Green Ox Town

This was a small town—or rather, a large village. Its name was Green Ox Town. Only the uncouth mountain folk living in nearby ravines would insist on calling it "Green Ox City." Such was the thought of Zhang Er, who had worked as a gatekeeper for over a decade.

Green Ox Town was not large. Its main street was a single east-west thoroughfare called Green Ox Street. There was only one inn, the Green Ox Inn, located at the western end of the elongated town. Any traveler who didn't want to sleep in the open had to stay there.

Now, a carriage that had clearly been on the road for days entered Green Ox Town from the west. It sped past the gate of the Green Ox Inn without stopping, all the way to the other end of town, where it halted before the entrance of the Spring Fragrance Tavern.

The Spring Fragrance Tavern was not large, and even a bit old, but it had an antique charm. It was lunchtime, and the tavern was packed with diners, nearly every seat taken.

From the carriage stepped a plump man with a round face and a small mustache, accompanied by a dark-skinned child of about ten. Without ceremony, the man led the child straight into the tavern. Some regular customers recognized the plump man as the tavern's owner, "Fatty Han." No one knew who the child was.

"Old Han, this dark kid looks a lot like you. Did you father a son behind your wife's back?" someone joked.

This drew a burst of laughter from the crowd.

"Bah! He's my nephew from my own clan, so of course he looks like me!" Fatty Han replied, not angry but rather proud.

The two were none other than Han Li and his third uncle, whom others called "Fatty Han," after three days on the road.

Fatty Han greeted a few regulars and then led Han Li to the back of the tavern, into a secluded courtyard.

"Xiao Li, rest well in this room and regain your energy. Once the inner sect steward arrives, I'll come get you. I need to go out now to attend to some regular customers," Fatty Han said kindly, pointing to the side room.

With that, he turned and hurried out.

At the door, he seemed uneasy and added another instruction.

"Don't wander off. The town has too many people; you might get lost. Best not to leave the courtyard."

"Mm."

Hearing Han Li's obedient reply, Fatty Han finally left with peace of mind.

Seeing his third uncle leave, Han Li felt very tired. He collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, showing none of the timidity a child would feel in unfamiliar surroundings.

In the evening, a servant brought a meal. It wasn't extravagant, but it was tasty. After eating, another servant came to clear the dishes. Only then did his third uncle stroll in unhurriedly.

"How was the meal? Did it suit your taste? Feeling a little homesick?"

"A little," Han Li replied obediently.

His third uncle seemed satisfied with the answer. He then chatted about family matters and amused him with tales of interesting people and events he had encountered. Gradually, Han Li lost his restraint and began to laugh and talk freely.

Thus, two days passed.

On the third day, just as Han Li was finishing his dinner and waiting for his third uncle to tell him stories of the martial world, another carriage pulled up at the tavern's entrance.

This carriage was entirely painted a gleaming black, drawn by a rare and fine bay horse. Most striking was a small triangular black flag inserted on the carriage frame, embroidered with the character "Xuan" in silver on a red border. It exuded an indescribable air of mystery.

Any old hand in the martial world within several hundred li would know that this flag meant a high-ranking figure from the "Seven Mysteries Sect," one of the two overlords of the region, had arrived.

The Seven Mysteries Sect, also known as the Seven Ultimates Sect, was founded two hundred years ago by the renowned "Seven Ultimates Sage." It had once dominated Jingzhou for decades and even extended its influence into neighboring provinces, gaining a fearsome reputation across the entire Yue Kingdom. But since the Sage's death from illness, the sect's power had plummeted. Allied sects forced it out of Jingzhou City, the provincial capital. A century ago, the sect was compelled to relocate to the most remote part of Jingzhou—the Xianxia Mountains—where it took root and dwindled into a third-rate local power.

As the saying goes, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. The Seven Mysteries Sect had once been a great sect, and its residual potential was still formidable. Upon settling in the Cai Xia Mountains, it quickly gained control over more than a dozen small towns, including Green Ox Town, with a membership of three to four thousand disciples. It was one of the two de facto overlords of the region.

The only force that could rival the Seven Mysteries Sect locally was the "Wild Wolf Gang."

The Wild Wolf Gang had originated as a band of mounted bandits who raided, killed, and pillaged within Jingzhou. After several campaigns by the government, some were pacified, while others formed the Wild Wolf Gang. However, they inherited the bandits' ruthless, bloodthirsty, and daring spirit. As a result, the Seven Mysteries Sect often found itself at a disadvantage in conflicts with the Wild Wolf Gang.

Though the Wild Wolf Gang controlled more towns, they lacked business acumen and were far less prosperous than the towns under the Seven Mysteries Sect. The gang eyed the wealthier territories of the Seven Mysteries Sect with envy and had recently been provoking conflicts. This gave the current sect leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect no end of headaches and was the main reason for the sect's recent expansion in disciple recruitment.

A lean, forty-something man jumped down from the carriage. His movements were agile, clearly indicating skill. He seemed familiar with the place and strode directly toward the room where Han Li was staying.

As soon as Han Li's third uncle saw the man, he respectfully stepped forward and bowed.

"Protector Wang, why have you come in person to fetch the people?"

"Hmph!" Protector Wang snorted coldly, an arrogant look on his face.

"Roads are unsafe lately. The elder ordered me to come personally. Enough talk—is this the child you recommended?"

"Yes, yes, my own nephew. I hope Protector Wang will look after him a little on the road."

Seeing the man's impatience, Fatty Han smoothly produced a heavy pouch and discreetly handed it over.

Protector Wang weighed the pouch, and his expression softened slightly.

"Fatty Han, you know how to handle things. I'll take care of your nephew on the road. Time's tight—we'd better get moving."

(End of chapter)