Chapter 1

In the year 581 AD, Yang Jian usurped the Zhou dynasty and established the Sui dynasty. In 587, he annexed the Western Liang, and in 589, he pacified the Southern Chen, unifying Central China. In 588, the Khan of the启民可汗 submitted to the Sui and bestowed the title of "Holy Khan" on Emperor Wen of Sui!

In the eighteenth year of Kaihuang, after more than a decade of rest and recuperation, the Sui army was strong and its influence far-reaching. Society was prosperous, the people lived in peace and contentment, and the government was stable, ushering in a golden age not seen in hundreds of years!

However, as Emperor Sui approached his sixtieth year, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Crown Prince Yang Yong, who had been in the position for eighteen years. Yang Guang, who was plotting to usurp the throne, pressed his claims even more aggressively. Beneath the calm surface of the Sui golden age, dark currents were already stirring.

In the spring of the eighteenth year, in the second month, in Daxing, at the Eastern Palace.

In the bedroom, Crown Prince Yang Yong suddenly woke up from a nightmare, his face pale and his body drenched in sweat. He sat on the bed for a long time, his voice low, "Summon Tang Lingze, Zou Wenteng, Xiahou Fu, and Yuan Yan!"

Although it was the middle of the night, the four men soon arrived.

Tang Lingze was the Left Attendant of the Crown Prince, Zou Wenteng was the Chief Steward, Xiahou Fu was the Deputy Commander of the Left Guard, and Yuan Yan was the Director of the Kitchen. All four were officials of the Eastern Palace and were Yang Yong's most trusted confidants.

"I just had a nightmare, and in the dream, I encountered him again."

The Chief Steward Zou Wenteng asked cautiously, "Was it that child again?"

"No," Yang Yong shook his head, looking weary. "This time it wasn't a child, but a young man, holding a sword, demanding my life."

Recently, Yang Yong had been having the same dream for many years. Around this time each year, he would have several nightmares. In the past, he always saw a child, but this time it was a young man, holding a sword, demanding his life.

Upon hearing this, Zou Wenteng's face changed slightly. As the Chief Steward, Zou Weneng was in charge of the Eastern Palace's internal and external communications and secret intelligence. Yang Yong's words reminded him of something.

Not long ago, a secret guard sent by the Eastern Palace to a local area discovered someone carrying a jade pendant that the Eastern Palace had once ordered to be strictly investigated.

"Jade pendant?" Yang Yong was initially confused, then his face suddenly changed. "You mean that jade pendant?"

Zou Wenteng nodded, his face pale, and Yang Yong's face turned ashen. The young man in tonight's dream and the jade pendant that had been missing for many years immediately brought back countless buried memories.

"Xiahou Fu, I want you to find him immediately and bring him back!"

Xiahou Fu felt the temperature around him drop.

"Alive or dead, I want to see him, and I want you to bring back that jade pendant no matter what."

---

In Yangzhou in March, the willows were like smoke.

On a late spring morning, as summer approached, the weather was clear but not yet hot. A group of about thirty people set out at dawn, with Yi Feng riding at the front, his heart full of anxiety. After Ji Yao had been missing for half a year, he finally found a clue that she had appeared in Yangzhou in southern Jiang. He was eager to rush to Jiangnan. It was the spring of the eighteenth year of Kaihuang, and Yi Feng was exactly eighteen years old, born on the day the Sui dynasty was founded.

The group had arrived at the foot of Guabu Mountain in the outskirts of Liuhexian County in Yangzhou, where there was a large and well-fortified estate. Wei Bao believed the owner of the estate was a salt merchant, and Ji Yao was in his hands. Yi Feng thought back to the years he had known Ji Yao, and his anger could not be suppressed. Ji Yao was the sister of his best friend, and three years ago, his friend Ji Hu had died protecting him, entrusting his sister to him on his deathbed, asking him to take good care of her. Yi Feng had sworn to marry Ji Yao and take care of her for life.

However, during the Lantern Festival this year, Ji Yao had asked him to accompany her to Youzhou City to see the lanterns, but he had to cancel due to an emergency, and Ji Yao subsequently went missing in Youzhou City. During the Lantern Festival, the city was bustling with activity, but it was also a time when many young women, women, and children were kidnapped or lured away.

Yi Feng did not know whether the salt merchant in the estate had bought Ji Yao from human traffickers or had personally kidnapped her from Youzhou City, but either way, he had crossed a line.

Ten riders stood silently in front of the estate in the morning light, their breaths forming a mist in the air.

Yi Feng waved his hand and gave a low order to prepare for a surprise attack on the estate. His black hair was tied into a topknot, and he had a short black beard, making him look slightly older than his actual age. He was nearly seven feet tall, with a sharp gaze and a strong build. He wore a white deep robe with a jade-embellished leather belt, a silver cloak, and a jade-hilted long sword at his waist. His eyes were filled with anger, and he wore a silver, fierce mask, a sign that he was ready to act.

In the quiet of the morning, Yi Feng shook off his cloak, gripped the jade hilt of his sword, and pulled it out, shouting, "Charge in, save Ji Yao, and kill anyone who resists!" He raised his sword high.

Wei Bao followed suit, drawing his sword, "Anyone who dares to provoke us is asking for death. Kill them all, leaving no one alive!"

Facing a well-fortified estate, though they were only ten riders, Yi Feng and Wei Bao were not the least bit afraid, and they did not even take the estate seriously. This was not out of arrogance but because they had already investigated and found that the estate was not heavily guarded. It was a secondary residence with only a few dozen people, mostly farmers and women, and no more than ten guards. Ten riders were more than enough to handle them, especially with the element of surprise on their side.

