Carriages rumble, horses neigh.

Around mid-afternoon, a convoy of six large carts and dozens of horses snaked its way through the road beside Tongshan County. Half of the convoy consisted of riders, with others walking as guards. Although they appeared travel-worn, each person carried weapons, forming a cohesive unit. This was the kind of imposing presence usually seen only with large镖 teams (镖局: armed escort agencies in old China) or wealthy families traveling in this chaotic world.

Yan Yunzhi, from the lead carriage, lifted the curtain and surveyed the low, dilapidated walls of Tongshan County. She slightly raised her eyebrows, "The Jianghu (江湖: the pugilistic world) says the Li family of Tongshan is like a tiger lying in a river, with the visage of a hero. But I can't see it from these walls... Could there be some hidden secret?"

The seventeen-year-old girl had an oval face, eyebrows like crescent moons, and a clear voice. Although young, her tone already carried a practiced calmness. Peeking inside the carriage, one could see her in a well-fitting, light ink-colored dress, with two short swords within easy reach, exuding the aura of a dashing Jianghu woman.

"That's why we aren't entering Tongshan."

The speaker was a middle-aged man in blue robes on a tall horse beside the carriage. He appeared to be around forty, tall and sturdy, holding the reins in one hand and a book in the other. Without looking at the road, he casually flipped through the pages, acting like a scholar serving as a strategist for a wealthy family. Only by glimpsing the title on the book cover, *Kunlun Sword Shadows*, did one realize it was a popular Wuxia (武侠: martial hero) novel of the time.

"The Jianghu saying that the Li family is like a tiger lying in a river has two meanings. First, it refers to Li Yanfeng's ability to seize opportunities and his ruthless methods. The original Li family was just a group of martial artists, but he used this great upheaval to eliminate all the large and small clans near Tongshan, rising to power. We say that the world is in chaos, and this is undoubtedly the appearance of a hero."

The middle-aged man spoke while flipping through his book.

"But the other meaning is somewhat derogatory. Yunzhi, what is the Li family's style known for? Everyone in the world knows. If Li Yanfeng heard you say he's a tiger lying in a river, what do you think he'd think?"

Yan Yunzhi blinked, understanding, "Small Monkey Fists, White Ape Tongbi (通臂: long-arm)..."

"Exactly." The middle-aged man smiled. "When the Jurchens came, everyone found it difficult to resist. The Li family insisted on resisting the Jin (金朝: Jin Dynasty, founded by the Jurchens), refusing to surrender. But in the end, they just dragged the surrounding people into the mountains and then eliminated the surrounding clans one by one. To say he killed Jurchens, Li Yanfeng hasn't killed any. Tiger lying in the river... In the beginning, some people mocked him for being a monkey acting like a king in the mountains with no tigers. This time, you must not mention anything about tigers in front of the Li family."

"It seems the Li family likes being monkeys." A playful smile appeared on Yan Yunzhi's lips, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Although others have mockery in mind, the Li family's martial arts should not be underestimated." The middle-aged man on horseback turned a page. "White Ape Tongbi is good at explosive power. It's good to observe it and have some understanding. But the Small Monkey Fists have unparalleled agility and nimbleness, complementing your family's Tan Gong Sword Technique. We're here this time to discuss passage, and also because you need to broaden your horizons. Therefore, when we meet, be sure to put away any arrogance. Know that in the Jianghu, kindness can be a word, and hatred is also a word."

The girl in the carriage nodded, "Second Uncle's instruction is understood, Yunzhi will remember."

"Mm." The middle-aged man also nodded, then glanced at the city wall beside him and said, "As for this city wall... the Li family has only been in charge of Tongshan for a little over a year. They have to recruit soldiers for Liu Guangshi and gather all sorts of good things to transport to the Southwest. How much can they keep for themselves? What's left is naturally taken back to their own homes to build big houses. It's normal that the place that was burned down in the front of Tongshan city wall hasn't been repaired due to lack of money. It's nothing surprising."

As they spoke, the road ahead curved, gradually separating from Tongshan County and heading west. It was mid to late July, and the sparse trees along the road were gradually turning yellow, and the villages and farmland also looked desolate. Occasionally encountering ragged pedestrians, they mostly hid on the side of the road to avoid the grand carriages and horses.

After traveling for a while, they reached a small market at the foot of the mountain. Passing through the market, the road up the mountain widened, and further on, they could see large flags waving and red ribbons fluttering. In the distance, a group of people was coming to greet them.

These were naturally the Li family's men. The two sides met on the road, exchanged greetings, and gathered together. Yan Yunzhi tied her sword to her waist and got out of the carriage. Led by the middle-aged man in blue, she was to meet the Li family and exchange bows.

Before coming, they knew that Li Yanfeng had led a team to Jiangning, and two other of the Li family's trusted generals had taken people to the Jiangbei battlefield. But having operated in Tongshan for so long, and having built a reputation in the Jianghu, there were many Greenwood (绿林: outlaw) heroes who had joined the Li family in recent years. The welcoming team included Li Ruoyao, a veteran of the Li family of the same generation as Li Ruoque, who was now stationed in Tongshan, as well as several Jianghu villains with considerable skills. People like "Miao (苗族: a Chinese minority) Blade" Shi Shuifang, "Great Compassion Hand" Cixin the Monk, and "Lightning Whip" Wu Cheng, either as guests or stewards, lived in the Li family and came out together to greet them.

"Second Master Yan and Swordswoman Yunshui (云水: cloud and water) have come from afar, the Li family's humble home shines with honor. Please forgive us for not welcoming you from further away."

