History records thousands of mountains and rivers, and within those vast reaches lie countless worlds of the martial forest—the *jianghu*.
Among these myriad circles, the jianghu of Jiugao City in Longshu Prefecture is the most peculiar of all.
Here, the jianghu is devoid of the flash of blades and shadows of swords; there are no legends of chivalrous valor, no struggles for hegemony, and no epic tales of rising storms. When the canals flourished and the salt and iron trades boomed, turning the earth to gold, Jiugao did not acquire a gilded edge. When dynasties shifted and the fires of war raged, leaving the world precarious and wind-swept, Jiugao remained untouched by the smoke of battle for a hundred years.
Nothing here has changed for a very long time.
Beyond the city walls, in countless hidden corners, people still chant ancient sacrificial texts and sutras, yearning for the sages of old and practicing esoteric arts gathered from the four seas. But the people within Jiugao City have spent a thousand years studying only one scripture: the Business Sutra.
The blood-soaked jianghu, upon entering this place, seems to strike a strange pressure point, giving rise to a different set of rules and factions.
This is the jianghu of the ordinary man.
And being ordinary does not mean one lacks mastery. Only those who can maneuver through the trials of daily life can be considered true masters of this jianghu.
As the saying goes, the great recluse hides in the marketplace—take, for instance, the mysterious Chuanliu Academy, which has been gaining significant notoriety in recent years...
*Thwack.*
A flying jujube struck Tang Shenyan, the Hall Master of Tingfeng Hall, square in the face. The impact caused him to spray out the overnight tea he had just sipped.
"Why is it Chuanliu Academy again?! Wasn't it Chuanliu Academy last month? The news has spread eight hundred miles away; do we really need to listen to your nonsense here? Is your Tingfeng Hall capable or not? If not, hurry up and refund our silver!"
The burly man who threw the date was filled with righteous indignation. Behind him stood a crowd of brawny information brokers, all cursing and making a show of getting up to leave.
Tang Shenyan knew things were going south. His nose itched, and a trail of blood trickled down. He hurriedly grabbed a jujube from the plate on the table and stuffed it into his nostril, his mouth working frantically in a final effort.
"Wait! There’s more! There’s other news! Does anyone want to hear about the duel between the Chief of Black Wind Ferry and the Right Protector of the Bimen Sect?!"
With a sudden *whoosh*, the crowd receded like a tide. The silver coins left on the tables were snatched back, leaving the hall filled with nothing but jujube pits and footprints.
After a long silence, a head wearing a melon-skin fur cap slowly rose from the mess. Beneath the hat was a tight, thin, small face, save for a pair of eyes with dark, bright pupils that shimmered with sharp intelligence.
Qin Jiuye adjusted her hat, which kept sliding down, and swallowed three jujubes in one gulp. She spat out three pits in quick succession, glanced at Tang Shenyan’s "deserted" expression, and shook her head with a sigh.
"The Chief of Black Wind Ferry is nearly eighty years old, and that Right Protector of the Bimen Sect had his legs broken three years ago during a fight with the Tiantong Sect. It’s only natural that no one wants to drop silver for that news."
Though Tang Shenyan had just been roughed up, he still managed to muster a bit of arrogance before Qin Jiuye. He glanced at the remaining half-plate of jujubes in her hand and snatched the plate back.
"Manager Qin has been freeloading off my fruit plates for a month now. I wonder if your stomach is a bottomless pit; things fall in without making a sound."
Qin Jiuye gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to hide the two patches on her sleeves.
"Spring is coming, so my appetite has improved a bit." She leaned closer to Tang Shenyan and lowered her voice. "I know Brother Tang has more than just these meager skills. Why not give me some genuine goods to broaden my horizons?"
Tang Shenyan was long accustomed to this small but incredibly thick-skinned face. He didn't even bother to look at her.
"Manager Qin, unless you’re here to give me some business, you might as well save your breath."
Rebuffed, Qin Jiuye’s smile only grew more brilliant. She reached into her thick, multi-layered cotton coat and pulled out a silver ingot.
"Is Brother Tang blaming me for a lack of sincerity?"
Tang Shenyan’s eyes instantly lit up at the sight of the silver. His dry hands rubbed against his coat back and forth, as if he were wrestling with some internal conflict.
"I heard that the authorities have been tightening inspections on Taoist practices around Jiugao lately. It seems Brother Tang truly has nothing left to share..."
Qin Jiuye flicked her finger, and the plump silver ingot was about to be tucked away. Tang Shenyan’s expression changed instantly, and he lunged to pin the silver down with both hands.
"Wait, wait!"
Qin Jiuye looked at the hands clutching the silver, then looked up at their owner.
"Brother Tang, do not try to brush me off as you did those others."
