Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The embers of the fireworks display at "Prosperous Cold Abyss" had not yet faded, and the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingered in the streets and alleys of Zhenbei City.

However, hundreds of miles away from the heart of the Cold Abyss, deep in a desolate and forgotten forest, a vicious conspiracy against this newly prosperous land is quietly brewing in the deepest shadows.

The location is not Black Mountain, but the Ghost Sorrow Mountain area, located southeast of Cold Abyss, at the junction of the Yanshan Mountains and Youzhou.

This place is characterized by high mountains, dense forests, treacherous terrain, and pervasive poisonous miasma, making it a natural haven for fugitives and bandits since ancient times. Occupying this area is a ruthless bandit group known as the Forest Swallows.

Their leader, known as "Guoshanfeng" Yan Qing, was originally a fierce soldier captain in the border army of Youzhou in the Great Xia Dynasty. In a fit of anger, he killed his superior officer because the officer withheld military pay and oppressed the soldiers. He then led a group of old brothers who had also suffered oppression into the deep mountains and became outlaws.

Unlike ordinary bandits who only know how to plunder, the Chuanlin Yan are quite methodical. They do not easily plunder caravans and villages within Hanyuan territory, but instead specifically target small caravans from the Central Plains or Northern Yan that have a bad relationship with Hanyuan. Occasionally, they also cross the border to Youzhou and Northern Yan to plunder. They act ruthlessly and mysteriously, and come and go like the wind. The government troops have repeatedly tried to suppress them, but due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and difficulties in resupply, they have suffered heavy losses and returned empty-handed.

Yan Qing was a man in his forties with a sallow complexion and narrow eyes that were always half-closed, like a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike.

He had studied in a private school for a few years, was somewhat shrewd, and had also served in the army, so he knew some basic military tactics and intelligence methods.

He watched coldly as Han Yuan rose like a snowball under Xiao Chen's rule, harboring little ambition for imperial dominance, only a growing sense of dread and greed.

What he feared was that the stronger Han Yuan became and the wider his control range, the smaller the living space would be for his "Forest Swallows" who hid in the mountains.

What he coveted was the wealth of Han Yuan—the mountains of grain, the gleaming silver coins, and the fine armor and weapons—which constantly stimulated his senses.

"Brother, our scouts report that during the Han Yuan New Year festival, Zhenbei City set off fireworks all night long, making it as bright as day. The people cheered 'Long live the Emperor!' saying it's a golden age!"

A leader with a scar on his face entered the dark cave and reported to Yan Qing, who was studying a rough map by the light of a pine torch, his tone filled with undisguised envy and sourness.

"A golden age?"

Yan Qing snorted, a sinister glint in his narrow eyes. "Xiao Chen's golden age is our doom. Once he's firmly established himself and frees up his resources, his next step will be to wipe out the forest. This Ghostly Sorrow, no matter how dangerous, can it withstand his powerful crossbow bolts?"

"Then... what do we do? Retreat deeper into the mountains?" Scarface asked.

"Retreat? Where to retreat to? If we retreat any further, we'll be in a death trap."

Yan Qing shook his head, emphasizing the border between Hanyuan and Beiyan on the map. "Xiao Chen's enemies are not just us. How many losses has Beiyan suffered at his hands? Horse racing, business wars, spies, and that Black Hawk Camp incident... That eldest prince of Beiyan probably dreams of tearing Xiao Chen apart."

"Does my elder brother mean... to contact Northern Yan?"

Scarface's eyes lit up, then he frowned. "But the Northern Yan people have always looked down on us mountain bandits. Would they cooperate with us? Don't let them betray us later."

"Times have changed."

Yan Qing sneered, "Before, Northern Yan was powerful and naturally didn't take us seriously. Now, they've suffered repeated defeats at Xiao Chen's hands, and they need someone to stab them in the back. We're in Ghost's Sorrow, blocking the vital passage leading southeast from Cold Abyss, and we're more familiar with the mountainous terrain. We don't need to join forces with the Northern Yan army; as long as we're here when they make their move..."

His fingers jabbed hard at the marked locations of several grain depots and artisan workshops deep within the Cold Abyss. "Give him a good beating! Burn his granaries, destroy his workshops, raid his logistics, and make him unable to attend to both ends! Isn't that enough of a 'pledge of allegiance'?"

"Brilliant!"

Scarface slapped his thigh. "We know the mountain paths well, we can come and go as we please. No matter how powerful the Han Yuan soldiers are, they'll be completely lost in these deep forests! Once the Northern Yan army has drawn away the main force of Han Yuan, we'll seize the opportunity and plunder their wealth! Then we'll have money and grain to our name, and maybe even take over one or two border towns of Han Yuan and live a carefree life!"

"Champa? That's suicide."

Yan Qing remained relatively clear-headed. "Our goal is to reap the benefits, then take advantage of the chaos to flee far away, to the south, or even further west, to live a carefree and happy life. Let Northern Yan and Han Yuan fight like dogs."

He paused, his eyes burning with even greater greed. "However, before we leave, if we could get our hands on the new weapon-making methods in Han Yuan's workshops, especially the gunpowder formula... that would be a real gold mine!"

"Who should we send to contact Northern Yan? This is a life-or-death situation; they must be absolutely reliable and quick-witted."

