Qin Han War Drums, Jinbao Gambling House

The early autumn was bleak, and the old street grew increasingly chilly.

A cold wind weaved through the bluestone streets, rustling the fallen leaves as they tumbled and scraped across the ground.

Accompanied by a creaking sound, a bullock cart slowly emerged from the end of the old street, its silhouette outlined by the morning sun as if edged in gold.

Three large drums were steadily placed upon the cart.

Each of these drums was over a meter wide, their black lacquer peeling, their cowhide heads a dull yellow, ancient and weighty.

Though passed down for generations, they still exuded an undeniable aura, as if capable of unleashing earth-shattering drumbeats at any moment.

Before the cart even reached the Asking Dao Pavilion, Li Yan and the other two had already come out to greet it.

Wang Dao Xuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and smiled, "He Jushi, thank you."

The driver was an old man with white hair, his face a roadmap of deep wrinkles, wearing a dog-skin hat. He sat sideways on the cart's shaft, smoking a pipe of coarse tobacco.

Upon seeing Wang Dao Xuan, he quickly jumped down. First, he shook the reins to stop the old ox, then cupped his hands and smiled, "Daoist Priest, you are too kind. You saved my family's lives; these worldly possessions are nothing."

After leaving the Zhang Clan Martial Hall, Li Yan had expressed his desire to find the Qin Han War Drums.

A fine drum, from the selection of materials to its crafting and then drying and lacquering, took a long time. There simply wasn't enough time, so they had to borrow some.

Fortunately, Wang Dao Xuan mentioned knowing an old artisan and managed to borrow the drums.

The old man's surname was He, and he was also a man of the Jianghu.

Not all people in the Jianghu practiced martial arts or made a living with a blade. More often, they were petty thieves, swindlers, or relied on a craft to travel the land.

This Old He had formed a drum troupe. Whenever a shop opened or a major event occurred in Xianyang, they would perform to liven things up and earn some reward money.

In the Jianghu, all performing arts, opera, and drum-singing professions belonged to the Liu Family, which was how he knew Wang Dao Xuan.

Upon receiving the message, he personally came to deliver the drums.

Li Yan also thanked him politely and stepped forward to examine them.

These three war drums were quite old but still perfectly preserved. Although there were some minor abrasions, they didn't hinder their use. After some maintenance, they would be magnificent once more.

He gently stroked them, growing more fond of them the more he looked.

The Qin Han War Drums were a local drum music tradition in Xianyang. Legend had it that a Qin general, after conquering the six states, returned home and passed down the war drums to the villagers, who passed them down through generations.

The First Emperor's unification of the six states and the King of Han's campaigns all used these drums to boost military morale.

Seeing his expression, the old artisan's eyes revealed a hint of relief. "I can see you're also a drum enthusiast, young man. Giving them to you is putting them to good use."

Li Yan quickly waved his hands. "I'm only borrowing them. These are the old gentleman's livelihood; how could I dare to take them?"

"They're of no use to me anymore," the old man waved his hand slightly, stroking the war drums with reluctance, and sighed. "When I was young, I didn't know my place and always dreamed of becoming the Drum King and making a name for myself. Half my life was wasted just scraping by, and I didn't even pay enough attention to my family."

"I wanted to pass them on to my son, but he hates drums because of my obsession and doesn't want them at all. He's set on going to Jinmen to make his fortune."

"I'm old now. I'll accompany him for a while, teach him the Jianghu Rules, and make up for my past shortcomings."

Wang Dao Xuan frowned. "He Jushi, your health..."

The old man waved his hand, his expression serene. "Returning to the earth isn't that important. I'll die wherever I end up."

"Besides, the First Emperor's war drums shook the Divine Land. Wherever the sun shines in this world, that is my home."

"You are truly open-minded, old sir."

"Hahaha, what open-mindedness? I've simply come to terms with things..."

The old man waved and smiled, then turned to leave.

The few of them couldn't dissuade him, so they insisted on giving him some silver, calling it travel expenses. Only then did they watch his hunched figure and the creaking bullock cart disappear into the sunlight of the old street...

Dong!

In the small courtyard, the sound of a drum rang out.

Li Yan gently tapped it with his hand, feeling the vibrations.

The day for the arena match was set for the day after tomorrow. In such a short time, improving his techniques or experience would be extremely difficult.

The only possibility was to quickly master the Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound, at least to the point where he could control Hidden Strength at will and use it at crucial moments.

The so-called Cloud Thunder Sound was a more resonant thunderous sound.

The Qin Han War Drums had the most imposing aura, making them ideal for cultivating the Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound.

In the booklet passed down by Troupe Leader Zhou's ancestors, the divine drums used for cultivation had to be specially made, with methods for everything from hide drums to wooden drums, and finally iron drums.

There was no time now, so he could only use the ordinary war drums for now.

With this in mind, Li Yan assumed a horse stance, contracting and expanding his abdomen, his chest and diaphragm moving up and down as if compressing. He took several breaths and then suddenly opened his mouth.

"Om--!"

Om (hōng) is one of the six true words of Buddhism and Taoism, and it also resembles the sound of thunder.

The Great Cloud Thunder Sound is a secret Buddhist and Taoist technique, and this sound is the standard for its cultivation.

According to the book, some Buddhist masters cultivate this method, often practicing during changes in wind and clouds, and thunderous roars. It is difficult to master for those without exceptional talent.

Once mastered, however, the benefits are numerous.

It can not only vibrate the muscles, fascia, and internal organs, but the thunderous sound, combined with true words, can also cleanse the divine soul, clear distracting thoughts, and condense the intent of the fist.

But this method also has a flaw: the timing of the heavens cannot be controlled.

