Gu Cheng traveled upstream along the river and arrived at Wulag Town just before noon. Standing on the riverbank and overlooking the small town, he saw the typical Mongolian four-piece tile hats, the Jurchen round-top caps, and the roe deer skin hats of the Hezhe and Oroqen people crowded between the rooftops. The bright red firelight leaked from the occasionally opened and closed leather curtains, and the sounds of laughter and noise flowed over the river of hats and into Gu Cheng's ears. Although raindrops accompanied by scattered ice chips were still falling intermittently, the bustling atmosphere of the town made one unconsciously forget the cold weather.
Before coming here, Gu Cheng had inquired and learned that although Wulag was small, there were dozens of large and small gold veins along the Wulag River, and both the Jīnmǎ Mountain and the Báigā Mountain were famous for their gold in Heilongjiang. The mountains were teeming with wild animals, and hunting was abundant with sables, lynxes, badgers, otters, foxes, and deer; the river was rich in various species of fish, all of which were quite delicious.
Wulag initially was just a place where mountain dwellers gathered to trade, but later some merchants from the interior came to buy gold and furs, gradually building houses and forming a town. In the past decade or so, the imperial court forbade the trade of gold, making furs the main commodity of Wulag's market. It is said that one or two out of ten furs worn by the nobles in the Jiangnan area came from here. Every October, when the heavy snow sealed the mountains and the river froze, people would leave, and only one or two attendants from large merchants would stay to guard the houses from wild animals. It wasn't until May or June, when the river was navigable, that merchants flocked in, and hunters brought down their harvest from the mountains, making this the liveliest time of the year in Wulag.
Walking among people of various ethnicities, listening to languages he didn't understand at all, and smelling the aroma of wine and meat wafting from behind the leather curtains, all the fatigue from the journey welled up. Gu Cheng was considering finding an inn to rest when he noticed a particularly spacious house ahead, with green tiles on top that stood out among the thatched cottages, and a bustling crowd at the entrance, so he strolled over. As he approached, he heard someone shout in Chinese, "Go back to town and wait, see if anyone is coming?" This was the first sentence Gu Cheng had understood since entering the town, and coincidentally, it was the accent of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area, which gave him a momentary feeling of encountering a fellow townsman in a foreign land.
The crowd ahead was dense, mostly hunters of various ethnicities carrying foxes and other furs on their shoulders. Gu Cheng stood on his toes to look inside and saw a long table at the entrance of the house where hunters lined up to place their furs on the table. A thin, middle-aged man wearing amber glasses, who looked like a steward, was busily examining the furs. He took off his glasses, said a few words to an old man with a hunched back, and then the old man, who was probably in his seventies or eighties, small and hunched like a shrimp, said something to the hunter. The hunter nodded, and someone on the side handed him a few ingots of silver, and the old man picked up the furs from the table and threw them into a birch bark basket on the side.
"So it's a fur trading company," Gu Cheng was somewhat disappointed, but he thought, "Since they are from the same hometown, if I ask for lodging, they probably won't refuse." Thinking this, he stood aside without leaving.
At this moment, a woman came to the table. She wore a hat adorned with red and green tassels, a yellow roe deer skin robe with side slits, a plain belt around her waist, and carried a cradle on her back. The cradle was exquisitely embroidered with flowers, birds, insects, and beasts, and was also decorated with shells, copper bells, and amulets. With the slightest movement, these ornaments would sway. Seeing the cradle, Gu Cheng thought, "Oh, she is an Oroqen woman."
He had been traveling in the Guandong region recently and had gained some knowledge, knowing that this cradle was commonly known as an "Oumkai." Oroqen children are placed in it from birth until they are two years old, hung up at home, and carried by their mothers when they migrate. However, among the cradles he had seen, none were as fancy as this one. Although it was a bit tacky, it also showed that the woman truly doted on her child.
