Chapter 669: The Tyrant Blocks the Gate

"Greed never ends—what Dao are you following?!"

Hearing Tian Battalion Commander introduce the leader of the Jinghai Gang, Li Yan sneered: "I don't believe these filthy affairs in Jinmen are unknown to Lu Jinghai. No matter his connections, the Jinghai Gang must be eradicated—not a single one left alive!"

Tian Battalion Commander, upon hearing this, looked distinctly startled. "Li Shaoxia, these people can't be wiped out—we only need to remove the Jianmu tree. If you wish to avenge Master Wu, kill Yu Wenhai. But if you truly uproot the Jinghai Gang, you'll offend Prince Ying—and it'll harm you…"

Li Yan's expression darkened immediately.

"Li Shaoxia, don't misunderstand."

Tian Battalion Commander quickly shook his head. "I speak not a word of ill intent."

"To be frank, though I've long since accepted death in my pursuit of Zhao Changsheng, I am heartbroken yet powerless. Only you, Li Shaoxia, have repeatedly uncovered his schemes. This concerns the fate of Shenzhou—do not take it lightly."

He sighed. "I serve in the Commandant Office; I've seen too many of these court intrigues. Interests are tangled, forces entangled. Even His Majesty must compromise. There are too many villains in the world—don't let them derail the greater cause."

These words were spoken with sincere earnestness.

Li Yan's expression softened slightly; he bowed. "Thank you, my lord, for your kindness—but this matter admits no compromise."

Tian Battalion Commander's face grew grave. "If you're so resolute, is there another reason?"

Li Yan nodded, voice low. "Fushou ointment."

"Fushou ointment?"

Tian Battalion Commander stared, then shook his head. "I've heard of it. Once used by physicians to treat illness—nothing unusual. The Jinghai Gang sells it, but its users are mostly villains—gamblers, lechers, the wicked. Their deaths are deserved."

"You're mistaken, Lord Tian."

Li Yan paused, then detailed the devastation caused by widespread opium trafficking.

"The people cease production, become like ghosts… the court loses its soldiers, the treasury empties… foreign invaders strike…"

Li Yan spoke as clearly as he could, but seeing Tian Battalion Commander's expression, he fell silent.

People can never imagine what they've never seen.

No matter how much he said, others would deem it exaggerated.

In that moment, Li Yan felt a sudden helplessness.

Yet Tian Battalion Commander had noticed something else. His eyes narrowed. "According to you, it's these red-haired barbarians who are flooding Shenzhou with Fushou ointment?"

Li Yan nodded. "Very likely."

Tian Battalion Commander rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "I'm willing to believe your concern, but today's Da Xuan is prosperous. Whether court ministers or common folk, all will think you're sounding alarms without cause."

"To be frank, this matter is hard to handle—but if it involves the red-haired barbarians, there may be a way to break it."

"Oh? My lord, speak."

Li Yan leaned forward eagerly.

At this moment, he understood: many diseases are only recognized when they've reached the point of no return.

Even if I destroy the Jinghai Gang today, I cannot root out the aftermath.

"Those red-haired barbarians are truly wolf-hearted!"

Tian Battalion Commander's face darkened. "On my journey south, though ostensibly to investigate a case, I learned much."

These red-haired barbarians come from overseas lands. They have already invaded the southern seas, pretending to be tributary states of our Great Xuan, bribing southern officials to smuggle, allying with Japanese pirates to plunder ships, and landing to burn, kill, and rape.

"They seem greedy—but their ambition runs deeper. They've seized control of key sea lanes and islands, choking the southern maritime routes. Worse, some traitors in the south, seeking to monopolize sea profits, have allied with these foreign devils."

"I intended to report this to His Majesty upon my return. The Emperor has ambitions to govern the four seas. If he learns Fushou ointment is their plot, he will surely act—perhaps even issue a strict ban."

"That would be good!"

Li Yan nodded in agreement.

It was a clever tactic.

After all, killing is easy—breaking greed is hard.

"Good!"

Tian Battalion Commander spoke firmly. "Then I shall depart at once for the capital to report this to His Majesty."

"In no more than three days, or as few as two, I'll return with men."

He turned to the side. "Wang Company Commander."

"Your servant is here!"

Behind him, a lean, capable middle-aged man stepped forward with a bow.

Tian Battalion Commander turned to Li Yan. "Though I leave the Jinmen Garrison, Commander Luo Battalion Commander of the garrison will honor my word. This is Wang Company Commander of the Jinmen Garrison. After I depart, if you need anything, speak to him. Here is the imperial decree—you may mobilize the Jinmen Garrison when necessary."

As he spoke, he pulled a heavy black iron token from his robe.

"Li Shaoxia, be cautious—await my return!"

After Li Yan took the token, Tian Battalion Commander bowed and departed.

Li Yan felt no surprise—Tian Battalion Commander acted decisively; he had seen it before in Shu.

Soon, the eatery held only Li Yan and Wang Company Commander.

