Chapter 210: The World

Wei Gang County.

Located in the central region of the Great Shang, this county enjoyed the benefits of salt and iron. With roads leading in all directions, it had not yet fallen into the hands of rebels. However, the defenses were extremely tight, and many refugees gathered outside its gates. Wu Ming had to wait in line for a long time and present his Daoist credentials. Even then, he was extorted for two strings of copper coins before finally being allowed inside the city.

Inside the city walls, the atmosphere was much safer. Although the people looked hungry, there was a noticeable liveliness in the air.

Wu Ming went directly to a restaurant. The place was nearly empty. A waiter, with a white towel draped over his shoulder, hurried forward with a beaming smile upon seeing Wu Ming: “Master Daoist, are you here for a meal?”

“Yes. Bring me two plates of steamed buns, and one meat and one vegetable dish.”

Wu Ming sat down, but noticing the waiter still lingering with an anxious expression, he smiled slightly and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you worried I can’t pay?”

“Oh, no, no, Master Daoist! It’s just that times are tough, and our boss has it hard too… Would you mind paying in advance?”

Wu Ming chuckled. “Alright then!” He took out a silver ingot, clearly worth at least five taels, and placed it on the table. “Will this suffice for the meal?”

“Oh yes! Yes indeed! There might even be change left!”

The waiter was delighted, but his hand was stopped as Wu Ming asked, “I don’t need any change. Just answer a few of my questions, and I’ll give you the rest as a tip. How does that sound?”

“Oh, that won’t do at all!”

The waiter rubbed his hands nervously. The tip was quite generous. He quickly added, “Master Daoist, please ask whatever you wish, and I will answer everything I know.”

“I’ve been cultivating in the mountains for a long time. It seems the world has fallen into chaos. I wonder, how much are rice and flour selling for these days?”

“Master Daoist truly lives in seclusion, untouched by worldly sufferings…”

The waiter frowned. “Since last year, rice prices have kept rising. Now it takes four taels of silver to buy one dan.”

Even Wu Ming was somewhat taken aback by the price. He continued, “Then tell me about the situation across the land. What about the thirteen rebel kings and the twenty-seven regions in revolt? Where have the battles reached?”

“Well… I only know that the closest rebel king to Wei Gang County is Han Hulin, known as the ‘One-Brow King’. Ever since the imperial decree was issued to confiscate weapons nationwide to cast those cursed golden statues, things have only gotten worse. Even our restaurant was forced to pay a tax of one or two taels of silver for the ‘Golden Iron Levy’…”

Clearly, the waiter wanted to earn this silver, but his knowledge was limited. He scratched his head, struggling to think of anything more to say.

“Haha… If the Master Daoist wishes to know more about the state of the realm, perhaps you’d care to treat me to a drink?”

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a blue robe stood up from a nearby table with a smile. His beard was half black and half white, his clothes worn and travel-stained.

“Fellow travelers are destined to meet. Friend, why not come over and share a drink?”

Wu Ming was more than happy to accept. He sent the waiter away and ordered another pot of wine.

Shortly after, the waiter returned with a tray. On the red lacquered tray were a plate of fern vegetables, a bowl of braised meat, and over a dozen steamed buns. He also brought a pot of aged wine and two cups, which he respectfully filled before retreating.

Though simple, Wu Ming noticed many other diners staring at his table with wide eyes.

“Dear friend, may I ask your name?”

Wu Ming smiled and raised his cup.

“My name is Hu Xin. I’m a local. I once passed the junior imperial examination and now make a living as a private tutor…”

Hu Xin offered a brief introduction before raising his cup. He took a small sip, his eyes narrowing as he savored it. His mustache twitched as if he were reluctant to swallow, but after a moment’s struggle, he downed the cup in one go. His face flushed slightly, and he let out a satisfied sigh. He quickly picked up a piece of braised meat with his chopsticks and devoured it. After a moment, he apologized, “It’s been months since I’ve tasted meat. Please forgive my manners.”

“Only a true hero can remain true to himself, and only a true scholar can be naturally refined. There’s no need for apologies, my friend.”

“Excellent! That phrase strikes a chord in my heart. Let’s drink to that!”

Delighted, Hu Xin poured another cup and said, “Master Daoist, if you have any questions, I will answer them all!”

“I have no particular questions, just about the state of the realm.”

Wu Ming said calmly.

“If you asked others in this small county, few would know much. But I have several friends working in the governor’s office, and we’ve exchanged letters…”

Hu Xin narrowed his eyes slightly. “If I may speak of major events, there are two things happening in the realm now. First, Ji Yi has raised an army and taken control of Qianzhou and Yunzhou. The court has already bestowed upon him a royal title—the title of ‘Wu’ (Martial).”

This was merely an act of appeasement, but Wu Ming, familiar with history, knew it would have no effect.

In fact, after Ji Yi received the title of Martial King, his power fully matured. Once the smoke of rebellion from forty regions cleared, he would march against the Great Shang and completely destroy its dynasty.

“And the second matter?”

“The second is that Xu Zongwu, the leader among the thirteen rebel kings known as ‘Gaitian Wang’ (Cover-Heaven King), has captured the Ten-Barrier Pass and is now preparing to invite all rebel kings to a grand alliance. They plan to jointly attack the capital, Shengjing, and whoever captures it first will be declared emperor!”

Hu Xin lowered his voice as he delivered this shocking news.

“So the history has already reached this point!”

Wu Ming’s heart stirred.

The Jinchi Gathering at the Ten-Barrier Pass!

