No Gate to Hell, Yet You Seek It Out!

Aboard a passenger ship, Bai Miaosheng tailed his quarry all the way to the vicinity of Huantu Island. Someone had sown seeds on the island ahead of time on his behalf. Where once there had been only bare dirt, a sizable patch of corn now grew. Standing on the deck, Bai Miaosheng said to Lan Qiao and Hong Jiao, "See that? Those cornstalks are my weapons, my traps, the capital I stake my life on in a fight. As long as they set foot on that island, even if Bai Wusong and Tan Jinxiao join forces, neither of them will leave alive." Hong Jiao said, "But the master told you not to kill Tan Jinxiao." Bai Miaosheng's face darkened, and he said nothing. Lan Qiao pinched Hong Jiao under the waist and hastily chimed in, "Once Envoy Cai sees what Master Miao is capable of, who knows who'll be calling the shots down the road!" Bai Miaosheng smiled. That was music to his ears. Yet after he had stood there smiling for quite a while, "Tan Jinxiao's" passenger ship showed no sign of pulling ashore. Hong Jiao asked, "What if they don't land and rendezvous directly on the open sea?" This was indeed a serious problem. If the other side chose to meet on the water instead of landing on Huantu Island, it meant fighting aboard a ship again—a situation where Bai Miaosheng clearly held no advantage. Even so, Bai Miaosheng had anticipated this as well. "The choice won't be up to them. Envoy Cai will definitely send ships over to force them onto the island." Bai Miaosheng's judgment was spot-on. Warships from the Garrison Office were already lying in ambush nearby. Once Bai Wusong's boat was in position, the warships would strike and herd Bai Wusong, Tan Jinxiao, and the rest onto Huantu Island. Yet the warships waited and waited, and Bai Wusong's boat never appeared. All they saw was "Tan Jinxiao's" passenger ship circling Huantu Island, refusing to dock. Not only were the pursuers growing anxious, but the boatmaster was frantic as well. He entered "Tan Jinxiao's" cabin and asked repeatedly, "Honored guest, we arrived at Huantu Island ages ago. Where exactly are we picking up your people?" "Tan Jinxiao" merely smiled at the boatmaster. The boatmaster could not make heads or tails of the grin. "Honored guest, have the people you're looking for arrived or not? Huantu Island is a tricky place. Once heavenly light shines down, we won't be able to go up, and this whole day will be wasted!" "Tan Jinxiao" kept smiling, offering not a single word. The boatmaster grew frantic. "Honored guest, say something! Don't just keep smiling like that! You've been grinning the whole trip. At least tell us what we're supposed to do now! We took your money to run this one trip—we can't just waste our lives floating here with you forever!" Not only was "Tan Jinxiao" smiling, but the "Xiao Yeci," "Liangwucai," and "Juanzi" in the cabin were all smiling as well. Yet not one of them uttered a sound to the boatmaster. The boatmaster returned to the wheelhouse and summoned a crewman. "Send word to Master Miao. Tell him to stop pressing us. Tan Jinxiao is definitely on guard." When Bai Miaosheng received the message, he was at a loss for a moment. "Why won't Old Tan dock? I reckon he must have noticed something off." Lan Qiao offered an idea: "Master Miao, I'll contact Envoy Cai and have him strike directly to force Tan Jinxiao onto Huantu Island." Bai Miaosheng sighed. "I'm worried about alerting the snake in the grass and scaring off Bai Wusong." Lan Qiao felt there was no point worrying about Bai Wusong now. "If Tan Jinxiao really sniffed out an ambush, he'd have sent word to Bai Wusong long ago. If we keep waiting here, Bai Wusong won't come anyway. And if Tan Jinxiao hasn't noticed the ambush, we might as well drive him onto the island and finish him off. Once he's dead, he won't be sending any messages, and Bai Wusong will still have to show up!" Every word made sense. This girl saw straight through to the heart of the matter! Bai Miaosheng nodded repeatedly, his admiration for Lan Qiao growing. Lan Qiao sent word to the Garrison Office. She telegraphed the Garrison Office, which then had to relay the telegram to Cai Junshan. Cai Junshan was aboard the warship, only a short distance from Lan Qiao's vessel, yet the message ended up taking such a roundabout path. Regardless, the message was delivered. Cai Junshan immediately ordered the passenger ship forced to the shore. The warship revealed itself, bearing a high-pressure steam cannon, and surged toward "Tan Jinxiao's" passenger ship. A so-called high-pressure steam cannon worked on the same principle as a steam machine gun—it was essentially