News from the Wind-Listening Pavilion, Setting Off for the Capital

Qingzhou City, the most prosperous city in Qing Province.

Lin Hanzhou revealed a fraction of his martial prowess, allowing him to slip into the city with ease.

The streets within were wide, and the shops on either side were bustling enough, yet the air was thick with a palpable sense of tension.

Pedestrians hurried along with grim expressions, their faces devoid of smiles, replaced instead by anxiety for the future.

The cost of living here was visibly exorbitant.

A bowl of plain noodles that cost only three wen in Peace Town was priced at fifty wen here, and it was served with little noodles and thin broth.

The scent of a chaotic era had already seeped into every corner of this city.

Lin Hanzhou paid little mind to this; his goal was clear.

He needed to find the place with the most reliable information to update his intelligence.

Only then could he make the most accurate judgments for his next move.

After making several inquiries, he located the city's largest restaurant—Wind-Listening Pavilion.

Wind-Listening Pavilion stood three stories tall, and its grand exterior spoke of its extraordinary status.

It was said that as long as you had enough silver, there was no intelligence you could not obtain here.

One could even hear whispers from across all of Qing Province, or even the entire Great Gan Dynasty.

Upon entering Wind-Listening Pavilion, Lin Hanzhou did not head to the second or third floors, which were reserved for the wealthy and powerful.

Instead, he found an inconspicuous corner on the first floor, ordered two simple dishes, and began to eat and drink to himself.

His ears, however, acted like radar, drawing every chaotic sound from the third floor into his mind.

"Shopkeeper Zhang, the price of this batch of silk you shipped from Jiang Province has risen by another thirty percent? That's daylight robbery."

A fat man who looked like a cloth merchant sighed heavily to the table next to him.

The tall, thin man addressed as Shopkeeper Zhang pulled a long face and lowered his voice.

"My dear sir, please don't wrong me; in these times, life is just too difficult."

"From Jiang Province to Qing Province, the road is lined with checkpoints, and those damned tax collectors are like starving wolves—they strip a layer of skin off you at every pass."

"Not to mention, with bandits running rampant across Qing Province, I had to spend a fortune to hire guards from Weiyuan Escort Agency to protect this shipment. How could the costs not be high?"

"Sigh, these days are getting harder and harder to endure..."

Lin Hanzhou took a silent sip of wine.

Government extortion and rampant local banditry.

These were the classic hallmarks of a dynasty in its final days.

He shifted his attention to the other private rooms.

At that table sat several young martial artists who looked full of vigor.

Each of them had weapons strapped to their waists, their faces filled with the excitement of newborn calves unafraid of tigers.

"Big Brother, I've made up my mind. Instead of suffering this indignity here, we should head to the front lines in Qing Province and join the army."

"With the skills our brothers possess, we could kill a few Qing Army soldiers and earn ourselves some fame—wouldn't that be glorious!"

A youth wielding a saber said, brimming with spirit.

"Exactly, a real man should be prepared to return wrapped in horse hide."

"I heard that to boost morale, the imperial court is even offering Grandmaster-level martial arts in exchange for military merit."

However, next to them, a weather-beaten, one-armed middle-aged man let out a cold snort.

He downed a gulp of wine and said with disdain, "A bunch of ignorant brats who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth—do you even know what the front lines in Qing Province are like now?"

"In a place like that, even first-rate experts or those at the Martial Master level could die at any moment."

"With your measly skills, you wouldn't even make a ripple before becoming nameless corpses."

"You!"

Provoked by his words, the young swordsman was instantly enraged.

"What? Not convinced?"

The one-armed man used his only remaining hand to point at his empty sleeve.

"This arm of mine was lost in Qing Province."

"I saw with my own eyes an entire battalion of a thousand men wiped out in a single charge by the Qing Army's iron cavalry."

"I also saw our general stripped of his rank and thrown into prison on the spot, accused of incompetence simply because he failed to pay the required tribute to his superiors."

"Fame? Heh, that's reserved for the sons and grandsons of the nobility with connections."

"People like you? You'd just be cannon fodder!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing all the enthusiasm of the young men.

They looked at each other, the excitement on their faces replaced by lingering fear and confusion.

Lin Hanzhou's gaze narrowed slightly.

He had not expected the army of the Great Gan Dynasty to be so corrupt; it was no wonder their morale was in shambles.

It was no wonder that in so many battles at the border, the Great Gan Dynasty had suffered defeat after defeat.

It seemed the roots of the Great Gan Dynasty had completely rotted away.

Just then, Lin Hanzhou's ears twitched as he caught wind of more interesting intelligence.

Inside a private room on the second floor of the Wind-Listening Pavilion, two men who appeared to be advisors were whispering in extremely low voices.

"Have you heard? In the Capital City, the First Prince and the Third Prince are fighting again over control of the Ministry of War."

"Hiss... at a time like this, they still have the heart for infighting?"

"The Gan Emperor does nothing; I fear he... is truly failing."

"Who can say otherwise? I hear the Emperor's health is worsening by the day."

"Once His Majesty passes, the heavens of this Great Gan Dynasty will surely change."

"We should make plans early and pick our side now, lest we be purged when the time comes."

Hearing this, Lin Hanzhou already had a rough outline of the entire situation in his mind.

The Great Gan Dynasty was plagued by internal strife and external threats, the imperial court was decaying, and the princes were locked in a power struggle, leaving the empire on the brink of collapse.

As an outsider, what kind of role could he play in this impending, earth-shattering storm?

Just as Lin Hanzhou was deep in thought, a piece of news perked him up.

He heard someone dressed as a merchant in another corner of the main hall boasting to his companion.

"Brother, you have no idea, I've managed to get a connection with the Four Seas Trading Firm this time."

"Their firm will have one of their largest caravans departing for the Capital City in a few days."

"I paid a hefty price to secure a spot to travel with them; following them is the only way to be safe on this road."

"The Four Seas Trading Firm? Is that the Four Seas Trading Firm that claims to be 'wealthy enough to buy an entire province'?"

"The very same. They are returning to the Capital City this time to transport some important cargo, and their security is top-notch."

"I heard they are currently recruiting temporary guards at a high price, requiring at least a first-rate martial artist."

"Tsk tsk, requiring at least a first-rate martial artist as a guard—what a display of wealth."

Hearing their conversation, Lin Hanzhou's eyes immediately lit up.

Heading to the Capital City?

This was exactly what he wanted.

As the center of the world, the Capital City was undoubtedly the place where information converged and opportunities were most abundant.

Now that he possessed the strength of the third-stage Qi Sea Realm, only by going there could he secure the greatest benefits for himself.

Joining this caravan was undoubtedly the best choice.

Getting a free ride, earning money, and gaining a legitimate identity—he would naturally not let such an opportunity slip by.

With his mind made up, Lin Hanzhou did not linger.

He tossed down a few taels of silver, left the Wind-Listening Pavilion, and headed straight for the branch of the Four Seas Trading Firm in Qingzhou City.

Without any unnecessary drama, Lin Hanzhou successfully joined the caravan by demonstrating his peak first-rate martial artist cultivation.

With his silent yet formidable image, he easily integrated into this temporary collective.

Three days later, everything was ready.

A massive caravan consisting of over a hundred carriages and hundreds of guards slowly drove out of Qingzhou City amidst the morning mist.