The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

Runzhou is located in the eastern part of Jiangnan, where the Grand Canal merges into the Yangtze River. Cargo boats shuttle back and forth, and merchants gather here.

Deep in Liuye Lane in the west of the city, there is an old house with a faded plaque hanging above the door, bearing four large characters.

Wudang Boxing Gym.

The paint on the plaque is so faded and worn that it's unrecognizable, and the stone lions in front of the door have had their edges worn smooth by the years.

The old man selling wontons at the alley entrance has been setting up his stall here for decades.

All I know is that this martial arts school has existed since the reign of Emperor Shizong. It is said that at its peak, there were branches of the Wudang martial arts school in various prefectures and cities in Jiangnan.

Now, only the Runzhou branch remains open, and it is usually deserted.

Only a few old disciples came and went, and occasionally one could hear shouts of practicing boxing coming from the courtyard.

It was dusk, and the setting sun had turned the leaves of the old ginkgo tree in the backyard of the boxing gym a golden yellow.

Song Yuanqiao stood under the tree, hands behind his back, gazing at the fading sunset on the horizon.

He is fifty-five years old this year, with slightly graying temples and a gaunt face.

Wearing a faded gray cloth robe with a black cloth belt around his waist, he didn't look like a martial arts practitioner, but rather like an ordinary private tutor.

"Senior Brother." Footsteps sounded behind him, and Yu Lianzhou strode into the backyard.

He was five years younger than Song Yuanqiao, but much more robust, with thick, sharp eyebrows, broad shoulders and a thick back, and large, calloused hands.

He walked to Song Yuanqiao's side and stopped, following his gaze to the setting sun on the horizon. After a moment of silence, he lowered his voice and said, "I've remembered what the immortal said. As for the capital... what do you think about the Ninth Prince's matter?"

Song Yuanqiao did not answer immediately.

This morning, he and several of his fellow students woke up almost simultaneously from a deep dream.

The immortal in the dream explained that they were summoned here to serve the ninth prince, Zhou Xing.

At the same time, the outline of a vast scheme was also being instilled into their minds.

The workers' association, the beggars' gang, the merchants in the capital, and the extraordinary people from different eras who surround the Ninth Prince.

Thinking of this, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his junior brothers, and slowly said, "It is fate. Our rebirth is not accidental; it is to help His Highness establish a foothold in Jiangnan."

As they spoke, Yu Daiyan slowly pushed his wheelchair along the bluestone path in the backyard.

His legs were crippled in a gangland feud years ago.

He sat steadily, with a yellowed boxing manual spread out on his lap, the cover of which read "General Outline of Wudang Boxing".

He raised his head, his face thin but his eyes bright: "What Senior Brother said is right."

"The immortal gathered the five of us brothers together and arranged for us to be in Runzhou, a key point on the canal."

"Runzhou is bordered by the Grand Canal to the north and the Yangtze River to the south. It is the throat of the grain transport and the gateway from Jiangnan to the capital."

"His Highness has the Workers' Association controlling the docks in the capital, and Heshengyuan Bank branches in Jiangnan. Our Wudang Martial Arts School happens to be a bridge between these two ends."

"Third Brother is right." Zhang Songxi was the last to enter the backyard, holding a hand-drawn map of Runzhou, on which the locations of martial arts schools, gangs, and government offices in the city were marked with charcoal.

He glanced at his fellow students, spread the map on the stone table, pointed to the markings on it, and said, "But this bridge is too old now."

"Back in the heyday of the Wudang martial arts school, there were nearly a hundred branches and over a thousand disciples. Who in the Jiangnan martial arts world wouldn't give us some respect?"

"Now only the five of us brothers are left at the main branch. Most of the branch branches have closed down, and the few that remain are barely surviving."

"If we want His Highness to establish himself in Jiangnan, we must first put the Wudang Martial Arts School sign back up."

"How do you establish yourself? There are two paths: one is to make a name for yourself, and the other is to recruit many disciples."

"I took a walk around the city today. The largest martial arts school in Runzhou is the Iron Sword Sect in the east of the city. The sect leader, Zhao Tieyi, is at the peak of the sixth rank, and he has three or four hundred disciples. He controls most of the business of Runzhou Escort Agency."

"There is also a Flying Eagle Martial Arts School in the south of the city, which specializes in serving the sons of salt merchants. The master, Zhan Fei, is a sixth-rank official and also follows the upper-class route."

Yin Liting had been standing under the ginkgo tree without saying a word, but upon hearing this, he suddenly drew his sword.

The sword light drew a silver arc in the twilight, its blade gleaming with a clear, cold light under the setting sun, and its cry was clear, melodious, and long.

Everyone looked up at his sudden movement.

He sheathed his sword, walked to the stone table, sat down, and gently stroked the scabbard across his lap with the long sword across his knees.

His voice was a few decreased as usual when he spoke: "I took a walk around the city today and saw the dockworkers. They were all emaciated and pale, and some of them were even lame, yet they were still carrying goods."

"And those children from poor families who want to learn martial arts for self-defense but can't afford the tuition can only work as servants at the Iron Sword Sect in exchange for the opportunity to learn martial arts."

"Tai Chi swordplay, you have taught me to practice it for decades, and my master has also taught me to practice it for decades."

"My master said that this sword technique is for helping people and saving lives, not for rich kids to just show off."

"I've made up my mind. I'll teach the laborers and poor children at the docks. I won't charge tuition, just provide meals."

Yu Lianzhou turned to look at Yin Liting, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration.

He originally intended to train the disciples himself, but since Yin Liting had spoken first, he stopped arguing and simply patted Yin Liting's shoulder with his calloused hand.

"Sixth Brother is right. Our Wudang martial arts are indeed second to none in the martial arts world."

"But this world is different from our previous life. In our previous life, we cultivated internal energy; in this world, we cultivate qi and blood."

"When the immortals descended, they modified our techniques. In the past few days, I have been re-examining the Tai Chi sword technique, using my mind to control my qi, and using my qi to wield the sword. When the sword is drawn, my blood and qi follow the sword."

"When sheathing the sword, the blood and qi return to the dantian, and the internal energy circulates more freely than in the previous life, continuously and endlessly."

Song Yuanqiao took the sword handed to him by Yin Liting and gently pulled it out halfway.

The sword light reflected on his lean face. His gaze lingered on the sword for a moment before sheathing it. Looking at his four junior brothers, his voice was as steady as a rock: "Very well, then from this day forward, we shall revitalize the Wudang Martial Arts School. If Your Highness comes to Jiangnan in the future and sees this flag still flying over Runzhou City, then we will have lived up to your expectations."