Chapter 614: Fires Rise from All Directions

Chapter 614: Flames Rising from All Directions

Treasure Village.

The red-walled temple, always filled with the eternal light of incense, had long been without the sound of chanting.

Icicles hung thick beneath the eaves, the prayer wheels by the wall long frozen solid, and the stone pagodas symbolizing devout prayer lay scattered about, buried without a trace under the heavy snow.

The village, with its doors tightly shut, was like the dead, yet rose and fell with powerful shouts.

In the wind and snow, a group of dark-faced Tibetan boys practiced boxing in the open space before the temple gate.

“Fight!”

Ji Qing, his cheeks wrinkled and red, stood at the very front of the line and shouted with force!

“Fight!”

Over ten boys of about the same age as him moved in unison with his words, stepping into a bow stance, backs straight, left fists clenched at their waists, right fists punching straight out.

Ji Qing kept his posture, half-turning his head, his gaze sweeping seriously over each one.

The boys all had tight faces; their half-open Tibetan robes had long been soaked by melting snow, which, when blown by the cold wind, immediately condensed into frost spots like grains of salt that kept falling off with their movements.

“Continue, fight!”

Ji Qing’s two thick black eyebrows knitted together, and after meticulously correcting the movements of a few companions, he continued to shout loudly.

The set of movements, extremely simple and even somewhat dull, was practiced over and over again by the boys.

Only when steam rose from each person did Ji Qing finally call out the word 'stop'.

The group of lads, dragging their tired bodies, staggered back under the temple eaves, then threw themselves flat on the ground, gasping for breath.

As they transitioned from movement to stillness, sweat poured out from their dilated pores, dripping down the tips of their noses and the backs of their hands, and soon split into small cuts like knife slashes under the cold wind.

“Rest for a quarter of an hour, then we’ll continue practicing.”

Ji Qing had apparently become the leader of this group of boys, and though he himself was also pale with exhaustion, he forced himself to sit upright on the steps.

But his nose was acting up today, constantly running, which annoyed Ji Qing.

“Did everyone hear that?”

The almost strict command did not invite any objections or complaints.

At an age that should have been the most combative, where no one would yield to another, they appeared extraordinarily composed, as if the current fatigue and pain were nothing to them.

Able to endure hardship.

These three words seemed like their innate talent, and even though they were far from grown up, they were already adept at it.

“Ji Qing, where is your brother-in-law?”

During the break, a boy who had finally caught his breath looked at Ji Qing, who was pretending to be mature.

This sentence seemed to have a special magic, suddenly silencing the heavy breathing that was almost as loud as the wind, and pairs of bright eyes looked over.

“My brother-in-law has gone to do something very important.”

Ji Qing, who had been quietly wiping his nose, immediately released his pinched sleeve and sat up straight, but the chapped skin on his hand had left a dark red blood mark on his lip.

“What important thing? Tell us about it.”

Ji Qing raised his head and said contemptuously, “Would you understand if I told you?”

“I know, the day Brother Dunzhu left, I heard him tell Sister Jixiang that he was going to other villages to teach the people there to protect themselves,” someone said, raising his hand excitedly.

“Sangshan, you’re very bold, daring to eavesdrop on my sister and brother-in-law?!”

Ji Qing looked askance at the boy who spoke; the latter quickly shook his head and shrank back, not daring to speak again.

“Since you all know, then practice boxing well with me. My brother-in-law said that only when we practice boxing well can we drive those people away when they come again!”

As he said this, Ji Qing raised his fist full of calluses.

But those calluses were not on the knuckles, but around the fingers, marks left from carrying stones, cutting grass, and herding cattle and sheep.

A declaration that could barely be called impassioned found few who dared to respond.

Ji Qing looked around in dissatisfaction, seeing clearly the fear on his companions' faces.

“Ji Qing, those people… are all disciples of the Buddha.”

The one who spoke was the boy who had asked earlier, now with a worried face and bewildered eyes.

“Jia Ba, are you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid, but my mother is very afraid.”

Jia Ba said in a low voice, murmuring, “My mother and my uncle argued fiercely. My uncle doesn’t want me to learn boxing with you, saying that by doing so I would ruin Father’s chance for reincarnation. But my mother said—”

“Said what?”

“She said she could deceive herself, but she didn’t want me to be like them, deceiving myself for a lifetime. If there is sin, she and Father have already atoned for it. I am clean, and should run freely like an antelope.”

Jia Ba looked up at Ji Qing, “You tell me, should I listen to my mother or my uncle? When Mr. Chen was here, I didn’t dare ask him. Now I want to ask, but he’s gone. Ji Qing, did Brother Dunzhu ever teach you who to listen to?”

