Chapter 39: The Soul-Stealing Dart

Life in the Qing Dynasty was truly exhausting. People wore those strange queue hairstyles, exposing their shiny, bare foreheads. It was tolerable in the summer, but the winter must have been torture for their heads! When walking, the braid would sway about, which made Ma Jun quite uncomfortable. So he simply grabbed the braid, threw it over his shoulder, crouched by the door to listen, and then knocked, saying, “Is this the brother who stood up for the Heaven and Earth Society just now? I’m Ma Jun. I admire your forthrightness and came specially to make your acquaintance!”

“Haha, so it’s Hero Ma!” Mao Shiba had wanted to meet the fierce man who drove away the salt smugglers for quite some time. Upon hearing the voice, he immediately opened the door, laughing heartily as he welcomed Ma Jun inside.

Ma Jun had his own way of dealing with brawny types like Mao Shiba. After the two had shared several cups of wine across the table, they truly seemed like old friends. Mao Shiba called Ma Jun “Little Brother Ma,” and Ma Jun reciprocated, respectfully addressing him as “Brother Shiba.”

After forcing down a few bites of food, Ma Jun said, “Brother Shiba, in my view, that gang of salt smugglers isn’t much to speak of, but since they lost face, they’ll probably come back for revenge. These men are just salt traders—they’ve never bullied the people. We’re all Han; I don’t wish for us to fight among ourselves. To avoid further conflict, let’s make ourselves scarce.”

“Good brother, you’re indeed a man of great righteousness!” Mao Shiba exclaimed in admiration. “I too have aspirations to restore the Ming and overthrow the Qing, but I’ve always been preoccupied with petty squabbles in the martial world. Hearing your words today is enlightening! As it happens, I’ve arranged a friendly contest with a few friends. Come along, brother, and meet everyone!”

This was exactly what Ma Jun had been hoping for, and he nodded in satisfaction. He and Mao Shiba then left the Spring Beauty Pavilion together.

Because Ma Jun had drawn all the attention, the clash between Mao Shiba and the salt smugglers hadn’t been too fierce, so he’d only suffered minor injuries. The two men entered a quiet alley and headed westward out of the city.

They traveled for nearly four hours. By the time dawn was breaking, they reached Victory Hill. Though called a hill, it was little more than a low knoll, not even forty meters high.

Victory Hill lay in Dayi Township, thirty li northwest of Yangzhou. During the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song, Han Shizhong had won a great victory over the Jin forces here, which gave the hill its name.

Mao Shiba didn’t know the way, but Ma Jun, having followed Xiaohua’s directions, didn’t get lost.

They found a slab of bluestone to sit and rest on. With the sky still dim, they chatted for a while before each dozed off to catch up on sleep.

After about an hour, they were startled awake by someone shouting in the distance, “Brother Shiba, it’s been a while!”

Ma Jun opened his eyes to see two men approaching quickly along the path—one an old man, the other a short, stout middle-aged fellow.

Mao Shiba stood up and called out, “Brother Wu! Brother Wang! You both look well!”

When the two arrived, Mao Shiba introduced Ma Jun as a good friend.

He first told Ma Jun their names: one was “Demon Cloud Hand” Wu Dapeng, the other “Twin Pens Split the Mountain” Wang Tan. The names sounded impressive, but in reality, they were just minor characters—much like a street vendor in modern times boasting he’s the CEO of some trading company!

Ma Jun greeted them with a warm smile. Then Mao Shiba began lavishly praising Ma Jun to Wu and Wang, recounting in dramatic detail how he’d single-handedly fought the salt smugglers at the Spring Beauty Pavilion.

At the end, Ma Jun modestly added, “The folks in the martial world flatter me with the nickname ‘Soul-Stealing Darts,’ but it’s hardly deserved.”

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. A good nickname and reputation make it easier to get away with less-than-honorable deeds!

Wu and Wang, seasoned men of the jianghu, though inwardly dismissive of Ma Jun’s youthful appearance, maintained a courteous front.

