Chapter 1: Turbulent Waters and the Gowned Brotherhood

Chapter1: The Muddy-Water Paoge

When the first drop of night rain fell from the sky, Chengdu Prefecture, located in the southwestern reaches of the Great Ming Empire, finally began to awaken.

The holographic advertising emitters placed atop the skyscrapers activated almost simultaneously.

Colorful, dazzling neon lights surged forth; colossal figures, vast as Dharma aspects, rose into the heavens, propping up the gradually darkening firmament.

"One Golden Elixir swallowed into the belly, no cybernetic body needed for eternal life!"

A benevolent-looking old Daoist held aloft the newly launched Native Flesh Life-Extension Golden Elixir.

A soaring immortal crane on his Daoist robe coiled around verdant peaks, wandering ceaselessly; in a moment, it transformed into a Taiji Yin-Yang diagram, cycling endlessly, repeating without cease.

Verdant Peaks Unfold Taiji—this was the emblem of the Qingcheng Group, the largest Daoist oligarch native to Chengdu Prefecture.

The old Daoist's projection was immense, pressing all other corporate holograms beneath his whisk, fully displaying the grandeur of the Orthodox Dao.

The only one in this district capable of contending with him was the current undisputed star of the Chengdu Prefecture Teaching Workshop, the Head Courtesan, Du Shisan.

Hair cascading like a waterfall, fragrant shoulders half-bared, her demeanor alluring, entranced, drunk with charm.

"Nightly union: Native body one thousand, Bionic three hundred. A Holographic Yellow Millet Dream costs but one hundred Great Ming Treasure Notes."

Beside the flickering, cloying pink copy, a giant character "Shua" was projected!

The intensely Sichuanese promotional copy, set off by the vivid flesh, appeared exceptionally seductive.

A patrol airship bearing the inscription "Chongzhen Restoration" slid through the gap between the noses of the two projections.

Fully armed Tianfu Guards stood in the gondola, their crimson electronic eyes staring down at the streets below where lights were gradually kindling.

Though it was just past dusk, the Wushi Bar, located in the prime location of Sinmin Street in the Jie District, was already packed to the rafters.

"Chrysanthemum Ancient Sword and wine, steeped in coffee within the clamorous courtyard."

"Alien races worship the ancients' moon at the Sun Altar, the Chongzhen Prosperity makes one yearn."

A pair of vintage speakers, God knows where the boss scavenged them, hung from the ceiling, playing the Shengming Band's latest single, "Dreaming Back to Chongzhen."

A deep, hoarse male voice reverberated through the bar; a rotating disco ball cast cloying pink and dazzling blue light.

The smell of machine oil and alcohol intertwined in the air, teasing the most primal desires.

Just as the atmosphere heated up, the bar door was suddenly shoved open.

Cold, damp wind backwashed inside; patrons near the entrance shivered violently, turning in unison to glare furiously at the figure nailed to the doorway.

A black umbrella was folded shut, revealing a handsome face with sharp, distinct features.

The man wore a clean crew cut, dressed in a modified short straight-hem Ming-style robe; the skin exposed outside his clothes showed not a trace of cybernetic modification.

As the man swiveled his gaze to scan the surroundings, a tattoo of a ferocious beast could be faintly seen on his neck, half-hidden by his collar.

The strange beast resembled a jackal-wolf grown dragon horns, a precious sword clenched in its jaws, eyes like fire, gazing with tyrannical disdain.

"Damn it, just got in the mood and you blow a faceful of cold wind on this grandpa, you looking to die..."

A man drunk out of his mind staggered to his feet, cursing incessantly.

Before he could finish, his companion beside him suddenly erupted, shoving him violently down onto the table.

The bewildered drunkard was about to flare up when a tense, low growl sounded in his ear:

"Didn't you see what's tattooed on his neck? You dare mess with a Paoge member? You want to die, don't drag us down with you!"

