Volume 1: The Hidden Dragon’s Shadow
Chapter 1: Acting Without Orders
“Today, I’ll tell you about Xu Buling, the Prince of Su, and his deeds of bullying men and women, forcing women into marriage…”
On the winter solstice of the tenth year of the Zhaohong era of the Great Dynasty, a light snow fell upon Chang’an City. Near the corner tower of the marketplace, theaters and gambling dens lined the streets, and idlers gathered around tea stalls, warming themselves with braziers at their feet.
A storyteller, with eloquent words, recounted a rare event that took place at the border:
“Last time, we spoke of Xu Buling, the eldest son of the Prince of Su, who ventured alone into the northern desert with a single horse and spear, slaying hundreds of enemies without injury, earning him the title of ‘Little Yama’ amongst the border troops. Guess how old Prince Xu was that year?”
“How would we commoners know about the Prince’s affairs…”
“Tell us, tell us…”
The eager audience urged him on, clearly anticipating the scandalous details of “bullying men and women.”
The storyteller paused for dramatic effect, then continued with gusto:
“On the day Prince Xu returned, carrying the severed head of the enemy general on his spear, he had just turned sixteen!”
“Sixteen years old?”
“Impossible!”
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
The storyteller, despite the winter chill, fanned himself leisurely and said:
“This matter shook the court at the time, even reaching the ears of the Emperor. All the officials praised Prince Xu as a tiger cub from a military family, surpassing his father. Given time, his achievements would surely rival those of Prince Su, Xu Lie…”
“General Xu is already a Prince of a different surname. If Prince Xu is even more capable than him, what title should he be given?”
“One rank higher than a Prince, naturally that would be…”
The storyteller’s face stiffened, and he quickly raised his hand to silence the clamor: “Don’t speak nonsense! Do you want to die?… As the saying goes, ‘A tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind’…”
The storyteller continued his captivating tale, and the tea drinkers listened with rapt attention. Such scenes were commonplace in the streets of Chang’an City.
Just as the audience was becoming engrossed, a commotion suddenly erupted from the street:
“You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit…”
“Get her!”
The tea drinkers turned to see a female constable, armed with a goose-feather saber, being chased and beaten by a dozen ruffians wielding clubs.
Although Chang’an City was a melting pot of various characters, assaulting an officer was uncommon, attracting the attention of many onlookers.
Soon, three Imperial Guards arrived, led by a young captain, who announced from afar:
“Fighting is strictly prohibited in the capital! Who dares to cause such a disturbance?”
The disheveled constable cried out: “Sir, they dared to assault an officer in broad daylight! There must be something amiss in this restaurant…”
Instead of questioning the thugs, the captain looked coldly at the constable: “This is none of your concern. If you continue to cause trouble, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
It was a clear case of taking sides. The onlookers shook their heads, knowing that the gambling dens and theaters in Daye district were all backed by powerful figures. This young constable was obviously new to the area.
The constable was stunned: “You turn a blind eye to the assault of an officer, and despite knowing there’s something suspicious about the restaurant, you won’t even investigate? Could it be that you have connections with the owner?”
The captain’s face darkened: “Seize her! Let her superiors come and collect her.”
“Yes, sir!”
After just a brief exchange, the Imperial Guards advanced with shackles to apprehend the constable.
The constable’s face turned livid with anger: “How dare you! I’m from the Investigation Bureau! What right do you have to arrest me?”
She drew her saber and stood her ground, ready to fight.
The onlookers sensed trouble. As the saying goes, a higher official holds all the power. This constable was clearly a greenhorn, and it was foolish to draw a weapon on someone else’s territory.
As expected, the captain, seeing her defiance, roared: “You have incredible audacity! Not only do you disobey orders, but you also dare to point your weapon at a superior officer! Seize her!”
Two Imperial Guards surrounded her, striking the back of her knees with the blunt side of their blades, forcing her to kneel. Another guard threw a lasso around her and pulled her back with force.
The constable’s face flushed red, her eyes bloodshot, as she cursed: “You corrupt official! Colluding with merchants, perverting justice! I will report this to the Investigation Bureau…”
“Shut your damn mouth!”
The captain’s eyes turned cold, and he strode forward, raising his hand to slap the constable across the face. The blow was forceful; if it landed, it would surely knock out a few teeth.
The onlookers frowned, but they dared not interfere with official business.
However, the slap never connected.
They turned to see a young man in white, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, standing in front of the constable. He carried a wine gourd instead of a jade pendant on his waist, his right hand gripping a long sword, his left hand firmly grasping the captain’s wrist.
The young man had sword-like eyebrows and captivating peach blossom eyes that naturally exuded nobility, yet held a hint of allure. He looked like he had stepped out of a painting, resembling a wandering swordsman who meddled in the affairs of others.
The captain’s face darkened as he saw someone interfering, and he barked:
“Official business! Bystanders, step aside!”
The young man’s expression remained calm: “We all serve the Imperial Court. Why resort to violence against a fellow officer?”
The captain tried to free his hand but failed, so he shouted:
“Audacious villain! You dare to brandish a weapon in public and assault an officer…”
He drew his saber with his left hand and swung it at the young man.
The two Imperial Guards released the rope and closed in.
