Chapter 95: Connecting the Dots

The matter involving Jiao Kun was trivial. To someone like Zhuang Jin—a Five-Meridian realm expert and a street garrison commander—it was no more than a speck of dust, not worth mentioning. Lately, beyond his diligent martial arts practice, he had been focusing his mental energy and attention on the current situation in the northern part of the city.

Now that the smaller gangs had been completely cleared out, the Shen family occupied two-thirds of the territory, while the Medicine King Gang held the remaining third. Clearly, the latter would not be satisfied with this arrangement. However, both sides had maintained restraint, and no real conflict had erupted yet.

The current atmosphere of repression was like the heavy, low-pressure air before a summer thunderstorm; it was calm for the moment, but once the rain began, it would surely be a tempest.

Before a great downpour, ants move their nests to survive the crisis. Sensing that the "storm" was imminent, the garrison commanders of Dongqiao Dock were naturally not going to sit still and wait for their doom. To ensure their own survival, they began to connect and form small factions.

The advantage of the Medicine King Gang lay in the brutal "survival of the fittest" nature of their warriors, who possessed keen combat instincts and ruthless methods. The strength of the Shen family, however, lay in their deep foundation and vast number of warriors, allowing them to overwhelm opponents with superior numbers. Yet, the number of Shen family warriors was not several times that of the Medicine King Gang. In actual warfare, being well-connected and huddled in small groups meant one could bully the few with the many, whereas those who were unsociable or isolated would have to fight alone. It went without saying that the former was far safer than the latter.

Zhuang Jin understood this well. He did not know if war would break out before he could reach the Six-Meridian realm. Even if he did break through, being part of a group was better than fighting alone. Naturally, he chose not to stand out, choosing instead to blend in and devote part of his energy to networking.

At first, the garrison commanders of Dongqiao Dock visited one another, and Zhuang Jin had visited other places as well, but eventually, everyone began to gravitate toward his residence.

The credit for this belonged to Chen Yun. Her culinary skills were superb; she could turn even the simplest ingredients into a feast, and she never performed a task perfunctorily. She was also perceptive, able to read expressions and understand nuances. Thus, whenever Zhuang Jin made a move or cast a glance, she understood immediately, handling every matter with impeccable grace.

People naturally make comparisons. Feeling at ease and comfortable at Zhuang Jin’s place, they gradually gathered around him.

This had its benefits. In his own territory, visitors would show some respect, and it saved Zhuang Jin the trouble of traveling, allowing him more time for practice. One could only say that Chen Yun was truly a virtuous helper, taking on all the trivial chores so he could focus on his training; at this juncture, she had proven to be an immense help.

Of course, like attracts like, and not all six garrison commanders of Dongqiao Dock could come together. Xue Yandao was aloof by nature and stopped coming after one visit. Du Shiyuan wanted to integrate into the circle, but among warriors, strength spoke loudest; sensing the cold attitude of the others, his visits gradually dwindled.

Wei Xun was also only at the Four-Meridian realm. Though he was part of the core faction alongside Duan Tao and Miao Lun as an old friend, and despite the territorial dispute he had with Zhuang Jin on the first of the month—which was not a major issue and had been smoothed over—he was eventually excluded due to one incident.

Previously, there had been a pot of orchids, a gift from a garrison commander in the Long district back when they were at the medicinal fields outside the city. Chen Yun cherished flowers and plants; she loved it and cared for it meticulously until it grew lush and leafy. Wei Xun, perhaps out of a desire to appear cultured—or perhaps claiming the refined taste befitting a garrison commander—liked to meddle with flowers and plants. He had gradually learned a bit about them, and upon seeing the orchid, he expressed a desire for a cutting. Chen Yun had replied, "Now is not the best time for propagation; next spring, around March or April, would be better," and Zhuang Jin had politely declined on her behalf.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the orchid suddenly died. Chen Yun felt quite sorry about it.

Zhuang Jin, struck by a thought, dug up the roots. They were as white and translucent as jade. Chen Yun was surprised: "With such vitality, how could it have died so suddenly?" When he told her he had seen Wei Xun watering it, she realized the man must have used the boiling water meant for their tea to water the plant, causing it to wither.

After all, it was just a pot of orchids, and without hard evidence, Zhuang Jin could not do much about it.

After the orchid incident, perhaps feeling guilty, Wei Xun stopped coming. When Duan Tao and Miao Lun visited, they asked about the orchid once. Zhuang Jin did not elaborate, only answering, "I don't know why it died so suddenly; I asked a professional and was told it had been watered with boiling water." Duan Tao and Miao Lun, having reached the level of garrison commanders, had seen their share of life's storms and the malice of human hearts. They said nothing on the surface, but from then on, they never again mentioned including Wei Xun in their small circle.