“I have never seen my own father and mother; I was raised by my sister.”

Ji Qing’s answer plunged the space under the temple eaves into silence.

Ji Qing pursed his lips and thought for a long time before speaking: “But my sister told me that when I feel tired, hurt, or scared during practice, I should think of the barley and livestock that were taken from our home. And the butter and tsampa that, even when we were starving, had to be placed on the altar until they completely rotted and couldn’t be eaten.”

“Think of the family I never met, and my brother-in-law’s village. Sister said that then I would know the answer.”

Ji Qing looked at his thoughtful companions around him and suddenly understood that the method his sister taught him was also useful for them.

These Tibetan boys hiding under the eaves were like a flock of sheep huddling together for warmth.

Now they were timid and afraid, but the cold wind and snow were shearing the wool from their bodies, gradually revealing the patterns and claws of beasts.

“Who!”

Ji Qing, who was facing the village entrance, suddenly jumped up, his expression tense, shouting loudly.

Everyone turned at the sound, seeing several figures gradually becoming clear in the heavy snow.

“Could it really be them? What should we do?”

The fear etched into his bones struck Ji Qing’s heart. He pinched the chapped wound on the back of his hand, gritted his teeth, snatched a fist-sized stone from the ground, and threw it with all his might towards the shadows.

He had promised his brother-in-law to protect his sister and never let these people near the village again!

He must do it!

Thud.

The stone hit the snow, instantly disappearing without a trace, leaving a small pit.

Chen Qisheng, who according to Yuan Mingfei’s words should be hurrying to Xin’an, now suddenly appeared here.

He stopped before the pit, turned to look at a few gaunt men with desolate expressions behind him.

“We’ve arrived. Start from here. Your task is to help them break the locks and advance in order within the shortest time.”

Chen Qisheng said coldly, “Whoever disobeys, kill! Whoever dares to obstruct, kill!”

Hearing this command, the lone martial practitioners, who had just been released from the various hidden temples under Sangyan Temple, looked with complex expressions at the distant group of Tibetan boys forcing themselves to be calm.

"You are the same. We have ways to make Sangyan Temple release you, and we have the power to kill you. If the work is not finished, anyone who dares to flee—"

Chen Qisheng's sharp gaze swept across their faces: "No matter where you hide, I will find you and make your life a living hell!"

As his words fell, the heavy snow suddenly intensified, the howling wind nearly deafening.

Not only the rogue martial practitioners but also the group of barbarian youths standing under the eaves far away—all felt it at the same time, looking up at the sky in unison.

Ji Qing saw clearly: the darkness high above now surged like a living thing. Under the moonlight, a shadow so vast it defied comprehension loomed overhead.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Figures fell from the sky, kicking up snow dust ten feet high, with motes of color flickering within.

Unlike the barbarian youths frozen by the anomaly, these rogue martial practitioners—before becoming prisoners—had been ruthless men who ruled their own prefectures across the empire. They recognized at once that the falling figures were suits of Ink Armor!

And the thing lurking in the sky was also a terrifying giant armor, unlike any they had ever seen.

"These Ink practitioners are here to assist you. They will do everything to keep these barbarians alive. More martial infusion devices will arrive in succession. Your task is to exhaust every means to make them break through into the rogue realm."

Chen Qisheng said in a low voice: "When this matter is concluded, you may all leave freely."

"Sir—"

The older-looking man suddenly spoke up: "May I ask, sir, what is your true identity? Do not worry, we mean no harm. We only wish to know who dragged us out of that bitter sea, so we can remember this kindness."

"Kindness is unnecessary."

Chen Qisheng shook his head, was about to refuse, but then seemed to recall something; he turned to face them.

"I am Tianque, Chen Qisheng."

With these words, Chen Qisheng lingered no more. His figure exploded upward, piercing the clouds, and landed on the back of the Kunpeng that stretched like a canopy of heaven.

"Brother Chen, where to now?"

The Ink-saddled Whale lightly beat its wings; countless clouds were torn to shreds by the rushing wind.

"To Xin'an, to fetch Brother Jun."

Chen Qisheng spoke softly, but his heavy gaze was fixed in the direction of Naqu City.

Beyond that city, a mountain peak like a pillar of heaven stood defiant in the storm.

At the same time, in another village hundreds of li from Zhenbao Village.

Drenched in blood, Dunzhu flung a severed head with a sweep of his arm. His burly frame and tangled hair made him resemble a furious mastiff ready to devour anyone.

"Among you, who else just now called me a lowly Buddha-slave?"

