A high-ranking feudal official started on his way home late one night. He had been busy the whole day and had to stay late to finish reporting criminal cases. Having realized how late he would stay at the Ya Men, he ordered his right-hand man to return home without him.

The official walked down the cobblestone road and whistled as he enjoyed the quietness of the night. By now, the streets were empty and void of life. The wind picked up as he passed dark, silent shops. The red lanterns that hung from the shops swayed back and forth unsteadily. The feudal official pulled his robe tighter around him as the wind became stronger. Tonight, the moon was shining brightly with no signs of clouds. He felt his neck hairs stand up, and he stiffened.

Someone was watching him.

Trying to act nonchalant, he kept walking. He glanced to the side and saw a shadow following him a couple paces back.

Pushing down his nervousness, he asked, "Why are you following me?"

There was no answer.

The feudal official slowly turned around. He came face to face with a cold, black mask shaped like cat eyes. Except for the man's menacing black eyes and his mouth, his facial features were entirely covered.

"W-who are you?" The official stuttered.

The man's lips cracked into a malicious smile. "I'm one of the innocent souls you killed! I've come for revenge!" With that, the man stabbed the official in the stomach. Blood spurted on the walls.

*************************************************************

A shadow walked through the empty cobble streets of Yong Ping City, his black cape fluttering behind him. The figure weaved around the city and made his way to the biggest pleasure house.

Two stories high with red columns on both sides supporting the porch, it had a big sign that read, 楼花莲. At the doorway, there were many women who waved him in and reached their hands toward him. He ignored all of them and pushed their hands away.

Inside the building, there were round tables where men sat and women entertained and served them. In the middle of the room, a group of women who had their faces covered and a thin cloth hanging on their arms, were dancing. Men came here to have fun and become drunk. On the surface, Lian Hua Lou appeared to be just an ordinary brothel, but that is just a cover for something more sinister: a black market.

The owner of the pleasure house came to greet him. The mysterious figure strode toward the counter while the owner trailed behind him. Once they had arrived, the man went behind the counter. "What can I do for you?"

The figure barely glanced at the owner as he pulled out a golden metal card with a black character '王'on it. The man's eyes flew open in surprise but he quickly recovered. "This way please." He lifted his arm in front of him to his left side so as to show the figure the way.

"Stay there," the figure ordered. "No need to walk me there. I know my way."

"As you wish," the owner bowed.

The dark figure walked to the back of the building where a room was prepared. The room was set apart for people who wanted to do black business. The figure entered a room that had a marble table and chairs made of deep colored wood. On the table was a pot of tea and some small round cups placed on a tray. Behind the table sat a man who had an unkempt, long brown beard with different colored beads woven into it. His hair, likewise, was woven into many braids with beads in them and tied into one high ponytail at the back of his head. He wore a strip of animal fur from his right shoulder to his left thigh. The man was surrounded by a group dressed much like he was.

Throwing a round object wrapped in cloth on the table in front of the group, the object landed with a thump. "There's the human head you wanted," the figure said as he pointed at it. The man at the table immediately opened the cloth bag and there, soaked in blood, was a head. He smiled as he closed up the cloth bag. "I've heard of your reputation. Today I can attest that your name is well deserved! It is no wonder that you are hailed as Lian Hua Lou's best assassin!"

"If there is nothing else you want me to do, give me my money and I'll take my leave," the figure said bluntly.

The man at the table leaned forward on his elbows as he observed the figure. Finally, he nodded to the man on his right, "Nian Sang, hand him the money."

"Yes," Nian Sang said as he dutifully took the bag of coins from his pocket and carried it to the figure. The figure picked up the bag of coins, tossed it into the air and caught it. The bag of coins jingled as they landed in his hand. The figure smirked and walked away.

The man at the table called, "Nice doing business with you, Yang Hao Ran. Hou hui you qi." I hope we meet again.Yang Hao Ran merely walked away and started on his way home.

Outside, it was just as empty as it had been when he first came. In the east, rays of sunlight were just coming over the horizon as the sky turned from a dark blue color to a bright pink. Dawn was coming and he had better hurry home before his younger sister, Quan Rui Ming, woke up. To her, he was just Quan Mo Ran, her older brother, but to the rest of the world, he was Yang Hao Ran, the cruelest and coldest killer in Jiang Hu. If she knew where and whom he had visited, she would be worried. The last thing he needed was for his younger sister to worry about him.

