Jianghu Qimen Lu

Unexpectedly, at that moment, war drums suddenly sounded from the official camp behind them, accompanied by shouts of men and horses, battle cries, banners obscuring the moon, and the glint of swords flashing like thunder. A large number of Japanese ninja soldiers suddenly charged out! Fujibayashi Toshikaku and his nephew served as the vanguard, followed by the four great demon swordsmen led by Tokugawa Munetake. The Ninja King had specifically instructed that every ninja could use their signature skill: concealed weapons! Thus, the ninja soldiers unleashed throwing knives and caltrops, firing hidden arrows and crossbows in a flurry. Instantly, the dark sky was filled with shrill screams and flashing glints, like a giant flying python opening its blood-red maw, hurtling towards the White Lightning army amidst lightning and thunder!

Flames soared into the sky, and smoke filled the air. Explosions rang out one after another in front, while a massive horde of pursuers surged forward from behind. Not only were the chieftain's soldiers terrified and their souls nearly shattered, but even the seasoned generals Bai Shandian and his wife, along with their group of commanders, were thrown into a panic, completely at a loss! Like frightened birds, they had never witnessed such a scene before. They could only let their warhorses gallop wildly; who dared to turn back and fight? In an instant, the army collapsed like a house of cards, abandoning their armor and weapons, leaving behind many corpses, and fleeing in utter disarray!

On the narrow mountain road, a cannon suddenly roared, and a group of men burst out of the woods, intercepting the pursuing Japanese ninja force! The leader, riding a tall horse, had white hair and beard, but a ruddy complexion, full of vigor and imposing presence—none other than Master Qinxin, the leader of the Emei Sect! With a wave of his hand, the masters from the five sects and eight schools behind him drew their weapons, took up their positions, and stood ready to fight!

"Ambush! Halt immediately!" Fujibayashi Shunkaku roared, and the Japanese ninja troops stopped in their tracks even ten zhang away! Tokugawa Munetake pulled on the reins and shouted, "Make way!" The army was indeed well-trained, and the soldiers automatically parted to make way for his warhorse, which galloped past and came to the front of the column.

"What's going on?!" Tokugawa Munetake demanded sharply. Fujibayashi Shunke dismounted, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the young master, the allied forces of the eighteen chieftains have laid an ambush! I don't know how many troops the main army for suppressing bandits is hiding ahead! After careful consideration, I deem it: we should not pursue a desperate enemy; pursuit will surely bring disaster! Whether to pursue or not, I humbly request the young master's decision!"

Tokugawa Munetake looked up and saw that the enemy army opposite him was not only powerful, with many generals, but also had a neat and orderly formation, bright flags, and gleaming swords and spears—a force to be reckoned with! He sighed and said, "Alright, let's call it a day while we're ahead, lest the camp be left undefended and vulnerable to a surprise attack! Retreat immediately!" With that order, the Japanese ninja troops turned around, the front becoming the rear, and the rear becoming the front, disappearing like a whirlwind. Fujibayashi Toshikazu was truly skilled at training troops; in the blink of an eye, they had vanished into the dark mountain path! Truly faster than lightning, appearing and disappearing without a trace!

Having completed his mission, Zen Master Qinxin joined forces with White Lightning's army and marched towards Qiongshan. However, upon arriving at the mountain gate, the entire army was stunned! The apricot-yellow flags, representing the majesty of the Qing Dynasty imperial family, were planted all over the official residence and city walls! Banners fluttered, soldiers stood in rows, and the local chieftain's guards who had been on duty were nowhere to be seen; they had somehow changed sides!

Stinky Feet looked White Lightning up and down with a suspicious gaze, then sneered, "Brother-in-law, what's going on here? Don't tell me you know nothing about this!" Instantly, all eyes of the entire army focused on White Lightning. The soldier who had been split in two grabbed two battle axes and lunged at him, glaring fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted, "Explain yourself to everyone! Hurry! What exactly happened?!"

White Lightning and Red Moon looked at each other, completely baffled! It was White Lightning who had the sharp eyes. He noticed that the generals and leaders on the city wall were actually from the Imperial Household Department's Sticky Rod Office. He was greatly surprised. It turned out that this Sticky Rod Office was quite powerful!

The Sticky Pole Office, officially known as the "Shangyu Beiyongchu," originated from the struggle for succession among the nine princes during the Kangxi era. Historical records indicate that when the Yongzheng Emperor was still a prince, his residence was filled with lush trees and the constant chirping of cicadas in summer, disturbing his studies. He ordered his men to use bamboo poles to catch the cicadas for quiet, hence the name "Sticky Pole Office." As the struggle for imperial power among the nine princes intensified, the members of the Sticky Pole Office, with their free access to the palace, gradually became pawns for gathering intelligence. However, with the Yongzheng Emperor's ascension to the throne and consolidation of power, the Sticky Pole Office's function underwent a qualitative change. It was no longer limited to simply assisting in protecting the emperor during his travels and managing his entertainment; instead, it primarily focused on intelligence gathering and monitoring the actions of court officials and palace concubines—essentially a secret service agency!

