Dynastic Change - Part 1

"Please, please don't kill me," the man pleaded repeatedly, crawling desperately. The conspicuous heavy sword had long since flown to the side.

Xiangyu, covered in wounds, was approaching the man step by step.

The man rolled over in terror and crawled backward, facing Xiang Yu. Behind Xiang Yu was a scene of utter hell; none of his companions had escaped. The serene old man was hanging from a tree branch, the branch piercing his chest; the young man without eyebrows had his left hand and right foot severed, lying on the ground bleeding profusely.

"Chief Xiang, this is my first time participating in an operation like this." The man was extremely anxious, but at this moment he stammered, "If I have done anything wrong, please give me a chance."

Xiang Yu took out the distress firework from the young man, lit the fuse, and then quietly watched the light rise into the sky before exploding in the pitch-black night.

"I'm willing to be your slave. I'll do anything for you." The man cried out hysterically, his voice cracking.

In addition to the smell of blood, there was another foul stench in the air.

“This is really unacceptable,” Xiangyu frowned. “If you’re like this, how helpless that child will die.”

The man knew Xiangyu was referring to the young man. Just as Xiangyu had said, the young man's eyes were filled with despair as he looked at the man. The young man's lips moved, but he could no longer utter a word.

"Go ahead and curse me," the man thought. "It doesn't matter what you say. I did boast. I'm not a master at all, I don't have any remarkable experience, and I'm not a reliable person. But everyone else is the same as me, isn't they? That old man who pretended to be so profound was taken down in one move."

The man looked at his soaked genitals. "I just want respect, like everyone else. I haven't hurt anyone."

"He fought with all his might in the end, trying to help you gain an opportunity to attack," Xiangyu said. "But you fled in disarray. How pathetic."

The man saw the young man's tears, reflecting the sorrow in his pupils, streaming down his cheeks. "I just wanted to live, what did I do wrong?" the man thought to himself, looking away.

Xiang Yu gently raised her hand, and the world in the man's eyes spun endlessly, his head and body separated.

After dealing with the support team, Xiang Yu headed towards the ruins of the Le Lai Restaurant. Li Najiong and Xiang Wu were both lying on the ground; Li Najiong was still conscious, but Xiang Wu seemed to have passed out.

"Are there any other enemies?" Lee Na-kyung asked, looking at the battered and bruised Sang-ok.

Xiang Yu shook his head.

"What's the deal with that firework that signaled for help?"

Xiang Yu looked at Xiang Wu. "Our men who were lying in ambush here to provide support have died, and I'm nearing my limit. We need reinforcements."

“He’s a madman.” Lee Na-kyung coughed up blood and said, “I never thought he would destroy himself.”

She was indeed very cautious, constantly using roundabout methods to wear him down and prioritizing psychological warfare.

Lee Na-kyung relaxed and said, "Kill him for me, I can't move anymore."

Xiang Yu staggered over to Xiang Wu's side and picked up the sword with a coiled dragon pattern and a gold hilt inlaid with turquoise. "This is Master Li's sword."

Lee Na-kyung blinked.

Is it real, or a counterfeit?

"It's true."

"Then he is indeed the murderer."

“That way I can give my mother an explanation…” Li Najiong’s words were cut short as the long sword pierced her heart.

"I'm sorry, sister-in-law," Xiangyu said. "I will take good care of Canghai Sword Manor for you, so you can go in peace."

Xiang Yu returned to Xiang Wu's side, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him towards the stage. Xiang Yu threw Xiang Wu onto the dilapidated stage, then climbed on top of him himself. He dragged Xiang Wu to the southeast corner of the stage's center, pulled open the partition of a hidden compartment, and threw Xiang Wu inside.

Xiang Wu lay curled up, fast asleep. Xiang Yu watched him for a long time, then took off his jade pendant and thumb ring, put them in his money pouch, and threw them down before closing the partition again. "This is all I can do for you, senior brother. After you wake up, run as far away as you can."

Xiang Yu jumped off the stage and slumped down against the edge. As dawn broke in the east, reinforcements finally arrived.

Leading them were Li Qian from Canghai Sword Manor and Mu Xiongzhen.

"Little sister!"

"Boss, are you alright?"

"The palm strike on the Master's body..." The older man immediately noticed the strangeness of Li Najiong's injury and looked at Xiang Yu to ask for confirmation.

“It was Shinyuan Temple.” Xiangyu spat out a mouthful of blood, overwhelmed with grief. “The people from Shinyuan Temple killed Nagyung.”

"Where's the cripple?"

"They rescued them too."

*

The poplars have shed their scorched yellow and donned a silver coat. On the border city walls, a thin layer of snow has settled on the shoulders and heads of the soldiers.

The desert ahead had turned into a white sea. On this "sea level," a long caravan was lined up, returning from the Western Frontier. They set out with porcelain, silk, and tea, and returned laden with fruits, vegetables, spices, glass, jade, gold and silver artifacts, along with tall camels and strong horses.

"Name, where are you from, and what did you go out to do after leaving the pass?" The soldiers at the city gate took the document and questioned him meticulously.

