Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Annihilation of the Alliance [Part One]

Jiankang City.

The capital of the Southern Qi Dynasty, the very heart of the empire beneath the Son of Heaven.

This city had once represented the pinnacle of several dynasties.

Ming Tian, An Luo, and Yin Chan, accompanied by Wang Jingze and Yu Nizi, arrived at this city—marking the terminus of their long journey—after two days of travel.

Ming Tian gazed about with curiosity. The prosperity of Nan Lanling County had already surpassed his expectations, but Jiankang’s grandeur eclipsed even that. The throngs of people were so dense that one had to lead a horse with utmost caution to avoid injuring pedestrians.

If the greatest problem of the modern world was traffic congestion, then Jiankang’s greatest dilemma was a congestion of humanity.

Fortunately, Yin Chan had prepared some medicine for Ming Tian. Her skill in traditional medicine was formidable; she had concocted a remedy for motion sickness using nothing but herbs. Without it, Ming Tian feared he would have emptied his stomach along the way.

"Young Master An Luo, look—does this hairpin suit me?" Yu Nizi coquettishly showcased the new ornament she had just purchased from a street vendor.

One had to admit, Yu Nizi was breathtakingly beautiful, evoking thoughts of legendary beauties—could Diao Chan or Wang Zhaojun have been any more enchanting?

Every passerby, regardless of age or gender, could not help but glance back for another look at this ethereal maiden as she walked by.

Even Ming Tian, who had traveled with Yu Nizi these past days, found himself flushing in her presence.

Damn it, I’m supposed to be a one-of-a-kind gentleman of the twenty-first century! If I say I’m fond of the county princess, then I’m fond of the county princess; no matter how beautiful another woman is, I mustn’t let myself be swayed—absolutely not!

Yet, Ming Tian was still a man. To claim his heart was unmoved by Yu Nizi’s beauty would only prove his kidneys were failing him. Hastily, he patted his cheeks to snap himself out of his reverie.

"Yes... it looks lovely!" An Luo forced a stiff smile, his face ashen, eyes furtively watching Yin Chan ahead, terrified of being misunderstood.

But Yin Chan... in her previous life she’d been an older man. Why would she care about An Luo? She simply continued walking, lost in her own world.

Perhaps noticing An Luo’s constant glances at Yin Chan, Yu Nizi’s expression darkened. She stormed over, pounding An Luo’s chest in a fit of mock petulance, "Young Master An Luo, why aren’t you looking at me? Look at me! Am I not pretty? Tell me what’s wrong with me! Boo hoo..."

"I... you..." An Luo, a man whose life had been spent on the battlefield, was utterly unprepared for such a scene. Cold sweat poured down his back, and he stammered helplessly.

"Yu’er, enough mischief. Don’t forget why we came to Jiankang," Wang Jingze finally interjected, unable to stand by any longer. Yet his gaze was filled with nothing but doting affection for his goddaughter.

Yu Nizi pouted and lowered her head. "Yes, godfather," she mumbled, then pinched An Luo in secret. Unfortunately, An Luo’s skin was as tough as tire rubber, and she only succeeded in hurting her own fingers, stomping her foot in frustration and calling him a blockhead.

This awkward scene made Ming Tian’s scalp prickle with secondhand embarrassment. He glanced at An Luo, who remained wooden and at a loss, his face etched with distress.

Such a beauty... It’s lucky An Luo’s an idiot. If you were teasing me like this, I’d have pinned you down right then and there! And An Luo—could he really be gay? Why else would he be so unmoved by such a stunning woman’s affections? Is he one of those useless male leads from those certain anime series?

Yet, more than this farce, it was Yin Chan’s reaction that drew Ming Tian’s attention.

Since entering Jiankang, Yin Chan had maintained her habitual dour expression, but Ming Tian could sense her growing excitement.

No wonder—her purpose in Jiankang was to find the Travelers’ League.

For Ming Tian, even greater obstacles lay ahead. But for Yin Chan, finding the Travelers’ League would mean the end of this journey.

Yin Chan had two choices: to join the Travelers’ League and part ways with Ming Tian, or to join and continue assisting him.

Ming Tian knew that helping him would be difficult. Even if Yin Chan’s self-interest led her to abandon him, he could not blame her.

"You think I’ll abandon you, don’t you?" Yin Chan suddenly slowed her pace, walking shoulder to shoulder with Ming Tian. "Do you think I’m so selfish?"

The question startled Ming Tian.

Damn, does she read minds? How does she know what I’m thinking? Wait—am I really a character in a novel? And Yin Chan, are you actually the protagonist? Do you have a hidden cheat power? Can you read minds?

