. It was noon, so he reckoned Rong Luoyun should already be out of bed. With the lantern in one hand and the kite in the other, he left the Thousand Opportunities Hall.

It was a clear day and the weather was perfect. Huo Linfeng could imagine that the milky white gravel at the Nameless Abode must be pretty dazzling to the eye on a sunny day like this. Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the Abode, a lock was hanging on the door, evident that there was no one home.

He could only turn back. After busying himself for two whole hours, all his hard work was for nothing. He silently felt that he had lost some face. Coincidentally, as he walked past the Hidden Gold Pavilion, he caught a whisp of someone reading aloud. He peeked into the courtyard to see Lu Zhun rocking his head and reciting a book.

Lu Zhun also caught sight of him and scrambled out to block his path: “Du Zhong, what’re you doing holding a lantern in broad daylight?”

Huo Linfeng answered: “Second Palace Lord’s lantern broke, so I made him another one.”

Lu Zhun nodded: “Then come back in three days to give it to him. Second Brother went to Dusk-till-Dawn.”

His disheartenment swiftly changed to perplexity. Huo Linfeng thought, indulging in the brothel for three days straight, isn’t he afraid of draining his essence clean? He suddenly no longer felt like sending the lantern and said: “Third Palace Lord, this subordinate has a quick request, hoping you would give this to the Second Palace Lord when he returns.”

Lu Zhun took the lantern and couldn’t help but mutter: “This world is so weird. Second Brother riding off with a sword to go to a brothel and this palace lord even has to run errands for a disciple.”

Huo Linfeng heard this clearly, his heart racing. Rong Luoyun rarely rides a horse when going to Dusk-till-Dawn, let alone with a sword. He immediately recalled last night when he mentioned Chen Mian and Chen Xiao. Rong Luoyun’s reaction was too out of the ordinary.

It couldn’t be that…… Rong Luoyun recognized they were the Hydra of Immortal Souls and even had enmity towards them?

Huo Linfeng pondered all the way back to the bamboo grove and saw Du Zheng watering the flowers. Two brains are better than one, so he asked: “Dimwit, if I left for a few days on a horse with my sword, what would it be for?”

Du Zheng answered: “To fight a battle.”

He continued asking: “And if I were to say that I’m going to go have some fun sightseeing?”

Du Zheng replied: “That time, you lied to Madame that you were going out to play and sightsee. Where in the great deserts are there any sights for you to see?”

Huo Linfeng seemed to have been enlightened. If he’s not wrong, then Rong Luoyun did not go to Dusk-till-Dawn but had gone to kill people for revenge. But with Rong Luoyun alone against Chen Mian and Chen Xiao, not to mention all the other guards, there can be no good ending.

The feeling in his chest grew immeasurably. He shook his head. What if Rong Luoyun really was just having fun at the pleasure house?

Strolling to the stone table, the pot of tea had turned cold. In this short amount of time, it had already cooled. Then, waiting from the hour of you to the hour of chou, the tea had cooled, the meal had cooled, but the person was still lingering. At that time, was that person’s feelings even more difficult than his right now?

Huo Linfeng sucked in a deep breath and turned, running out of the courtyard. He needs to visit Dusk-till-Dawn to see for himself. Du Zheng shouted: “Young Master, where are you going?!”

He quickly explained: “If I’m not back by noon, then it’ll be this hero going to save the bandit!”

Huo Linfeng sped his horse towards Dusk-till-Dawn. They were closed during the day, so he forcibly barged in. The servants rushed over to stop him but were all knocked over with a wave of his hand. All the noise attracted the proprietress over.

The proprietress had good eyes and recognized him as that handsome young man who spent money like water. He was in no mood to waste time, sending a glance at the corner on the fourth floor. With a leap, he landed. Knocking a few times, he called out: “Palace Lord? Are you in there?”

One of the girls said: “The Young Master dropped by this morning. He already left.”

Huo Linfeng listened with rapt attention. Rong Luoyun really did come here. Perhaps he knew of the dangers and came specifically to tell his sister? The proprietress finally managed to catch up and blocked his path, not allowing him to cause any more trouble. He asked: “Where’s the top courtesan?”

The proprietress bantered: “If you want to see the top courtesan, we’ll need to see if you have four thousand taels.”

Huo Linfeng smiled coldly. Whoever blocked his way, he shoved away. He moved along the corridor, kicking open every door. Delicate cries sounded all over the establishment. Rong Duanyu herself was having trouble sleeping after her little brother left. Draping clothes over herself, she came out to see the utter chaos.