The woman placed the furs in her hands one by one on the table, and the steward inspected them as usual. The transaction was completed, and as the woman was about to pick up the silver on the table, the child in the cradle suddenly started crying. The woman, for a moment, ignored the silver and turned to lift the cover, patting the child's face and coaxing softly. The child, about a year old, with a round, red face wrapped in a cluster of white fur, had black, soft curls and eyes like lacquer beans hidden under long eyelashes. Even though he was crying, Gu Cheng couldn't help but feel a trace of tenderness when he saw him. The people behind probably also thought the child was cute, so they didn't urge the woman to leave quickly.
The steward, who had taken off his glasses and was wiping them with a cloth, looked lazy, but at this moment, he was suddenly startled and stood up with both hands on the table. He put his glasses back on, and his triangular eyes sparkled brightly behind the lenses.
"This woman, come here quickly, let me have a look!" the steward shouted. The woman, bewildered, stopped wiping the child's tears. Her hands were dark yellow, with thick calluses, probably larger than a man's.
The old man said something to the woman on the side, but she kept shaking her head, the red and green tassels behind her hat flying about. She mumbled something indistinctly, covered her head, and reached for the silver on the table.
The steward pressed down firmly on the silver, and the woman, taken aback and angry, stepped forward to pry open his hand. As she struggled to take the silver, the steward suddenly reached over and lifted the child's covering, his hand touching the fur the child was wrapped in. The child had just stopped crying, but with a stranger now fidgeting with him, he pouted and started crying again.
While the woman was grabbing the silver and swatting away the steward's hand, the steward was grinning, his glasses nearly falling off, and said to the old man, "That's a fine blue fox fur. This family doesn't recognize its value, probably thinking it's just an ordinary red fox fur. To dress a child in such a valuable item is a waste. Persuade her to sell it to me, I'll offer fifty taels of silver!"
The old man translated this to the woman, but she just kept shaking her head.
Seeing this, the steward added, "How about eighty taels?"
Without waiting for the old man to speak, the woman, carrying the child, turned to leave. The old man called out, likely warning her of the high price, but the woman turned her head and whispered something, seemingly saying she wouldn't sell no matter the price, her expression indignant.
The steward, in a hurry, shouted twice, and several strong men came out of the house, quickly catching up and grabbing the woman. The hunter woman was quite sturdy and fought fiercely. One of the strong men tried to take the cradle from her, but she slapped him crisply. Another man tried to block her way but was knocked back a few steps by her. The hunters standing behind quickly made way, and the man fell solidly to the ground. Although the woman fought fiercely, she was outnumbered and eventually grabbed by two large men, one on each arm, lifting her up. The man on the ground rushed up and punched her face, but she kicked him, sending him back to where he had been. There was a burst of laughter all around.
By this time, the steward had run over and forcefully pulled the fox fur from the child, who cried even louder. The woman finally panicked and shouted something loudly. The old man whispered to the steward, "The woman says she is willing to sell, let her take it off herself, don't let the child get cold."
The steward spat out in anger, "Bah, ungrateful!" Only then did he let the strong men release her.
The woman took off the cradle, put it on the ground, wiped her tears, and held the child out. The child, after the earlier commotion, instead of crying, stared around with a pair of big, round eyes, looking very serious.
The woman opened her outer robe, placed the child against her chest, and muttered something, occasionally glancing at the hunters standing nearby. The woman's face was quite dark, hidden behind her hat, but her eyes were very deep and dark, which made Gu Cheng couldn't help but take an extra look.
Gu Cheng didn't understand what she was saying, but he saw the hunters' faces turn ashamed, each lowering their heads and falling silent. The woman's voice grew faster and shriller. The hunters initially looked a bit angry, but then each of them blushed. Although Gu Cheng didn't understand a word, he felt that her voice contained a kind of power, intangible yet stirring.
Indeed, the old man urgently whispered to the steward, "This woman says, 'You people watch these wicked Han people act like this, where is there any trace of the blood of the Oroqen men! Have they bought your hearts with just a little bit of silver?' It's not good, look at them, they are just about to cause trouble."
Indeed, the hunters around stood up, gripping their bows and arrows tightly, roaring something, dozens of pairs of eyes widened in anger, gradually gathering towards the steward.
The steward, the old man, and several strong men were surrounded by a group of Oroqen hunters, listening to their angry questions, and couldn't help but turn pale. That sense of fear.