Yan Qing pondered for a moment: "Let Ghost Hand Li San go. He was originally a merchant from the North, he speaks the Northern Yan language, and he's also clever. He's done smuggling and knows a few black market figures on the Northern Yan border."

"Have him take my handwritten letter and token, and first find a middleman on the black market to make connections, making sure he meets someone influential in Northern Yan."

"yes!"

Several days later, a thin man with shifty eyes and large knuckles, named Ghost Hand Li San, carrying a secret letter written with a special potion and a jade buckle from Yan Qing, quietly slipped out of Ghost Sorrow, blended into the procession of border residents, and entered the territory of Northern Yan.

Instead of going directly to the Northern Yan government or army, he found his way to an underground black market in Yunnei City, a key border town. Through a familiar smuggler, and after several twists and turns, he made contact with a gray-gloved man who often did dirty work and gathered information for the Northern Yan Shadow Guards—a Western Region mixed-race merchant named Hu Tuozi.

Hu Tuozi examined the token and then used a special solution to reveal the contents of the secret letter. His dim eyes darted around as he weighed the small bag of gold melon seeds that Li Sanxiao had presented.

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Chuan Linyan? Yan Qing? I've heard of him, he's a ruthless character. Want to cooperate with our Great Yan? You've got quite the appetite... This matter is beyond my control. You wait here and don't wander off; I need to report to my superiors."

Li San waited anxiously for two days in a secluded warehouse in the black market.

On the third night, Hu Tuozi brought a person who was completely wrapped in a black cloak, whose face could not be seen, but whose aura was sinister.

The cloaked figure spoke in a hoarse voice, thick with a Northern Yan accent: "I've read Yan Qing's letter. The idea is good, but it's all talk. You're from Lin Yan, so why should we believe you have the ability to create enough trouble for the heart of Han Yuan at a crucial moment? And why should we believe that after it's done, you won't turn around and bite the handouts, or run away with the spoils?"

Li San, having already received Yan Qing's instructions, calmly replied, "In response to your question, sir, firstly, our Chuanlin Yan have been entrenched in Guijianchou for seven years. Despite countless attempts by the government army to suppress us, we have never been able to fundamentally harm our forces. We know the local mountains, rivers, geography, and all the hidden paths like the back of our hand. If your army comes from the north, we can launch an attack from the southeast mountains and forests to harass their military farms, workshops, and supply lines. We can provide detailed maps of the locations and routes."

"Secondly, to show our sincerity, we can first present a gift."

Li San lowered his voice, "Han Yuan has built a large wool spinning workshop thirty miles west of 'Wild Fox Ridge,' stockpiling a large quantity of wool and finished woolen cloth. The defenses are not particularly strong. We can burn it down within a month and deliver the head of the guards and the workshop's insignia to the location designated by your envoy."

"Third," Li San raised his head, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "after this is done, we only ask for wealth and a safe passage south. We won't take a single inch of Han Yuan's territory or cities. Our leader said he only wants riches and a carefree life, and has absolutely no intention of being an enemy of your country. If we break this oath, may we be struck down by heaven and earth, and may we not be reincarnated after death!"

The cloaked figure remained silent for a long time, seemingly weighing his options. Finally, the hoarse voice rang out again: "Gifts can be sent. But burning down one workshop is not enough. During your operation, you must destroy at least three grain depots or two important workshops in Hanyuan, and kill at least one Hanyuan official or military officer of rank, obtaining their seal as proof. As for the wealth and passage you desire… as long as you fulfill your promises, Great Yan will not be stingy with rewards and will arrange a safe route for you to travel south."

"Furthermore," the cloaked figure's tone turned cold, "remember, this is merely a collaboration; you are not subordinates of the Great Yan. If the operation fails or the information leaks, the Great Yan will not acknowledge any connection with you. Conversely, if you perform well, there may be opportunities for further cooperation in the future."

"Yes, yes, I understand! I will convey your words to our boss without missing a single one!" Li San felt a great weight lifted from his heart and quickly agreed.

"This is my contact information and a token for our next meeting. Contact me using this method after you receive the gift."

The cloaked figure tossed Li San an inconspicuous bone fragment and a few coded words, then vanished into the darkness like a ghost.

Li San dared not linger and sneaked back to "Ghost's Sorrow" overnight.

After hearing Li San's report, Yan Qing's narrowed eyes flashed with a cold light.

"The Northern Yan people are indeed cautious; they won't act until they see a clear benefit. But that's fine too; everyone gets what they want."

He stroked the bone fragment. "A wool spinning workshop, plus three grain depots or two important workshops, and the killing of a high-ranking official... that's enough to prove our loyalty. Pass down the order, get the brothers moving, and find out everything about that workshop outside Wild Fox Ridge! It's time for us, the Forest Swallows, to show our claws. This 'golden age' of Cold Abyss should be stained with blood."

In the deep cave, the firelight flickered, illuminating the increasingly ferocious smile on Yan Qing's sallow face.

In the far north, a new entry about Chuan Lin Yan and Gui Jian Chou was quietly added to the secret files of the Northern Yan Shadow Guard.

At this moment, the two shadowy forces from the north and south, in the darkest corner, reached a tacit agreement against Han Yuan.

All of this was still obscured by the peaceful and prosperous appearance of the festival, like the last eerie calm before a blizzard.