Chapter 662: The Golden Swallow Gate

"Miss Zhao seems to be doing well…"

Li Yan's face also broke into a smile, giving a slight nod.

Meeting an old acquaintance naturally lifts one's spirits.

Though rumors of their romantic entanglements ran rampant in Chang'an's Pingkang Alley, both knew this joy carried not a trace of romantic feeling.

To speak of romantic feelings was pure nonsense.

One had lived two lives, seen too much human fickleness, grown accustomed to bonds breaking over profit—his heart could never, would never, turn toward matters of love.

The other had spent her childhood in hardship, drifting through brothels, and had even less faith in such things.

If true love were truly easy, why would so many sing its praises?

Between them, it was far more a matter of unspoken understanding.

In Zhao Wanfang, Li Yan saw his past self: lonely since childhood, constantly speaking of revenge, merely giving himself a reason to live and keep moving forward.

And Zhao Wanfang, in turn, envied Li Yan's ability to control his own fate.

That tone of equal regard was a rare light in her dark life.

Thus, they could only be friends.

Li Yan could never trust her as he trusted Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan—not to the point of risking his life.

Yet to outsiders, their tone suggested otherwise.

Sha Lifei and Long Yan exchanged knowing glances, signaling that this was Li Yan's old lover.

The scholar who had been threatening Kong Shangzhao's face darkened, yet he did not wish to lose face by quarreling over a woman in public, so he feigned indifference, twirled his oil-paper umbrella into a flourish, and smiled: "Miss Zhao, it seems you know this gentleman well—why not introduce us?"

Not only him—even the two who had been fighting earlier—glared venomously at Li Yan.

"Hahaha…"

Zhao Wanfang fanned herself with a round fan, covering her mouth as she laughed: "Master Ming, these are the famed Twelve Zodiacs. The gentleman before you is Li Yan, the Young Hero."

"Didn't you just tell me you had ties with him?"

Her words held no mockery; her gaze was utterly pure.

Yet it was precisely this demeanor that filled the Ming scholar with shame, his face flushing crimson with fury—he said nothing, merely bowed, then turned and left.

It's natural for men to boast a little when faced with wine and beauty.

But when the real person shows up, there's no way to salvage the lie.

Upon hearing the name "Twelve Zodiacs," Yuan Heng and Tian Fan, who had been fighting, exchanged glances, bowed, and quickly withdrew.

At the second-floor window, Zhao Wanfang smiled: "Young Master Li, I've prepared some wine and dishes to welcome you."

Sha Lifei narrowed his eyes. "Be careful."

"Mm. You two go ahead."

Li Yan nodded, casually slung his satchel over his shoulder, and entered the nearby tavern.

The moment he stepped through the door, Li Yan understood why Zhao Wanfang had chosen this place.

The tavern was named "Zui He Xuan." Though old and unpretentious, it was spotlessly clean.

A blue-tiled building, with elm pillars bearing faded cloth banners reading "Drunk Within the Cosmos," and three tung-oil paper lanterns hanging from the eaves, casting a soft glow on the blue-brick steps; the reed-woven door curtain exuded a crisp freshness.

A serving boy, gray cloth towel slung over his shoulder, carefully swept sunflower seed shells from the cracks between the bricks.

Along the east wall stood rows of ceramic jars pickling river carp; along the west wall, a cedar wine rack held neat rows of black ceramic wine jars, each labeled with hand-written red paper strips reading "Sorghum Firewater" and "Millet Yellow."

The owner was clearly a diligent man—clean, and full of the warmth of daily life.

A round-faced girl in blue robes dashed down the wooden staircase, froze when she saw Li Yan, steadied herself, and performed a proper curtsey: "Young Master Li… please follow me."

Her speech was pure Beijing dialect.

Li Yan was unsurprised.

When Zhao Wanfang left, she had been noticed by the Golden Swallow Guild and sent to the capital for intensive training; having a Beijing-raised maid was no surprise.

Moreover, he sensed another person in the room next to Zhao Wanfang's upstairs—radiating yin-sha energy, breathing steady and faint, clearly a high-level protector assigned to her.

