Chapter 1 Autumn Sound (Part 2)

  Although it was already near dusk, the East City was still crowded with people rubbing shoulders. Hearing the urgent sound of horseshoes, the commoners knew that those arrogant young masters who often showed off their military prowess were about to cause trouble again, and they hastily pushed and shoved each other to get out of the way, making room for the evil young men.

  Wang Jun and Yuwen Zhi led five strong men, rushing through the crowd. The streets, which had just rained two days ago, still had a lot of mud and water that had not yet evaporated. When trampled by horse hooves, the muddy water splashed all over the pedestrians' faces and bodies. The common people looked at the departing figures, pointing and scolding, with curses unending. However, the rushing party pretended to have heard nothing.

  In less than a moment, the reinforcements had arrived at the entrance of the cockfighting arena. Seeing the mess inside, Wang Xun's anger was burning even more fiercely. He pointed to one of the men with his whip and said in a low voice, "Is this how you let people smash things? Are your hands and feet reserved for burning as firewood? Hurry up and chop them down, that's the proper way!"

  "Second Master, we've done our best! They're too many and they're all skilled fighters. We really can't hold them back!" The apprentices were scared to death, kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear as they begged for mercy.

  "A bunch of trash, I've been feeding you well all this time!" Although he knew it wasn't the fault of his companions, Wang Xuan couldn't accept the reality of having his scene ruined. Just as he was about to pick out two guys who didn't look right in the eye to take care of, another person stumbled out of the house and grabbed hold of his horse's reins. "Second Brother! Today we've suffered a great loss. You quickly go chase after them, those outsiders from Wang's family ran towards Qujiang!"

  Wang Xuan lowered his head and, after a great deal of effort, finally made out that the battered and bruised man in front of him was his good friend Ma Fang. This person was also considered to be someone with a certain status in the city of Chang'an, known for being suave and charming, but today he had been beaten so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him, which showed just how overbearing the troublemaker was. Reaching out a hand to pat Ma Fang's shoulder, Wang Xuan softly comforted him: "Ma brother, don't worry, even if I have to chase them to the ends of the earth, I will definitely help you get justice back. How badly were the two Qin brothers hurt? Do they need us to go find a doctor for them right away?"

  "Two masters Qin have gone to find helpers. They will be here soon!" Before Ma Fang could speak, the chief steward, who was kneeling on the ground, volunteered to respond for him.

  "Wait no more, let them follow along this street, I'll lead the way to chase the culprit!" Wang Xun patted Ma Fang's shoulder again, signaling him to release his reins.

  "Hmm." Ma Fang wiped away tears and responded like a wronged young woman.

  "What are you all kneeling there for? Hurry up and help Master Ma to see the doctor! If he goes home with this kind of injury, he'll definitely get another beating from his father!" Wang Xun shouted loudly, pointing at the kneeling men.

  "Alas, let's go, let's go!" The buddies saw that he was no longer pursuing the matter, as if they had been greatly pardoned. They got up from the ground and supported Ma Ershao to the medical clinic at Fangkou like a celestial entourage.

  "Chase! Dig three feet underground, today we must also dig them out!" Wang Xun urged his horse on with force, and galloped towards Qujiangchi in a majestic manner.

  Qujiang Pool, also known as Furong Pool, is located in the southeast of Chang'an City, covering an area of one square li. The pavilions and buildings along the water are mostly used by high-ranking officials to escape the summer heat, but few people actually live there. Some declining aristocratic families quietly rent out part of their courtyards to wealthy scholars who come to Chang'an for study, under the guise of "assisting the literati", but in reality, they are just eyeing the other's purse.

  That group of trouble-making outsiders ran extremely fast, and it wasn't until they reached the banks of Qujiang Pond that Wang Xun and the others finally caught up to a group of people. "It's them!" Yuwen Zhi's eyes were bloodshot as he pointed at them and shouted loudly, "Don't run, have some guts and stop!"

  "You think you can just ruin someone's event and leave? Is there still no king's law in this city of Chang'an?" Wang Xuan whipped his horse twice, accelerating the chase towards the opponent.

  At the sound of horseshoes from behind, the group of outsiders didn't panic. One of them, a tall and thin man in his forties, turned his head to another middle-aged man who was well-built and dressed nicely, laughing and complaining, "See, I told you so! Beating the kid would bring out his mother! Didn't I say that?"

  "Then teach his mother how to take care of her child!" Another middle-aged man turned around with a smile, "You set up a trap to cheat people out of their money, don't you have any shame? Hmm, why is it another half-grown kid again? Go back and get your parents to talk about this!"

