HCAW 163

Chapter 163: Side Story – Wind and Thunder in the Nine Provinces (1)

In Liyang County, Nine Provinces, within a quarry:

A group of laborers trudged forward, carrying large blocks of reddish sandstone. The scorching sun blazed overhead, soaking their backs with sweat and scraping their skin raw from the coarse stones. They moved slowly, like a colony of exhausted ants. A supervisor narrowed his sharp, fox-like eyes, ruthlessly whipping his lash and shouting:

“Move faster! You’ve barely worked, yet you already want to rest?”

Whenever a laborer faltered under the heavy load, unable to proceed, the supervisor immediately rushed over, delivering a brutal beating until the man jumped up as if bitten by a snake. The laborers stared at him hatefully but didn’t dare protest.

This supervisor was surnamed Li, known for his harsh tongue and cruelty. Though everyone despised him, they feared the bandits backing him. Many local villagers within ten li had been forced into labor here, their families brutally beaten at the slightest resistance.

Recently, a flood had overturned several ships, washing ashore many travelers. The bandits captured some survivors, forcing them to toil in the quarry. Surrounded by bandit camps, escape was impossible, and the survivors had no choice but to endure relentless slavery.

Supervisor Li had initially been delighted with this arrangement, but lately, he’d grown uneasy.

Among these unfortunate travelers were two troublemakers. When initially found, one wore luxurious brocade robes embroidered with ink-black bamboo patterns and a golden belt decorated with dragons, while the other dressed plainly yet wore high-quality clothing. Clearly, they seemed to be a young noble and his attendant traveling together. Seeing this, the bandits eagerly anticipated extorting a hefty ransom.

However, when interrogated, the pair acted utterly clueless, appearing unable or unwilling to understand a word. Realizing these two might be foreigners unfamiliar with the local dialect, the bandits abandoned the futile questioning and sent them straight to the quarry.

At first, Supervisor Li had been overjoyed; though appearing delicate, the two newcomers were astonishingly strong—especially one whose body seemed made of iron, easily doing the work of ten men. But over time, the pair revealed increasingly troublesome natures, becoming lazy and defiant. One was particularly irritable, snapping at people like a mad dog.

Now, hearing another commotion among the workers, Supervisor Li hurried over, whipping loudly and shouting, “What’s the problem, you useless bunch?”

Pushing through the crowd, Li immediately jumped with fury—the two troublemakers had stopped working, sprawled out and sleeping right across the path, sandstone blocks abandoned and obstructing everyone’s way!

Enraged, Supervisor Li swung his whip aggressively, shouting, “Do you think you’re hens nesting eggs? Get up! Move!”

But as soon as his whip struck, one disheveled-haired youth suddenly sprang up, snatched the whip from Li’s hand, and whipped him back ferociously. Supervisor Li collapsed, shrieking in pain as though his body had been drenched in hot pepper oil.

After thoroughly beating the supervisor, the youth tossed the whip aside and sprawled lazily back on the ground, laughing arrogantly, “You pathetic bastard! I’ve tolerated you far too long! Forced to labor from before dawn, starving till my stomach sticks to my spine, yet you still dare mistreat your granddaddy?”

Supervisor Li scrambled away in humiliation. As he fled, the other youth—calmer, expression cold—sighed and said, “Brother, didn’t we agree to keep a low profile after entering the Nine Provinces? Acting so openly, aren’t you exposing us?”

The disheveled youth proudly replied from the ground, “Expose us? So be it! I’ve been a slave and fugitive enough times before; once more hardly matters.”

These two unfortunate travelers washed ashore were none other than Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang.

They had journeyed from Xian Mountain, endured numerous trials, battled countless villains, and eventually had their boat overturned by a massive wave resembling a dragon’s wrath, finally washing ashore here.

When they awoke, they found themselves captured by bandits. From overheard conversations, they quickly realized they had arrived in the Nine Provinces—the place they’d yearned to see. Yet their joy swiftly faded: the Nine Provinces too had bullies and villains—it wasn’t the paradise they’d hoped for. With no weapons, no money, and no immediate way back to Xian Mountain, they decided to temporarily settle here, secretly investigating the land.

Seeing Supervisor Li flee after Chu Kuang’s beating, the other laborers cheered enthusiastically, crowding around and praising Chu Kuang: “Young brother, didn’t realize you were such a skilled fighter!”

Curiously, one asked, “Were you shipwrecked here too? Where are you originally from?”

Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang exchanged uncertain glances. Chu Kuang awkwardly answered, “We’re… locals.”

The laborers burst into laughter. “Locals? You sure don’t look it!” The two exchanged another confused look, unsure how they had given themselves away. Laughing heartily, the laborers continued, “Your accents aren’t from around here, and your strength certainly isn’t ordinary!”

“Yes, yes! With this young brother’s attitude, Supervisor Li might just end up working for you instead!”

Everyone burst into laughter. Fang Jingyu lightly tugged Chu Kuang’s sleeve, whispering, “Brother Minsheng, maybe we should tone it down a bit?” But Chu Kuang retorted fiercely, “There are some things a man just can’t endure!”

At midday, Supervisor Sun stood impatiently next to a large basket. Supervisor Li had fled in disgrace, leaving him to handle everything. Rumor had it Supervisor Li had been beaten by a youth so badly that his back was covered in crisscrossing whip marks resembling centipedes. Sun’s eyes swept sharply across the crowd, intending to severely punish the culprit to assert his own authority.

The laborers moved forward slowly, their faces pale and thin, their straw-like hands hastily reaching into the basket for buckwheat buns. Supervisor Sun narrowed his eyes, occasionally knocking away a laborer’s hand with his whip handle, shouting, “Don’t take too much! Still choosing the biggest ones? Be picky, and you’ll starve!”