The four of them chatted idly about everything under the sun—an ancient custom—before finally getting to the real business at hand: Mao Shiba was to spar with the other two, one against two.

But Wu Dapeng, not wanting to gang up on Mao Shiba, said, “In that case, Brother Wang, you stand by for me. If I can’t prevail, you’ll step in.”

Wang Tan agreed and moved aside, quietly chatting with Ma Jun.

Ma Jun had never witnessed such chivalrous duels before. He watched as the two exchanged elegant, flowing moves—though neither used deadly techniques. As a former special forces soldier, his own skills were all about efficiency, never flashy—every move disabled or killed, nothing ornamental.

Just as the fight was at its most intense, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly rang out. More than a dozen men on horseback, dressed as soldiers, surrounded them.

The riders spread out, encircling the four men. The lead officer shouted, “Hold it! We’re here to arrest Mao Shiba, the notorious bandit. The rest of you are not involved, so step aside!”

The four exchanged glances. Aside from Ma Jun and Mao Shiba, the other two were visibly baffled.

Wu Dapeng spoke up, “This man is a law-abiding citizen—how could he be a bandit? You must have the wrong person.”

There was a reason Mao Shiba was known for his brawn—at such a critical moment, instead of thinking of escape, he still obsessed over the duel!

“Old Wu, Brother Wang, today we must settle this match, or who knows if I’ll even be alive six months from now. Let’s make it quick—both of you at once!”

The officer barked, “Mao Shiba, your prison break and murders are a matter for the local authorities of Yangzhou. Normally, we wouldn’t concern ourselves. But we’ve heard you caused a public scene at a brothel, praising the Heaven and Earth Society as heroes and rebels. Is that true?” He turned to Ma Jun. “And you—are you two in league together?”

A fierce glint flashed in the officer’s eyes as he shouted, “Grand Protector Ao has sent us south from Beijing to capture rebels of the Heaven and Earth Society. The two of you, come with us!”

This was a moment to declare his allegiance—Ma Jun would not let it pass. He stepped forward, smiling, “You imperial hounds, the Heaven and Earth Society is far beyond the reach of small fry like yourselves. I’ve shown mercy to Han Chinese before, but when it comes to lackeys of the Qing, I show none.”

He glanced at the other three. “Brothers, the fight to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming demands blood. Killing these men may not change much, but it shows our resolve. If anyone is afraid, just step aside.”

“Fine! Fine!” the soldiers roared in fury. “Open rebellion! Take them all—sentence them to death by slow slicing!”

Wu, Wang, and Mao Shiba did not hesitate but charged at the soldiers.

Ma Jun remained calm, first flooring the two nearest men, then whipping out his pistol, roaring, “Today you’ll witness the might of my Soul-Stealing Darts!”

Bang! Bang!

After more than a dozen shots, every soldier lay dead, each with a bullet to the forehead. Mao Shiba and the others were left dumbstruck.

“Marvelous!” After a long moment, Mao Shiba exclaimed in delight, “So you truly possess such formidable hidden weapon skills, Brother Ma! I was already impressed by your martial arts at the Spring Beauty Pavilion, but I never imagined you hadn’t even shown your true abilities. You really do spare Han lives!”

Only then did Wu and Wang offer Ma Jun their genuine respect, showering him with praise. They also revealed their identities: both were members of the Heaven and Earth Society’s Honghua Hall.

Now that they were all comrades fighting to overthrow the Qing, there was no need to compete further. The duel between Mao Shiba and the others was canceled. They rejoiced together, conversed at length, and, after burying the soldiers’ bodies, took their leave of one another.

“Brother Shiba, what will you do next?” Ma Jun asked with a smile. “I plan to head to the capital and assassinate that dog Oboi! Let him know the Han cannot be trampled on!”

“In that case, if you don’t mind, I’ll come with you!” Mao Shiba thumped his chest in excitement.

“Of course I don’t mind. Let’s take these soldiers’ horses and be on our way!”