📖 Anecdotal Chronicles of Eighteen Shadow

Shadow Forts Spreads Across the Land Chief Chen, From Escort to Bandit In the martial world, the name Eighteen Shadow Forts is spoken with both dread and awe. Robbers, murderers, and smugglers they pillage the rivers and roads under the banner of justice: "Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor." Romantic as it sounds, don't be fooled. They strike wherever there's a silver in a pouch. Despite the name, Eighteen Shadow Forts doesn't just have eighteen branches it boasts over one hundred and eighty, scattered across the land like wolf dens in the wild. Where there are people, there's wealth; and where there's wealth, there's a Shadow Forts lurking nearby. Though the Eighteen Shadow Forts are notorious for their criminal activities, they gain favor by presenting themselves as champions of the common people, with opinions on their actions varying widely. Its rise to prominence owes much to two men: Chen Guang, the current leader, and his ever-elusive strategist, Yang Jiping. Chen Guang's story began as a humble orphan, taken in by a kind-hearted escort of the Chen family. The old man taught him the way of the blade, the code of honor, and even entrusted him with the family heirloom a dagger forged of dark steel and inlaid with silver. Chen followed his adoptive father through wind and storm, growing into one of the most promising escort guards in the Suzhou-Hangzhou region. But the man once sworn to protect caravans now leads raids upon them. Why? Rumor has it that on a fateful escort run, Chen was ambushed by Shadow Forts bandits. Defeated and disgraced, fearing retribution from his employers, he chose the outlaw path and defected to Shadow Forts. But those who know more whisper a different tale. That day, Chen Guang did meet the Shadow Forts bandits but he bested them with ease. Just as the last of them fell, a young scholar descended from the cliffs. It was this mysterious scholar who was the key to Chen Guang's defection. On that day, a woodcutter happened to be hiding nearby and witnessed the entire scene. According to him, the scholar whispered to Chen Guang for a moment, and then they stood still, the forest eerily silent. After an unknown amount of time, both suddenly burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the valley, causing leaves to fall in a flurry. Then, side by side, they vanished into the depths of the woods. From that moment on, Shadow Forts' fortunes soared. With Chen Guang at the helm, every raid was a resounding success. His deep knowledge of escort routes, his cunning mind, and his unmatched martial skill made him a nightmare for any traveling merchant. They say Chen doesn't fight to kill he fights to break. He'll toy with an enemy even after reading their every move, stretching the moment until their strength is gone and their will shattered. Even within his own ranks, he's feared more than revered. He never raises his voice. He never strikes. Yet his punishments cut deeper than blades. One burly thug, once famed for his brute strength, was so rattled by a single "talk" with Chen that to this day, he trembles at the mention of the name. So now you know. Even this glimpse revealed the terror of Chen Guang.

Unable to reach bandits of Shadow Forts, notorious Cui Ba meets his end on street Leader of Shadow Forts, Chen Guang, is quite cunning and ruthless in his actions. His strategist, Yang Jiping, is also not to be underestimated. He appears as a refined scholar, earning him the nickname "Smiling Fox." Under the leadership of Chen Guang and Yang Jiping, Eighteen Shadow Forts have flourished, doubling their sub-forts in just a few years. Among them, Water Dragon Camp in Bianjing and Dragon's Denin Cizhou are the most renowned. Water Dragon Camp operates on Bian River, led by Qin Jianghan, able to create Storm Surge. He has two generals. One is He Chong, "Mountain-Crushing Force." The other is Fang Shisan, who made contributions plundering tribute stones. He previously worked under Cui Jinlou at Dragon's Den. It is said that he values loyalty and sends most of his earnings back home. Speaking of Dragon's Den, one cannot ignore Si'en Town incident. On that night, under a dark and windy sky, a night watchman was patrolling the Dock when he saw someone lying on the shore, half of their body still in the water. The watchman thought, "How much horse urine did this drunkard drink to be in such a state? Let me wake him up." Upon closer inspection, it was no drunkard but the leader of Dragon's Den, Cui Jinlou! Cui Jinlou lay there with wide-open eyes, lifeless on the ground. Usually adorned in luxurious silks, he was found in tattered clothes, barely covered by a piece of rag. When the rag was lifted, the colors were more vibrant than any fabric shop could offer blue, red, black, and purple, with not a single piece of intact flesh. The scene was beyond tragic! The poor watchman was so terrified by Cui Jinlou's gruesome state that he dropped his wooden clapper and drum into the river and didn't dare close his eyes after returning home. As a branch of Shadow Forts, Dragon's Den also claimed to "act on behalf of heavens." However, after Cui Jinlou's death, every household in Cizhou celebrated, even more lively than the New Year. Eighteen Shadow Forts recruited bandits and refugees extensively. The main fort couldn't control them all. Cui Jinlou, who met his end on the street, was one of the most notorious among those doing evil. Besides Cui Jinlou, another tyrant of Shadow Forts still alive is Jiang Xingke on Cizhou River. He has long dominated the river, plundering passing ships and sparing no lives. According to sailors who narrowly escaped, he is a terrifying figure. As evidenced by a verse: His face is as black as lacquer, quite peculiar, with sparse hair standing upright. Black lips and white beard, truly fierce, with eyes that emit a cold light and broom-like eyebrows. Though I am old, I still hope to die peacefully, so let's end this topic here. To know what happens next, please listen to the next installment.

