Chapter 452: Infiltrating Chongqing Prefecture

"Gentlemen, listen to me..."

Chongqing's city walls are strong, nine gates towering to guard the heart of the city.

Chaotian and Shuncheng alleys run deep, with gate one, gate two, gate three, each one hidden behind the next.

At the gate, the straw sandals of Tang the Horse King greet the imperial edict; at San Yuan Temple Street, the cool well water flows.

Banbian Street holds countless tales; gate two, gate three, stacked one upon another...

On the dock, a beggar clacked bamboo boards, singing the Lotus Fall, weaving through the crowd, his eyes darting everywhere.

He wasn't searching for easy prey.

This stretch of Chaotian Gate dock belonged to Yu Zhengkui, a dragon-head boss of the Gelaohui, whose rules were ironclad.

Thus, though the dock teemed with rogues and rascals, each had his own path.

Theft was theft, swindle was swindle; once you paid homage to a mountain, you needed permission to earn your keep—and if trouble came, you had to know who to turn to.

If you picked the wrong mark and stirred up the wrong person, and they came knocking at the Gelaohui's door, you had to return the stolen goods in full within three quarters of an hour.

Besides, the Beggar's Sect had its own rules.

Who stole, who begged, who trafficked—everything was strictly divided, not a single inch of trespass allowed.

Chaotian Gate dock served as the "central transfer point" for goods from Jianan, Chuanxi, Tibetan lands, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hubei, Wu, Yue, Fujian, Henan, and beyond along the Yangtze, even from Shaanxi, Henan, Fujian, and Guangdong.

For a thousand years, its own rules had taken root.

This beggar singing the Lotus Fall was specially assigned to guide travelers.

Chongqing City was infamous for its irregular layout, built atop hills, with countless narrow streets and docks so complex that outsiders often lost their way.

The guides earned tips, gathered intelligence, and also aided the inn's watchers.

In short, once you stepped onto this dock, whether you were a person of the martial world or a wandering merchant, you'd be noticed.

What followed depended on your own skill.

Those with connections from the brokerage houses would approach; courtesans and theater troupes from the city would send invitations; if you were a fat sheep, the bees, horses, swallows, and sparrows would swarm in.

But if you were a hard case, their eyes were sharp—they wouldn't dare come near.

This beggar, Liu San, squinted for a long while, rejected by several others, until finally he spotted his target.

It was a group wrapped in cloaks, wearing Nuo masks.

Many in number, heavy with luggage, dusty and weary—they clearly had just arrived from afar, disembarked, and were scanning the surroundings.

Liu San recognized the attire.

They were performers of the Wuyang Yangxi opera, and possessed real skill; the Tujia folk on the dock bowed respectfully upon seeing them.

Ordinarily, he avoided such people. But today he'd been idle all day, his stomach growling, and he no longer cared.

He clacked his bamboo boards, recited his verse again to show he knew every alley and gate, then bowed deeply:

"Gentlemen, do you need a guide?"

"Find us a quiet place—not an outsider—and the tip won't be short, but don't play tricks."

Sha Li Fei stepped forward and replied in a low voice.

"Outsider" meant a novice.

Liu San instantly understood: these people knew the ways of the Jianghu; he could earn only one fee—if he meddled, trouble would follow.

"Of course, of course. Gentlemen, follow me."

Liu San quickly bowed and led the way.

"Wait!"

Before he'd taken a step, Sha Li Fei's voice came from behind: "Too many people at the city gate—too inconvenient. Take another route into the city."

Liu San glanced sideways, expression unchanged.

To enter the city through Chaotian Gate, one passed three gates, all guarded by yamen runners and soldiers; due to the southwestern war, inspections were extremely strict, and the queue stretched long.

The long staircase was packed with idle Gelaohui men.

But it wasn't the queue they feared—it was something else entirely!

Realizing this, Liu San bowed even lower, smiling humbly: "Of course, of course—but the tip..."

"Double it!"

"Fair enough!"

Liu San gave a signal and led them westward.

Outside Chongqing's walls was no wasteland; along the dock, the people had built houses, cramped and crowded, rising and falling in disorder, stretching beyond sight.

Those who lived here were the poor: fishermen, dock laborers; the streets were filthy, chaotic.

Liu San led them into a narrow alley.

Perhaps because of their numbers and attire, no one approached them—only the city rats and alley mice crouched in corners, smoking clay pipes, puffing smoke, watching coldly.

Li Yan secretly formed a hand seal, inhaled deeply, and a storm of odors flooded his nostrils: sweat-stink, blood, spoiled food, mold... the mix nearly knocked him over.

