Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 1 The Massacre of the Entire Family

"What?! Something happened at Bai Shandian's hometown, the Bai family mansion? Overnight, all 381 members of the family perished in the fire! Who did this?!" Emperor Qianlong jumped up from his dragon throne.

The solemn Golden Palace fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop. The civil and military officials flanking the throne felt a chill run down their spines and stood frozen in fear. Their gazes, however, were all fixed on the kneeling Hangzhou General in the center of the hall.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Lord Bai Shandian, is always busy with official duties and rarely returns to his hometown. He is still far away in the desert investigating the whereabouts of the world's number one gang—the Moqing Society—and knows nothing about it! His wife, Xiangquan, along with their two children and the servants and maids in the mansion, a total of 381 people, have all perished! According to the coroner's investigation of the scene the day before yesterday, the crime occurred on a night three days ago, which happened to be raining heavily that day, undoubtedly creating favorable conditions for the perpetrator. Taking advantage of the sound of thunder and rain, they scaled the wall and entered the mansion, killing people and stealing whatever they could find. After the murders and robberies, they cruelly burned the bodies to cover their tracks! They deliberately alarmed the neighbors, causing chaos as they rushed to put out fires, and took the opportunity to escape! When we went to investigate the scene, we only saw messy footprints on the ground, a complete mess, and there were no traces of the perpetrators!" The Hangzhou General prostrated himself on the ground, recounting the course of events.

"This was undoubtedly the work of a master criminal. They were very cunning and had excellent counter-surveillance skills, leaving no trace whatsoever!" Emperor Qianlong was also shocked.

"Your Majesty, what's truly terrifying isn't just that! What's even more terrifying is that Madam Bai's Fragrant Fist technique is among the top in the martial arts world. Her Southern Fist School is teeming with talent, its subordinates all powerful figures who dominate the Jiangnan martial arts scene—martial arts school owners and gang leaders! Just imagine, how could such a powerful and influential leader of the Jiangnan martial arts world be so easily wiped out?! It's clear that this murderer's martial arts skills are extraordinary!"

The ministers in the hall could see that the Hangzhou General's plump face was covered in cold sweat. They knew he was terrified! No wonder, given the magnitude of the case, his small Hangzhou prefecture was simply incapable of solving it!

"Lord Hongchen, I will immediately issue an imperial edict to recall Bai Shandian and appoint him as Imperial Commissioner to assist you in solving this case as soon as possible!" Upon hearing this, General Hongchen of Hangzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out that although he was far away in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, he knew that Bai Shandian was a master of martial arts. His Shaolin sword technique, which was known for its ability to chase clouds and lightning, was famous throughout the capital. There was a saying in the martial arts world: "I'd rather meet a demon judge than see Bai Shandian!" With such a top-notch martial arts figure helping him solve cases, he could rest easy and do his job with peace of mind!

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! You are truly wise!" Hongchen kowtowed three times in excitement.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Bai Shandian spurred his horse onward at breakneck speed. His prized Ferghana steed, the Akhal-Teke, galloped like lightning, a dragon soaring through the sky, and arrived in Hangzhou in less than a month.

The Qing Dynasty established fourteen garrison generals for the Eight Banners troops throughout the country, and the Hangzhou General was just one of them, serving as the highest-ranking local official. Stationed in Hangzhou, he governed Zhejiang Province, much like a modern-day city garrison commander. The Hangzhou General was the highest-ranking officer of the Eight Banners troops in Zhejiang, though his actual power was less than that of the Governor-General of Zhejiang Province, his rank was higher—because he was directly under the Emperor's jurisdiction, holding the first rank, while the Governor-General was only a second-rank official. Hongchen received the Imperial Envoy, Bai Shandian, at the Hangzhou General's residence.

With sword-like eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a square face, and full lips, he wore a peacock feather headdress and an official robe. His tall and elegant figure was like a jade tree in the wind. He was a member of the Niohuru clan, a Manchu of the Bordered Yellow Banner, the great-grandson of the founding hero Niohuru Eidu, the grandson of the regent Ebilun, and the second son of the minister Yin De. He was a minister of the Qing Dynasty and currently held the position of Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard.

Hongchen explained the details of the case to him, elaborating on its importance and the urgency of the Emperor's decree to investigate. Unexpectedly, Bai Shandian frowned and rudely interrupted the general: "None of the ten wolfhounds in my residence survived?"

Hongchen squinted his small, beady eyes and smiled, thinking to himself, "I explained the case to you personally out of respect! But you, without giving me any face, interrupted me with a single sentence, leaving me utterly humiliated in front of so many of my subordinates!"

If Bai Shandian hadn't been the emperor's appointed minister, he would have already lost his temper. The officials of various ranks sitting beside him also looked up in astonishment, thinking, "After his family was destroyed, he didn't mention his beloved wife and children at all. What's gotten into him now, that he's only thinking about his few dogs!"

"What's wrong with you, sir? Is my wolfhound still alive? Say something!" Clearly, White Lightning was getting impatient.

Hongchen chuckled coldly and said, "That's right. According to the forensic results, there are indeed ten wolfhounds and two Persian cats among the remains, as well as six caged thrushes and a pair of parrots..."