At this moment, the steward tried to have the old man make some excuses, but as soon as his voice came out, it was drowned out by the hunters' roars. The steward became somewhat panicked, retreating step by step to the table. His glasses accidentally slid off his nose, and he barely caught them in his hand, his fingers trembling incessantly. The hunters also pressed closer step by step. The woman redressed the child and placed it back in the cradle. At this time, a strong man slowly approached from the side. He had not made a move before, and the hunters had not noticed him. Seeing the situation was not good, the strong man lunged at the woman and snatched the cradle from her hands.
Gu Cheng's position allowed him to clearly see the strong man's lunge. However, since the strong man had initially hidden in the shadows and was not conspicuous, even though Gu Cheng was only about ten paces away from the woman, he was only just able to react and take two steps forward when the cradle was already in the strong man's grasp.
The woman let out a scream and jumped up. At this moment, Gu Cheng suddenly felt a subtle movement in his spiritual vision. Very slight, like a wisp of hair falling into water causing a small ripple, appearing and then disappearing. His heart began to race, as if he was facing some extremely dangerous situation. But when he exerted his full strength to observe the surroundings, he only saw the hunters still arguing with the steward and the onlookers chatting, laughing, and cursing. The sky had grown even darker, and it was still snowing and raining quietly.
Ever since Gu Cheng had cultivated his spiritual vision, he could discern crises in any situation, but at this time and place, he felt a kind of fear born of complete ignorance. It was as if something had been taken out of a painting, but no matter how closely he examined the painting, he could not find any trace of damage or alteration.
After this episode of palpitations, Gu Cheng looked at the woman again and was somewhat astonished. The woman had actually managed to snatch the cradle back and protect it under her body. The strong man punched and kicked her, making a "bang bang" sound, and in just a couple of moves, the woman's scalp was broken, with bright red blood flowing down the collar of her robe. The woman did not budge at all, only wholeheartedly holding the cradle tightly.
Gu Cheng could not help but become angry, thinking that this merchant was too much, and he jumped forward, grabbing the strong man's clothes and throwing him far away. The strong man flailed in the air, "wailing" and "screaming," flying all the way onto the roof of the nearby tavern. The house could hardly bear it, "creaking!" and swayed a few times, and the people drinking inside all ran out. The strong man on the roof did not dare to move, for fear of falling, and kept shouting: "Let me down, let me down!" The arrogance that had just bullied women and children turned into such a face, Gu Cheng could not help but shake his head.
The hunters also saw this scene and became even more angry, grabbing the steward by the collar. The steward's neck was tightly choked, his face flushed, his eyes bulging, and he could not even speak, holding a handful of silver ingots in front of the hunter. The hunter knocked the silver to the ground, stepped on it with the tip of his boot, and spat on it.
The tavern owner ran out, stomping his feet and complaining, worried about the uninvited guest on the roof. Gu Cheng smiled at him and was about to go up and take the strong man down. At this time, he heard the whip "whoosh" and the horse's hooves "clattering" like a heavy rain, and all the people on the street made way upon hearing the sound. Through the gaps in the robes, a green carriage came out. Such a narrow street, no one knew how this carriage had gotten here.
The strong man on the roof saw the carriage and shouted, "Second shopkeeper, second shopkeeper, come and save me quickly!"
The carriage curtain was slightly lifted, and Gu Cheng caught a glimpse of a round-faced middle-aged man, who seemed to let out a soft "uh!" The carriage door curtain moved slightly, and a round and fat body crawled out from inside. The robe he was wearing was embroidered with large clusters of flowers in gold and silver, and this roll in the air was really dazzling.
The second shopkeeper's body looked like it weighed at least two hundred pounds, how could the roof bear it? The tavern owner's face turned pale.
But he saw this "big colored ball" turn to the roof, took the strong man and brought him down to the ground, not even a straw fell from the house. The people around all clicked their tongues in amazement.
