Embroidered Uniform Guard

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“Win the game and earn five taels of silver! The loser gets one tael for a meal.” Not everyone dared to challenge Qin Hao, confident as he was in his chess skills.

Tempted by the five taels, various martial artists from the Jianghu gathered around the board for a match. Of course, after a round, all were defeated, and Feng Han’s earnings brimmed over. Seeing no one stepping forward, Feng Han was about to leave.

“Stop!” Several men dressed in Flying Fish uniforms approached.

“Imperial Guards!” The onlookers hurriedly dispersed upon seeing officials. The Imperial Guards had a notorious reputation among common folk, known as the “Court’s Hounds.” Though rarely seen elsewhere, in Yanjing their presence was almost ceremonial, yet they handled city defense and security.

“Who are you to set up a stall here? Don’t you know the rules?”

“Gentlemen of the court, I’m new here and unaware of the customs,” Feng Han thought darkly, ready to fight but wary of causing trouble in Yanjing.

“Give us all the silver you won just now. Keep a few coins for your meals. And next time, be more cooperative, understood?” The leader’s expression said he thought himself the emperor, irritating Feng Han greatly. Just as Feng Han was about to strike, a hand grabbed him.

“Think about it. If you fight and then flee, it’s the common folk here who’ll suffer. The officials will retaliate, and others just trying to survive will bear the brunt,” Qin Hao whispered in Feng Han’s ear.

“He’s a student of our Huangpu academy. We’re on a mission; you’d better not interfere,” said another, as those from the Jianghu and Huangpu academy were the least intimidated by the Imperial Guards.

“You say you’re from Huangpu? Prove it!”

“If you don’t believe us, fight us!” Qin Hao gave the officials an emperor-like look. Seeing Feng Lan, a stunning woman standing behind Qin Hao, the officials realized these people were no ordinary folk. Unwilling to provoke trouble, they spat a few harsh words and left.

It turned out Feng Han’s stall was right next to the tavern where Qin Hao and his group dined. Qin Hao had witnessed everything.

“Thanks for your help, Brother Qin!”

“Hmm,” Qin Hao nodded briefly and was about to leave. He held no good impression of the Evil Society; his aid to Feng Han was purely for the reasons he had mentioned before.

When Qin Hao and friends returned to the academy, they were immediately summoned. Lu Hedao had learned from Gongsun Xiaoyue that the corpse puppets were the work of several teams and wanted to meet the others. He had already seen He Yiting’s group. Qin Hao and the others had delayed due to drinking.

Upon arriving at Lu Hedao’s office and entering, they saw two people: one seated, one standing. Lu Hedao and his niece, Lu Xin. Lu Hedao had an elder brother, Lu Qinggang, governor of Sichuan Province. Lu Qinggang had a son and daughter: Lu Zhiyi and Lu Xin, one of the famed Three Immortal Maidens of the Jianghu. The Lu family held hereditary official positions, stabilizing the southwest.

Among the thirty-four provinces, Sichuan was the most defiant of the emperor. Southern provinces were generally discontent with imperial rule, but the royal army’s recent growth kept open rebellion in check, maintaining outward harmony.

What surprised Lu Qinggang was that both his son and daughter had joined the Imperial Guards! When he asked why, they said:

“The Imperial Guards, controlled by Wei Lianying, are ruthless! We want to see this evil for ourselves!” Wei Lianying was a eunuch and a favorite of the current emperor. Lu Zhiyi and Lu Xin, fearless youths, wanted to test this. Lu Qinggang let them try, confident no one would harm his children.

Qin Hao and the others felt uneasy seeing Lu Xin clad in the Flying Fish uniform, especially after Feng Han’s incident. But with Lu Hedao present, they held their peace.

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“You’re the one who slew the corpse puppets—smart to use Sunstone powder to strip their regenerative power.” Sunstone powder, an extraordinary stone imbued with solar essence, was highly effective against dark forces.

“It was the effort of several teams,” Qin Hao began.

“Enough with the formalities. The academy originally intended to reward you, but since you've taken the corpse pills, that should suffice,” Lu Hedao cut in.

“Yes,” Qin Hao and his comrades prepared to leave.

Lu Xin called them back, stepping before Qin Hao.

“You seem full of hostility. Have we had past grievances?”

“As long as they’re Imperial Guards, I see hostility,” Qin Hao replied coolly.

