Chapter Eighty-Six: Little Thief

The next morning, the entire caravan gathered before the stone fortress and followed the flow of people to the entrance passage. Before the guards could even speak, the elderly man surnamed Zhou, who served as deputy leader, stepped forward of his own accord.

“Where are you from?”

The ranks of the gate guards parted. Seeming to realize at once that this caravan was unlike the others, a middle-aged man in armor and helmet emerged from within them. He wore full military dress and carried a single-edged saber; by the look of him, he was at least somewhat versed in martial skill, if not a true martial artist.

“This is the entrance to the outer city of Tianluo Stronghold in the Kingdom of Zongshang. All who enter must undergo strict inspection to prevent demons from infiltrating. Do you have your travel permits?”

“Yes, yes. Doggie, hurry and bring them over. Do not keep this captain waiting,” the old man surnamed Zhou said at once.

He hurriedly motioned to the people beside him, who brought over a yellow silk scroll bearing the image of a hideous, unnamed giant flower with sharp fangs, along with a bundle held in both hands. Taking a few steps forward, he first offered the permit and smiled as he said, “We are a merchant caravan from the Kingdom of Wucang heading into the Qilian Mountains. This time we have just returned from the mountains. Here is our permit.”

“Oh? From the Kingdom of Wucang? Looks like you made a tidy gain this trip.”

The middle-aged captain did not even glance at the Wucang permit. He merely took it in hand and waved idly. At once, the soldiers under him scattered to surround the caravan, seemingly preparing to search them.

“Just a few rough goods from the mountain villages. If the captain likes them, I can have some sent over shortly,” the old man surnamed Zhou replied hastily, while pressing the bundle in his hands into the captain’s grasp.

Only then did the captain’s expression ease somewhat. He raised a hand, stopping the soldiers who had been about to move, and his first glance fell upon the cloth bundle. He hefted it once, roughly gauging its weight, and a hint of pleasure already showed on his face.

When he opened the mouth of the bundle and glimpsed that flash of gold, his earlier sternness vanished completely. He quickly covered the opening again and said with a broad smile, “Since you are colleagues from the Kingdom of Wucang, there is no need for inspection, I think. How many of you are there, sir? I will issue the travel passes at once.”

At those words, the soldiers who had fanned out around them returned. Not long after, every member of Hu San’s party had a travel pass in hand, and thus they entered the true outer city of Tianluo Stronghold.

Seeing this, it would have been a lie to say Hu San was not astonished. After passing through the thick stone gate and entering the inner city proper, he could not help asking Ren Tang beside him, “Brother Ren, with the outer city defenses of Tianluo Stronghold being so lax, aren’t they afraid that demons might actually slip inside? And it seems those garrison soldiers do not care much at all about the Kingdom of Wucang?”

As Hu San saw it, a mere gate captain of Tianluo Stronghold ought to have waved them through immediately the moment he saw a permit from Wucang. Yet unexpectedly, the man had brazenly accepted a bribe right before their eyes.

“Brother Hu, you do not know the situation,” Ren Tang said with a slight shake of his head and a smile. “Tianluo Stronghold has stood for who knows how many years. Since the day it was founded, it has never once been taken by the demon race. In addition, the power of the kingdom has grown greatly in recent years, and this place is under the rule of the Kingdom of Zongshang. That makes it as steady as a mountain. The inspection at the outer gate is merely for show, meant to intimidate a few mountain thieves from the Qilian range. If they were truly serious about it, that would actually be strange. Only at the entrance to the inner city does the scrutiny become much stricter.”

“As for the attitude of the gate soldiers toward our Kingdom of Wucang, haha, that is only natural. Compared with the Kingdom of Zongshang, our strength is truly far behind. When it comes to the most powerful kingdom, Zongshang is no boast. If one were to divide the entire kingdom’s power into three parts, Zongshang could probably take one whole share. Tell me, isn’t that terrifying?”

Seeing Hu San nod thoughtfully, Ren Tang seemed to grow talkative. He pointed at the many buildings within the outer city and introduced them one by one.

“Brother, look. Only here do you see the true face of the Tianluo Stronghold outer city. What we saw before was only the settlement on the outskirts. This prosperous scene before us can already rival the inner cities of ordinary kingdoms.”

“This place is completely different from what the Qilian Mountains are like. We will probably need three to five days to handle the formalities for entering and leaving the inner city. During that time, let your big brother properly show you around. Of all things, the Sanshui Pavilion here is absolutely worth trying. The women inside are not as delicate as those in the kingdom’s inland regions, but they have a wild charm all their own. It is truly a specialty of this place!”

At these words, everyone exchanged knowing looks and laughed heartily. At the same time, sparks seemed to flash in their eyes. After all, during nearly a year in the Qilian Mountains, they had not touched a single woman, and they were all badly pent up.

“You little rascals!”

Noticing their reaction, Ren Tang could not help laughing and cursing them. He then ordered, “Listen up, every one of you. Before everything is properly settled, not one of you is to go wandering off on your own. Once all is arranged, I will personally take you to the Sanshui Pavilion. This time, the cost will be on me.”

Upon hearing this, the caravan members instantly let out excited howls, as if they could not wait to settle everything immediately. Their efficiency and enthusiasm surged by more than a little. Hu San even noticed that the old man surnamed Zhou seemed to be trembling all over. Perhaps he had an old flame in the Sanshui Pavilion?