The second shopkeeper let the strong man down, and the steward was shouting on the side again. The second shopkeeper frowned, walked over, and as he passed Gu Cheng, the two couldn't help but look at each other. The hunters wanted to block the second shopkeeper, but he just dodged slightly, and in two or three steps, he crossed to where the steward was, such a bloated body was not hindered at all.
The hunter holding the steward was intimidated by his momentum and involuntarily put the steward down.
Once the steward was free, he hastily began to complain about his grievances, removing his glasses as he spoke, his eyes slightly red. However, the second shopkeeper interrupted him and spoke with the hunter. Surprisingly, his Oroqen language was quite fluent. After listening for a while and talking with the translating old man, a hint of sternness appeared on his usually plump and dignified face, and he reprimanded the steward. He took some silver and approached the woman, speaking softly to her. The woman lowered her head, and after a moment, she finally accepted the silver. He then spoke loudly to the hunters, likely apologizing, and upon hearing this, they lined up again and resumed trading furs.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Gu Cheng felt quite hungry. Feeling a bit guilty for causing the tavern owner unnecessary alarm, he entered the establishment. As evening approached, the fire in the tavern burned brightly. The commotion had passed, and the patrons returned to their seats, where small charcoal brazier pots were stewing meat, the smell of which mixed with the aroma of wine. Gu Cheng casually took a seat and ordered a fish soup and some dried meat and wine from the tavern keeper.
In a short while, the wine and meat were served. The wine, brewed from wild persimmons in the mountains, had an unusually sweet and mellow flavor, offering a different taste compared to grain alcohol. Gu Cheng had just taken a sip when he saw the curtain flicker, and in came the Oroqen woman who had caused the earlier dispute. The people in the tavern couldn't help but cast her a few glances and start discussing again. However, she silently moved to a seat far from the fire pit, ordered a bowl of meat soup, and carefully cooled it with a small spoon to feed her child. The child was very well-behaved, eating without crying or making a fuss.
At this moment, the neighboring table started discussing the earlier event, saying, "Old Hu, did you see how that second shopkeeper handled the situation? Impressive. I heard this trading company is now owned by the Shen family. Shen Qingying actually has such capable subordinates!" Gu Cheng looked over to see two merchants casually drinking and chatting.
Old Hu replied, "Shen Qingying? Could such a master really be recruited by him? He must be someone from the Li family of Jinling." Although his voice was low, it did not escape Gu Cheng's ears.
"Really? Are you saying that Shen Qingying is still relying on the Li family?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, Gu Cheng felt an inexplicable chill in the tavern. He activated his spiritual vision to scrutinize everyone in the tavern, and finally focused on a seat against the wall. The sensation was very familiar—it was the same one he had experienced that morning. Gu Cheng looked over and saw a person who had been leaning on the table suddenly raise their head, their eyes glowing with a faint green light in the darkness. He inwardly lamented, "Why did I run into Shen Qingyao again?"
However, although Shen Qingyao had also noticed him, he made no move, merely leaning back on the table and pretending to be asleep. Gu Cheng looked around carefully and identified five other members of the Hawk Seven among the many patrons. He heard the previous speaker continue, "It's natural, Shen Qingying has betrayed the Jingwei Alliance..."
At this moment, the fish soup arrived, and Gu Cheng asked the tavern keeper to send a bowl to the woman's table. The woman smiled at Gu Cheng, who nodded back at her before continuing to listen to the neighboring table's discussion.
"Although the Jingwei Alliance has fallen..."
Perhaps the fish soup was hot, the woman slightly shook the bowl, spilling quite a bit. She winced as if in pain.
"But the few who remain are not to be trifled with. Without the support of the Li family, he might not survive a single day..."
The defeat of the Jingwei Alliance was the biggest event in the martial world this year, and Gu Cheng had heard it mentioned countless times during his journey north. Naturally, the merchants at the neighboring table from the interior were also interested and gathered around.
One said, "The rise and fall of the Jingwei Alliance was quite swift. In just four or five years, they seemed to surpass the Li family of Jinling, but look, after just a few years, they were defeated at the Battle of Yanzi Cliff three months ago."