Yi Feng left Wei Bao and two others outside to guard against any escapees and led six riders to stealthily approach the estate.

Everything went smoothly, even more so than expected. They easily opened the estate gates and entered.

Soon, Yi Feng sensed something was wrong. It was already morning, but there was not a single person in sight, as if everyone was still sleeping.

By the time Yi Feng realized he was in danger, it was too late.

He noticed some unnatural glints on the rooftops on both sides of the estate. His instincts told him something was amiss.

"Stop, something's wrong, retreat quickly!"

Yi Feng turned his horse and shouted decisively. There were six riders with him, all fierce and brave. They could easily handle ordinary guards, but now they were in a narrow street surrounded by two rows of houses, putting them in a disadvantageous position. The rooftops on both sides gave the attackers a height advantage.

At that moment, Yi Feng heard a shout from above and instinctively looked up.

"Watch out for the arrows!"

Yi Feng shouted. In the next instant, dozens of arrows whistled through the air from both sides of the rooftops.

This sudden barrage caught them off guard. On one side, Zhao San did not have time to take the shield from his saddle and was hit by several arrows, turning into a pincushion before he could even scream. Wang Lao Wang was pinned to the ground with his horse, twitching. The street was filled with the dull thuds of arrows piercing flesh.

By the time Yi Feng and his men had raised their shields and gathered together, a second wave of arrows followed, then a third, fourth, and fifth...

One by one, his companions fell. Even the bravest warriors could not escape in such a narrow space. Just as Yi Feng thought he would die, the rain of arrows suddenly stopped. He looked around and saw that of the six who had entered, only three remained, all wounded.

Yi Feng knew the situation was out of control. He did not understand why a salt merchant's estate would have so many archers, and their skill and equipment were clearly not those of ordinary archers. The shooting technique and the arrows were similar to those used by military guards. This was a trap, but he did not understand why military personnel would set such a trap to lure them from the north to Yangzhou in the south.

Moreover, why had they stopped shooting?

"Who are you, hiding in the shadows? Dare to reveal your name?" Yi Feng shouted in anger.

His angry voice echoed in the air, and the sound of footsteps approached. Several black-clad men in leather armor escorted a large man to the other end of the street.

"Mr. Yi, you should be more concerned about your own life," the large man sneered. "I went to great lengths to invite you here, just to ask you one question: Where is Yang Lin?"

"Where is Ji Yao?" Yi Feng glared at the large man.

"Let me ask again, where is Yang Lin? If you don't answer seriously, you won't see your woman again."

"I don't know any Yang Lin!"

The large man scrutinized Yi Feng like a venomous snake for a moment, then changed his question, "I heard Mr. Yi has a jade pendant with 'Yi Feng' carved on it. May I see it?"

Yi Feng was taken aback. He had carried a jade pendant with his name carved in seal script since childhood, and he had worn it for eighteen years, but few people knew about it. He never expected someone to use such a method to inquire about the pendant.

He reached into his robe and took out the warm jade pendant.

The moment the large man saw the pendant, his eyes lit up with surprise and excitement, "That's it!"

Yi Feng put the pendant back, "Give me Ji Yao and let us leave, and I will give you the pendant." He could see the man's intense interest in the pendant. Although the pendant might hold clues to his own past, for the sake of Ji Yao, his brothers, and his own safety, he was willing to trade it.

However, the large man laughed, "Do you think you can leave here today?"

Yi Feng's face darkened. He whispered to his remaining companions, "Prepare to fight your way out. Once we leave the estate, we still have a chance." He was in pain from an arrow wound he had received during the attack but tried to endure it.

"Capture them alive," the large man ordered.

"Charge!" Yi Feng shouted, leading the charge out of the estate.

The archers on the rooftops had stopped, and dozens of black-clad men with sabers and spears rushed out from the houses and streets. The order to capture them alive gave Yi Feng and his men a glimmer of hope. With a swift sword strike, he beheaded a black-clad man in front of him, creating a gap in the encirclement. Riding his agile warhorse, he miraculously broke through the gate.

But just as he did, his horse let out a mournful cry and fell to the ground, hit by several arrows from the pursuing black-clad men.

More cries of pain followed as the three men behind Yi Feng failed to break through the encirclement and were trapped inside the gate. Yi Feng, eyes bloodshot with rage, roared in despair, raised his sword, and charged back at the enemy. In the next moment, he beheaded two black-clad men but was stabbed in the back by a saber.

A black-clad man rushed forward, struck Yi Feng from behind, and knocked him unconscious, preparing to carry him away. But just then, the sound of galloping hooves approached, and Wei Bao and the other two, who had been left outside, arrived, spearing the saber-wielding man to death.

"Brother Leopard, take Brother Two and leave. We'll cover you!" the other two shouted, seeing Yi Feng unconscious.

"No, we die together," Wei Bao said.

"Brother Leopard, don't talk nonsense. Don't forget what the leader said before we left: protect Brother Two no matter what."

Wei Bao hesitated for a moment, then, with a determined look, lifted Yi Feng onto his horse and galloped south.

After a long ride, as the pursuers caught up, Wei Bao, seeing Yi Feng still unconscious, became anxious. With two people on one horse, they would not escape. They reached the riverbank, and seeing the reeds, he had an idea. He stopped the horse, hid Yi Feng in a reed patch, and then remounted, leading the pursuers in another direction.

By nightfall, Wei Bao had shaken off the pursuers and carefully returned to the riverbank, searching for the place where he had hidden Yi Feng, only to find that he was gone.