Huo Linfeng spotted the other person and hurried over. Rong Duanyu watched him vigilantly: “You’re the one from last time…”

He said: “Last time I was a mere dandy, I hope I did not offend. Nowadays, I’m one of the Extraordinary Palace’s Great Disciples, Du Zhong.” Time was pressing. He flashed the disciple name plaque [1] dangling on his waist and went straight to the point: “Can this young miss pray tell if the Palace Lord left for Han Prefecture? I had gone there under orders a few days ago and know that there are two experts there. If the Palace Lord goes alone, it might be a matter of life and death, so I implore the young miss not to hide anything.”

Rong Duanyu’s eyes were full of alarm. She had already been distressed, and now she was so anxious tears rolled down her cheeks. She ordered everyone to retreat and took half a step closer, speaking softly: “Luoyun went alone to Han Prefecture wanting to deal with Jia Yanxi. Calculating the time, he’s probably almost there.”

Huo Linfeng exclaimed angrily and immediately turned to take his leave.

Rong Duanyu called out to him: “Luoyun said if he does not return within three days, I should call Duan-dage to find him.”

Huo Linfeng asked back: “He mentioned specifically for Duan Huaike?”

His tone was arrogant, hiding a trace of disdain. How was this the attitude a disciple was supposed to bear? He did not wait for an answer and quickly descended the steps. He flipped onto his horse and rushed out of Xiqian Ridge, taking the shortcut once again to the north.

Normally, he would tell him to do this and that, but how come when it came to serious matters, he would be so tightlipped? To the point where he didn’t even want assistance? Jolting on the horse’s back, he made a guess. Perhaps Rong Luoyun has an old grievance with either Jia Yanxi or the Hydra of Immortal Souls and can’t dispel his hatred unless he did the killing himself.

Since he has such an unyielding character, what does he want to contact Duan Huaike for? In his heart, was Duan Huaike the strongest?

“Jia!” Huo Linfeng snarled angrily.

The lantern cannot be made for no reason, the kite cannot be made for no reason. Then more valuable things definitely cannot be left to die for no reason.

Right this moment, Rong Luoyun arrived in Han Prefecture. The tide of famine victims moved out of the city. He went against the current and headed into the city.

The streets were barren. The people had either been left for dead or fled, so most houses were now filled with empty rooms.

Jia Yanxi took advantage that the emperor was far away, accepting bribes and committing crimes to fill his own pockets. He was doing the dirty work for Chen Ruoyin. Nowadays, the prosperity from the past has long faded and the situation is getting all the more grave. It seems that it wouldn’t be long before this city is completely abandoned.

Rong Luoyun pulled out the map. According to plan, he headed for his first destination: the granary.

The granary was in the western part of the city, built with mud bricks and amounting to a three-story tall building.

Rong Luoyun dismounted from afar and hid behind the trees. Recalling Huo Linfeng’s words, the granary has two formations of guards outside, totaling to forty people. Within the tower are an additional twenty guards along with another thirty of Jia Yanxi’s highly skilled bodyguards.

He gracefully landed on the ground and drew towards the granary without the least concealment, as if he was afraid he would go unnoticed. A group of guards discovered him, immediately shouting and pulling their blades. They surrounded him.

He smiled as he drew his sword, courteously saying: “How beautiful the weather is today. I feel like plundering the granaries, so would you all please make way.”

The guards all thought this was a lunatic. Accustomed to being the big guns, they immediately rushed over with their blades. Rong Luoyun leaned forward to meet the attack. He usually claimed a life with every strike, yet this time, he took his time dealing with the guards. After dilly-dallying and killing about half of the people, more guards piled out of the granary. He flew and grabbed the head guard, cleaving the other person with a lightning-fast strike.

The guards were shocked. No one dared step forward now.

Rong Luoyun lifted his eyes slightly, catching sight of the people scurrying in the corners to notify others. He scaled the building, killing with each slash of his sword, beheading each and every one of the twenty guards. He forced his way into the granary, breaking the locks and defenses. When he arrived at the cellar, he saw that the ten thousand dan* of grain were completely gone.

*dan – a form of measurement that is equivalent to 133 pounds

The rest of the guards scrambled together. Seeing the violent deaths of their fellows, they could only retreat.

Around half an incense’s time later, someone shouted loudly that reinforcements were here.

From afar, a group of guards hurried over with a masked person in the lead. It was precisely one of the Hydra of Immortal Souls. Rong Luoyun glanced at them in the distance and quickly escaped using Roaming the Eight Directions, disappearing without a trace. He looked back and sneered inwardly, the granary is a mess, why don’t you go clean it up!

