The light rain brought new flowers, and a thunder startled the insects.
……
In Jiangnan in March, the first spring thunder rumbles, and a drizzle follows. The air soon fills with the fragrance of damp earth. This is the perfect time to snuggle up at home, warm a pot of wine, wrap yourself in a quilt, listen to the patter of rain outside, and have a lovely sleep. Of course, it’s also the perfect time for an assassin to strike or a grim reaper to collect a soul.
A young man in purple boots slowly approached a weathered grey manor. The boots were exquisite, embroidered with a lifelike eight-clawed dragon in gold thread. He seemed to cherish them, carefully avoiding puddles along the way, so despite the constant spring rain, his boots remained clean.
He raised his hand and gently knocked on the manor’s gate.
Knock, knock, knock.
The knocking echoed within the manor, but no one answered.
“No one’s home?”
The man in the purple boots turned around, confused.
A burly man carrying a large golden-ringed broadsword stood there, looking up at the manor’s plaque and muttering to himself, “White Crane Apothecary. Shouldn’t have gotten the place wrong.”
The man in purple boots frowned slightly. “Could we be too late?”
“It’s not late, not late at all; in fact, you clearly arrived a bit earlier than me.” A mocking voice suddenly rang out nearby.
The burly man swiftly turned around and drew the large broadsword partway from his back, shouting in a low voice, “Su Changhe!”
The newcomer sported a meticulously groomed mustache and a playful smile, twirling a dagger in his hand as he sauntered towards the burly man. “Don’t get so worked up, your shouting has even scared away the gentle spring rain.”
The man in purple boots stepped forward to stand beside the burly man. “Who could remain calm upon seeing the Su family’s most fearsome assassin, the renowned Undertaker?”
Su Changhe waved his hands repeatedly. “Don’t be so formal, we’re practically brothers. What’s there to be afraid of? Moreover, you both are the elite of the Xie family generation—Xie Changze, the Ghost in Purple Boots, and Xie Jinke, the Blade Demon!”
Su Changhe stopped ten paces away from them, deftly slipping the dagger into his sleeve with a flick of his wrist. He raised two fingers and gently stroked his mustache.
Xie Jinke glanced cautiously at Su Changhe. “Are you here on a mission?”
Su Changhe didn’t answer directly. He simply glanced at the manor’s plaque and replied leisurely, “And you two, are you here on a mission as well?”
Xie Jinke remained silent. He slightly extended his hand backward and grasped the hilt of his golden-ringed broadsword
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Su Changhe continued to smile faintly, but the dagger, previously hidden in his sleeve, now gleamed ominously.
“Ahem.”
Xie Changze coughed lightly, easing the tension in the air. He smiled and said, “According to the rules of the Dark River, we cannot discuss our missions with anyone before they are completed, not even with our own brothers.”
“Oh.”
Su Changhe nodded. “I don’t have any missions. I just sustained a minor injury during my last assignment and heard that there’s a renowned physician at the White Crane Apothecary, so I came to check it out.”
“The Dark River’s Mu family has countless renowned physicians at their Life and Death Pharmacy. For a minor injury, is it really necessary to come all the way out here?” Xie Jinke said in a deep voice.
“I’ve laid countless people to rest, but I’m actually quite afraid of death myself. That’s why I seek out the best physician in the world. And I heard that the Medicine King Xin Baicao’s junior uncle resides in this White Crane Apothecary. Xin Baicao has vanished for years now, so wouldn’t the person living here be the best physician in the world?” Su Changhe continued to smile faintly, but the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, and his tone took on a more provocative edge.
Xie Jinke finally drew his golden-ringed broadsword, growling, “Then Brother Su, you’ve come at an inopportune time. Our mission is to kill everyone in this manor.”
“I don’t believe it.” Su Changhe shook his head.
Xie Jinke was taken aback. “You don’t believe it?”
“Show me the handwritten order from the Hall of Soul Retrieval, and I’ll believe you.” Su Changhe curled his lip and said faintly.
The corner of Xie Jinke’s mouth twitched slightly. “Are you kidding me?”
“Anyway, if you don’t show me the handwritten order, I won’t believe you. If I’m hindering your mission, you can report my name to the Hall of Soul Retrieval when you return. If they judge me guilty, I’ll willingly accept the punishment of nine cuts and ten holes. How about that?” Su Changhe raised an eyebrow.
