Wu Chuanzong

"Thank you, benefactor, for saving our lives!"

The Water Monkey led the boy over. The boy was about to kneel and kowtow, but the Water Monkey grabbed him and pulled him back.

Qin Sang looked around, signaling Zheng Kun to stay alert, then led the group of children into the nearby woods.

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

"My name is Little Six. I'm fifteen this year. I've had no father or mother since I was little, no name or surname."

"Have you studied?"

"When I was begging, a teacher let me stay overnight in the schoolhouse. I listened in on lessons for three years. Later, the teacher died, and I was driven out."

"Are you all from the north?"

"Yes. There's drought in the north, so everyone's fleeing south. Their parents died on the road, so I led them along to beg."

"You're begging yourself, yet you're willing to drag along so many burdens?"

"When the teacher took me in, he said that saving one life earned one layer of blessing. In the next life, you could be reborn into a good family."

Qin Sang nodded and glanced outside the woods. "Those people have left. You should leave too. Don't go north, or you might run into them again."

"Please, benefactor, take us in!"

Little Six dropped to his knees with a thud. The other children followed his lead; with a rustle, they all knelt across the ground and pleaded in one voice.

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

Little Six remained kneeling. "We can do anything. My little sister can wash clothes and cook. We can do heavy labor. Benefactor, just give us a mouthful of food, and we'll listen to anything you say!"

Qin Sang laughed. "Would you kill if I told you to?"

Little Six hesitated. "I would! My brothers and sisters lost their parents and nearly got boiled and eaten. Others can kill, so can I."

"How will you earn blessings if you kill?"

"Then I'll save more people. If I save more than I kill, I can still earn blessings."

Qin Sang exchanged a glance with the Water Monkey.

The Water Monkey pulled Qin Sang aside. "Hall Master, are we really taking them in?"

Qin Sang pondered. "It's time to begin building an assassin echelon..."

Without caring whether the Water Monkey understood, Qin Sang walked back and said to Little Six, "You can follow me, but first you must acknowledge a dead man as your father. His name was Wu the Mute. His grave is in Zhenshui Commandery; I'll take you there later. You needn't care who he was. Just remember that he was Wu the Mute. From now on, you'll be called Wu Chuanzong. You must burn paper offerings for him every year and carry on the Wu family line. Are you willing?"

"I am!"

Little Six was overjoyed. "From now on, I'm Wu Chuanzong! My father is Wu the Mute! I have a name!"

The other children leaped about in delight as well.

Qin Sang nodded faintly. He did not care what Old Wu's original surname had been. He had promised to find Old Wu a son, and letting the boy take the Wu surname meant he had not broken his word.

"Zhang Wenkui, take these children somewhere to settle down and rest briefly. Then immediately inform General Mu of my decision."

"Yes!"

Just as Zhang Wenkui left with the others, Zheng Kun ran in. "Hall Master, Liu Ji has left the city!"

The Liu family's main branch was a prominent local clan and owned estates outside the county seat. After confirming one another's identities, Qin Sang and the other two washed themselves clean outside the city, changed out of their refugee garb, disguised themselves as Liu family servants, and slipped into the city. It was already nearly dark.

Liu Ji had purchased an estate of his own and ran a business there to conceal his tracks.

The group quietly arrived at the rear courtyard. After confirming that no one had followed them, Liu Ji shut the double doors tight and reported on the situation within the city to Qin Sang.

"Reporting to Hall Master Qin, I have already investigated matters. There are currently three people in charge in Hening County. The county magistrate is named Li Ji. He is only twenty-one, yet quite capable. In less than two years since taking office, he has won the hearts of the people, and the county folk all call him Li Qingtian. However, he is a trusted confidant of the Jiang Prefecture governor. If nothing goes wrong, once his three-year term ends, he will be promoted to a prefectural post. His future is boundless, so I fear he will be difficult to persuade into surrender. Since Hening County is a small county with little business, it has only one chief clerk. His surname is Ma, a slick and worldly man who follows Li Ji in everything. He need not be taken seriously. Then there is a man called Zhu Dazhuang. He is not an official, but the county constables and local militia are now all under his command. If we wish to seize the city, we must take him down. We cannot afford to be careless..."