a steam conduit. The only difference was that the steam cannon discharged at much higher pressure and far hotter temperatures. The moment the boatmaster saw the steam cannon, he was scared stiff. He immediately barked at the first mate, "Dock! Pull ashore, quickly!" The first mate whispered, "Boss, shouldn't we check with those guests first?" "Check what?" the boatmaster snapped in panic. "One blast from that cannon and every soul aboard is finished! If he doesn't say anything, take it as a yes! Dock the ship, now!" The vessel pulled to the shore. The boatmaster and all the crew scrambled onto the island, yet "Tan Jinxiao" still refused to disembark. Bai Miaosheng was dumbfounded. "Old Tan's acting this tough today? He's dead set on digging in his heels against me, is that it?" Lan Qiao'er said to Bai Miaosheng, "Master Miao, if you ask me, just tell Envoy Cai to fire the cannon. We take out Tan Jinxiao first and at least settle one major piece of business." Bai Miaosheng shook his head. "Firing a cannon makes too much noise. Bai Wusong certainly wouldn't come then. I'll go aboard their ship to talk some sense into Tan Jinxiao. Discuss it with Envoy Cai and see if he's willing to come along. Old Tan used to listen to him. If we can talk him down, Bai Wusong won't be able to slip away." Cai Junshan proved bold enough. Bringing dozens of heavily armed men, he boarded "Tan Jinxiao's" ship alongside Bai Miaosheng. In the past, Tan Jinxiao really had listened to Cai Junshan. Cai Junshan had once tried to absorb Tan Jinxiao into his ranks and give him an official status. Cai Junshan had also sent Tan Jinxiao to make trouble at Zuo Wugang's restaurant, and Tan Jinxiao had complied back then. It was only that Tan Jinxiao botched the job and later turned traitor—an outcome Cai Junshan had never anticipated. Once aboard, the men surrounded "Tan Jinxiao's" cabin. Bai Miaosheng plucked two stalks of corn and stood beside Cai Junshan, ready for battle at a moment's notice. Clad in protective gear and wearing a face mask, Cai Junshan called through the door, "Old Tan, come out right now, and everything in the past is wiped clean!" There was no sound from the cabin. After waiting a moment, Cai Junshan continued, "Old Tan, I know you suffered plenty of grievances. But over all these years, through all these matters, I've always helped you and stood by you. You can't have failed to see that, can you? "True, there were things I promised you that I failed to deliver, but I had my own difficulties—matters I simply couldn't arrange. Are you really going to hold a grudge over such trivial details? "Now it's come to a life-and-death crossroads. With a single order from me, you couldn't escape even if you grew wings, yet I still came in person to talk things through calmly. That's because I trust you as a man. Can't you trust me in return? "What can Li Seven give you? He can't give you a damn thing! His heart isn't in Santoucha at all. Once he's stripped this place clean, he'll head straight back to Green Water City to live in comfort! "And don't you forget how high a standing Li Seven holds in the Outer States. He's one of ours, and when orders come down from above, he has to obey too. When the day comes that he washes his hands of this and walks away, who will you cry to then? "I'll give you one minute. As long as you walk out that door, everything I promised you before still stands. If you refuse to come out, don't blame me when you leave your life behind today!" In the blink of an eye, a minute passed. Bai Miaosheng shouted, "Old Tan, come on out! The Human Market has no head honcho right now—that prime spot is waiting for you!" Cai Junshan glanced at Bai Miaosheng without speaking. That was a promise he wouldn't dare make lightly. After another minute of silence from inside, Cai Junshan lost his temper. "No need to waste words on him. Open fire!" At Cai Junshan's command, three steam machine guns opened fire on the cabin. *Hiss—* With a sharp screech, scorching steam burned through the wooden door and poured into the room. By all rights, anyone inside should have been boiled alive. Even if "Tan Jinxiao" could endure it, the companions beside him would surely perish. Yet Cai Junshan heard not a single wail. Instead, a chorus of laughter rang out. "Hahahahaha—" Among the laughter were men and women, roaring in hearty, ringing mirth. Hearing that laughter, Cai Junshan smiled, and Bai Miaosheng smiled as well. They could not hold it back. Cai Junshan knew Tan Jinxiao's pathway; he realized he had been struck by a Smile Cultivator technique. Was Tan Jinxiao staking everything on a suicide attack? Cai Junshan dared not remain on the boat any longer. Just as he turned to disembark, a series of muffled thuds erupted. *Bang!