Qingniu Town was a small place, though calling it a "town" was a bit of a stretch. It was more like a larger village. The locals, who lived in the nearby mountain hollows and had little exposure to the world beyond, would incessantly call it "Qingniu City" or "Qingniu Town," much to the disdain of Zhang Er, who had worked as a town constable for over a decade.
Indeed, Qingniu Town wasn't very big. There was only one main street running east to west, called Qingniu Street. The town only had a single inn, the Qingniu Inn, located at the western end of the town. For travelers who didn't want to sleep under the stars, this was the only place to stay.
At this moment, a horse-drawn carriage, clearly having traveled a long way, entered the town from the west. It sped past the Qingniu Inn without slowing down, and continued until it reached the other end of the town, pulling up in front of Chunxiang Restaurant, before coming to a halt.
Chunxiang Restaurant wasn't particularly large, and it was somewhat outdated, but it carried a certain old-fashioned charm. Since it was around lunchtime, the restaurant was quite busy, with almost every table occupied.
A round-faced man with a small mustache and a portly build, along with a dark-skinned, ten-year-old boy, stepped down from the carriage. The man, with his familiar swagger, led the boy straight into the restaurant. The regulars inside immediately recognized the man as the owner of the restaurant, "Fat Han," but no one knew who the boy was.
"Old Han, this black kid looks a lot like you. Don't tell me you've been sneaking around with your wife in the dark and had a son on the side?" someone joked loudly.
The moment the words were spoken, a burst of laughter erupted from the surrounding customers.
"Pah! This is my nephew, of course he looks a bit like me," Fat Han replied with a chuckle, not offended at all, but rather slightly proud.
These two were none other than Han Li and his third uncle, "Fat Han," who had just completed a three-day journey and finally reached the town.
Fat Han greeted a few familiar faces, then led Han Li to the back of the restaurant, into a small, secluded courtyard.
"Little Li, you stay here and rest. When the person in charge from the inner sect arrives, I'll take you to meet them. I have to go out and greet some of the regular customers," Fat Han kindly instructed.
Before he left, he seemed a bit uneasy and added, "Don't wander around, alright? There are a lot of people in the town, and you don't want to get lost. Stay in the courtyard."
"Mm," Han Li answered obediently, and Fat Han, satisfied, left.
After seeing his uncle leave, Han Li, feeling tired, collapsed onto the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep, showing no sign of typical childlike fear of unfamiliar places.
That evening, a servant brought some food. Though it wasn't a lavish meal, it was tasty enough. After Han Li finished, the servant came back to clear the dishes. At this point, Fat Han returned, taking his time as he entered the room.
"How was the food? Did you miss home a bit?" Fat Han asked, his tone filled with concern.
"Mm, a little," Han Li replied in a well-behaved manner.
Fat Han seemed pleased with his answer. He then began to chat with Han Li, telling him stories from his past, mixing in some fun anecdotes. Slowly, Han Li began to feel more at ease, and they started laughing and talking.
And so, the next two days passed by quietly.
On the third day, after Han Li had finished his dinner, he was waiting for his uncle to come and tell him more stories about the world of martial arts. But just then, another carriage arrived at the restaurant.
This carriage was unusual—its entire body was painted a glossy black, and it was drawn by a rare and fine steed, a yellow horse that was known for its agility and strength. What caught the attention of everyone, however, was the small triangular black flag attached to the carriage's frame. The flag had the word "Xuan" written on it in silver characters with red borders, giving it an air of mystery.
Seeing that flag, everyone who had spent time in these parts of the world and was familiar with the martial arts world knew immediately what it meant. It was the emblem of the "Seven Mystical Gates" (also known as "Seven Absolutes Sect"), one of the two major powers in the area.
The Seven Mystical Gates had been founded two hundred years ago by the renowned "Seven Absolutes Master." For decades, they had dominated Jingzhou, and even spread their influence into neighboring regions. However, after the death of the Seven Absolutes Master, their power waned, and they were pushed out of Jingzhou City by other sects. A century ago, the sect was forced to move to a remote location in Jingzhou—Caixia Mountain—and they had since established their base there, relegated to a third-tier power.
Still, as the saying goes, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Despite their fall, the Seven Mystical Gates still possessed a lot of potential. Upon moving to Caixia Mountain, they quickly took control of Qingniu Town and several other small towns, with a membership of over three thousand disciples. They were, without a doubt, one of the two biggest powers in the region.
The only other power capable of challenging them was the "Wild Wolf Gang."
The Wild Wolf Gang originally began as a band of marauding horse thieves but later, after several government crackdowns, some of them surrendered to the authorities, while others became the Wild Wolf Gang. Fierce and bloodthirsty, the Wild Wolf Gang retained their ruthless nature, and this often led to clashes with the Seven Mystical Gates. As a result, the Seven Mystical Gates frequently found themselves on the losing side.
While the Wild Wolf Gang controlled more villages and towns, their wealth and influence were far behind that of the Seven Mystical Gates, which was why the Wild Wolf Gang had long coveted the wealthier lands controlled by the Seven Mystical Gates, leading to frequent conflicts between the two factions.
The carriage stopped, and a slender man in his forties, with sharp eyes and quick movements, jumped off. He seemed very familiar with the place, striding straight toward the room where Han Li was staying.
Upon seeing this man, Fat Han immediately greeted him with great respect, bowing deeply.
"Lord Wang, what brings you here personally?" Fat Han asked with a respectful tone.
"Hmph," the man, known as Wang Hufa, snorted coldly, his expression filled with arrogance.
"The roads have been unstable lately. The elders sent me personally to take charge of things. Enough talk. This is the child you're recommending?" he asked bluntly, pointing at Han Li.
"Yes, yes, this is my nephew. I hope Lord Wang will take good care of him during the journey," Fat Han quickly added, taking out a heavy bag from his robes and discreetly handing it over.
Wang Hufa weighed the bag, and his expression softened a little.
"Fat Han, you sure know how to do business," he said. "I'll make sure to take care of your nephew during the journey. Time's running out, so we should get going."
And so, Han Li's journey into the mysterious world of martial arts—and beyond—was about to begin.