Rong Luoyun followed the map to Jia Yanxi’s estate, only to see the magnificent structures and linked roofs. As he turned around the corner below the high walls, he met a group of patrolling guards head-on. He sheathed his sword and used his bare hands to deal with them, snapping ten necks in a flash.

As he slipped into the manor, he recalled that Huo Linfeng had said the hill mynas* in the corridors would call out upon seeing people and can easily alert the enemy. He took a detour into a side courtyard. Plucking out one of his needles from his waist, he hid it between his fingers. If he comes across a person, he would send it straight towards their head and deal a killing blow. The same goes for birds.

*hill mynas – a species of bird

The northern courtyard was now devoid of living people. Rong Luoyun was like the King of Hell, leaving a path full of death as he continued on his way.

He arrived at a garden. A graceful young lady was playing the zither in the pavilion. Beside her were four maids and protecting her were eight bodyguards. He leisurely flew to the pavilion’s roof, lazily leaning on its tiles. He put the needle back on his waist and spoke up: “What nonsense are you even playing. I want to hear ‘Flourishing Zedoary’.”

The maiden turned pale, hurriedly hiding behind her maids. The group of bodyguards surrounded the pavilion. Rong Luoyun greeted them, attacking in quick succession, and shattered all eight of their skulls.

He entered the pavilion and knocked the maids unconscious. He grabbed the maiden’s wrist.

“What are you panicking about? Are you scared that I’ll defile you?” His pair of peach blossom eyes was about to scare the maiden to death, “There are so many girls starving to death in the city. Look at you, are you surnamed ‘pig’?”

The maiden had a delicate frame. Hearing his insult, she wished to knock him over the head.

He firmly held onto the other person: “Where’s Jia Yanxi and where’s the masked person?”

The maiden sobbed: “His excellency is in building at the heart of the lake…… Sixth Brother is in the western courtyard forest……”

The Hydra of Immortal Souls were Chen Ruoyin’s adoptive sons and Jia Yanxi was Chen Ruoyin’s nephew, therefore they could be counted as brothers. Striking the maiden unconscious, he used the map to find the building she spoke of. The large amount of killing he had done will inevitably raise alarm. Currently, every guard in the estate was out to catch him.

He arrived at the center of the estate. Here was a shimmering lake, and at the heart of the lake sat a three-tier building.

Rong Luoyun pouted. He hated bodies of water the most.

Not long ago he had fallen into the lake. It was all that Du Zhong’s fault.

He absentmindedly thought, in these two days that Du Zhong is on break, would he go to Dusk-till-Dawn to meet Bao Luo? And give her the white fan?

In a flash, ten guards came rushing over. His train of thought was interrupted and he suddenly erupted in rage. He unsheathed his sword to meet the attack. He viciously and rapidly killed a bloody path. The corpses grew in number, covering the ground and falling into the lake. The crystalline water was dyed a dark crimson.

Sparing no one, he finally stopped.

With his sword, he walked on the wooden bridge leading to the center of the lake and arrived at the building. He noticed that this structure only had one door and completely lacked windows. When he strode in, he only saw gold and silver piled up like mountains and thousands upon thousands of treasures. They were so shiny it was blinding to the eye.

Jia Yanxi was on the third floor, dressed luxuriously in brocade and jade, seeming to be quite unperturbed.

Rong Luoyun approached step by step. He lifted the other’s chin with the tip of his sword. “As a mere magistrate of Han Prefecture, you’re quite lavish. I had thought I’d come to the Grand Councilor’s residence instead.” As he spoke, the sword point moved down to the throat, “I’ve always wondered what an Adam’s apple looks like when it’s been carved out.”

Jia Yanxi’s eyes were full of horror. He bluffed: “Too bad you won’t be able to leave this place alive.”

Rong Luoyun raised his blade and stabbed him in the shoulder. Listening to his painful screams, he twisted his wrist, carving out a hole. He said sweetly: “No need to panic, Magistrate Jia. Of course, it would hurt, but don’t worry, you won’t die.”

He grabbed onto the other person and broke through the wall with his sword. Dragging the other along, he flew to the lake bank. When he arrived, he flung the other party to the ground and fiercely brought his foot down on his knees, shattering both kneecaps so he could no longer move.

This was only the beginning. Rong Luoyun picked up his sword and continued forward. His hair swayed, brushing past his shoulder blades. Rong Luoyun headed for the forest in the western courtyard, filled with determination.

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Notes

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