Early autumn was bleak, and the chill in the old street grew heavier.
The cold wind threaded through the bluestone streets, sending fallen leaves whirling across the ground with a rustling scrape.
Amid the creaking and groaning, a bullock cart slowly rolled in from the end of the old street. Against the morning light, it seemed draped in a layer of gold.
Three large drums sat firmly on the cart.
Each drum was over a meter wide, its black lacquer mottled and peeling, its oxhide surface a dusky yellow—ancient and weighty.
Though they had been passed down through the ages, they still exuded an aura that was hard to conceal, as if they could unleash a heart-shaking roar at any moment.
Before they even reached Asking Dao Pavilion, Li Yan and the other two had come out to meet them.
Wang Dao Xuan stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said with a smile, "He Jushi, thank you."
The driver was an old man with graying hair and a face furrowed like weathered earth. Wearing a Dog-Skin Hat, he sat sideways on the cart shaft, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette.
When he saw Wang Dao Xuan, he hurriedly jumped down as well. First, he tugged the reins to stop the old bull, then he clasped his fists and said with a smile, "You're too polite, Daoist. You saved the lives of my entire family. What do these worldly possessions matter?"
After leaving Zhang Clan Martial Hall, Li Yan had said he wanted to find Qin Han War Drums.
From selecting the materials to crafting a fine drum, then drying it and applying lacquer, the process took a long time. There simply wasn't enough time, so they could only borrow one from someone.
Fortunately, Wang Dao Xuan said he knew an old craftsman, and managed to borrow the drums.
The old man's surname was He, and he was also a member of Jianghu.
Not everyone in Jianghu knew martial arts or made a living with a blade. More often, they were pickpockets, swindlers, and con artists, or they traveled the world by relying on some particular craft.
Old He had put together a Drum Troupe. Whenever a shop opened or some major event took place anywhere in Xianyang, he would go perform and liven things up, earning a little in tips.
In Jianghu, all trades involving folk music, opera, and drum singing belonged to the Liu Family, which was how he had come to know Wang Dao Xuan.
Upon receiving the message, he had personally come to deliver the drums.
Li Yan thanked him courteously as well, then stepped forward to examine them.
The three war drums were clearly quite old, but they had still been preserved intact. Though they showed some wear, they remained perfectly usable. Once properly maintained, they would again possess Eight-Sided Grandeur.
He gently stroked them, growing fonder the longer he looked.
Qin Han War Drums were a form of drum music passed down locally in Xianyang. Legend had it that a Qin military standard-bearer retired and returned home, then passed the war-drum rhythms on to the villagers, who transmitted them from generation to generation.
When the First Emperor swept across the Six States and the Han King conquered the realm, they both used these drums to rouse their soldiers' spirits.
Seeing his expression, the old craftsman revealed a trace of relief in his eyes. "It's clear you're a fellow who loves drums. Take them. They'll be put to good use with you."
Li Yan hurriedly waved his hands. "I'm only borrowing them. These are the old man's livelihood. How could I take them?"
"They're no use to me anymore."
The old man waved his hand slightly. Reluctantly stroking the war drums, he sighed, "When I was young, I didn't know how vast the heavens or earth were. I always dreamed of becoming the Drum King and making my name known throughout the world. Half my life slipped away in vain. I could only scrape together a living, and I neglected my family as well."
"I had planned to pass them on to my boy, but because I loved drums, he came to hate them. He doesn't want them at all and only dreams of venturing out into Jinmen."
"I'm old. I'll walk one more stretch of the road with him and teach him about Jianghu Rules. Perhaps that can make up for what I owe him."
Wang Dao Xuan's brows furrowed. "He Jushi, your health..."
The old man waved him off, his expression calm. "Returning fallen leaves to their roots isn't all that important. Wherever I die will be where I die."
"Besides, when the First Emperor's war drums shook the Divine Land, wasn't every place beneath the sun and moon part of his realm? Wherever the light of day reaches in this world is home to this old man."
"What an open-minded old gentleman."
"Haha, open-minded? I've merely learned to let go..."
