Recently, I ventured alone into the capital, intending to assassinate the barbarian ruler to save China, but my powers were too weak, and I only managed to injure his body.

　　After escaping, I realized that I was ultimately alone and powerless. I wished to rally loyal and righteous men, raise an army to wipe out the barbarians and restore the Han dynasty. During the day, I heard that you and your disciples are all loyal and righteous, so I have come to invite you to join me in this great cause!”

　　Eric Bennett spoke passionately.

　　Richard Morris swallowed hard and said, “Immortal, did you just say you wounded the barbarian emperor?”

　　“That’s right. I struck his face with a magical artifact, and his appearance is surely ruined. One of his eyes is definitely destroyed. If treated well, he might survive; if not, he’s probably already dead by now. This happened not long ago. I rode south very quickly, so I imagine news from the capital hasn’t spread yet.”

　　Eric Bennett said.

　　“Is what you say true, Immortal?”

　　Richard Morris said in a daze.

　　This guy’s words contained so much information that he couldn’t help but be stunned. In fact, it sounded like a dream. This guy meant that he had already broken into Beijing before, and had seriously injured Kangxi—not only disfiguring him and blinding one eye, but even putting his life in danger. And now he had come to invite him to rise up in rebellion together and continue to oppose the Qing court.

　　“Of course it’s true. If you don’t believe me, you can wait a few days. News from Beijing will surely arrive.”

　　Eric Bennett said casually. This kind of news couldn’t be blocked by Kang Ma-zi’s people. He was in the outer city like an exhibition; probably tens of thousands saw him. It’s just that news among the common people doesn’t travel that fast.

　　At this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Richard Morris’s mind, and he immediately connected it to the recent frantic troop movements of the Qing soldiers everywhere. These days, not only the Green Standard Army in various places, but even the garrisoned Banner troops in Hangzhou had been sent north across the Yangtze. You have to know, that’s not even their defense zone. Although the reason for the mobilization was still unknown, if this guy really almost killed Kangxi, then all these movements made perfect sense—they were searching for this guy. As a disciple of an immortal of the same generation as Chen Tuan, he really did have the ability to break into Beijing alone, and it would indeed take such a massive mobilization to deal with him.

　　In other words, this was almost certainly true.

　　“Good! What you have done, Immortal, is truly exhilarating. To be honest, I have long wished to rise up, but have been too weak and alone. I wanted to kill the traitors, but was powerless to turn the tide. Now that you have invited me, Immortal, I cannot refuse.”

　　He suddenly stood up and slapped the table excitedly.

　　“Good! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!”

　　Eric Bennett said, patting him on the shoulder with satisfaction.

　　It was clear that this man was rather impulsive, and that was exactly the kind of person he needed right now.

　　“But just the two of us is far from enough. We need more like-minded men. I want to gather at least several thousand troops, first take Hangzhou and wipe out all the barbarians in the city, then use eastern Zhejiang as our base to march north and retake the Central Plains, strike straight at Beijing, and restore the Han Chinese way.”

　　He continued.

　　This was the main reason he sought out Richard Morris first. Given his own situation, he might know who still longed for the old dynasty, but he couldn’t possibly gather them all. Richard Morris, however, could. As Lü Liuliang’s prized student, he was certainly well-connected among the scholars of Zhejiang, and he knew exactly who among them shared his sentiments. The rest was just a matter of sending word.

　　And these scattered former subjects of the old dynasty each had their own networks as well. Once they spread the word, the net would grow even larger. If they could connect with those who specialized in this, like the Heaven and Earth Society, it would be perfect.

　　As for attacking Hangzhou and such...

　　That was just waving a big flag. They could talk about it later. Even if attacking Hangzhou was unrealistic, attacking Dinghai was still quite feasible.

　　“Immortal, you need not worry. Not all men of Jiangzuo are willing to be slaves to the barbarians. There are many who aspire to restore China. All it takes is a letter of invitation.”

　　Sure enough, Richard Morris said, patting his chest.

　　“That’s best, but it’s better to keep this matter secret.”

　　Eric Bennett said.

　　“Rest assured, Immortal. Leave it to me.”

　　Richard Morris said with great enthusiasm.

　　“In that case, we still need a place to meet. This place won’t do. It must be secret enough, somewhere the barbarians won’t notice. I’ve got it—there’s a Peach Blossom Island near Dinghai, spacious enough and inconspicuous. Let’s set it there. We’ll meet on the island in one month to discuss our grand plan.”

　　Eric Bennett said.

　　“I will follow your every command, Immortal!”

　　Richard Morris said.

Chapter 10: Taking Action Immediately

　　One month later, Peach Blossom Island.

　　A fisherman mending his nets by the sea looked respectfully into the distance.

　　Two scholars in long robes were walking up the mountain with a strangely dressed man, chatting animatedly as they went. They were said to be students from some poetry society, all men of rank. They had chosen Anqi Peak for their poetry gathering, and in recent days, many people had come, even bringing large groups of servants and children—altogether, there were several hundred.

　　In fact, since the Song dynasty, this small island had been considered a scenic spot, often attracting scholars and poets. This time, though the numbers were a bit larger, it wasn’t all that strange.

　　Of course, if these honest fishermen got a little closer, they would hear what they were really talking about...