Chapter 203: Trouble Brewing

The old fox really did have something up his sleeve. The moment Han Kun mentioned the new gunpowder, Li Yan immediately became wary.

Seeing his expression, Han Kun shook his head slightly. "It seems there are still some things that Brother Li doesn't know."

Taking a sip of tea, he curled the corner of his lips with a hint of mockery. "The news of the new gunpowder actually spread quite some time ago. Just before the New Year, someone in the Ministry of Works was bribed. The formulas for the Divine Fire Arquebus and the new gunpowder were completely leaked.

"The deputy chief of the Military Surveillance Department, Situ Bo, was beaten to death in court, while Chief Wei Yuan knelt outside the palace walls for an entire night in the snow. Although the court has done everything possible to suppress the matter, and the officials dare not speak of it, how could there be a wall in this world that lets no wind through?"

To be honest, Li Yan was rather shocked. He had long guessed that something like this couldn't remain secret forever. Too many people had handled it throughout the process. If someone truly intended to steal it, they would eventually find an opening. He simply hadn't expected it to leak so quickly.

Before it had even demonstrated its might before the world, it had already become the target of countless eyes.

Li Yan couldn't help asking, "Who did it?"

Han Kun shook his head. "The court placed the blame on the Maitreya Sect's demonic followers, but the true mastermind remains unknown."

As he gently brushed aside the foam floating in his teacup, he continued, "In my opinion, there are simply too many people in the world who would do such a thing. From local gentry and great merchant guilds to members of the imperial family, even the Taixuan Orthodox Sect could all be responsible."

Lu San couldn't help asking, "Why?"

Han Kun declared, "For balance! The imperial court, the Daoist world, the great clans, the jianghu... On the surface, they seem to have little to do with one another, but in reality, they're deeply intertwined.

"Take our Canal Gang for example. We appear to be nothing more than a jianghu organization, yet we shoulder the responsibility of grain transport. If chaos breaks out within our gang, grain prices throughout the north will immediately rise. At that point, the hats on certain officials' heads won't stay on for long.

"At the same time, behind us stand merchant guilds large and small. Those guilds, in turn, have ties with different factions within the imperial court. One decree from them, and they can make life miserable for us.

"The same applies to other gangs and even to the Daoist sects. Every force throughout the Divine Continent has become intertwined with every other. This balance has taken countless years to form.

"The only problem is that our current Emperor is far too forceful. He wants to hold a knife to the throat of Daoist sects because they firmly control the blessed lands and secret realms and possess countless followers, making them a hidden threat.

“He wants to deal with the local gentry because they hold vast amounts of land while concealing their holdings, which left the imperial treasury depleted a few years ago. He wants to move against the officials because those officials serve as the protectors of the local gentry and the great merchant guilds. At the end of the day, he wants to bring the jianghu under control because it refuses to submit to authority..."

Li Yan calmly replied, "These are all long-standing problems within the empire. Any emperor with even a little ambition would try to solve them."

"Indeed. But very few ever succeed." Han Kun smiled faintly and shook his head. "The balance that has formed over so many years is one where pulling a single strand moves the entire body. Even His Majesty can only proceed step by step. He opened maritime trade and supported merchants in order to curb the power of the local gentry. In recent years, he has also promoted Buddhism to restrain the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

"In short, he wants every corner of the realm firmly under his control. He also wishes to strengthen the military and compete with the nations beyond the seas, leaving behind a glorious name in the history books.

"Now, with these new firearms, he can intimidate both the mystic path and the jianghu. He can even move directly against the factions within the imperial court and eliminate them.

"So tell me... Which side do you think is the real mastermind?"

Li Yan fell silent. After pondering for a while, he slowly shook his head. If things truly were as Han Kun described, then it really was impossible to say. To preserve their own influence, some people possessed courage greater than the heavens.

With that thought, Li Yan slowly took another sip of tea. "We rough fellows don't understand matters of state. Are you interested in these weapons as well, Senior?"

Han Kun sighed and shook his head. "We're not planning a rebellion. We only hope the realm remains peaceful, because that's how we earn our living. In fact, I'd rather these things had never appeared. Imagine spending your entire life cultivating martial arts, only to be shot dead by some inexperienced young pup with a single bullet. Do you think that would make me happy?

"But there's no helping it. That's the jianghu. Once such a thing exists, if you don't have it while someone else does, then sooner or later you'll suffer for it. One day your head might simply be blown off.

"To tell you the truth, on the day of the festival on the second of the second month, someone was already secretly selling the gunpowder formula and firearm blueprints. By the time the Military Surveillance Department arrived, the seller had already vanished.

"No one knows which force in the jianghu has already purchased them. Ordinarily, it would have had nothing to do with me. But after the Military Surveillance Department returned to Yunyang Prefecture, they arrested everyone connected to Steward Hu and threw them into prison, throwing the entire city into turmoil.

"Lately, many unfamiliar faces also appeared throughout the city. I have a feeling that something major is about to happen. That's why there are certain things I absolutely must find out."

Li Yan immediately understood. Han Kun was merely an elder within the Canal Gang. If he could determine the truth of these matters and make preparations accordingly, he might be able to quietly position his faction in advance.

