IDWBE -Chapter 54 A Sword Soaring, Gods and Ghosts Tremble

As the Grand Steward of the residence, if there were a traitor inside, how could Hong Ying keep his face?

Even if there wasn’t a traitor, if a servant or guard said too much idle talk outside and someone with ill intent overheard it, it would still be considered a failure of his discipline.

In short, everything ultimately fell on the Grand Steward.

What he feared was not the Prince’s reproach.

What he truly dreaded was that the Prince might not blame him—far worse than death itself.

The sun shone high in the sky.

The sunlight, which Lin Yi had previously disliked so much, now streamed through the window, dispersing the dampness left behind by the torrential rain and refreshing the room.

“Du Sanhe’s original name was Nie Youdao,”

Lin Yi said with a smile, “It’s surprising that a Fourth-Rank Xuānwèi Assistant, a respectable official, would turn pirate. Truly, the world is full of wonders. Mr. Wang, you once served as Minister of Personnel, overseeing appointments, promotions, transfers, and honors in our Liang Kingdom. Do you remember Nie Youdao?”

Wang Qingbang cupped his hands respectfully. “I have lived in Sanhe for a long time and had heard of Du Sanhe’s fame, though I had never seen him. I did not expect him to be Nie Youdao. Speaking of Nie Youdao, Your Highness, are you aware of the Liangzhou King Lin Chang’s rebellion?”

Lin Yi nodded. “Of course. That was in the eighteenth year of the Delong era. I was still young at the time. The palace maintained strict frugality—so strict that I couldn’t even get a few pieces of meat. That really tormented me.”

Wang Qingbang nodded. “The Liangzhou King’s concubine was Nie Youdao’s elder sister. It’s hard to believe he knew nothing of the rebellion. But the Nie family truly did not participate. In the Emperor’s fury, the Nie family was implicated. The household had 116 people; all males above fifteen were beheaded, and the women were sent to the Courtesan Department. Only Nie Youdao escaped. At that time, he was the Xuānwèi Assistant of Chuan Prefecture.”

“Chuan Prefecture?”

Lin Yi asked curiously, “Was he affiliated with the Second Prince?”

He recalled the Second Prince’s tragic death under the elephant’s hooves.

Wang Qingbang smiled, “Nie Youdao indeed followed Prince Pingchuan on campaigns, earning great military merit, which led to his appointment as Xuānwèi Assistant.”

Lin Yi nodded. “I see. My head of guards was defeated at sea—you know that. I am no martial artist, but I am aware of Shen Chu’s skills. Even if he wasn’t a match for a pirate, he brought over thirty guards with him. They shouldn’t have been taken down so easily. My own face… it hurts just thinking about it. How skilled is this Nie Youdao? Is his martial art level high?”

“Captain Shen is a seventh-rank expert, and most of his guards are fifth or sixth rank. But Nie Youdao is no ordinary opponent. He is extraordinary, both sharp-minded and wise. By the age of thirty-five, in the sixteenth year of the Delong era, he had reached the peak of eighth rank—only half a step from ninth! Calling him a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy is not an exaggeration.”

Wang Qingbang grew more excited as he spoke. “When the capital soldiers came to confiscate his household, Nie Youdao’s swordsmanship was terrifying—one sword and gods and ghosts alike would tremble. He rode through the capital on horseback with a single sword. Afterward, Qi Yong implemented a new law. I wrote to the Emperor pointing out its flaws, which enraged Qi Yong. He had the Censor slander me before the Emperor. After I was demoted to Sanhe, I lost track of Nie Youdao. Yet he managed to evade both the Imperial Guards and Secret Guards, arriving in Sanhe to become a pirate under a new identity.”

Thinking of his own demotion and being left uncalled, Lin Yi felt a pang of sorrow.

“Eighth rank?”

Lin Yi asked humbly, “I’m a bit confused. Civil officials start at ninth rank as the lowest, so why is it the highest for martial artists?”

He had followed the palace instructors since childhood, picking up a rough understanding of martial ranks. Yet many things were unclear; he had asked others and was always told, “Ninth rank is highest, it’s always been so, no reasoning needed.”

Even Wen Zhaoyi, a Grandmaster, could not explain it.

Now, meeting someone like Wang Qingbang, knowledgeable in both civil and martial matters, he didn’t let the opportunity pass.

“Long ago, the Emperor trained by hunting and field exercises, practicing the Five Arms,”

Wang Qingbang saw Lin Yi’s confused look and chuckled. Realizing he had again used unnecessarily complex phrasing, he simplified, “The Five Arms are bow and arrow, club, spear, halberd, and ji. The masters among them strike like birds in flight, move like thunder, and attack like wind and rain—unstoppable from the front, untouchable from the back.”

He thought this was clear enough, but Lin Yi interrupted.

“Minister Wang, sir, Master Wang…”

Lin Yi sighed. “Can we keep this brief?”

After a moment, Wang Qingbang said, “Martial techniques multiplied over time. During the Warring States period, a remarkable figure appeared. Have you heard of the saying, ‘I created the nine grades of martial arts, rivaling the orthodox sects’?”

Lin Yi finally caught the meaning and nodded eagerly, “No, I haven’t.”

“The poet was Sun Changxu. Today’s seventy-two forms of fists and thirty-six combination locks are all his creations—a truly unprecedented figure,” Wang Qingbang said with awe.

“He was obsessed with martial arts, peerless in skill. Though he could have conquered the world, the Emperor disliked him, and he remained a mere ninth-rank county magistrate. Such a man must have some pride. He intentionally divided martial ranks into nine grades, the highest being ninth, matching his ninth-rank position. After that, martial artists everywhere were graded this way, and it has never changed.”

Lin Yi smiled. “So it was just for competition?”

“Exactly,” Wang Qingbang said.

“Did Sun Changxu eventually become a Grandmaster?”

“Of course.”

“And you, Master Wang, what rank are you?”

Wang Qingbang chuckled awkwardly, “I have been at third rank for over thirty years. Fortunately, I had some martial base, or I wouldn’t have survived here in Sanhe.”

“One moment you’re ‘the old one,’ another moment ‘I,’” Lin Yi teased. “I never treat you as an outsider. I invite you here to learn from you. Will Nie Youdao seek revenge against me?”

After all, Lin Yi’s father had killed his entire family. That was a deep hatred.

“Your Highness, Nie Youdao is not a concern at present,” Wang Qingbang said, shaking his head. “The most suspicious is the messenger. Even the Secret Guards and Imperial Guards, searching the world over, could not locate Nie Youdao. How did this messenger know?”

“Exactly. If the Imperial and Secret Guards knew Nie Youdao’s whereabouts, even at sea, they would have captured him,” Lin Yi thought.

His father still ruled; capturing him would have been a great achievement.

Lin Yi mused, “So what is the purpose of this messenger, delivering it only to me? Trying to pass it to the court through me? Useless, completely unnecessary.”

The more he thought, the more puzzled he became.