In any case, the caravan’s work efficiency rose sharply. What should have taken half a day was completed entirely within the space of a mere half an hour.

In the end, however, Hu San did not accept Ren Tang’s invitation to the Sanshui Pavilion. Instead, he chose to go out alone and stroll through the outer city. For one thing, he wanted to adapt as quickly as possible to the difference between the Qilian Mountains and the outside world; for another, he had little interest in drinking flower wine. After all, he was only fourteen years old, and every ounce of his energy was devoted to cultivation.

The outer city lay closest to Tianluo Stronghold itself. It was not vast, but neither could it be called small. For Hu San, who was here for the first time, it already seemed enormous.

In a narrow alley behind an inn, Hu San smiled faintly and caught with ease a pair of small hands that had slapped at his waist. With a light tug, he dragged a dirty-faced little brat out from a hole in the wall.

It seemed that ever since he had stepped out of the inn, this child had been watching him. At first, Hu San had not known the boy’s purpose, but now it was all too clear.

“You little punk,” Hu San said, “tell me: would you rather leave one hand behind, or one foot?”

Although Hu San had never truly mixed in the outside world’s martial circles, during the three-month journey he had listened to enough of Ren Tang and the others’ talk to know the rules of a thief’s trade.

What he could not understand was why this little brat had targeted him the moment he entered the city. By rights, he ought to have been low-key enough.

“I-I don’t want to leave either one.”

The child’s face was deathly pale. He clearly knew the rules of the trade as well, but he forced down his fear, his lips trembling as he looked directly at Hu San and pleaded, “Honored young master, please forgive me this once. I was truly starving. There was no rice at home, and we had already sold all the firewood. If not for that, even if you beat me to death, I would never have stolen. Just this once, please spare me this once. If I offend again, you may kill me if you wish.”

“Kill you?”

Hu San’s expression shifted suddenly, and a faint, amused smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as though he had found something interesting. He said, “I do not care what difficulties your family has. Since you have entered this line of work, you must follow its rules. Still, in consideration of your youth and inexperience, I will not cut off your hand.”

“Thank you, benefactor! Thank you, benefactor! Your great kindness will never be forgotten, even if I die. Please accept a bow from this one.”

As soon as the child heard this, he fell to his knees with a thud and began banging his head against the ground again and again.

These were not empty kowtows. He struck so hard that a small pit appeared in the dirt alley road, and the dark red blood from his forehead soaked the hard, dry earth around it.

“There is no need for all that. Go on, then. And do not make a living by such means again.”

A trace of mockery flickered in Hu San’s eyes. He paid the child’s pitiful act no mind and turned to leave the alley at once.

He had not taken two steps before he felt someone throw himself at him from behind, and the child’s arms wrapped completely around one of his legs.

The corners of Hu San’s mouth lifted slightly. As if he had already foreseen this, he did not turn around, only saying, “What is it now? Do you have something else to say?”

A flash of fear crossed the child’s face. He forced out a smile and said, “My lord, my family is truly very poor. If I go back like this, I’m afraid I’ll starve to death anyway. You seem to have just arrived here and must not know the place well. If my lord does not mind, this humble one would be willing to serve as your guide.”

“My family has lived here for generations, so I know this place very well. In this way I can repay your mercy in sparing my hand, and in the other, earn a little for my household so I will not starve in the street.”

As he spoke, the child looked at Hu San with tearful eyes, so pitifully that anyone hearing it would be moved to tears and anyone seeing it would feel sorrow.

Hu San laughed and gently pried the child’s hands loose. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of despair in the boy’s gaze. Then Hu San turned around abruptly and said with a nod, “You do seem like a quick-witted one. Very well, then. If you can satisfy me, a little money or food is no great matter to me.”

At those words, the child’s expression immediately came alive.

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord! Where would you like to go? Just say the word, and this one will answer without omission.”

“Then tell me this: what shops here sell weapons and medicinal herbs, and where might one buy cultivation methods or secret manuals?”

“Uh, if it is weapons, the foremost place would be Spirit Armament Pavilion. They say everything inside is divine weapons and extraordinary blades, though each and every one costs an astonishing sum. As for medicinal herbs, that would be the old Xuji shop. It is the largest pharmacy in Tianluo Stronghold, and it is said that even the lords of the inner city sometimes go there to buy medicine.”

“As for where cultivation methods and secret manuals are sold, there is only the once-a-month Tianluo Trade Assembly. It is said that at every assembly, spiritual treasures from all over the kingdom and from the Qilian Mountains are auctioned off, and of course cultivation methods and secret manuals are among them. But an event of that caliber is not something just anyone can attend.”

“The most recent Tianluo Trade Assembly has just finished. It was said that a spiritual flower from the Qilian Mountains appeared, and it drew all the great figures of Tianluo Stronghold to make bids. In the end, it sold for a sky-high price and was taken by the martial experts of the Kingdom of Zongshang. If my lord had come a few days earlier, you might have witnessed such a spectacle, and who knows, perhaps even had that spiritual flower in your possession.”

The child stared hopefully at Hu San, terrified that if this patron grew displeased, he would be kicked away. If that happened, he would truly have no place to die but the grave.