Qin Sang found this strange. "Zhu Dazhuang isn't an official? How can he command the people's respect?"

Liu Ji said, "There are two reasons. First, he has a younger sister of exceptional beauty, who married Li Ji as a concubine. Second, he is a disciple of Xuanji Temple and apprenticed to the chief of Xuanji Temple's Arhat Hall, receiving his master's complete teachings. His martial arts are extraordinarily formidable, and in the martial world he bears the title of the Reckless Monk. After his sister married Li Ji, the Reckless Monk changed back to his secular name and came to Hening County with several senior brothers. Even the circuit inspector is beneath his notice. This time, Hening County's military equipment was transferred away and the circuit inspector departed, leaving no one capable of restraining him."

So it was him!

Qin Sang thought to himself, no wonder Liu Ji looked so grave.

Since joining Blood-Clad Tower, Qin Sang had become thoroughly familiar with the affairs of the martial world. Every martial artist in the jianghu with a name and reputation had been recorded by Blood-Clad Tower, and every person on that list was a top-tier expert.

His "master," Yang Zhen, was considered a martial arts expert in ordinary people's eyes, but he was not qualified to make that list.

This Reckless Monk was different. Not only was he on the list, he was ranked in its first tier. His martial arts were likely not much inferior to Bai Jianglan's.

Yet what truly made people wary was not the Reckless Monk's martial arts, but his sect, Xuanji Temple.

In the Great Sui martial world, two places stood in towering renown. One was Yanlan Mountain Villa, and the other was Xuanji Temple. Together, they were known as the two great holy lands of martial arts, with countless experts among them.

Yanlan Mountain Villa stood on Yanlan Mountain in the Imperial Capital, while Xuanji Temple's mountain gate was in Jiang Prefecture.

Legend had it that both sects had Xiantian Masters stationed within them. Their status was transcendent, and even the government had to yield them three parts of courtesy.

Qin Sang knew more of the inside story. Xuanji Temple and Yanlan Mountain Villa were not merely martial sects. Many of the imperial palace experts in the False Emperor's court came from these two holy lands.

Even beside the commanders and generals of the Duling County garrison, there were quite a few Xuanji Temple experts serving as personal guards.

The Reckless Monk came from Xuanji Temple's Arhat Hall. With Blood-Clad Tower's limited manpower in Hening County alone, they might not be able to take him down.

Ever since King Dongyang raised his banner in rebellion, his campaign had gone so smoothly, conquering Yingnan Prefecture in less than a year. The greatest reason was that King Dongyang was the Emperor's blood brother, both of them descendants of the late Emperor rather than foreign invaders. When the city-defending officials and soldiers saw the tide had turned, surrendering did not weigh heavily on them.

But the Jiang Prefecture governor was different. Back when King Dongyang had been Crown Prince, that man had already been a lackey under the current Emperor, and he had rendered service during the struggle for the throne. There was no chance he would surrender.

Since Li Ji was the governor's trusted confidant, there was no need to discuss persuading him to surrender any further.

Forcible seizure would not do, and persuasion to surrender was impossible, so Qin Sang asked Liu Ji what arrangements he had.

"Your subordinate has two plans. One is to seize County Magistrate Li Ji as hostage and use him to force Zhu Dazhuang to open the city gates. The other is poison. As long as Zhu Dazhuang is poisoned to death, the overall situation can be secured. However..."

Liu Ji stole a glance at Qin Sang. "Both plans require the right opportunity to ensure nothing can go wrong. Your subordinate learned today that Li Ji intends to host the elders of Hening County on the night after next, to discuss such matters as refugee unrest and pacifying the area. At that time, your subordinate can lead people into the banquet and, amid the chaos..."