Among them were also peculiar scents.

For instance, three feet underground in the courtyard to the left, two corpses were buried...

For instance, a house a hundred paces away had a spotless yard, but its kitchen jars harbored venomous insects...

For instance, ahead, in a ruined house, a pair of cruel eyes peered through a crack in the door, bloodshot and fixed on them...

Li Yan ignored them all.

Disorder and chaos were always paired.

Often, the lower strata of the Jianghu fought more viciously.

Soon, the beggar Liu San brought them to a warehouse, once used for unloading dock goods, now clearly abandoned.

Liu San explained: "During the Daxing era of the previous dynasty, the court built stone walls atop the old Song-era city, modeling them after the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, establishing seventeen gates—the largest being 'Chaotian Gate.'"

"At the founding of our dynasty, only official vessels could use Chaotian Gate dock. There was a saying then: 'Chaotian Gate, great dock, welcoming officials and imperial edicts.'"

"Commoners and merchant ships had to land beside it—this warehouse was their storage. Later, when the ban was lifted, the place naturally fell into ruin."

He added, embarrassed and whispering: "Gentlemen, you can enter the city this way, but there's a toll. I can only introduce you."

Praise all around, then a price hike at the last moment—this was a common Jianghu trick, a tethering post.

First make you feel you've gotten a bargain, then bleed you when it matters.

Sha Li Fei knew the game well. He snapped: "What's due will be paid. But if you demand too much, your tip vanishes."

"Of course, of course."

The beggar Liu San beamed and led them into the warehouse.

Inside, the warehouse was piled with miscellaneous goods, reeking of sweat and fish; an oil lamp flickered on a greasy table; several shirtless men played leaf cards.

They glanced at the newcomers, coldly, then looked away.

Liu San bowed low and approached, whispering urgently.

The leader didn't lift his head, grunted: "Too many of you, heads covered—how do we know you're not thieves?"

"If trouble happens, we all bear the blame."

He complained but didn't refuse—clearly hoping for more.

"We're all Jianghu brothers. Look here..."

Liu San smiled awkwardly, pleading.

But the men remained unmoved.

Sha Li Fei was about to step forward and probe, but Li Yan held him back, shook his head, and made as if to leave.

They were infiltrating the city; if they started questioning, even with the tightest lips, the men might guess their identity.

That's why the Gelaohui and the Salt Gang didn't get along—but with the city's current chaos, who knew what hidden players lurked?

"Hey hey hey—don't go!"

Liu San panicked and blurted to the men: "These are masters! Real skill! That matter at Wang Sanye's house..."

The beggar was speaking recklessly in desperation, but the man's brow furrowed. He set down his cards, slowly lifted his teapot, and sipped. "Lately, many opera troupes have come to the city. Judging by your appearance, you're headed for the Chengdu Lantern Festival."

"Since you're dressed like this—can you exorcise curses?"

"Exorcise curses? Easy!"

Sha Li Fei seized the opening: "What kind of curse?"

The man said gravely: "Simple. Our Third Master recently acquired a grand mansion. We wanted to decorate it, but workers kept dying. We hired several fengshui masters—they all said there was a curse, but couldn't fix it."

"If you can resolve it, the toll is waived."

"If you fail, the price doubles. Will you accept?"

"Forget it. We'll pay."

Li Yan refused outright.

These men were clearly Gelaohui.

"Third Master" meant the Gelaohui's Third Boss—a high-ranking figure who managed finances and grain, wealthy beyond measure.

!.

The Gelaohui was full of hidden talents; if even the Third Boss was troubled, this was no ordinary job.

How much was the toll? For their worth, it was a loss.

These men knew they were sorcerers—and still dared this? Clearly, the matter was dangerous, and they were setting a trap.

"Pfft!"

The man, seeing his scheme fail, looked disappointed, then said: "Then pay. Twenty taels each."

"Twenty taels! You..."

Sha Li-fei heard and bristled, but Li Yan held him back and paid cleanly and swiftly.

The ways of this dock are all interconnected; if we can't handle it here, word will spread instantly.

If we go elsewhere, the price will likely be higher, and we'll still have to come back and pay extra to enter the city.

This is how local bosses operate—leveraging their advantage, using every trick to crush you, unless they reveal their identity and force their way in.

But that would expose us to the Salt Guild and the Wang Fu's eyes; the troubles ahead would only grow greater.

"Tsk tsk… lavish!"

The man praised, stood up, kicked the table aside, then lifted the wooden panel beneath, "Ladies and gentlemen, please."