"How could I?" Tang Shenyan swallowed hard, and after a long pause, he spoke with difficulty. "The Master of Fangwai Temple—have you heard of him?"
Qin Jiuye froze, then her eyes sparkled, and her voice trembled.
"You mean the Master of Fangwai Temple who seized three peaks from the Qiushan Sect and killed the Sect Leader’s second son with a single sword strike?"
"The very one. That Master, Yuan Shuqing, hasn't descended the mountain for years. Half a year ago, someone from the Qiushan Sect went up to seek instruction and was killed by his sword. Only afterward was it discovered that the man was the Sect Leader’s son. Upon hearing this, the Qiushan Sect Leader fell gravely ill. When Yuan Shuqing found out, he said he would personally lead his people to the Qiushan Sect to apologize. Wang Xiao, the top expert of the Qiushan Sect, was furious upon hearing this, certain that the other party was coming to provoke them with ill intent. Tonight, he will lead an ambush at Qingping Path..."
He stopped abruptly. Qin Jiuye was listening with rapt attention and couldn't help but press him.
"And then?"
Tang Shenyan’s gaze fell on the silver beneath his hand, which was almost warm from his touch, yet the owner of the silver had not let go.
"Manager Qin should pay for the first half of the news before I can tell you the rest."
Qin Jiuye’s hand trembled. Her two fingers pinching the corner of the silver were like iron tongs; no matter how much force Tang Shenyan applied, they wouldn't budge an inch.
Sweat beaded on Tang Shenyan’s brow, and his mouth twitched. His voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Manager Qin, are you letting go of this silver or not?"
Qin Jiuye took one last, sorrowful look at the silver and finally released her grip.
"I’ve carried this silver for half a month. Brother Tang, you must treat it well."
Tang Shenyan wiped his sweat while offering a fake smile.
"Naturally. As for the second half..."
He held up two fingers. Qin Jiuye understood the gesture perfectly. She cursed him in her heart, but her words remained sweet as honey.
"Brother Tang has always been straightforward in business. I certainly won't shortchange you on the silver. I’m right here; it’s not like I can run away."
Tang Shenyan refused to back down, eyeing the waist of her cotton coat.
"Did you bring enough silver? A slip of the tongue is easy, but I need to feel the silver first."
Qin Jiuye knew she couldn't gain any more advantage. Recalling the half-news she had just heard, she put on a decisive front.
"Fine. I’ll go back and get it for you."
With that, she turned and walked out of the hall, her pace appearing somewhat hurried.
*Hmph. I’ve had at least three hundred rounds of wits with this brat over the years. I know her tricks inside out. Trying to haggle with me using the same old ploys? Go practice for a few more years.*
Tang Shenyan laughed inwardly. He watched her figure disappear out the door and habitually weighed the silver in his hand. Suddenly, something felt wrong. He quickly flipped the ingot over.
A large hole had been hollowed out from the bottom of the silver. Inside the thin shell, it was filled with the rammed earth used for building houses. The seam where the earth met the silver had been polished perfectly smooth; it was clear a great deal of effort had gone into it.
Fury rushed to his head, his blood pressure spiked, and the jujube plugging his nostril flew out. Tang Shenyan’s nose began to bleed again.
"Qin! Jiu! Ye!"
Qin Jiuye, having succeeded with her new trick, was far beyond the reach of Tang Shenyan’s roar.
She knew she couldn't fool him for long. The moment she left Tingfeng Hall, she ignored her half-detached shoe sole and sprinted away. By now, she was already two streets away.
The Daixiao River flowed slowly and leisurely past the houses. Qin Jiuye leaned against the stone pillar of a small bridge, panting as she quickly calculated the time.
Qingping Path was on the southern side of Xizhu Mountain. She would need to take a shortcut over the mountain. It wasn't exactly far, but it wasn't close either. If she left the city now and headed straight there, she wouldn't have to rush too much and could arrive by sunset.
But she couldn't go empty-handed. Her gear and equipment were at Guoran Ju outside the city. If she detoured to pick them up, she would have to move fast.
Qin Jiuye’s pharmacy was called "Guoran Ju." It was located at the end of the winding Daixiao River, in a small hamlet called Dingweng Village.
Anyone passing by would surely sigh: "Indeed (*guoran*), what a dilapidated place!"
Anyone driven to desperation who entered would surely curse: "Indeed (*guoran*), it’s just a rustic village pharmacy!"
Anyone who was cured and returned would surely praise: "Indeed (*guoran*), Manager Qin’s medicine is the best! It’s affordable, tastes great, and is an essential remedy for home and travel..."
Of course, that last part was added by Qin Jiuye herself.
She felt that even if no one said it now, the reputation of "Guoran Ju" would eventually spread that way sooner or later.
She didn't just tell herself this; she said it to Jinbao every day.