Arriving upstairs, Zhao Wanfang met them at the door.

After they sat, Li Yan shook his head slightly. "You're inviting trouble."

His words were vague, but both understood their meaning.

Those three men a moment ago were clearly troublemakers.

Today they lost face; perhaps they won't dare confront Li Yan directly, but once they leave, they'll find a way to vent their anger on Zhao Wanfang—so while it seems she used him to deflect danger, she's actually planted a hidden threat for herself.

"Young Master Li, you worry too much."

Zhao Wanfang smiled sweetly, raising her hand to brew tea. "You risk life and limb wandering the rivers and lakes; now your name alone can silence others. I dance on the blade's edge—I no longer need to fear such petty players."

"Besides, if they don't leave, the food will grow cold…"

Before she finished speaking, the round-faced maid clapped her hands.

Seven or eight servants filed in, and steaming dishes quickly filled the table.

These servants wore identical uniforms, radiating vigor; they moved like wind, carrying delicate trays with one hand, not a single tremor—clearly not staff from this tavern.

Moreover, as they uncovered the dishes, they announced their names.

"Braised Weishan Lake Carp!"

"Fish mouth holding coins—wealth rolls in! Fresh Weishan Lake carp, slaughtered and cooked now—tender, odorless, leaping past the Dragon Gate to the Great Way!"

"Braised Riverbank Lamb!"

"Sir, this is lamb with skin, cut into inch-sized chunks, stewed with river reed cores and Acheng yam; lamb fat melts into the sauce, garnished with green garlic sprouts for freshness—served with Linqing steamed buns, baked in a tribute-brick oven over jujube-wood embers…"

"Pickled-Steamed Jingyang Pheasant!"

"Thinly sliced pheasant breast from Jingyang Ridge, marinated three days in Jiangnan rice wine lees to produce red pickling brine, stir-fried with Wenhé water chestnuts—just as the hero of Jingyang Ridge slew the tiger, so here by the river, drinking wine proves true valor…"

"Mixed-Flavor Noodles!"

"Linqing's unique 'Nine Threads in One Bowl'! One bowl holds the freshness of north and south!"

Each dish was more refined than the last—color, aroma, taste—all beyond praise.

"Thank you."

Li Yan lifted his teacup, smiled faintly, and waited until the servants left before speaking: "This is the 'Cuisine General's' handiwork. You prepared all this in advance—you've been waiting for me specifically."

The dishes were still steaming when uncovered—clearly just taken from the stove.

To summon the "Cuisine General" personally to cook was no small feat.

But to have accurately predicted their arrival time? That was even more remarkable.

Zhao Wanfang smiled slightly. "Linqing City connects north and south, gathering wealth and nobility—it's a battleground for culinary masters. Its cuisine is uniquely distinctive. Even though this 'Cuisine General' has good ties with our Golden Swallow Gate, it's only because of you that I enjoy this feast."

"Oh…"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Did the Golden Swallow Gate send you to find me?"

His mind tightened with caution.

The Eight Bright Guilds of the rivers and lakes: Gold, Skin, Color, Hang, Ping, Tuan, Diao, Liu. The Eight Dark Guilds: Bee, Hemp, Swallow, Sparrow, Flower, Orchid, Ge, Rong—each has its own path, none to be underestimated.

The Golden Swallow Gate stood among the highest tier of the Swallow Guilds.

First, trading intelligence; second, navigating between factions, forging connections.

Its behind-the-scenes ties were labyrinthine—from court to alleyways, no one fully understood them.

Unprovoked kindness demanded caution.

"Relax."

Zhao Wanfang covered her mouth and smiled. "The Gate sent me because it values our friendship. Such bonds cannot be bought with gold—if we schemed like cunning merchants, what would distinguish us from petty crooks?"

"Besides, the Elders have no wish to offend a future Grand Master."

"You flatter me."

Li Yan remained unmoved, his expression calm. "Just say what you want. Otherwise, I won't be able to eat this fine food."

"Qiankun Academy!"

