In the year 5937 of the Tianyuan Era, the five savage tribes—Guang, Rong, Chang, Yin, and Zheng—mustered an army of three hundred thousand to besiege Tian'an City. This would come to be known as the Rebellion of the Five Dogs.
The Great Emperor issued a nationwide edict, summoning his vassals to the kingdom's defense. Twenty-one kings answered the call, massing their forces along the banks of the Huwei River. They unanimously elected the King of Cangling as their supreme commander to strike back against the Five Dogs.
On the day the army was to march, a monstrous frog suddenly leaped onto the commander's flagship. It was the size of a bull, possessed three legs, glared with wrathful eyes, and croaked with the deafening roar of thunder. The King of Cangling was so terrified by its croak that he tumbled backward out of his throne, struck entirely dumb. That very night, he ordered a full retreat. The remaining twenty kings soon followed suit, withdrawing their armies one by one.
When the Great Emperor, who had ascended the walls of Tian'an City to watch for his reinforcements, saw the banners of the twenty-one kings receding into the distance, his heart tore with an agonizing grief. He looked up to the heavens, vomited a shower of blood, and collapsed, dead upon the battlements. Tian'an City fell. The Five Dogs put the city to the torch; even three months later, the embers still smoldered.
The Great Emperor had seventeen sons, but favored his fourteenth, Xuan Xin, and his seventeenth, Xuan Chi, above all others. On the day the city fell, the ten-year-old Xuan Chi, unwilling to see his father's imperial corpse desecrated by the Five Dogs, embraced the Emperor's body and set himself ablaze within the palace.
Xuan Xin, meanwhile, rode alone out of the city. Reaching the riverbank and finding no boats, he wept bitterly. Suddenly, a massive red horse materialized by the river, took the prince upon its back, and carried him across the churning waters to safety. As soon as they reached the opposite shore, the horse vanished. Later, rumors spread that the clay horse statue in a nearby riverside shrine was found dripping with sweat, looking as though it had just been dragged out of the water. Thus, the legend of the "Mud Horse Crossing the River" was born...
— The Tianyuan Annals: The Imperial Calamity —
Dusk was falling. A flock of cold crows cawed chaotically in the fading light.
A youth lay lazily slumped against a corner wall, his tattered cotton coat hanging wide open. He seemed entirely oblivious to the howling, bitter wind. His eyes, half-closed in a sleepy squint, were actually darting back and forth, meticulously scanning the crowd gathered at the docks.
The youth's name was Zhan Tianfeng. He was a local street punk here in Longwan Town. Once upon a time, he had been a child of wealth, followed by servants and educated in a private academy. But when he was seven, thieves ransacked his home and put it to the torch. His parents perished, the family fortune was reduced to ashes, and he was left to wander the streets. Scavenging for whatever heaven dropped or the earth yielded, he had somehow managed to survive. Growing up fighting for his life in the gutters had bred into him a roguish, street-smart tenacity. The honest folks of this area knew better than to cross him.
A passenger ship docked, and the crowd on the pier began to stir. Zhan Tianfeng quietly got up and edged closer. When he was about twenty or thirty feet away, the crew began lowering the gangplank. This was the perfect moment.
Flicking both hands, he hurled the two massive, squeaking rats he had been holding. His aim was impeccable. They landed right in the middle of a cluster of female passengers. The women had been eagerly waiting to board when something suddenly dropped on their heads. Realizing they were giant rats, they unleashed blood-curdling shrieks, jumping and shoving wildly. In an instant, the entire crowd was thrown into absolute chaos.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhan Tianfeng darted forward, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Rats! Rats! Kill the rats!" He weaved through the throngs of panicked people like a slippery loach. Along the way, he effortlessly snagged three gold hairpins and two handkerchief bundles. The bundles were hard to the touch—undoubtedly wrapped around silver or gold ingots.
His hands and feet were impossibly fast. The moment he had his loot, he slipped out of the crowd and sprinted toward the river. Reaching the edge, he pretended to trip over something and tumbled straight toward the water. Having grown up swimming in this very river, he was practically a fish. Once he hit the water, even if they noticed and chased after him, they wouldn't stand a chance of catching him. He had pulled this exact trick countless times without ever failing.
Just as he was about to splash into the river, Zhan Tianfeng suddenly felt a tight grip around his ankle. In the next instant, he was hoisted completely off the ground. Before his brain could even process what was happening, he slammed onto the wooden deck of the ship with a heavy thud. The impact sent stars exploding across his vision and left his internal organs feeling like they'd been rearranged. Immediately, a foot stomped down on his chest. It was unbelievably heavy, pressing down like a mountain. Zhan Tianfeng felt his chest cave in; forget moving, even taking a single breath was harder than ascending to the heavens.
