Chapter 1 The city is under lockdown. Today we part ways, and there will be no more.

In the eighty-fourth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, the seven cities of Xiguan colluded with the troops of the Western Regions and gathered an army of 100,000 to rebel. The army marched straight in, and the Jin Kingdom lost several cities in succession. Prince Mu You was ordered to lead the reinforcements to the last barrier of the imperial city of Rongdu - Eagle Ridge Road.

The Eagle's Ridge Pass was built between canyons, and its treacherous terrain was ideal for crossbows. The reinforcements, with three thousand crossbowmen, ambushed the rebels on the ancient path. The rebels appeared, and as soon as they fired a single crossbow bolt, not only did the crossbow mechanism shatter, but it also wounded the crossbowman, tearing his flesh and bones apart. Cries of agony filled the air, and the rebels were immediately killed. All three thousand elite soldiers were wiped out, their blood staining the Eagle's Ridge Pass.

When the news reached Rongdu, the city was sealed off overnight. All five major weapon workshops suffered annihilation, and countless others were implicated. The imperial court revoked the weapons manufacturing qualifications of the outer workshops, and from then on, there were almost no weapon makers left in the country.

This incident is historically known as the Blood Crossbow Case.

The night was as dark as ink, and the air was damp with the scent of rain. Rongdu Street was gloomy, with only a few lanterns still burning outside the shops casting a pale yellow, eerie glow. The night watchman hurried past, calling out a few times in a perfunctory manner, but before anyone inside could hear him, he had vanished into the darkness, his whereabouts unknown.

Deep in the long street, a horse-drawn carriage sped towards the city gate. The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the bustling street. Under his straw hat, the man driving the carriage breathed heavily, large beads of sweat sliding down his rugged face and neck. His sleeves were rolled up high, revealing his muscular arms with bulging veins, demonstrating his effort and his desire for the carriage to go faster, faster.

"Will we be able to get out?" A woman anxiously lifted the carriage curtain, and seeing the tree branches swaying like ghostly shadows by the roadside, she was so startled that she loosened her grip and let the curtain fall.

"He can get out," the man in the straw hat said confidently. "He's made arrangements with Commandant Chen." He then looked back at the carriage. "Did you bring everything?"

A few sighs came from inside the car, "I carried everything with me, just like you said, but..."

“Then we’ll definitely get out.” The man in the straw hat raised his whip again, lifting his forehead to reveal a pair of deep black eyes.

At the Vermilion Bird Gate, more than ten soldiers were setting up roadblocks. Hearing the commotion, they picked up their weapons. A guard in silver armor waved his hand, and the soldiers looked at each other, understanding. They threw down their spears and went to carry their packs.

"Whoa!" The man reined in his horse, the sudden stop causing the woman in the carriage to stumble. The wind lifted the curtain, revealing the woman's face covered by a black veil. Just as the silver-armored guard was about to look, the curtain fell down again at just the right moment.

The man in the straw hat remained silent, took out a document from his robes, and handed it to the silver-armored guard. The guard opened it, glanced at it, and returned it. "Captain Chen and I have been instructed..."

Before he finished speaking, a crimson package was delivered from the carriage. The man in the straw hat tore open a corner to reveal a dark gold color. "Ten gold ingots, not one missing."

Shouzheng weighed the gold coins in his arms, dismissed the soldiers, took a few steps closer to the carriage, and said in a low voice, "These ten gold coins are for Commandant Chen."

The man in the straw hat understood immediately. He lifted the curtain, reached into a bulging money bag, untied the string, and poured out a few ingots. Seeing Shouzheng's sheepish smile, he stuffed the ingots back into the bag and pressed it into Shouzheng's hand. "This is our thank-you gift to you, Shouzheng. We came in a hurry, so please don't think it's too little. There will be plenty of time in the future..."

"This farewell may be our last." Shouzheng stuffed the purse into his robes. "Paying off debts now is the best course of action. I caught a glimpse of the lady in the carriage just now; the hairpin in her hair was exquisite. My wife's birthday is next month, and she was just lamenting that she needed a hairpin she truly wanted..."

Before the man in the straw hat could speak, the carriage curtain was lifted to reveal a gold-inlaid hairpin, along with a pair of pearl earrings. Shou Zheng quickly pulled it out and saw that the fingers holding the hairpin were as tender as scallions, making one want to touch them.

"On behalf of my wife, I thank you both." Shouzheng lovingly stroked the gold hairpin. Such a precious item would likely take even the best goldsmith in Rongdu quite some time to make. The earrings, adorned with jewels, were rare treasures, the likes of which were hard to find even once every few years in the South China Sea. Seeing that she could casually produce such items, Shouzheng was somewhat curious about the woman's identity in the carriage, but he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to ask. He needed to fulfill the task assigned by Commandant Chen; the more he knew, the faster he would lose his head.

