Stranger Danger

The greatest pass in Yan was called the Southern March Pass, and it was guarded by one of the Nine Guards known as the South Pacifiers.

The pass was named Southern March because it was where an army would march through should they choose to invade south, and the guard was named South Pacifier because they were meant to pacify the south.

Yan’s determination and ambition to wipe out Chu could not be any clearer.

Chu occupied the Central Plain and so enjoyed a vast amount of land and rich quantity and variety of resources. Its people also enjoyed peaceful and prosperous lives, so much so that Chu was nicknamed the Country of Heaven.

On the other hand, Yan occupied the cold, harsh lands of the north. Resources were scarce, and the people were so poor that they could barely feed themselves from day to day. Naturally, Yan coveted Chu’s prosperity and wished to destroy them and claim the Central Plain for themselves.

For centuries, Yan provoked Chu again and again and started many wars in an attempt to conquer Chu. There were several times where they successfully conquered Northern Xinjiang and gained free access to the heart of Chu. They had been very close from annihilating Chu and ruling over the Central Plain.

Unfortunately, Chu always seemed to find its savior during its lowest times. A hero of humble origin would rise out of seemingly nowhere, and they never failed to push back against the unstoppable tide, halt the decline right before it would pass the point of no return, and somehow save the country from destruction. Time and again, Yan was sent packing with their hopes and dreams dashed.

Despite this, Yan’s ambition to eliminate Chu never died. They were constantly readying their troops and reorganizing their armaments so that they might travel south and invade Chu again.

This was especially true for the current emperor of Yan, the Martial Emperor. A man of great talent and ambition, he had restructured the administration, readied the troops, formed vertical and horizontal alliances, and made friends with countless parties. To say that he was eyeing Chu like a tiger eyeing a delicious piece of meat would be an understatement.

The Southern March Pass was a strategic location and the gate Yan’s army must pass through if they wished to invade Chu. Naturally, it was heavily guarded. The South Pacifiers of the Nine Guards was but one of its numerous troops.

However, the pass wasn’t as tough, solemn, and oppressive as it presented itself to be. On the contrary, it was bustling with activity and full of life. This was because the Southern March Pass was both the greatest pass of Yan and a key trade center. It was a transit point, a trade center, a resting spot and more for all traveling merchants who wished to conduct business with Yan. Naturally, it was extraordinarily busy almost all the time.

“Merchants from eight directions gather here at Eight Directions to enjoy good food, wine, and company.” That was how the Eight Directions Inn, the absolute most famous inn in the Southern March Pass, advertised itself.

In fact, Eight Directions Inn did offer the best wine, the most delicious food, and the most wonderful entertainment in the entire Southern March Pass. That was why it was full of customers even though it wasn’t mealtime yet.

That was one reason. The Eight Directions Inn was famous, but not even it could be this lively at this hour all the time. The other reason they were jam-packed today was because the world famous troupe, the Three Perfections Troupe, would be conducting a performance at the Eight Directions Inn today.

The Three Perfections Troupe was an extremely famous circus troupe in the jianghu. They called themselves “Three Perfections” because they offered three perfected performances. They were People, Skill, and Magic.

“People” referred to the performers of the Three Perfections Troupe. They were unbelievable and unimaginable.

“Skill” referred to the stage performances. They were dazzling, extraordinary, and beyond compare.

“Magic” referred to the magic shows and tricks. They were fantastical, bizarre, and magnificent.

The Three Perfections Troupe had put on performances across the entire world, and every one of them received high praise from even an emperor.

Once, the Three Perfections Troupe was invited to perform during the Qi empress’ birthday celebration by the emperor of Qi himself. After the performance was over, he said this, “What an incredible, wonderful, and eye-opening experience that was. You definitely live up to your namesake.”

That was also the moment the Three Perfections Troupe became world famous.

One of the rare few people who were welcomed throughout the entire world, there was no one in the jianghu or the court who did not wish to experience the Three Perfections Troupe’s performance in person.

Unfortunately, the Three Perfections Troupe obeyed a strange rule where they only performed three times per year. Besides that, they had complete control over the location and the target audience of their performance. Nothing and no one could change their mind in this regard.

