Chapter 2: Green Ox Town

This is a small town, though in truth it’s more like a large village, named Qingniu Town. Only the locals from the nearby valleys, who knew little of the world beyond, would keep calling it “Qingniu City.” This was the private thought of Zhang Er, who had been a gatekeeper for over a decade.

Qingniu Town was indeed small, with only one main street running east to west—Qingniu Street. There was just one inn, the Qingniu Inn, located at the western end of the elongated town. So, any traveling merchants who didn’t want to sleep outdoors had no choice but to stay there.

Just then, a carriage that had clearly traveled a long distance entered Qingniu Town from the west. It sped past the entrance of Qingniu Inn without stopping, racing all the way to the other end of the town before halting in front of the Chunxiang Restaurant.

The Chunxiang Restaurant wasn’t particularly large and even looked a bit worn, but it had a quaint, old-world charm. As it was lunchtime, the restaurant was packed with patrons, almost every seat taken.

A plump man with a round face and a small mustache, along with a dark-skinned boy of about ten, stepped out of the carriage. The man swaggered directly into the restaurant with the child in tow. Regulars at the restaurant recognized the man as “Fatty Han,” the owner of the restaurant, but no one knew who the child was.

“Old Han, this dark little fellow looks a lot like you. He’s not a son you had behind your wife’s back, is he?” someone suddenly joked.

This remark drew a round of laughter from those nearby.

“Pah! This is my nephew from my family clan. Of course he looks a bit like me,” Fatty Han retorted, not at all offended but rather pleased.

The two were Han Li and his third uncle—the man others called “Fatty Han”—who had just arrived in town after three days on the road.

After greeting a few regulars, Fatty Han led Han Li to the back of the restaurant, entering a secluded courtyard.

“Xiao Li, rest well in this room and regain your energy. When the inner sect’s manager arrives, I’ll call for you. I need to step out for a bit to attend to some regulars,” Fatty Han said kindly, pointing to a side room in the courtyard.

With that, he turned and hurried out.

At the doorway, he seemed to have second thoughts and added, “Don’t wander off. The town is crowded, and it’s easy to get lost. Better not leave the courtyard.”

“Okay!”

Seeing Han Li obediently agree, he finally left with peace of mind.

Once his uncle was gone, Han Li, feeling exhausted, collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, showing none of the shyness or unease typical of a child in unfamiliar surroundings.

That evening, a servant brought him a meal. Though it wasn’t lavish, it was quite tasty. After he finished, the same servant came in to clear the dishes. It was only then that his uncle strolled in unhurriedly.

“So, was the food to your liking? Feeling a bit homesick?”

“Mm, a little,” Han Li replied dutifully.

His uncle seemed satisfied with the answer and proceeded to chat about family matters, boasting about some interesting people and adventures he’d encountered. Gradually, Han Li began to relax, and the two were soon chatting and laughing together.

Two days passed in this manner.

On the third day, just as Han Li finished dinner and was waiting for his uncle to tell him another Jianghu story, another carriage pulled up in front of the restaurant.

This is a small town, though in truth it’s just a slightly larger village, named Qingniu Town. Only the locals living in the nearby mountain valleys, with little exposure to the outside world, would incessantly refer to it as “Qingniu City.” This was the heartfelt thought of Zhang Er, who had served as a gatekeeper for over a decade.

Qingniu Town was indeed small, with only one main street running east to west—Qingniu Street. There was just one inn, the Qingniu Inn, located at the western end of the elongated town. Thus, any traveling merchants who did not wish to sleep outdoors had no choice but to stay there.

At that moment, a carriage that had clearly traveled a long distance entered Qingniu Town from the west. It sped past the entrance of Qingniu Inn without stopping, racing all the way to the other end of the town before finally halting in front of the Chunxiang Tavern.

The Chunxiang Tavern was not particularly large and even appeared somewhat worn, yet it exuded a quaint, antique charm. As it was lunchtime, the tavern was filled with patrons, almost to the point of being packed.

