Qianqiu[1] City, Ning Province, Western Jin.

Qianqiu City had stood for three thousand years. A thousand years ago, the Xu Clan rose to prominence and settled here, renaming the city to Qianqiu. A thousand years after that, it had grown into a metropolis housing hundreds of thousands of people.

This was the ancestral seat of the main family of the Xu Clan all the way back when they were still a clan of mortals. It also served as the clan’s hub connecting the mortals and the immortals.

There was an area in the western district that was kept exceptionally clean. The roads were paved with uniformly-sized limestones. Its surface was spotless, yet several laborers were sweeping it repeatedly like it was covered in dust.

Three nearly identical edifices stood in this area. Occasionally, people could be seen entering or exiting the place, all in a great hurry. All three edifices exuded a chilling aura of lethal intent—in fact, faint, intermittent screams could be heard from time to time. They were the three main halls of the main family: the Heavenly Mysteries Hall, the Privy Council Hall, and the Morn-Eve Hall. Though not necessarily the place with the highest nominal authority, it was unquestionably the most feared place in the entire city.

At the moment, over a dozen people were seated in a circle inside the Privy Council Hall and staring at a sand table map in the center of the hall. Crafted with extreme precision, the map covered most of Ning Province and Ningxi Commandery.

The seats were elevated so as to give them a commanding view of the map below. Yet, most of the people in the hall had downcast eyes. It was clear at a glance that they were in a terrible, brooding mood.

It was at this moment one of them spoke up. “I heard that there has been quite a bit of trouble with the Ningxi branch, and that someone managed to snatch the object of our Immortal Ancestor’s desire?”

The man seated farthest to the outer edge of the assembly replied, “As far as I know, the immortal stone has acknowledged a master and secured its footing, at least for now. The General Affairs Hall has even lost two elders as a result of it.”

A middle-aged man with a face darkened by anger let out a thick, heavy grunt. “Although the General Affairs Hall is full of good-for-nothings with no hope of ascension who only care about worldly pleasures, they are still Avatars. How was it possible for them to be wiped out like that? Why hadn’t they reported this, and why hadn’t they dispatched the troops and crushed the insolent curs already?”

The man seated to the outer edge replied again, “There is actually a reason for that. It is said that the two most favored heirs of the Bao Clan and Xiao Clan are entrenched in the immortal stone’s realm. Afraid of incurring unnecessary enmity, the General Affairs Hall tried to minimize their involvement by secretly prodding the Shamans into taking action. However, they never expected the Shamans to suffer consecutive crushing defeats and even lose three Great Shamans in a row. It is said that some of the youngsters possess immortal-level trump cards as well.”

The elderly man in the center slowly opened his eyes and said indifferently, “Isn’t the Immortal Lord of the Palace of Absolute Beginning currently battling the Immortal Ancestors beyond the heavens? If even immortals have entered the battlefield, then what good are mere ‘immortal-level’ trump cards? This is simply proof that those in the General Affairs Hall are becoming increasingly useless. Fortunately, the triennial clan assembly is right around the corner. It is the perfect opportunity for a change of leadership.”

The brooding middle-aged man asked, “How strong is the immortal stone’s realm, exactly?”

“According to the latest reports, the realm currently has tens of thousands of mortals, around three thousand Body-tempering stage cultivators, and one hundred or so Dao Foundation stage cultivators.”

“Seriously? What are we waiting for then? Let’s just raise an army and wipe them out already!”

The elderly man in the center slowly raised his hand, and the hall fell silent. He spoke slowly: “In recent years, the Palace of Absolute Beginning has been pushing north in force. The King of Jin has long been dissatisfied with this. First, let our people in the court submit a few memorials to push the royal court into action. Then, we’ll seal off the borders with all our might so that the Palace of Absolute Beginning cannot easily reinforce the immortal stone’s realm. Besides that, we’re not just going to intercept the supply convoys from the Palace anymore—we’re going to attack them outright. Let only one or two supply ships get through at most. We should also communicate with the Shamans: are they really going to let the deaths of three of their Shamans go unavenged?

“As for the immortal stone’s realm, there’s no rush to take it down. The immortal stone has already chosen a master. Even if we were to reclaim it, our only option is to break it down into pieces, which would dramatically reduce its value. It’s better to leave them alone so that the Palace of Absolute Beginning would be forced to provide them with their full support. If they wish to reinforce the west, then they would have to pay a price that is four or five times greater than the north. Once we have bled them dry....”

The elderly man pointed a finger, and a region in the north side of Ning Province lit up. It spanned several thousand li in circumference, and it bore the Palace of Absolute Beginning’s emblem. When he made a gesture, the emblem was erased and replaced with the Xu Clan’s emblem.