Before the resplendent temple, a crowd of monks stood on guard, none daring to step forward.

They had never seen such a ferocious barbarian—bare-handed, he had killed several high-ranking monks who had already entered the sequence.

"Bold, lowly Buddha-slave! Fallen into heresy yet unrepentant, you dare to cause trouble in my Buddha domain? You seek death!"

As they faced off, a booming voice came from deep within the temple.

With it swept an uncanny wave that engulfed Dunzhu.

Countless illusions flooded his mind, threatening to burst his skull.

Just as Dunzhu's consciousness was about to sink into the Buddha-land, a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"Brother, going rogue isn't about charging to your death. Crossing ranks to fight a man—that's not something just anyone can do."

A crisp cracking sound rang in his ears; the illusions receded like a tide.

Regaining clarity, Dunzhu turned in shock to the young man who had appeared beside him without warning.

The man wore tight black clothes. His face was sharp, with a high nose bridge and a heroic, striking profile.

"Haven't brawled in ages. I'm damn near suffocating. I really miss the old days of robbing the rich to feed the poor."

The man's contemptuous gaze pierced into the temple depths. He sneered: "You like dragging people into your Buddha-land, don't you? Come on, I'll play with you."

"Careful—"

Dunzhu called out involuntarily as the man strode forward.

"No worries, it's just a small matter. A mere Buddha-Sequence Seven—Uncle Zhao could kill him like a game."

Suddenly, a voice—childish in tone but old in its worldliness—spoke into Dunzhu's ear.

He turned his head and his eyes shrank: a little girl no bigger than a palm, with her hair tied in two buns, stood on his shoulder.

Even more terrifying to Dunzhu was that the falling snowflakes passed straight through her body, as if the figure on his shoulder was a ghost without substance.

"You've never even seen a projection? How pitiful."

The little girl put her hands on her hips, speaking bluntly: "Big dumb oaf, don't be scared. We're not bad people. The one who saved you is Zhao Qingxia, and I'm Li Hua!"

She paused, puffed out her cheeks, and said sternly: "It's the 'Li' from Li Jun, got it?"

Dazed, Dunzhu nodded blankly, not yet grasping her meaning, when the blast from a sudden explosion threw him to the ground.

Boom!

Dunzhu sat in the snow, eyes wide.

The temple before him was swallowed by flames. From the scattered wreckage tore a wild, arrogant roar.

"Come on, open your mouth! Take another spear from me!"

Boom!

"Are we ready?"

In other mountains and lands, the barbarian regions saw endless snow, while Jiangning was drenched in heavy rain.

Xie Bi'an nodded at Yang Baize: "The Ghost of Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong; the Leopard's Tail of Laizhou Prefecture, Shandong; the Qiongqi of Hanyang Prefecture, Huguang—they've all found their people. We just need Fan Wujiu to deliver the goods and we can start. However—"

Xie Bi'an asked: "You've borrowed so many infusion devices from various family clans on credit. When they come demanding payment, how will you repay? That's no small sum."

"Repay? When I opened my mouth to borrow, I never intended to pay back."

Yang Baize gave a sneer: "Anyway, everything is charged to the old man's name. If they want their money, they can go to Chengdu Prefecture themselves."

"If they haven't the guts to confront Old Pei, and only dare to come after me, Yang Baize—"

Yang Baize spread his hands, a rogue grin on his face: "Then I've got no money to give—only one life to take. You think they'd dare to kill me?"

"That's good, then."

Xie Bi'an looked at the carefree Yang Baize, a warmth rising in his heart.

The centurion hadn't misjudged the man.

But then his brows tightened again, his eyes filled with worry.

"What are you thinking? Did we overlook something?"

Yang Baize, noticing the strange expression on his face, asked.

"I'm thinking—can this method really help the centurion?"

"Once Jun's reached his level, the ritual for advancing to rogue state—no one knows it but himself."

Yang Baize sighed: "But right now, there's nothing else we can do. The Xin'an of today isn't a place we can just charge into."

The state.

Xie Bi'an gritted his teeth, as if he wanted to chew those two words to pieces, and said angrily: "Even if they want to sit back and watch others fight, those are living, breathing people in a city! Is the New Donglin Party just going to abandon the state and stand by with eyes wide shut?"

"It's just a base of a few tens of thousands, not even worth a third-rate gatekeeper clan. Do you think they care? By not ordering the confiscation of the injectors from the various clans, he's already showing us goodwill."

Yang Baize said helplessly: "And now everyone in the New Donglin Party is waiting for the outcome of the fief. The state has probably seized on this point to make a move now."

Hearing this, Xie Bi'an weakly unclenched his fists.

