The Jianghu Unleashed

960 words

“Brother Han, you really are oblivious to everything outside your own world. You don’t even know something this big? Even if you were in seclusion, your master should have mentioned it.” Little Abacus’s tone became suspicious again.

Han Li, without another word, quickly produced a waist token from his person and handed it to Little Abacus.

“Brother Han, what are you doing? Of course I trust you! The moment I saw you, I felt you looked familiar—we must have met before, haha!” He shot a quick glance at the waist token, saw it was genuine, and immediately put on an ingratiating smile.

“Can you tell me now?” Han Li was still focused on the question he had just asked.

“Of course, of course I can.”

“Damn it. I’ve probably offended this guy.” Little Abacus muttered to himself, but out loud, he spilled everything honestly.

It turned out that in the past few years, the conflict between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang had escalated severely. For the sake of several wealthy towns with disputed ownership, the two sides had fought over a dozen large and small battles, suffering heavy losses on both ends. Because the Wild Wolf Gang’s members were trained using methods meant for bandit cavalry, they threw themselves into every fight with reckless abandon, growing even more savage at the sight of blood. The Seven Mysteries Sect’s disciples, though superior in martial arts, lacked that ruthless edge and fought hesitantly. As a result, the latter often suffered greater casualties. After a string of such defeats, the Seven Mysteries Sect’s high-level figures could no longer sit idle. They dispatched most of the sect’s inner disciples to participate in the ensuing battles. On one hand, they could not afford to lose those territories. On the other, they wanted the disciples to witness the brutality of the Jianghu, to be tempered by it, and to gain real combat experience.

In the ensuing skirmishes, the Seven Mysteries Sect regained the upper hand. But the toll on the inner disciples was too great. Many of the older senior brothers who went out never returned. As he spoke, Little Abacus heaved a sigh.

Later, the sect leaders changed their strategy. Inner disciples were first sent on less critical missions to gain experience in other areas. Only after they had acquired a certain level of Jianghu savvy were they assigned to fight the Wild Wolf Gang. This measurably reduced casualties. Over the past two years, this strategy was formally written into the sect’s rules: all disciples, upon completing their training, must first descend the mountain for practical experience before they could be appointed to any substantive role within the sect.

That was why, by now, nearly all of the older senior brothers on the mountain had been sent down. Some were tangled up in the conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang; others were out on their training expeditions. Apart from the essential guards, the mountain was left with only the young disciples who had not yet completed their training.

Hearing this, Han Li finally understood. He now knew why the mountain felt so different from before.

CLANG! A loud ring split the air as a soft sword flew up into the sky.

Zhao Ziling pressed his right hand against his own injured tiger’s mouth, his face pale, retreating several steps as he gasped for breath.

A moment ago, under Senior Brother Li’s ferocious, relentless blade onslaught, he could not dodge in time and was forced to parry with his soft sword. The immense force transmitted through the blade had sent his weapon flying.

“Senior Brother Li, your skill is truly formidable. I admit defeat.” Zhao Ziling forced a faint smile and offered a salute.

Immediately, cheers erupted from all around.

“Senior Brother Li, such excellent technique!”

“Senior Brother Li, what brilliant blade work!”

“Senior Brother Li, teach us a thing or two!”

Voices clamored to outdo one another, shouting toward their idol until the entire training ground rang with noise.

Senior Brother Li sheathed his long blade. A faint flush rose on his face, and he was about to say something when his expression suddenly shifted. He furrowed his brow, as if remembering something urgent.

He clasped his fist and said curtly, “I have some urgent business to attend to. I’ll take my leave first.”

Without another word, he turned and drifted lightly out of the arena, showing off a clean display of Qinggong before vanishing into the pine grove beside the cliff.

“Tsk tsk! Senior Brother Li’s blade work is impressive, but his Qinggong is remarkable too!”

“Exactly!”

More praise followed.

Han Li frowned slightly. This Senior Brother Li was skilled, but he seemed a bit fond of showing off—perhaps it was just youthful arrogance.

He thought about it and then couldn’t help smiling bitterly. He was not older than these people, yet he kept feeling like he was already an old man. It seemed that practicing that breathing technique had aged his mind.

“Junior Brother, I still don’t know your name,” Han Li said, looking at Little Abacus who was standing beside him, suddenly asking for his name.