Zhao Wanfang spoke bluntly. "The current situation across Shenzhou is like oil on fire."

"The southwestern war just ended; the court wants to reward troops, but civil officials fear military power expanding too fast—they argue endlessly in court…"

"A massive corruption scandal erupted in the northern frontier, with officials corrupted by the Maitreya Sect; two imperial envoys sent to investigate were assassinated…"

"Along the southern coast, trade has flourished since the sea-opening, but Japanese pirates grow more numerous, and the red-haired devils—rumor says their emperor has issued an edict permitting them to plunder foreign merchant ships—the seas are now in chaos…"

"Not to mention the Nine Tripods you uncovered—already shaking the Xuan Sects."

"Yet despite all this turmoil, the impending Qiankun Academy has drawn the full attention of court and capital."

Watching Zhao Wanfang speak so fluently, Li Yan felt a deep sigh within.

Indeed, a scholar's change in three days warrants a new appraisal.

That once clueless, revenge-driven courtesan, after merely two years of training, now spoke and thought on an entirely different level—she might as well have become a different person.

Clearly, the capital was a nest of dragons and snakes.

Though moved internally, Li Yan's face remained unchanged. He sipped tea, then spoke calmly:

"It's just an academy—why draw so much attention?"

"This academy is no ordinary institution!"

Zhao Wanfang said. "When His Majesty first proposed it, few in court took it seriously. But as the academy neared completion, many suddenly realized something was amiss."

"Its official ranks match those of the National Academy. The Commandant Office has dispatched many troops across Shenzhou to invite master craftsmen and masters of numerology. The silver allocated is staggering—even the Yulin Army has been specially reinforced to guard it…"

"Someone stole from its funds; His Majesty flew into a rage, confiscated their estates and exiled them, and sent Grand Master Huo Yin personally to oversee it…"

"Now, His Majesty no longer hides it: any achievement from the Qiankun Academy's miscellaneous studies may one day warrant a separate imperial examination. Dozens of Confucian scholars have jointly petitioned—but His Majesty refuses to meet them…"

"Oh? It's gotten this big?"

Li Yan heard this and was somewhat surprised.

He certainly knew the potential of such academies, but hadn't expected the court to value them so highly—even willing to offend the Confucian sect.

According to those scholars, this was a matter that shook the very foundation of the state.

This emperor…

Could he be like me too?

At that moment, Zhao Wanfang spoke again in a low voice: "This matter is secret, but too many people want to buy intelligence, so our sect went to great lengths to uncover the reason."

"The court has opened the seas, and the imperial family has assembled a sizable team that pretends to be a merchant caravan to conduct maritime trade, avoiding public gossip—yet reaping great profits, and even reportedly discovering a large silver and gold mine."

"But this merchant caravan encountered the Red-Haired Barbarians and nearly got wiped out."

"Their firearms were terrifyingly powerful, and they'd even developed new gunpowder, though the formula differed slightly; after questioning those foreign merchants, we learned that all major maritime powers were rapidly advancing."

"They all have similar academies—for instance, the new gunpowder formula originated from a place called 'Old Cow Ford Academy'…"

Old Cow Ford Academy?

Li Yan froze—wasn't that Oxford?

Zhao Wanfang, unaware of his thoughts, sighed: "Our emperor is solely intent on achieving unparalleled glory. If he focused only on Shenzhou, things might remain stable—but now that he's opened the seas and seeks to contend with the maritime nations, how could he swallow this humiliation?"

"Moreover, during the southwestern campaign, the power of the new gunpowder was seen by many; even if those great Confucians oppose it, how can they stop the various forces within the court?"

"Qiankun Academy will surely become the focal point of future court struggles!"

So that's how it is…

Li Yan shook his head slightly. "Your Jin Yan Men has many connections, right? I'm just a warrior—why seek me out? I won't approach those high-ranking figures."

Zhao Wanfang blinked. "Don't forget what Jin Yan Men does."

"Others don't know, but we're well aware: Minister Tian Feng of the Ministry of Works has been summoned to the palace multiple times these past two months, each meeting lasting at least three hours. He's an elder of Mo Men—he's likely to become the Academy's Supervisor."