The old man waved with a smile and turned to leave.
The others could not talk him out of it. They forced some silver on him as travel money, saying it was a gift. Only then did they watch his stooped figure and the creaking bullock cart disappear into the sunlight of the old street...
Boom!
Drumbeats rang out in the small courtyard.
Li Yan lightly struck the drum with his palm, feeling its vibrations.
The arena match was set for the day after tomorrow. In such a short time, improving through techniques or experience was exceedingly difficult.
The only possibility was to master Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound as quickly as possible—at the very least, he had to control the release and withdrawal of Hidden Strength at will and use it at a critical moment.
The so-called Cloud Thunder Sound was simply a louder form of Thunder Sound.
Qin Han War Drums possessed the greatest grandeur and were the most suitable for cultivating Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound.
According to the manual passed down by Troupe Leader Zhou's ancestors, the drums used for cultivation all had to be specially made. There were methods for everything, from hide drums to wooden drums and finally iron drums.
There was no time for that now, so he could only use ordinary war drums first.
At this thought, Li Yan lowered into a horse stance. His abdomen contracted and surged, his chest and diaphragm moving up and down as if compressing something. After drawing several breaths in succession, he suddenly opened his mouth.
"Hum—!"
Hum, or hōng, was one of the six-syllable mantras of Buddhism and Taoism, and it also resembled the sound of thunder.
Great Cloud Thunder Sound was a secret art of Buddhism and Taoism, and this was the sound used as its foundation during cultivation.
According to the book, some Buddhist masters cultivated this method amid shifting winds and clouds and booming thunder. Anyone without exceptional aptitude would find it difficult to master.
But once mastered, its benefits were plentiful.
Not only could it vibrate the fascia and internal organs, but with the thunderous sound paired with the mantra, it could also cleanse the Divine Soul, purge distracting thoughts, and temper one's fist intent.
Yet the method had a flaw as well: the weather could not be controlled.
Therefore, an ancestor of the Zhou family had combined it with his own trade and used drums to accompany it. Though it could not match the vastness of true thunder, it had the advantage of gradual progress and could be cultivated at any time.
As the sound of "hum" came from Li Yan's mouth, his palm struck down as well, shaking the drumhead and producing a booming roar.
A thunderous boom instantly rang through the small courtyard, its momentum extraordinary.
"Good!"
Sha LiFei immediately applauded and shouted his praise.
"Good my ass."
Li Yan laughed helplessly, then shook his head slightly and said pensively, "This method is probably even more difficult than I imagined."
According to the secret manual, Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound had three difficult points.
The first was the timing of the strike. The drumbeat and mantra had to form resonance.
The second was changing breath and generating force. One had to use one's own body as a war drum and erupt with Cloud Thunder Sound.
The third was moderation. Thunder Sound was vast and surging; only by grasping the proper degree could one avoid injuring oneself.
The first step alone would probably take some effort.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Li Yan struck several more times, carefully sensing the vibrations of the drumhead.
Sha LiFei found it boring. His eyes rolled, and he said, "The food at the Daoist's place is too plain. I'll get some beef. We need to nourish ourselves properly these next two days!"
With that, he turned and left the courtyard gate.
Li Yan was already completely absorbed, frowning as he lost himself in thought. He did not notice what Sha LiFei had said at all.
Before long, drumbeats began sounding intermittently through the courtyard again.
Meanwhile, Sha LiFei left the gate and first circled around the old alley several times. Only after confirming that no one was watching him or had left any special marks did he saunter away.
He knew Xianyang City extremely well. Instead of taking the crowded main streets, he turned left and right through the alleys, deliberately choosing secluded paths.
Before long, he arrived at Paifang Street in the western city.
The place had been named after a massive archway from the previous dynasty. Both sides of the street were lined with pleasure quarters and taverns, gambling houses and wine shops. It was the liveliest place in Xianyang City—and also the most chaotic.
The street lay relatively far south. Wealthy merchants traveling north and south through the ferry crossing would always come here to while away a night. The bladesmen who lived from day to day also threw most of what they earned here.
