Not knowing where he came from, nor where he was headed, all that remained was a man, a bird, and a blade. He spoke of going to the ‘jianghu’, yet as he stood at the street corner, looking around in confusion, where exactly was this ‘jianghu’?

Henry Blake led a black horse through the bustling crowd, walking aimlessly along the street, somewhat absent-minded.

But after only a few steps, two crisp sounds suddenly rang out beside him.

“Dang dang——”

A support rod for a window fell from the second floor, rolling to his feet.

Looking up at the second-floor window, he saw a graceful and enchanting silhouette fall into his gaze...

------------

Chapter Two: Red Flower Pavilion

When a commotion broke out at the entrance of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, it was quickly noticed from the second floor of a nearby cloth shop. A beautiful woman rose from behind her desk and came to the window to observe.

She wore a waist-length ruqun, a dark red cross-collared top wrapping her ample chest, her waist cinched just right with a jade-green bead hanging from her skirt, which was a pale pleated one. Her eyes were almond-shaped, her lips touched with vermilion rouge, and with her air of intelligence, her beauty was mature and composed.

Seeing Henry Blake coming to stir up trouble, the woman did not get angry. Instead, her naturally alluring almond eyes brightened:

“Bones heavy, spirit cold, a temple vessel of heaven; both wild and chivalrous, yet gentle and refined... what a striking appearance.”

The maid behind her tiptoed to peer from afar: “Indeed, very handsome, but he looks a bit dim-witted—coming to challenge without checking the background. Should we say hello, in case William Brooks goes too hard on him...”

Bang—

After a soft sound, William Brooks was subdued, the street fell silent, and the two women were left speechless.

“My father, Richard Collins...”

A clear voice rang out. The beautiful woman’s gaze shifted from playful admiration to seriousness, then to a burning intensity, as if ‘rain after a long drought’.

But this reaction was not because the beautiful woman had any improper thoughts about Henry Blake.

She was known as ‘Mary Collins’, real name Grace Collins. Though her attire suggested she was a lady from a merchant family, beneath her gentle and beautiful exterior lay another identity—the current head of the Red Flower Pavilion, a powerful force in the jianghu!

The Great Wei Dynasty had only been established for sixty years. Now, with a female emperor on the throne, powerful enemies eyed the north, and ambitious princes schemed within. In this chaos, an unprecedentedly prosperous ‘jianghu’ had emerged.

Those who could dominate a region in the jianghu were called grandmasters. At the pinnacle were the ‘One Immortal, Two Saints, and Eight Great Chiefs’—the eleven strongest people in the world, whom even the imperial court had to treat with caution.

The previous head of the Red Flower Pavilion, James Collins, was one of the Eight Great Chiefs, known as the ‘Spear Chief’, ranked seventh in the world. The status of the Red Flower Pavilion in the jianghu was evident.

Spear Chief James Collins was Grace Collins’s master and Richard Collins’s father, which also made him Henry Blake’s adoptive grandfather.

Richard Collins was the second son of the Pei family, gifted from a young age, but after a dispute with his family, he left home, vowing not to return until he made a name for himself.

The outcome was clear: Richard Collins died in obscurity, never teaching Henry Blake true martial arts—not because he was unwilling, but because he didn’t want Henry Blake to repeat his mistakes.

After Richard Collins’s death, he sent Henry Blake away to the capital, not as a test of character, but as a ‘calling card’ for the family.

No normal person would be so ‘sentimental and trustworthy’ as to obey a dead man’s words, give up their inheritance, and become a homeless wanderer.

But Richard Collins knew Henry Blake would. He did this only so the family would see it, allowing Henry Blake to enter the Red Flower Pavilion and become the next head and ‘Spear Chief’—this was the true inheritance Richard Collins left his son.

However, Richard Collins probably didn’t expect that the Pei family wasn’t doing much better now.

James Collins had died years ago, the eldest son inherited the position but was killed by an enemy, and the title of ‘Spear Chief’ changed hands, leaving only the youngest disciple, Grace Collins, to take over as head of the Red Flower Pavilion.

Grace Collins was a woman, skilled in martial arts but far from the level of the Eight Great Chiefs, unable to bear the weight of a top jianghu clan. As a result, with a young and weak leader, the Red Flower Pavilion’s prestige plummeted.

External forces in the jianghu encroached on their wealth, while internal hall leaders vied for power. Grace Collins’s position was already unstable, and she had even sent people to secretly search for the ‘Second Master’, hoping he would return to support the family.

Richard Collins was already buried, a clear blow to the Pei family, but Henry Blake’s ‘return home’ brought a glimmer of hope to the tottering clan—they desperately needed a brilliant ‘young master’ to steady the ship and suppress the Red Flower Pavilion’s internal and external troubles!

That was why, when Grace Collins saw Henry Blake’s impressive skills and learned his identity, she showed such a ‘hungry’ expression.

Seeing Henry Blake about to leave without a word, passing under the window, Grace Collins pushed open the street-side window, reached out, and knocked the support rod down.

Dang dang dang~~~

As Henry Blake led his horse down the street, he looked up, the reflection of the beauty at the window appearing in his eyes, but he showed none of the usual amazement of other men:

“Miss, how could you be so careless?”

Grace Collins was so beautiful that few men could remain unmoved upon seeing her. Noticing this, she nodded secretly and pretended to be displeased:

“No manners at all. My name is Grace Collins, your adoptive father’s junior sister. Everyone at home calls me Mary. You’re Second Brother’s son—now that you’re home, how can you leave without saying hello?”

Adoptive father’s junior sister...

Shigu? (Martial aunt?)

From his adoptive father’s letters, Henry Blake only knew his family was in the capital—nothing else.