He scrutinized each worker but failed to spot anyone matching the description he’d heard. As he grew puzzled, his gaze suddenly landed on a remarkably sturdy youth—broad waist, thick legs, clothing oddly bulging, walking awkwardly. When their eyes met, he noticed the youth’s strangely conspicuous, crimson double pupil.

“Halt!” Supervisor Sun shouted. The young man reluctantly stopped.

Sun approached suspiciously, eyeing him up and down. “Who are you? Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Boss, what nonsense are you saying? I’ve been working here all this time!” the youth replied defensively.

“What have you been eating to get so big? We don’t often see someone as robust as you around here,” Sun said skeptically.

The young man hesitated, unable to explain clearly. Noticing his wavering posture, Supervisor Sun reached out suspiciously, only for the youth to yell out indignantly, “What are you trying to do, feeling up my muscles?”

The moment Sun touched him, a black bun fell from the youth’s sleeve. He quickly bent to pick it up, but several more buns fell from his trousers. The faster he gathered them, the more spilled out—dozens of stolen buns tumbled out from his clothing, scattering everywhere.

“You little thief! Stay right there!” Supervisor Sun furiously swung his whip, but the youth suddenly became as agile as a rabbit, hopping away with surprising swiftness despite his heavy bun-filled body.

Chasing to the edge of the forest, Supervisor Sun saw another youth dressed in dark robes holding the reins of a stolen mule and clutching a sack, evidently there as backup. The large youth bounced over, shaking his clothes vigorously, and dozens of buns tumbled neatly into the opened sack, immediately slimming him down noticeably. The pair quickly mounted the mule and made mocking faces at Supervisor Sun.

“What’s going on? Stop! Stop right there!” Supervisor Sun, overwhelmed with fury, shouted after them. To him, these people were supposed to be helpless lambs for slaughter; yet these lambs not only bit back but seemed about to fly away! “Who exactly are you? Bandits from another mountain? Charlatan Daoists from the Wuwei Temple? Or undercover soldiers?”

While yelling, Sun took out a whistle and blew it loudly. Several mounted bandits emerged from the trees, rushing forward menacingly upon seeing someone attempting escape.

On horseback, one youth held the reins and gently spurred the mule forward, while the other faced backward, swiftly drawing a small bow with sharpened bamboo arrows, and shouted arrogantly:

“Wrong—we’re honest, law-abiding citizens!”

His words barely finished, arrows flew forth like thunderbolts, each striking precisely on critical points, leaving the bandits screaming in pain, helpless and dropping their weapons. As the bandits looked up fearfully, they saw amidst the mountain wind the archer’s dark hair billowing, his crimson double pupil fierce with murderous intent—a Yama King descended from heaven itself!

Smoke lingered in the air, cicadas chirped in the empty woods. Fang Jingyu urged the mule onward while Chu Kuang put away his bow, casually leaning back until their shoulders touched. Sunlight filtered through leaves, sprinkling them with flecks of gold.

Chu Kuang sighed dramatically, “We’ve barely arrived, yet we’re already fugitives again!”

“All thanks to you, Brother,” Fang Jingyu retorted. Closing his eyes briefly, he added, “Sit properly, please. I’m worried you’ll fall off.”

“What’s to fear? I could shoot arrows upside-down from horseback. I’m not falling anywhere,” Chu Kuang assured him carelessly.

Then suddenly mischievous, he twisted around, playfully biting Fang Jingyu’s ear, whispering wickedly, “Or are you thinking of doing something on horseback that might make us both fall off?” Fang Jingyu flushed instantly, murmuring, “Stop saying such things.” But Chu Kuang had already mischievously slipped a hand inside Fang Jingyu’s robes, teasing him intimately. Blushing furiously, Fang Jingyu cried out, “Brother Minsheng!”

Chu Kuang had realized Fang Jingyu’s weakness: the more boldly Chu Kuang behaved, the more embarrassed Fang Jingyu became. Thus, Chu Kuang shamelessly intensified his teasing, biting gently at Fang Jingyu’s ear. Fang Jingyu finally pushed his hand away firmly, saying, “Now isn’t the time for this. Brother Minsheng, we’re stranded in the Nine Provinces with nowhere to go. What should we do next?”

“What do you mean nowhere to go? The world is vast; everywhere is home,” Chu Kuang replied slyly. “You’ve secretly enjoyed yourself with me countless times, whether in Penglai or in the Nine Provinces. If you want me, just say it—don’t pretend to be proper now. As for settling down, we’ll figure it out later.” Chu Kuang’s shamelessness ignited Fang Jingyu’s temper, making him momentarily want to press Chu Kuang onto the mule’s back and thoroughly teach him a lesson. Passing through a wooded trail, Chu Kuang abruptly let Fang Jingyu go, saying casually:

“Why don’t we rest there for now?”

Fang Jingyu looked ahead to where Chu Kuang pointed. Smoke rose gently among mountain trees, fluttering banners stood high, and a Daoist temple appeared nestled amidst the greenery. On its plaque read clearly: “Wuwei Temple.”

“Wuwei Temple?” Fang Jingyu recalled what the bandit had said earlier and asked suspiciously, “Why rest at a Daoist temple?”

“You silly brother, we’re undocumented here. Wandering openly through the Nine Provinces, won’t people notice we don’t belong and cause trouble?”

Chu Kuang placed his hands on his hips confidently.

“Let’s borrow the Great Immortal’s power to put on a bit of a show—and become Daoists of the Nine Provinces!”