Heading northwest of the city, Quan Mo Ran walked down a couple small alleys and weaved through the maze-like city until he stood in an alley. Facing the thick wall which was built around the city that protected the people from invasion, he felt the rough wall for the mechanism. If he had a choice, he would not have chosen to go this way out of the city and would have rather left through the big gates located in the south eastern side of the city. But he wasn't able to. At this time, the gates were still closed which ensured that no one could get in or out. The route he was currently taking was a common route that only people associated with the black market would know. This hidden doorway allowed people to go in and out of the city unhindered or detected and was useful when dealing with black business. After feeling for the mechanism for a minute, he finally felt the slight bump in the wall. It was so slight that an onlooker would not have noticed it. Pushing the bump in the wall, he took a step back. Through the dimness, he saw a black object swing open and reveal a narrow path on which both sides grew wild grass. After stepping through, the gate closed behind him. He was left in the wilderness.

He started his journey home and had been walking for a bit when the sun's soft golden rays started to dye everything around him in a golden light. He was in a beautiful lush forest and was just enjoying the bird sounds and the moist smell of the forest, when his ears twitched. Instinctively, he leaped into the air.

An arrow whizzed through the spot he was stood just a moment ago. He landed on the ground softly and spun around just in time to see a cloaked figure fly at him, palm outstretched. He met the figure's open palm with his own and an invisible force was felt. Quickly, he turned his hand in a clockwise position and simultaneously swung his other arm underneath the opponent's wrist, catching the foe off guard. The opponent started to fall backwards. Yang Hao Ran whipped out his dagger and used his qinggong to quickly appear by the opponent's side. Grabbing the enemy, he brought the dagger to the enemy's throat and held it there five seconds before letting go and taking a few steps back.

He knelt down, brought his hands to his chest with one hand holding the other in a fist, and bowed his head. " Cān jiàn Yi Fu," he said.

"Please rise," the voice commanded.

"Thank you, Yi Fu," Quan Mo Ran obediently straightened himself.

"Your martial arts skills have improved," Yi Fu observed.

"Yi Fu," Quan Mo Ran bowed slightly to show his respect, "Thank you for the compliment. If you have something for me to do, just say so. I would like to get back to Quan Rui Ming as soon as I can." Quan Mo Ran straightened.

"Quan Mo Ran, why do you assume I have something for you to do?"

"Could it be that you came here to chat?"

"Humph. That's how you view me? Yě bà. Since you want me to get down to business, then I will. Have you ever heard of the Wu Bian Wu Ji?" Yi Fu said as he walked toward Quan Mo Ran.

"Yes. I have heard the name in Jiang Hu. The Wu Bian Wu Ji is a treasure beyond comprehension. It is named as the Wu Bian Wu Ji because if it is opened, then the possibilities that can happen are boundless and vast. Though it remains vague as to what kind of possibilities, it is rumored that whoever gathers the four pieces and assembles it, can rule the world. But it's all just a legend and it can't be verified," Quan Mo Ran replied.

"I am here to tell you, the rumors about it are true."

"Really? How are you so sure?"

Yi Fu took out a bamboo book from his long sleeve. It was titled, 卦八阵七. Quan Mo Ran held out his hand to receive it.

"How did you get this? Didn't it disappear from Jiang Hu? This is one of the most sacred scripts in the world with many secret arts and techniques that can be used to break any formation. But why are you giving this to me?"

"I am giving it to you because to open the Wu Bian Wu Ji, you must first break a formation. Indeed, it did disappear from Jiang Hu, but no one knows the dark truth behind its disappearance."

"And what is the dark truth?"

At this, a sinister smile spread across Yi Fu's face. "The things you shouldn't ask about, don't ask about."

"Oh, I see..." Quan Mo Ran rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You want me to break the formation because my ancestors had both the skills and the knowledge."

"You are indeed smart. But I not only want you to open the formation, I also want you to find the Dan Wen, which is a piece of the Wu Bian Wu Ji."

"I'm confused. I thought the missing pieces could break the formation."

"Everyone in Jiang Hu knows the first part of the poem which goes, '天下宝藏无边无际，需清谷、弹文、穗守、和雪露.' The heaven's precious treasure Wu Bian Wu Ji needs Yan Gu, Dan Wen, Sui Shou, and Xue Lu. But not many people know the second part, '泉水清澈见底，洗清一切邪恶。The spring water is crystal clear, washing away all that is evil. This poem will be elaborated further in chapters to come.'"