Once, the Old Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain personally sent them an invitation to put on a performance on his one hundredth birthday. The Three Perfections Troupe were resting at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain at the time, so he thought that there was surely no reason for them to turn him down.

And yet, the Three Perfections Troupe turned down the invitation. Their reason? A pair of dying husband and wife wanted to watch their performance one last time before they passed onto the afterlife.

Besides their unconventional behavior and fierce protectiveness of their independence, the Three Perfections Troupe was also nomadic. They never stayed at one place for too long, and they did not have a single place in the world they would call home. If they must choose, they would say that the entire world was their home.

As a result, there were countless people who wished to watch their performances but were unable to fulfill their wish for one reason or another.

When news broke out that the Three Perfections Troupe had appeared in the Southern March Pass, and that they planned to put on a performance at the Eight Directions Inn, countless people from all across the world rushed to the inn post haste. That was why it was jampacked even though it wasn’t mealtime yet. Hells, even the streets and the rooftops around the Eight Directions Inn were packed.

Inside a guest room on the third floor of the Eight Directions Inn, Ye Qing smiled at Feng Qingyou and said, “You’re quite the lucky woman, Qingyou. If we came even a day later, then we would’ve missed this wonderful performance!”

“I have always been a lucky woman.” Feng Qingyou returned the smile.

Feng Qingyou was currently dressed as a man and carried a folding fan in one hand. She looked extraordinarily handsome and elegant, and a single smile was all she needed to make both men and women swoon on their feet. It was cheating.

A month ago, he and Feng Qingyou agreed to meet up at the Eight Directions Inn of the Southern March Pass. they would then make way to the Eastern Shore and participate in the Four Seas Summit.

The Four Seas Summit would be held at Four Seas of the Eastern Shore, and the Eastern Shore was located at the easternmost region of Qi. Therefore, the best way to travel there was to take a boat down the Yong River. They would pass through Chu, enter Qin, and make it to the Eastern Shore directly.

Unfortunately, he was a wanted man in Chu. Although he had faked his death, that was no reason to be complacent[1]. If he was somehow exposed while he was in Chu, then their plan would come to an abrupt and deadly end before it could even begin. That was a level of danger not even a Grandmaster could survive.

With that in mind, he and Feng Qingyou agreed that the safest way to make it to the Eastern Shore was to travel south from Yan until they reached Qi. Only then would they travel to Four Seas.

They would be adding many kilometers to their travel, but it would be safe.

Besides, safety wasn’t the only reason Ye Qing decided to take such a circuitous path. Yan was notorious for its harsh lands, and the path to Qi through Yan was filled with barren deserts and icy wastelands. It would be a long and harsh journey, which was why it was a perfect opportunity to temper himself and grow stronger.

Neither Fang Muyun nor Chu Wangsun were ants that anyone could squash as they pleased after all. The stronger he was, the higher the chance he would be able to take revenge against them.

This was one of the main reasons they kicked off their journey more than half a year before the Four Seas Summit would begin.

“Look! It’s starting!”

It was at this moment cries of surprise and delight broke out from all over the Eight Directions Inn. A performer had appeared on the stage where the Three Perfections Troupe would conduct their performance.

She was a woman. An extraordinarily beautiful woman.

She was wearing a thin, white dress, and she had a head of long, black hair, silky skin that resembled jade, and an exquisite countenance that should only exist in a painting. She was unforgettable before the performance had even begun.

What really got the audience’s attention, however, was the massive pairs of butterfly wings growing out of her back.

There were four wings in total, and they were black, white, red and blue in color. The black resembled the dark of the night, the white resembled the light of dawn, the red resembled the passion of fire, and the blue resembled the azure sea.

When her wings flapped, dots of phosphorescent light matching the color of her wings sparkled and slowly floated to the ground. It made her look even more dreamy and beautiful than she already was.

When everyone’s eyes were centered on her, she broke into a gorgeous smile and waved lightly at the crowd. The phosphorescent light immediately spread across the area like stars.

While the crowd was absorbed in the beauty of a makeshift galaxy, the phosphorescent light suddenly transformed into countless butterflies and scattered in every direction.

For a time, the stars fell, and the butterflies flew. It was as if they weren’t in an inn, but paradise.

1. Says the guy who still uses the moniker Joyless… ☜

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