A plump man with a round face and a small mustache, along with a dark-skinned boy of about ten, stepped out of the carriage. The man swaggered directly into the tavern with the child in tow. Regular patrons recognized the man as “Fatty Han,” the tavern’s owner, but no one knew who the child was.

“Old Han, this dark little fellow looks a lot like you. He wouldn’t be a son you had behind your wife’s back, would he?” someone suddenly joked.

This remark sparked a round of laughter from those nearby.

“Pah! This is my nephew from my family. Of course, he resembles me a bit,” Fatty Han retorted, not angered in the slightest but rather looking somewhat pleased.

These two were none other than Han Li, who had just arrived in town after three days of travel, and his third uncle—the man others called “Fatty Han.”

After greeting a few regular customers, Fatty Han led Han Li to the back of the tavern, entering a secluded small courtyard.

“Xiao Li, rest well in this room and regain your energy. When the inner sect’s manager arrives, I’ll call for you. I need to step out for a moment to attend to some regulars,” Fatty Han said kindly, pointing to a side room in the courtyard.

With that, he turned and hurried away.

At the doorway, he seemed somewhat uneasy and added, “Don’t wander off. The town is crowded, and it’s easy to get lost. It’s best if you don’t leave the courtyard.”

“Okay!”

Seeing Han Li obediently agree, he finally felt reassured and left.

Once his third uncle was gone, Han Li, feeling exhausted, collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, showing none of the shyness typical of a child in an unfamiliar place.

That evening, a servant brought him a meal. Though it was not lavish, it was quite tasty. After he finished eating, the servant returned to clear away the dishes. It was only then that his third uncle strolled in unhurriedly.

“So, was the food to your liking? Feeling a bit homesick?”

“Yeah, a little,” Han Li replied obediently.

His third uncle seemed pleased with the response and proceeded to chat with him about everyday matters, boasting about some interesting people and events he had encountered. Gradually, Han Li began to feel more at ease, and the two soon fell into easy conversation.

Two days passed in this manner.

On the third day, just as Han Li finished dinner and was waiting for his third uncle to tell him another Jianghu story, another carriage pulled up in front of the tavern.

This carriage was painted glossy black from top to bottom, and it was drawn by a rare, handpicked yellow steed. Most notably, a small black triangular flag embroidered with the character “Xuan” (玄) in silver with red borders was planted on the carriage frame, exuding an indescribable air of mystery.

To any seasoned Jianghu hands within a hundred-mile radius, this flag signaled the arrival of an important figure from one of the region’s two dominant powers—the “Seven Mysteries Sect.”

The Seven Mysteries Sect, also known as the Seven Ultimate Sect, was founded two hundred years ago by the renowned “Seven Ultimate Supreme.” It once dominated Jingzhou for decades and even extended its influence to neighboring prefectures, earning fame throughout the Yue Kingdom. However, after the death of the Seven Ultimate Supreme, the sect’s power declined sharply, and it was forced out of Jingzhou’s capital city by rival sects. A century ago, the sect relocated to the remote Caixia Mountain in Jingzhou, where it settled and dwindled into a third-rate local force.

As the saying goes, “A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.” The Seven Mysteries Sect, once a major power, still retained considerable potential. Upon moving to Caixia Mountain, it quickly gained control over a dozen small towns, including Qingniu Town, and boasted three to four thousand disciples, making it one of the two undisputed local powers.

The only other force capable of rivaling the Seven Mysteries Sect was the “Fierce Wolf Gang.”

The Fierce Wolf Gang originated from a band of horse bandits in Jingzhou who engaged in pillaging and slaughter. After repeated government crackdowns, some of the bandits accepted amnesty, while the rest formed the Fierce Wolf Gang. However, the gang inherited the bandits’ ferocity, bloodthirst, and fearlessness in battle, often giving the Seven Mysteries Sect the upper hand in conflicts.