Consequently, among the commanders of Dongqiao Dock, Zhuang Jin, Duan Tao, and Miao Lun gradually formed a small trio.

...

August 8th. That evening, the three held another small gathering.

"It’s been seven or eight days, and the Medicine King Gang hasn't made a move. This kind of agonizing limbo, neither here nor there, is honestly less painful than just starting the war," Duan Tao sighed.

"Once the war truly begins, Commander Duan, you won't think that way. Look at the south side of the city... those wolf cubs from the Medicine King Gang are ruthless; they aren't easy to deal with!"

Miao Lun sighed, adding, "It is only because our Shen family has deep roots and more warriors..."

Zhuang Jin listened more than he spoke, piecing together a good deal of information.

*The Shen family has dominated the prefectural city for years, while the Medicine King Gang rose suddenly. I don't know about their top brass, but at the low to mid-levels, the Shen family is crushing them. Even when recruiting martial students, the Shen family holds greater appeal. While the Medicine King Gang's warriors are indeed ruthless, the Shen family could use sheer numbers to flatten them. Yet, the Shen family seems to be wary of something, maintaining this standoff. I wonder why?*

He did not know the specific reason, but he was certain there was an internal story, or perhaps they were playing a larger game: *Back to the north side, with the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang in a standoff, it seems the Shen family is waiting for the Medicine King Gang to strike first so they can counterattack, or perhaps they are waiting for a pretext to act.*

They ate and talked, exchanging information. After about half an hour, Duan Tao and Miao Lun took their leave, leaving behind a mess of cups and plates.

Chen Yun cleaned up, and Zhuang Jin went to practice his martial arts.

After some time, Zhuang Jin stopped to rest. Chen Yun brought over warmed beast meat and side dishes, along with a cup of clear tea.

The two sat together, looking outside: the moon was at its zenith, and clouds drifted across the sky, changing in a myriad of ways. The moonlight, like smoke and gauze, was reflected in the river with shimmering ripples. Fireflies on both banks blinked in thousands of tiny lights, weaving through the willows and sandbars. Further away, the distant mountains were shrouded in the mist of the night, looking like shadows.

"The clear breeze and bright moon are priceless; the near waters and distant mountains are all filled with emotion."

Zhuang Jin sighed, "If there is an opportunity in the future, whether we go to the provincial capital or down to the county town, to the mountains and rivers, Yunniang, we can go see it all together and take in the infinite treasures of this natural world."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yun also revealed a look of longing: "Who knows when that will be? I fear that by then we will be old, with graying temples and faltering steps."

"I am a warrior; I will just carry you on my back, Yunniang... though I’ve heard that as a warrior ages, their strength wanes. I only hope that when that time comes, I don't stumble while walking and send us both rolling down the mountain like pumpkins... Passersby would surely be astonished to see two silver moons rolling down the slope..."

Zhuang Jin babbled on, speaking off the cuff. Chen Yun, whose laughter came easily, laughed until she was in tears, collapsing into his arms, unable to speak clearly. He smelled the faint, lingering scent of flowers in her hair, seemingly both intentional and unintentional. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he patted her back, soothing her with quiet words.

Amidst the chirping of cicadas and the croaking of frogs, the night passed just like that.

...

During these days, Zhuang Jin practiced tirelessly, naturally hoping to break through to the Six-Meridian realm before the war broke out. However, in such matters, no one could say for sure whether tomorrow or an accident would arrive first.

On the night of the ninth, just as he was silently lamenting that he would be able to break through in three days at most:

*Chirp—Pop!*

A signal flare was launched, and fireworks exploded in the sky.

"Is that Fucheng Street, where Du Shiyuan is stationed?"

Zhuang Jin walked outside, his expression grave. It was not just because Fucheng Street had been attacked, but because of what it signified: "The peace is shattered; the storm is coming!"

Before his voice had even faded, another signal flare appeared on the other side—this was Fuchang Street, where Wei Xun was stationed.

By the time Zhuang Jin joined up with Duan Tao and Miao Lun to rush over, the Medicine King Gang’s raiding party had already retreated. At Fucheng Street, Du Shiyuan had suffered significant injuries and lost nearly two small squads; Wei Xun was also in a sorry state, having suffered light injuries and losing over a squad of his men.

...

That night, it was not just Dongqiao Dock; many Shen family streets in the north of the city were attacked. The Medicine King Gang had broken the peace and fired the first shot since the small gangs were cleared out and the standoff began.