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The city of Luoyang was as massive as I had heard. Even from miles out, the cityscape shimmered from the hills, and its towering walls seemed to stretch endlessly. This was my first visit; up until now, I had never needed to make the trip to Luoyang.

“Truly the largest city under heaven… The Emperor’s castle!”

I passed through the guard post, marveling at the surroundings. In other cities, you’d just go through a single checkpoint, but here in Luoyang, they had one at the outer city and then another after a hundred steps. Plus, another check to enter the inner city—size like this was impressive.

As the guard rifled through my belongings, he raised an eyebrow. “What are you? A divination master?”

Well, I had already hidden the scroll tightly inside my pack. The only suspicious thing was the one that had a map of the imperial palace, which wasn’t exactly criminal. I smiled and replied, “I’m still in training.”

“Ha! Go check out Zhu Xian Street. There are plenty of people like you there.” The guard clicked his tongue, offering what seemed like a random piece of advice.

So divination masters and fortune tellers hang out on Zhu Xian Street? I thought. Sure, I could set up shop alone and make a killing, but in a big city like Luoyang, they seemed to gather together to attract attention and compete. I found it fascinating since I’d never seen anything like this in other cities.

As I stepped into the bustling streets of Luoyang, I couldn’t help but gape.

“……!!”

Wow! Everything was huge! The streets and shops were dazzling and incomparable to anything I had seen before! The buildings around me were typically three stories tall, but here, there were five or six-story buildings and intricately designed pavilions. I was shocked to see carriages passing by with such ease, and even more amazed that the streets were packed with people!

“Whoa whoa, move it!”

With a loud rumble, a carriage shot by. It seemed to belong to high officials, and the people were so accustomed to this hustle that they made space for it without a second thought. Deeper into the city, the din of chatter filled the air; it felt almost overwhelming.

Food stalls were abundant. Strange dishes I’d never seen before were laid out, and there were also well-organized restaurants everywhere. One particularly massive drinking establishment rose an impressive eight stories high, making me crane my neck just to look up at it. The scent of fried dumplings and fish wafted through the air.

Normally, there were only a few inns in a city, making it easy to choose; Luoyang was nothing like that. The inns and drinking houses were packed into streets, each boasting dozens of options, and this was just one street! There had to be many such streets across the city, making it nearly impossible for me to keep track of where to go.

“Incredible…!!”

I recalled hearing a saying that if you have the funds, living in Luoyang is the best thing ever. I had always thought life was pretty much the same everywhere, so I never took that saying seriously. Turns out, there was a reason behind it.

Stunned and dazed, I finally picked an inn to crash at. It was early evening, and I just wanted a little bite to eat before settling into a room.

“Welcome!”

In massive cities, even the scale of the inn was astonishing. As I stepped into the main hall, a group of servers dressed neatly bowed and greeted me politely. Usually, there’d be three or so servers at an inn, but here there were easily ten just on the first floor! It was clearly a popular spot.

I was guided to a table by one of the servers, and to my surprise, she handed me a wooden board.

“What’s this?”

“Choose your food from this menu and just call out your selections!”

“……!!”

I was taken aback. Normally, at inns, you’d find dumplings, noodles, some chicken, and maybe a couple of side dishes at most. The servers would usually rattle off the options, and you’d pick from that. But this board had over twenty different dishes and beverages listed! My voice trembled as I asked, “Can your chef really make all these dishes?”

“Haha! Our chef is Hongchen Chef, of course! His skills are beyond question.”

“Hmm…”

Hongchen Chef! I knew of him. He’s recognized in the culinary world, categorized by colors: blue, red, black, and white. The best chefs are those who have competed in imperial cooking competitions, and while he was slightly below the highest rank, he was certainly regarded as a master chef in his city. Back where I came from, he’d be sought after by nobles.

But so was the price. “Whoa, what the…?”

Just one or two dishes could set me back a gold coin, and some dishes went for as much as three or four silver coins each!

“Just one dumpling, please.”

“Yes…”

It seemed expensive, a few times the cost of ordinary inns. I felt like bolting, but something held me back, so I ordered the dumpling.

“Great… This is going to cost a fortune. Do I need to find work while I’m here?”

Mangnyang had previously given me a total of forty silver coins for expenses. Normally, that would be more than enough to gather information and carry out my plans. In other regions, this money could easily last me three months of loafing around, but in Luoyang, I might burn through it in less than a month just trying to eat and sleep. The prices here were absurdly high, and it seemed like entertainment expenses, including inns and restaurants, were just as steep.

I didn’t plan on storming into the imperial palace just yet. For now, I aimed to live in Luoyang, refine my martial arts, and lay solid plans before making my move. If I got caught, it could mean death—a devastating blow to my clan and a dire consequence for me.

Time was on my side. I decided to take the long game, living here while doing odd jobs to make ends meet. The detailed information I’d gather during my stay would assist my infiltration efforts later on.

As I munched on my dumpling, I asked the server, “Hey, do you know any ways to make a living as a martial artist in Luoyang?”

Since there weren’t too many customers around at the moment, the server appeared to be quite experienced. After glancing around, she smiled and responded kindly to my inquiry.