“How can you generalize? There are good people among the Imperial Guards!”

“Sorry, I’ve never met one,” Qin Hao said, then left.

“Second uncle, look at him!” Lu Xin sulked, wanting Lu Hedao to intervene.

“The academy values strength. If you disagree, fight him. Or…”

“Or what?”

“I don’t know—figure it out yourself.”

Lu Xin was just venting; she didn’t truly want trouble with Qin Hao. She changed into civilian clothes and left the academy to relax. As fate would have it, she soon saw some Imperial Guards harassing a street vendor. Furious, she confronted them.

The Guards, seeing her plain attire, mistook her for a gentlewoman and teased:

“Well, quite pretty. How about entertaining the master?”

“Go to hell, lecher!” Lu Xin realized these men were sycophantic above and cruel below. A fifth-level expert, she swiftly subdued several Guards, yet before she could finish, a Flying Fish uniformed Guard charged out, blocking her with a blade.

The Flying Fish uniform came in black, red, silver-white, blue, and yellow, denoting general flag bearer, thousand-house, hundred-house, regular, and commander, respectively. The emperor had reformed the Imperial Guards, abolishing some positions.

“Lu Qianhu, your reach is quite long!” The man, also a thousand-house officer, instantly recognized Lu Xin.

“You know me, but I don’t know you. Standing before me makes you an accomplice!” Lu Xin attacked without warning, wielding a unique weapon—a length of blue silk ribbon with entangling and confusing properties.

The man drew his embroidered spring blade, slashing at the resilient ribbon. Their fight quickly cleared the street. As rain began to fall, they battled amid the downpour. Lu Xin unleashed her signature move—the Thousand Silk Ribbon—with illusions multiplying. The man slashed through several illusions; a red ribbon narrowly brushed his face, leaving a bloodied scratch. He became ruthless, no longer fearing Lu Xin’s father.

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“Stop!” a red Flying Fish uniformed Imperial Guard shouted, halting the duel and offering both an exit.

“If the general flag bearer finds out you fought privately, the consequences will be severe…” With that, Lu Xin turned and left, unwilling to say more.

Back at the academy, Lu Xin had received a message from her brother stationed in Yanjing, requesting her assistance on a case. She had stopped by to see her second uncle but encountered this incident.

Lu Xin then went to Lu Zhiyi’s office—the Northern Pacification Division—and found her brother in the signing room.

“Qingping, you’re here. I’ve been waiting,” Lu Zhiyi said, wearing his best civilized expression.

“Brother, what’s the assignment?”

“Just two days ago, our informants received top-secret news—the Tai Chi Society’s prized treasure, the ‘Flower Transposition and Wood Connection,’ was stolen!”

“You mean the ‘Flower Transposition and Wood Connection’ mirror, ranked tenth in the Weapons Registry?”

“Exactly.” The mirror, crafted by a master of the previous dynasty, was harmless by itself but came in two pieces—the Flower Transposition Mirror and the Wood Connection Mirror. Held by two people, one could activate their mirror, signaling the other to open theirs, enabling passage between the two mirrors.

In the ninth year of the Kai Xuan era, when the court nearly crushed one of the Tai Chi Society’s four leaders in Yanjing, an elder sacrificed himself by activating the Flower Transposition Mirror, allowing the society’s chief leader in Sichuan to arrive and turn the tide.

“Recently, the notorious thief Chai Gang was found to have stolen the Flower Transposition Mirror right under the chief leader’s nose. The third elder holding the Wood Connection Mirror was found and killed by the Imperial Guards on the same day.”

“So, brother, what does this mean?”

“Clearly, it’s a court conspiracy. We’ve been assigned a mission. The commander might have to lead personally. The major roads and paths in Sichuan are controlled by the Tai Chi Society. Various factions are eager to seize this treasure—especially the Evil Society, who rushed to Sichuan first. The Daoist Alliance won’t be far behind.”

“But don’t we have the Wood Connection Mirror? Even if others get the Flower Transposition Mirror, it’s useless, right?”

“Are you naive? The other factions can negotiate with our superiors with the Wood Connection Mirror. Either you pay a price for the Flower Transposition Mirror, or I pay to get the Wood Connection Mirror. Money talks.”

“What’s our task?”

“Gather intelligence and wait to reap the rewards.”