The Strife of Chaos Chapter 54: Rebuilding Beitong Pass

“So that’s how it is.” After listening to Yang Ruiyun’s explanation, Li Qiutong finally understood the situation with the two-thousand-strong force. Turning to Yang Hu, she said, “Brother Yang, thank you very much.”

“General Li, you’re too kind. I hope to learn much from you in the future.”

Li Qiutong replied cheerfully, “Of course. Let me arrange your accommodations first.” As she spoke, she waved to Bilu, who had just approached. “Bilu, come here.”

Seeing Li Qiutong’s gesture, Bilu, speechless, could only cover her face and walk over.

“Bilu, this is Commander Yang Hu. Please arrange their lodgings; you’re familiar with the situation. And as for Brother Yang’s wife, have her stay with you for a while.” Li Qiutong instructed simply.

“Alright,” Bilu replied helplessly.

After giving instructions to Bilu, Li Qiutong turned to Yang Hu and his wife, saying, “You’ll have to endure some inconvenience for now. Bilu’s unit consists entirely of female soldiers, so it should be fine. Tomorrow, we’ll start rebuilding Beitong Pass and construct a house specifically for you then.”

“Thank you for your consideration, General Li.”

Before arriving, Yang Hu had worried that bringing his wife along would be troublesome and had wanted her to stay in Chaos City. However, unable to refuse her insistence, he brought her along to seek refuge with Li Qiutong. Unexpectedly, Li Qiutong was so attentive, making a very favorable first impression—not at all like a typical general, but more like a friend.

Initially intending only to follow Yang Ruiyun’s advice, he now began to reassess this person whom Yang Ruiyun regarded as an elder brother.

Yang Ruiyun, his brother, and Bilu then led Yang Hu and his companions to sort out their living arrangements.

Meanwhile, Ren Xingtian pulled Li Qiutong into the house to inquire about last night’s negotiations.

Upon hearing Li Qiutong’s commitments to the two, Ren Xingtian could only hold his head, resigned.

Li Qiutong asked, “Do you think the terms are too high or too low?”

“Tong, let’s not talk about Bilu; that woman is incredibly mysterious. But Lone Wolf—he’s a martial arts grandmaster suppressed by Bilu. And you actually agreed to kill Thornblade for him?”

“Is Thornblade that formidable?”

Ren Xingtian looked at Li Qiutong, whose face was filled with innocence, and explained, “Thornblade is the top assassin of the Blades Organization, one of its three leaders. Killing him is tantamount to challenging half the powers in Chaos City. Moreover, regardless of his affiliations, Thornblade is a god-level assassin.”

“Are god-level assassins really that strong?”

Ren Xingtian nodded. “The minimum requirement to become a god-level assassin is to independently kill a saint-level martial artist.”

“Wait, are they all saint-level martial artists?” Li Qiutong suddenly asked, her expression turning serious.

“More or less. There are ten recognized god-level assassins on the continent. Some aren’t saint-level, but Thornblade absolutely is—a true saint-level assassin.”

After listening to Ren Xingtian’s account, Li Qiutong’s grave expression suddenly brightened with a smile. “Isn’t that rather interesting?”

“Tong, I—”

Li Qiutong patted Ren Xingtian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Xingtian. Have some confidence. The promise has already been made.”

“Alright.” Ren Xingtian looked utterly despondent.

“That’s better. Now, tell me more about this Assassin Rankings—it sounds impressive.” Li Qiutong shifted the topic.

Ren Xingtian could only explain, though he was well used to this by now. “The Assassin Rankings, as the name suggests, lists the fifty most renowned assassins across the continent. It’s divided into three tiers: god, heaven, and earth, corresponding to martial arts master, grandmaster, and saint-level. The top ten assassins have all assassinated saint-level martial artists—hence, god-level. And—”

Seeing Ren Xingtian prepare for a lengthy explanation, Li Qiutong quickly interrupted, “No need for all that. Just tell me how formidable the number one assassin is.”

Ren Xingtian took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, “The number one assassin, known in the martial world as Blood Lotus. No one knows where she’s from, nor how to find her. Only one line circulates about her: ‘A head of white hair whiter than snow, clothed in white, like a phantom.’ As for her record—it’s almost unbelievable. Since her emergence, at least ten saint-level martial artists have fallen to her, each in a single strike. Beyond this, nothing else is known about her.”

“She’s quite impressive—I’d love to meet her someday.”

Ren Xingtian shook his head. “It’s best not to. Now, let’s discuss the construction of Beitong Pass.”

Finally, Ren Xingtian brought the conversation back to the main topic.

The two discussed the future plans and direction for Beitong Pass, though most of the talking was done by Ren Xingtian, with Li Qiutong listening and occasionally asking some odd questions.

“Alright, that’s about it. When Ruiyun returns, I’ll brief him on the training.”

“Good. Let’s go outside and have a look.”

Thus, two days later, when the Lin family delivered everything to Beitong Pass, the grand transformation began.