"Shen Qichen is from Wenqu City. He goes out to do some small business."

The officers squinted and looked behind him. "Just two people?"

"Just two."

"Everyone else comes out of the pass with a team of guards, but you're different."

“We encountered bandits on the road, but we escaped death,” Shen Qichen replied patiently.

The officer unfolded the document, read it for a while, and then closed it again. He beckoned to another, younger officer and whispered something in his ear.

After the young man left, the officers continued, "Please wait a moment. The documents are a bit old and need to be checked by a specialist."

The group walked to the outside of the entry line. After observing for a while, Lin Weixi whispered, "The documents they have seem to be somewhat different from ours."

Shen Qichen also noticed this and reassured them, "We've been away for too long this time, or perhaps the court has changed the format of official documents. We've encountered this before, so there's no need to worry."

Not long after, the younger soldier peeked out from the other side of the city gate and looked at Shen Qichen and his group outside the city.

"They're here," Shen Qichen said. "They should be able to enter the country now."

However, Shen Qichen clearly misjudged the situation. Behind the young soldiers was a squad of fully armed officers. They surrounded Shen Qichen and his party, and by then it was too late to escape.

The soldier holding Shen Qichen's official document said to the leading general, "Sir, these are the three of them. They are trying to enter the pass with documents from the previous dynasty."

*

The prison was overflowing with people, much more lively than in the desert. Shen Qichen immediately recognized that the noisy fellows were also businessmen. If you had to ask why, it was because Shen Qichen often dealt with these shrewd people, and he could tell at a glance from their slickness.

Seeing the commotion of men and women, Shen Qichen felt slightly relieved. At least it meant that those locked up here were just ordinary people who hadn't committed any crimes that would immediately lead to their execution.

However, Shen Qichen was also anxious because he was in a hurry and could not linger in this prison for too long.

Shen Qichen walked to the fence and called out to the jailer who had just finished distributing steamed buns.

The jailer frowned. "Didn't you just take the steamed bun?"

"Yes, yes." Shen Qichen nodded repeatedly. He reached into his robes and then remembered that his jade pendant and other valuables had been confiscated when he was arrested. Shen Qichen pulled his hand away, rubbed it awkwardly, and said, "Sir, I just wanted to ask you what we did wrong? My official documents were newly obtained by my wife before we left the pass."

“You,” the jailer looked Shen Qichen up and down, “your clothes are torn and you’re so dark. You must have been in the desert for a long time.”

"Sir, you have a good eye," Shen Qichen said obsequiously. "We've traveled to a very far place and brought back quite a few glass pieces and jade."

Before the jailer could speak, Shen Qichen suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my!"

"Why are you making such a fuss?"

“I brought back a jade pendant, which fits perfectly with your belt, General,” Shen Qichen clapped his hands.

The jailer chuckled softly and said, "You've been out there too long; the dynasty has already changed."

"Dynastic change?"

“It means exactly what it says,” the jailer said calmly. “You don’t need to flatter me. Once the higher-ups find out your background, there won’t be any problems, and you’ll be able to leave.”

"Oh!" Shen Qichen was momentarily at a loss for words.

Where are you from?

"Wenqu City".

“Wenqu City is quite far.” The jailer stroked his stubble, thought for a moment, and said, “Send someone to check. It will take almost two months to get from here to Wenqu City and back.”

"Should we send someone to Wenqu City to verify their identity?" Shen Qichen thought to himself, speechless.

Will his "family" in Wenqu City come to his rescue? Shen Qichen wasn't sure.

Just as the jailer was about to leave, Shen Qichen grabbed his sleeve again.

"Is there anything else?"

"Sir, could you talk to your superiors and ask them to investigate my wife?" Shen Qichen thought for a moment and said, "My wife's home is closer."

“Since you are all family, there is no reason for you to investigate her,” the jailer said sternly. “Just stay put and don’t try anything funny.”

Shen Qichen walked back to Lin Weixi's side and sat down, looking dejected.

Lin Weixi handed over the steamed bun she was holding and asked softly, "What did the general say?"

"We'll have to wait at least two months before we can go out."

"Does it really take that long?" Lin Weixi was also somewhat surprised.

“They sent people to Wenqu City to look for my family,” Shen Qichen sighed. “I don’t know what they will say about me.”

Lin Weixi hugged Shen Qichen and rested her head on his shoulder: "Don't think too much. No matter what, family is still family."

*

Early the next morning, someone opened the prison door. A richly dressed man stood at the prison gate, holding a jade-inlaid sword. Not only the jailers but also soldiers in armor stood respectfully behind him.

"Miss Xin," the man said apologetically, "I'm sorry I'm late."

In the corner, Xin Ruien, who was huddled with Lin Weixi, looked up.

"Please come with me." The man walked up to Xin Ruien, knelt on one knee, and extended his arm.

Shin Ye-eun helped him stand up by his arm.

The man got up and led the way.

"Wait a minute," Xin Ruien said.

The man turned around.

“They are my friends, let them go.” Xin Ruien looked at Shen Qichen and Lin Weixi.

"Let them go." The man said without the slightest hesitation.

"yes."