Seeing Wang Company Commander standing like a door god, Li Yan sighed. "Lord Wang, please sit. No need for formality. I arrived in haste and lack intelligence—tell me about Jinmen's situation."

"Hmm."

Wang Company Commander sat, head lowered. "Jinmen is small, but factions are tangled. Yet all ultimately tie back to the capital. That's why our Commandant Office must act with utmost discretion."

"During the Daxing era of the previous dynasty, Jinmen was a garrison of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom. After our dynasty's founding, Jinmen Garrison was established. Fifty years ago, Jinmen Left and Right Garrisons were added—collectively called 'Jinmen Three Garrisons,' stationed north of the city, directly under the Ministry of War, totaling nine thousand troops."

"Thus, Jinmen is militarily controlled. Later, prosperity came from its position as a canal hub, bringing in the Ministry of Revenue's customs office, audit bureau, salt transport commission. His Majesty specifically ordered: no garrison troops may leave camp without the tiger tally…"

Li Yan understood at once. "Civil officials control the military?"

He spoke bluntly, but Wang Company Commander dared not respond. He merely nodded. "The Three Garrisons dare not leave camp—they know their place. But the naval camp must patrol the canal, so they move freely at the docks."

Recalling the docks he'd seen, Li Yan said, "I know—they're deeply entangled with the Jinghai Gang."

Wang Company Commander nodded. "Beyond that, there are the Eight Great Families of Jinmen—all grain and salt merchants who grew rich from the canal. They're closer to the civil officials and tied to many ministers in court. Most of Jinmen's escort guilds and martial schools depend on them for survival."

White gloves.

Li Yan instantly understood their nature.

Wang Company Commander glanced toward Sanchahe. "Their days are hard now. Since the sea opening, Jinmen's proximity to the capital and its sea trade have drawn workshops and factories, with merchant guilds from every province flooding in."

"All are mighty dragons crossing the river—they inevitably crush the Eight Families."

"Years ago, the martial battles in Jinmen were fueled by this rivalry. Only the Jinghai Gang rose alone, wiping out every small gang in the city, absorbing all street gangs from east, west, south, and north."

"The two sides have kept to their own waters."

"I see…"

Li Yan thought. "Who truly controls the Jinghai Gang?"

Wang Company Commander replied: "Originally, Lu Jinghai ruled. Now, it's the Third Master, Yu Wenhai."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "What of the Second Master? Does he accept being beneath him?"

Wang Company Commander smiled faintly. "Li Shaoxia, you're sharp. The Second Master and Yu Wenhai are indeed at odds."

"The Second Master's name is Zhang Tiankui, nicknamed 'Iron Arm Dragon King.' He's the son of a comrade who died saving Lu Jinghai on the northern frontier. Lu raised him as his own."

"He's no ordinary man. His ancestors were headmen of Jinmen's 'foot gangs.' He trained from childhood, wrestling daily at the docks. At twelve, he could throw grown men. Born with immense strength and an unusual spine, he was taken as a final disciple by Cangzhou wrestling king Liu Tieshan, mastering the 'Seventy-Two Ways of Dragon-Catching Grappling'—fierce beyond compare."

"At eighteen, he single-handedly defeated the three major wrestling arenas of Nanshi. With one move—'Dragon King's Tail Sweep'—he drove his opponent, wrestling robe and all, into the mud wall. He's also an exceptional swimmer. Hence, 'Iron Arm Dragon King.'"

"He's also a sorcerer. Lu Jinghai brought him a mystic who taught him Divine Strike. He created his own martial art—'Eighteen Seafloor Tangles.' In Jinmen, whether martial or occult circles, he's a top-tier brute."

"But he has a flaw: he's addicted to liquor and has a violent temper—unsuited to lead."

"Yu Wenhai was originally a scholar from the capital who joined the Jinghai Gang. Due to his cunning, he rose to prominence. After Lu Jinghai retired to cultivate, Yu took full control. Now, the gang recognizes only 'Third Master.'"

"Zhang Tiankui expected to inherit the leadership—he resents it deeply…"

As he listened, Li Yan memorized everything. Then he asked: "The red-haired barbarian merchants in Jinmen seem close to the naval camp. Who backs them?"

Wang Company Commander thought, then shook his head. "We failed in our duty. When those red-haired merchants arrived at Jinmen's docks, they behaved quietly—just mingling, bribing, trading. We paid them no mind."

"As for the naval camp: there's the Maritime Commander and the Canal Commander. One is Zheng Guoxi, the other Zhou Kang. Zheng oversees the sea outlet; Zhou patrols the canal. Zheng is close to the sea-opening faction; Zhou is deeply entangled with the Jinghai Gang…"

No wonder they were from the Commandant Office—they'd analyzed Jinmen's situation with ease.

Li Yan nodded, about to speak—then frowned, glancing outside.

There, the hawk Liding swooped down from the sky, clutching a bamboo tube.

Li Yan's face hardened; he swiftly took it.

Liding communicated with Lu San—he'd been checking Yu Wenhai's target.