The elderly man continued, “If the Palace of Absolute Beginning wants the plot of land to the west so badly, they can have it—but if they surrender the one to the north.”

The brooding middle-aged man said, “If we’re going to bleed the Palace of Absolute Beginning dry, then we can’t allow those little brats in the immortal stone’s realm to have it easy. How about this: we’ll draft a thousand elite troops from the clan’s armies and throw in some auxiliary troops to make up a total force of five thousand. Then, we’ll have them operate in the west disguised as robbers. We’ll teach those little brats a lesson and show them that the western regions are no place for the faint of heart.”

The elderly man replied, “Acceptable.”

Someone asked, “But what about the two children from the Bao Clan and the Xiao Clan?”

The elderly man replied, “They must possess life-saving measures provided by their families, so there’s nothing to worry about. They will live no matter what we throw at them. As for the clan’s soldiers, if they die, then so be it. If those two killed too many of our men, the Bao Clan and the Xiao Clan will eventually grow restless. It is only a matter of time before they are recalled.”

The man seated to the outer edge spoke up, “I’ll go make the arrangements right away. But there’s one more thing.”

The elderly man frowned slightly in a clear sign of displeasure. The man looked intimidated, but he spoke nonetheless. “We’ve had no word yet from the men we sent into the Shattered Grotto-Heaven. Not a single one of the ninety men from the third squadron has returned. I suspect that that thing may have awakened. Under normal circumstances, it shouldn’t be able to escape the grotto-heaven, but just in case....”

A middle-aged woman with a sullen expression spoke in a somewhat shrill voice, “If it does escape, which cities are nearby?”

“The nearest major city is Willow Ash Town. It’s also quite close to the immortal stone’s realm.”

The woman sneered. “Isn’t that just perfect? With luck, that thing will wipe them all out—and it would have absolutely nothing to do with us.”

The old man then said, “That concludes the matter regarding the west. Let us now discuss the situation in the other regions.”

......

Western Jin.

Though dawn had not yet fully broken, civil and military officials were already filing into the grand hall. It had been twenty years since King Jin Xian ascended the throne, and he was a paragon of diligence in governing the state to say the least.

Seated high above his throne, the King of Jin waited for his ministers to chant, “Eternity be with you, my king!” three times before ordering them to rise.

At that moment, an elderly minister stepped out of the ranks of civil officials and reported, “Your Majesty, I have heard that the Shamans of the western frontier have retreated, ceding several thousand li of territory. That land was originally part of the Western Jin; this is a heaven-sent opportunity for us to reclaim it. This humble servant humbly requests that Your Majesty issue an edict to reestablish the Four Commanderies of Ningxi, and appoint a general-in-chief and inspector-general to garrison the region.”

The elderly minister presented his memorial, which was written in great detail and even included a list of recommended candidates for the positions of general-in-chief and inspector-general.

The King of Jin gave the name list a look and quickly understood the situation. He asked, “The commanderies of Ningxi were originally our ancestral domain. Now that the Shamans have retreated, we must naturally reclaim them. However, do we have enough realm stones in the royal treasury?”

The Minister of Revenue responded, “There are only two realm stones in the treasury, and they have both been earmarked for use in the north. At present, we do not have any spare realm stones.”

Another official stepped forward and said, “Without realm stones, how can we define our borders and defend our territory? The list presented by the Right Counselor is also rife with ulterior motives; most of the names on the list are people with whom he has long been at odds with. He is trying to use this opportunity to eliminate his political rivals! I implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!”

The Right Counselor sneered and said, “All I have done is recommend capable men who are suited for this task, yet you make me sound so despicable! Oversight Advisor Liu, you are aware that there are no realm stones in the treasury, yet you do not know that a realm stone has already been established in the west! My recommendation this time is an excellent opportunity to achieve great deeds! Although those few men have had disagreements with me, I am certainly not the sort of man who would put personal grievances before the public good!”

Oversight Advisor Liu was clearly unaware of this and was momentarily at a loss for words.

The King of Jin’s interest was piqued. He asked, “How could a single realm stone suffice for four commanderies? Since you have submitted this memorial, my esteemed minister, there must be a reason.”

The Right Counselor replied, “As expected, my humble thoughts cannot be hidden from Your Majesty! To the best of my knowledge, that realm stone is of exceptional grade. It might even be a Supreme-grade realm stone! A single realm stone of this caliber is capable of covering more than two commanderies. Adding just one or two in the future would be sufficient to reclaim all four commanderies of Ningxi.”