The owner of the foot was a man in his thirties wearing green clothes. His face was sallow and gaunt, making him look like a sickly consumptive. If Zhan Tianfeng hadn't felt it himself, he would never have believed this man's foot could possess such terrifying power. In his left hand, the man held a length of mooring rope—clearly the very rope he had used to lasso and yank Zhan Tianfeng out of the air.
Damn my luck. I forgot to pray to the God of Plagues before leaving the house, and now I've bumped into this sickly bastard, Zhan Tianfeng cursed inwardly, realizing he was in deep trouble. He knew this dark, skinny man was no consumptive, but a martial arts master. On the streets, Zhan Tianfeng was known for his endless bag of tricks; no matter how dire the situation, he could always find a way to slip away. But right now, pinned under this man's foot, he was completely out of options.
The skinny man reached into Zhan Tianfeng's robes, fished out the gold hairpins and bundles, and turned his head toward a middle-aged man stepping out of the cabin. "Advisor Gao, this brat was the one causing the commotion."
The middle-aged man looked to be around forty, dressed in fine silk, with a massive jade archer's ring on his right middle finger. Zhan Tianfeng couldn't move his body, but his head still worked. Turning to look at the man, his mind raced: This guy is just an advisor? Master Jia is the number one boss around these docks, and even he doesn't dress this well. Just what kind of influential family can afford an advisor like this?
Advisor Gao cast a dismissive sideways glance. "Stomp him to death and throw him in the river to feed the fishes. Why bother asking?"
Zhan Tianfeng's soul nearly fled his body. He knew that if this skinny man pressed down just a bit harder, his little life was over. His mind, sharper than a whip, didn't wait for the skinny man to reply. He sucked in a desperate breath and screamed, "I know a massive, heaven-shaking secret!"
He stretched his neck out as he yelled, looking exactly like a young rooster trying to crow for the first time. But his voice was incredibly loud. For a moment, everyone on the docks and the ship turned to look at him. Advisor Gao, who had already turned his head away, glanced back. Seeing his employer's attention captured, the skinny man naturally didn't press his foot down.
Advisor Gao's eyes met Zhan Tianfeng's. He gave a cold snort but didn't speak. Zhan Tianfeng sneered internally: These types of advisors are all old foxes. But against this Young Master, even a real fox would be fooled.
He immediately plastered on a look of terrified, eager sycophancy. "Advisor Gao, I really do know a heaven-shaking secret! It's about the Imperial Seal! Back when the Fourteenth Prince crossed the river on the mud horse, he got too excited after making it across and accidentally dropped the Imperial Seal he was carrying! You know what the Imperial Seal is, right? It's the grand stamp the Great Emperor uses for his edicts! It's the supreme treasure of the nation! Whoever has it can sit on the Great Emperor's throne! But the one who picked it up was an old fisherman. He didn't know its value and took it to a jade shop to sell. The appraiser at the shop recognized it immediately. He didn't tell his boss; he just took the seal that very night and ran away! Coincidentally, that appraiser is a distant relative of mine. I happen to have news of him, and I even know him..." At this point, he abruptly stopped talking and just stared at Advisor Gao.
The tale of the Fourteenth Prince crossing the river on a mud horse was known to everyone under heaven, and many knew he carried the Imperial Seal. But this story about dropping it by the river and an old fisherman finding it was complete bullshit fabricated by Zhan Tianfeng on the spot. However, having survived on the streets since childhood, he had scammed more people than the miles he had walked. His experience was vast. His greatest skill was his ability to lie with absolute, heartfelt sincerity; even the most paranoid person in the world wouldn't catch a single flicker of deceit in his eyes.
The Imperial Seal was the ultimate treasure. From Advisor Gao's attire, Zhan Tianfeng deduced that the advisor's master was no ordinary noble—he had to be interested in the seal. As long as Advisor Gao was hooked, Zhan Tianfeng's life was saved from the gates of hell.
Reading people was a mandatory survival skill for a street punk, but figuring out someone's background in the split second a foot was coming down to crush you, and then tailoring a perfect lie to bait them, was no easy feat. Zhan Tianfeng felt a surge of smug pride at his own quick wit.
However, Advisor Gao's reaction surprised him. He didn't say he believed it, nor did he say he didn't. His triangular eyes merely swept up and down Zhan Tianfeng's body, looking at him not with the suspicion of someone judging a lie, but more like a cattle merchant inspecting livestock. It made Zhan Tianfeng's hair stand on end.
After a few glances, Advisor Gao gave a slight nod to the skinny man. Pi Qiu lifted his foot. Zhan Tianfeng's chest eased, and the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped. I knew you'd take the bait, he thought smugly. He scrambled up, just about to speak, but Advisor Gao spoke first. Instead of asking about the Imperial Seal, he asked for his name. "Brat, what's your name?"