* The Tan Jinxiao inside the cabin exploded. Cai Junshan's position was disastrous. The blast wave shattered his face mask, sending him sprawling to the deck with his face drenched in blood. A yellowish-green concoction of Golden Broth and Jade Nectar boiled violently under the blistering heat, splashing across Cai Junshan's face in a steaming, scalding glob. Cai Junshan was laughing at the time. Struck by the Smile Cultivator technique, his grin was involuntary, yet his mouth was stretched wide open. The Golden Broth and Jade Nectar crafted by Tan Jinxiao was like asphalt—combustible and carrying tongues of flame. With a wet splat, a massive lump of it shot straight down Cai Junshan's throat. His face and mouth severely scalded, Cai Junshan collapsed to the deck, blacking out. Their bodies coated in sticky filth, Lan Qiao and Hong Jiao fought with everything they had to drag Cai Junshan out of the cabin. Bai Miaosheng was largely unharmed. He had unfurled a corn leaf two meters long and a meter wide, wrapping it around himself like a shield to block the flying Golden Broth and Jade Nectar. He rushed to the deck, snapped off two ears of corn, rubbed off the kernels, squeezed them into juice, and poured it down Cai Junshan's throat. Those few drops of corn juice saved Cai Junshan's life. His throat hitched, and he dragged in a breath of air, though he could not speak and his eyes remained swollen shut. Bai Miaosheng wanted to feed him another mouthful of corn juice, but Hong Jiao cried out, "Master Miao, run! The smell isn't right!" Lan Qiao spat onto the deck. "You still dare to smell this stuff?" The stench was indeed repulsive enough to kill a person after a couple of deep breaths. "Not the burnt smell—a fresh one..." Hong Jiao caught a fresh scent, and Lan Qiao smelled it too. Bai Miaosheng turned pale. "Don't tell me there's still..." *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The remaining three golden figures exploded one after another. The hull blew open at the bottom, and the cabin roof flew into the air, crashing directly onto Huantu Island. Yellow smoke billowed across the entire vessel as cyan-blue flames engulfed everyone. Carrying Cai Junshan, Bai Miaosheng fled the ship alongside Hong Jiao and Lan Qiao. A lump of solidified gold was lodged in Cai Junshan's throat. He could neither swallow it nor spit it out, and he reached out, wanting Bai Miaosheng to help pry it free. Bai Miaosheng gripped Cai Junshan's hand, tears welling in his eyes. "Envoy Cai, rest easy! I will avenge you for this!" Cai Junshan pointed frantically at his throat; vengeance was the furthest thing from his mind right now. Bai Miaosheng gnashed his teeth. "Tan Jinxiao, you fucking dared to play me! You dared to harm Envoy Cai! I'll have your life for this!" Lan Qiao spat out the remaining gold residue from her mouth and asked, "Master Miao, where do we find Tan Jinxiao?" Bai Miaosheng deliberated for a moment. "They might still be on Yuxiang Island!" Hong Jiao wiped the golden soup from her face. "Master Miao, shipping resumed at Yuxiang Island after we left. Could they have fled already?" Bai Miaosheng could not say for sure. "We head back to Yuxiang Island first. Even if they're gone, there will definitely be signs around the docks." Cai Junshan kept pointing at his throat, completely unable to speak. *** On Yuxiang Island, Tan Jinxiao touched the small porcelain bottle in his rucksack. Sensing faint vibrations, he held it to his ear to listen closely. "There's a pop! A proper little pop in there, and the smell is quite authentic." Xiao Yeci looked at Tan Jinxiao's bottle and asked, "Brother Tan, what's inside that bottle? What smells so authentic?" Tan Jinxiao waved his hand. "Can't tell you about this smell. I walked around the island earlier—there's a fair going on today, a grand market fair! Let's go browse the stalls!" "Go to the market?" Juanzi was taken aback. "Weren't we supposed to hide in the deep mountains? How can we dare visit the market fair?" Tan Jinxiao shook his head. "It already went off, so there's no need to hide anymore. The front and the lining are all taken care of, and now it's time to treat everyone to a feast. Let's go stroll around, and then we'll stay right back at that same inn." He was not joking. Tan Jinxiao truly took the group to the fair. Li Banfeng never skimped on travel funds for his people. Xiao Yeci, Liangwucai, and Juanzi all had fat wads of cash on hand. Goods on the island were not expensive, so Tan Jinxiao hired a carriage and told