"And your friend Yan Jiuling—he won the top rank in the imperial exams and was directly assigned to the academy for training. He's already close with many key officials of the Open-Sea faction—he'll surely be heavily relied upon in the future…"

"Enough, enough."

Li Yan waved his hand. "You've dug up quite a bit. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Zhao Wanfang smiled sweetly. "Don't worry—our elders sent me to meet you merely to extend early goodwill. When you reach the capital, others will naturally reach out. Jin Yan Men will act as the intermediary—it's entirely up to you whether to go, or whether to engage with anyone."

"Besides, with the current reputation of the Twelve Zodiacs, our helping to introduce you is already a great honor for Jin Yan Men."

"Fair enough!"

Li Yan, upon hearing this, suddenly understood. Without another word, he picked up a piece of lamb and shoved it into his mouth. "Crispy skin, tender meat, fragrant but not greasy—no wonder it's the work of the 'General of Cuisine.' You should eat too."

When he picked up his chopsticks to eat, it meant he had accepted the matter.

As Zhao Wanfang said, with the Twelve Zodiacs' current status, ordinary people simply couldn't afford to hire him.

Secret missions couldn't be approached directly.

With Jin Yan Men acting as intermediary, it was indeed more suitable.

Moreover, he greatly valued Jin Yan Men's intelligence network across Shenzhou.

Seeing him agree, Zhao Wanfang exhaled in relief, then smiled warmly as she served him wine, chatting about old times and the situation in the capital.

Li Yan listened intently, asking questions now and then, so he wouldn't be completely blind when he reached the capital.

The banquet lasted two full hours.

"Will you come with me, Wanfang?"

"There are still matters here in Linqing. My lord, go ahead first—I'll meet you again once I return to the capital."

"Very well. Life is full of twists—take care."

"You too."

Li Yan asked no further questions and departed immediately.

Zhao Wanfang had come to Linqing City to see him only by chance.

But what she intended to do—there was no need to ask further.

Everyone has their own path. When Zhao Wanfang approached him as a representative of Jin Yan Men, the once lost, despairing courtesan had already vanished.

No matter how warm the words, both now carried caution.

Outside the tavern, night had fallen completely, and many shops along the street had closed.

"Young Master Li, I'll guide you."

The Cao Bang had dispatched a disciple who had been waiting outside.

"Good, thank you."

Li Yan nodded with a smile, glanced back at the inn, then strode into the darkness.

On the second floor, Zhao Wanfang watched his figure disappear through a crack in the door. A flicker of sadness passed in her eyes—but when she heard footsteps behind her, her gaze turned gentle yet resolute.

"Uncle Liu, send me all the intelligence from our hidden lines."

"Linqing City has become a powder keg. Some want to exploit the eunuch Ma's actions, some want to preserve the imperial family's dignity, and others seek to profit from the chaos. Whoever stirs the waters, we must be the first to know!"

"Yes, Miss Zhao!"

…

As Li Yan had guessed, Zhao Wanfang had come with a mission.

Linqing City, as the empire's foremost customs checkpoint, was rife with tangled interests and complex factions—trouble never ceased.

Eunuch Ma, as the emperor's trusted tax supervisor, had previously endured public hatred to fill the imperial treasury with silver, giving the court breathing room—but he'd also amassed vast personal wealth, stirring widespread resentment.

A tax revolt had long been brewing in secret.

Many martial artists had joined it, believing themselves hidden—but in truth, they'd long been seen by court insiders, unwittingly turned into others' weapons.

The marketplace, the martial world, and the court had never been truly separate.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Li Yan.

The Cao Bang knew how to handle things—the inn they'd arranged for him was clean and secluded.

As soon as Li Yan returned to his courtyard, Wang Daoxuan hurried over, clutching Xu Fu's last notes, eyes alight with excitement: "It's solved! The secret codes left by Xu Fu have been deciphered!"

He turned to Kong Shangzhao, who followed behind. "This boy—he's truly a genius!"

(End of Chapter)