"Enough!" Bai Shandian interrupted him with a gesture, his face flushed red. His piercing eyes swept around and he suddenly saw that all the officials in the room were looking down on him as if he were a madman!

He turned away to compose himself, then bowed to Hong Chen and said, "Lord Hong, please forgive my rudeness! What I really meant was: my ten wolfhounds are all specially trained by me. Each one can scale walls and leap high and low, not only dodging enemy bullets and throwing knives with lightning speed, but also carrying people to safety! As you know, due to work, I'm away from home most of the time, and we don't have bodyguards at home—these ten wolfhounds are undoubtedly my family's most loyal bodyguards!"

Hongchen was in his fifties and had become quite overweight. He looked like a toilet, thick from head to toe. He always had a smile on his face, which made him seem kind and approachable.

He was a Manchu, from the Fuca clan, one of the eight great Manchu clans. Although he had served as an official in Hangzhou twenty years ago, he still felt a deep affection for every blade of grass and tree there. He had only one daughter, whom he cherished dearly, spoiling her rotten as she grew up. Unexpectedly, one day, his daughter suddenly went to Beijing alone, saying she was going to visit her aunt, but she vanished without a trace—this had always been a source of heartache for the Hongchen couple. Now, seeing the tragic state of Bai Shandian's family, now destroyed and dead, they were immediately reminded of their own daughter's situation, and a feeling of shared sorrow welled up within them.

He walked over and patted Bai Shandian on the shoulder, saying somberly, "Lord Bai, according to our informant, this is very likely the work of the rumored underworld forces of the Central Plains!"

"What?!" White Lightning's eyes widened.

"Ten days ago, the Hangzhou city garrison commander meticulously investigated and discovered four suspicious individuals who had infiltrated our territory from the Central Plains. He had been secretly tracking them. However, their experience in the martial world was unfathomable, and their ability to evade detection was extremely strong. They quickly vanished without a trace, like ghosts. Meanwhile, the bodies of the officers who had been tracking them were all dumped in the bustling city, their deaths gruesome and unspeakable!"

Bai Shandian fell into deep thought. Because he was a Manchu, Emperor Qianlong, for some unknown reason, had never sent him on any missions to the Central Plains since he joined the imperial court! How could he possibly have any grudges with the underworld of the Central Plains? As for his father, Yin De, that was even more impossible! According to his mother, although his father had worked as the chief compiler at the National History Museum, he had died of a strange illness more than ten years ago, and his mother had also passed away, long since turned to dust. How could these two lonely old people be associated with the treacherous underworld? Impossible!

"Lord Red, on which street was your man killed?"

"It's right on Baiguanmen Street (also known as Wulinmen), only 1 meters from our General's Mansion—it seems like the suspect deliberately put on this for us!" Hongchen's smile vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness that rose from the depths of his heart.

Bai Shandian suddenly became serious and said, "Give me two people, and I'll find out the details of these four suspects within three days!" He seemed confident. Instantly, all the officials in the room turned their gazes towards him, their mouths agape in disbelief: "Three days?! You're bragging!" Hong Chen also thought Bai Shandian was being a bit too arrogant! After all, he was a favorite of the emperor!

"Two people? Is that enough?"

"That's enough!" White Lightning said calmly, his eyes burning with intensity.

On the first day, the two constables followed Bai Shandian as he toured all the taverns, inns, and theaters in the city. Of course, all three were dressed in plain clothes, looking like a young master leading two henchmen, strolling through the bustling city. Every place they went was more upscale and romantic than the last, where they not only tasted delicacies and rare foods, but also enjoyed the singing and dancing of famous opera singers and socialites, and the thrill of their seductive poses.

The two constables were secretly delighted. They had thought that working for this madman was the worst luck imaginable, but things hadn't gone as planned. They were now brazenly entering these high-class entertainment venues that they wouldn't normally even dare to glance at. This imperial envoy was truly wealthy; the way he flaunted his money as he entered was enough to make anyone envious!

And so, the day passed in utter delight. When White Lightning called out, "See you tomorrow!" at the door of the inn's specially provided room for the General, the two constables felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They knew that today had finally passed safely, and the dreaded errands they had been worried about would not occur! The two secretly clapped their hands and jumped for joy. Afterwards, they each returned home and talked to their families all night about their good fortune that day.

The next day was even better. Two constables followed Bai Shandian, taking turns raiding brothels and the Dashilan district throughout Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a major city in Zhejiang, historically known as a land of fish and rice, so you can imagine how wealthy it was. There were dozens of brothels alone, such as "Peach Blossom Lane," "Hidden Fragrance Garden," and "Orchid Blossom," filled with the fragrance of cosmetics, a constant stream of beautiful women, bare-breasted and bare-shouldered, all tempting the soul.

This was quite an eye-opener for the two young and strong constables. Normally, they'd have the desire but not the courage, or more precisely, not the money! They knew that the entrance fee to each entertainment venue was a month's salary! Now, with Bai Shandian paying for the meal himself, why wouldn't they be happy? Unfortunately, Bai Shandian had a clear rule: no real weapons allowed, just a formality! They needed to know their place! What they were there for!

Another day passed by easily and carefree. The two constables even secretly prayed: "I hope tomorrow will be like this too, and that those four damned suspects will get far away and never show up again!"

However, life is full of mysteries, and who can know what will happen tomorrow?