Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Royal court was a mobile city. People new here would be confused by the countless tents and chaotic paths, mistaking it as a filthy place that sheltered evil people and condoned evil practices.
Those who had this idea would soon pay a steep price for it.
Gu Shenwei received a great deal of valuable information from military counselor Fang Wenshi, so he would not commit a blunder.
Although Fang Wenshi had only been there for half a year, he had already figured out the moving rules of royal court. “Generally speaking, it moves from south to north along with the season. In the winter, it moves slightly east. In the summer, it moves slightly west. It can also adjust position if it encountered special circumstances, such as a war with the Central Plain.”
In order to improve efficiency and keep everything in order, there were many rules in royal court. For example, the north was always the main tent of Khan. From that point further north, within one day’s journey by horse, no one was allowed to live or pasture, as with the upper reaches of the river.
The nobles who followed royal court had their encampments in the east, west, and south, surrounding and protecting Khan. Merchants, craftsmen, and low-level officials had their residences on the periphery. Everyone had a residence permit recording their name, identity, and status.
It was not until after more than ten miles that the mobile city showed signs of losing control: trade caravans transporting goods, strangers looking for opportunities, servants looking for short-term jobs, and mysterious people operating secret businesses were all randomly mixed together. The gap between one tent and another often allowed only one horse to pass.
This chaotic area had thus become the first line of defense of royal court, usually called slums. People living here were like insects on the grassland– dirty, ugly, but indispensable.
Gu Shenwei’s first foothold in royal court was here.
They arrived in the evening and could not venture into the noble area. Gu Shenwei went first to find a contact named Senior Shou, and Fang Wenshi guaranteed that the person was extremely reliable.
Zhu Shou was originally from the Central Plain but had been moving around with royal court for a living since he was a teenager. He earned the title of “Senior Shou” at the age of 40. At first, he was only called this by people in a small circle. Five years later, even the northern nobles referred to him by this title. Now he was in his fifties. If someone called him by his original name, he would not be able to respond in time.
“All you need to succeed is time.” This was a famous saying of Senior Shou. He had been doing only one kind of business for decades since the first time he sent the information on behalf of others: acting as a middleman for all kinds of people, introducing them to each other and never asking about the reasons and results.
This business was not as easy as it seemed. If he introduced an assassin or an abominable counselor to a noble, he would not be paid and would instead lose his life.
Zhu Shou was able to survive because he had never mistaken anyone. But this time he could not make a judgment even after staring at the young man for a long while.
The young man looked pale and sick. He seemed to be a timid and broken master. But he had a saber on the waist, and his eyes looked firm and never flinched.
Senior Shou stopped looking at him and secretly concluded that this man was dangerous, but he knew how to control himself.
“Yes, Fang Wenshi.” Senior Shou pretended to recall this familiar name, and after a while, he continued, “I remember him. Whom do you want to see?”
“King Kuari.”
Senior Shou lowered his head and said nothing. He was not frightened. He had seen someone who wanted to see Khan. He was just considering the price.
The bigger the status gap between the two sides, the higher the price would usually be. Senior Shou was unsure about the young man’s identity and thought for a moment, “You must tell me your real name.”
Like all new strangers, before Fang Wenshi met Senior Shou, he once lived in the slums for a while. He looked around for ways to meet dignitaries but misspent some money.
Senior Shou left a good impression on Fang Wenshi. Although the intermediary cost was high, it was worth the money in the end. Fang Wenshi met the butler of King Kuari and laid his first foothold in royal court. Soon he moved into the craftsman’s area and then was invited to live in the noble area after the war on the seaside slope.
Senior Shou was discreet in speech. After confirming that Fang Wenshi did not know kung fu and was not pedantic or annoying, he never asked any more questions. Dragon King’s military counselor was famous in Western Region, but unknown in Norland.
If everything went according to plan, Fang Wenshi would have acted as the middleman for Dragon King. Instead, he stayed behind, so he recommended Senior Shou.”You will first meet the butler of King Kuari, a short and fat eunuch. He has a mole on his chin, which is very easy to recognize. He might put on a fake beard, but he will never hide the mole. You can reveal your identity to him, and he will lead you to King Kuari.”
Now, Senior Shou wanted to know the name of the young guest, because he was not only equipped with a saber but also a vigilant killing spirit. That spirit was not a manifestation of his will when he fought with others, but a unique temperament of a person who had killed numerous people and was numb to life. Just like the difference between nobility and the newly-rich, they could be easily distinguished from their attitudes towards servants: the former is natural, and the latter emphasizes everywhere.
Gu Shenwei reported his “name” in another way: he took off a small leather bag from his waist, put it on the counter, and slid it towards Senior Shou.
Senior Shou ran a small grocery store in slums without a residence permit. All the goods had been stored for at least ten years and had never sold. They were all covered with dust. The dust also moved with the migration once in a few months.
Senior Shou opened the leather bag and took a look inside. Then he weighed it in his hand, and all the problems were solved. The young man might be dangerous, but Senior Shou could keep himself safe as long as he took necessary preventive measures.