"Zhan Tianfeng. But some folks call me the Crowing Rooster."
By now, the female passengers had all boarded. Hearing his name, a few of them began to giggle. A faint smile also appeared on Advisor Gao's face, but it carried a different flavor. Zhan Tianfeng had conned many, but he had never met someone as inscrutable as Advisor Gao.
Advisor Gao said, "Take a few steps and let me see."
This request was even weirder. Zhan Tianfeng thought to himself, Is he really a cattle merchant inspecting a cow? Walking a few steps... is he going to check my teeth to see how old I am next? Cursing internally, he didn't dare show any defiance on his face. Until he gained the upper hand, he wasn't going to joke around with his life. He obediently took a few steps. He normally walked with a slouching, street-thug swagger—shoulders slanted, legs kicking out. Even though he tried to correct his posture now, he was too used to slacking off, and his stiff, unnatural gait looked completely ridiculous. A few more women burst into laughter.
This time, Advisor Gao laughed too, but his laughter still held a different meaning from the women's. It wasn't about Zhan Tianfeng's funny walk, but something else entirely. Zhan Tianfeng felt even more unnerved. Is this damn advisor a pervert?
"Very good. Not bad." Advisor Gao nodded. He turned to the skinny man. "Pi Qiu, take him below deck. Don't let him slip away."
"Yes, sir." Pi Qiu cupped his fist. He reached out and jabbed Zhan Tianfeng in the waist, striking his numbing acupoint.
Zhan Tianfeng had planned to butter Advisor Gao up and look for a chance to bolt. He hadn't expected this arrangement. Though his body was numb, his mouth still worked. He yelled, "Advisor Gao, where are you taking me? Don't you want to hear the heaven-shaking secret?"
Advisor Gao smiled faintly. "I'm taking you to a good place. As for the secret, it's fine if I listen to it a little later."
"But I have a terrible memory! If you don't listen now, I might just forget it later!"
"Young people shouldn't have such bad memories. But it's fine. If you forget it, you forget it." With that, Advisor Gao headed into the cabin, completely ignoring him.
Pi Qiu grabbed Zhan Tianfeng by his belt and hoisted him up like a sack of rotten cabbages, carrying him into the ship's hold. The floorboards swayed before Zhan Tianfeng's eyes, and swaying along with them was the memory of Advisor Gao's unfathomable gaze. Zhan Tianfeng felt a wave of dizziness and anxiety. Did the little fox trick the old fox? Or did the old fox trick the little fox? He couldn't be sure. The little fox tricked the old fox to stay alive. Why would the old fox trick the little fox? He pondered it from every angle but couldn't figure it out.
Pi Qiu tossed Zhan Tianfeng into a cabin and said, "Stay here and behave. Don't get any funny ideas. You're not escaping from my hands."
A three-legged-cat martial artist who knows a basic acupoint strike—what's the big deal? Zhan Tianfeng sneered internally. If only the Sword Immortal from that night had accepted me as a disciple! Pathetic. With a single breath, this Young Master could blow you to death with your puny skills. But he kept these thoughts strictly in his mind. His face showed nothing but utter obedience, even offering Pi Qiu an ingratiating smile. He was not one to eat a loss to his face.
His internal boasting about the Sword Immortal wasn't entirely a lie. A few years ago, when he was around eleven or twelve, he had a particularly unlucky day and hadn't managed to find any food. He woke up in the middle of the night, starving, and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, he saw a man flying. It was a bright, moonlit night, so there was no mistaking it. He wasn't hallucinating from hunger. At first glance, he thought he was going crazy, but a closer look confirmed it: it was a man. A Taoist priest with a beard, around fifty or sixty years old, wearing a green robe and hemp sandals, stepping on a gleaming, radiant sword, streaking from east to west.
Zhan Tianfeng had been completely dumbfounded. He usually prided himself on his quick wits, but in that moment, his mind went completely blank. It wasn't until the Sword Immortal was about to disappear from sight that he finally snapped back to reality and realized he had encountered a true Immortal. He jumped up and screamed like a madman, begging the Immortal to wait, to take him as a disciple, to take him away. Although the Sword Immortal wasn't flying exceptionally fast, he was still much faster than a galloping horse. Before Zhan Tianfeng could scream more than a few words, the Immortal was gone. Zhan Tianfeng's regret was so profound it turned his intestines green. Though he hadn't managed to become a disciple, it didn't stop him from looking down on ordinary martial artists. Let alone Pi Qiu, even if a highly renowned hero stood before him, as long as they couldn't ride a flying sword, Zhan Tianfeng wouldn't give them the time of day.
