Chapter 116: Chapter 114: Hard Times, Cyan Cloud Mountain

[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]

Literary genre: Chinese xianxia/wuxia web novel (martial arts fantasy)

Language style: Descriptive, action-oriented, with both modern and classical Chinese elements

Tone: Serious, with elements of political intrigue and social commentary

Plot keywords: martial arts, conspiracy, rebellion, corrupt officials, banditry, merchants, disaster/famine

Characters:

- Wu Liangchen (武良辰): Male, protagonist, cautious and observant, seems to have martial skills, shows compassion for suffering people

- Yang Lian’Er (杨莲儿): Female, traveling with Wu Liangchen

- Wu Mengchan (武梦婵): Female, traveling with Wu Liangchen

- Shopkeeper Qiao/Qiao Le (乔掌柜/乔乐): Male, merchant planning rebellion against corrupt official

- Yang Ying (杨颖): Female, widow who runs the Xusheng Trading Company

- Cong Bo (丛博): Male, Seventh Village Chief from Cyan Cloud Mountain

- Ren Chong (任冲): Male, corrupt Imperial Inspection Official who is their target

[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]

I’ll now translate the text while applying the polishing rules:

The text describes Wu Liangchen and two women (Yang Lian’Er and Wu Mengchan) arriving at a city in Huai Mountain region where there’s clearly famine and suffering. They find lodging at an inn, while unbeknownst to them, in the neighboring inn a group of merchants are plotting to assassinate a corrupt official named Ren Chong who has been robbing their merchant caravans under the guise of being "Red Turban" bandits. The merchants have enlisted the help of a real Red Turban leader from Cyan Cloud Mountain.

Let me now produce the full translation:

Pedestrians on the street all had gaunt faces, and most of the shops along the road were closed, presenting a bleak scene of economic decline.

Wu Liangchen drove the horse carriage slowly through the long street. Night had already fallen, but looking around, he could hardly see any lanterns lit. Despite the bitter cold of midwinter, beggars crowded under the eaves of buildings along the street.

They watched the slowly passing carriage with vacant stares.

Wu Liangchen sighed inwardly when he noticed many children among the refugees and beggars.

In such weather, even if they survived tonight, when would this long winter ever end?

Yang Lian’Er and Wu Mengchan, who glimpsed the scene outside through gaps in the carriage curtains, also fell silent.

Although Dinghai City had previously suffered from disaster too, its proximity to the sea and trading port meant that the common people could still barely scrape by.

At worst, they could find work as laborers carrying goods.

But Huai Mountain prefecture was inland and had never been a prosperous region, so once disaster struck, the lower classes quickly became destitute refugees and beggars, falling into desperate circumstances.

With this heavy mood hanging over them, the carriage turned off the main street and finally arrived at a somewhat more prosperous area.

At least the shops here remained open, and several visibly upscale restaurants and taverns were full of patrons, quite lively indeed.

Even the coachmen and servants waiting outside wore fine clothes and had ruddy faces, gathering together in animated discussion, forming a stark contrast to the hell on earth just a street away.

Wu Liangchen frowned, his impression of the Wuyang Guard’s noble families and officials worsening further.

Though crows are black everywhere—Dinghai City’s government wasn’t much better—the scenes he had witnessed along this journey were still enough to upend one’s worldview.

Sometimes Wu Liangchen even thought that when he gained enough power one day, he would completely destroy this dynasty that was rotten to the core.

But for now, Wu Liangchen could only suppress his dissatisfaction and continue driving the carriage forward.

There were many inns open here. Wu Liangchen deliberately chose one near the street corner, surrounded by alleyways extending in all directions.

This way, if anything happened, it would be easier for him to escape with his companions.

This habit of cautious planning had now permeated every aspect of Wu Liangchen’s life.

An attendant eagerly took the carriage, leading it to the back courtyard to be washed and fed.

Wu Liangchen, carrying a bundle, led the two women into the inn. He found it quite crowded inside, with many people drinking in the main hall, creating a somewhat chaotic atmosphere.

However, no one paid attention to Wu Liangchen’s group. Even those who glanced at Yang Lian’Er and Wu Mengchan quickly lost interest when they saw their shabby clothes and darkened complexions.

The Shopkeeper then asked, "Honored guests, what kind of room would you like?"

"Do you have a private courtyard?" Wu Liangchen asked.

The Shopkeeper’s eyes lit up, surprised that these plainly dressed travelers wanted a private courtyard, and immediately became more enthusiastic.

"Yes, yes! You’ve come at the perfect time. We have just one courtyard left. Please follow me."

The Shopkeeper led the way, bringing the three to the back, then pointed to a small courtyard saying, "Look, it’s this one."

Wu Liangchen surveyed the surroundings, noting that the small courtyard was located at the southeast corner of the inn with a small alley behind it and no obstructing buildings nearby. He nodded.

"Good, we’ll take it."

"Excellent! Please go inside, and I’ll have an attendant bring hot water shortly."

The courtyard had three rooms plus a separate toilet. In the center stood a large camphor tree, its leaves completely fallen but branches standing tall, giving the place a tranquil feel.

Soon an attendant brought hot water, towels, and other necessities, then asked, "Would you like to dine here, honored guests?"

"What do you offer?"

"Our inn has hired an excellent chef from outside. His skills are quite remarkable and he can prepare all the usual dishes."

Wu Liangchen casually ordered a few dishes and a pot of wine.

The attendant left.

Only then did the two women begin to wash up. After cleaning themselves and changing clothes, Yang Lian’Er collapsed onto the bed and let out a long breath.

"I’m exhausted."

Wu Mengchan felt the same. Traveling by carriage sounded pleasant in theory, but given the terrible road conditions of this era, even the so-called official roads were unbearably bumpy.