No, that can’t be! A woman as protagonist? Is this a women’s fiction novel? Don’t tell me this is a Mary Sue story! I refuse to be a supporting character in such a trashy novel! No wonder An Luo seems so gay—every man in these stories is gay! I won’t be someone’s sidekick—I’m handsome, I should have a harem, be a stud!

"What’s wrong? Wondering how I know what you’re thinking?" Yin Chan asked with a dazzling smile, so brilliant that Ming Tian shivered involuntarily.

Now I’m sure—you can read minds, you must have superpowers! Help! I don’t want to be a supporting character in a women’s novel!

"I don’t read minds," Yin Chan replied, as if speaking to herself. "It’s just that, if I were in your shoes, I’d be thinking the same thing."

Enough joking. Ming Tian arched his lips in a slight smile and spoke frankly, "Honestly, if you chose to be selfish and not help me, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, this whole palace operation is just to save my woman. Once we execute the assassination plan, our ambition to accomplish great deeds in the palace is finished. There’s no benefit for you."

"I may be a woman, but I’m a man at heart," Yin Chan said with a confident smile. "Don’t judge me by feminine standards. You saved my life—am I the kind who forgets a debt of gratitude?"

Her smile was self-assured—though beautiful and feminine, her presence exuded the boldness of a true man.

"Is that so? Then I’m relieved. When this is all over, I’ll join you in the Avengers—uh, I mean, the Travelers’ League."

"Oh, you’re talking about the Travelers’ League? We’re already here."

"What? We are? Where?"

"There, two o’clock—see the Caiyun Pavilion?"

Indeed, following her gaze, he saw an expansive compound covering several acres. The signboard bore three characters—Caiyun Pavilion—written in an unfamiliar script.

This massive dyehouse defied easy description, but it resembled the kind often seen in martial arts films—where Wong Fei-hung or Fong Sai-yuk might brawl amidst the vats. Inside, dozens of people bustled about.

At the entrance, a large carriage, requiring five horses to pull, stood parked. Four or five workers were busy carrying crates and boxes into the pavilion.

To hide in plain sight—that was the true meaning of concealment.

"But to operate so openly on the main street—aren’t they being a bit brazen? Isn’t the Wonton Ripper their enemy? Aren’t they afraid of retaliation?"

Yin Chan shook her head. "This is Jiankang. The Marquis of the Eastern Darkness hasn’t yet seized power. Most of the conflict is within the court; security here is excellent. In broad daylight, how could anything possibly—"

BOOM!

At that moment, a dragon of flame soared into the sky. A violent shockwave, like the roar of a dragon, swept across the bustling street, blowing hundreds of unsuspecting commoners away as easily as reaping wheat.

Caiyun Pavilion—the Travelers’ League’s base, as Yin Chan called it—had exploded!

Several bystanders near the blast were instantly shredded by the force.

The thunderous roar and the searing heat hit Ming Tian before he could react. All five of them, men and horses alike, were hurled into the air.

"Ugh!"

A crushing pain struck Ming Tian’s chest as he crashed onto a nearby rooftop, snapping two bamboo poles used for drying clothes. Warmth flooded his chest, and blood gushed from his mouth.

Even from forty meters away, the force of the explosion was such that his ears were nearly deafened—nothing like the “cool guys never look at explosions” scenes in movies!

A shard of bamboo slashed past his neck—one centimeter closer and it would have severed his artery.

But none of that mattered anymore.

The world seemed to fall silent—or rather, his ears had gone deaf. Everything in his vision was stained red, and his forehead felt sticky.

What… what was happening?

He touched his brow and found his skin torn; blood was pouring into his eyes.

His chest was tight, his body numb, his hearing gone and his head spinning. Ming Tian felt that he couldn’t even think, let alone move, after such a blow.

Why… why did it explode? Gunpowder shouldn’t even have been invented yet… Yin… Yin Chan… where are you? An Luo? Lord Wang? Yu Nizi?

His vision dimmed. Ming Tian knew he was about to lose consciousness. In a final effort, he bit his tongue, as characters in apocalypse novels might do, but… he felt nothing.

The trauma had been so great that his mind seemed to shut down, unable to register pain.

Damn it… this novel… is screwing me over!

With that thought, his consciousness faded completely, and Ming Tian passed out.

Not far away, the Travelers’ League base—never even visited by Ming Tian and Yin Chan—had already been destroyed, consumed by towering flames. All around it, the shattered bodies of those caught in the blast littered the ground.

A moment before, the street had been peaceful. Now, it was hell on earth.

...

All right, I’m on a business trip today. As I mentioned before, there will only be one update today. My apologies, everyone.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments—I’ll reply by phone. Thank you.