A fervent gleam flashed in the King of Jin’s eyes as he said, “A Supreme-grade realm stone—are you sure? Who brought it here, and why was it erected there?”

The Right Counselor replied, “The realm stone was originally located in Ningxi. It was an ancient artifact that no one knew existed. Later, it was accidentally triggered by a junior disciple of a certain sect and established.”

Overjoyed, the King of Jin declared, “Since this ancient artifact was discovered on the territory of Western Jin, it naturally belongs to this king. I hereby approve of your memorial, Right Counselor!”

The Right Counselor immediately knelt and kowtowed in gratitude.

The King of Jin continued, “However, there is one thing regarding this name list that this lone one doesn’t understand, my esteemed minister. I find no problems with most of the candidates, but who is this Vice Administrator Sun Chao’en? Why have you decided to promote him in such an exceptional manner?”

The Right Counselor replied, “Sun Chao’en previously served as the county magistrate of Pinghe County in Bianning Commandery. Not long ago, he fought fiercely against the Northern Liao for several months, never retreating despite being gravely wounded. He even slew the young chieftain of the Agula tribe, sparking an internal strife and thus performing a great service. This man excels in both civil and military affairs and is truly a rare pillar of the state. With the western regions in dire need of reconstruction, we urgently require such capable talent to take charge.”

The King of Jin nodded. “Since you are recommending him so strongly, I shall grant your request.”

As noon approached, the court session concluded, and the officials filed out of the palace one after another.

The Right Counselor strolled leisurely, taking measured steps as he slowly made his way out of the palace gates. Just then, another high-ranking official from the court approached him and asked, “May I borrow your carriage for a moment today?”

“You’re most welcome.”

Moments later, the carriage set off, and the two high-ranking sat opposite one another. The man asked, “Sun Chao’en is merely a lowly county magistrate—how on earth did he catch your eye?”

The two men had both passed the imperial examinations in the same years and had always stood together in the court. Thus, the Right Counselor replied honestly, “This man has distinguished himself in governing his territory and received numerous rewards. He then found his way to me and, surprisingly, surrendered all of his rewards to me asking for a stepping stone to advancement. He certainly has talent, but what is even rarer is his filial devotion.”

The official replied, “It would be good to send him to the west for some experience. A good dog should be raised in the wilds; who knows, he might even turn into a wolf in the future. But those other men—are we really going to make them commandery administrators? Isn’t that a bit too generous?”

The Right Counselor laughed. “Do I seem like the generous sort to you? The Xu Clan has already lost two Avatars; they would not have come to me otherwise. I’m well aware of the temperaments of those four—not a single one of them is the easy-going sort. But the western regions are quite dangerous. With such volatile personalities, who knows if they might meet with misfortune? In any case, we should wait and see. If even one of them dies, then it would be a good outcome.”

“Far-sighted and prudent!” The high-ranking official said admiringly.

......

Realm of Qingming.

A caravan came to a halt at the edge of the border just in time to see a dozen or so cavalrymen riding toward them. The caravan leader looked extremely nervous, only breathing a sigh of relief after the riders had inspected the goods, and the immortal silver was paid. After handing over the three cargo carts, he and his several dozen subordinates hurriedly departed the area.

In the Shattered Realm, the line between a caravan and a band of robbers was razor-thin. Their exact status depended entirely on the mood of the caravan leader and the circumstances at the time.

The caravan leader had noticed from the beginning that the dozen or so cavalrymen receiving the cargo were all Dao Foundation-stage cultivators. Naturally, he was scared out of his wits. Fortunately, it would appear the other party had no intentions of turning his whole group into cargo as well. Even so, he did not dare to linger. The members of his caravan were quite excited, though: The realm of Qingming was vast. If they were serious about doing business, then this could be an excellent opportunity.

Moments later, three cargo carts came to a stop before Wei Yuan. Behind him stood fifty cavalrymen including the sixteen young masters and ladies with Heaven Merits. Feng Tingyu was standing on the other side with her massive blade. The remaining thirty or so members of the group were carefully selected Dao Foundation stage cultivators as well.

Wei Yuan opened the carts. Surprisingly, they were filled with masks. He then called out to the others, “Feel free to pick one you like, everyone. The other two carts are filled with robes and cloaks—we’ll all be changing into them shortly. From now on, while we are wearing these masks, we are the greatest horse bandits of the western regions, the Heaven Fighting Gang! If you don’t like the name, we can discuss it later. But one thing for certain, whatever the Heaven Fighting Gang does has absolutely nothing to do with the Palace of Absolute Beginning or this realm!”

1. Meaning Thousand Autumn. ☜