This was despite rubber and shock absorption technology having been introduced from overseas. In earlier times, before rubber tires existed, a day’s travel by carriage could leave your entire body feeling like its bones had been rattled apart.

Wu Liangchen wasn’t tired. He had quietly climbed to the roof to observe the surrounding environment, mentally mapping out an emergency escape route.

He discovered that just on the other side of the courtyard wall was the back courtyard of another inn, though it seemed to have few guests, with only a distant flicker of lamplight visible.

Wu Liangchen didn’t pay much attention to this and returned downstairs. By then, the attendant had delivered their meal.

The three sat at the table and began eating.

The attendant hadn’t been exaggerating—the dishes were quite delicious.

Combined with the fact that they hadn’t been able to eat well on the journey despite their best efforts, the sight of these steaming dishes opened their appetites, and they devoured the food ravenously.

While they were eating, just one wall away in the other inn, a secret meeting was taking place.

The spacious room was packed with people, both men and women, spanning a wide range of ages.

There were elderly white-haired figures as well as young adults barely twenty years old.

Without exception, each face was etched with hatred.

At the head was a middle-aged man. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Everyone, I’m sure you’ve all heard the news."

"Just two days ago, my Yongsheng Trading Company’s caravan was ambushed barely a hundred miles from Wuyang Guard. They were completely wiped out, including my younger brother and nephew who perished among them."

"Since last year, attacks targeting our trading companies have been continuous. Especially after this year’s disaster began, they’ve grown increasingly brazen. I believe everyone present has experienced this firsthand."

"Shopkeeper Qiao, you don’t need to explain these circumstances. Every one of us has suffered severe losses. The fact that we’ve gathered here proves our intentions are aligned. Just tell us what to do next," a burly man said impatiently.

"Very well!" Qiao Le nodded, a fierce expression appearing on his face.

"Since that Imperial Inspection Official arrived in our Wuyang Guard, he has imposed excessive taxes and committed every evil deed imaginable. We’ve all suffered under him these years. But what’s worse, since last year when he somehow gained control of the garrison troops, he’s become so depraved that he’s directly robbing merchant caravans."

"He may have his men disguise themselves as Red Turban rebels, but everyone knows who’s really behind it."

"His purpose is simple—to plunder all the wealth our ancestors accumulated over generations for himself."

"Now Great Yan is declining, with constant internal strife at court. Those officials can barely look after themselves, let alone care about Huai Mountain prefecture. So hoping he’ll be transferred elsewhere is impossible. If we want to survive, we have only one option."

"Kill him!"

When this word was uttered, the room instantly fell silent. Everyone unconsciously held their breath, but none showed fear. Some faces even revealed excitement and anticipation.

Because even before they came here, they had already anticipated this conclusion.

After all, even a cornered rabbit will bite. These merchants, driven to the brink of ruin by this high-born Imperial Inspection Official, with blood debts in almost every family, naturally thought of resistance.

"But Ren Chong rarely leaves his residence, and his guards are extremely powerful. With just our people, can we really kill him?" A woman in her thirties asked hesitantly.

She was attractive with dignified bearing, but the black mourning band on her arm revealed she was a widow.

She was Yang Ying, the current mistress of the Xusheng Trading Company.

"Our forces alone wouldn’t be sufficient, but I’ve already found outside help," Qiao Le said confidently.

"Oh? What help?" Yang Ying and everyone else were curious.

Currently, Huai Mountain prefecture was practically dominated by Ren Chong alone, which was why he dared to attack merchant caravans.

So besides themselves, who else would step in against Ren Chong?

"Village Chief Cong, please come in."

Following Qiao Le’s words, a burly man with a stern face entered from outside.

When they saw him, many in the room were shocked and hurriedly stood up, looking at him with angry expressions.

Because this man wore a red turban—he was one of the Red Turban rebels.

Almost every merchant present had been robbed by men wearing red turbans, and even knowing now that they were Ren Chong’s men in disguise, they still feared this image.

"Everyone, please don’t misunderstand. This Village Chief Cong is the Seventh Village Chief of Cyan Cloud Mountain, not one of Ren Chong’s men in disguise."

Cyan Cloud Mountain was a major force that had risen to prominence in the last two years, spanning across Huai Mountain, Yunmeng, and Anze prefectures. Its members all wore red turbans, earning them the name "Red Turban Army."

Indeed, Cong Bo, the Village Chief, nodded slightly to everyone and said, "Please don’t be alarmed. As Shopkeeper Qiao explained, I am the Seventh Village Chief of Cyan Cloud Mountain. I’ve come down from the mountain on my Great Village Chief’s orders to punish those who have been committing evil deeds while falsely using our Red Turban name."

Hearing his introduction, everyone finally relaxed and became excited.

Over these two years, Cyan Cloud Mountain’s reputation in Huai Mountain prefecture had grown to the point where even women and children knew of it.

Rumors said their Great Village Chief had broken through the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pass and reached the Fourth Realm perfection—an immortal walking the earth.

Since this Cong Bo could serve as the Seventh Village Chief of Cyan Cloud Mountain, his strength must also be formidable.

With this, their chances of success suddenly increased significantly.

Yang Ying then asked, "Shopkeeper Qiao, now that even a Village Chief from Cyan Cloud Mountain has arrived, when shall we act?"

"Time is of the essence. Delay breeds complications. I’ve already ordered my trading company’s guards to prepare. We act tonight," Qiao Le said decisively, then looked at everyone present.

"What do you all think?"

The group exchanged glances, then roared their agreement.

The burly man who had spoken earlier slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Good! I’ll summon all my company’s guards right away."

"Then it’s settled. One hour!"

Qiao Le held up one finger. "In one hour, we attack the Imperial Inspection Office and kill Ren Chong!"