“My name is Jin Dongbao. But you can just call me Little Abacus, Brother Han.” Little Abacus’s eyes lit up when Han Li asked for his name. He seemed to think he had managed to latch onto a big tree.

“If you ever get sick or injured in the future, just come to me. I’ll treat you for free.” Han Li patted him on the shoulder, glanced at the crowd stirring up another dispute in the training ground, and then walked into the pine grove without looking back.

Jin Dongbao stood there dumbfounded, momentarily unable to understand what Han Li had meant.

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Reading Guide Decoding

War, Duelists, and the Mechanics of Power

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

This chapter gives us our first real window into how a Jianghu sect operates in wartime. The conflict between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang is not a clash of ideals or righteous justice; it’s purely territorial. The towns are “wealthy,” and ownership is “disputed.” That’s all the cause either side needs. This is Jianghu: a lawless, violent ecosystem where power decides ownership, not contracts. The sect’s strategy — sending disciples down the mountain to “gain experience” — is a pragmatic adaptation to a brutal reality. They are not training heroes; they are hardening soldiers.

The term Jianghu (江湖) literally means “rivers and lakes.” In martial arts fiction, it refers to an alternative society of wanderers, sects, and outlaws, with its own code and hierarchy, entirely outside official government control. In the Mortal Stream iteration, it’s a dark forest of survival, where the weak are fed to the strong and experience is measured in blood.

Chapter Overview

Oh boy. Han Li finally drags himself out of his cave and into the real world of the Seven Mysteries Sect — and what he finds is a sect bleeding from years of street-level war. This is not the serene cultivation paradise he thought he signed up for. It’s a Jianghu meat grinder, where older disciples are sent down the mountain to die in skirmishes over territory, and the mountain feels empty because half of them never came back. Meanwhile, Han Li meets a star senior brother, witnesses a flashy duel, and awkwardly befriends a walking gossip network. This chapter is a lore dump of epic proportions, delivered by the talkative human encyclopedia known as Little Abacus. Get ready for world-building, folks.

Key Plot Points

The Seven Mysteries Sect is locked in a long-running violent conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang over several wealthy towns. What started as a territorial dispute has spiraled into years of open warfare, with heavy losses on both sides.
The Wild Wolf Gang’s members are trained like bandit cavalry and fight with suicidal recklessness. The Seven Mysteries Sect disciples, though individually more skilled, lack that edge, and have been losing more men as a result.
In response, the sect leadership has changed tactics: inner disciples now must descend the mountain for practical experience before being assigned to frontline combat. This has reduced casualties, but the mountain is now nearly empty of older senior brothers — either dead, fighting, or out on training missions.
Zhao Ziling challenges Senior Brother Li to a duel and is utterly overwhelmed by his raw power. Senior Brother Li’s blade technique disarms Zhao Ziling effortlessly, drawing admiration from the watching disciples.
Li Feiyu shows off his Qinggong and leaves abruptly, revealing hints of an urgent responsibility. He’s cool, he’s competent, and he knows it.
Han Li reflects that his own mental age has aged faster than his peers due to his obsessive cultivation, but remains pragmatic. He doesn’t get starstruck by Li Feiyu’s display; he just notes it as data.
Han Li befriends Little Abacus (Jin Dongbao), identifies himself as a doctor, and offers free medical treatment. This is less kindness and more tactical networking — he now has an informant on the payroll.

Reading Guide

Watch Han Li’s instincts: Even while listening to a simple story, his mind is working. He’s not feeling pity or fear for the fallen disciples. He’s collecting intelligence on the sect’s resource allocation, its vulnerabilities, and where he fits into this machine.
Why the free medical offer? Han Li is a boy in a market. He’s betting that in a sect about to go to war, a healer is valuable. Tying a talkative, well-connected disciple to himself with a promise of free treatment is not generosity — it’s an investment in information security.
Li Feiyu as faction leader: His abrupt departure after the duel hints that he has real responsibilities. In the Jianghu, rank comes with obligation. If you’re the strongest, you get sent to the front.
Han Li’s age anxiety: He worries his mind has aged from cultivation. This is a subtle hint that his worldview is already diverging from his peers. He sees performance as vanity; he values survival over glory. That’s the Mortal Stream soul waking up.