A Name Revered, A Town Transformed

Chapter 669: A Name Revered, A Town Transformed

Jing Province lay in the northwest of Yue Nation. Remote and sparsely populated, it boasted few large cities but countless small towns and villages. The landscape was mostly rolling hills and desolate wilderness, with vast stretches of uninhabited land.

For this reason, Jing Province harbored far more bandits and thieves than any other province, making it the most chaotic region for the Jianghu’s martial artists. No single major power had ever managed to unify the entire area.

This, however, had also forged a fiercely independent local culture. Armed escorts and merchant caravans flourished, a stark contrast to the province’s rampant brigandry.

On this particular day, a scene all too common in Jing Province was unfolding along a dusty dirt road in the wilderness.

Over a hundred burly men in coarse clothing, each with a black headband, were wielding a motley assortment of weapons as they besieged a group of thirty-odd men in blue. Surrounding several large, canopied carriages, the defenders formed a protective ring around them. It was the classic scene of a bandit assault on an armed escort.

Behind the bandits stood three similarly-faced men in black, watching the scene coldly, cruel expressions occasionally flickering across their faces.

Near the carriages, a few sturdy young men in servant attire stood guard with staves, their expressions slightly tense.

In the third and fourth carriages sat several women and children dressed in fine clothes. The foremost and largest carriage, however, held a composed middle-aged scholar.

His long, flowing beard was jet-black and lustrous. Though he seemed physically weak, he exuded an inexplicable air of authority, as if accustomed to holding power, making it impossible to take him lightly.

Across from the scholar sat a burly man with a bristling beard, dressed in blue brocade, his back against the carriage wall. His hands were large and thick, and his eyes gleamed with sharp light—he was clearly a rare, peak-level martial arts master of the Jianghu.

Both men were clearly of extraordinary status, their expressions perfectly calm. This carriage, spacious as it was, held only these two; no third person shared it with them.

Neither spoke, but through the half-covered window, they could clearly see the battle outside. The sounds of fighting and dying drifted in intermittently.

The black-headbanded bandits had the advantage of numbers, while the blue-clad escort fighters were more skilled. For the moment, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

Seeing this, the scholar smiled faintly and spoke to the burly man across from him.

“It seems we won’t need to trouble Brother Li after all. The Tianwu Escort Office can handle this on their own.”

“Heh! If those three leaders of the Black Headband Bandits don’t make a move, the Tianwu Escort can certainly handle these small fry. But if those three do step in, these escorts and helpers won’t be able to hold them off. After all, those three brothers are notorious hard cases on the Jing Province circuit. I hear they are blood siblings, highly skilled in coordinated combat. Ordinary experts are no match for them,” the big man said, a hint of excitement creeping onto his face. He flexed his thick fingers, producing a series of sharp cracks—the hallmark of a martial artist who had perfected his external techniques.

“Brother Li! You get that itch in your hands every time you talk about a fight. You’re just like your father,” the scholar chuckled, shaking his head as if he had no way to handle his companion.

“Brother Han, that’s only natural. Our Li family has always passed down martial arts. Running into an interesting opponent makes me want to test them. It’s the same as how your Han family, a line of scholars for generations, always has one or two members entering the imperial court. But what puzzles me is how our two families, so different in nature, became sworn allies in the first place. And for it to last for so many generations, with each generation maintaining such strong bonds!” The big man clasped his hands, a look of genuine puzzlement on his face.

“Heh! The other day, I happened upon some old records. I learned a bit about the matter. If Brother Li is interested, I can tell you a little. Though I can’t vouch for how much of it is true,” the scholar said with a light laugh.

“Really? Our Li family never had the habit of recording our ancestors’ affairs. Aside from passing down a few exquisite martial arts techniques, there’s nothing about how our families first connected,” the Li man said, his curiosity piqued.

“Not good. Those three have made their move. Wait a moment, Brother Han. I’ll deal with them and then come back to hear the story.” The bearded man’s eyes swept outside, and his expression shifted. Then, with a whoosh, he shot out of the carriage like a crossbow bolt.