  "Mind your own business!" Wang Chun originally didn't plan to reason with the other party, he had just shouted earlier because he didn't want to bear the bad name of a sneak attacker. Hearing that the outsider not only didn't apologize but instead turned around and falsely accused him of cheating, made him furious. Immediately, his left foot kicked open the stirrup, his right foot used force, and his whole body flew up from the horseback like a swallow, his two feet forming a pair of iron clubs in mid-air, directly kicking towards the outsider's chest who had falsely accused him.

  "When the world is not at peace, everyone has a say!" The outsider smiled slightly and took two steps back, barely avoiding Wang Xun's attack. Then, with an extremely casual wave of his left arm, his wide sleeves fluttered like floating dust, sweeping towards Wang Xun's ankle.

  This looks like a light and casual move, but if he's unfortunately caught in it, Wang Xuan will have to be smashed into a bloody mess. Fortunately, Wang Xuan has done a good job as a young master, although he hasn't read many books carefully, his martial arts skills are quite proficient. Seeing the outsider's swift moves, he quickly tightened his waist and twisted it in mid-air, actually forcing back the momentum, avoiding the opponent's attack range with both legs, and landing several feet away like a swan.

  These few moves were made with a crisp and neat resolution, which made the interceptors on both sides of the enemy and us can't help but cheer loudly. As soon as he came out, he hit Wang Xuan off guard, and the middle-aged man who was like a jade tree in the wind did not take advantage of the opportunity to kill him, but instead waved his hand back and smiled, instructing, "Finally, someone with decent skills has arrived. Qian Seven Lang, Gao Fuzi, you two don't need to intervene. Let me have some fun with him."

  Wang Jun was an old hand at fighting, and as soon as they exchanged blows, he understood that before the two Qin brothers brought in new reinforcements, his companions and bodyguards behind him would not necessarily be a match for this group of outsiders even if they rushed up together. Therefore, seeing that the opponent was willing to fight one-on-one, he was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to delay time. He looked back and smiled, reminding them: "You wait first, don't come up yet, lest people say we're bullying outsiders!"

  The Tang Dynasty valued martial arts, and there was a saying among the people that "Not one scholar on the top of Lingyan Pavilion!" As a result, the government did not strictly prohibit private fights. As long as no one was killed, usually a fight would not be interrupted, and the police would not arrive at the scene. At this time, near dusk, there were few tourists around Qujiang Pool, and both the time and location were the best choices for a fight.

  Yuwen Zhi had been following Wang Xun since he was a child, and trusted his friend's skills. He agreed to lead the servants in surrounding him in a semi-circle. On the other side, Gao Fuzi and Cen Qilang, along with a group of outsiders, also formed another semi-circle, facing Yuwen Zhi and the others like two armies opposing each other.

  Just then, a few groups of idlers returning from the West Lake strolled by and saw people fighting. They also laughed and surrounded them, adding another layer of onlookers outside the two parties, cheering and shouting continuously.

  It's no wonder they fear that the world is not chaotic, the two people fighting in the arena are indeed wonderful. Wang Xuan, although only seventeen years old, has already grown to about eight feet tall, with great strength and long legs, his moves swift and powerful. The outsider was slightly shorter than Wang Xuan by half a foot and narrower by three inches, but he was extremely well-proportioned. Realizing that his opponent had strong moves, he immediately adopted an evasive tactic of avoiding the real and attacking the virtual. With every move, he seemed to be floating lightly, like a wild crane dancing with a fierce tiger, not only did he not fall behind, but he also added a few more elegant touches.

  This set of tactics earned him more applause, and the ignorant onlookers almost instinctively gave their praise to the more visually pleasing person. Yuwen Zhi and others were unwilling to let their side's momentum be suppressed by the enemy, so they had no choice but to shout loudly. As a result, not only did they fail to turn the tide, but they also caused the applause for the outsider to rise even higher. The continuously increasing applause quickly attracted more onlookers. More onlookers joined the crowd, and at the same time, the applause became even more intense, even drowning out the evening bell of Ci'en Temple.

  After a long and fruitless battle, both King Xuan and the foreigner had sweat on their foreheads. King Xuan was anxious in his heart, while the foreigner, who was older, could no longer exert his physical strength. With several clear shouts, both sides changed their tactics at the same time. King Xuan took advantage of his strong arms and long limbs to open up his stance and move forward, preparing to use the Turkic people's close-range grappling technique to defeat his opponent. The foreigner turned his fists into claws, targeting King Xuan's limbs and joints, and surprisingly used a poisonous and ruthless technique that was unique to Jianghu people.

