The red sun hung overhead, oases nestled amid yellow sands, and birds danced to the ringing of camel bells. A ruined village stood deep within the desert.
A travel-worn figure rode up on horseback, clad in heavy, heavy Mongolian battle armor, and soon entered the village.
Only upon entering did he discover that the village had long since been abandoned. Its current occupants were Mongolian cavalrymen dressed in the same heavy armor as him, curved sabers hanging at their waists. Imposing and formidable, they stood guard throughout the village, their bodies short and powerfully built, their gazes fixed straight ahead.
The figure headed straight for a courtyard residence deep within the village. Security here was much tighter than outside. A group of people without armor also stood in the courtyard, some Daoists and some laymen. Most actually appeared to be martial artists from the Central Plains.
The Mongolian scout was clearly unsurprised. He passed them, approached the entrance to the main hall, and bowed respectfully toward those inside, calling out in Mongolian:
"Your subordinate Barsi pays his respects to Your Highness!"
After a brief silence, a calm voice came from within, though it spoke the language of the Central Plains:
"Come in."
"Yes!"
Barsi bowed again before stepping into the main hall. Looking up, he saw only one figure inside.
The figure wore a white robe, long hair tied up in the fashion of the Central Plains. Slender and fair-skinned, she looked like an elegant young gentleman, but the slight swell of her chest betrayed her identity. She was clearly a woman dressed as a man.
Her face gleamed like jade, its fairness tinged with pink. Her large eyes held both unfathomable wisdom and a touch of impish mischief. At the same time, she carried herself with noble grace and dignity, yet none of these qualities seemed out of place.
She was toying with a White Jade Folding Fan. Without even raising her head at Barsi's salute, she asked mildly, "What did you find?"
Barsi answered respectfully:
"Your Highness, last night, experts from all the martial sects of Ming gathered at the Dragon Gate Inn. Then the Sun Moon Holy Cult launched a surprise attack on the inn, and the two sides fought a great battle. After that, the Heavenly Venerable, Black Stone, the Bright Moon Cult, and the other Demonic Gate factions appeared one after another. Even the Four Great Constables of the Great Song Dynasty's Six Gates arrived. They joined forces with the Bright Moon Cult, intending to wipe out the major sects and claim the treasure for themselves. But in the end, everyone was defeated by a single man!"
"Oh?"
The woman in white looked up, somewhat surprised. "So many factions-almost half the Ming Jianghu had gathered there. Who could possibly have the ability to take on so many people?"
Barsi said gravely, "The seal-bearing director of Ming's West Depot, Yu Huatian!"
"He disguised himself as an ordinary martial artist and slipped into the Dragon Gate Inn, but he had already stationed his men outside. He merely waited for everyone to appear before signaling his men to gather, catching both the righteous and demonic factions in one net. Although neither side was completely wiped out, after last night's battle, both suffered grievous losses and fled separately. No faction remains capable of competing with Yu Huatian for the treasure!"
"The seal-bearing director of the West Depot, Yu Huatian..."
The woman murmured the name, a brilliant gleam flashing in her eyes. Then she turned to Barsi and instructed him:
"Tell me everything that happened last night in detail. Do not leave anything out."
"Yes!"
Barsi bowed respectfully, then recounted everything he had witnessed the previous night, from beginning to end.
After hearing him out, the unusual gleam in the woman's eyes grew brighter:
"The Wudang Sect, the Shaolin Sect, the Money Gang, the Sun Moon Holy Cult, the Heavenly Venerable, the Bright Moon Cult, Black Stone... So many first-rate factions, all led around by the nose by a mere West Depot eunuch. This Yu Huatian certainly has the makings of a ruthless hero!"
Barsi said respectfully, "However clever Yu Huatian may be, he cannot compare to Your Highness."
The woman glanced at him, ignored his flattery, and waved a hand. "You may withdraw. Once you have rested, return to the Dragon Gate Inn and continue monitoring Ming's movements."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Barsi dared not show the slightest displeasure. He bowed again, then turned and left.
Tap, tap-
The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving the hall empty and quiet.
The woman stood in the hall with her hands behind her back. Only after the footsteps had vanished completely did she return to her chair, frowning in thought.
Just then, a figure in monk's robes emerged leisurely from behind the screen. He had handsome, striking features, and the hands beneath his robes were exceptionally strong and sturdy. Had any martial artist been present, they would have been utterly shocked.
For this man was none other than Yuan Zhen, the disciple of Divine Monk Kong Jian, one of the Four Great Divine Monks of Shaolin Temple!
Though the woman's identity was unknown, the many Mongolian cavalrymen protecting her made it clear that she was a person of exalted standing in the Great Yuan Dynasty.
Yet Yuan Zhen, a Shaolin disciple, was associating with Mongolians. If word of this spread, it would surely shake the martial world of Ming.