Numerous misdeeds have made Shadow Forts many enemies, and they conspire with Tempest Spire Eighteen Shadow Forts claim to "act on behalf of heavens, rob rich aid poor," in reality, there are many who engage in evil. Eighteen Shadow Forts commit crimes everywhere and clash with many martial world sects. Tempest Spire is one of them. Tempest Spire often clashes with them on the waterways. Over the years, Tempest Spire has punished many Shadow Forts' villains. If Shadow Forts dare to hijack Tempest Spire's cargo ships today, they will see a row of their bandits hanging upside down at the dock tomorrow. However, there are rumors that, the two sects collude in secret. It is said that a high-ranking official requested Tempest Spire to dispatch ten ships to transport rare treasures from Hangzhou to his residence in Bianjing. These treasures were extraordinary, including red coral from Eastern Sea, green-headed finches from Western Regions, luminous pearls from Southern Sea, and fox fur from Northern Desert. Hearing this, you might wonder where this official got the money to amass such treasures. Wasn't it through exploiting our hard-earned wealth? Tempest Spire could not tolerate helping corrupt officials. Tempest Spire's "Invisible Strategy, Unrivaled Planning" is not an empty boast. Their strategist, Ji Hanxiu, devised a foolproof plan. Tempest Spire dispatched ten cedarwood ships. But just as the ships were about to dock, Shadow Forts' forces emerged on Bian River, clashing with Tempest Spire's people. The heroes of Tempest Spire are all top-notch martial artists. However, this time, Shadow Forts' bandits defeated Tempest Spire's forces. It turned out that Tempest Spire, unwilling to let the treasures fall into the hands of corrupt officials, conspired with Eighteen Shadow Forts to execute "The Great Disguise." The corrupt official dared not make a fuss due to the illicit origins of the treasures. Afterwards, apart from a small portion kept by the Eighteen Shadow Forts as a fee, most of the treasures were exchanged for grain and returned to the people exploited by the official. It can be said: Tempest and Shadow secretly join forces, united in fighting against corrupt officials. However, this is merely a baseless rumor in the martial world. The Eighteen Shadow Forts and the Tempest Spire are known to be irreconcilable enemies. Moreover, which official in the court doesn't love the people like their own children? How could there be such a greedy official? Please take my ramblings as mere entertainment for your leisure, just for a laugh.