“You seem to be a martial artist. While some do challenge dojos, those often end badly. If you must, then entering as a guest into the Great Sects would be a practical choice.”

“End badly? Have you heard anything?”

“Haha…”

She just smiled, remaining vague. I quickly caught on that she wanted extra coins for more information, so I hesitantly fished out twenty silver coins from my pocket. Yet, when she remained tight-lipped, I realized I’d need to add another thirty coins. Only then did she begin to speak.

“From the way you talk, you’re probably from Anhui Province. Unlike Anhui, Luoyang has strong influences from the Zhongnan Sect and Huashan Sect, but even they struggle to gain traction within the city due to numerous masters opening martial arts schools here.”

“Not even close to the influence of the Great Sects?”

I was shocked. Even the Huashan Sect’s lowly members boasted at least four peak experts. Their martial arts, rooted in Taoist traditions honed over centuries, were incredibly powerful. For there to be masters here that could rival that was hard to believe.

The server nodded. “The strongest sect in Luoyang is known as the Twin Gates Four Families. They refer to the two major sects and four prestigious clans.”

“Hmm… Can you tell me more about it?”

I casually added another silver coin to sweeten the deal. It was a decent expenditure, but I was eager for the information. The server quickly pocketed the coin and began sharing like she was giving a grand speech.

“These six sects actively participate in recruiting for the imperial guards and the Golden Eagle Guard or martial arts examinations. Newcomers often struggle to beat any of the Twin Gates unless they are exceptional. It’s not just about bribery; members of the Twin Gates are famous for their outstanding martial skills.”

The Twin Gates consisted of the Iron Blood Gate and the Great Sword Gate. The clans were the Zhang Clan, Seo Clan, Yi Clan, and Han Clan. The locals refer to it simply as the Iron Blood Great Sword Zhang Seo Yi Han.”

The Twin Gates! Iron Blood Great Sword Zhang Seo Yi Han! This was definitely a must-memorize list as I planned my activities in Luoyang. I rolled the name of the Iron Blood Great Sword Zhang Seo Yi Han over my tongue, then asked another question.

“So, you’re saying those martial artists who tried challenging dojos in Luoyang ended up losing to the Twin Gates?”

“The elder of the Huashan Sect famously lost to the master of the Great Sword Gate in just 100 seconds. The Huashan Sect had been trying to expand their influence in Luoyang and ended up with that disaster…”

“……”

Realizing the might of the Twin Gates exceeded what I had anticipated, I felt a shiver. Though the Great Sword Gate leader was on par with the Huashan Sect elder, it didn’t diminish the latter’s status as a peak expert who had dominated the Central Plains for decades. The fact that the Great Sword Gate leader could defeat someone of that caliber in such a brief time was no laughing matter.

The server suddenly looked serious. “Ah, don’t go blabbing about this. Everyone knows it, but if someone from the Huashan Sect hears it, you might get in trouble.”

“I know, so spill more details.”

I shot her a steely gaze, “Where’s this Twin Gates place in Luoyang?”

“Uh, well…”

As the server grew animated describing the Twin Gates, I ordered one more vegetable dish. I mentally took notes of every detail while pondering my strategy.

“This couldn’t have worked out better. Perfect practice opponents!”

After three years of studying, my martial arts training had stagnated. But that didn’t mean I was less capable. Instead, the Thunder Spirit Classic had heighten my focus and energy, making me feel just one moment away from a breakthrough in my martial skills.

What I needed now was to integrate this overwhelming internal power with my martial arts. I realized I needed experience in real combat.

Since I hadn’t fought anyone worthy since acquiring the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng powers, a martial artist’s training would greatly benefit me.

After finishing my meal, I decided to stay at that inn. Sure, I might run out of money in two or three weeks, but I could also have my battles before then.

My plan? A dojo challenge! I wanted to take the Thunder Buddle and challenge the Twin Gates to gauge the skills of their top masters! While it’d be a supposed friendly match, they’d surely fight seriously to maintain their honor. In some ways, it could be a fight for my life.

And by understanding the prowess of the Twin Gates, I could better estimate the skills of the senior martial artists in the imperial palace and the Golden Eagle Guards. I remembered the words Mangnyang had shared with me, [The Golden Eagle Guards? Even if ten join forces, they’d take down anyone below the elder level of a great sect. There are at least thirty of them in the inner palace, so a direct confrontation is ill-advised.]

“……”

I steeled my resolve. If I couldn’t claim victories against the Twin Gates, I couldn’t even consider infiltrating the imperial palace. If my skills fell short, I’d have to train for years before daring to show my face there again. Fighting the Iron Blood Great Sword Zhang Seo Yi Han and ending up dead was a risk too.

But fear didn’t hold me back! Thanks to the Heavenly Secret, death didn’t terrify me; it brought a thrill instead.

Until I knew the full extent of that Heavenly Secret, my plan to steal the Nameless Ritual Book from the imperial palace became more critical than ever. Avoiding its dangers or complications would be counterproductive in the long run.

“Let’s tread carefully.”

Indeed, I would focus on surviving while enhancing my strength. Once I reached that level, I could set my lengthy plans into motion.

In essence, I had mentally signed up for a decade-long stay in Luoyang.

 

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