Chapter 578: New World, New Jianghu

## Volume Three: He Xinliang

Yanzhi Commandery in You Prefecture, being close to the border and quite distant from Yihe City, was touched by some troubles, yet it could almost be called a secluded paradise compared to the rivers of blood flowing in the heartland of You Prefecture. Nevertheless, some sons of generals were still implicated, losing their official positions. Consequently, during this period, scholars from other regions, carrying official documents, continuously poured into the commandery, taking up various government posts. Most of these newly appointed literati had seals from the Prefectural Governor's manor and letters of recommendation from literary giants like Huang Shang.

Hong Shandong, the Governor of Yanzhi Commandery, had been overwhelmed with welcoming and seeing off officials for the past ten days. It was only early summer, but he had already drunk countless pots of cooling tea, fearing he might slight any influential figure, no matter how obscure, who had powerful backing. It was clear that the new King of Beiliang favored literati over military men, as his purge in You Prefecture mostly targeted martial figures. How could Hong Shandong dare to put on airs at such a critical juncture? Yanzhi Commandery governed seven counties, but only one was a "superior" county. According to Liyang laws, a county needed to produce 100,000 *shi* of grain to be considered superior; in Beiliang, half that amount qualified as a top-tier county. This wave of scholars taking up official posts in the commandery included one county magistrate, three assistant magistrates, six administrative secretaries, and one county commandant. Fortunately, they were all assigned to mid-tier or lower-tier counties, sparing the Governor's core interests. It was customary and expected for new officials to pay their respects to Hong Shandong, the head official of the commandery. However, one administrative secretary and one county commandant did not appear, presumably due to their scholarly integrity, proceeding directly to their posts. Hong Shandong, being a scholar himself, was too bothered to quibble over such formalities; he was content as long as the commandery maintained a semblance of peace.

Bingshan County was a desolate, impoverished lower-tier county, merely holding the largest jurisdictional area in Yanzhi Commandery. Coupled with strong local factions, county magistrates there had always found their positions frustrating, let alone dreaming of the "three years of honest magistracy leading to a hundred thousand *taels* of silver" fortune. This time, with the major upheaval in You Prefecture's official circles, Bingshan County's entire hierarchy, from magistrate to county commandant, fled without anyone needing to give orders. Those capable sought higher positions in other counties; those less fortunate seized the opportunity to downgrade to lucrative posts elsewhere. As a result, when the newly appointed "parental officials"—the magistrate, assistant magistrates, and administrative secretaries—gathered in the old county yamen, they stared at each other, all unfamiliar faces.

The magistrate, Feng Guan, was a scholar from Shangyin Academy, just reaching the age of thirty. He was reputedly a rare talent, even admired by the venerable Grand Libationer Wang, making him a highly sought-after individual in Beiliang. Governor Hong received Feng Guan's introductory gift but secretly sent an even more substantial return gift.

The assistant magistrate, Zuo Jing, was slightly less renowned. He was a scholar who had entered Beiliang with the Lu family from Qingzhou, lacking significant scholarly achievements. However, his connection to the "imperial relatives" of the Lu family meant no one dared to underestimate him.

The county commandant, Bai Shangque, liked to carry a personal saber. He was the bold individual who hadn't bothered to visit Governor Hong. With a burly physique, he didn't present himself as a typical scholar, even squinting at people in the county yamen's main hall.

The remaining official was the administrative secretary, Xu Qi, whose rank was the most junior among the county's principal officers. Young and strikingly handsome, he carried neither a saber nor jade ornaments.

Among these four "parental officials," Feng Guan was arrogant due to his talent and position as magistrate, treating everyone with indifference. Zuo Jing attempted to befriend Bai Shangque, but the latter showed no interest. So, Zuo Jing settled for the next best thing, striking up a brotherhood with Secretary Xu. His efforts weren't in vain; whenever they had free time, they would leave the yamen to drink in the streets. Through repeated probing, Zuo Jing learned that Xu Qi was a general's son who had come to this impoverished backwater to avoid trouble. Initially, Zuo Jing always paid for their drinks, but this soon shifted, with the young secretary consistently footing the bill. At first, Zuo Jing was a bit apprehensive, fearing this young general's son might be too rough and resort to violence if displeased. However, as they drank more frequently and grew closer, he realized this novice official was extremely easygoing and willing to suffer losses. In Zuo Jing's heart, though, he increasingly looked down on Xu Qi, seeing him only as a naive, big-spending drinking buddy. Why not? It was the clear trend for scholars to govern Beiliang's affairs. What future could Xu Qi, a mere general's son who didn't fit in anywhere, possibly have?