His sudden arrival meant trouble.

"Li Shaoxia, any change?" Wang Company Commander asked urgently.

"Nothing."

Li Yan stared at the distant Jade Emperor Pavilion, sneering. "Our trail's been exposed. They've come to our door…"

…………

The Jinzhou Merchant Association in northern Jinmen had its gates shut tight.

Jinzhou lies on the Loess Plateau—deep gullies, high mountains, distant roads. Due to bandits, the wealthy build high walls and small courtyards; once the gates are barred, they become fortresses.

Now, from small windows, many heads peered out.

Below, over a hundred large men surrounded the gate.

Each stood tall and broad, thick-muscled, bare-chested, tattooed with dragons and tigers, waistbands of thick cowhide, bronze tiger buckles, black pants, leather boots, nostrils flared, eyes blazing, ferocious in demeanor.

These men were clearly wrestlers from the jiao fields.

But Jinmen's people knew: these giants were the Second Master's men—nicknamed "Sea River Golden Giants."

Now, they carried salt sacks from the canal, filled with yellow mud, hauling them repeatedly, slamming them to the ground. Dust rose, coating the stone path before the Jinzhou Association in thick mud—turning it into a wrestling arena.

Worse, they carried thick dock poles, as wide as a bowl's mouth.

The end of the Nine Rivers? The Lord rules!

As the men's boisterous shouts rose, they wielded their bare hands, invoking the "Thousand-Pound Drop" technique, hammering the pole straight into the earth.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

With each thunderous impact, the inn's screen wall cracked into a spiderweb of fissures.

"The Dragon's Gate Formation on Haihe?"

The old shopkeeper of the Jinzhou Inn frowned darkly and bowed upward, shouting: "Master Zhang, you and our Jinzhou Inn have always kept to our own paths—what have we done to offend you, to warrant such a spectacle?"

On the distant street, a man leaned lazily back in a high-backed chair, sprawled out, one foot planted atop the seat.

He wore dark glasses, his upper body bare, muscles knotted like iron cables; bronze wrestling rings jingled around his neck, and the tattoo of a green dragon swallowing water on his chest rippled with his breath, as if surging through murky waves—it was Zhang Tiankui, the Second Boss of the Jinghai Gang.

Hearing the shopkeeper's question, he let out a cold laugh, then suddenly raised his hand.

Whizz!

The iron ball he hurled shattered a corner clean off the inn's stone lion's head.

After flinging the ball, Zhang Tiankui scratched his ear, then glanced sideways.

"You Jin merchants can strut your stuff in Taiyuan—I don't care—but here, at the Sanchahe Crossing…"

"If you're a dragon, coil up. If you're a tiger, crouch down for me!"

This bastard…

The old shopkeeper sighed helplessly. "Master Zhang, could you please be more specific?"

"There's a man named Li Yan…"

Zhang Tiankui drawled, "Heard he's some kind of Twelve Zodiacs. Yesterday he wrecked my Jinghai Gang's place. I won't make things hard for you—hand him over, and I'll throw a banquet to apologize to your Jinzhou Merchants' Guild."

Upon hearing this, the old shopkeeper's heart sank.

He knew about last night's fire—but hadn't realized Li Yan was behind it.

But handing him over? Impossible.

Li Yan was a VIP listed in the secret register—handing him over would ruin the inn's reputation.

Thinking of this, the old shopkeeper quickly bowed. "This must be a misunderstanding…"

"Who the hell are you calling a misunderstanding?!"

Zhang Tiankui tore off his dark glasses, glaring with round, furious eyes. "Old man, you'd rather take the punishment than the wine."

The shopkeeper's face darkened. "Master Zhang—are you truly declaring war on our Merchants' Guild?"

The Jinzhou Merchants' Guild was a colossal force—it had no fear of a local gang from Jincheng.

"Oh, damn it…"

Zhang Tiankui's eyes narrowed. "Fine—you won't get the wine either."

With that, he ordered his men to bring ten baskets of moldy grain from the canal, set up cauldrons on the street, and began boiling "Zhe Luo Fan."

"Zhe Luo Fan" meant leftover rice and dishes mixed together and reheated.

During weddings, funerals, or festive banquets, when food was plentiful, hosts often distributed leftovers to relatives or the poor to avoid waste—a sign of thrift.

But this stuff wasn't always harmless.

Beggar gangs across the land would wait outside restaurants and inns, collecting such scraps, treating them like slop.

The "Zhe Luo Fan" the Jinghai Gang served was exactly this.

Soon, foul stench filled the air around the inn, drawing swarms of green-headed flies buzzing wildly.

Zhang Tiankui scooped up half a ladle of stinking gruel and flung it straight at the inn's vermilion gate, laughing loudly:

"I heard this Li Yan's a knife-wielding blade master from Guanzhong?"

"Tell him—the Jinghai Gang will serve up plenty of pan-fried dumplings at noon!"

"Hahahaha…"

The surrounding brutes burst into derisive laughter, each face twisted with insolent smirks.

(End of Chapter)