Chapter 222 – A Battle Where Everyone Wins - Part 3
High above, in an upper-floor room, a young man stood examining a luminous pearl between his thumb and forefinger, letting the sunlight play across its surface. Behind him stood Zhou Jia and Qian Da, both bowing respectfully.
“They tried every dirty trick in the book,” Li Yuan remarked in a measured tone. “Cause trouble, frame us, bring in bailiffs to shut us down...then kill us if that failed. Brutal and relentless.”
He slipped the pearl into his pocket. The troublemakers who’d appeared earlier had secretly planted it in the wooden drawer. But every inch of the Ginger Tavern lay under Li Yuan’s watchful eye; once they left, he retrieved it himself. Sure enough, not long after, the baliffs arrived to search.
He could easily imagine the scenario. If they’d found that incriminating item, they would’ve thrown everyone in jail on fabricated charges, likely leading to executions...unless he went begging to Gu Xuejian for help, token in hand.
Li Yuan shifted his gaze. “Qian Da, you’ve been digging for intel these last four months. What have you discovered?”
His calm yet reassuring voice filled the room, and Qian Da stepped forward with fists cupped in respect. “Master, I’m pleased to report success. From the moment we arrived, I posed as a wealthy merchant to connect with various local gangs. By now, I’ve learned quite a bit about the factions operating just inside Holy Tree Temple’s first gate.”
Qian Da looked quite different from when he’d first met Li Yuan. Initially, he’d worn short hair, dressed in tight-fitting garb, and exuded an air of menace, always with a steel blade strapped to his back. Now, he appeared genial, sporting a friendly smile, with a blade hidden away in one sleeve.
When Li Yuan had dispatched his advance team to Skygarden Prefecture, Qian Da had volunteered. Despite being an inner disciple of the Blood Blade Sect and a respected figure in Gemhill, he’d gladly chosen to follow Li Yuan.
Qian Da had given up the hard-earned Earthfire Roaming Technique four years earlier, all because he’d learned that Li Yuan was founding the Martial Lodge. Rather than continue perfecting the martial arts he’d built up, he went to work there as a low-ranking attendant...a diligent and eager one at that.
Now, in Li Yuan’s moment of apparent decline, Qian Da finally stood behind him once more, carrying out his orders. Despite being merely eighth rank, his cleverness and knack for gathering intelligence made him indispensable.
He reported, “Inside the first gate of Holy Tree Temple’s city stronghold, there are three main underground factions; the rest are a dozen or so smaller outfits, too minor to count. The major three are the Black Cloaks, Flying Flags, and Old Oakhouse.
“The first batch of troublemakers who showed up were likely disciples of Flying Flags, definitely acting on orders from the Guo Clan. As for the Old Oakhouse, they run martial schools everywhere, and many taverns hire their students as security. Lastly, the Black Cloaks are essentially a mercenary outfit; they handle tasks ranging from escort services to missions, so long as the price is right.”