everyone to buy to their hearts' content, hauling a full wagonload of goods back to the inn. When the innkeeper saw Tan Jinxiao, he collapsed to the floor in fright. Bai Miaosheng had told him Tan Jinxiao's trip was a one-way ticket. Only a few days had passed—how was he back already? Tan Jinxiao tapped on the counter. "Hey, hey, hey! What're you sitting there woolgathering for? You out of business or what?" "Master Tan..." The innkeeper wept, snot and tears streaming down his face. "This has nothing to do with us! It was all Master Miao's orders! We didn't dare cross him..." "What're you babbling about? Why can't I understand a word of it?" Tan Jinxiao patted the innkeeper's cheek. "Now that I'm here, are you going to arrange our rooms first, or do you want to give Bai Miaosheng a shout first?" Hearing that, the innkeeper wept even more miserably. "Master Tan, I was wrong..." Tan Jinxiao tweaked the innkeeper's nose. "Cut the talk of right and wrong. I've got a whole crowd with me. First tell me where we're staying!" There was a newly hired clerk who had never seen Tan Jinxiao. Having just stepped into the first tier of physical cultivation, he was looking to save a bit of money and leave Santoucha as quickly as possible. Seeing that Tan Jinxiao was an unfamiliar face, he asked those around him, "Who is this guy? How'd he scare the boss like that?" Several older workers were terrified and quickly yanked the newcomer aside. "That's Master Tan, the biggest street boss in the Under-City! You don't know him?" "I really don't..." "Well, you didn't know him before, but get to know him now. Offend him and our boss is done for. We'd better look for our next job right away—this business won't last long." *** Word reached Bai Miaosheng that Tan Jinxiao had reappeared on Yuxiang Island. Upon returning to the Yuxiang Island pier, Bai Miaosheng did not rush ashore. Hong Jiao was still fuming over the incident at Huantu Island. "Master Miao, why aren't we going ashore to take care of him? What are we waiting for?" Lan Qiao also felt nauseated—sick to her stomach and sicker in her heart. "Master Miao, the preparations on the island should be ready. Our Horse-Toppling Battalion is just waiting on your word." The two women certainly held a grudge. Bai Miaosheng knew in his heart that this was not merely about personal grudges. On the surface, the Horse-Toppling Battalion answered to Bai Miaosheng, but in truth they were Cai Junshan's subordinates. Now that Cai Junshan was so grievously wounded, the battalion had to make a show of force, avenging him promptly to display their loyalty and allegiance. Yet Bai Miaosheng kept sensing that something was wrong. Tan Jinxiao had set a trap to lure him out to Huantu Island. Now that he had achieved his goal, why did he stay behind on Yuxiang Island, waiting for Bai Miaosheng to come find him? After tumbling through the underworld for so many years, no one was a pushover. Bai Miaosheng could piece together the general picture: Tan Jinxiao was prepared and intended to clash with him in a head-on fight. Bai Miaosheng commanded formidable influence on Yuxiang Island; logically, he should not fear a head-on collision with Tan Jinxiao. Yet he was genuinely wary. Tan Jinxiao's pathway was far too bizarre. Now that the man was fully prepared, there was no telling what tricks he might pull out of his sleeve. "Don't rush, you two," Bai Miaosheng explained. "We can't even be sure yet whether the person on the island is really Tan Jinxiao. We can't afford to fall into his trap a second time." Even as he spoke, a subordinate came running to report: "Master Miao, Tan Jinxiao is here! He's standing on the dock cussing you out, and a huge crowd from the island has gathered to watch the spectacle!" Bai Miaosheng stepped out onto the deck and looked toward Tan Jinxiao on the pier. Tan Jinxiao pointed at Bai Miaosheng and yelled, "Bai Miaosheng, get over here! Weren't you looking for your daddy? Your daddy's right here waiting for you! Don't you dare chicken out now! "If you've got a pair between your legs, come out right now and fight your daddy! Let's sign a life-and-death waiver. I won't hold your unfilial conduct against you, nor will I care about fatherly sentiment—today we see who stands tall! "Why don't you dare show your face? You pissed yourself at the sight of your own daddy? If you pissed yourself, fine! Get your ass out of the Sea Market right this second! From now on, whenever you lay eyes on your daddy, you kowtow first, then pay your respects—and don't you dare skimp on a single shred of etiquette!" Bai Miaosheng gritted his teeth, agonizing over whether to