Water Dragon Camp stirs up waves, while Wan Junshan establishes Wan Jin Escort Agency. Eighteen Shadow Forts and Tempest Spire were in conflict on the waterways. Eighteen Shadow Forts treated all ships on the canal, whether government vessels or private merchant ships, as their own property. It is said that in the backyard of Water Dragon Camp, a branch of Eighteen Shadow Forts in Bianjing, there is a jagged rockery. This rockery stands 9.9 m high. The peculiar stones of it are actually tribute stones offered by officials to the capital. Shadow Forts have been intercepting tribute stones for a long time. Just a few days ago, when Palace Command Officer Yang Zhi was escorting tribute stones, the leader of Water Dragon Camp, Qin Jianghan, led his men to intercept them. I was on Rainbow Bridge that day and witnessed the process. I had just bought a Flatbread when I saw a white line on Bian River, dotted with black spots. Before I could figure out what they were, I heard a vendor exclaim, "Water Dragon Camp bandits are here." I realized that they were massive white waves carrying cargo boats and sampans, rushing towards the Rainbow Bridge. Two groups were battling. Among them was a young hero, shouting, "Return tribute stones!" A bandit retorted, "No way, I am Fang Shisan!" I had learned some martial arts in my youth, allowing me to dodge the waves stirred by them. It's a shame my Flatbread fell into the water. Eighteen Shadow Forts operate extensively. It wasn't just the government's tribute stones that suffered; wealthy merchant Wan Junshan also fell victim to them. More than half of the cargo ships on the canal belong to Wan Junshan. It's only natural that Eighteen Shadow Forts would covet Wan Junshan. For a period, Shadow Forts specifically targeted Wan's caravans. Wan Junshan dared not transport goods and instead reported their crimes to the authorities. But what could the government do? Thus, not only were Wan's goods robbed, but even the carts, horses, and ships used for transport were seized by Shadow Forts. Wan Junshan was left in despair, with no one to turn to for help, thinking, "I've navigated the business world for years, dodging countless overt and covert attacks, only to fall into the hands of the Eighteen Shadow Forts today. As the saying goes, 'Money makes the world go round.' And 'It's better to rely on oneself than others.' I want to see whether my money is tougher than the bones of the Eighteen Shadow Forts!" Wan Junshan recruited martial arts experts and established the Wan Jin Escort Agency to protect his caravans. He vowed to fight the Eighteen Shadow Forts to the end. At this very moment, the Wan Jin Escort Agency and the Eighteen Shadow Forts might be clashing on the Bian River.

Ravaging Merchant Caravans, Demons of the Mogui City Last time, we spoke of the wealthy merchant Wan Junshan, who was often robbed by the Eighteen Shadow Forts. In anger, he established the Wan Jin Escort Agency. From my perspective, Mr. Wan's misfortune was actually a stroke of luck he only lost material possessions, while some merchant convoys weren't so fortunate. It is said that along the barren, lifeless wastelands of the Song-Liao border, there lies a cursed place known as the Mogui City. Within this city, bizarre rock formations stand like ruins of a forgotten age. When night falls and the winds howl, the eerie sounds echo like the cries of vengeful spirits. The Blacksand Fort, part of Shadow Forts' branch on the border, hides within this desolate place. Though all of Shadow Forts' branches are ruthless, Blacksand Fort stands as the most feared. Once, a merchant caravan carrying spices and tea to the frontier markets encountered a fierce sandstorm shortly after crossing the border. By the time the storm passed, the caravan found itself lost in the desert, surrounded by strange, ominous rocks. They had unknowingly entered the Mogui City. The notorious reputation of Blacksand Fort was well known, and the caravan, desperate, turned back, hoping to escape. But the bandits had already surrounded them. A bloody battle ensued, leaving only one young, strong man who managed to flee. He ran back to the city, reporting the ambush. The city's defenders quickly dispatched a rescue party. When they reached the Mogui City, they saw the caravan's wagons standing untouched amidst the desert. However, the bandits were nowhere to be found. The camels and horses, fully saddled, were resting by the dunes, and the merchants, dressed in their traveling clothes, were lounging around as if nothing had happened. But as the rescuers approached and examined the scene more closely, their faces turned ashen. Even seasoned soldiers, who had fought many battles, collapsed, retching violently onto the sand. The caravan had been completely wiped out every person and animal reduced to nothing but skeletal remains. Why, you ask? To answer, I can only quote an old poem: All lands are barren; even farmers die of hunger.

Afterword I am a scholar, often frequenting a teahouse. Within it, an elder would recount tales, including Eighteen Shadow Forts. I recorded his stories into a book, naming it Anecdotal Chronicles of Eighteen Shadow." I took it to visit the elder. The elder remarked that my account was not comprehensive, as there were stories untold in the teahouse. The elder proceeded to narrate the remaining tales, which I recorded as follows: There was once an escort Chen who found an infant boy by West Lake. He named it "Chen Guang." Chen Guang was intelligent and clever. Even before he could walk, he had devised a set of moves called "Thief-Catch and Treasure-Guard Forms" with a dagger. He said, "I want to be an escort protecting treasure like my father." How could such a good child end up with bandits? What did you say in the forest that day that made him abandon even the dagger? The elder suddenly drew the dagger and lunged at me. The hidden guards quickly restrained him. I said: "How do you know he only wanted to protect it and not possess it?" After saying this, I took my leave. Even after walking for a long time, the elder's sorrowful cries echoed in my ears.