  Wang Xuan hated him for his sneak attack, so he didn't hold back either. He slapped both palms on the opponent's shoulders and lifted his leg to kick at the shinbone. If this kick landed squarely, the foreigner's shin would have been broken, or even if not, it would have been dislocated, putting him in bed for several months. Before Wang Xuan could react, the man suddenly raised both arms upwards, using Wang Xuan's slap as leverage to lift his body up and avoid the deadly kick aimed at his lower body. Then, he moved swiftly like a shadow, circling around Wang Xuan half a circle like a butterfly, before striking at Wang Xuan's neck with his elbow.

  "Ah!" The onlookers gasped in unison. This was no longer just a ordinary fight, but a life-or-death struggle. The timid ones closed their eyes and turned to leave, lest they be summoned by the authorities later to testify as witnesses and bring bad luck upon themselves. The bold ones held their breath, their eyes wide with excitement, watching to see which of the two outsiders would gain the upper hand in the arena.

  "Hey!" Wang Jun suddenly pounced forward, dodging the opponent's killing move. He then turned around and attacked the foreigner's abdomen. The foreigner raised his palm to meet him, wrapping around his fist, pulling and sending, and surprisingly resolved Wang Jun's attack again, and then launched a fierce counterattack.

  The surroundings have become much quieter, with only the sound of heavy punches and kicks continuing to ring in their ears. In an instant, both sides exchanged more than a dozen moves, Wang Xuan grasped his opponent's weakness, using his leg as a whip, making a powerful sweep. The foreign guest dodged nimbly once again, immediately kicking towards his knee. Wang Xuan didn't dodge, instead taking half a step forward. The two men's thighs collided in mid-air, producing a loud "thud". Wang Xuan retreated, gathering momentum, and counterattacked. The foreign guest stumbled several steps, unable to steady himself for a counterattack, so he let out a loud roar, using his shoulder to charge forward.

  Like a tiger and a leopard colliding, there was another muffled sound as the two parties crashed into each other. Then four arms waved, fists pounding on each other's back like drums. If they continued to fight like this, the outsider would inevitably be beaten until he spat blood, but Wang Xun might not gain any advantage either. The companions of both sides couldn't bear to see their own people get hurt and shouted loudly as they rushed forward. Among the onlookers, several people also stepped out of the crowd, trying to separate the two men who were embracing each other, so that neither would be injured.

  Yuwen's mind was on his good friend Wang Xun, and he couldn't see anyone else's intentions. Seeing the swift arrival of the outsiders, and knowing that he was definitely not their opponent, he gritted his teeth, picked up a brick from the ground, and threw it at the forty-something high-ranking official who was closest to him.

  Gao Fu's son was caught off guard and hit his forehead with a brick, fell backwards. "Someone is killed!" It was unknown who shouted, the onlookers immediately panicked, running wildly in all directions, fearing they would be implicated.

  The foreigner who followed closely behind Gao Fu Zi was the one called Cen Qiulang. Seeing that Gao Fu Zi's face was covered in blood, he thought he had really been killed by a brick. Enraged, he let out a loud roar and drew his treasured sword from his waist, stabbing towards Yuwen Zhiyuan.

  In the Tang Dynasty, it was fashionable for scholars to wear a precious sword at their waist. Usually, the blade would not be unsheathed, lest they accidentally cut themselves. But Qin Qilang's precious sword was an exception, as soon as it was drawn from its scabbard, it emitted a dazzling cold light. Although Yuwen Zhongping had been reckless and lawless on the streets, he had never actually killed anyone before. When he saw his opponent in a desperate and frantic state, he let out a loud cry of fright and turned to flee.

  "Where to go!" Cen Qilang wouldn't let the real culprit who killed his friend go, and he chased after him with his treasured sword. It was also bad luck for Yuwen Zhi, as soon as he ran out a dozen or so steps, a shout suddenly came from the street ahead, and several horse-drawn carriages wrapped in white copper rushed straight at him.

  If he was hit, he would be crushed to death. Yuwen Zhi let out another blood-curdling scream and his legs suddenly lifted more than five feet off the ground, barely clearing the back of the first horse pulling the carriage. Jin Qiulang also caught up at this moment and didn't have time to adjust his body position, so he too used all his might in his legs to leap over the same horse's back like an eagle.