Now that the conversation had reached this point, Li Yan could no longer pretend ignorance. Glancing at Han Kun, he lowered his voice and mumbled, "The Heavenly Saint Cult."

"So it really was them!" Han Kun shot to his feet and gritted his teeth. "To be honest, members of the Heavenly Saint Cult have been secretly approaching several elders of the Canal Gang. The Raft Sect's recent unusual behavior, their provoking us for no reason, may very well be connected to the Heavenly Saint Cult. I'm afraid those people are planning to rise up once again!

"Brother Li, this information is of vital importance to me. It may even save the lives of many brothers within the Canal Gang. The matter is urgent! I must return at once and discuss it with the chief."

Li Yan nodded. "Go attend to your business, Senior. There's no need to worry about us."

The Heavenly Saint Cult differed from the Maitreya Sect. When they first gathered the mountain tribes together, their original purpose had simply been to resist forced relocation by the authorities. Many people in the jianghu looked upon them favorably, and some even helped conceal them. It wasn't at all strange that they had connections with the Canal Gang.

However, everything depended on one's circumstances. If the Canal Gang became entangled in something like that, they were likely to suffer greatly.

"Nonsense!" After standing, Han Kun shook his head. "Even setting aside this important information, I still have to treat you properly.

"I've already reserved rooms at Misty Rain Pavilion, the finest pleasure house in Yunyang Prefecture, to welcome you. Just go and enjoy yourselves, young friends. Put everything on my tab."

Li Yan stared at him blankly. "A welcoming banquet... at a brothel?"

Han Kun replied, "I thought you were fond of such places."

"Who told you I liked them?!"

"Hahaha! Everyone in the jianghu knows."

"I..."

In the end, none of them went to Misty Rain Pavilion. For one thing, the situation in the city was already complicated. A brothel gathered people from every walk of life; it was a breeding ground for trouble. Going there would inevitably invite unnecessary complications.

Secondly, they had only just arrived. If Li Yan immediately rushed off to a brothel, he would never shake off the nickname of Top Scholar of the Pleasure Quarters.

Instead, they simply had a modest meal at the Jiangzhe Guild Hall. The dishes were simple but authentic Kuaiji cuisine: Three Delicacies of Shaoxing, braised pork with preserved mustard greens, Xi Shi tofu, Shaoxing drunken chicken, and other regional specialties.

Having already enjoyed a hearty meal of meat and wine at noon, Li Yan and the others had little appetite. After eating only a little, they each returned to their rooms to rest. But they didn't notice that after the lights in their rooms went out, the window of the room opposite theirs silently opened.

It belonged to the candidate who had been reciting poetry earlier. Behind the window stood a short, plump figure whose eyes gleamed brilliantly.

He muttered to himself, "Such powerful treasure aura... Just who are these people?"

Early the next morning, Li Yan awoke before dawn. After tidying himself up, Li Yan left with Wang Daoxuan, intending to visit the City God Temple, while Sha Lifei and Lu San remained in their rooms.

There was no helping it. Their luggage was simply too valuable.

Yunyang Prefecture held a special status, so it had two City God Temples, one dedicated to the county City God and another to the prefectural City God. Naturally, the two of them were heading to the prefectural City God Temple. Once they registered there, they would be permitted to travel throughout Ezhou. Lu San's Dao Permit would also need to be issued there.

The prefectural City God Temple stood in the western part of the city, about one li from the Lesser West Gate, the same gate they had passed through the day before.

Yunyang Prefecture had an entirely different character during the day. As a major transportation hub between north and south, it was a flourishing center of commerce, and even ordinary pedestrians hurried along with urgent expressions.

Ox carts, horse-drawn carriages, camels... The streets were constantly being blocked.

The people of Ezhou were hot-tempered. Whenever traffic became congested, they would start cursing one another, and once tempers flared, fists and feet would soon follow.

There were even more people who stopped to watch. The only thing capable of halting their hurried footsteps was the chance to gather around and enjoy a spectacle.

Neither Li Yan nor Wang Daoxuan enjoyed joining crowds, but as they made their way through the city, they still noticed many peculiarities.

There were far too many jianghu gangs in Yunyang Prefecture. They blended into the crowds, invisible to ordinary people, but anyone with even a little experience in the jianghu could pick them out. This was especially true of the traditional Five Trades.

The city's transport guilds included not only horse caravans from the north and mule trains from the southwest, but even convoys from the coastal regions. There was no need to mention the shipping trade. The Raft Sect and the Canal Gang were already completely irreconcilable.

Unlike the Canal Gang, which established branch leaders in every city, the Raft Sect was organized around raft heads, each commanding a large team of followers. These heads were no ordinary men; every one of them belonged to the mystic path.

In the north, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect was regarded as the legitimate orthodoxy, so independent ritual lineages were comparatively weaker. In the south, however, such lineages flourished, with countless traditions large and small.

As a result, the Raft Sect's raft heads all came from different ritual lineages. Just as Han Kun had said the previous day, the various forces throughout the Divine Continent were entangled, each containing elements of the others.