Nevertheless, Xu Qi had one quality that pleased Zuo Jing: when Zuo Jing critiqued current events, Xu Qi, if he didn't understand, would readily listen to his explanations and guidance. Bingshan County's affairs were not burdensome anyway. Magistrate Feng eagerly took on tasks, while County Commandant Bai was constantly elusive. Zuo Jing and Xu Qi had ample time for drinking and chatting. Stealing leisure from busy times? It was more like stealing busy times from leisure!

The Kulu Street, opposite the main gate of the county yamen, was short, with only a handful of small shops. There was only one tavern, which mostly sold a few varieties of *Lüyi* wine. Zuo Jing found the cheap, throat-burning *Lüyi* undrinkable. Today, he ordered a pot of *Jiannan Chun* brew, which had just arrived at the tavern. As he ordered, he deliberately glanced at Xu Qi's face, noting his slightly pained but hidden expression. Lord Zuo suppressed a smile and felt even more content as he drank heartily. As he savored the fine wine, Zuo Jing felt a surge of heroic spirit and an urge to speak his mind. He had barely finished one cup when Xu Qi, understanding the cue, quickly refilled it. Lord Zuo raised his cup, not in a hurry to drink, and leisurely said, "Last time, I told you about the public rupture between 'Green Eyes' and 'Elder Tantant,' which was quite satisfying. Today, I'll properly discuss the ensuing ripples. This Grand Secretary Zhang, who controlled Liyang's discourse, finally put his power to use. With a sharp 'clank,' this blade suddenly fell in the imperial court. Though no one died, it cost the court officials eligible to attend palace assemblies two noble titles and sixteen official positions! Xu Qi, isn't that impressive?"

Xu Qi chuckled softly, "Indeed, it was a supremely powerful counter-attack, no less potent than Chen Zhibao's plum wine."

Zuo Jing had intended to ask and answer his own question. Interrupted, he instinctively wanted to glare, but quickly restrained himself. After all, the person seated before him held a similar official rank. He took a slow sip, collected his thoughts, and then continued, "The court officials were utterly disgraced and full of apprehension, but that's not the main point. Things quickly took a turn for the better. 'Green Eyes' intended to excavate the Lianzi River to resolve the flooding in Guangling. The Minister of Works, known for his 'closed-mouth meditation' practice, for the first time ever, directly submitted a memorial, clearly stating the pros and cons, and actually managed to thoroughly rebut the Grand Secretary! In my opinion, the two emperors of this dynasty, whether 'Human Cat' died or not, are ultimately gone. And this 'Purple-Bearded Lord,' still holding the title of Grand Secretary, is also like the setting sun, on the verge of collapse."

At this point, Zuo Jing, who was most likely to succeed as county magistrate within the yamen, sighed deeply. As a scholar, no matter what he said about "Green Eyes" verbally, how could his heart not yearn for such a figure? One who practices martial arts but does not reach Wudi City is no hero; one who studies literature but does not know "Green Eyes," how can they speak of being an official? Zuo Jing took a sip of wine, making a smacking sound. Then he heard a rather off-putting question: "Lord Zuo, Grand Secretary Zhang is too far removed from someone like me, Xu Qi. I'm actually more curious about the current *jianghu*."

Zuo Jing couldn't help but inwardly scoff, *What are you, Xu Qi? Forget "Green Eyes," even Tai'an City is miles away from you. As for the *jianghu*, do you really think you're any closer?* Despite his disdain, Zuo Jing, drinking the excellent wine paid for by Xu Qi, maintained a smiling face and slowly said, "The *jianghu*, I have indeed heard some things about it. Though I haven't paid much attention, since you asked, it's no harm to share some gossip. Coinciding with the changes in the imperial court, the 'New Three Rankings of the World' have circulated from Guangling Road. Let's not talk about the 'Generals and Ministers' ranking; those are all expected figures, with only Yin Maochun of this dynasty and Dong Zhuo of Beiman offering slight novelty. Let's just talk about the 'Martial Ranking' you asked about. This is truly an unprecedented undertaking in a hundred years, increasing from ten people to fifteen..."