  That's why the other party, for the sake of safety on the road, deliberately used a roomy horse that was known for its endurance but had a relatively low stature, which allowed them to escape. If they had changed to a Turkic horse or a Khitan horse from the military, Yuwen Zhi and Qi Lang would have been trampled and disabled. However, they managed to escape with their lives, but the horses that were used to being pampered in the noble households had never experienced such a shock before. Suddenly, a loud whinnying sound was heard from the middle of the horse team, and two of the horses, ignoring the shouts of the drivers in front and back, charged down the main road, pulling the carriage with them, and galloped towards a nearby open space.

  "Ah——" Inside the carriage pulled by the startled horse, a woman let out a shrill scream. The carriage didn't stop for a moment, and sparks flew from the axle as it hit the stone blocks on the side of the road.

  "Bad!" Hearing the woman's scream, Yuwen suddenly woke up. He was also a descendant of a wealthy family, although his family had declined for many years, but he still had some knowledge of etiquette. He knew the Tang Dynasty's clothing system and vehicle hierarchy like the back of his hand. A white copper-plated carriage was at least used by a noble or aristocratic family, or possibly a princess. If it were a few years ago when the Emperor was enforcing austerity measures, it was also possible that there was a princess inside the carriage.

  A magnificent carriage, adorned with pure white copper decorations, pulled by a team of small, crimson-red horses. Whoever sat inside the carriage, if they were harmed today, Yuwen Zhi would not be satisfied even if he had three heads to chop off. Therefore, he didn't have time to deal with Cen Qilang's pursuit and immediately took off after the carriage. Cen Qilang was stunned by Yuwen Zhi's sudden change, but soon realized that he had made a big mistake today, dropped his precious sword, and closely followed behind Yuwen Zhi.

  How could a two-legged person outrun a four-legged startled horse? The white copper carriage was about to crash into the green brick wall of a roadside house, and the woman's shrill cry inside the carriage changed tone, intermittent. Yuwen Zhi closed his eyes, and all his strength was instantly drained from his body. If he had known this would happen, why bother taking on this task? He thought he could use this opportunity to curry favor with someone and find a way out for himself, and revive the Yuwen family's fortunes in the future. Who would have thought that instead of seeing a way out, the gates of hell were right before his eyes?

  Just as he closed his eyes, two more figures rushed past the horse carriage. One was Wang Xun, who had been fighting with someone and was now covered in mud and water from rolling on the ground. The other was a burly man, half a head taller and two sizes larger than Wang Xun. They almost simultaneously pounced forward, exchanged a brief glance in mid-air, and then Wang Xun's body suddenly sank downwards, charging straight at the carriage shaft. Meanwhile, the big man let out a loud roar, "Halt!" A massive fist as large as a basin smashed down through the air, striking the neck of one of the startled horses.

  "Neigh!" One of the frightened horses let out another pained whinny, its body trembling all over as it knelt down weakly. Immediately after, the other horse was also knocked to the ground by the burly man. Just before the carriage overturned, Wang Xun wrapped his arms around the carriage pole and chased after it for a few steps, using force to press down on the brake. "Whoa!" he loudly shouted, his eyes bulging almost out of their sockets. The carriage, with him still holding on, charged forward a few more steps before finally coming to a stop just inches from crashing into the wall.

  It all happened in the blink of an eye. The onlookers who couldn't escape were shocked, their mouths agape, and they even forgot to cheer. However, the servants on the following carriage reacted quickly enough, jumping down from the vehicle, drawing their swords, and surrounding both the perpetrator and the rescuer in the center. They only awaited the woman's word from inside the carriage before immediately chopping everyone into pieces.

  Before he could even catch his breath, Wang Xun, one of the rescuers, was stunned. Just over an hour ago, he had mocked that there were as many officials in the capital as there were hairs on a cow, and that a fire anywhere would be enough to burn to death twenty or so generals. But he hadn't expected retribution to come so quickly, and with just one fight, he had at least managed to provoke a princess. If it had been his grandfather's generation, this disaster wouldn't have been considered serious. But now, Wang Xun, the so-called young marquis, was just a viscount who lived off his family's wealth, bullying ordinary commoners wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but what gave him the right to provoke this princess with her carriage adorned in white copper?

  Note 1: Lingyan Pavilion, a memorial to the meritorious officials of Tang Taizong Li Shimin. There are twenty portraits of meritorious officials on it. Many of them were his trusted civil officials. However, among the people, it is believed that Longsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, who had been in military service for a long time, belonged to the category of both literary and martial arts, and could not be counted as scholars.

  Note 2: A Chinese foot is equivalent to about twenty-three centimeters now.