No matter how unwilling, he had to admit that there were fewer and fewer things he could do for the Hundred-Household Commander.

After a moment of silence, Xie Bi'an promptly suppressed his low spirits, steadied himself, and looked at Yang Baize again.

"We have to handle the Hundred-Household's affairs, but you can't get into trouble either. By stepping forward to collect so many injectors, you've basically made your relationship with the Hundred-Household clear. It will be hard to clean up later."

"There's no time to worry about that now."

Compared to Xie Bi'an's gravity, Yang Baize was exceptionally calm.

"How many years have I been in the Sequence? How many years an official? You can't expect me to be thorough and leave no cracks. If the sky falls, there are taller ones to hold it up. At worst, I'll just get scolded a few times. I don't believe anyone can make an issue of this."

Yang Baize gave a cold laugh: "Don't worry, these people are all sharp. If Brother Jun really gets into trouble, of course there's nothing more to say. But what if Brother Jun not only doesn't die, but successfully advances to Rank Three? Then these injectors become a life-saving bond of loyalty at the critical moment!"

"The Scholar Sequence got where it is today not by fists, but by brains!"

"You should have all received the news. I assume you don't need me to teach you what to do."

In the dimly lit room, Gui Wangda looked at Qiongqi and Baowei, who appeared before him as projections, a red light flickering deep within his mechanical eye.

"The Chiliarch has passed away. By rights, our Brocade Guard in the Japanese region is completely disbanded, everyone going their separate ways. But you should still remember how Su Chiliarch took care of us when he was alive! We have no chance to repay the Chiliarch's kindness personally. But everyone knows well what Li Jun meant to him. Like father, like son, that favor should rightfully be passed on to Li Jun."

Gui Wangda said in a deep voice: "This is what I have to say to you two. And there is another thing for you to tell your men."

"Tell them, whether they admit to having served in the Brocade Guard in the Japanese region or not, no matter whose skin they wear, don't forget who led them out of the Japanese region and who gave them this stable life!"

"At this time, if anyone dares to feign compliance or even turn against us, don't blame me, Gui Wangda, for showing no mercy!"

Chongqing Prefecture, atop the Golden Tower.

Wang Xie drove away the gambling syndicate members blocking his path with a fierce glare, and kicked open the two closed nanmu doors at the end of the corridor.

Inside the resplendent room, He Zangjia sat behind a large desk, smiling as he watched Wang Xie stride straight in.

"Commander Wang, what wind brings you to my humble place today?"

Clang.

A sheathed embroidered spring knife was tossed onto the table.

Wang Xie sat down opposite He Zangjia with an overbearing air, his gaze unwelcoming.

The other had come with clear menace, but He Zangjia's smile remained unchanged. He glanced at his subordinates, who were eager to act at the door, then said to Wang Xie with a laugh: "Commander, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm not in the mood to play games today, so I'll come straight to the point."

Wang Xie squinted, his right elbow on the table, fingertips stroking the scabbard: "He Zangjia, have you forgotten your roots?"

He Zangjia asked back: "What makes you say that?"

"Still acting. You don't really think that because you've become the big banker of the Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Syndicate, I can't touch you?"

"Commander jests. Even if I, He Zangjia, deserve to die, there must be a charge, right?"

Wang Xie gave a cold laugh: "Fine, I'll say it directly. Li Jun is in trouble now in Xin'an. Did anyone tell you about this?"

"Whether I have or not, I wonder what that has to do with whether I should die?"

Ring.

The long blade was drawn an inch from the scabbard, and the sudden burst of coldness filled the room.

"He treated you well when he was in Chongqing Prefecture. Are you going to repay him with feigned ignorance?"

"I also remember that Brother Jun, for the sake of former Commander Yan, Yan Bahuang, personally stabbed an imperial prince to death on the Golden Tower."

Wang Xie stared straight into He Zangjia's eyes and drew the blade out another inch.

"So what are you waiting for?"

"And what are you waiting for?"

They locked eyes for a moment, then Wang Xie spoke first.

"My contacts have found a batch of injectors."

A smile curled on He Zangjia's bearded lips as he reached out to grip the scabbard on the table and pushed the blade back an inch.

"What a coincidence. Ever since Brother Jun left Chongqing Prefecture, I've gathered a large number of promising talents who can walk the Martial Sequence. The only thing missing is injectors."

Wang Xie also smiled at this, but the sharpness in his eyes did not diminish: "If you dare to play tricks, I can wipe out your Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Syndicate at any time."

"Another coincidence. If you were planning to stop me today, I would kill you."

The two exchanged smiles, the long blade fully sheathed, its edge completely hidden.