Dragon Canon

The Shattered Realm.

A squad of cavalrymen was riding slowly through a small valley between two hills. In the center of the column was a short-bearded man in his thirties. Sitting upright on his horse, he was scanning the hills on both sides with a faint sword glint flickering in his eyes.

A young rider beside him pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face, grumbling, “Why is this accursed place so damp! Are we really not going to notify the Ningxi branch about this, Big Brother?”

The short-bearded man countered, “And why should we notify them? Those good-for-nothings only know how to drink and dance. What, do you want to give it a go as well?”

The young rider replied lazily, “As if! This is the last place anyone should look for good womenfolk. Besides, What woman can’t we have once we’ve won this battle and returned to Inner Jin?”

“Exactly.”

The short-bearded man took out a map and studied it for a moment. Then, he ordered one of the cavalrymen saying, “Notify Staff General Zhang at the rear that he is to lead the auxiliary troops to set up camp a hundred li north of here. There is a spot where two rivers converge—he cannot possibly miss it. That will be our main base for this operation, so make sure that he sets it up properly.”

The rider acknowledged the order and left the column, galloping toward the rear.

Meanwhile, the vanguard had already exited the valley when suddenly, they came to a halt. At the same time, a rider galloped back to the main force and reported that bandits were blocking the road ahead.

The short-bearded man and the young rider were taken aback. This was only their second day as horse bandits, and they were already being robbed by their own kind. Had life already become so desperate for the horse bandits of the western regions?

The duo spurred their horses to the vanguard. There, they saw several hundred horse bandits gathered on the open ground ahead. Every one of them was baring their teeth and wearing a vicious look. Some even had several severed heads hanging from their sashes.

In the center of the bandit group, a burly, thuggish man bellowed, “Listen up, you lot over there! We’re the number one horse-bandit group in the western regions, the Storm and Rain Gang! If you know what’s good for you, then hand over your valuables now! If you do, your grandfather here might take pity on you and spare your lives. Otherwise, I’ll... I’ll....”

As more and more cavalrymen poured out of the valley, the burly man’s voice grew fainter. Not only were the opposing riders numerous, they were all riding black horses and clad in dark green armor. Not a word was spoken among them, yet they radiated a murderous aura that could not be ignored. On the other hand, his forces were vastly outnumbered and far more disorganized. Their armor and attire were a motley collection as well.

The short-bearded man said to the young rider, “Take fifty riders with you and test their mettle.”

The young rider looked bored. He casually selected fifty riders and charged forward.

Moments later, the young rider returned with the burly man in tow. He tossed him down in front of the short-bearded man. The fifty cavalrymen returned the same way they had left, with only two sustaining minor injuries. Behind them, hundreds of horse bandits lay dead on the ground, with only a few dozen shrewd ones managing to escape.

In fact, the reason this battle even took so long was mainly because the horse bandits had scattered and fled in all directions as soon as they charged. It took time to pursue and hunt them down.

The burly man kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy. The short-bearded man asked him a few brief questions before giving the young rider a nod. The young rider then drew his dagger and pressed it against the burly man’s throat, saying, “Remember this: My Big Brother here is Xu Xinhui, and I am Wang Ziyan. When you get to the other side, be sure to reincarnate soon and don’t forget to come back and seek revenge on us.”

With that, he cut open the burly man’s throat and left him to die on the ground.

Wang Ziyan climbed back onto his horse and remarked, “Are we sure this lot is the infamous horse bandits of Ning Province? He’s so weak he couldn’t even block a single blow from me.”

“This guy has an Earth-tier, killing-type Dao Foundation. He’s in the late-stage as well. All things considered, he’s not all that bad. He told me that there are seven or eight other groups of horse bandits like him, and they all claim to be the number one horse bandit group in the western regions. Haha.”

Wang Ziyan asked, “Big Brother, why won’t those old fools upstairs allow us to conquer the realm?”

The short-bearded man shook his head. “Because it isn’t easy to take. I heard that several cultivators from the Palace of Absolute Beginning are inside.”

Wang Ziyan snorted. “What’s so great about the Palace of Absolute Beginning? They brag all the time about being the head of the Immortal Sects, but how are we at the Sword Palace any worse than them? Even if they outnumber us, you’re wielding the seventh Immortal Sword, and I’m an immortal foundation myself. The two of us should be able to take on a dozen or so Palace of Absolute Beginning cultivators, right?