The onlookers gasped. When commoners clashed with officials, even death was considered deserved. This young man in white was too impulsive; carrying a weapon only gave them an excuse to act.
The constable was filled with anxiety, about to tell the audacious young man to mind his own business, when a flash of cold light suddenly appeared before her eyes.
The captain swung his saber, a chill running down his spine. He tried to raise his blade to block, but it was too late.
Shing!
The young man’s sword moved with lightning speed, flashing before the captain and returning to its scabbard in a clean, swift motion.
In that fleeting moment, four characters could be seen engraved on the blade:
‘Bù lìng ér xíng’ – ‘Acting Without Orders’
The ‘Bù lìng’ of Xu Buling.
Blood splattered, drawing a curtain of crimson beads in the air.
The two Imperial Guards were caught off guard, realizing the danger too late.
The captain’s body tensed, his saber clattering to the ground. He clutched his throat, blood gushing between his fingers, his eyes bulging from their sockets. He stared in disbelief at the young man, staggering back a few steps before collapsing, blood seeping into the cracks of the bluestone pavement.
Killed with a single strike.
Silence descended upon the backstreet.
The ruffians watching from afar turned pale with fear, frozen in place.
In the underworld of Chang’an City, gang fights and deaths were not uncommon, but on the surface, law and order were still maintained. No one dared to kill in broad daylight, especially not an official. This was the foot of the Emperor!
Blood splattered on the constable’s face. She stared at the lifeless body of the Imperial Guard captain, her face pale, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
How had the young man drawn his sword so quickly? A dignified Imperial Guard captain was dead just like that?
The young man sheathed his sword and looked at the two stunned Imperial Guards.
The guards were terrified, backing away slowly with their weapons drawn: “Y-You… You have incredible audacity… To kill an Imperial Guard captain in broad daylight, at the foot of the Emperor…”
Their voices trembled as they fled into a nearby alley. Moments later, several signal flares shot into the sky.
“Ah—”
A scream pierced the air, coming from one of the theaters.
Chaos erupted in the backstreet, the thugs outside the restaurant at a loss.
The constable stared at the corpse for a long time, until the young man extended his hand to help her up. She snapped back to reality, jumping up in a panic:
“You… How could you kill him? Killing an official is tantamount to rebellion! You…”
The young man glanced at the body: “Colluding with merchants, shielding criminals, assaulting a fellow officer… Any one of these offenses is enough to warrant his death, let alone drawing his weapon on me.”
The constable was frantic, looking at the unfamiliar young man in white, anxiously saying:
“No matter how grave the crime, he should have been tried and sentenced by the three judicial courts before being executed! You… You acted so rashly, how can this be resolved?”
The young man didn’t answer, instead walking towards the restaurant with his sword in hand.
The thugs outside the restaurant were on high alert. The young man had killed an official, making him a criminal. If they acted now, they would be assisting the authorities in apprehending a fugitive.
The leader of the thugs narrowed his eyes, two short daggers sliding out of his sleeves. He lunged at the young man’s chest from both sides.
Before the constable could shout a warning, she heard a loud crack as the young man stepped onto the stairs.
Cracks appeared on the stone slab. The young man pounced like a tiger, slamming into the thug leader in the blink of an eye, his knees driving into the man’s chest.
Thud!
Bones cracked, and the chest caved in.
Before the leader could react, two deep dents appeared on his chest, the sturdy fabric of his shirt ripping apart from behind.
Splinters of wood flew in all directions.
The thug leader was sent flying, crashing through the door behind him and smashing through a table inside the restaurant before finally coming to a stop.
The young man’s knees remained pressed against the leader’s chest, his left hand gripping the man’s neck like a vise. Before the thug could make a sound, the young man tightened his grip, and a sharp crack echoed through the air.
Blood oozed from the thug’s mouth. He gurgled twice, then his hands, which had been grasping the young man’s arm, fell limply to the ground.
The constable watched in horror!
Such skill could only be achieved through decades of arduous training.
This young man in white was barely twenty years old. Was he even human?
“M-Murder!—”
Screams finally erupted from the street.
The thugs watching from the sidelines were petrified, scattering in all directions.
The constable was completely bewildered, standing there helplessly with her goose-feather saber. She hurried into the restaurant:
“You… Are you insane? How could you be so reckless? You’ve killed two people! Even if you’re the son of Heaven, there’s no way to escape the consequences…”
Hearing this, the young man’s eyes flashed with arrogance:
“Even the son of Heaven would have to listen to me.”
His words were arrogant, but true.
Because this audacious young man in white was none other than the ‘Little Yama’ Xu Buling, the only legitimate son of a heteronymous prince, a transmigrator who had started with a “two kings and four twos” hand in life.*
However, to understand how this murder case came to be, we need to rewind to the morning…
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- “Heteronymous prince” : Means having a different name or title. In this context, it likely means that Xu Buling’s father is a prince with a different name or title than the usual royal family name. This could imply that Xu Buling’s father is a prince from a different branch of the royal family, or that he has a unique or unconventional title.
- “Two kings and four twos” is a reference to a hand in a card game, specifically a hand with two kings and four twos. This is a very strong hand, implying that Xu Buling was born with a strong foundation or a privileged position in life.
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Xu Buling
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