First came the rebuilding of the residential area. The chaotic old barracks were demolished and replaced with four formal encampments in each direction. Ren Xingtian organized the personnel, though the method of allocation remained a mystery—some ended up with more, some with less.

As agreed, Li Qiutong personally arranged a small building in the western barracks for Yang Hu and his wife. Yang Ruiyun and the original Silver Lancers were also stationed there, while Deng Zhanxuan was inexplicably assigned to the northern barracks. Bilu and her female soldiers took up residence in the southern barracks, the only mixed-gender unit.

The small cabin, originally housing four, now had an extra occupant—Yuling, who had been tricked into coming by Ren Xingtian. When Li Qiutong saw Yuling arriving with the supply convoy, she was startled.

But seeing Ren Xingtian’s expression, as if he had long planned this, she could guess the reason.

Recruitment, meanwhile, was postponed to avoid raising suspicion in Chang’an. There was no large-scale conscription.

Yet, Li Qiutong was hardly involved in these matters, spending most of the time in the house with Ren Xingtian, discussing modifications to martial arts techniques. According to Ren Xingtian, it was to make Eight Trigrams Fist more suited for military formations, requiring some adjustments to simplify it. For Li Qiutong, already a grandmaster of Eight Trigrams, it wasn’t a major issue, but still demanded considerable time and effort.

While Beitong Pass was undergoing a complete transformation, news reached the other side of the continent.

Night. The Lin residence.

“What’s the matter, Xiao Ai? Calling this old man over in the middle of the night—what’s so urgent?” Hai Tianya, who had been quietly admiring the moon in the courtyard, was summoned by Lin Ai.

“Sorry, Grandpa Hai. It’s just that this information might be very important to us.” Lin Ai apologized sincerely.

Looking at the hardworking girl who always put her family first, Hai Tianya asked with concern, “What news is so important?”

“Just now, word came from Uncle Lin Ni in Chaos City—Brother Li has arrived in the land of chaos.” As she spoke, Lin Ai handed the freshly delivered letter to Hai Tianya.

Hai Tianya took the letter and read it carefully. It contained detailed information about Li Qiutong and companions, as well as future plans. Of course, the most notable part in Lin Ni’s message was the thirty-plus pieces of glass-type jadeite.

But unfortunately, neither Lin Ai nor Hai Tianya focused on that.

“This kid is something else—he’s managed to join forces with the Yang and Deng families, and been appointed as General of the North, with his own army and fortress. Not bad, not bad,” Hai Tianya commented as he read.

“Grandpa Hai, that’s not the main point,” Lin Ai reminded him.

Continuing to read, Hai Tianya’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. “This kid—how did he become a saint-level martial artist? This must be a joke. He’s so young.”

“It seems unlikely. Even my brother is far from being a saint-level at this age. But according to Uncle Lin Shun, he witnessed Brother Li manifesting two martial cores simultaneously—it should be true,” Lin Ai explained.

“I thought I already held him in high regard, but he’s surpassed all expectations.”

Lin Ai nodded. “Brother Li’s strength is enough to make his name on the continent now. And he’s purchased a vast array of military supplies; his intentions are surely not as simple as before.”

Hai Tianya didn’t quite grasp Lin Ai’s implication, so he asked, “Xiao Ai, what are you thinking?”

“Since Brother Li is buying from us, it shows he trusts us. And Uncle Lin Ni has already signed a long-term cooperation with them. In that case, why don’t we deepen this partnership?”

At this, Hai Tianya understood Lin Ai’s intentions.

Lin Ai continued, “Now that the Heavenly Kingdom’s destruction of Song is certain, no matter what Songzong offers, it cannot be changed. Though the Lin family has a prior arrangement with Sister Yun, the Heavenly Kingdom will not allow the Lin family to survive intact. The family will surely be weakened. So, why not proactively weaken ourselves, show our sincerity to the Heavenly Kingdom, and thus preserve the Lin family within Song’s borders?”

“And then, support Li Qiutong—leave ourselves a way out.”

“Exactly. I want to stake everything on Brother Li’s future,” Lin Ai declared resolutely.

“Xiao Ai, you’re beginning to look more and more like a qualified family head. But whose funds will we invest in Li Qiutong?”

“The Lin family possesses a trove passed down by generations of family heads, not recorded in the official ledgers.”

Hai Tianya was taken aback by Lin Ai’s plan. He had heard of this, but it was considered the ancestral fire seed, only to be used in direst peril. Yet, seeing Lin Ai’s determined gaze, he knew it could not be changed.

“Are you sure?”

Lin Ai nodded. “No matter what, I will preserve the Lin family entrusted to me by Grandfather, intact, until my brother returns.”

Seeing the child grown, Hai Tianya had no more to say.

“Thank you for supporting me, Grandpa Hai.”

Hai Tianya merely smiled kindly. “What shall we do next?”

“We go to Chaos City.”