Eternal God Emperor: Only I Am Emperor One

Chapter 43 The Gathering of Heroes in Qinghe

"A swordsman with a black robe and a jade-like face?"

"good."

"You were seriously injured and had one of your arms severed with just two sword strikes?"

"That person's swordsmanship was extremely vicious, and his cultivation was incredibly profound. He was probably only half a step away from the Heavenly Realm. If I hadn't reacted in time, the terror left behind would have been more than just an arm."

"Are you sure he's using the Fish Intestine Sword Technique? Could he be from the Underworld Sect?"

"No... I don't know, but the Fish Intestine Sword Technique is a unique skill of the Underworld Sect, and it's unlikely that outsiders could learn it."

"Hmph, I've long heard that Song Jingang's daughter married the leader of the Underworld Sect as a concubine. Now that a master from the Underworld Sect has stepped forward to help the White Horse Gang, the evidence of the White Horse Gang's collusion with the black market is irrefutable. Elder Zhao, inform Princess Qingxuan and Master Hua of today's events." Shan Baihu was a middle-aged man in his fifties with graying temples. He exuded a powerful aura and was full of energy, clearly a martial arts master.

Elder Zhao of the Crimson Cloud Sect, who was standing to the side, accepted the order and withdrew, then began to send his disciples to inform the Yunwu County government and the Wushi Bank.

"Father, the White Horse Gang is colluding with the black market, which is intolerable to the righteous path and is destined to be destroyed. Uncle Xiao is seriously injured, so let him go and recuperate first." A fresh and elegant girl of twelve or thirteen years old with bright eyes spoke up beside Shan Baihu.

This woman was Shan Baihu's daughter, born late in life. Her name was Shan Xiangling. She was clever and quick-witted from a young age and won his favor.

"Xiangling is right. Elder Xiao, you have done your part, even if you didn't achieve anything. You lost this arm for the sake of the Crimson Cloud Sect. Put aside your current affairs and focus on recovering."

Xiao Yunbao looked up at the crimson banner fluttering in the wind, on which were written the three large characters 'Crimson Cloud Sect' in a flamboyant style. This was obtained by the former sect leader of the Crimson Cloud Sect in exchange for his sister serving Prince Yunwu in the palace, and it was written by Prince Yunwu himself.

Under the red flag, an old man and a young girl, a loving father and a filial daughter, one achieved the Heavenly Realm with the help of resources provided by the Yunwu royal family, while the other is likely to become the princess consort of his prince nephew in the future.

On the surface, Shan Baihu told him to recuperate, but his words implied that he wanted him to relinquish his power.

With his left arm severed, Xiao Yunbao's ambitions were greatly diminished. While filled with resentment towards the black-clad swordsman, he also realized that he would probably never be able to set foot in the Heavenly Realm again in this lifetime.

"Thank you for your concern, Sect Master. I will hand over my miscellaneous duties for the next few days and then stay in the sect to recuperate from my injuries and train my disciples."

"Then I'll stay by my uncle's side from now on and let him teach me martial arts." Shan Xiangling walked to Xiao Yunbao's side, took his only remaining arm, and her face was full of girlish innocence and sincerity.

Looking at the old man and the young man, Xiao Yunbao sighed inwardly. The last bit of pride in his heart dissipated, and he looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"Sect Master, eight of the nine leaders of the White Horse Gang are dead, and the remaining Lei Kaishan is not a threat. However, most of the White Horse Gang's more than two thousand members have escaped. If we can bring these stray dogs under the Red Cloud Sect, our Red Cloud Sect can greatly increase its strength in a short period of time, and also control the warhorse and war beast business in the western part of Yunwu County, thus securing our position as a seventh-rate sect."

Dan Baihu was somewhat tempted by the words, but he had some concerns. He shook his head and said, "The White Horse Gang is colluding with the black market. These White Horse Gang members are likely to be infiltrated by the black market. It might not be appropriate to rashly accept so many strangers into the Crimson Cloud Sect. The Martial Market Bank and the royal family will probably be dissatisfied. Let me think about this matter some more."

Disappointment flashed in Xiao Yunbao's eyes. He hesitated to speak, knowing all too well his sect leader senior brother's suspicious and indecisive nature. He knew better than anyone that if he thought about it later, there would probably be no more to say.

"If the sect leader has any concerns, he can simply recruit the elite among them and take control of the warhorse and beast business."

"Alright, Junior Brother Xiao, you are seriously injured, so just focus on recovering. I will take care of these matters, so you don't need to worry."

Dan Baihu was getting impatient. He was not the type to listen to advice humbly. Now that he had broken through to the Heavenly Realm, he no longer cared about any sects or forces in Yunwu County, except for the royal family and the Martial Market Bank.

He was only in his fifties and considered himself to still be in his prime. He believed that as long as he could maintain good relations with Wushi Bank and the royal family, he might be able to develop Chiyun Sect into the second sixth-rate sect in Yunwu County.

Xiao Yunbao had no idea of ​​his good intentions. Recruiting members of the White Horse Gang was just smearing himself. If it displeased the Wushi Bank and the royal family, then everything would be over.

……

The next day at noon, the blazing sun hung high in the sky.

The heat was intense, and there were few pedestrians along the way, with only occasional wisps of smoke rising from the fields and villages.

Three hundred and fifty li west of Guanchao City, there is a town along the river, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, facing the great river and backed by mountains.

Merchant ships come and go at the dock outside the town. This place is located on the western border of Yunwu County, adjacent to Qianshui County.

Qianshui County is a superior county, and its strength alone surpasses that of the thirty-six counties of Tianmo Ridge.

