At dawn the next day, Zhao Yun changed into inconspicuous coarse-cloth clothes and lightly disguised his face. Looking like an ordinary impoverished youth, he quietly left Peach Blossom Spring and slipped into Bluestone Town, shrouded in morning mist.
The atmosphere in town had indeed grown much tenser. The garrison patrolled noticeably more often, and inspections had become stricter. Another force called the Black Whale Gang had swiftly taken over the Water Ghost Gang's territory in the dock district, with constant clashes. The townspeople whispered among themselves, pleased at the Water Ghost Gang's destruction but worried about what lay ahead.
With his extraordinary senses and agile movements, Zhao Yun flitted like a ghost through the streets and alleys, eavesdropping on conversations and watching the movements of soldiers and gang members. The name "Peach Blossom Spring" was indeed mentioned frequently, often with awe and a barely perceptible trace of fear.
At a rundown market in the eastern part of town, Zhao Yun happened to hear a familiar name.
"Did you hear? That old archer from the Huang Family, Huang Zhong, got thrown out of the medicine shop again with his sickly son a few days ago."
"Ah, poor old Huang. He's so skilled, but he's spent everything he had trying to cure his son, and that Zhou Bapi keeps finding new ways to raise taxes!"
"With his archery, he could shoot through a copper coin from a hundred meters away back in the day! What a shame..."
"Keep your voice down! Don't let the Black Whale Gang hear you. They're looking for recruits..."
Huang Zhong? Something stirred in Zhao Yun's heart. This was one of the talented men his eldest brother had mentioned. He approached without betraying anything and followed the two speakers' gazes. A gray-haired old man, his back still as straight as a pine, was helping a pale, constantly coughing youth out of a medicine shop, his face filled with helplessness, grief, and anger. An exceptionally well-maintained longbow hung across his back. Though dressed in rags, he possessed a sharpness that could not be ignored.
Zhao Yun silently took note and continued his investigation. He slipped near the garrison quarters and, with the extraordinary hearing Reshiram had granted him, faintly heard the tax official Zhou Ming anxiously reporting to someone in higher-ranking official robes:
"Sir, these are no ordinary bandits! That wretch Cui Gui might have been useless, but he was still a Devil Fruit User, and he was wiped out without a sound! It must have been the work of those fiends from 'Peach Blossom Spring'! We must report this to the provincial authorities and request experts from the Happo Navy to wipe them out!"
The senior official pondered for a moment before replying in a low voice, "Do you think the Happo Navy can be mobilized so easily? Keep that stretch of mountain forest under close watch for now, and impose an additional 'bandit suppression tax' to raise military funds. We will decide what to do after I report to the prefect."
Zhao Yun's heart tightened. They were indeed going to draw stronger enemies! The Happo Navy was the Flower Country's official elite force, nothing like the thugs of the Water Ghost Gang.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the senior official add, "Also, the prefect is very interested in their fruit abilities. If we can capture those boys leading them alive, it will be a great achievement for both of us!"
Zhao Yun's pupils contracted. That much information has already leaked? I must take this intelligence back immediately and begin a thorough investigation of our people!
He quietly withdrew, but as he passed an alley, he heard fighting and cries coming from within. Several Black Whale Gang thugs were snatching the few copper coins an old woman had left while she knelt on the ground, pleading desperately.
Zhao Yun had not wanted to invite complications, but seeing the despair in the old woman's eyes and remembering the "benevolence" his eldest brother Chen Yu taught them every day, he felt Reshiram's power, which pursued "truth" and "justice," quietly stir within him.
"Stop!" Zhao Yun barked, stepping into the alley.
The thugs froze, then broke into vicious grins when they saw he was only a teenage boy. "Where'd this brat come from? You dare stick your nose into the Black Whale Gang's business? Got a death wish?"
With that, one of them threw a punch.
Zhao Yun's gaze turned cold. Without even needing Reshiram's power, he easily sidestepped, deftly tripped the man, and drove his elbow precisely beneath his ribs. The movements were clean and crisp, and the thug fell with a scream.
The others swarmed him. Zhao Yun moved like a roaming dragon, weaving among them, his punches and kicks swift and precise. Every strike sent someone to the ground groaning. Within moments, all the thugs had been knocked down.
He had held back, but it was enough to leave them temporarily unable to move.
The old woman was stunned and repeatedly kowtowed in thanks. Zhao Yun helped her up, pressed her money pouch back into her hand, and said quietly, "Go on. Be more careful from now on." With that, he swiftly vanished at the end of the alley, leaving behind a ground full of groaning thugs and an old woman whose face was filled with gratitude.
However, a pair of eyes in an upper room not far away had seen the entire scene clearly.
They belonged to a boy who looked about ten years old. His clothes were worn but very clean, and he had delicate features. His eyes, however, were exceptionally lively and intelligent, with a trace of precocity and insight beyond his years. He had been gazing out of the window and happened to witness everything Zhao Yun had done.
"What fine moves. Fast, precise, and ruthless, yet he spared their lives and held something back. He's no bloodthirsty man," the boy murmured, intense interest flashing in his eyes. "Judging by the direction he left in, he seems to be heading for the mountain forest outside town. Could he be... someone from the 'Peach Blossom Spring' people have been talking about lately?"
A meaningful smile curved the boy's lips. "It looks like Bluestone Town is about to become interesting."
Zhao Yun knew nothing of this. He quickly left town and brought all the intelligence he had gathered back to Peach Blossom Spring-the officials' plans, the potential threat of the Happo Navy, their covetous interest in his eldest brother's abilities, and the information about Huang Zhong.
After hearing Zhao Yun's report, Chen Yu's expression grew grave.
"The Happo Navy. So we did attract the authorities' attention after all," he said thoughtfully. "We don't have much time. We must build our strength faster."
When he heard Huang Zhong's name, a sharp gleam flashed in Chen Yu's eyes. "Huang Hansheng-Huang Zhong! It really is him!" The ideal candidate for the Dialga template!
"Zhao Yun, you did very well. This intelligence is crucial," Chen Yu praised him, then issued orders. "Zhang Fei, intensify the training! Guan Yu, keep honing your 'Wind Blade.' Liu Bei, speed up the stockpiling of grain and the collection of medicinal herbs. We must prepare for a greater assault."
"As for Huang Zhong..." Chen Yu looked toward town. "He's an exceptional talent worth winning over. I'll go myself."
"Eldest brother, it's too dangerous!" Liu Bei urged him against it. "The town is bound to be heavily guarded now."
Chen Yu shook his head, confidence shining in his eyes. "It's all right. I need to get a firsthand feel for the situation outside anyway. Besides, I have a feeling this veteran general may bring us an unexpected turning point."
The tension of an approaching storm spread through Peach Blossom Spring, but at the same time, a vigorous spirit of bold advancement was taking root. The young phoenix's clear cry had yet to shake the highest heavens, but it had already stirred the winds and clouds.
What Chen Yu did not know was that, even as he planned to approach Huang Zhong, the delicate-featured boy in town who had witnessed Zhao Yun's skill was also becoming deeply curious about his "Peach Blossom Spring."
The threads of fate were quietly intertwining.
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