Thus, the Three Religions and Nine Schools gathered here, and dragons and snakes mingled together.
It was still early morning. After a night of debauchery, most of the brothels remained shut, while the languid scent of powder and rouge drifted out through the open windows.
From time to time, scantily dressed women could also be seen combing their lovely hair by the windows.
But Sha LiFei did not spare them a glance.
He hurried to a two-story building and looked up. The entrance stood wide open, with two tall, powerfully built men guarding it. Despite the bitter cold, they were bare-armed, and their wrists were protected by leather bracers studded with bronze nails.
The signboard above the entrance bore four striking characters: "Jinbao Gambling House."
Some people loved lust, while others loved gambling.
In the enormous Xianyang City, from high-ranking officials and nobles to peddlers and laborers, whether members of Jianghu or men who ate from the government trough, there were always some who became mired in these pursuits.
The entire street was still relatively quiet, yet the gambling house was already roaring with noise.
It was not that the gamblers had arrived early. They had been gambling all night!
Clatter!
Sha LiFei was just about to enter when the large cloth curtain swayed. A middle-aged man was shoved out, stumbled, and fell onto the ground in a dog-eating-dirt sprawl.
Half his face had been scraped bloody, but he ignored it completely. Turning around, he scrambled to his feet and begged, "Lend me a little more, just a little more... Once I win it back, I'll return double!"
"Young Master Lu."
A man in white walked out. He had broom-shaped eyebrows and narrow, elongated eyes. Though he wore a smile, his gaze was icy, making him uncomfortable to look at.
He squatted down and patted the middle-aged man's cheek, sneering, "Calling you Young Master is already flattering you. Take my advice and stop playing. Besides, you have nothing left to wager."
The middle-aged man's eyes were bloodshot. "I...I still have my life!"
"Your life isn't worth a thing!"
The man in white rose directly and gave a signal. The two men at the entrance dragged the middle-aged man away and threw him into the nearby alley.
At that moment, he spotted Sha LiFei standing in the distance. His expression changed, and he immediately put on an obsequious smile. "Well, well, Sha Daxia, what a rare guest! Come to play a few rounds today?"
"Get lost!"
Sha LiFei did not even acknowledge him. He walked straight inside.
He knew the man in white's background. He was a conman from the Hua Family.
They had a cooperative relationship with the gambling house.
The first was "setting the hook": observing people and acting accordingly, seeking out wealthy young masters, then using honeyed words to lure them into the game.
The second was "using the awakening": cheating so that people lost everything they owned.
These people even operated in gangs. Among them were Swallows who deceived people with feminine charms, Old Rongs who specialized in forgery and theft, and Awakening Sticks who handled violence.
The moment you suddenly struck it rich, these people would set their sights on you.
It had always been this way, throughout the ages.
They had countless methods. Greed, beauty, familial affection, friendship, sympathy... As long as you had a weakness, there was a trap tailored to it. Even a seasoned old hand could fall for one if he let his guard down.
The young master of the Spring Breeze Troupe had fallen into just such a trap.
Sha LiFei naturally could not be bothered with him. He shoved the man aside and entered the gambling house.
The man in white grunted behind him and followed close after.
The gambling hall was a haze of smoke and foul air.
Lanterns hung above each gambling table, which was surrounded by gamblers. Their clothes were disheveled, their eyes bloodshot, and their faces livid. Under the dim candlelight, they looked like hungry ghosts.
The stink of sweat and tobacco made Sha LiFei stagger.
"Damn cowards..."
Sha LiFei cursed inwardly, then thrust out his chin and shouted, "The Life and Death Arena is the day after tomorrow. Is Jinbao Gambling House taking bets?"
His shout immediately drew the gazes of quite a few people.
"What are you shouting for?!"
The wooden door of an elegant room on the second floor was kicked open.
Several men in black surrounded a man as they came out.
The man was not tall and looked to be only around thirty, but he suffered from albinism. His face was pale with a dusky red tinge, and his eyebrows and beard were snow-white, while his hair was unusually thick.
He looked exactly like a white ape...
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