"Remember, whatever you do here has nothing to do with us—you didn't enter the city through here. If you mess up, don't blame us for breaking the martial world's rules!"

Li Yan ignored them and led the group straight into the tunnel with Liu San.

After they left, the man covered the wooden panel again.

A sly-looking man beside him sniffed and smirked, "Hui Ge, there were plenty of women in that group just now."

"Tsk tsk… they smelled sweet."

Slap!

Before he finished speaking, he was slapped across the face.

The lead man cursed, "Damn it! You took the money—do your job, don't get greedy. Don't make me look like a coward or break the martial code!"

"Yes, yes, I'm wrong, I'm wrong…"

The sly-looking man wore a look of grievance, daring not to speak again.

…………

Emerging from the secret tunnel, they found themselves in a stable inn.

Liu San led them out from behind the animal shed, bowing and scraping, "My lords, you've suffered inconvenience. Lately, the city's been unstable, and the officials are cracking down hard—only the Ge Lao Hui route still works."

Li Yan looked around. "Where are we?"

"Not far from Chaotianmen."

Liu San pointed east. "This is a prime spot. Over there is the Fujian Guild Hall, next to it the Shaanxi Guild Hall, and beyond that the Jiangxi Guild Hall. If you have connections and money, it's far more comfortable than any inn."

Li Yan thought for a moment. "Is there a quiet, large mansion?"

He had the Jiang-Zhe Guild Hall token in his pocket—presenting it would guarantee fine food and drink.

But that would reveal his identity.

Liu San's eyes darted, then he whispered, "All these buildings are guild halls. Ahead lie government offices and a Battalion Commander's post—you wouldn't want to stay there."

"Where inns cluster, crowds and eyes abound. But I know a place—on Mi Hua Street."

"It used to be home to wealthy families, but years ago a great plague killed many, and it was gradually abandoned."

"Lately, many traveling opera troupes have come to the city. For a little less money, you can rent a large courtyard—they're all in the same trade, so you won't stand out."

"Perfect!"

Sha Li-fei tossed a silver ingot. "That's your fee and your reward—see it's done properly."

"Yes, yes."

The beggar Liu San's eyes gleamed, but as he took the silver and saw the deep finger marks on it, his heart sank.

He knew—it was a warning.

Under this mix of soft and hard pressure, Liu San dared not play tricks. He ran here and there, found a trusted go-between, and finished the task in less than half an hour.

Leading them through alleys and streets, he arrived at Mi Hua Street.

As he'd said, it had once been a fine area—large mansions lined up, stone steps paved the streets, and ancient trees stood planted.

But now, it was clearly desolate.

The abandoned old houses stood untended, moss growing in corners, thistles sprouting on rooftops, some walls collapsed. Lazy cats and dogs wandered over the rubble, basking in long-absent sunlight.

"Waaah yaa yaa~"

Dong dong qiang dong dong!

From a distant mansion, the sound of a Sichuan opera troupe warming their voices echoed.

Across the broken wall, in another courtyard, several boys lay on the ground, kicking their feet hard to launch a massive black vat into the air, flipping and crossing mid-flight.

Clearly, all were traveling troupes stationed here.

Liu San brought them to one large house, unlocked the door, and inside they saw broken rooms, weeds growing half a man's height in the courtyard.

Shhh shhh!

At the sound, several rats scurried away.

"My lords, don't mind the mess."

Liu San hurried to explain. "Chongqing is like this—so many merchants pass through. If you won't stay at a guild hall or an inn, this is the best you can get."

Seeing Li Yan nod in approval, he sighed in relief. "My lords, the task is done. I won't disturb you further."

He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Sha Li-fei called him back, voice low. "You're efficient. Come back tomorrow—there's more work."

"Yes, yes, I'll come tomorrow."

Liu San patted the silver in his pocket, grinning with eyes half shut.

For the past half year, this was the first time he'd struck real gold.

After he left, Li Yan scanned the surroundings, formed a hand seal, drew a deep breath, and shook his head. "Nothing. There's a corpse in the well in the back courtyard—don't drink that water."

"San'er, watch the surroundings."

"We'll make camp here. After we finish our business, we'll leave Chongqing and head to Zouma Town, then Chengdu."

The group immediately set up camp in orderly fashion.

Lu San murmured incantations, holding Shu Da and Shu Er, and soon rats emerged, scattering to monitor the nearby area.

Li Yan entered a ruined side room, wiped the dust off a table, and placed a large bundle upon it.

These were all the items looted from the three Wushan Earth Immortals—after the incident, they'd been on the move constantly; now, finally, he had time to examine them…

(End of Chapter)