That fellow Xu Qi interjected again, smiling, "So many people? Doesn't that make it a bit less valuable?"

Zuo Jing sneered, "Less valuable? This time, it's more valuable than any previous martial ranking! In the past, the Liyang Martial Ranking of ten, and the last martial ranking published by Beiman, did not include figures from the Three Teachings, nor did they dare to touch places like Wudi City and the Wu Family Sword Mound. This time's fifteen martial artists – *those* are truly the world's top masters!"

Xu Qi lowered his head, took a sip of wine, then squinted and smiled.

Zuo Jing glanced at the young administrative secretary across the table. The rather plain-looking Assistant Magistrate Zuo couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment; this young master from a military family certainly possessed a face that could easily charm women. At some point, the tavern's young owner also joined them, not bringing any *Lüyi* wine – which barely sold for a few copper coins anyway – but simply sitting there silently, not scrounging for wine, just smiling foolishly. Zuo Jing found this irritating and preferred to ignore him, not wanting to waste his breath. However, unable to withstand the shabby young owner's eager gaze, Zuo Jing twitched his lips. Seeing Xu Qi order another pot of *Jiannan Chun* brew from the proprietor, he finally broke into a smile and said, "Old Eccentric Wang Xianzhi is still the undisputed number one in the world, unshakeable. Even the Peach Blossom Sword God, Deng Tai'a, who returned from visiting immortals and overturned the South China Sea with a single sword, could only dutifully settle for second place."

The young tavern owner, with his thick eyebrows and large eyes, exclaimed in surprise, "What happened? Tuoba Pusa became third?"

Lord Zuo couldn't be bothered with this ignorant, shortsighted "frog in a well." He slowly said, "What's so surprising? Tuoba Pusa of Beiman was pushed to third by Deng Tai'a. The top three in martial arts have shifted in position, but the people remain the same three, unmovable. Having spoken of these three 'land immortals,' let me now tell you about the next five. The ranking compilers probably still had some reservations; the Buddhist and Daoist leaders from the Three Teachings are not among the top ten. For instance, the white-robed monk of Liangchan Temple, now in seclusion, Li Dangxin, the 'World's Zen-less,' the Beiman National Preceptor, Kirin Zhenren Yuan Qingshan, and the new Wudang patriarch Li Yufu, are all outside the top ten, occupying these five spots alongside Duanmao Deng Mao and our own Xu Yanbing of Beiliang, with no particular order. If it were ten years ago, wouldn't all five of these figures have been stable top-five immortals?"

The young tavern owner joyfully said, "Our Beiliang is amazing! Patriarch Li and General Xu are both on the list! Brother's happy today, I'll treat you to drinks later, absolutely the finest *Lüyi*, guaranteed you won't find anywhere else in Bingshan County that sells it! Lord Zuo, quick, tell us, who are the other seven heroes?!"

Zuo Jing, in a playful mood, teased, "Bring the wine first, otherwise, no discussion."

The young owner impatiently said, "Why rush? I'll definitely treat you, Assistant Magistrate, to two pots of *Lüyi* wine later! Do I have the guts to trick you, Lord Zuo?"

Xu Qi unsealed the second pot of *Jiannan Chun* brew. After his cup was refilled, Zuo Jing stopped quibbling with a country bumpkin. He took a big gulp, his face expressing satisfaction, before saying, "Fourth is Cao Changqing, the Confucian Sage of Western Chu; fifth is Luo Yang, the Demon of Zhulu Mountain; eighth is Hong Jingyan, 'the Clepsidra'; ninth is Grand Pillar Gu Jiantang; and tenth is the Master of the Suwang Sword, the contemporary head of the Wu Family Sword Mound!"

The young owner was stunned. He counted on his fingers and asked in puzzlement, "Where did the sixth and seventh go? Assistant Magistrate, did you perhaps drink them away?"

Zuo Jing was about to reach for a peanut from the small porcelain dish with his chopsticks, feigning a strike at the simpleton. He rolled his eyes and said, "The seventh is none other than Chen Zhibao, the new King of Shu, who came from your Beiliang."

The young man chuckled, "What do you mean 'your' Beiliang? Assistant Magistrate, you must be muddled from drinking. It should be 'our' Beiliang."