“Even if they’re all immortal foundations, our thousand-strong cavalry can hold our own even against the Dragonfish Army in drills—we’re definitely on part with the Nine Armies of Great Tang. On the other hand, the people in the realm are just a rabble. As long as we hold off the Palace of Absolute Beginning’s cultivators, our men can easily wipe out the rest. When only those from the Palace of Absolute Beginning are left—what can they possibly do then?”

Xu Xinhui advised, “We mustn’t be complacent. I’ve heard there are several geniuses among them.”

Wang Ziyan laughed. “Genius? Who among us wasn’t a genius back in the day? Now that we’re out doing the real work, what good is being a genius? It’s our battle record that speaks for itself!”

The short-bearded man smiled faintly but said nothing.

......

At the foot of a small hill in the Shattered Realm lay a mining camp. The camp was quite extensive, having carved out nearly half the hill and dug several mine shafts that stretched seemingly endlessly into the earth. The shacks where the miners were living covered a large swath of land as well.

At the camp’s entrance, the Xu Clan’s banners fluttered in the wind.

It was just dawn when the bell rang. One by one, the miners—they had finished their breakfast even before dawn broken—clad in rags filed into the mine. Anyone who showed the slightest hesitation would earn a lash from the overseer. They would labor in the tunnels all day, not emerging until sunset.

The mine was surrounded by guards wielding sabers and wearing armor. A dozen or so watchtowers were established on high grounds, offering a clear view of the surrounding area. Each tower housed a master archer who never missed their mark within two hundred zhang as well. Any miner attempting to escape faced certain death.

The mine was bustling at the moment. It was because a new batch of miners had just been brought in.

The number of miners who showed up today was unusually high, though. It was such a number that the mine manager frowned deeply as he repeatedly checked with the convoy leader to confirm whether there had been a mistake.

The convoy leader seemed to have no idea what was going on, though. He simply said, “All I know is the First Young Master—excuse me, I mean the Patriarch—assigned me to bring all these men to you and your mine. My job is to deliver them to your doorstep, and that is exactly what I’ve done. Whether or not you can accommodate all is none of my business!”

Grimacing, the mine manager argued, “This place is only big enough to house three thousand people tops, and you’ve just brought me five thousand! How on earth am I supposed to handle this? I literally can’t accommodate them even if every previous miner is dead, and they’re not! Besides, this many people is a recipe for disaster. I only have a hundred guards here—how am I supposed to keep an eye on eight thousand people?”

The convoy leader mulled over it and realized he had a point. So, he said, “Then I’ll assign a hundred guards to you to help keep watch for a while. In the meantime, speak with the Patriarch as soon as you are able and ask him to send over more guards.”

Ecstatic, the mine manager was just about to thank him when the alarm was sounded!

Alarmed, the mine manager and the convoy leader turned just in time to see several dozen riders galloping out of the end of the distant road like wind and fire and charging straight toward them. Though their numbers were small, their momentum was overwhelming. It almost felt like they were facing an army of tens of thousands!

The riders moved with blinding speed, reaching the mine entrance in the blink of an eye. They were all wearing a mask and a cloak, and they were all riding first-rate steeds. The leader of the group rode a horse with a mottled coat of gray, white and red. Despite its unseemly color, it looked exceptionally tall and majestic.

The riders’ cloak looked rather tattered, though. It was clear they were down on their luck.

The leader of the riders raised his spear and shouted, “Listen up, you lot! We are the Heaven Fighting Gang, number one horse bandit group of the western regions! We have come today only for your valuables, not your lives! If you know what’s good for you, drop your weapons. Otherwise, sabers and spears have no eyes, and this Dao grandmaster is fairly heavy-handed. If anyone gets killed, you’ll only have yourself to blame!”

The convoy leader let out a cold laugh and strode forward, yelling, “You lowly thieves must have had enough of living! How dare you set your sights on the Xu Clan’s mine! You boast of being the number one horse bandits of the western regions? Very well then! I shall take your head and claim the reward!”

The convoy leader strode forward after he had finished his threat. Just as he raised his large saber above his head, his vision blurred, and a spear pierced right through his chest!