Although nominally under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department, the Sticky Rod Office was not actually directly controlled by the Imperial Household Department, but rather answered directly to the Yongzheng Emperor. Its headquarters were located in the former princely residence of Yongzheng (later renamed Yonghe Temple), and it had branches or liaison points throughout the country to collect intelligence and carry out missions.

The personnel of the Sticky Rod Office were diverse and complex, including highly skilled guards and assassins, as well as spies and agents adept at intelligence gathering. Among them, the "Sticky Rod Guards" were the core leadership of the Sticky Rod Office, mostly composed of the emperor's confidants, responsible for overall planning and command. The "Sticky Rod Attendants" referred to the agents who carried out the actual missions. They were mostly from the Imperial Household Department's bondservants, and although they were not high-ranking officials, they wielded considerable power and were almost universally respected.

One of the main functions of the Sticky Rod Office was intelligence gathering. Its agents were spread throughout the country, even infiltrating the imperial court and civilian society, collecting information on the words and actions of officials and ordinary people, as well as social dynamics, through various means to provide Emperor Yongzheng with decision-making references. This intelligence not only helped the emperor understand public sentiment and control the government, but also provided strong support for him to suppress dissidents and consolidate imperial power.

Besides intelligence gathering, the Sticky Rod Office also undertook the tasks of surveillance and suppression. They closely monitored the actions of court officials and imperial concubines, and would immediately take action to suppress anyone who plotted rebellion or acted inappropriately. This high-pressure situation made court officials and imperial concubines live in fear, thereby strengthening Emperor Yongzheng's rule.

The Sticky Rod Office was also responsible for carrying out secret executions. Those deemed rebellious or a threat to imperial power were dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly to ensure the stability of the imperial authority and the peace of the court. After Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, he continued to utilize the Sticky Rod Office to gather intelligence and control the activities of officials both inside and outside the court, making it extremely powerful.

He Shen, the most notorious corrupt official in the Qing Dynasty, was a Grand Councilor and formerly the Minister of the Imperial Household Department. Therefore, the Sticky Rod Office (粘杆处) was his secret force. Although it obeyed the Qianlong Emperor, it was entirely under his command! In other words, while Bai Shandian (白闪) commanded the Imperial Guards and held military power in the entire capital, he couldn't control the Sticky Rod Office! This was because it represented the emperor's secret weapon and underground organization, and only He Shen, deeply favored by Qianlong, had the authority to use it! From this perspective alone, He Shen's power undoubtedly surpassed Bai Shandian's!

What troubled Bai Shandian the most was the fact that the Sticky Rod Office was also known among the common people as the "Flying Guillotine"! It was said that each member possessed a specially made set of Flying Guillotine hidden weapons. As the king of hidden weapons in the world—the Flying Guillotine—it truly struck fear into the hearts of martial arts practitioners, making them tremble at the mere mention of its name. The Flying Guillotine was made of leather, containing several sharp knives controlled by a mechanism. When used, it was placed over the victim's head when they were off guard, the mechanism was activated, and the head was instantly severed. Shaped like a birdcage and controlled by a thin chain, it could attack enemies from a distance, possessing immense destructive power! In those days, possessing a Flying Guillotine was as terrifying as a modern person possessing a handgun!

It is said that although the world is vast, the Sticky Rod Office is omnipresent! Not to mention the great land of China, it has infiltrated into countries all over the world! Don't say that Emperor Qianlong implemented a closed-door policy and knew nothing about the advanced technology and culture of the West. On the contrary, research has found that the agents of the Sticky Rod Office collected a lot of intelligence at the time, including information on important events such as the French Revolution and the British Industrial Revolution.

This intelligence was used to assess the international situation and enemy threats at the time, demonstrating the Qing Dynasty's ruling class's understanding of global trends. However, despite this understanding of global changes, the Qing Dynasty maintained a closed and exclusive foreign policy, continuing its "closed-door" policy to guard against Han Chinese and foreign powers, which gradually led to its decline and eventual demise.

"You don't know this, they are from the Sticky Rod Bureau!" White Lightning said coldly to Stinky Feet and the others.

"The Sticky Rod Office? You mean the Blood Droplets, Emperor Qianlong's secret assassination organization!" Stinky Feet gasped in shock!

"What sticky part? I don't understand!" Split in two was somewhat surprised.

"Of course you don't understand! Even I only heard it from my sister when she mentioned it by chance back then! This involves royal secrets, and if the officials find out, you'll be executed! Have you noticed this all these years? Blood-dripping murders often happen in the martial arts world, making people tremble with fear. At the scene, only headless corpses splattered with blood are left, but the heads are nowhere to be found. What's even stranger is that the murderer doesn't leave a single clue at the scene, not even footprints or fingerprints, leaving no evidence and turning them into unsolved mysteries! What's even more incomprehensible is that the government turns a blind eye to these cases, letting them happen naturally without paying much attention! They're not in a hurry to solve them either. As a result, the people are full of resentment and quite dissatisfied with the government's inaction!" Stinky Feet said indignantly.

Red Moon chimed in, "Let alone the prefectural and county governments, even the imperial relatives in the capital, who would dare to get involved in this matter?!" White Lightning, preoccupied with worry, asked anxiously, "Do you know under what circumstances a 'Flying Guillotine' murder would occur?"

"When?!" Everyone was puzzled and asked in unison.