"What does this poem have to do with me?"

"Quan Mo Ran, are you not even curious what the second part means?"

"Respectfully, Yi Fu, I am slow-witted. Please enlighten me."

"Didn't you notice that the character '泉' sounds like your last name '权'？"

"But there are many names that sound like that," Quan Mo Ran replied.

"Sure, but there are not many families that have '权' as their last name. Do you know about your greatest ancestor?"

"My ancestor was Quan Kun and he used to be a ruler of the Jing in the autumn region, back when there were four rulers for each season. After the former ruler of the Summer sect, Su Bing Zhou, who was also a Jing ruler, courageously gave up his power to Quan Kun so that the Jings could reunite in the time of war, Quan Kun became the emperor of the Jing and led a war against the two Yan kings: Dong Shan and Shi An Ning. But in the end the Jing lost and became slaves, and my whole family was murdered."

"Do you know why they went to war?"

"If you want to tell me something, tell me plainly," Quan Mo Ran said pointily.

"They went to war because the Yan wanted the treasure all for themselves. They set a trap for Yuan Zhi and made the beast go crazy."

"What for?"

"If the beast went crazy, they could then claim it was a bad idea to open the treasure. By doing this, they had the perfect excuse to 'keep the pieces safe.' Then after they gathered all the pieces, they could destroy the Jing and control the world. However, not only did Quan Kun refuse to give them the piece, he also wanted to open the treasure again. If they let him open up the treasure, then their plot would be exposed. Therefore, they purposely angered Quan Kun and made him declare war. Then after the war, they murdered your whole family in the guise of protecting the world from the destructive Jings. In reality, they murdered your whole family in order to take the Sui Shou."

"What a treacherous...plot," Quan Mo Ran looked at the sky as he gripped his sword tightly. His jaw tightened.

Quan Mo Ran gripped his sword hilt until his knuckles turned white. He took a deep breath and forced his hand to relax. Then slowly, he lowered his eyes from the sky to meet Yi Fu's gaze and said, "I understand. But what does any of this have to do with the poem?"

Yi Fu closed his eyes and sighed. "After the beast went crazy, Quan Kun, Shi An Ning, and Dong Shan worked together to place a seal on the door of the treasure. This temporarily restricted it. One day, however, the beast broke free, and Quan Kun happened to be nearby. He quickly created a formation and once again trapped the monster.

The beast is directly connected with the treasure. In order to open the treasure, the beast must also be released. As you are aware, in order to break a formation, the maker or his descendants must personally disable it. Right now, the emperor thinks the limiting factor to opening the treasure is the missing pieces."

"The current emperor is Shi Ling Chen...who is the descendent of Shi An Ning...If the first seal wasn't broken...When looking at the situation that way..." Quan Mo Ran closed his eyes and tipped his head toward the sky. "The limiting factor isn't the only missing pieces...It's me."

There was a brief pause.

"I told you this for your own good. You need to know the truth. I want to work with you so that you can take back what was rightfully yours. Besides, don't you want to take revenge for your murdered family members? Are you really willing to let your family die just like that? Look around you, look at how the emperor is treating your people. Are you really willing to let them live like rats?"

Quan Mo Ran gripped his sword hilt tightly. When he opened his eyes, he set his jaw and said, "I will work with you. On two conditions."

"Oh? Tell me," Yi Fu said.

"Firstly, you can't harm my sister in any way while I'm away."

"That easy? I assure you, no harm shall come to her if you do not go back on your word."

"Secondly, you have to let me have the throne and the Sui Shou," Quan Mo Ran said.

Yi Fu rubbed his chin and then replied, "Alright. I can promise you the second condition if you allow me to control your army."

"Very well. You got yourself a deal. How do I know you won't go back on your word?"

"Do you not trust me, Quan Mo Ran?" there was a warning in his voice.

"Naturally. I was just making sure we came to an understanding," Quan Mo Ran said as he stood in front of Yi Fu. Then eyeing Yi Fu wearily, he said, "Since we are going to work together in the future, could you tell me more about these missing pieces?"

"There is no reason for you to know everything about the missing pieces."

"What do you mean it's not essential for me to know? Since you want me to help you search for the missing pieces, shouldn't I know more about them?" There was a hint of repressed anger in Quan Mo Ran.

Yi Fu did not speak. After a moment, he finally replied, "You don't need to know. I only sent for you to find me the last piece and help me break the formation. As for the other pieces, I have my own plans."

