Three Moon Pavilion's "Three Moons" didn't refer to the months. It referred to the strange sight of the bright moon rising over the sea.
At the top of Three Moon Pavilion, which stood in the middle of the river, rested a massive pearl.
Whenever the bright moon rose, the pearl would glow in its light.
The moon in the sky, its reflection in the water, and the pearl on the river—three moons shining together. It was one of East River Mouth's wonders.
And with the strange people and happenings inside Three Moon Pavilion, the riverbank drew crowds of visitors every night.
Whenever the moon was full, many people would also set lanterns afloat a little farther upstream.
The lanterns shone brightly as they drifted with the current.
But after traveling some distance, most sank because of the river's unpredictable currents.
Some, however, gradually steadied and were carried by the current to River Heart Island.
And generally, only lanterns bearing messages about injustices could make it there. The lanterns released by people just looking for fun never reached the island.
"It seems there really is a will guiding things in secret. All those grievances make it to the heart of the river."
Luo Chuan stood by the river, gazing at the sea of lanterns. His weather-beaten face seemed to hold a trace of emotion.
"Like hell there's some will guiding things." Lu Bai had only taken a cursory look before directly contradicting Luo Chuan.
East River was an estuary, and its currents were naturally complicated. The small island in the middle of the river made them even more unpredictable.
Along the riverbank, countless people sold lanterns. Their wares were merely passable; there was no way one of them could reach River Heart Island.
"To reach River Heart Island, a lantern needs to be made with the finest materials, and the craft of making it has to be excellent."
"On top of that, you have to carefully observe the changing currents and choose the best place to set it afloat."
"Only then can you get a lantern to the island."
"It's really a hidden test of entry."
Lu Bai easily saw through the truth behind the lanterns reaching the heart of the river.
"Only people who have truly suffered an injustice and desperately want help would take the time to study something like setting a lantern afloat."
"That's why most of the lanterns that reach River Heart Island carry messages about grievances."
Once the truth came out, there was nothing mysterious about it.
Luo Chuan's claim that some unseen will guided things seemed rather foolish now.
"You could call it fate, but it's really just a case of where there's a will, there's a way."
Just then, a swordsman dressed as a scholar seemed to have overheard Lu Bai and Luo Chuan's conversation. Smiling, he chimed in.
"I'm Lou Jingren of Linjiang Academy." The scholar introduced himself with a polite smile.
Luo Chuan had explained it to him earlier, so Lu Bai understood some of the Martial Forest's major powers.
In the language of martial arts and fantasy, they were known as one Holy Land, two valleys, three mountains, four families, five lakes, six rivers, seven temples, eight monasteries, and nine schools.
The Holy Land held sway over the world. Of the two valleys that came next, one was Hundred Flower Valley.
Lianwu Mountain was one of the three mountains.
The Luo Family was one of the four families.
The six rivers referred to six factions founded along rivers.
Linjiang Academy and Three Moon Pavilion were among them.
These forty-five factions were all forces to be reckoned with.
Of course, they weren't the only factions in the Martial Forest, and those forty-five weren't set in stone.
For instance, many factions had been wiped out during the Holy Land's arrival, and other factions had taken their places.
The factions weren't ranked; the numbers simply categorized them by region and type.
Hundred Flower Valley, for instance, had once been near the bottom of the forty-five.
It had nearly been struck off the list after daring to fight the Holy Land head-on.
Later, after renaming itself Hundred Flower Grave, its disciples worked tirelessly and gradually grew stronger. But held back by their Martial Arts, they had only become a mid-tier force.
Of course, in recent months, Hundred Flower Grave's Martial Arts had taken a bizarre turn.
Linjiang Academy was considered an upper-middle-tier force.
Its scholars cultivated both literary and martial skills, and studied the Six Arts of the Gentleman: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Every scholar had to master at least one.
They could govern a state at home and ride to war abroad.
Their most common attire was that of a sword-bearing scholar.
"Someone from Linjiang Academy showing up at Three Moon Pavilion in East River?" Lu Bai raised an eyebrow. "So you're looking to make a move, too?"
"With the Martial Forest undergoing such a great upheaval, the academy naturally has to act," Lou Jingren said without denying it.
Linjiang Academy was a fair distance from East River. Though both belonged to the six river factions, the two forces had little contact.
Or rather, Three Moon Pavilion had little contact with any faction. It had always maintained an air of mystery.
"Besides me, I've met Master Huihe of Spirit Connection Temple, Daoist Wang of Late Crane Temple, and Master Zhang of Force Union Sect."
Hundred Flower Grave had risen like a dark horse, killed Phoenix Flying Lady, and forcefully sparked a movement against the Holy Land.
Many martial arts sects had eagerly answered the call, but even more were worried and wanted to join forces to discuss how to respond to the upheaval.
East River was well connected and ideally located, so many of the sects were hoping to gather there.
"May I ask which faction you're from, Brother Lu?" Lou Jingren was quite direct.
He studied Lu Bai's close-cropped hair and guessed that he might be from one of the monasteries among the Eight Temples. But he couldn't sense the aura of a venerable monk about him.
Then again, the man's nickname was Blood Monk...
"None of them." Lu Bai sized up the scholar. Hundred Flower Grave had put him on its wanted list.
In the current tide of public opinion, Hundred Flower Grave was supposed to be on the side of "justice."
Linjiang Academy and the other factions had also been oppressed by the Holy Land. They should have supported Hundred Flower Grave.
But judging from the situation, the scholar didn't seem particularly hostile toward him. If anything, he seemed eager to befriend him.
It seemed not every martial arts sect was out of touch with the world. At the very least, some knew there was something strange about Hundred Flower Grave.
"I'm just a traveler."
"I see." Lou Jingren smiled.
Then he smiled at Lu Bai and said, "Would you care to join me on a tour of River Heart Island, Mr. Lu?"
As he spoke, a sizable fishing boat came slowly downstream. Several sword-bearing scholars had rolled up their sleeves and were rowing.
Clearly, they were all scholars from Linjiang Academy.
"Brother Jingren, we're ready!"
The scholars spoke with strong, resonant voices. Their Internal Force was clearly no weak.
"Please, Brother Lu." Lou Jingren gestured invitingly.
Lu Bai wasn't afraid. He took Luo Chuan with him and boarded the boat.
Once Lou Jingren was aboard, the fishing boat followed the current toward River Heart Island.
First update. Today is December 13. Don't forget history.
Before you continue