Chapter 276: Embroidered Uniform Guard Don't Travel at Night

Chapter 276: The Imperial Guards Never Rest

Bai Di Hun Tang, the top-floor bathhouse.

Li Jun, stark naked, sank into the scalding spring water, his pores flaring wide open as he reveled in the swirling heat around him.

Mimicking the posture of Gui Wang Da beside him, he draped a damp white cloth over his head, slowly closed his eyes, and exhaled a long, turbid breath.

"Comfortable, isn’t it? This Yao People’s Region is a wretched place of barren mountains and wicked waters, with no proper resources to speak of. They’ve had to make do with trifling tricks, but they’ve managed to cook up some clever schemes."

"Indeed, it’s not bad."

Li Jun laughed. "At least I never had the pleasure of such indulgences back in the Empire’s homeland."

"Actually, when the Northern Pacification Bureau sent the official documents to the local offices, notifying us to bring you here, I specifically sent someone to inquire about your deeds."

Li Jun opened his eyes, tilting his head with a teasing smile. "Did you curse them then, Ghost Brother, for tossing you a hot potato?"

"No, I was grateful those desk-bound relics finally did something right."

Gui Wang Da’s face grew solemn, his expression grave. "What happened in Chengdu and Chongqing, regarding Yan Lao and you—I have only two words: admiration! And for your arrival here, I have only two words: welcome!"

Hearing this, Li Jun couldn’t help but feel a flicker of surprise.

He was well aware that in the Northern Pacification Bureau, or rather in the court’s eyes, he was nothing but a thorn in their side. He bore the guilt of driving a feudal lord to death, yet behind him stood the support of the Three Judicial Commissions, which is why they’d smoothly pushed him to this Yao People’s Region.

Moreover, his status as a martial artist made him a troublemaker in anyone’s eyes.

Before arriving at Huang Shan City, Li Jun had already prepared himself for ostracism, even if the local Imperial Guards failed to recognize his worth and deliberately sought to trouble him, he might as well find a pretext to clean house in secret, while also testing the limits of the new Donglin Party.

But from the moment of their first encounter, Gui Wang Da and his men had shown an enthusiasm that seemed genuine, which surprised Li Jun.

"Actually, you should’ve noticed by now—the Imperial Guards here in the Yao People’s Region aren’t quite the same as those on the Empire’s homeland."

Gui Wang Da spoke in a low voice. "Here, there are no towering mountains pressing down on us, no endless constraints. We have enough autonomy and room to maneuver."

"Understood."

Li Jun found himself deeply moved by Gui Wang Da’s words.

At the very least, during the few hours from the station platform to Bai Di Hun Tang, he had witnessed the working style of the Yao People’s Region Imperial Guards.

Compared to their counterparts in the Empire’s homeland, they were indeed more domineering and unruly.

"After all, in the eyes of those pampered elders, the Yao People’s Region is nothing but a barbaric land breeding crime and violence. To put it bluntly, it’s not far from a battlefield. If we’re too cautious, how can we fight those rebels?"

"But that’s about the only advantage left to us."

Gui Wang Da chuckled, then succinctly explained the basic situation of the Yao People’s Region and the duties of the Imperial Guards.

"After the Empire designated this area as a crime zone, it abolished the original administrative divisions of prefectures, provinces, and counties, retaining only ten major cities. The Imperial Guards established a thousand-house office centered in Jianghai City, while other cities set up secondary hundred-house offices, each independently responsible for their respective areas, without interference. Only when the thousand-house office issues orders do they coordinate actions. This is to prevent infiltration by the Honghuo and local interest groups."

"Our daily tasks are simple: whoever defies us, we deal with them. This includes, but is not limited to, the countless violent gangs in the Yao People’s Region, the wandering warrior bandits between cities, and the four major groups—the Heng Shi Group, Ren De Capital, San Chuan Heavy Industry, and Hei Long Commerce—as well as the lurking Honghuo rebels. The latter two are our primary targets."

Li Jun asked, "What exactly are these wandering warrior bandits?"

"They’re similar to the gun-wielding thieves and one-armed ronin of the Empire’s homeland, but far more brutal. We suspect they might be mobile armed units bred by the Honghuo, just disguised under a different name."

Li Jun nodded, then inquired, "Besides the Heng Shi Group, who are the other three of the four major groups?"

"Ren De Capital, San Chuan Heavy Industry, and Hei Long Commerce."

Li Jun silently repeated these names, then suddenly wondered, "Has the Empire’s homeland intervened in this?"

Gui Wang Da blinked. "Of course they have—it’s our Pacification Bureau’s office, isn’t it?"

The two exchanged a knowing smile, their hearts in silent understanding.

For a moment, the conversation fell into an inexplicable lull, both men seemingly losing interest in speaking, quietly listening to the rippling of the pool water and the wind outside the window.

"Little Li, do you know what our colleagues back in the Huangliao Borderlands call us in secret?"

After a long silence, Gui Wang Da suddenly spoke, his expression tinged with melancholy.

"What do they call us?"

Li Jun pulled the cloth from his face, shifting from lying on his back to sitting upright.

"They call us… the River-Crossing Soldiers."

Gui Wang Da chuckled bitterly. "Once you’ve crossed the river on the Rewi Ship and reached this island, you become a soldier who can only advance, never retreat. You grasp your blade in life, and only when you die can you see the moon of your homeland again!"

"You’ve probably figured it out by now—my name, and those of Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi’an, are all aliases."

Li Jun silently nodded.

"We do this to prevent any madman from escaping our grasp and dragging our families in the Empire’s homeland into trouble."

Li Jun was stunned. "Has that happened before?"

Gui Wang Da evaded the question, merely saying indifferently, "Times have changed. Our Imperial Guards’ status is no longer what it once was. Who knows if someone back home might sell us out for silver?"

"Little Li, do you know why our office is so poor?"

Before Li Jun could answer, Gui Wang Da muttered to himself, "Because too many have died. So many that even I, the hundred-house commander, can barely remember their faces."

"Bao Wei, Niao Zui, Yu Sha, Huang Feng… I’ve sent all the office funds back to the Empire’s homeland. Though the amount isn’t much, my brothers died here—we can’t let their families suffer again."

At that moment, Li Jun felt a thousand words trapped in his chest, unable to find expression, and could only remain silent.

He lifted his gaze to the jade-like moon hanging beyond the window.

Here, in a land of alien mountains and rivers, yet under the same sky of wind and moonlight.

"Bai Hu." Li Jun called out.

"Hmm?"

"With a blade in hand, one sees the moon! A river-crossing soldier may yet kill his way home!"

He withdrew his gaze, looking at Gui Wang Da. "The Imperial Guards never rest—we’ll all return home, won’t we?"

Gui Wang Da stared at those radiant, shimmering eyes for a long while, then suddenly grinned widely.

"Yes, damn right!"

"Looks like the two gentlemen are in high spirits!"

A harmonious atmosphere was abruptly shattered by an irritating voice.

Li Jun frowned and turned to see the newcomer, his face twisted in a death-seeking grimace, bowing slightly.

"I am Tan Ping Ba, under the Heng Shi Group. By my master’s orders, I’ve come to welcome Li Xiao Qi and cleanse his dust."