Moments later, the sounds of his wild laughter rang out, followed by a fresh chorus of fighting and screams.

The scholar sighed softly, lowering the carriage curtain and no longer looking outside. He seemed utterly confident in his companion’s abilities.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the noise finally subsided.

The curtain moved, and the big man re-entered the carriage, dust clinging to his clothes. A faint trace of red on his shoulder suggested a light wound. But he only laughed heartily at the scholar.

“Those three had some real skill. They made me work for it a bit. But I’ve killed them all. The Black Headband Bandits are finished in Jing Province.” The bearded man looked thoroughly satisfied.

Seeing this, the scholar’s expression turned apologetic.

“If Brother Li hadn’t accompanied me this time, my journey home for the ancestral rites would surely have ended in death. It seems those enemies of mine hold a deep grudge. I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”

“What’s this about dragging me into anything? Hasn’t your Han family helped our Li family survive in the Jianghu on several occasions? It’s only right that we support each other. It’s our duty,” the Li man said dismissively.

“What you say is true. I’m being melodramatic,” the scholar said with a smile, his composure returning. He was a man who could take things in stride.

“But Brother Han! Don’t forget to tell me about our families’ past. I’m very curious about it.” The big man, having applied some medicine powder to his shoulder, suddenly remembered and pressed the matter.

“Naturally. As it happens, the story of how our families became allies is quite unbelievable. Do you remember the Seven Mysteries Sect, which dominated Jing Province decades ago? Our ancestors were once fellow disciples in that Jianghu sect. According to the records, one of my Han family’s great-uncles and your Li family’s founder were as close as brothers in the Seven Mysteries Sect, supporting each other. That’s where our families’ bond began. And that great-uncle of ours was no ordinary man. They say that back then…”

As the scholar spoke in his calm, unhurried voice, the blue-clad men buried the bodies of both sides. Then the carriages began to move again, gradually fading into the distance until they vanished from the desolate landscape.

…

“Azure Bull Town?”

Han Li hovered hundreds of feet in the air, his body glowing with azure light, staring down at the small city below with a trace of doubt in his eyes.

Though the city was pitifully small, only a few li across, it bore no resemblance to the small town in his memory, which had only a single street.

But according to his recollection of its location, this was indeed the Azure Bull Town of his youth.

So, after over a hundred years away, the small town had prospered into a proper city.

Han Li stared down from the air, stunned, for a long moment. After a brief hesitation, he suddenly cast a concealment spell and descended silently into an unnoticed alley. Then he strolled out of the alleyway and walked slowly along a street that was not very wide.

“It really has changed,” Han Li murmured to himself, looking at the unfamiliar houses and pavilions lining the street.

He knew that if he flew just a bit further west, he would see the small mountain village that had raised him and the dark mass of the Daqing Mountains. Yet he hesitated. Without quite realizing it, he had landed in this transformed Azure Bull Town.

Now, outwardly calm and unhurried, he inwardly yearned to find some familiar shadow of the past among his surroundings.

But so far, he had been disappointed.

Suddenly, Han Li slowed his pace and stopped at a three-way intersection.

He gazed fixedly at a small, old tavern at the corner, standing as still as a stone. The tavern was low and shabby, only two stories tall. Above its door hung a dark yellow signboard bearing the characters “Spring Fragrance.” It was the old haunt where Han Li had once stayed for two days, the Spring Fragrance Tavern once run by his Third Uncle, “Fatty Han.”

Staring at this tavern, the blurred memories of his past suddenly flooded back.

His third uncle, with his round, chubby face; the narrow, small courtyard behind the tavern; the dimly lit side room; the fragrant, delicious meals; the black carriage with the Seven Mysteries Sect’s small flag… All of it surfaced in Han Li’s mind with perfect clarity.

He looked at the tavern, his face a mixture of complex emotions, a flicker of sadness in his eyes.

He gazed at the tavern for a while longer, then noticed a passerby staring at him with a strange expression. It was no wonder—a young man standing motionless, staring intently at a shabby old building, was indeed a bit odd.

After a moment’s thought, Han Li’s expression returned to normal. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly began to amble toward the tavern.