Therefore, that ancestor of the Zhou family combined it with his own trade, using drumbeats to accompany it. Although it is not as magnificent as true thunder, it has the advantage of being gradual and can be practiced at any time.

As Li Yan uttered the sound "Om," his palm also struck down, vibrating the drum surface and emitting a booming sound.

A loud "Dong!" suddenly echoed in the small courtyard, its momentum extraordinary.

"Good!"

Sha LiFei immediately applauded loudly.

"Good my ass."

Li Yan chuckled, then shook his head slightly, pondering, "This technique is probably more difficult than I imagined."

According to the secret manual, the Divine Drum Cloud Thunder Sound has three difficult points.

First, the timing of the strike; the drum sound and the true words must resonate.

Second, breathing and surging; one must use oneself as a drum, unleashing the Cloud Thunder Sound.

Third is the degree; the thunderous sound is vast, and controlling the degree will prevent self-injury.

This first step alone will likely take some effort.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Li Yan struck a few more times, carefully feeling the vibration of the drum surface.

Sha LiFei, finding it boring, rolled his eyes and said, "The Daoist Priest's food here is too plain. I'll go get some beef. We'll have a good meal these past two days!"

With that, he turned and left the courtyard.

Li Yan was already completely focused, frowning in deep thought, completely oblivious to what Sha LiFei had said.

Soon, the intermittent sound of the drum could be heard in the courtyard again.

Meanwhile, Sha LiFei left the courtyard. He first circled the old alley a few times, ensuring no one was watching or had left any special marks, before swaggering away.

He was very familiar with Xianyang City. He didn't take the crowded main streets but wound his way through the small alleys, choosing the quietest paths.

Before long, he arrived at Paifang Street in the West City.

This place was named after a grand archway from the previous dynasty. The sides of the street were lined with entertainment venues, taverns, and gambling houses, making it the liveliest and most chaotic place in Xianyang City.

This street was relatively southern. Merchants crossing the ferry would often spend a night here to relax, and swordsmen who lived for the day would throw most of their earnings here.

Thus, people from all walks of life gathered, a mix of dragons and snakes.

It was still early morning. Most of the brothels, after a night of revelry, were still closed. A faint scent of perfume wafted from the open windows.

Occasionally, women in light clothing would comb their hair by the windows.

But Sha LiFei didn't even glance at them.

He walked quickly to a two-story building and looked up. The main entrance was wide open, guarded by two burly men with bare arms in the cold weather, wearing cowhide and copper-studded bracers.

A plaque above the entrance proudly displayed the four characters "Jinbao Gambling House."

Some people craved lust, while others craved gambling.

In this vast Xianyang City, from high officials and nobles to common laborers, whether they were from the Jianghu or worked for the government, some were addicted to this vice.

The street itself was still quiet, but inside the gambling house, the noise was deafening.

It wasn't because the customers had arrived early, but because they had been gambling all night!

Swish!

Just as Sha LiFei was about to enter, a thick cloth curtain moved, and a middle-aged man was pushed out, stumbling and falling face-first onto the ground.

Half his face was scraped bloody, but he ignored it, scrambling to his feet and pleading, "Lend me some more, lend me some more... I'll pay double when I win it back!"

"Young Master Lu."

A man in white emerged. He had bushy eyebrows and narrow, long eyes. Although he smiled, his gaze was chilling, making him appear uncomfortable no matter how you looked at him.

He crouched down, patted the middle-aged man's face, and sneered, "Calling you Young Master is being generous. Listen to my advice and stop playing. Besides, you have nothing left to bet."

The middle-aged man's eyes were bloodshot. "I... I still have my life!"

"Your life isn't worth much!"

The man in white stood up directly and gestured. The two guards at the door dragged the middle-aged man away and threw him into a nearby alley.

At this moment, he saw Sha LiFei standing in the distance. His expression changed, and he put on a fawning smile. "Oh, Great Hero Sha, a rare visitor. Come to try your luck today?"

"Get lost!"

Sha LiFei ignored him and walked straight into the gambling house.

He knew the background of this man in white; he was a conman from the Hua Family.

They had a cooperative relationship with the gambling house.

One was to "play the簧," observing people and finding wealthy young masters to lure into traps with sweet talk.

The second was to "use the awakening," cheating people out of their fortunes.

This group even had a gang, including "Swallows" who deceived people with sex, Old Rong who specialized in forgery and theft, and even "Awakening Sticks" who handled the physical aspects.

As soon as you suddenly got rich, you would be targeted by this group.

It had always been this way, from ancient times to the present.

They had many methods: greed, lust, family and friendship, sympathy... as long as you had a weakness, there was a corresponding trap. Even seasoned veterans could fall for it if they weren't careful.

The young troupe leader of the Spring Breeze Troupe had fallen for this kind of trap.

Sha LiFei naturally couldn't be bothered, so he pushed the man aside and entered the gambling house.

The man in white behind him "humphed" and followed closely.

The gambling hall was filled with a smoky haze.

Lanterns hung above the gambling tables, surrounded by gamblers. They were all disheveled, their eyes bloodshot, their faces ashen, looking like hungry ghosts in the dim candlelight.

The smell of sweat and smoke made Sha LiFei stumble.

"What a coward..."

Sha LiFei cursed under his breath, then gritted his teeth and shouted, "The Life and Death Arena is the day after tomorrow. Does your Jinbao Gambling House have anyone taking bets?"

His shout immediately drew many eyes.

"What are you shouting about?!"

The wooden door of a private room on the second floor was kicked open.

Several burly men in black surrounded a man as he emerged from the room.

The man was not tall, appearing to be only in his thirties, but he had albinism. His face was pale and dark red, his eyebrows and beard were snow white, yet his hair was thick.

He looked very much like a white ape