The woman, however, was clearly unsurprised. She looked up at Yuan Zhen and gave him a slight nod:
"Master Yuan Zhen, what do you make of this?"
Yuan Zhen pressed his palms together and bowed. After a moment's consideration, he replied, "Your Highness, Yu Huatian thought to disguise himself as a martial artist and infiltrate the Dragon Gate Inn, seizing the initiative before revealing himself at the final moment and crippling the major martial sects in one stroke. He is indeed a clever man."
"However, this move has both advantages and disadvantages. By eliminating these martial factions first, he has also done Your Highness a favor."
"Although the Ming Jianghu is at odds with the court, and the martial world is itself divided into righteous and demonic factions, the Han people have always stood together. If Your Highness appeared, they would certainly set aside their prejudices for the time being and unite against an outside enemy, joining forces against you."
"Now, however, Your Highness need only find a way to deal with Yu Huatian."
The woman nodded slightly and smiled. "Exactly!"
"There is a saying in the Central Plains: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it!"
"Even if his cunning borders on the uncanny, he could never imagine that I would keep holding back. By making the first move and eliminating the martial artists of the Ming Jianghu, he has played an utterly rotten move!"
"No. Since this man can serve as director of the West Depot, his thinking must differ from that of ordinary people. He may already have anticipated this," Yuan Zhen said, shaking his head.
The woman frowned slightly. "Although this Northwestern Desert nominally belongs to our Great Yuan Dynasty, it is so vast. Without definite intelligence, how could he anticipate my arrival?"
Yuan Zhen said gravely, "The treasure lies between Great Yuan, Ming, and Great Song. Even Great Song, the farthest away, has sent the Four Great Constables of the Six Gates. It would hardly be surprising for him to anticipate that Great Yuan would send someone as well. Even if he has not yet discovered Your Highness's whereabouts, he will certainly have taken precautions. Your Highness must not underestimate him."
After pondering for a moment, the woman looked at Yuan Zhen. "If he can anticipate Great Yuan's involvement, then even if we strike last, we may struggle to succeed. Ming troops are also stationed at Dragon Gate Pass. If he brings soldiers with him, I might fall into his ambush instead. Master Yuan Zhen, do you have any way to help me?"
"It is not as though there are no ways," Yuan Zhen replied with a faint smile.
The woman rose and cupped her hands in a solemn salute to Yuan Zhen. "As long as you find a way to help me seize the treasure, Master Yuan Zhen, I will certainly reward you generously. From then on, you will be an honored guest of Prince Ruyang's Residence. Whatever you ask, I will grant it."
"Your Highness is too kind."
A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Yuan Zhen's mouth, followed by a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "There is another saying in the Central Plains: a narrow heart makes no gentleman, and a man without venom is no true man!"
"To eliminate Yu Huatian and seize the treasure, we need not follow the usual rules of the martial world. Battlefield stratagems and the martial world's low, underhanded tricks may serve us just as well..."
At his words, the woman grew thoughtful. "Master Yuan Zhen, are you suggesting that we poison them? But the West Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are experts at investigation and tracking, with extremely strong counter-surveillance abilities. Poisoning them would hardly be easy."
Yuan Zhen said casually, "The treasure will emerge from the desert, and when the time comes, the desert's Black Sandstorm will also sweep through. There are plenty of poisons in the martial world that can bring people down without being swallowed. Your Highness has informants throughout the martial world. With careful planning, a way can always be found."
The woman lightly tapped her fingers against the desk. After weighing his words for a moment, she nodded slightly...
Dusk approached, and the evening clouds spread like brocade over Dragon Gate City.
Along one of its streets, inside the Golden Phoenix Tower.
The inn's doors and windows were all shut. A bathtub stood in the middle of the room, steam rising from its water and adding a measure of warmth to the late-autumn chill.
Yu Huatian had stripped off all his clothes and reclined in the tub, his arms resting along its rim. A few droplets clung to his fair face. His skin was smooth as jade, his features cold yet delicately beautiful.
After a full day and night of ceaseless travel and several battles, he felt utterly exhausted. For now, he had no mind for anything else and seized the chance to enjoy this rare peace and quiet.
Men from the West Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard guarded the entire inn, so Yu Huatian had no need to worry about interruptions. After resting briefly, he turned his attention inward to his mind.
"System, open the information panel!"
Host: Yu Huatian Realm: peak grandmaster Martial arts: Boy Skill (perfection), Sunflower Manual (perfection), Thirteen Life-Taking Swords (perfection) Plundered fate: 159527
Seeing his plundered fate reach six digits on the information panel for the first time, Yu Huatian could not help smiling.
Indeed, an immortal legacy spanning a thousand autumns was forged entirely through killing!
This time, he had struck it rich in one fell swoop!-
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