Li Yan had already begun to sense it. The north-south confrontation between the Raft Sect and the Canal Gang perfectly reflected the current state of the mystic path. It was difficult to say whether orthodox sects and local ritual lineages were supporting them from behind the scenes.

The inns and shops were no exception. They were clearly affiliated with different northern and southern factions. Different people stayed at different establishments, and anyone who failed to understand the arrangement was certain to be fleeced.

The porter guilds were the same. They had already witnessed that at the docks yesterday. As for the brokerage houses, they were even more dependent on the various factions.

Strictly speaking, such a situation was understandable in a ferry city connecting north and south. But the saying: Brothers from the five lakes and four seas, one family beneath heaven, was not merely empty talk.

The jianghu itself was a system of rules. No matter where people came from, everyone still needed to earn a living. Only by compromising with one another and establishing rules could they avoid mutual destruction. That was why people also said that the jianghu was nothing more than relationships and social obligations.

However, that balance had already been broken by the conflict between the Raft Sect and the Canal Gang. After all, this was a ferry city, and those two were the strongest factions here. Most of the other gangs were also connected to one side or the other.

Seeing this, Wang Daoxuan sighed inwardly and said quietly, "This place has already become a place of trouble. This kind of jianghu conflict will cause a major disaster sooner or later. We should not remain here for long."

Li Yan nodded in agreement. The two quickened their pace, and before long, they arrived at the prefectural City God Temple.

The City God Temple of Yunyang Prefecture was no less grand than the one in Chang'an. In fact, its imposing aura was even stronger.

Ritual banners, each three zhang tall, had been anchored on stone platforms at the entrances facing east, west, south, north, and the central approach. Together with the dark-yellow banner erected inside the City God Temple, there were five colors in total, the Five Direction Cloud Banners.

Ordinary people could not perceive anything unusual, but Li Yan could smell that each ritual banner served as a vessel for a deity. Five streams of divine astral qi circulated along with killing qi, forming an enormous formation that enveloped the entire temple.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan exchanged glances, their expressions grave. It was clear that the temple's defensive formation had been activated. In Chang'an, such measures would only be used during an invasion by evil entities. Yet here in Yunyang Prefecture, it seemed to have become standard practice.

No wonder the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had mobilized troops without the slightest hesitation on the night they surrounded the Heavenly Saint Cult's mountain stronghold. Beneath Yunyang Prefecture's prosperous appearance, danger had already spread everywhere.

Deep in thought, Li Yan approached a side entrance and cupped his hands toward the Daoist guarding it. "Daoist, we are cultivators from another province and wish to enter and register."

The gatekeeper's eyes were filled with vigilance as he yelled, "Where are your Dao Permits?!"

The two Daoists standing behind him had also silently placed their hands on the hilts of their swords. Li Yan remained calm as he and Wang Daoxuan each took out their permits.

When the gatekeeper saw that Li Yan held a black Dao Permit, clear surprise appeared on his face. After opening it and reading its contents, he immediately smiled and cupped his hands. "So you are Fellow Daoist Li from Chang'an. Senior Brother Gu Hanzi informed us that Fellow Daoist Li would be arriving in Yunyang Prefecture soon. This humble Daoist is Feng Yuanzi. Please, both of you, come inside."

With that, he raised a hand in invitation.

Li Yan was momentarily taken aback. Though his vigilance rose, he smiled outwardly. "You are too courteous, Daoist. I am merely an unknown nobody."

Feng Yuanzi replied with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Li is far too modest."

He personally led the two of them into the City God Temple. Meanwhile, a young Daoist acolyte hurried away, evidently to inform Gu Hanzi. Upon reaching the Mystic Office, Feng Yuanzi personally made the arrangements and helped the two complete their registration.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Daoist, I have another companion who wishes to obtain a Dao Permit here in Yunyang Prefecture. May I ask..."

"There is no need to be anxious, Fellow Daoist Li. Senior Brother Gu will be here shortly." Feng Yuanzi interrupted him with a faint smile and gestured with one hand. "Why not first have some tea in the quiet room?"

Damn it. Unsolicited hospitality always meant trouble...

A sense of foreboding rose in Li Yan's heart. But since matters had already come this far, he could only adapt as things developed. They followed Feng Yuanzi into the quiet room.

Feng Yuanzi was exceedingly courteous. He personally poured tea for the two of them and smiled. "Tuanhuang, Qimen, and Huangya are collectively known as the Three Famous Teas of Huai'an. The finest batches are sent to Yunyang Prefecture every year. Please have a taste, Fellow Daoist Li."

Li Yan took a casual sip. "Excellent tea."

He had no idea which variety it was. Although the fragrance was rich and the aftertaste lingered, the unease in his heart only deepened.

Just as he was about to ask a question, a Daoist entered through the doorway. He was tall, with a long, flowing beard. It was Gu Hanzi, the leader of the group from the Enforcement Hall from that night.

The moment Feng Yuanzi saw him, he rose and cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, I will return to guard the gate. Please take your time, Fellow Daoist Li."

He quickly left. Clearly, leaving the two of them there had been Gu Hanzi's intention from the beginning.