“Slow as a turtle crawling,” the rider scoffed contemptuously before raising the spear and hoisting the convoy leader into the air. He bellowed, “Anyone else who resists shall meet the same fate!”

The convoy leader was a middle-stage Dao Foundation stage cultivator, yet he had been utterly powerless to defend himself and was killed with a single, decisive thrust. The guards immediately realized then that the horse bandits were beyond their ability to resist and dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.

For better or worse, the Heaven Fighting Gang was a gang of their word. No one else’s lives were harmed as the fifty bandits dismounted one after another and set to work. They stripped the guards naked, tied them up one by one, and loaded them onto the carts.

Some of the guards sensed trouble long before the Heaven Fighting Gang began their work, but the fifty-first bandit was watching them coldly from his horse, and the convoy leader’s body was still warm on his spear. Thus, no one dared to resist. They obediently allowed themselves to be stripped naked and loaded onto the carts like pigs.

The Heaven Fighting Gang bandits then summoned all the miners, including those who were working in the shafts, and ordered them to pack their belongings. They then loaded up all the carefully selected rare ores and set off in a massive convoy toward the north.

The miners at the mine were all slaves, and at least a dozen of them died every day—it was why they had to be replenished all the time. They were accustomed to enduring hardships, and they were well aware that horse bandits were ruthless and merciless killers. That was why they were acting quite docile.

The bandit leader had also stated that he would neither kill them nor sacrifice them. He was simply moving them to a new place to work, where they would receive at least one extra large bowl of rice each day.

The miners were all excited at the prospect of getting an extra bowl of food. They only wished they could fly off to this new place immediately.

With a procession of several thousand people, the journey was naturally slow. It took them eight days before they finally reached their destination—the edge of the realm of Qingming. None of these people had ever seen a domain in their lives, and now, looking at the vibrant mountains and waters in the distance, they could not help but stand there dumbfounded.

Just then, a group of over a hundred cultivators on horseback rode out of the realm. They were all dressed in fine robes and possessed remarkable cultivation.

The leader of the group rode his horse forward. He was exuding an aura of extraordinary grace. Clasping his hands respectfully, he asked, “I am Cui Yu, leader of the city defense force of Yong’an. Are you the First Volunteer Army of the western regions, the ‘Fifty Bandits of Heaven Fighting[1]’?”

The bandit leader spurred his horse forward and brandished his spear, his voice booming across the land. “That is correct! We have brought the goods, so where is our immortal silver?”

“It has been long-prepared!” Cui Yu waved his hand, and several riders carried out three large chests. They opened them in full view of the crowd, and instantly, a dazzling immortal light shone forth—the chests were filled to the brim with immortal silver!

“Hahahaha!” The bandit leader threw his head back and laughed heartily for a long while, fully displaying his formidable Dao energy before declaring, “I have long heard that the realm of Qingming’s word is as good as gold, and they conduct business with the utmost integrity! Seeing it today, it would appear that your reputation is well-deserved!”

Cui Yu replied smilingly, “It is no bother at all. This transaction has been a delightful pleasure. The next time the Heaven Fighting Gang passes through, I hope we can carry out a trade that is worth five chests.”

The bandit leader said in a deep voice, “Make it seven!”

Cui Yu let out a long laugh. “I shall look forward to hearing from you then.”

The two men’s styles were worlds apart: The bandit leader exuded sheer dominance, while Cui Yu appeared to be remarkably gentle and courteous. Yet both their voices carried far and wide, clearly indicating that they both possessed extremely high levels of Dao energy and cultivation. Above all else, Cui Yu had held his own without a hint of inferiority.

The bandit leader asked another question, “What other business do you conduct aside from people?”

Cui Yu replied, “Minerals, immortal materials, food, medicine—they are all deals we will happily accept, though our main business is still people.”

The bandit leader didn’t press further. He simply said, “Very well,” before leaving with his men. They were gone in just the blink of an eye.

The procession of several thousand had naturally attracted spies from countless factions as a matter of course. Until that point, countless pairs of eyes had been watching from the shadows and taking in every word the two had exchanged seriously. Finally, they vanished without a trace[2].

1. Most likely a reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. ☜

2. This is how you promote yourself, people! ☜