This event was a pivotal moment in Zhou dynasty history, always mentioned with great emphasis in the annals.

Shengjing was the imperial capital of the Great Shang. The Ten-Barrier Pass was to Shengjing what the Hulao Pass was to Luoyang.

Xu Zongwu had captured the Ten-Barrier Pass and was now summoning forty rebel factions to a grand assembly, proposing that whoever captured Shengjing first would be crowned emperor. He was attempting to unite all anti-Shang forces under his banner and become their supreme leader.

If he succeeded, even Wu Wang Ji Yi, though ruling two provinces, would be powerless against the united might of the entire realm.

Of course, Wu Ming had read in the histories that this Jinchi Gathering ultimately failed, instead giving rise to the last great general of the Shang dynasty—Guo Zihan, the “Mountain-Flattening King,” whose legendary feats included “single-handedly defeating eight kings, riding through thirteen generals, and setting fire to eighty miles of enemy camps.”

Back then, reading the history, he had thought Guo Zihan was a brilliant strategist blessed with extraordinary luck to pull off a successful ambush. But now, immersed in real history, Wu Ming felt a slight sense of doubt.

“Unless these rebel kings and generals were all fools, there’s no way they could be wiped out all at once. There must have been a tremendous upheaval, one that was later buried in history…”

As Wu Ming ate and drank, listening to Hu Xin’s passionate discourse, he gradually gained a clearer understanding of the realm’s overall situation.

Though historical records might not be entirely reliable, the general direction of events was usually accurate.

“Sigh… Unfortunately, I still lack knowledge. Otherwise, during the three hundred years of the Zhou dynasty, there must have been hidden treasures or legacies I could now try to uncover…”

Wu Ming felt a deep sense of regret. Suddenly, a thought struck him: “Perhaps those Reborn really did something like that… Sigh, in this world, who can say whether it’s real or just a dream? Like the butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi, or Zhuangzi dreaming of the butterfly…”

“Woe is me… I’ve studied so hard, yet in the end, I’m good for nothing. What can I do? What can I do?”

Hu Xin, whose tolerance for alcohol was low, was now drunk beyond reason, muttering as he slumped over the table: “I’ve read so many books, yet I have no way to serve my country. Alas… The realm is in chaos, the rich feast while the poor starve, and the heavens remain indifferent…”

“What a cynic!”

Wu Ming observed the faint scholarly aura around Hu Xin’s head and made a quiet judgment.

“Excellent! In these times of chaos, it’s the perfect opportunity for men of action! The tyrant emperor is blind, so why not join the Cover-Heaven King or the One-Brow King? To act on one’s convictions and avenge injustice—that is the greatest joy in life!”

Suddenly, from a nearby table, two young men dressed in black and armed with swords raised their cups and shouted.

“Hey! Where did these reckless fools come from?”

Earlier, Hu Xin’s discussion of the realm had already made the diners uneasy, but now someone had gone even further, openly shouting in a county still under Zhou control. The surrounding diners turned pale with fear, and many immediately stood up to leave, clearly afraid of being implicated.

Wu Ming was also somewhat annoyed. But as he glanced over, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

He saw that both were dressed in tight black outfits, swords slung across their backs, exuding youthful vigor. Most importantly, within their inner energy, two pure white sword auras, cold as frost, were clearly visible. They were genuine second-level sword cultivators—rare in a small county.

“Are they deliberately drawing the attention of the authorities to create a diversion? Or perhaps planning to kill officers as proof of loyalty?”

Seeing that these swordsmen, though outwardly rough, were actually quite cautious, constantly scanning all directions, one hand never straying far from his sword hilt, Wu Ming immediately stood up.

Though he wasn’t afraid of trouble, he wasn’t one to seek it out either. He was about to leave the scene.

“Wait, Daoist!”

One of the younger swordsmen called out as he tried to leave. “Master Daoist, you’re not staying in the mountains to cultivate in peace, yet you come out to inquire about such matters. You must also be a man who cares for the realm. Why not join us brothers today in a sworn brotherhood, and together go serve the One-Brow King?”

At this moment, these two youths resembled the bold heroes from old tales—those who admired courage, loved chivalry, and would spill blood at a moment’s notice.

But Wu Ming could barely suppress an eye-roll. He deeply understood the saying: “You may not seek trouble, but trouble will find you.”

He waved his hand politely. “Your noble intentions are admirable, but this humble Daoist dares not presume to join you. Excuse me.”

In a flash, he had already vanished several paces away.

“Brother, why didn’t you let me test him? That Daoist is strange and suspicious. He might very well be from the Red Lotus Sect!”

As Wu Ming walked away, the younger swordsman impatiently pushed aside his older brother’s restraining hand.

“But his voice traveled only a few feet, audible only to the elder swordsman.

“We were sent by the Master of the Military School to hunt down the Red Lotus Sect. We must not get entangled in other matters… I saw that the Daoist truly had cultivation skills, but he might not necessarily be from the Red Lotus Sect. We must not make unnecessary enemies!”

Unfortunately, the two swordsmen failed to notice a faint glimmer of spiritual energy left behind on the chair where Wu Ming had sat.

“The Military School? The Red Lotus Sect? So it’s an internal conflict among cultivators. I need not interfere.”

Several streets away, Wu Ming felt a stirring in his heart. Then, his gaze turned coldly toward another direction. “Bold indeed! Daring to follow me?”

“Indeed, it’s the Senior Uncle!”

Two disciples of the Red Lotus Sect emerged from the shadows, their faces alight with joy as they knelt. “Congratulations, Senior Uncle, on achieving great cultivation!”