Another person added, "Yes, but if it weren't for Shen Qingying killing Wei Baihe and framing Xi Hongque, the Jingwei Alliance would have already been crippled by internal strife, and the Li family would never have dared to confront them so aggressively!"
The person sitting with Old Hu sighed and said, "Three months ago, I happened to be back in Jinling. That day, I was planning to visit Yanzi Cliff for leisure, but unfortunately, my wife and I had an argument, and it took us a while to resolve it before we left. The weather that day was similar to today's, with intermittent rain and snow, and the sky was as gloomy as my wife's face, filled with an ominous feeling. I was wondering why it was so unusually cold for February when I started to feel something was off. A few young men bumped into me, causing me to stumble. When I looked again, the streets were filled with a sea of people, and there were children crying on the ground because they had been separated from their families. Some people were even stepping over the children. Although I'm not a good person, I went over to pick up a child. I scolded the person who was about to step on the child. The man was trembling all over and said, 'Look for yourself...' I held the child and looked..."
The people around were captivated and eagerly asked, "What happened?"
Zhao Qi was silent for a moment, and the listeners quickly filled his bowl to the brim, saying, "Here, calm your nerves. What did you see?"
Zhao Qi took the bowl, his hands trembling so much that he spilled half of it on himself. After finally managing to drink the rest, he wiped his mouth and said, "The headquarters of the Jingwei Alliance on Yuhua Terrace was completely ablaze, lighting up half the sky. The river water carried the red for three to five miles, and where I was standing, the water ripples were still red, whether from the firelight or blood, I couldn't tell. I looked down and saw something white floating over— it was a split corpse with intestines and organs hanging out. I was so frightened that I... dropped the child in my hands, turned around, and ran..."
Gu Cheng heard the collective gasps from the crowd, sipping his wine in small sips, the flickering charcoal fire before him seeming to transform into the soaring flames of Yanzi Cliff. He had arrived around the same time as this man. He had rushed in recklessly, the heat waves pressing in, his hair scorching and curling up in no time, everyone in the burning area seemed mad, attacking on sight. Everyone's eyes were bloodshot, filled with terrifying intent to kill. He had tried not to harm anyone at first, but later he couldn't help it, striking with his sword at the slightest movement. All around were screams, wails, and maniacal laughter. In less than a quarter of an hour, he felt like he was going mad too and finally fled, unable to bear it any longer.
When he charged out, he doused the flames on his body in the river water, and then he saw a woman floating by. He pulled her out of the water; her face was as pale as snow, only her curved eyelashes trembling slightly, a silver hairpin in her hair about to come loose. Gu Cheng recognized Xi Hongque from the hairpin and carried her across the river. After crossing, he looked back at the once magnificent hall, now fully burned through, glowing red and bright, looking like a delicate piece carved from red jade from afar. Just as he glanced back, the headquarters of the Jingwei Alliance swayed slightly and then collapsed entirely.
"When I ran to the area of the Confucian Temple, I saw the imperial troops entering the city, arresting people on the streets. I was caught up in it and accused of causing a brawl. It was my wife who eventually managed to get me out after seeking help and spending some silver. Alas, after the officials investigated for over a month, they confiscated the Jingwei Alliance's properties, charging them with colluding with pirates. They claimed that the Li family was aiding the government in capturing bandits, thus having merit and no fault. But the innocent people on the streets suffered greatly. What kind of times are these!"
The drinkers all cursed in unison, and then someone said, "Why do you think Shen Qingying has gone mad? The entire Shen family was killed by the Li family, and later he joined the Jingwei Alliance, whose power rivaled that of the Li family. In just a few years, he could have both avenged his family and reclaimed his property. Why on earth would he join forces with his enemies?"
Old Hu, hearing this, suddenly asked, "Do you know that Hei Jingwei was originally the leader of the Jingwei Alliance, so why was Wei Baihe chosen instead?"
Before Zhao Qi could answer, someone else chimed in, "Who doesn't know that Hei Jingwei fought to the death with Li Chu, the eldest son of the Li family?"
Old Hu let out a few cold laughs, as if he wanted to say something but only took a large gulp of wine and sighed, "The wild persimmon wine is really good. I make this trip every year, I can't tell if it's to make money or just for the wine."