"Can we go now?" The man in the straw hat looked around warily. Midnight was approaching, and Rongdu was to be sealed off. After midnight, no one could leave except by imperial decree. They say that troublemakers are hard to deal with, and it's true. There will be a day... The man in the straw hat sighed. This person was right about something: a day. But there probably won't be a day.

“I didn’t stop you two.” Shouzheng put away the gold hairpin, spread his hands and smiled. “These brothers you saw have been busy since noon. After midnight, I will have to buy some wine and meat to reward them. The ingot you gave me is too big, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make change.”

Greedy and insatiable, they still want more? The man in the straw hat had left in such a hurry that he had only allowed the woman in the carriage to pack some gold, silver, and valuables. It was clear that they had been completely looted; what could they possibly have left? If they delayed any longer, he feared he might not be able to leave. The man in the straw hat felt a pang of anxiety and reached for the horizontal sword hidden under his seat.

"These are all I have left." The woman picked up a handful of copper coins and lifted the carriage curtain again. "General, please take as many as you want. There is chaos and war outside. Please leave me some to keep me safe."

The woman's voice was soft and sweet, like walking on cotton. Hearing it made him feel comfortable all over. He even felt embarrassed to reach out his hand to take it. Shou Zheng pushed the woman's wrist away. The soft and fragrant touch was worth it. "Never mind, I'll keep it for travel expenses."

"Thank you, General." The woman's voice was calm. "Ah Jing, let's go."

Shouzheng raised his arm, and the soldiers skillfully pushed aside the roadblocks. The man in the straw hat, called Ajing, spurred his horse out of the city gate with a "bang." The midnight gong sounded, shattering the deathly silence of the night. The gong echoed, its mournful sound seemingly announcing the arrival of death. Ajing couldn't help but look back—the city gate slammed shut, as if locking the world between the living and the dead. An invisible pair of eyes seemed to be watching them. Ajing's heart tightened, and he swallowed hard, whipping the horse harder. The carriage shot through the night like an arrow, disappearing without a trace.

In the 98th year of the Great Jin Dynasty, Tangshui City

From the time Guan Ye could remember, she and her father had been constantly on the move. Guan Ye originally thought that once they reached Tangshui City, they would no longer have to wander around. Her father also said that this was a good place, so he happily brought back a jar of wine. When he was slightly tipsy, he asked his daughter: "Do you want to ride a big boat?"

Taking a boat? Guan Ye can't swim, what if the boat sinks?

Her father laughed at her for being naive, saying that a big ship wouldn't sink so easily.

Once on board, where are we going?

Father squinted and took another sip of wine, saying that the place was peaceful and that once they got there, they wouldn't have to run away anymore.

Perhaps having finally found a place to rest, they chatted idly until the wine jar was empty, and Father never woke up again. He often said that one should not waste a moment of drunkenness in this world, but who would have thought that he would die drunk and bid farewell to this world. Guan Ye emptied her pockets, leaving them even emptier than her face, before finally burying Father.

Taking a boat? Guan Ye didn't even consider it. That day she was so hungry she was seeing double. Two, no, one middle-aged man with a beard walked towards her, staring intently at her still-growing figure.

Although Tangshui City is small, it occupies a good location connecting the south and the north. It is a gathering place for refugees from Jin State. Every autumn, a large number of refugees exiled from various places would gather here. The old would go to Lingnan to farm, while the middle-aged would go to the northern desert to build cities. Young people would be judged by their appearance and their price. The nobles of Jin State had strange habits and liked the soft buttocks of young boys. If they found one with a charming figure and outstanding appearance, he would be worth more than ten gold coins. He was even rarer than the most beautiful courtesan in the capital.

"Get out of the way." Guan Ye waved her hand at the bearded man. She was so hungry that she looked like a ghost. Did he think she was a boy? "You've got the wrong person."

The bearded man probably didn't realize she was a girl. Hearing the soft yet stubborn female voice, a hint of regret flashed in his eyes. But seeing her all alone, he still curiously took a few more steps towards Guan Ye and asked, "How old are you?"

“Thirteen.” Guan Ye looked up, then suddenly added, “Maybe fourteen, I don’t remember.”

The bearded man shook his head. "He looks to be only ten years old, too young. I'm afraid he can't do it."

"Something to do?!" Guan Ye jumped up, rolled up her sleeves, and showed the bearded man the negligible amount of rat meat on her arm. "Anything I can do, as long as I have food to eat." Seeing that the bearded man seemed about to turn and leave, Guan Ye found a steamed bun stall, picked up a full basket of steamed buns, and steadily walked several steps. "If I hadn't missed two meals, I could have run away with another basket."

