Chapter Thirty-Nine: Battlefields Everywhere in the Human World

After a rain, Chang'an became refreshing, the leaves tinged faintly with yellow, and autumn arrived quietly, unnoticed. Tang Xiaoqi idly traced circles on Liao Liao's chest, endlessly complaining, "Liao Liao, I'm bored to death. We've been locked in this back courtyard for over a month since arriving in Chang'an, and I haven't seen anything of the city. When will you take me out for a stroll?"

Liao Liao gently touched Tang Xiaoqi's smooth belly. "It's been more than two months, and you haven't felt a thing. Grandfather checked your pulse last time, said the poison you suffered hasn't been fully expelled. You need to drink medicine and rest quietly. Once you're well, I'll take you out to wander around, see the sights. And hurry up and give me a big, healthy boy; Grandfather will be much easier to deal with then."

"Bah! Only a fool would bear you a son," Tang Xiaoqi snapped irritably at Liao Liao.

"If you're truly bored out of your mind, you can find something to do. Help manage the family accounts, copy some prescriptions, things like that." Liao Liao found it odd that the old man kept Xiaoqi so tightly confined, but dared not ask, so could only offer this suggestion.

"Really? But won't people gossip, saying I'm overseeing the household before getting married?" Tang Xiaoqi asked, a little excited.

"Aside from Ping’er, that silly little maid, everyone else is a man—who would dare say a word?" Liao Liao replied.

Just as Liao Liao poked his head out the courtyard gate, he received a hard knock on his head.

"I told you to study diligently every day, but all you do is sneak into Xiaoqi's courtyard. You know she's not fully recovered—do you not want this old man to hold a great-grandson?" The old man Lu Manman, who had been covertly observing for days, shouted angrily, his voice loud enough for Tang Xiaoqi to hear.

Liao Liao whimpered pitifully, waited until the old man stopped, then explained his earlier idea.

"When this old man closes his eyes and stretches out his legs, the house will be yours anyway. If Xiaoqi wants to manage the household, let her. I'll finally get some peace." Lu Manman twitched his mustache as he spoke.

Seeing the old man growing angry, Liao Liao shrank back, ready to slip out the door.

"Where are you off to now?" the old man bellowed.

"Yuzhen Temple!" Liao Liao replied without turning his head, leaving the old man momentarily speechless.

Once outside, Liao Liao did not go to Yuzhen Temple, but instead rode west toward the marketplace with Zhou Liuzi.

"I heard from Old Hu that you bragged about how beautiful and passionate the Hu women are at the Hu Ji Tavern. I remember you only drank tea in the side hall last time—when did you find out they were so fiery?" Liao Liao glanced back at Zhou Liuzi, whose face betrayed no emotion.

"Can't I tell just by looking? If I had money, I'd definitely give it a try," Zhou Liuzi replied, all the while eyeing the jade pendant hanging from Liao Liao's waist.

"Xiaoqi will be managing the household soon. In a few days, go to her and get some silver for your pocket. Forget about Old Hu—he's probably still hiding his own stash." Liao Liao said resentfully.

"What silver? Do you even have any on you?" Zhou Liuzi pouted.

"Zhou Liuzi, don't laugh at me. If I, Lord Lu, decide to earn silver, I'll scare you someday," Liao Liao muttered, feeling the copper coins on his person.

Zhou Liuzi turned away, ignoring him.

Glowing red iron was held firmly with tongs atop an anvil, while strong hands wielded the hammer, striking with force. Sparks flew, sweat dripped, and the sound of metal rang out. In a smithy near the western market, a man nearing fifty, muscles rippling, had been forging iron for a long while. Liao Liao squatted nearby, Zhou Liuzi stood behind, the two of them foolishly watching the blacksmith work.

A middle-aged woman, her figure clearly plump, brought a large basin of food and quietly retreated into the house. Her features bore a faint resemblance to the Hu women. The burly blacksmith squatted beside the shop, eating without so much as a greeting to Liao Liao, devouring his meal before standing up with satisfaction.

"My Hu family has run this smithy for decades. To see someone watching me work for half a day, that's rare. You're the second. You scholars really have too much time on your hands."