"But what if—"

"Don't question me," Yi Fu warned. "All you need to know is that there were four pieces that were given to the four biggest sects. These sects were located in the north, south, east and west with each sect controlling a different season. However, currently, Emperor Shi An Ning has both the Xue Lu and the Sui Shou, so it would be useless for you to go to those sects. I only need you to find the Dan Wen. From legends, the Dan Wen is said to be a piece of yellow jade that curved slightly inward at both ends with characters engrained on it. It originally belonged to the summer sect, however, 18 years ago, it suddenly disappeared. The last time it was seen was when the former empress, Shi Yue Yang, jumped off a cliff. If I were you, I would start there. I want you to find it and meet at the Wu Bian Wu Ji, which is located at the point where all four seasons meet. In other words, I want to meet you in the heart of this land. Find it for me...or else..."

"I understand," Quan Mo Ran bent his head and brought his arms to his chest and half-bowed.

"Very good. You may take your leave," he said with a flick of his hand, and dismissed Quan Mo Ran who straightened and left.

By the time Quan Mo Ran reached his house, the early morning sun was shining brightly.

The house had a thatched roof supported by wooden poles and gray stones made up the walls of the rectangular house. Though small, Quan Mo Ran was proud of this little place he called home. He walked over to the well that sat at the center of the clearing and picked up a bucket. Lowering the bucket until he heard a splash, he drew water from the well and placed it in two basins: one for Quan Rui Ming and one for himself.

He then gingerly carried one basin into the house. Upon entering, he trudged over to the wooden table that sat in the middle of the room and set the basin down. He got a fresh piece of cloth from one of the cupboards and placed it beside the basin. He then tiptoed across the room and peaked into a second, sparsely furnished room.

There were two beds in the room: one was on his left side and another to his right. The bed frames were made of wood with stuffed straws as the mattresses. At the foot of the right bed, was a closet they both shared. Quan Mo Ran's bed was to his right, and on top of it, lay his folded blanket. Quan Mo Ran now glanced to his left. His Mei Mei was fast asleep. He smiled to himself. I will come back after I collect the dry seeds we're sunning outside.

He exited the house and walked across the yard to a place where pumpkin seeds were drying in flat woven baskets. He bent down to pick up one and had straightened when he heard screaming emit from the house...

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
莲花楼：Lotus Tower
You may have noticed that in the book, the characters were backwards. This is because in ancient China they read from left to right.

王：king

Yě bà (也罢）：expresses reluctance of another's choice, it could be understood as someone saying, 'that's fine' or 'it's ok' or 'whatever' depending on the context

Cān jiàn (参见）：it's a way to pay respect especially to a high official or to a someone above you socially

Yi Fu (义父）:adoptive father

七阵八卦：Seven Formations of Ba Gua, it's a book that can break all formations and is very coveted among the martial artists
Wu Bian Wu Ji (无边无际）: Its literal meaning in Mandarin is boundless, limitless, and vastness. For the purpose of this book, the treasure house is called Wu Bian Wu Ji.

Mei Mei (妹妹）：younger sister

Background

天下宝藏无边无际，需清谷、弹文、穗守、和雪露。泉水清澈见底，洗清一切邪恶。
Meaning: The heaven's precious treasure Wu Bian Wu Ji needs Yan Gu, Dan Wen, Sui Shou, and Xue Lu. The spring water is crystal clear, washing away all that is evil. This poem will be elaborated further in chapters to come.

The Wu Bian Wu Ji is the treasure but there are four keys needed in order to open it and each of the keys originally belonged to the four biggest sects.

Yan Gu (west): Spring Sect, belonged to Dong Shan (former ruler of Yan)

Dan Wen (south): Summer sect, belonged to Su Bing Zhou (former ruler of Jing)

Sui Shou (east): Fall sect, belonged to Quan Kun (former emperor of Jing)

Xue Lu (north): Winter sect, belonged to Shi An Ning (former emperor of Yan)

Currently, Emperor Shi An Ning has both the Xue Lu and the Sui Shou.

Note: In Mandarin, the last name always goes first, therefore, when you see a character's first name with the the same character as another, you can assume those characters are blood related.

Side note: You may have noticed this chapter was completely underlined, that is because it is spoken through Quan Mo Ran's view. Luo Xiao Zhao's view is the normal lettering. In the future, there will be a third character, Shi Han Jun. His view will be primarily expressed through the boldening of the words.