Midnight had passed, but the little town four or five li from Xiaoshan Fort was still ablaze with lights. People of the jianghu hurried back and forth gathering news, making the place look like a bustling midday market:
"Have you heard? Something happened at Xiaoshan Fort just now..."
"They say they were involved in a major crime, and the Black Bureau Yama came knocking. Even Hanging Sun Pavilion was knocked down..."
"The Black Bureau Yama? Ye Jingtang? Was Xiao Zongyuan really that capable?!"
"Of course not. It was Linghu Guanzhi. Word through the grapevine is that Linghu Guanzhi defected and became an Undercover Agent for Northern Liang to cure his lingering ailment..."
"Wait, even Linghu Guanzhi shouldn't be able to beat Night Great Yama..."
"Who said he won? According to someone from Three-Perfection Valley, when Night Great Yama came for Linghu Guanzhi, not only did he refuse to surrender, he tried to fight until the fish died and the net broke. First he used Yin-Yang Transformation, then he pulled out a flexible sword for a sneak attack. Night Great Yama killed him with a flick of one finger..."
"One finger?"
"Just one finger. He couldn't even be bothered to draw his blade. Scared all the sect leaders and gang chiefs out of their wits. Even after he left, they didn't dare run off. They're still waiting at Xiaoshan Fort for officers from the prefectural city to come question them..."
The gossip came in every variety. In barely half an hour, the disturbance that had just erupted at Xiaoshan Fort had already evolved into dozens of versions, spreading throughout the jianghu.
At an inn in town, a waiter hovered around the Big Black Horse a guest had just stabled, listening to the conversations of passersby on the street.
On the