Although the Fierce Wolf Gang controlled more towns, they lacked management skills, and their territories were far less prosperous than those under the Seven Mysteries Sect. Coveting the wealthier regions under the sect’s control, the gang frequently provoked conflicts, much to the frustration of the current sect leader. This was also a key reason behind the sect’s recent efforts to recruit more disciples.

A lean man in his forties jumped down from the carriage. Agile and clearly skilled, he seemed familiar with the place and strode directly toward Han Li’s room.

Upon seeing the man, Han Li’s third uncle immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Guardian Wang, why have you come personally to fetch him?”

“Hmph!” Guardian Wang snorted coldly, his face full of arrogance.

“The roads are unsafe lately, so we need to tighten security. The elder ordered me to come personally. Enough talk—is this the child you’re recommending?”

“Yes, yes. This is my nephew. I hope you’ll look after him on the journey,” Fatty Han said promptly, discreetly handing over a heavy pouch as he noticed the man’s impatience.

Guardian Wang weighed the pouch in his hand, his expression softening slightly.

“Fatty Han, you know how to handle things. I’ll take care of your nephew on the road. It’s getting late; we should set off soon.”

To any seasoned Jianghu wanderer within a hundred miles, this flag signaled the arrival of an important figure from one of the two dominant powers in the region—the “Seven Mysteries Sect.”

The Seven Mysteries Sect, also known as the Seven Ultimate Sect, was founded two hundred years ago by the renowned “Seven Ultimate Supreme.” It once dominated Jingzhou for decades, even extending its influence to several neighboring prefectures, and was famous throughout the entire Yue Kingdom. However, after the death of the Seven Ultimate Supreme, the sect’s power declined sharply. It was forced out of the Jingzhou capital by rival sects and, a century ago, relocated to the remote Caixia Mountain, where it settled and dwindled into a third-rate local power.

As the saying goes, “A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.” The Seven Mysteries Sect, having once been a major sect, still held considerable latent power. Upon moving to Caixia Mountain, it quickly took control of over a dozen small towns, including Qingniu Town, and now boasted three to four thousand disciples. It was one of the two undisputed powers in the area.

The only local force that could rival the Seven Mysteries Sect was the “Fierce Wolf Gang.”

The Fierce Wolf Gang originated from a band of horse bandits in Jingzhou who pillaged and killed indiscriminately. After repeated government crackdowns, some accepted amnesty and joined the authorities, while the rest formed the Fierce Wolf Gang. However, they retained the bandits’ ferocity, bloodthirst, and fearless combativeness. This often gave them the upper hand in clashes with the Seven Mysteries Sect.

Although the Fierce Wolf Gang controlled more towns, they lacked management skills, and their territories were far less prosperous than those under the Seven Mysteries Sect. Coveting the wealthier areas under the sect’s control, the gang frequently provoked conflicts, much to the frustration of the current sect leader. This was also the main reason the Seven Mysteries Sect had been aggressively recruiting new disciples in recent years.

A lean, wiry man in his forties jumped down from the carriage. His movements were agile, clearly indicating martial skill, and he seemed familiar with the place. He strode purposefully toward the room where Han Li was staying.

As soon as Han Li’s uncle saw the man, he stepped forward respectfully and bowed. “Law Protector Wang, to what do we owe the honor of your personal presence?”

“Hmph!” Law Protector Wang snorted coldly, his face full of arrogance.

“The roads have been unsafe lately, so we’ve tightened security. The elder ordered me to come personally to fetch the candidate. Enough talk—is this child the one you recommended?”

“Yes, yes. This is my nephew from the same clan. I hope you’ll look after him on the journey,” Fatty Han said smoothly, discreetly pulling out a heavy pouch and handing it over.

Law Protector Wang weighed the pouch in his hand, and his expression softened slightly.

“Fatty Han, you know how to handle things. I’ll take care of your nephew on the road. It’s getting late—we should set off soon.”