The bearded man stroked his beard and looked at the girl's dirty face. Although her face was covered in black grime, her eyes were bright and piercing. Her hair was messy and mixed with bits of grass, but the roots were clearly black. Her limbs were slender and agile, and she seemed to have some strength. If she could be cleaned up, she would probably be healthy and intelligent.

Guan Ye lifted the steamed bun basket higher, "Whether it's okay or not, say something."

The bearded man chuckled. If he hadn't been so desperate to find enough men, he wouldn't have bothered with this girl. He took out two copper coins and tossed them to the stall owner beside him, then asked Guan Ye, "Are you seasick?"

Guan Ye put down the basket and stretched her limbs. "How would I know if I've never sat on it before?"

The bearded man scooped out two steamed buns and handed them to Guan Ye. "This is the deposit. Find me at the dock at noon tomorrow. Once you're on the ship, you can have as many steamed buns as you want."

"What happens after we get off the ship?" Guan Ye took a bite of her steamed bun and swallowed it whole. "Are you still going to care?"

"If you want to be blessed by God, it's not just about a few steamed buns." The bearded man smiled slyly. "Let me ask you one last question: would you dare to go through mountains of knives and seas of fire, dragon's dens and tiger's lair?"

Guan Ye shrugged, "You took advantage of me and then left me with nothing. What am I supposed to do to repay you?"

To earn a living, Guan Ye climbed aboard the large ship heading towards the unknown. As soon as she boarded, Guan Ye realized she had fallen into the bearded man's trap. He had only hired her as a handyman, both on and off the ship? He really thought highly of her small frame.

Apart from Guan Ye, the rest of the people on the boat were teenagers, both boys and girls. Although they were dressed in tattered clothes and looked travel-worn, their skin was still fair and delicate. They spoke in a very refined manner. The girls were so sweet and gentle that when the boat rocked a few times with the waves, they even started to sob.

In her spare time, Guan Ye would also think about where the boat was going, but then she felt that it didn't matter where it went, whether it was Tangshui City or Kutang Town, it was all for the sake of having something to eat.

After a storm, a discussion about the voyage began in the cabin. A young man with an official-sounding voice straightened his back and spoke with great conviction. He insisted that the ship was heading to Japan because he had heard his grandfather tell the story of Xu Fu's voyage to Japan in search of the elixir of immortality. Xu Fu was said to have taken young boys and girls to Japan, just like their big ship.

Guan Ye slowed down her tidying up and listened curiously.

"We're also going to seek the elixir of immortality," the official-sounding boy said, looking at the girls sitting in the corner. "But we have more men than women... there won't be enough to go around when we get there."

The bureaucratic-sounding young man scrutinized the faces of several girls, his gaze settling on Guan Ye's dirty face. He said disdainfully, "I don't want you even if there aren't enough to go around."

A rare burst of laughter erupted in the cabin, and even the little girl who had just been frightened by the storm burst into laughter. The young man with the official air was named Song Mian. His grandfather was a third-rank official in the court, but a few months ago he embezzled disaster relief funds, not only throwing himself into prison but also exiling his family and selling their servants. Although his family had suffered a misfortune, Song Mian always liked to stand out because of his family's past as high-ranking officials. Accustomed to being a young master, he still acted superior even in his misfortune.

"We in the Great Jin Dynasty don't practice the practice of elixirs, so why would we be going to seek immortality pills?" someone questioned. "Besides, this ship is heading south, not to Japan."

Song Mian was speechless for a moment, and after a long pause, he managed to say, "Then tell me, where are we going?"

The man opened his mouth and snorted, "I just can't stand your bluffing. Where are you going? Who knows?"

—"Canglang Island".

The voice was eerie and hoarse, with a faint and unsettling quality. The moment it was uttered, it sounded like the low murmur of a wild ghost, sending chills down the spines of everyone in the cabin. The timid girls shrank back, and even Guan Ye trembled upon hearing it.

The speaker was a young man dressed in coarse black cloth. He had been on the ship for a few days and never chatted with anyone. This was the first time he had uttered the words "Canglang Island." Most of the time, he sat alone at the bow, facing the salty sea breeze in silence. If it weren't for the wind and waves, he would probably still be at the bow right now. If others looked down on Guan Ye, then this man looked down on everyone else.

Guan Ye had heard the bearded man call him "A-Jiu" once. A-Jiu must be his name.

A note from the author:

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After many years, yes, I'm back!

Updates will follow the rankings. If it becomes a paid post, I'll try to update daily. The entire story is already saved, so feel free to jump in. This is a preliminary work, more of a practice piece to get back into the swing of things, but the story is genuinely quite good. I hope you all will give it a chance. Thank you everyone.