Xie Jinke let out a cold laugh, slightly raising his golden-ringed broadsword. “It seems you’re determined to make an enemy of the Xie family.”
“An assassin knocking on the door and waiting for a response before killing? Such a sense of ceremony? Do you think you’re Su Muyu?” Su Changhe strode forward. “Even lying requires some skill. Among the three families of the Dark River, you Xie family members are the most brainless!”
“What did you say?!” Xie Jinke shouted angrily, raising his broadsword and striking down, sending rainwater splashing everywhere.
“I never repeat myself!”
In an instant, Su Changhe darted in front of Xie Jinke, dodging the mighty blow of the broadsword. With a flash of cold light, his dagger lightly grazed Xie Jinke’s throat.
Xie Jinke hastily dodged to the side and retracted his golden-ringed broadsword. But Su Changhe had only feinted. With a swift movement of his left hand, he grabbed Xie Jinke’s by the back of the neck and, with a low shout, slammed him to the ground.
Xie Jinke was a burly man, but Su Changhe pressed him down with one hand as if it took no effort at all.
Xie Jinke let out a furious shout, trying to force himself to his feet. But Su Changhe had already raised the dagger once more…
The Dark River has an ironclad rule: never kill a fellow member.
But everyone in the Dark River also knows that Su Changhe is a madman who doesn’t care about any rules in the world!
“Stop!” Xie Changze drew his flexible sword from his waist and rushed forward to intervene. But all he heard was a “clang.”
A golden ring suddenly appeared out of nowhere, striking his blade and forcing him back three steps.
He stopped and hurriedly looked towards Xie Jinke.
Xie Jinke lay on the ground, drenched in cold sweat but unharmed. Su Changhe stood there, slowly raising his dagger, on which an identical golden ring was spinning. It seems he too had been blocked by the ring from delivering the fatal blow.
Su Changhe lowered his head and let out a helpless chuckle. “Uncle Zhe.”
“This kid, fighting with his fellow disciples, breaking the rules.” With a slightly accented Cantonese, a tall, thin man wearing a bamboo hat slowly approached them and said. He held a smoking pipe in one hand and a Buddhist staff in the other, adorned with numerous golden rings that jingled and clanged as he walked.
“Soul-Summoning Bell, Life-Snatching Rings, Su Zhe of the Su family.” Xie Changze narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You Xie family members don’t follow the rules either. I’m decades older than you, and you don’t even call me ‘uncle’?” Su Zhe stopped ten paces away, firmly thrusting his Buddhist staff three inches into the ground with his right hand. He then raised the smoking pipe in his left hand and took a leisurely puff.
Xie Changze quickly sheathed his flexible sword and bowed his head. “Xie Changze of the Xie family, greetings, Uncle Zhe.”
Su Changhe sighed. “Uncle Zhe, your Cantonese is as terrible as ever. I won’t bother correcting you this time.”
“Such a shame. A puff of smoke, a bite of betel nut, it’s the best.” Su Zhe closed his eyes, seemingly immersed in the pleasure of the betel nut and smoke combination.
After a while, Su Zhe finally spat out the residue from his mouth. Holding up his pipe, he leisurely said, “Was it that old codger Xie Ba who sent you here?”
Xie Changze and Xie Jinke exchanged glances, but neither answered.
“Everyone’s here for the renowned physician, but before the physician even shows up, you’re already fighting amongst yourselves. No manners at all. Wait! Wait for the physician to come out!” Su Zhe tapped his smoking pipe against the Buddhist staff, causing the golden rings to jingle and clang once more.
Su Changhe put away his dagger and smiled. “Uncle Zhe is right.”
Xie Changze said in a deep voice, “We knocked on the door earlier, but no one answered.”
“Then I’ll knock again. You Xie family members don’t knock loud enough!”
Su Zhe flicked his pipe lightly towards the monk’s staff beside him, sending a golden ring flying. The ring struck the iron gate of the White Crane Apothecary, producing a dull “thud.”, and then flew back.
Xie Changze and Xie Jinke instinctively covered their ears. Anyone with even a basic understanding of internal energy could sense the power behind that knock. The impact was almost akin to a Buddhist lion’s roar.
Su Changhe’s expression remained unchanged. He stroked his mustache and chuckled, “Uncle Zhe, is that how you knock on a door? It looks more like you’re trying to kill someone.”
“Look, isn’t the door open now?” Su Zhe raised an eyebrow.