Jinbao’s full name was Situ Jinbao. Because the name was too long, the villagers were used to calling him Jinbao. Over time, no one remembered his surname was Situ, assuming his surname was Jin.
Jinbao was the only worker at Guoran Ju. Aside from being unable to stand at the door with a bare shoulder to solicit customers, he could do almost any job. In fact, during the heat of summer, he was willing to bare his shoulders, but Qin Jiuye said she had to consider the patients. She couldn't have anything go wrong in the shop, or she’d have to pay out damages.
Jinbao was indeed not much to look at, but he never realized it.
To this day, he believed that with his skill in dispensing medicine and writing prescriptions, he might be able to marry the second daughter of the Fang family from Bobo Street in a few years. Whenever he went out, he would always find an excuse to detour and steal a glance at her.
Qin Jiuye didn't have the heart to discourage him. She only occasionally reminded Miss Fang when passing Bobo Street to be careful when walking at night, lest she be frightened by something strange-looking.
The sky was darkening. In less than half an hour, the sun would set.
Qin Jiuye hurriedly pushed open the back courtyard gate and headed straight for the west room where the medicine baskets were kept. Not paying attention, she collided head-on with Jinbao, who was carrying a wooden basin.
Jinbao had thin arms and legs and lacked spirit. Standing there, his body seemed to have eight different bends in it; at a glance, he looked like a piece of kindling that wouldn't last long in a fire.
However, he was born with a small potbelly. The wooden basin, half-filled with water, was currently wedged against that belly, making it quite stable. But he was in a foul mood and insisted on swaying a bit, splashing some water onto Qin Jiuye.
"You finally decided to come back?!"
Qin Jiuye’s mind was on the "big business" tonight, and she didn't want to argue with this blockhead. She dove into the west room to pack.
"I’ll be out for a while tonight. If I’m back late..."
The wooden basin hit the ground with a *clatter* behind her.
"If you don't refill the rice jar soon, don't bother coming back at all!" Jinbao leaned against the doorframe, his tone cold. "The tiles on the west side haven't been fixed for half a month. If it rains hard again, don't bother using basins to catch the leaks; we might as well just sit in the basins and wait for the water to rise."
Qin Jiuye frantically packed her small medicine basket, then turned around and grabbed his shoulders with a sincere expression, shaking him.
"Trust me, I’m definitely going to catch a fat sheep this time!"
Jinbao was annoyed by the shaking and twisted his body to break free.
"Where to? So I know where to collect your corpse if you die."
Qin Jiuye tightened the hemp rope binding her shoe sole and spoke rapidly.
"Qingping Path, Xizhu Mountain."
Jinbao looked up at the sky and frowned.
"Going into the mountains at night, and it looks like rain. By the time you get there, you’ll probably only be picking up corpses. Who’s going to have a breath left to buy your medicine?"
"Pah, pah, pah!" Qin Jiuye slapped her hand over his mouth, her thin face set with eyes of firm determination. "You can curse me to death, but you cannot curse our God of Wealth. Get things ready and wait for my return!"
Withdrawing her hand, she said no more. Carrying her medicine basket, she quickly vanished into the twilight.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 龙枢郡 | Longshu Prefecture | The administrative region where the story begins. |
| 九皋城 | Jiugao City | The main city setting, known for its business focus. |
| 听风堂 | Tingfeng Hall | An information-brokering establishment (lit. "Listening to the Wind Hall"). |
| 唐慎言 | Tang Shenyan | The Hall Master of Tingfeng Hall. |
| 川流院 | Chuanliu Academy | A mysterious and rising organization. |
| 秦九叶 | Qin Jiuye | The female protagonist and owner of Guoran Ju. |
| 黑风渡 | Black Wind Ferry | A location or faction in the jianghu. |
| 碧门教 | Bimen Sect | A martial arts sect. |
| 天同门 | Tiantong Sect | A martial arts sect. |
| 方外观 | Fangwai Temple | A Taoist monastery (lit. "Beyond the Mundane"). |
| 秋山派 | Qiushan Sect | A martial arts sect (lit. "Autumn Mountain"). |
| 元漱清 | Yuan Shuqing | The Master of Fangwai Temple. |
| 王逍 | Wang Xiao | The top expert of the Qiushan Sect. |
| 清平道 | Qingping Path | A mountain path in Xizhu Mountain. |
| 果然居 | Guoran Ju | Qin Jiuye's pharmacy/clinic (lit. "Indeed Residence"). |
| 丁翁村 | Dingweng Village | The village where Guoran Ju is located. |
| 司徒金宝 | Situ Jinbao | Qin Jiuye's assistant. |
| 黛绡河 | Daixiao River | The river flowing through the area. |
| 洗竹山 | Xizhu Mountain | The mountain where the ambush is set (lit. "Washing Bamboo Mountain"). |