“Come by the day after tomorrow,” Senior Shou instructed.
“I want to see him tonight,” Gu Shenwei requested.
“It’s impossible.”
“You haven’t tried yet. How do you know it’s impossible?”
This man was used to giving orders. Senior Shou looked at the guest again until he could no longer stand the coldness in his eyes. “Well, I’ll try it. You wait for me here. If there is no news in two hours, don’t wait any longer; just come by the day after tomorrow.”
Senior Shou was headed out when the young man grabbed him by the arm. The guest, who did not look strong, had a grip as strong as an iron clasp. “It has to be tonight,” the guest insisted.
” I …” Senior Shou was slightly miffed, but softened his tone, “I will try my best. Maybe I can’t make it happen, but I won’t lie to you or fool you. Fang Wenshi must have told you that.”
“Alright.” Gu Shenwei let go of Senior Shou. When Senior Shou was close to the door, Gu Shenwei said, “Thank you for leaving me a person to chat with.”
Senior Shou’s face was stiff. He paused for a moment but said nothing. Then he lifted the curtain and headed out. “This young man is so different,” he thought.
Gu Shenwei turned around and looked at the pile of parcels by the door. Soon, a macheteman emerged from the shadow behind the parcels.
The macheteman looked around eighteen, even younger than Gu Shenwei. He had a round but slightly square face, and bright eyes. The thin mustache above his lips showed his immaturity. His neck seemed bigger than his head, and his body was as strong as a bull in heat, which could easily turn over the whole tent when angry.
“What’s your name?” Gu Shenwei asked.
The macheteman hesitated for a moment. He should not speak in front of a new guest, but there was an irresistible force in this man’s words that prevented him from sticking to his position. “Bo Sang,” he answered.
“Saber or sword?”
Bo Sang’s face was a little red. It was a fashion nowadays to wear a saber and a sword simultaneously. Especially after the war on seaside slope, there were more and more imitators of Dragon King. “I use the saber,” Bo Sang replied.
Bo Sang’s saber and sword were about a foot longer than common weapons, and they looked very threatening. In fact, he had never used the sword and did not even know how.
“Pull out your saber,” Gu Shenwei told Bo Sang.
“Why?” Bo Sang became vigilant.
“It may come in handy later. Drawing the saber quickly may not be your strongsuit.”
Bo Sang was infuriated since he was at an age of extreme sensitivity to dignity and could not bear even the slightest public humiliation. He drew his saber, resting his right hand on the scabbard. Twisting his body to the left, he slightly dropped his head, holding the hilt with his right hand, lifting it up high. It was indeed a clean posture, which obviously had been practiced many times.
“Pull out yours.” Bo Sang’s tone was stern. He was eager to teach the new guest a lesson before Senior Shou returned, and let him know that imitating Dragon King also required some strength.
Gu Shenwei shook his head. “My saber will not be pulled out for showing off.”
Bo Sang’s face was becoming redder and redder. “Maybe you don’t even know how to use it,” he quipped.
“It is possible. Why don’t you throw away the scabbard?”
“What?”
“Your saber is too long. Throwing away the scabbard while pulling out the saber would be faster.”
Bo Sang was confused and thought to himself, “Why throw away the scabbard? The posture is neither beautiful nor useful at all. After drawing the saber, the two sides must confront each other for a while before they begin fighting. Nobody will start fighting immediately after drawing the saber, right?”
“Don’t pretend you know how to use a saber. That will get you killed.” Bo Sang said contemptuously, returning the long saber to the scabbard.
The two never spoke after that.
Gu Shenwei leaned on the counter and remained motionless for a long time as if he would never become bored with this posture.
Bo Sang impatiently paced back and forth. The guest’s suggestion had taken root in his heart and could not be removed. He especially wanted to give it a try now and throw away the scabbard when pulling out the saber. Would it really be faster?
The opportunity came.
Two assassins cut through the tent and rushed in from different directions to pounce on the defenseless guest.
Bo Sang felt obliged to protect anyone in the tent.
He pulled out the saber with his right hand and pulled the scabbard out of the belt and threw it away with his left hand. It was indeed a little faster, and the whole process was more smooth and easy. His right hand used to be lifted too high and could change the move immediately. Now, he could slash immediately.
Bo Sang raised his head and found his help unnecessary.
A saber and a sword were placed on the assassins’ necks. By the time Bo Sang drew his saber, the guest had already finished his counterattack.
Bo Sang finally understood the importance of drawing the saber quickly.
Gu Shenwei did not kill them because he knew it was a test.
A man came in the tent, dressed in a robe, with his hands behind his back. He assessed the situation inside the tent and said, “Dragon King’s fame is indeed deserved.”
Bo Sang was surprised that the young man was Dragon King. And even more to his surprise, Dragon King asked to see King Kuari, here stood King Dari.
In royal court, everyone knew that King Dari and King Kuari were deadly foes.
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