Zuo Jing felt a slight jolt; much of his slight drunkenness dissipated. But he quickly regained his composure, smiling, "As for the sixth, that would be our King of Beiliang."

The young man's mouth fell open, and his eyes widened.

Zuo Jing eyed him askance, not bothering to hide his mockery. He scoffed, "You don't believe it? Pei Ju, are you scared to believe it, or unwilling to believe it? Hmm?"

The young man, surnamed Pei, grinned foolishly, "It's such great news! I believe it, I believe it! If I don't believe it, I'll take your surname, Assistant Magistrate Zuo!"

Zuo Jing couldn't resist showing off his scholarship, scoffing, "It's true that the Pei surname was prominent twenty years ago, but now it's worthless, far below my Zuo surname on this dynasty's lineage charts by over sixty ranks."

Pei Ju nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking rice, "Exactly, exactly! Bearing the Pei surname is disgraceful; I'm unwelcome everywhere. I wish I could find a gentry daughter someday, offer myself to her family, and change my surname by marrying in."

Xu Qi murmured, "Sixth. It seems Huang Sanjia deliberately held back."

Zuo Jing asked, puzzled, "What did you say?"

Xu Qi shook his head and smiled, "I just think that no matter what rank, being on the martial ranking list is enough to intimidate people."

Pei Ju, while still maintaining some of the awe ordinary folk had for "parental officials" when facing the haughty Assistant Magistrate, had grown accustomed to being familiar with the amiable Xu Qi. During their occasional interactions over the past few days, Pei Ju had always been carefree and outspoken. He scooped a handful of peanuts into his mouth and mumbled, "More than just intimidating people! If I met one, I'd be scared out of my wits! If I didn't die of fright, I'd cling to their leg and beg them to take me as a disciple. If I were lucky enough to learn even a trick or two, then when I ventured into the *jianghu*, who couldn't I beat? Even if I couldn't win, I could just bring up my master to back me up and intimidate the situation. Who would dare bully me then? Wouldn't they be rushing to be reborn?"

Xu Qi hesitated, then finally couldn't help but say, "With thoughts like that, you won't be able to master the sword or become a true master."

Pei Ju rolled his eyes and retorted grumpily, "I'm not even practicing sword. Look, among the world's top three, only one practices sword. And among the fifteen great masters, there's also that old fellow from the Wu Family Sword—what was his name again?—who practices sword, and he's still at the bottom of the top ten."

Xu Qi smiled, "You're right."

Pei Ju's eyes suddenly lit up. He stared intently at the scholarly Assistant Magistrate and eagerly asked, "What about the Rouge Ranking? Who are the great beauties on that list?"

Zuo Jing, being a man after all, smiled knowingly. He took a small sip of the rich wine, savored it for a moment, and then said, "This Rouge Ranking hasn't changed much, except it lost Princess Pei Nanwei, the Princess Consort of Jing'an, who died for love, and gained Jiang Si, the exiled princess of Western Chu."

Pei Ju thought for a moment. "That one, I know her! She flew straight through the eighteen gates of the Imperial City on her sword. Who would dare marry her after that? What about our martial arts alliance leader, Huishan's Purple-Clad? Don't they say she's also a beauty capable of bringing ruin to a nation?"

Zuo Jing chuckled softly, "If men don't dare marry the Western Chu princess, do you think any man would dare covet this mistress of Daxueping? You must understand, although Xuan Yuan Qingfeng did not make it into the top fifteen martial artists, she, along with Nangong Pushe, was singled out by the evaluators. They said the former was just one hurdle away, and the latter one floor away, both having the potential to reach the pinnacle of the martial arts world as women. It just depends on who takes the first step faster; whoever is slower will always be slow, and it will be difficult for them to stand side by side again. In my opinion, this old fox who created the ranking is full of mischief, just hoping these two beautiful women would fight. Pei boy, let me ask you, setting aside those untouchable women, suppose you knew two beautiful women across the street whom you couldn't have for yourself. Would you be willing or unwilling to see them wrestling in the street?"

Pei Ju merely chuckled, the answer self-evident.