Someone asked, "Old Hu, why did you laugh so oddly just now, what are you hinting at?"
Old Hu looked around, lowered his voice, and said, "Do you really not know, or are you pretending?"
The questioner became annoyed, saying, "What's real or fake, hurry up and tell us!"
But Old Hu continued to eat leisurely, saying, "This matter, it's better not to talk about it!"
The guests were in high spirits, and being left hanging like this made them all clamor.
"Old Hu, if you don't tell us, don't forget about Xiao Hong's matter. Alas, my sister-in-law has always been kind to me..." Zhao Qi also let out a cold laugh.
Old Hu choked on his wine, coughed a few times, and finally said, "Good brother, spare me. This matter, actually quite a few people know about it, it's no harm to tell you all."
"Oh? Could there be some hidden story?"
"Hei, they didn't die fighting, they eloped together!"
"What? Could there really be such a thing?" The questioner's tone was very excited, as if this matter had something to do with him.
Old Hu said, "Of course it's true. Both the Li family and the Jingwei Alliance tried to keep this matter a secret, but how could they hide it forever?"
"Come on, tell us how they got involved?"
Gu Cheng shook his head and drank in silence, thinking to himself that people always hoped for some scandal in noble families, to gossip and belittle others as if it elevated themselves, truly tedious.
"How they got involved is not so clear. Have you ever been to the Baique Pavilion?"
"Old Hu, aren't you mocking us? With our status, how could we get into Baique Pavilion? Have you been there?"
"Ahem, I'm just asking! You all probably know now that Baique Pavilion is a secret base of the Jingwei Alliance. It seems that a few years ago, the eldest son of the Li family went to Baique Pavilion to scout, and Hei Jingwei, disguised as a dancing girl, tried to use her beauty to deceive the eldest son of the Li family. Unexpectedly, they turned a fake play into a real one!"
"So that's how it was... Hehe, the eldest son of the Li family is quite a lovesick fool, really abandoning his family business and running away!"
"But, I think Hei Jingwei is really heartless. The entire Jingwei Alliance was ruined by her. If she hadn't left, with the momentum of the Jingwei Alliance, Shen Qingying might not have defected to the Li family."
"Naturally, in the past two years, who didn't say that the Jingwei Alliance would eventually destroy the Li family?"
"Not only that, it's said that Shen Qingying has had feelings for Hei Jingwei for a long time. He followed Hei Jingwei for so many years without any sweetness, but Hei Jingwei ran away with her enemy. It's understandable that he defected to the Li family out of anger." Old Hu said this, and everyone around finally "Oh!" realized why Old Hu had suddenly interjected that sentence earlier.
Suddenly, the child cried out again, followed by a loud "clang!" Gu Cheng looked over and saw the spoon in the woman's hand had fallen to the ground. The wound on her head had been bandaged, but the braid under her hat was a bit loose, and the messy shadow of her hair was cast on the mud wall by the firelight in the pond, making Gu Cheng feel inexplicably desolate.
The drinkers chatted and laughed for a while, and the topic gradually shifted elsewhere, and Gu Cheng stopped listening. Suddenly, he felt a response in his heart, looked up, and saw Shen Qingyao, who had been leaning on the table, get up and head towards the door. As he passed Old Hu's table, he seemingly intentionally or unintentionally slapped the table. Old Hu was about to get angry, but their wine bowls suddenly cracked, and countless sharp porcelain shards mixed with the yellow wine splashed towards their faces. The two couldn't dodge in time, cried out in pain, and blood slowly seeped from their fingers.
Everyone in the shop was shocked. Looking again at Shen Qingyao, they only saw the curtain fluttering in the wind, and the person had already disappeared.
The shopkeeper immediately brought medicine and bandages to dress the wounds on the two men's faces. Each of them had injured an eye, crying and cursing in a commotion. Many customers got up and left. Gu Cheng secretly kept an eye on those Hawk Seven Kill members, and sure enough, they left one by one. After the last Hawk Seven Kill member left, Gu Cheng followed behind.