The one greeting from the Li family was Li Ruoyao, who was already old. He was a clan brother of "Monkey King" Li Ruoque, older and of higher status. As soon as he said this, the middle-aged man in blue quickly stepped forward, "We dare not, we dare not. Third Master Li is a titan of the Jianghu, highly respected. The Yan family is passing through Tongshan this time and originally wanted to visit Third Master on the mountain. How could we let Third Master come to greet us? We are at fault, at fault..."

The two sides exchanged pleasantries, with back and forth, showing proper etiquette and composure. In fact, if it were more than ten years ago, there wouldn't have been so much formality among the Greenwood. But in recent years, various Greenwood groups had become popular, and it had become natural for both sides to say these things. After a while, the guests and hosts, having exchanged courtesies, were all happy and went up the mountain hand in hand.

Yan Yunzhi had already learned something about the Li family's situation before coming. During the process of going up the mountain hand in hand, her Second Uncle, Yan Tiehe, nicknamed "Chasing Wind Sword," introduced her to more information in their conversation.

For example, Shi Shuifang, nicknamed "Miao Blade," was proficient in the Miao Region's round-blade technique. His blade skills were ferocious and strange. It was said that he offended Overlord Blade in the Miao Region but did not die, showing his martial arts skills.

"Great Compassion Hand" Cixin the Monk was a notorious villain who was once famous in the Jiangnan (江南: south of the Yangtze River) area. His hand skills were quite outstanding. It was said that he killed people with palm strikes, and the internal organs of those struck would be completely shattered, but the skin and flesh on the outside were difficult to see injuries. According to Yan Tiehe's flattering words: "This is the power of 'Striking from across the mountain' (隔山打牛: hitting someone through an object) internal palm force, cultivated to perfection."

As for "Lightning Whip" Wu Cheng, he did not practice whip skills, but extremely fast leg skills. It was said that when he practiced, he would have five or six people throw wooden stakes at him from different directions, and he could kick the five or six wooden stakes one by one with a single leg, without missing a single one. This showed that his leg skills were not only fast, but also extremely destructive, terrifying and extremely frightening.

Yan Yunzhi kept it in mind, nodding one by one.

On the road ahead, although everyone complimented her, this Swordswoman Yunshui, for a while, they didn't keep their eyes and topics on her for long.

In the past two years, the Jurchens had ravaged the land, the world was in chaos, and now the Wu Dynasty was disintegrating, it was already an era of heroes. The Yan family was also a Greenwood group that had participated in the resistance against the Jin. The family's Tan Gong Sword Technique was good at hiding and assassination. When the Jurchens came, Yan Yunzhi's father, Yan Taiwei, was said to have assassinated two Jurchen Moukes (谋克: Jurchen military unit), enjoying a reputation among the Greenwood. As for Yan Yunzhi, it was because she had killed two Jurchen soldiers at a young age that she earned the nickname "Swordswoman Yunshui." Of course, no one present would question whether such rumors were true.

There were two main reasons why the Li family received the Yan family so warmly. One was that a member of the Yan clan named Yan Daolun was serving under Liu Guangshi, and it was said that he had a high position among the staff; and the other was that Yan Taiwei used to have a relationship with a Greenwood tycoon named Shi Baofeng, and the two sides had promised to arrange a marriage. This time, Yan Tiehe took Yan Yunzhi all the way east to Jiangning to finalize this marriage.

And Shi Baofeng is now one of the leaders of the Gongping (公平: fair) Party, which has a huge momentum and is sweeping Jiangnan. Together with He Wen, Gao Chang, Xu Zhaonan, and Zhou Shang, they are known as the Gongping Party's Five Tigers.

Once this marriage is concluded, the Yan family's position will immediately rise, becoming a big figure who can directly access the highest power level of the Gongping Party. Although the situation in the world and the future of the Gongping Party are not very clear now, perhaps some people dare not easily associate with the Gongping Party, but on the other hand, no one dares to despise such a force.

Everyone occasionally mentioned a few words about the marriage, and Yan Yunzhi was actually a little unhappy, but she had become accustomed to the expressionless and solemn look in the past two years, and everyone around her was a senior, so she just moved forward and didn't say much.

After a while, the group arrived at the Li family's Wubao (邬堡: fortified village), which occupied a lot of land. The square and roads in front of the Wubao had been swept clean, and many villagers were watching the excitement and pointing around. Colorful silks fluttered on the surrounding flagpoles, quite extravagant. Yan Yunzhi's eyes swept over the people around. The clothing of the villagers here was much neater than what she had seen along the way, and she could seem to see some smiles, which showed that the Li family took good care of the lives of the surrounding villagers. This was quite similar to the Yan family's style, and it seemed that Li Yanfeng was a good family head.

The Yan family practiced the Tan Gong Sword Technique, which was proficient in assassination techniques, so they had their own set of methods for observing the environment and seeing the subtle. Yan Yunzhi had gone through wars and life and death, so she was more sensitive and mature to these things. At this time, her eyes swept horizontally, and when she was about to enter the door, her eyebrows twitched slightly, which was because a gaze in the crowd suddenly made her pause for a moment.

That was in the back of the crowd, seemingly a good-looking young man, craning his neck and standing on tiptoe, curiously looking over here.

Frowning, when she looked again, the gaze had disappeared.

Why did I notice him...

It shouldn't be malicious...

……

Her steps paused slightly, then, her uncle beckoned her to follow in, so she could watch the Li family's monkey fist performance to welcome the guests.

The area below her cheeks felt slightly hot. She knitted her brows and walked into the spacious Li family gate with a somewhat fierce look in her eyes...