"The first was a drunkard, but I'm not!" Liao Liao replied cheerfully.

At the mention of 'wine,' the blacksmith's eyes brightened. He wiped his mouth and smiled. "If only I could have a couple of drinks, that would be perfect."

"If Uncle Hu wants wine, I'll go buy some for you right now," Liao Liao said quickly.

If someone had once told Liao Liao that the Poet Immortal Li Bai had a sworn brother who was a blacksmith, he would never have believed it. But now, faced with the man himself, he could not doubt.

Hu Yun shook his head regretfully. "I drank myself sick, coughed up blood, and your aunt forbade me from drinking again."

"Hehe, Master often spoke of Uncle Hu’s heroic deeds, even wrote a poem 'Ode to the Knight' praising you. Who would have thought you’d be so afraid of your wife?" Liao Liao laughed.

"Enough, enough! Your aunt does it for my sake. I’m rough, but I know that much. Have you been to the temple? Have you visited the Hu Ji Tavern?"

"A month ago, I met Uncle Shiying and Aunt Xilin. Grandfather’s been pressing me to study so hard, I came late to pay respects to you, Uncle Hu. Please don’t hold it against me." Liao Liao bowed respectfully.

"I’m just a common blacksmith. Early or late, it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re here," Hu Yun waved it off.

Street heroes and idle rogues have always been an unacknowledged force among the people. Though their origins are humble, they are loyal and ready to risk their lives for honor, keeping their word even unto death. The authorities can’t control them, nor do they have any effective means. They have their own world, their own rules—the Jianghu. They can discover secrets unknown even to the government, and undertake tasks officials cannot openly do. All the powerful and influential have ambiguous ties with them, and they have left their mark in history.

As his master’s sworn brother stood before him, Liao Liao dared not be disrespectful. He signaled to Zhou Liuzi, and presented what he believed to be valuable gifts.

Hu Yun didn’t even glance at the gifts, nor did he refuse them. He simply nodded, and a young man appeared, took the gifts, and vanished.

"In the blink of an eye, it’s been nearly twenty years since I befriended your master, Mr. Taibai. Yesterday’s events still feel fresh. I never imagined that the elegant scholar would possess such formidable swordsmanship, or that he would kill for love," Hu Yun gazed at the bustling gate of the western market, lost in thought.

That was startling news—Liao Liao’s eyes widened. "Ah! My master killed someone?"

Hu Yun smiled slightly. "Indeed. Back then, the Hu Ji Tavern hadn’t moved to Zhuque Street in the eastern market, but was just outside Kaiyuan Gate, a small tavern selling wine. Unexpectedly, Old Du from the western city noticed it, wanted to forcibly take the Hu woman as a concubine. Your master publicly scolded him.

Old Du was no ordinary man—he was a major figure in the western market. He couldn’t stand the insult, so that very night he ambushed Taibai, drunk, in a small alley, intending to kill him, tie him with stones, and toss him silently into the moat. He’d done such things before.

But the four skilled fighters Old Du hired were no match for your master. In the end, Old Du himself was slain by Taibai’s sword. When Taibai sobered up, he foolishly watched me forge iron all morning, until finally the constables came and took him away."

Hu Yun lifted a large mug of coarse tea and drank heartily.

"And then?" Liao Liao asked, curious.

"The one at Yuzhen Temple personally fetched him from the jail, kept him in a private residence for two years, and the matter gradually faded. Afterwards, your master often came to drink with me. In time, Old Du’s territory fell to us. Most of the taxes from the western market went to Yuzhen Temple. That’s how the Hu Ji Tavern in the eastern market came to be, and most of its profits still go to Yuzhen Temple," Hu Yun said calmly.

"What a pair of immortal cultivators, resorting to such schemes," Liao Liao thought to himself, suspecting Hu Yun had more to say.

He waited, watching Hu Yun.

"Unknowingly, we’ve grown old, but the world remains unchanged. Look at the bustling western market—on the surface, nothing seems amiss. But beneath it, countless bloody struggles rage for the wealth of the golden market. I’m tired, weary, but the fighting never ends," Hu Yun sighed deeply.