A tattoo of a Xiezhi on the neck—this was the mark of the "Muddy Water" branch of the Chengdu Prefecture Han Chinese underworld, the Paoge Society.

The drunkard trembled all over, the alcohol clearing seven or eight parts from his system; face pressed to the table, he shrank back into his chair like a quail.

The surrounding patrons also tacitly averted their gazes, pretending nothing had happened.

The man ignored the minor episode, striding straight toward a secluded booth in the corner of the bar.

In the booth, a fat man with a big head and large ears lay sprawled on the sofa, a rare paper cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, exhaling clouds of smoke with a face full of satisfaction.

"Brother Kou, you called for me?"

Hearing the man's voice, the fat man's wrinkled face slowly split open a barely perceptible crack, revealing two black pupils.

"Here you are, sit quick."

The fat man laughed, sitting up and pushing a wine bowl, utterly out of place in the surroundings, across the table.

"Jiannan Shaochun, authentic Ming liquor, Li Jun, have a taste."

Li Jun lifted the bowl and drained it in one gulp; instantly, a line of fire raced from his throat to his stomach, burning away all the chill on his body.

"Good wine," Li Jun wiped his mouth, smiling as he asked: "Brother Kou, you didn't call me here just to buy me a drink, did you?"

Yu Kou didn't answer Li Jun's question directly. He lowered his head, fiddling with the wine bowl with his fat palms, speaking to himself:

"Nowadays, bars in Chengdu Prefecture only know to use highball glasses for foreign devils' booze; they've forgotten that our Great Ming Empire's liquor must be drunk from a wine bowl to be authentic."

"What wine matches what bowl, what status handles what business."

Yu Kou looked up, smiling kindly: "Do you understand this principle?"

Li Jun's pupils twitched, his expression unchanged, nodding: "I understand."

Yu Kou drummed two fingers on the metal tabletop, emitting a sonorous, crisp sound. "Since you're a man who understands principles, why haven't you passed intel to the Bureau in a month? Have you forgotten who you are?"

Who am I? I've got a damn lot of identities.

Li Jun couldn't help cursing inwardly.

He was a transmigrator; arriving inexplicably in this bizarre world where the Great Ming's destiny was eternal was bad enough, but he was also a damn double agent!

His public identity was a member of the Paoge Society; secretly, he was an informant for the Second Division of the Chengdu Prefecture Embroidered Uniform Guard!

This starting hand was something Li Jun never anticipated.

Li Jun exhaled a turbid breath, smiling: "Sir, you misunderstand. I didn't pass intel because Zhao Ding has been very honest lately; aside from the usual smuggling of contraband, he hasn't pulled any major moves."

The Zhao Ding Li Jun spoke of was precisely the Rudder Master of the Muddy Water Paoge, the Dragon Head Big Boss.

"No moves?"

Yu Kou sneered, his five fingers suddenly clenching; the wine bowl in his hand shattered with a "crack."

"Just ten minutes before you entered, a Kabukicho under the Jiedao Society was attacked. A middle-ranking Wakagashira-level executive, one of the Jiedao Society's 'Ten Nobles', Nagarekawa Tan, was abducted. You dare say this has nothing to do with you?"

Li Jun's heart tightened; he silently scraped his eyebrow with his index finger.

This fat dog's nose is sharp!

Yu Kou smiled coldly. "Nagarekawa Tan is one of the Jiedao Society's successors. Zhao Ding moving against him—does he want to open war with those Wa bandit Sinmin?"

The term "Sinmin" originated in the era of Emperor Longwu, Zhu Pingyuan. He issued an edict abolishing the vassal state laws and brazenly launched wars of expansion.

Overruling all opposition, he established Sinmin Districts in all defeated nations, designating their populace as Sinmin, incorporating them into the very bottom of the Empire's class system.

The Jiedao Society and the Annan Gang were the two largest Sinmin gangs in Chengdu Prefecture.