disembark. More and more onlookers gathered. Though none dared make a sound openly, they all admired Tan Jinxiao in their hearts. There was a reason he was the undisputed king of street toughs in the Under-City—the man genuinely possessed the guts to challenge Master Miao to his face. Never underestimate a crowd gathering to watch a spectacle; the human qi clinging to them was remarkably dense. Tan Jinxiao had once thrown a tantrum outside a brothel, and half-asleep patrons had tumbled out just to watch the commotion, abandoning moments of pleasure worth a thousand pieces of gold. That was just how addictive watching a scene could be! Bai Miaosheng grew deeply uneasy. Letting this drag on was clearly working against him. As the onlookers multiplied, Tan Jinxiao loosened his limbs. He could feel his combat power and cultivation climbing at a rapid pace. *** Standing atop a copper coin over two meters in diameter, Mr. Kongfang sliced through the wind and waves, closing in swiftly on a passenger ship. He had clashed with Li Seven on this vessel before and left his mark behind; even now, he could perceive Li Seven's presence through that marker. The coin skimmed across the crest of a wave, and Mr. Kongfang leaped lightly onto the deck. Taking a couple of steps toward the cabin, he saw a dark silhouette standing by the doorway. Mr. Kongfang let out a soft sigh. "I have always believed your attainment as a Shadow Cultivator surpassed your Travel Cultivator skills." The dark shadow nodded. "I think so too." Mr. Kongfang added, "I also believe that when it comes to cultivation, it is far better to specialize in a single craft." The shadow asked, "Then which craft do you specialize in?" Mr. Kongfang did not answer. He glanced toward the prow. "Looming by the Boundary line like this—are you trying to study a way to cross over? "With your standing, visiting the Inner States shouldn't be difficult. Wouldn't it be far better to get a travel pass from Liao Zihui and enter the Inner States openly and honorably?" The shadow shook its head. "What's so great about the Inner States? Only a fool would go to that place." Mr. Kongfang twirled a copper coin between his fingers. "Go wherever you please, so long as you don't linger here. I have tolerated you for so many days—I have truly shown you the utmost benevolence." The shadow stepped out of the cabin and tugged the brim of its hat lower. "And what can you do if you don't feel like tolerating me? I find this place quite nice. I don't plan on leaving for eight or ten years." With a flick of Mr. Kongfang's fingertips, the copper coin shot toward the shadow. In truth, with the banter flowing so smoothly, Mr. Kongfang could not tell whether he was speaking to a shadow or to Li Seven himself. Yet no matter who stood before him, the moment that copper coin struck, the target would fall completely under Mr. Kongfang's control. The coin flew with blinding speed along an erratic trajectory. Banfeng Two barely managed to dodge it once, but after circling in midair for an instant, the coin whipped back around in pursuit. This time the angle was far more lethal; Banfeng Two had nowhere left to dodge. Just as Mr. Kongfang prepared to layer on another technique to subdue Li Seven entirely, a mournful, piercing operatic wail tore into his ears. "*Woe unto thee—*" *Clink!* The airborne copper coin shattered, and Mr. Kongfang recoiled in shock. Who had just sung that? Li Seven? Was he a Sound Cultivator? A Travel Cultivator, a Shadow Cultivator, and now a Sound Cultivator as well? The coin had been infused with potent arts; even a full-strength strike from an ordinary cultivator above the clouds might not have broken it. Yet a single vocal cry had shattered the copper coin to pieces? Amidst his bewilderment, Mr. Kongfang heard the rumble of gongs and drums, followed by a slow, sorrowful operatic chant: "*Piled bones rise into mountain ridges; rotting flesh turns to mud and dust. The broad road to Heaven you would not take; to gateless Hell you sought your way!*" Word by word, line by line, each syllable felt like an icicle snapped from a winter eave, driven one by one straight into his spine. A bitter, bone-deep chill washed over Mr. Kongfang. White mist surged. The dark shadow vanished, the cabin disappeared, and when Mr. Kongfang looked down, he could not even see the deck beneath his feet. He held up his hand, yet his five fingers were lost to sight. The gongs and drums rolled on without pause. The mournful aria still lingered beside his ear—sometimes distant, sometimes close, half-phantom and half-real. Just who on earth was singing this? It sounded like the Yin Actor!