"With Uncle Shiying from Yuzhen Temple backing you, surely no one would dare cause trouble?" Liao Liao asked in surprise.

"This time, it’s not just the western market. The Hu Ji Tavern in Pingkang Alley is also facing trouble. Next door, a new establishment—the Celestial Pavilion—has opened. The girls there are all renowned beauties, courtesans from across the land. The star courtesan, Ye Lai, debuted less than half a month ago, and already countless noble sons flock to her, lingering and unwilling to leave.

As a result, business at the Hu Ji Tavern has declined sharply. The two sides have clashed openly and covertly several times, and the Hu Ji Tavern has been at a disadvantage."

Hu Yun shook his head helplessly.

"Such a grand scheme! Courtesans from all over competing with ordinary girls at the Celestial Pavilion. What kind of immense backing does that place have?" Liao Liao exclaimed.

"The Four Seas Trading Guild! They used to focus on the eastern market, but now they’ve entered the western market. My Qingyun Society collects the usual taxes, and when we tried to collect from the shops under the Four Seas Trading Guild, there was conflict.

The chief manager of Four Seas Trading Guild declared that no business in the western market may pay taxes to Qingyun Society. Anyone who does will be treated as an enemy and cut off from all business dealings.

They’ve used every method to divide, woo, and suppress our allies—the dock laborers, transport companies, escort agencies, and beggar gangs. The chief manager clearly aims to control the entire western market—a bold ambition," Hu Yun said, his coarse demeanor concealing a shrewd mind.

"What’s the background of the Four Seas Trading Guild?" Liao Liao asked.

"Have you heard the saying: 'When the trees of the southern mountains are all gone, the official silk is still not exhausted'? The richest man in the Tang, Wang Yuanbao, is the head of Four Seas Trading Guild. Many other dignitaries have shares in it—the true extent of their power is unknown. With such deep connections, even your uncle at the temple cannot easily deal with them. The capital is a deep sea—hard to navigate," Hu Yun spoke with surprising refinement, nothing like a rough blacksmith.

"Does my uncle at the temple know about all this?" Liao Liao asked hesitantly.

Hu Yun looked steadily at him. "I’m just a crude man, I know nothing. Decisions must be left to you, to pass word to your uncle at the temple."

"Crude, indeed! Such a sly roundabout way—he just wants me to report the current predicament to the temple," Liao Liao thought.

"Uncle Hu, I’ve just arrived in Chang’an, and I don’t understand these matters. You want me to deliver the message, but isn’t that inappropriate? I need to study for the spring imperial exam next year, so I won’t disturb you any longer," Liao Liao said, preparing to leave.

"Do you have the heart to let this old face be scolded by your uncle? You’re Taibai’s only disciple, so your uncle won’t blame you," Hu Yun grabbed Liao Liao.

Within two days of returning home, Liao Liao was summoned by the Princess Yuzhen and taken to a quiet, elegant residence.

Seeing no one around, he knelt and greeted, "Disciple Liao Liao pays respects to Mistress." But this time, it was useless—his knees grew numb, and Princess Yuzhen remained cold and silent, not inviting him to rise.

Liao Liao racked his brains, unable to think what he’d done to anger her. Suddenly, he panicked—had his use of a tree branch to teach the young Daoist Gu Ye, and selling him sword techniques, been exposed? At this thought, cold sweat broke out.

"Ge Shu Xiaoye has returned to the capital, but Gu Ye remained at Dongchang Rock, saying he wants to learn swordsmanship from his uncle Qinglian. Do you know why?" At last, Princess Yuzhen’s cold voice sounded.

Liao Liao’s heart sank—he thought himself doomed. Yet he answered obediently, "This disciple does not know."

"Because he was beaten by that boy from the Qin family," Princess Yuzhen’s voice was heavy with anger.

Liao Liao breathed a sigh of relief, but stared in confusion at the seated princess, not daring to speak.

"And that boy from the Xianyu family, relying on that fox in the palace, dares to ignore me. Hmph! Such audacity," Princess Yuzhen slammed the table.

"Mistress, what happened? Gu Ye and they got along well—how did conflict arise?" Liao Liao asked cautiously.

"See for yourself!" A letter was thrown before him.