Soon, the ship set sail. No one came to check on him. Zhan Tianfeng's stomach growled loudly. He was hungry. He yelled a few times, but no one answered. He cursed out loud, "Damn your grandpas, at least send this Young Master a bowl of rice!" After a few more curses, he went back to trying to figure out Advisor Gao's intentions. The rocking of the boat eventually lulled him to sleep.
"Stinky brat, sleeping quite comfortably, aren't you?" A sharp curse woke him up. It was Pi Qiu. He slapped Zhan Tianfeng to unlock his acupoints and shouted, "We're here. Get up and walk. Don't try any ghost tricks. I'll be right behind you. Try anything funny, and I'll skin you alive."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Before a peerless master like Lord Pi, how could this lowly one dare try anything?" Zhan Tianfeng squeezed out a smile while cursing internally: You skinny, black monkey! You waterlogged consumptive! Scaring your ancestors? Just wait until this Young Master gets near the water, then you'll be the one crying. He made up his mind: the first chance he got, he would dive into the river. Even though he was incredibly curious about what Advisor Gao was plotting, his life was more important.
Unfortunately, Zhan Tianfeng miscalculated. The ship had docked, and they gave him a shoddy horse to ride while Pi Qiu rode closely beside him. Zhan Tianfeng looked down on martial arts, but he knew that unless he hit the water, he couldn't outrun Pi Qiu on land. He pretended to be exceptionally docile, periodically tossing out a few flattering remarks. Growing up on the streets, he had a tongue dipped in honey and could sweet-talk a man to death without batting an eye. Pi Qiu was sufficiently buttered up and visibly relaxed his guard.
After riding for half a day, they entered a massive city. Zhan Tianfeng realized they had reached their destination. He nodded to himself: I knew this Advisor Gao had a serious background. Turns out he's operating in the capital. His master has to be either the Prime Minister or the Grand General.
This vast city was Tunzhou City, the capital of the Tunzhou Kingdom. The kingdom was named after a massive northern lake, where, according to ancient legends, giant fish lived that could swallow entire ships whole. The Tunzhou Kingdom consisted of three provinces and thirteen cities. During the era of the Six Hegemons, it was only considered a minor state. But with the fragmentation of the major empires, Tunzhou was now considered a major power. As a citizen of Tunzhou, this was Zhan Tianfeng's first time in the capital. He was incredibly curious. Since he couldn't escape anyway, he spent the journey looking left and right, taking in the bustling sights.
Zhan Tianfeng had guessed correctly. Advisor Gao was indeed the advisor to Ji Wei, the Prime Minister of the Tunzhou Kingdom. Ji Wei was the kingdom's most favored and powerful official, with ninety percent of the court's ministers in his pocket. His authority eclipsed the heavens, and his arrogance knew no bounds, though he was universally reviled by the common people. When Zhan Tianfeng realized they were entering the Ji Manor, he immediately cursed internally, So Advisor Gao's master is this great traitorous minister! Pah, pah! Talk about bad luck! If it were any other noble lord, if I managed to survive and go back, I'd have something to brag about. But entering the Ji Manor brings no glory—only a stench that will make people gag when I talk about it. Despite being a street punk, he cared deeply about his "face." Truth be told, scamming was only his second-best skill; bragging was his first.
Once inside the Ji Manor, Pi Qiu led Zhan Tianfeng to a small room. After about an hour, a servant came over and said to Pi Qiu, "Advisor Gao says to have the brat take a bath, change his clothes, and then bring him to the Young Master."
Zhan Tianfeng was completely baffled. Take a bath, change clothes, and show me to the Young Master? What does that mean? Are they evaluating a son-in-law? But shouldn't the young miss be the one looking? He couldn't figure it out. Maybe the miss is too shy, so the young master is looking for her. I wonder what the great traitor's daughter looks like? Compared to Little Red? Little Red was a prostitute back in Longwan Town, considered the top-tier beauty in that small place. Naturally, Zhan Tianfeng had never slept with her—he didn't have the money, and even if he did, he'd take it to the casino first. But once, when he was younger, he had climbed onto the roof to watch a client with Little Red. Driven more by a mischievous spirit than lust, he had tossed a large rock into the room right at the climax of their activities.
The servant led Zhan Tianfeng to take a bath, with Pi Qiu following closely behind. He was scrubbed thoroughly in a large tub of water and given a fresh set of clothes—a tight-fitting green martial outfit that fit him surprisingly well. Zhan Tianfeng put it on, looking himself over in satisfaction, feeling quite sharp. He thought smugly: Turns out this Young Master is actually quite handsome! If the great traitor's daughter sees me, she'll definitely fall madly in love. Such a headache... If she really falls for me, should I marry her or not?