The town is named Qianshui (meaning "Thousand Rivers") because of its dense network of rivers, with thousands of large and small waterways. Several major rivers flow through the border area between the two countries, attracting merchants from all over the country. The journey was arduous, and the sailors would often stop outside this town built along the water to replenish their food and also to indulge themselves in the town's taverns, brothels, and gambling dens, venting their frustrations from the voyage.

With the increase in merchants coming and going, the small town called 'Qinghe' became a den of iniquity, attracting many figures from both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

The area is controlled neither by the Yunwu County government nor by the black market, but by a gang called the "Heroes' Society." This gang exists between the underworld and the legitimate world, similar to the White Horse Gang, operating in the gray area and having connections with both sides.

Ten miles outside the town, there was a small tavern built next to the official road. Although it was unbearably hot outside, the tavern was crowded with traveling merchants.

Most of these merchants were small-scale traders who couldn't afford the brothels in Qinghe Town, so they could only drink a bowl of 'Qingfeng Brew' taken from the cellar and still slightly cool in this roadside tavern.

In an inconspicuous corner of the tavern, a man and a woman sat. The man was dressed in black and carried a long sword. His face was covered by his hood, revealing only his mouth.

The woman had a graceful figure, far more beautiful than the girls soliciting customers on the street in Qinghe Town's brothels. Even the legendary courtesan who sold her art but not her body probably couldn't compare.

Those merchants traveled all over the country and knew that the more beautiful a woman was, the more dangerous she was. She was either very powerful or had an amazing backer, and they could not afford to offend her. So they would steal a glance at her occasionally and then go about their business of drinking.

The woman said, "Shopkeeper, hurry up and bring the wine."

Upon hearing the commotion, an elderly man in his sixties rushed out. He had gray hair and a hunched back, yet his steps were swift and powerful, clearly indicating that he possessed some martial arts skills, though they were not up to par.

"Esteemed guests, our shop only offers our own homemade rice wine and 'Qingfeng Brew' purchased from Zhao's Wine Shop in Qinghe Town. Which would you like to drink?"

The man in black asked, "Zhao Family Tavern? Which Zhao Family Tavern?"

"Sir, you jest. Within a hundred miles of Qinghe Town, besides the Zhao Family Tavern opened by the Heroes' Gathering, which other Zhao Family Tavern could there be?"

"Oh? This hero is so domineering. Is it possible that there's no one else with the surname Zhao within a hundred miles?" the man asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the old shopkeeper hurriedly said, "Sir, please keep your voice down and don't talk nonsense. You must be from out of town and don't know how powerful the Heroes' Association is. With the four presidents of the Heroes' Association, namely Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence and Righteousness, who would dare to use the surname Zhao as a signboard?"

The man in black tossed out two standard silver coins from Yunwu County and said with interest, "These four guild leaders are all surnamed Zhao? To be honest, I'm new here and don't know much about the local customs and culture. Please tell me about them, otherwise, if I break a taboo and offend someone for no reason, wouldn't that be unfair?"

The old shopkeeper discreetly slipped the two silver coins into his sleeve, then gave his son a wink, signaling him to bring the coolest wine from the cellar.

"The Heroes' Gathering is the dominant force in this area, spanning a hundred miles. All four of its leaders share the surname Zhao, and their names are derived from the four characters of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, along with the meaning of perfection. It is said that the four are siblings born on the same day of the same birth, and they are of one mind with each other. Their martial arts cultivation is at the Great Perfection of the Earth Realm, but when they joined forces, they once defeated a martial arts legend at the Heaven Realm."

"The officials of Yunwu County also coveted Qinghe Town and sent experts to challenge it. However, the weak ones were defeated, and the strong ones, even if the four leaders could not defeat them, could retreat into the mountains and then come back to fight after the experts of Yunwu County had left."

"The Yunwu County government couldn't possibly send a martial arts legend to stay in Qinghe Town forever. Over time, the government tacitly accepted that the Heroes' Association would occupy the area, and they would live in peace without disturbing each other."

"So, the four presidents of this Heroes' Association are the local tyrants within a hundred miles of Qinghe Town," the man in black said.

“What you say makes sense, sir. Anyway, if you encounter any members of the Heroes’ Association, it’s best for you two to stay far away.” The old shopkeeper gave him some more advice before taking the silver coins and leaving with a smile on his face.

Ziqian watched the old shopkeeper's retreating figure, poured Di Yi a cup of wine, and asked in a low voice, "Sir, what are our plans next?"

"Guanchao City is the largest city in the western part of Yunwu County. Now, the Chiyun Sect and the border army of Yunwu County are in a pincer movement. The White Horse Gang has suffered heavy losses after this calamity and is not suitable to continue to openly oppose the Chiyun Sect. The most urgent task is to find a safe place to stay."

Di Yi drank a cup of wine. The wine was slightly cool on his palate, which dispelled some of the summer heat outside. This was the first time he had drunk wine since he came to this world. Before, he had always drunk tea with Ye Honglei.

"I will follow your arrangements, sir. Is there any place you fancy, sir?"

Zi Qian smiled and looked at Di Yi. Lord Yi's cultivation was profound and his strength was great. With him around, the White Horse Gang had found a way out, and she had also found a good home for the foundation her grandfather had built.

The Emperor raised his cup and said, "Come, let's drink a cup together."

Ziqian was secretly delighted and quickly raised her wine cup, saying, "To my lord."

Di Yi downed the wine in his cup in one gulp and laughed, "In my opinion, Qinghe Town is a good place to establish a foothold."

(End of this chapter)