The three of them stopped at a small, bustling tavern. Many villagers were chatting and laughing without a care, despite the great war raging nearby.“Excuse me, friend. We were heading to the capital of Hong, but we had to turn back because there’s a major war. Don’t the people of this village know about the fighting?” Wu Ming asked a few men who were talking.“We’ve heard about it, friend. But why do you need to go to the capital?” one of the men replied.“We have no business in the capital of Hong. Actually, we were heading to the capital of Xi — the road goes that way, so we passed through Hong,” Wu Ming answered. He looked around the tavern. He could see that the villagers seemed entirely untroubled by the war.“But why do these villagers look completely unaffected by the war, friend?” he asked.“Hahaha… Why should we be burdened by that war, friend? Whoever rules Hong has no effect on us common folk. Those above are busy gathering worldly wealth to fill their own bellies. As for

The man sighed softly. “My name is Yung Xia. So, the story goes—I was once a great merchant, young man. I used to have ten workers from this village who helped me with my trade. But since the change of power, I can now afford to employ only three of them. The woman you saw earlier, and two young men who help me with my goods.”He poured water from a clay jug into four wooden cups on the table.“The high taxes have cut deeply into my profits,” he continued. “I was forced to let most of my workers go. I truly pity them, but what else could I do? I can’t pay their wages anymore.”Fang Yun, who sat opposite him, asked calmly, “So, Uncle, which dynasty do you think will win this war?”“It seems the Xi Dynasty will be the victor this time,” Yung Xia said after a moment’s thought. “I heard Emperor Li Wei of the Shang Dynasty once had a legendary relic—an artifact beyond compare. If I’m not mistaken, it’s called the Word of the Earth Sword.”Fang Yun’s brows furrowed upon hearing that name. T

Having reached the disturbance, the three of them could see a band of brigands some distance away preparing to waylay the carriage.Fang Yun leapt down and hurried toward the trapped carriage; the driver could not turn back for fear of the steep ravine.“Calm down, Uncle. We’ll help you get past those robbers,” Fang Yun said, trying to reassure the merchant.The man, startled by their sudden arrival, visibly relaxed a little. At least he would not face the highwaymen alone.Fang Yun vaulted back onto his horse and urged it forward. “Follow us, Uncle!”It did not take long before they found themselves facing twenty robbers, their heads wrapped in black cloth leaving only eye-holes. Fang Yun dropped from his mount and walked forward with a calm gait until he stood ten paces from them.“Can’t you find an honest trade instead of this shameful business?” Fang Yun taunted.“Hahaha… there’s a mad youth playing hero at the wrong hour,” replied a man standing at the front.Fang Yun sighed inwa

A man about Zhi Xun’s age appeared when the door opened. He looked surprised to see Zhi Xun standing there with a smile.“Zhi Xun?”“How are you, Meng Hao? It’s been a long time since we last met.”The man called Meng Hao peeked out and glanced around. “Come in, quickly!”Zhi Xun stepped into the house and Meng Hao immediately shut the door. Meng Hao seemed startled and afraid that someone might know Zhi Xun had come into his home.“Why have you returned to the capital? Aren’t you afraid of being captured by the soldiers?”Zhi Xun frowned slightly, surprised. “Do you think they would still recognize me? You know I left the capital twenty-five years ago.”“We don’t know what might happen, my friend. I’m worried someone may still recognize you and report you to Emperor Fu Chen. You remember the punishment for soldiers who deserted the ranks, don’t you?”Zhi Xun nodded with a smile. “I remember, Meng Hao. But now I am not afraid even if they sentence me to death. Just don’t tell the pala

“What should we do with the bodies?” Mei Hwa asked in confusion.Fang Yun scratched his head, thinking for a moment. Then he stepped out of the room to look around. After a brief glance upward, he returned and said, “If I take them out through the door, someone might see me. The only option is to move them over the roof.” He looked up at the ceiling—it wasn’t too high.“You can carry them up there?” Mei Hwa asked skeptically.“Have you forgotten? I once carried you up a tree,” Fang Yun replied with a faint grin.“Oh, right.” Mei Hwa chuckled softly.Fang Yun jumped up lightly and removed several clay roof tiles. Then, descending again, he lifted each corpse one by one and placed them on the roof.Using his light body technique, Fang Yun carried two corpses at once, leaping from rooftop to rooftop across the houses of the townspeople. He moved swiftly through the night until he was well beyond the capital walls.Twice he repeated the process, and when he was done, he returned to his ro