Since he was drinking for free, Zuo Jing became more talkative. He then recounted many new *jianghu* events to the two ignorant young men. For instance, Song Nianqing of Dongyue Sword Pond had died without apparent reason, and Xie Lingzhen, the great sword master of Spring Calligraphy Hut in Western Shu, also died mysteriously. With these foundational figures gone, these sects had lost their anchors, their *jianghu* status plummeting. They no longer held their former dominance, falling far behind Longhu Mountain and the Wu Family Sword Mound, now only ranking among the "Ten Great Sects" alongside many newly risen factions. Beiliang was truly the undeniable big winner this time. In this assessment where Liyang was Liyang and Beiman was Beiman, an organization no one had ever heard of before, the Fish Dragon Gang, had made a stunning debut. Although it was at the very bottom, what did being tenth matter? When introducing themselves outside, they would always claim to be one of the "Ten Great Sects of the entire Liyang *jianghu*," not foolishly admit to being the tenth. As the Assistant Magistrate spoke, Pei Ju was already wondering if he should go to Lingzhou and join the Fish Dragon Gang. At the end of their chat, Pei Ju slapped his thigh and, belatedly, asked, "Lord Zuo, why isn't that great demon 'Human Cat' on the list? Was he outranked? So down and out he couldn't even make it into the top fifteen?"

Zuo Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He pointed a chopstick at the young man, who was tucked away in a corner and destined to be a "frog in a well" his whole life, saying, "Are you stupid?!"

Xu Qi, the administrative secretary of Bingshan County, simply smiled and let it pass.

Pei Ju suddenly clutched his stomach, claiming he needed to go to the latrine, and vanished in a flash.

Lord Zuo waited until he had finished his last cup of *Jiannan Chun* brew before suddenly realizing: that "foolish" boy wasn't truly foolish; he was just clever, trying to dodge the two promised pots of *Lüyi* wine. Zuo Jing chuckled, rose from the table. Xu Qi said he wanted to stay a bit longer, so the Assistant Magistrate walked out of the tavern alone, muttering, "Foolish is foolish. The tavern is here; where can he run off to? He might avoid the first, but not the fifteenth. I am a dignified Sixth-Rank Assistant Magistrate. Forget about drinking two pots of your cheap wine; what difficulty would there be in taking half of your tavern?"

As soon as Zuo Jing left the tavern, the young man immediately ran back to the table, sat down, and said with a laugh, "Xu Qi, don't you think that guy's stupid? He doesn't even understand the principle of 'Three in the Morning, Four in the Evening.' He wasted his time reading those sage's books."

Xu Qi smiled and asked, "Does 'Three in the Morning, Four in the Evening' have some additional meaning?"

Pei Ju crossed his legs, picked up the *Jiannan Chun* brew bottle, tilted his head back, and drank the few drops remaining at the bottom, satisfied. Wiping his mouth, he said, "You must have read even less than me. 'Three in the Morning, Four in the Evening' means that a monkey trainer gave his monkeys three acorns in the morning and four in the evening. When the monkeys weren't happy, the trainer said, 'Four acorns in the morning and three in the evening.' When I was a kid and heard this joke, which others found amusing, I thought those monkeys were truly damn smart. Getting an extra acorn in the morning, wasn't that better than anything? Even if they really got three more in the evening, getting them early means peace of mind sooner. Besides, in our world, who in business isn't full of nonsense? So, the monkeys are smart, and that Assistant Magistrate is very stupid. I don't know how he became an Assistant Magistrate; if you ask me, I'd be better off as a parental official than him."

Xu Qi looked out the window and calmly said, "That's your logic. But sometimes, in life and in work, you don't actually need to be that clever."

Pei Ju spat, scoffing, "Xu Qi, Xu Qi, what you're saying is boring. If you're not clever, how can you succeed? Even stray dogs on the street know to bite poor beggars. Do you think they'd dare bite me, or bite the Assistant Magistrate?"

Xu Qi remained silent and walked out of the tavern.

Walking along the sparsely populated street, he looked up, allowing the dazzling sunlight to hit his eyes, unmoved.

Pei Ju leaned out the window, watching the receding figure. The young tavern owner, who had always been jealous of the secretary's clothes, appearance, and official status, pouted and muttered, "What's the use of looking decent? Do you even have the right to lecture me?"

Xu Qi walked alone.

Wen Hua.

Your brother is already nominally the sixth-ranked person in the world.

If I am still alive and you are still living on that day in the future, then I've taken the liberty of adding the portion you didn't want, on your behalf.

If the two of us combine our efforts, creating the world's number one, that wouldn't be too much, would it?