"Where would the Paoge get the guts for war?" Li Jun spread his hands, smiling: "Just a son losing a fight and calling for daddy."

"Zhao Dou suffered quite a bit at Nagarekawa Tan's hands over territory disputes; he's become a laughingstock in the Paoge. Zhao Ding just had me help him save face."

Li Jun shrugged: "Sir, you also know Zhao Ding has no heir, only this one nephew, Zhao Dou. If he doesn't help this Crown Prince recover some face, what will Zhao Dou use to take over his mantle?"

“Zhao Ding truly lives backward with age; meddling in a juniors' brawl—what does he think he's doing? Still...”

Yu Kou curled his lip in disdain, then suddenly his gaze sharpened, his obese frame leaning forward a fraction.

Li Jun instantly felt a crushing pressure slam into him; his pounding heart skipped two beats, his body stiffening beyond his control.

So this is the power of a Sequence....

“From now on, even for trifles like this, I don't want to hear about them from anyone else. Do you understand?”

Li Jun suppressed the restless agitation in his heart, pinning down a wisp of killing intent with iron will, his tone sincere: “Rest assured, sir. It won't happen again.”

A satisfied smile slowly spread across Yu Kou's face. He knew Li Jun harbored rage, but he simply didn't care.

Who would concern themselves with the joys and sorrows of a mere tool?

Silence fell over the booth for a moment before Li Jun couldn't hold back the doubt that had long plagued him.

“Sir, since the Embroidered Uniform Guard wants to deal with Zhao Ding, why not just find any excuse to pull him down? Why go to all this trouble?”

Strike with a stick, then offer a jujube.

Having just finished needling Li Jun, Yu Kou displayed remarkable patience as he explained:

“No matter how clean a city is, there will always be rats in the sewers.”

“The Paoge Society loses a Zhao Ding, and a Wu Ding or Li Ding will immediately step up. Weeds like these can never be uprooted; the spring wind blows, and they sprout anew.”

Li Jun was somewhat puzzled: “If that's the case, why do I need to surveil Zhao Ding?”

“You don't need to know these things right now.”

Light and shadow swayed in the bar; Yu Kou's fat face was hidden in darkness, yet the eyes nestled in the folds of his flesh shone with abnormal brightness.

“Right now, you just watch Zhao Ding for me. That old fox has been driven to desperation.”

Yu Kou's tone softened, carrying a sincerity that inspired trust: “Once this is done, I'll petition the Centurion to reward you with what you need to unlock your first Gene Lock.”

“Then you'll step into the Martial Dao Sequence, shed your baseborn status, and join the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It's an opportunity thousands would kill for.”

Yu Kou's pie-in-the-sky promises were clearly amateurish; Li Jun's heart remained utterly still, merely offering a stiff assent.

“Don't have any misgivings either. Aside from me, no one knows you're an informant for the Guard. Cut loose and do it; I'll be waiting for your good news.”

Yu Kou's words were like a venomous, cold snake coiling around Li Jun's body. The hands resting on his knees suddenly clenched into fists, his lowered eyes radiating a bone-deep chill.

“Then I have much to thank you for, sir, for your patronage!”

Yu Kou laughed, unconcerned, waving a hand: “Alright, we're family, no need for such formalities. Go on, get busy.”

Li Jun rose, cupping his fist in salute, and strode out with long steps.

Yu Kou watched his retreating back, the corner of his mouth slowly curling into a contemptuous sneer.

He sank back into the sofa, snapped his fingers, and immediately two scantily clad bioroids approached, nestling against him on either side.

As the booth curtains slowly drew shut, the singing echoing through the bar grew ever more fierce and soaring.

“Fate branded along the palm lines, tonight the dream breaks without wine. Walking into delusion along fate's path, the dream returns to Chongzhen!”

Li Jun shoved open the bar's heavy door and walked straight into the endless rain curtain, striding away.